Archive
Events for Week of December 13, 2010
Head to Santa Monica's Library Alehouse for some amazing brews this week!
Due to my inability to post events on Sunday, I have decided to post on Mondays and give you events from Tuesday through Monday. Hope that is okay. If not, let me know!
This weekend, I indulged in a Black Raven Trickster, Cantillon’s Framboise, New Belgium‘ s La Folie, New Belgium’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Sah’ti, Deschutes Hop Henge and 21st Amendment’s Brew Free or Die IPA. A pretty good weekend in beer, if I say so myself.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Holiday Beer Dinner: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
6:00PM-9:00PM @ Victory Brewing Co.
Nothing like the holidays to have an excuse to splurge! Check out this menu- its simply irresistible, $50.00 per person and paired with Victory Brewing Co. beers.
Duo of Soups
Red pepper bisque and puree of spinach
Served with Prima PilsProsciutto wrapped beer blanched asparagus with gruyere mornay sauce
Served with Rauch PorterCranberry and chestnut filled turkey breast cutlets with Pursuit giblet gravy and roasted seasonal squash
Served with Pursuit Pale AleCracked barley encrusted oysters with Anaheim chili risotto and saffron aioli
Served with ESBCinnamon nutmeg spice cake with Dark Intrigue frosting
Served with Dark Intrigue
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Bourbon County Bottle Signing: Homer Glen, Illinois
6:00PM-9:00PM @ Kenwood Liquors
Bourbon County is one of the best stouts EVER and in my opinion the best beer made by Goose Island. Tonight, stop by one of the two Kenwood Liquor locations and pick up a bottle specially signed by Goose Island Founder John Hall.
Time: 6pm-7pm
Kenwood Liquors
12037 W. 159th Street
Homer Glen, IL 60491
(708) 590-8210
Time: 8pm-9pm
Kenwood Liquors
10750 South Cicero Avenue
Oak Lawn, IL 60453-5402
(708) 424-3580
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Dogfish Head Bash: Montpelier, Vermont
7:00PM-2:00AM @ Three Penny Taproom
This epic tap list includes Dogfish Head‘s best beers:
- Chateau Jiahu
- Theobroma
- Pangaea
- Bitch’s Brew
- My Antonia
- Red & White
- Black & Blue
- Olde School
- 90 Minute
- 60 Minute
- Indian Brown
Friday, December 17, 2010
Week of Wild Friday Tastival: Eugene, Oregon
5:00PM-10:00PM @ Sixteen Tons Beer & Wine
Hot Damn- Featured breweries will include Block 15, Upright, Hair of the Dog, De Dolle, Cantillon, Rodenbach, Russian River, The Bruery, Orval, Cascade, Deschutes, Victory, Lindemans, Oud Beersel, 3 Fonteinen, De Ranke, Haandbryggeriet, New Belgium, Avery, Mikkeller, Ommegang, and more.
Tasting tickets are $1. Beers are 1-4 tickets for 3oz tasters. No entry fee. GO TO THIS!!!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Maui Brewing Launch Party: Denver, Colorado
1:00PM-5:00PM @ Freshcraft
Finally, Maui Brewing has reached Colorado. A state full of beer lovers, it’s about time! The long-awaited time when CoCoNuT Porter, Big Swell IPA & Bikini Blonde Lager hit Colorado are now over.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Twelve Days of Barleywine: Anchorage, Alaska
11:00AM-11:00PM @ Glacier Brewhouse
Stop by Glacier Brewhouse for some barleywines. It’s impressive that a brewery makes an array of this specific style. Today is the 10th day, so time is of the essence.
THE 10th DAY OF BARLEYWINE – DEC. 19, 2010
1. 2011 Big Woody Barleywine aged in Ukrainian Oak barrel for 10 months. (9.00% abv)
2. 2010 Eisbock aged 8 months in Makers Mark barrels. (9.00%abv)
3. Cask conditioned selection. 2008 Russian Imperial Stout aged 2.67 years in virgin Czech oak barrels. (9.00% abv)
Pay as you go
Monday, December 20, 2010
Library Alehouse Holiday Beer Fest Kickoff: Santa Monica, California
6:00PM-11:00PM @ Library Ale House
$10.00, just $10.00 gets you:
Library Logo Tasting Glass and Your First Beer
…$2.50 – $5 Refills on ALL Holiday Ale Fest Beers throughout the Fest
10% off food during the festival
Tonight is the kick-off event and this will continue for two weeks. But tonight’s tap list includes:
- Nøgne Ø / Jolly Pumpkin / Stone Special Holiday Ale
- Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza
- N’ice Chouffe
- Dogfish Head Pangea
- Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
- Sierra Nevada Celebration
- Anchor Brewing’s Merry Christmas Happy New Year Ale
- Anderson Valley’s Winter Solstice
- Delirium Noel
- Gouden Carolus Noel
What is your favorite beer holiday event? Leave a comment or email me at jess@beerblotter.com!
Events for Week of November 29, 2010
Mug's Alehouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Oh Thanksgiving – I miss you already. Alas, there is one heck of a week ahead.
A first pouring of our 1st Anniversary beer met a quite amazing meal on Thursday. We followed that up with a journey out to Kitsap, stopping by Silver City Brewing, Der Blokken Brewery and 7 Seas Brewing, along the way. I have got to say that Kitsap is one heck of a trip. The beer gets better each time I visit.
After a day at Mt. Baker on Saturday, we got our first ever taste of the Beer Shrine – North Fork Brewery. Later this week, expect some write ups on some of these wonderful excursions.
Lets embark on a new week in beer:
Monday, November 29, 2010
21st Amendment Beer Dinner: New York, New York
6:00PM-9:00PM @ Spring Lounge
The first of these events features 21st Amendment’s Fireside Chat (in a can!), the newest winter seasonal by 21st Amendment Brewery of San Francisco, and is catered by Jeff Maslanka, head chef of Black Shack Burger in midtown and 67 Burger in Brooklyn. He’ll be serving up short ribs braised in Fireside Chat, along with some seasonal sides that will both highlight and be highlighted by the taste of the beer.
The food is complimentary, the beer is not. So bring your wallet and your appetite.
We’ll also be featuring these great brews by 21st Amendment on draught – Brew Free or Die IPA, Back in Black, and Hop Crisis
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Yeast Strains with Mikkeller: New York, New York
7:30PM-9:30PM @ Jimmy’s N0. 43
Join in the sampling of 6 different beers from Mikkeller‘s Yeast Series. This will only cost you $10 and these beers are not only delicious, but will provide insight into this innovative, international brewery.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Holiday Ale Festival: Portland, Oregon
2:00PM-10:00PM @ Pioneer Courthouse Square
Its that time of the year, so gear up for some Christmas beer drinking fun!
The 15th annual Holiday Ale Festival will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 1, and continue through Sunday, Dec. 5 at Pioneer Courthouse Square, located at 701 SW Sixth Ave at the intersection of SW Broadway and Yamhill Streets, immediately on the MAX Light Rail line.
Hours:
Wednesday 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.Admission & Costs:
*FREE* re-admission into the Festival all 5 days with wristband and current year’s mug!To enter and taste beers, the purchase of an initial tasting package is required. Advance tickets cost $20, or $25 at the door. This package includes a souvenir mug and 10 beer tickets.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Big Wood Barrel-Aged Beer Festival: Seattle, Washington
11:00 AM-Close @ Brouwers Cafe
You’ve read about it here on BeerBlotter.com. This is one of those “can’t miss” beer events that happen in Seattle. The initial tap list has already been handed down by the good folks at Brouwers Cafe. We are astonished at some of the iconic names, including a rare appearance by the elusive Russian River Deviation (a Bottleworks Anniversary beer from several years back).
The event begins at 11:00 AM and will continue through the weekend. If you are trying to sample the big guys (HOTD, Russian River, The Bruery, Lost Abbey), I would suggest getting there early on Thursday. See you there!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Founders Brewing Co. Sampler: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4:00PM-6:00PM @ Bell’s Beverage
As you might already know, Founders is a Beer Blotter favorite. Although I do not know what beers are pouring- Founders will not disappoint!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Strong Ale Festival: San Diego, California
11:00AM-11:00PM @ Pizza Port Carlsbad
The 14th San Diego Strong Ale Festival at Pizza Port Carlsbad will be held Friday and Saturday, December 3rd and 4th. The festival will feature more than 75 beers all over 8% alcohol from all over the United States. Admission is $30 and includes 8 taster tickets each good for a 4 ounce pour. If you can’t make it today, Pizza Port always has stellar beers on tap!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Belgium to Brooklyn: Brooklyn, New York
11:00AM- 11:00PM @ Mugs Ale House
Oh my- this is epic and actually begins on Saturday, December 4th. 5th Annual Belgium 2 Brooklyn Mug’s Ale House Belgian Style Beer Festival: Saturday 12/4/10 & Sunday 12/5/10 from 11 AM onwards. No entrance fee, pay as you go. Over 40 Belgian Style Ales on draft + Mug’s Ale House usual enormous bottle selection.
Check out beeradvocate.com for a full tap list! Highlights include, ‘t Smisje Speciaal 2009 10.5% ; Struise Tsjeeses 10% ; Mikkeller Santas Little Helper 10.9% and Dogfish Head Au Courant 2003 7% among so many more!
If you have an event you are going to or have an event you want us to post about, please email me at jess@beerblotter.com. Cheers!
Beer Law & Legis: Collaboration Between Stone, Firestone and 21st Amendment Raises Eyebrows
BreweryLaw.com: New beer likely raised eyebrows at TTB
***This article was originally published at BreweryLaw.com, a beer law blog published by our legal writer, Reiser Legal LLC***
Well this might not be a topic for dispute, but Stone Brewing‘s latest triangular collaboration has quite a label. The beer – El Camino (Un) Real Black Ale.
The new beer is a collaboration between Stone Brewing, 21st Amendment and Firestone Walker, three of California’s finest brewers. From a quick look at the ingredients, this new collaboration seems to be a spiced fruit basket of ale.
BevLog, one of our favorites beer law websites, ran a story about the new beer after seeing the label submission run across the TTB. As you probably know, the TTB is responsible for approving the labels of beers sold in the US. The mission is to ensure transparency and safety for the beer consumer.
Check out the label above – and be floored by the contents of this new ale. Ingredients such as chia seed, peppercorns, fennel seed and mission figs are seldom seen on your beer label. In fact, they probably remind you more of your easter lamb than your afternoon ale.
The BevLog did some brief research on the contents: (from their site)
This beer has a rather uncommon and unlikely combination of ingredients. The peppercorns are no great surprise, but the alcohol beverages with chia seeds seem to be few and far between. Wiki reports that chia is an Aztec word for oily, and these seeds contain large amounts of oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. (Un)Real El Camino Black Ale is also brewed with fennel seed and mission figs. It is a collaboration among several brewers and is bottled by Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California.
It does not appear that this beer was held up in submission to the TTB. But it is likely that it demanded a bit of research over there. Its nice to see brewers continuing to push the envelope with new and exciting formulas.
Celebrate Earth Day with Beer!
Beer Drinkers, Go Green! Happy Earth Day!
Prior to living in Seattle, New Orleans is where I called home. I think it is safe to say that New Orleans is one of the least environmentally conscious of the larger American cities.
In all fairness to this wonderful city, while I was living there (2005-2007), she was going through a rough patch…to say the least. Now, after living in Seattle for three years, I have embraced the green way of life (well, green for me anyway). I don’t own a car; that is right, I bike and bus it EVERYWHERE.
The thought of placing a glass bottle or can in the garbage makes me ill and I even have thoughts of composting…its a journey, not a destination, OK!
In honor of Earth Day which is this Thursday, April 22, I present to you an article focusing on not only those environmentally conscious breweries but what you can do and drink to celebrate our lovely planet. Right away, New Belgium Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO), Fremont Brewing Co. (Seattle, WA) and 21st Amendment Brewing Co. (San Fransisco, CA) come to mind.
New Belgium aims to reduce their carbon footprint by 25% by utilizing various methods before, during and after the brewing process. For example, New Belgium invested in a more efficient brew kettle called Steinecker’s Merlin. This brew kettle is deemed more efficient than standard brew kettles because it heats thin sheets of wort rather than the whole kettle at once. Going above and beyond, in 1999, New Belgium became the largest private consumer of wind-power electricity at that time and the first wind-powered brewery.
Throughout the brewery, green building practices have been implemented. From their website:
Lighting. We take full advantage of the more than 360 days of sunshine in Fort Collins by using UV blocking windows, sun-tubes, and light shelves. HVAC. Using evaporative coolers, we can condition our 55,000 square foot packaging hall with no compressors, using much less energy. Materials. In our new packaging hall, the interior wood is beetle kill pine. Summit County, CO, anticipates that mountain pine beetles will kill 98% of their lodgepole pines. So, we’re giving these fallen trees another life.
New Belgium is a model business and an amazing brewery. So next time you drink a Ranger IPA or a Love, remember its all for the good of the planet. How’s that for justified drinking?
Moving right along to 21st Amendment, home of beer in a can. Microbrews in a can?!?!?!?!? Yes sir and its a growing trend. 21st brews three beers that call the can home: Brew Free or Die IPA, Hell or High Watermelon and the newest of the bunch, Monk’s Blood. Just to throw some numbers your way, we are going to look at the environmental impact of packaging your beer in a can v. a bottle.
To package beer in glass bottles, you are using more than twice the amount of H2O compared to a can. In the end, the energy savings that accumulate when you recycle a ton of aluminum are far greater than they are for glass—96 percent vs. a mere 26.5 percent. 21st Amendment dares to be different and we applaud you for that!
Now we come full circle to Fremont Brewing Co. in Seattle, WA. Currently, Fremont does not bottle or package their beers, so you have to stop by the brewery for a tasty pint or to fill a growler.
On that note, (although I am unsure of Fremont’s future plans of distribution) draught beer’s environmental impact can be 68% lower than bottled beer, due to packaging differences. Although picking up a six pack is generally more convenient, using recycled containers is better for the environment (shout out to Georgetown Brewing Co. who also does not bottle/package their beers).
Fremont Brewing Co. uses all organic, local ingredients and used brewing equipment. They also focus on energy conservation through increasing natural light through expanded windows and the placement of white walls; exchanging 400 watt halide lights to fluorescent lighting reducing consumption by approximately 50%; and utilizing processed heat waste (from the equipment) to heat the space, instead of using gas blowers.
For more information of how Fremont Brewing is saving our ever endangered environment while brewing delicious beer, click here!
So what to do on Thursday April 22, 2010 to celebrate beer? Indulge in a beer from an environmentally conscious brewery; fill a growler instead of buying bottles; drink in the dark with the help of some candles and think about what you can do to help save the environment!
Events to consider for Earth Day?
Join Beermongers in Portland, OR for their Earth Day Party! They will have information about and examples of Tropical Salvage furniture including our new bar. Information about re-usable bottles such as Captured by Porches, and cans such as Fearless will be provided. New Belgium will host a special tasting event from 4pm to 6pm including a unique draft beer and Free samples.
OR
Stop by Hop Cat in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 8PM for their Lights Out Party where you can enjoy beers by candlelight. environmentally friendly AND romantic!
HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!!
NOTE: Home brewing can reduce the environmental impact of beer via less packaging and transportation! Do it.
Collaborative Brewing Part 2; Notes of a Beer Nerd: Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter
Collaborative Brewing at its best!
Enjoyed on 3/7/2010
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. in collaboration with Maui Brewing Co. and homebrewer Ken Schmidt
Location: Escandido, CA
Beer: Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter
Presentation: 12 oz – Brown Glass Bottle
Vintage: 2009
Style: Flavored Porter
Barrel: N/A
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: N/A
Hops: N/A
Malt: N/A
Vessel: Snifter
Recommended Serving Temp: 55 degrees
Notes from the bottle:
Food Pairings: Barbeque, smoked meats, chocolate, deserts
Cheese Pairings: Gouda, brie
Beer Advocate: A-
Rate Beer: 98 (3.87)
Timperialstout’s Notes:
The Stone Collaboration series is another wonderful chapter in the big old book of recent brewing collaborations. To date, 6 have been brewed in this series, each being a triple collaboration with Stone acting as curator and permanent attendee.
It all began with the first brew being sent to market in late ’08 and has continued on a trend of about 2 releases per year. Each is brewed at Stone Brewing and is brewed once. This is what you missed so far:
#1 – a 9.5% Belgian Triple brewed with Peter Zien of Alesmith Brewing and Mikkel Bjergso of Mikkeller Brewing.
#2 – a 9% holiday ale brewed with Ron Jefferies of Jolly Pumpkin and Kjetil Jikiun of Nogne-O. This brew has since been brewed at least one more time at Nogne-O in Norway and packed under the Nogne-O label. We are hopeful that it continues to be produced.
#3 – a 10% black pilsner brewed with James Watt of BrewDog and Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing.
#4 – reviewed here.
The last 2 are already in the works and should be seen on shelves in due time.
#5 – a 9.5% black ale, brewed in conjunction with Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker and Shaun O’Sullivan of 21st Amendment.
#6 – still fermenting, with a to-be-determined abv. saison brewed with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing.
There are some serious names being thrown around up there. Stone has created a monster! We love it!
Another really exciting thing about collaboration beers like this is that, in some cases, a result of joint brewing is joint distributorship. This means that we get to taste beers brewed, at least in part, by brewers who do not distribute their product to our market. At this time, in reference to this Stone Series, the collaboration involving Alesmith is the only relevant example of this in the Seattle area (lucky us), but this concept is never the less a valid reason for excitement.
Allow me to get back to the beer at hand. Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter (mouthful) has a really interesting story line. It was brewed at Stone in Southern California collaboratively with Garrett Marrero of Maui Brewing and Ken Schmidt, a homebrewer whose creation is the source of the recipe. Ken brewed a beer, inspired by Maui Brewing’s Coconut Poter, he called Aloha Plenty for the AHA Rally in ’09 and won first place. As part of his prize, the beer would be brewed in the Stone system and put on tap at the Stone Bistro. It was just an added bonus that the brewing ended up being in collaboration with Mitch Steele of Stone and Garrett of Maui. When the final product was bottled and sold under the Stone label, the project reached new heights of homebrewer fantasy.
One of the initial challenges of the project was to acquire the 1,000 lbs. of coconut, 300 lbs. of macadamia nuts, and 200 lbs. of 100% Kona Coffee that would be required to brew the beer with volume in Stone’s system. As you can imagine these are not cheap ingredients and not quite as abundant in Southern California as in Maui. The team used their resources and, naturally, made it happen. The second major challenge was to toast the 1,000 lbs. of coconut, a necessary process to pull out the flavors that would be imparted into the beer. The Stone Bistro Crew took up this task, which was done in the small bistro’s kitchen and took a whopping 32 hours to complete. Then, when it came to brewing day, in order to steep the essences of all these rare ingredients into the beer, steeping bags were required…a lot of them. In the end, 22 bags were required, more than Stone had available.
Keeping true to the collaborative spirit, the folks across town at Green Flash Brewing stepped up and lent a few of theirs to make up the difference.
A lot of people came together to make this beer possible, so let’s pay tribute to their efforts and tip one back. Here’s how it turned out:
No light can pass through the coffee black color of this beer. A very nice caramel shade is found in the head, which is fairly subdued on a vigorous pour and whimpers to near nothingness fairly quickly. Coffee possesses a very potent scent, and its presence in this beer dominates the nose. Chocolate and roasted malt does break through however on the tail end of the inhale. Each and every whiff seems to be slightly different from the last, a lot of nuances here. The nuts, as I suspected, are hard to place. I could image them sharing a buttery expression, but the stronger scents are too potent to allow it.
The mouthfeel is very slick and soft. Very little carbonation is felt, which matches the style well and would be off-putting here. This is essentially the best iced coffee (with no actually ice) I’ve ever had. It just so happens to be skillfully spiked with booze, which is slightly present as it warms. It has the aspects of coffee that I most enjoy, and leaves behind those I do not. The sweetness is just right. There is some oiliness and a dash of fruitiness. The chocolate and nut infusion adds complexity without stealing the stage and makes for an aftertaste that is not at all bitter or dry. That is a very key role here. The genius of their addition is now most evident.
It is the aftertaste of this porter that is most pleasurable for me. The aftertaste of coffee itself is often its least desirable attribute. You can feel it gripping to your tongue in a bitter rage and fouling the air before you with every word you speak. Coffee breath is deadly. Hell, beer breath might even be deadly, but, though this theory stands untested, I feel this concoction might intrigue a communicatory counterpart. Possibly, bait with curiosity and wonder.
As this brew gets further and further from iced coffee and closer to room temperature coffee, I am reminded of a coffee liquor and become obsessed with the thought of adding cream to this and making it a Caucasian…I mean, White Russian. Ah, even better yet, some vanilla ice cream would be just lovely in this beer. Yes, both editions would surely spoil the nuances of the flavor, but I can’t think of a better beer to experiment in those ways with. Such a shame this was brewed only once and is very limited. I’d say though, were any hope to exist for a repeat brewing, Stone would probably be the brewery most likely to issue it. There is precedence. Remember Stone’s 11th Anniversary Black IPA? Brewed once…and then made into a standard offering dubbed Sublimely Self Righteous.
Ultimately, this beer is not traditional. Not, as they say, liquid bread. This is liquid coffee-infused chocolate cake with little nut bits suspended within and coconut shavings on top. If that image doesn’t want you to try this beer you should check your pulse.
If you like Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter, you should try…
Kona Brewing Co.’s Pipeline Porter; Surley Brewing Co.’s Coffee Bender; Midnight Sun Brewing Co.’s Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter
Disclaimer: This beer was purchased on my own with my own hard earned money at a local bottle shop.
The Weather Outside is Frightful, but the Beer is so Delightful…
Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nest Celebration Ale
With 5 days left until Christmas, Beer Blotter wants to dedicate the majority of the posts this week to Christmas and Winter beers. Since these styles are limited to production and distribution only during the winter season, take notes this week and stock up on your “Winter Warmers” and Christmas Ales!
Winter Warmers:
Generally winter beers consist of old ales, strong ales, barleywines, stouts and strong lagers. Roubust in flavor and thick in body, these beers are guaranteed to ease the sting of the winter nights.
Kiuchi Brewery
Hitachino Nest Celebration Ale
Ibaraki, Japan
http://kodawari.cc/en/hitachino.htm (website is currently under construction)
9%
Review from 4/12/08 of the ’06 release:
An ale brewed with spices (coriander, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon) and vanilla beans. Brownish, orange color with lots of sediment. Bright around the edges. A thin wisp of foam on top and pleasant, above average carbonation. A sour orange scent lies in the forefront, but the spices are evident. The nose is just sublime. A dryness is found on the palate after the swallow, but the fluid itself has a silky mouthfeel. A citrus smack will squeeze the corners of your mouth. Drying and sour seems like a strange combination, but it works here. Moments after the swallow a taste of unleavened bread comes to mind…yeasty. Extremely unique and delicious brew from a far off land.
Alaskan Brewing Co.
Winter Ale
Juneau, AK
http://www.alaskanbeer.com/
6.4%
Review from 1/19/08 of the ’07 release:
An English style old ale brewed with Sitka spruce tips. Pours a bright amber hue with minimal head but serious stickage. If any scent of malts or spruce exists, it’s very faint, or masked by the cool temperature, but once the liquid interacts with the tongue it’s a completely different tale. Candy sugar infused with evergreen trees. The uniqueness of this beer makes it one that I couldn’t drink in quantity…maybe that’s why it’s a seasonal. Alaskan Brewing is one of those breweries that isn’t very glamorous. They have fairly bland label designs and rarely have special releases, but any time you grab one of their brews you know it will be solid, if not outstanding. Without a doubt, a stalwart member of the Northwest brewing community.
Christmas Ales:
Goose Island Beer Co.
Christmas Ale
Chicago, IL
http://www.gooseisland.com/
5.4%
Review from 11/24/09:
Light brown in the glass with great clarity and a frothy white head that lingers. Though the brewery calls this a brown ale I immediately smell what I would determine to be Belgian yeast. A nice dose of malts; bready with a little dab of fruitiness. No hop profile to be found. A bit boozy when it warms despite the low ABV. The brewery recommends aging this one, again, despite the low abv. A curious holiday brew indeed…I’ll have another.
Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Christmas Ale
Cleveland, OH
http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com
7.5%
Review from 12/04/09:
A holiday ale brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon, this beer’s flavors surface at first taste. There is no disguising the festive spices associated with the holiday season. The cinnamon is prevalent in the scent of this Christmas Ale. It is light in body and crisp in flavor. Surprisingly refreshing and balanced with no “alcohol” residue from taste to swallow. For some, this is the quintessential Christmas beer due to the spices used and the “drinability” aspect. We recommend drinking this beer at room tempurature. In other words, take it out of the fridge, let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes in a glass and drink away. Perfection!
Stay tuned this week as Beer Blotter reviews and recommends beers for the holiday season. What a wonderful time of the year! For all those who are traveling to see loved ones this week, have a safe trip. Flying Virgin Airlines? 21st Amendment’s Brew Free or Die IPA is available in cabin!
Happy Holidays!!!
Events for the Week of December 14, 2009
Check out Beachwood BBQ this week in celebration of their 3rd Anniversary. Great beers on tap!
Another weekend has wizzed by leaving us lost and alone on a Monday evening. But do not fret, Beer Blotter is here to liven up your week with some great beer and beer events. So lets take a gander at what is “goin’ down” this week.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Swift Hibernian Lounge 14th Anniversary: New York, New York
5:00 PM until close @Swift Hibernation Lounge
Featuring beers such as Troegs Mad Elf, a cherry/honey infused ale, Goose Island Boubon County Stout, (need we say more?) Sierra/Dogfish Life and Limb, a strong beer brewed in collaboration by head brewers Ken Grossman and Sam Calagione , Dogfishead Chicory Stout and Ommegang Adoration, a strong, dark Belgium beer. What a line up! Located in the East Village, Swift Hibernation Lounge has an old world pub atmosphere which is great for a relaxing Monday night!
Jolly Pumpkin Maraciabo Especial Release Party: Ann Arbor, Michigan
4:00- 6:00 PM @ Jolly Pumpkin Brewery
Get it while its hot and off the market! Come taste Jolly Pumpkin’s Maraciabo Especial, a rich brown ale inspired by the monastic brews in Belgium and the flavors of the tropics. With a complex palate and an overall sour quality, www.ratebeer.com gives Maraciabo Especial an A-. This beer sounds amazing and please report back to Beer Blotter if you get the chance to try it!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Bell’s Two Hearted Cask Night: Raleigh, North Carolina
6:00 PM- 12:00 AM @ Busy Bee Cafe
This IPA by Bell’s Brewery is sweet and floral as opposed to bitter. The crisp finish and hop presence is smoothed over when served at room temperature. This beer is well balanced and available year round! Tonight is Busy Bee Cafe’s inaugural cask night.
He’brew Brewery Night: Brooklyn, New York
Starts at 6:00 PM @ Bar Great Harry
The beers are priced as usual, meats and cheeses will be free and the line up for goes something like this:
- Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. / NY / 10% / 12oz
- Genesis / NY / 5.6% / 16oz
- Jewbelation 12 / NY / 12% / 12oz
- Jewbelation 13 / NY / 13% / 12oz
- Messiah Bold / NY / 5.6% / 16oz
- Origin (Barrel-aged) / NY / 8% / 12oz
- Rejewvenator / NY / 7.8% / 16oz
Made under the Schmaltz Brewing Company, He’brew, “the Chosen beer” makes quality products and a wide range of styles. People from the great borough of Brooklyn, come support a once Western, but now local brewery!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Extreme Winter Beers: New York, New York
5:00PM until December 22, 2009 @ Rattle N’ Hum
Today marks the day that Rattle N’ Hum unveils their winter beer tap list and man is it a list! Just to name a few, like 1/3 of the list (click on each beer for a description): 21st Amendment ‘Monks Blood’, Allagash Grand cru, Dupont Avec le bon vouex, Rogue Yellow snow, Lagunitas Cappuccino, Southern Tier Old Man Winter and Scaldis Noel.
Tasting of Harpoon’s limited edition Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, Ginger Wheat Ale.: East Hampton, Massachusetts
7:00 PM- 9:00 PM @ Amy’s Place
Come warm these cold winter nights with a pint of Harpoon Brewery’s Ginger Wheat Ale. The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Ginger Wheat Ale is an ode to brewer Scott Shirley’s favorite spice, ginger. The earthy, warming flavor of this golden-hued ale is derived from fresh ginger.
Cask Alert: Renton, Washington
4:00 PM@ Black Raven Brewery
Enjoy a glass of the brewery’s sold out Wisdom Seeker Double IPA, the only cask of it made. Get there early and drink up!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Puget Soundkeepers Alliance Event: Seattle, Washington
7:00PM- close @ The Beveridge Place Pub
Featuring Fish Brewing Co.’s Soundkeeper Pale Ale, a cask of Winterfish and Mudshark Porter. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Puget Soundkeepers Alliance, an organization dedicated to reducing the pollution of the Puget Sound by making polluters accountable to the law and promotiong education and cooperation in the effort to protect the Sound. Drink some beer for a good cause. Save the Sound!
Brooklyn Invades Staten Island: Staten Island, New York
8:00 PM – until close @ The Wild Goose
Brooklyn Brewery takes a trip across the Verazzano bridge into the neighboring borough of Staten Island. Brooklyn Brewery will be featuring seasonal favorite Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, the latest Brewmasters Reserve, Backbreaker, another secret vintage Brewmasters Reserve no longer available, and more! In addition, look for new Brooklyn bottles never before seen here including Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse, Monster Ale, their barley wine, Brooklyn Weisse, and of course both Local 1 and Local 2.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Heavy Seas Firkin Friday: Ellicott City, Maryland
5:00PM-8:00PM @ Judge’s Bench
Join the founder of Clipper City Brewing Co.’s Heavy Seas, Hugh Sisson, and have a very special one-of-a-kind Heavy Seas firkin. Maryland grown hops have been added to the Loose Cannon, a hop monster with over 3 pounds of hops along with a few secret ingredients. Other Heavy Seas beers on tap too! Great beer & free stuff!
Yoga Holiday Happy Hour: Philadlphia, Pennsylvania
6:00 PM- 8:00 PM @ Yoga on the Ridge
Yoga + Beer: It’s two of your favorite relaxations combined in a one-of-a-kind evening of holiday cheer. Join owner, Teresa for a Vinyasa Yoga Class. After class, attendees will gather for a tutored tasting of unusual, richly flavored holiday beers and winter warmers. Good for the mind and the soul!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Free Brewery Tours of Chelsea Brewing Co.: New York, New York
2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM @ Chelsea Brewing Company
Come take a tour of the brewery located on Pier 59 in Manhattan, receive FREE samples and discounted pints after the tour. The brewery consists of a copper and brass 30 barrel brewhouse, six 60 barrel uni-tanks, four 30 uni-tanks, two 60 barrel bright beer tanks and six 15 barrel servers.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Closing Day of Beachwood BBQ’s 3rd Anniversary: Seal Beach, California
All day @ Beachwood BBQ
Beachwood BBQ, local barbecue joint boast craft beers on a daily basis. Today is the last day to get beers featured for the restaurant’s 3rd anniversary. The tap list for the week of their anniversary includes: Hair of The Dog Fred 06, Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper, Lost Abbey Barrel Aged Gift of The Magi 08 and Mikkeler Santa’s Little Helper. We highly recommend ordering Fred by Hair of the Dog, an amazing beer with a caramel flavor that coats your mouth.
Specialty Bottle Sale: Seattle, Washington
1:00 PM- 5:oo PM @ The Beveridge Place Pub
Stop by Beveridge Place Pub and check out the inventory being sold at retail prices. We don’t know exactly what will be up for grabs, so get there early and stake your claim!
And that’s that, the week of December 14, 2009. Stay merry during the days leading up to Christmas and if you go to one of these events or have an event suggestion, leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com! Cheers!
Heavy Metal Beer Bash
Head banging and boozing!
Last night was the Heavy Metal Beer Bash at the Pub at Pipers Creek. Now, I’ve heard of extreme brewing, but putting metals in the boil… that’s a little too extreme. Just kidding, that didn’t happen.
The theme of this night came from a collection of beers that happen to have names that are in some way related to heavy metal music. What a genius Idea! I’m not exactly sure who it was that came up with this one, but if it was the owner of the P@PC, I wouldn’t be surprised. That dude’s metal as F@$%!
Anyway, as it turned out, this was the unofficial release of Whip Ale, brewed by Lazy Boy Brewing, and quite the who’s who of the local brewing community. Many props to the pub for creating a great atmosphere. At one point there was dry ice on the bar for a rock show fog effect, and a little later in the night the hair metal wigs came out for the staff. Freakin’ Metal!
Featured Brews:
Lazy Boy Brewing – Whip Ale
This is the Pale Ale that was brewed for Michael Wilton, guitarist from Queensryche. That’s pretty metal! I have had the great pleasure of tasting this first batch in wort form, still warm, as well as uncarbonated straight from the fermenter. Last night I had the final product, and I can honestly say it’s an amazing pale ale.
Shawn Loring is a local master of balance in brewing, and this one is a great example of his work. I could and will drink a whole bunch of these in the coming months, as long as they are available. Availability to be determined.
Left Hand Brewing – Fade to Black
This one is named after a Metallica song off of Ride the Lightning. Pretty darn metal! Apparently this is Volume 1 of a series… I think I like the sound of that. Not a bad start, but not entirely overwhelming.
Left Hand calls it a Foreign Export Stout. You don’t hear about that style very often, basically just means a stronger version of a stout to last the long journey across seas to foreign lands. This one’s 8.5%. I thought it had more of a porter nose and flavor and was more dry and smoky than full of sweet licorice and chocolate flavors.
The best part for me was the official Left Hand Brewing chalice that I got to keep with the purchase of the beer. Breweriana Ho!
Ninkasi Brewing – Sleighr
An obvious play off of the great metal band Slayer…well…more obvious if you see the font that they use on the label. The name also references Santa’s sleigh. Yes, a new season for the Oregon brewery.
This beer is categorized as a dark double alt. Again, not a very common style descriptor. To me, this is a winter warmer. Lots of German dark malts in this one. Smooth and a bit fruity. A good starter beer for a long winter night’s quest to warm ones cockles.
21st Amendment Brewery – Back in Black
This is referencing a song and album by AC/DC. AC/DC stands for alternating current/direct current. I know things. This is a black IPA.
I still think that this style isn’t made enough and that all who make it should judge themselves on Stone’s 11 Anniversary, or as it’s now know, Sublimely Self-Righteous. This guy is full of hops, and just so happens to be dark in color. Not much of a malt backbone in my opinion, but I’d no doubt drink this one for it’s great hop presence.
Great night. I now officially love the P@PC for hosting this one and being awesome. Thanks!
Let us know if you were there – or if you just have an opinion – either way – SPEAK!
