Archive
Events for Week of January 17, 2011
Pic courtesy of http://www.ncsdproperties.com
Sorry Im late. Busy weekend with a road trip and lots of football! But now for your week in beer.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Allagash Abduction: Burlington, Vermont
4:30PM-11:30PM @ The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
Allagash Brewery…need we say more? Brewmaster Rob Tod will be in the house with the full gamut of Allagash offerings.
We suggest coming early to this one.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Duck-Rabbit Dinner: Durham, North Carolina
7:00PM-9:00PM @ Guglhupf Bakery And Patisserie
In honor of 1/3 of bb.com living the beer life in NC, I wanted to post about this event which features local NC brewery, Duck Rabbit. This menu along with the beer pairings is an event you dont want to miss:
AMBER ALE
TOASTED RACLETTE ON PAYSAN TOAST POINTS WITH HOUSE CURED DUCK AND RABBIT SAUSAGE, BRAISED CABBAGE AND CHIVE AIOLI.
BROWN ALE
HAZELNUT CRUSTED SCOTTISH SALMON WITH WHIPPED POTATOES AND WHOLE GRAIN MUSTARD SAUCE.
PORTER
SLOW BRAISED OX TAIL RAGU WITH CHESTNUT SPATZLE AND LOCAL ARUGULA.
BALTIC PORTER
MOLASSES LACQUERED BREAST OF VEAL WITH GLAZED BABY TURNIPS AND HOUSE SAUERKRAUT.
MILK STOUT
CHOCOLATE MALT TORTE WITH PRETZEL BARK AND CANDIED KUMQUATS.
We look forward to seeing you there! Contact Guglhupf to make a reservation.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Firestone Walker Pint Night and 14th Anniversary Release: San Diego, California
4:00PM-12:00AM @ Urge Gastropub
One of my favorite beers, Firestone Walker’s 14th Anniversary beer is amazing. One of the many epic beers I had in San Diego, 14th Anniversary is flavorful and complex. Tonight take home a pint, taste 14 and several other beers from Firestone Walker.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Firkin Friday Bell’s Hopslam: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
4:00PM-2:00AM @ Stubby’s Pub & Grub
Join us Friday 1/21 @ 4pm as we Tap into yet another Firkin! If you can’t make it right at 4, don’t worry it will be flowing for the duration of the evening, or at least till it’s gone.
Bell’s Hopslam is one of the Midwest’s most sought after beers, and Firkins of such a beer are surely a rarity. We @ Stubby’s are honored to get our hands on this beast of a brew and would like to invite all of our friends to come and enjoy it with us!
For those who aren’t too familiar, a Firkin is a cask conditioned ale in which the final stage of the brewing process and carbonation occurs right in the keg. A sort of old school way of making and drinking beer….the way beer should be and the Horizon Red is going to be phenomenal this way!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Belgium Fest: Seattle, WA
12:00PM-4:00PM OR 5:30PM – 9:30PM @ Warren Magnuson Park
This is a very popular event so don’t be disappointed if the tickets are sold out by the time you get to the door. For a full list of beers, click here!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Winter Beer Fest: Las Vegas, Nevada
10:00AM-10:00PM @ Aces & Ales
Details:
$15 entrance fee
Gets you a 7oz satin-etched commemorative sample glass, as well your first taste FREE and ~just $4 per 7oz tastes after~
For those of you who do not want to pay the $15 fee and get the glass, 12oz goblets of any beer on will be available for $8
In addition to all the mind-blowing beers you will be enjoying, we have lined-up a ‘who’s-who’ of the Brewing/Beer World daily for you to talk/learn/heckle/pick the brains of~! This line up is as follows:
Yuseff Cherney, Head Brewer - Ballast Point
Scott Wilke, Deschutes Brewery
Lisa Godbey, Southern Alebassadors
(Dogfish Head, Anchor Steam, Firestone, Sierra Nevada)
Kellan Bartosch, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Ed Gebler, Stone Brewing Co
Greg Green, Bonanza Alebassador (Rogue, Deschutes, Stone)
Commemorative ‘Aces & Ales Winter Beer Fest’ Shirts will also be available for purchase for $15.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Beer U: Strong Ales: Escondido, California
7:00PM-9:00PM @ Stone Brewing Co.
Here at Stone, it’s no secret that we have a special place in our hearts for huge malty brews. Join “Dr.” Bill Sysak for a delicious evening featuring one of our favorite beer styles. Hear the story behind these big beautiful brews while you do some heavy duty hands-on learning!
Tickets are $25 and are available at the Stone Company Store or online at:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/140176
If you go to an event, want me to promote an event- email me at jess@beerblotter.com! Cheers!
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!
On the Road to Portland, the Land of Beer
Photo creds/image creds go to......www.woodbloom.com.
Last weekend, as you know from my and Timperial’s 52 Weeks articles on Hair of the Dog’s new taproom and Cascade’s Barrel Room, we journeyed to Portland. 1 woman, 2 men and a whole lot of beer stops. Now, we have all made the 2.5 hour drive on several occasions and every time we go, we make it a point to stop at places we have yet to try (at least one of the three of us, anyway). This weekend, we spent approximately 8 hours mapping the city for amazing beer and cool venues. We were successful.
We arrive at 11:30AM and decide to grab something quick, but delicious to eat before consuming gallons of high ABV beers. Portland has this awesome food stand lot (SE Hawthorne Blvd and SE 12th Ave) which will fulfill almost any craving with a Mexican taco truck, a Creperie, a potato/french fry stand and a Southern food vendor. The highlight was a $6.00 crepe with chevre cheese, lemon curd and fresh black berries. This fruit filled, slightly sour and sweet lunch was the perfect opener for the Cascade Barrel Room.
Stop #1:
Cascade Barrel Room
Now, I won’t go into too much detail. Interested? Then read Timperial’s review. All I can add is this is a must stop not only for sour beer fans, but for those beer drinkers who appreciate innovation and variety. Cascade offers up mainly sours consisting of fruit infused sours, barrel aged sours, blended sours and sour stouts. The House of Sour, as locals call it, also has a Dry Hopped Porter, Summer, Winter and Autumn Goses and an amazing Rye IPA and even more. Even on a gloomy day, the sun seemed to shine through the large windows. If you live close, I suggest coming here often, to try all of the beers, of course.
Stop #2:
Green Dragon
Here you will find an extensive tap list, home brewing, a knowledgeable bar staff and a versatile space. Beers on draft range from local favorites such as Lucky Lab, Cascade (they even had a beer that Cascade didn’t currently have on tap) and their own home brew line. The Oregon Brew Crew has been brewing at the Green Dragon on a one barrel Nano-Brewing system for the last year and a half and have been consistently putting out a new great beer every week. Some of the beers created include: Alpha Dragon IPA, Chocolate Reign Stout, Golden Dragon Ale and most recently, the 5-Point Exploding Palate Technique. I wasn’t going to say it, but this is Rouge owned. With one Rouge beer on tap, this large brewery makes it a point to keep the integrity of the venues and breweries it buys and promote craft brewing!
Stop #3:
Hair of the Dog Tap Room
Again, we already sang our praises of this place. Did you see that amazing picture of the taster glasses? Epic! Check out the article here. This is a place I could hang out all day at due to the amazing beers on draft, the killer, vintage bottle list and the overall edgy yet welcoming feel that Alan Sprints new taproom/bar exudes. So, drop what your doing and spend a productive afternoon with Fred, Adam, Greg, Ruth and other HOTD brews.
Stop #4:
Upright Brewing Co.
Located about 2 miles away from Hair of the Dog, this tiny brewery has caught our attention. Back in January we stopped in for a release party in their modest space in the basement of a shared commercial building. The space, upon entering has the brewery to the right and their tasting room to the left. Today we each got a beer (a farmhouse, a fresh hop which is their farmhouse beer with nugget hops and the SEVEN saison), sat at a tree trunk table top and listened to a duet play folky blues. A great vibe with great beer. Don’t over look this place.
Stop #5:
New Old Lompoc
Our favorite New Old Lompoc location, SideBar was closed today (Sunday) so we stopped by their original brewery. A great outdoor area and an Irish pub motif, this place houses the equipment that started it all. 1 C-note and 2 Centennial IPAs were ordered. Unlike the SideBar which offers up exotic barrel aged beers, at this location, you will generally only find their regular rotated beers. One of the employees was nice enough to give us a tour of the brewery which is small, but well oiled and efficient. New Old Lompoc is a staple in the Portland craft beer scene, therefore, visit one of their spots!
Stop #6:
Lucky Labrador Brewing Co.
Like New Old Lompoc, Lucky Lab has a local brand you can’t ignore and several locations to enjoy their beer. We have visited two of the four locations and from what we see, we like. The two spaces are gigantic warehouses, open spaces with large, family style picnic tables eluding to the community essence that is the Portland beer scene. Two beers are ordered, their Porter and the Super Dog, a single IPA. Both are very credible and go down easy. Lucky Lab is a great place to get a sampler tray of beers and a snack (or a pizza if your starved).
Stop #7:
Deshutes Brewing Co.
Even on a Sunday, all of Portland flocks to this restaurant/brewery. Maybe its their award winning beers or their extensive, delicious menu options. Either way, no matter how many times we visit Portland, we always end up here. This time, we had a goal in mind. First, we had heard Black Butte XXII was on tap. It had kicked the day before, damn. However, we were able to indulge in the Mirror Pond Fresh Hop and had a growler filled to bring back North. Yes, you will wait 20 -30 minutes to get a table here and yes, it doesn’t give you that hole in the wall, charming “mom and pop” feel that I love about microbreweries BUT Deshutes does deliver high quality food and of course beers, every damn time.
There are still so many more places you can visit in Portland. But on this day, with all three Beer Blotter writers on the road to find beer, we chose these places, not randomly but for specific reasons. If you have a favorite spot in Portland, leave a comment- let the world know!
Events for Week of July 19, 2010
The Busy Bee Cafe: Home to many great beers and beer events!
This was a good beer weekend.
A trip to Portland entailed Stone, Dogfish Head, Victory collaboration Saison Du Boef; Avery Maraja; Hair of the Dog Fred; Russian River Consecration; Double Mountain Saison and so much more! A trip to a new beer bar Apex was top notch (see our 52 weeks article later) and bottle shop, Beermongers was still impressive and reasonable priced!
As if that wasnt enough, we partook in an impromptu beer tour of Southern Washington up through Tacoma. With a Dogfish Head Sah’ Tea at Parkplace Tavern in Tacoma and a Lagunitas Lil’ Sumin’ Wild in Olympia, letting go of the weekend was very difficult. But there is a whole week ahead of us and plenty of beer events.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Captain Lawrence Imperial Porter and 2 Casks tonight!: Peekskill, New York
6:00PM-10:00PM @ Birdsall
Tonight a keg of Captain Lawrence’s new Imperial Porter will be tapped along with two exclusive CL gravity casks: Kolsch & Freshchester(dry hopped with Cascade hops). Dont miss out on this full Captain Lawrence line up, including a couple of new draught additions.
Tuesday, July, 20, 2010
Deschutes Night: Seattle, Washington
6:00PM-9:00PM @ Naked City Brewery and Taphouse
Tonight, Naked City features Bend, Oregon brewery, Deschutes. Known for amazing beers such as Abyss, the tap list includes Miss Spelt, Hop in the Dark, Jubel 2010 and Greenlakes Organic Ale. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Hoppin’ Frog Tasting: Shawnee, Kansas
7:00PM-9:00PM @ Barley’s Brewhouse
I am really happy to see Hoppin’ Frog, this Ohio based brewery get some love outside of its home state. Tonight, for $20.00 you can taste the following (they are all o’ so good) with some delicious food pairings: Wild Frog Wheat, B.O.R.R.I.S the Crusher Stout Paired with Teriyiaki glazed Wings, Mean Manalishi, paired with Fish and Chips, Silk Porter paired with our Chocolate Tort and Hoppin’ to Heaven IPA.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
25 Tap Bells Night: Grand Rapids, Michigan
6:00PM-2:00AM @ HopCat
I know we have posted a couple of events similar to this one, but it is so amazing. 25 taps of Bell’s Brewery beers tonight including: Two Hearted Ale (poured from a tap and from a firkin), the Cherry Stout and an ’08 Expedition Stout. SO good….so good.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Meet the Brewer of Brooklyn Brewing Co.: New Orleans, Louisiana
10:00PM- 12:00AM @ The Avenue Pub
We all know how much we love this place. So lets take this place in all of its glory and throw some Brooklyn Brewing beers on tap. Sold! Tonight, for $12.00, meet Garrett Oliver, head brewer and taste a sample of 5 amazing brews.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Barleywine Fest: Largo, Florida
5:00PM-11:00:M @ Willard’s Tap House
Granted its not barleywine season. Its summer after all. However, stop by Willard’s tonight and sample some flavorful beers including: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, Southern Tier Back Burnner and Avery Hog Heaven (a hoppy barleywine).
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Rooftop Summer Wheat beer Dinner: Raleigh, North Carolina
7:00PM-9:00PM @ the Busy Bee Cafe
Now, sometime deliciously appropriate for the summer months, a wheat beer celebration. It’ll be a little more laid back than Busy Bee’s usual beer dinner and is only $35 per person. Enjoy Blanche de Bruxelles, Schneider Weiss, Great Divide Dunkel Weiss, and Terrapin Gamma Ray all on draft for this 4 course dinner! Email info@busybeeraleigh.com for tickets or more info.
Whats in stock for your beer future? Plan on attending an event? Want us to post an event? Then please leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com! Cheers!
52 Weeks: Noble Fir, Seattle, WA
Photo Creds to myballard.com. The Noble Fir now open on Ballard Ave.
Week 21 of 52
5316 Ballard Ave
Seattle, WA 98119
Rank: 4/5
Type of Establishment: Beer Bar with an added sophistication
Visit: Wednesday, June 23, 2010. A visit with friends for a few cocktails. Sole purpose was to catch up with friends and have a chat.
BEERS ON TAP —>Served in 20oz Imperial Pints unless otherwise noted
| Double Mountain Molten Lava (17.5 oz) | Double Mountain Brewery | ||
| Agate Pass Amber | Hood Canal Brewery | ||
| Evo IPA | Two Beers Brewing Co. | ||
| Boddington’s Pub Ale (Nitro) | Anheuser-Busch | ||
| Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale (17.5oz) | Dogfish Head Brewery | ||
| Diamond Knot Brown Ale | Diamond Knot Brewery | ||
| Red Barn Saison Ale | The Lost Abbey – Port Brewing Co. | ||
| Fox Barrel Black Currant Cider (17.5 oz) | Fox Barrel Cider Co. | ||
| Victory Prima Pilsner | Victory Brewing Co. | ||
| Guinness Stout (Nitro) | St. James Gate Brewery | ||
| Double Mountain India Red Ale | Double Mountain Brewery | ||
| Laurelwood Organic Red | Laurelwood Brewing Co. | ||
| Magners Irish Cider | Magners | ||
| Mirror Pond Pale Ale | Deschutes Brewery | ||
| Eel River Organic IPA | Eel River Brewing Co. | ||
| Spire Mountain Dark & Dry Cider | Fish Brewing Co. | ||
| Terminal Gravity IPA | Terminal Gravity Brewing |
There are also plenty of wines by the bottle and the glass.
FOOD OPTIONS: This is the perfect place to grab a drink and snack on some delicious cured meats and cheeses. Pick and choose your delicious plate. Fill it with hot coppa, salami, procuitto and various artisan cheeses. Light and delicious sandwiches are available as well as a few dessert options.
BAR OPINION: Noble Fir is the new kid on the block with so many great restaurants, bars and boutiques on Ballard Ave. I glance up at the sign, a single evergreen tree. The Noble Fir is a western North American fir, native to the Cascade Range and Coast Range mountains of extreme northwest California and western Oregon and Washington in the United States. This bar was opened by Rick and Ellen, after 10 years at REI and 10 years working as an attorney respectivly, they decided to combine their love of the great outdoors with their love of food and drink. Noble Fir was born.
This bar brings the great outdoors in. Large windows welcome the sun light as it streams directly into the bar, coating the patrons. Slick wooden booths with a long wooden bar and a bookcase full of travel books, I am ready for an adventure. I immediately grab the beer list. My eyes light up, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey’s Red Barn and Port Brewing/Lost Abbey’s Wipe Out IPA (not listed above) are both ordered and savored over the course of an hour.
A pre-dinner drink and appetizer plate would be the perfect complement to a night out. This bar has a pretty damn good tap list with a range of styles and a lot of love to West coast brewers. We only had an hour of so that night, but this bar is worth a trip back and several after that.
A quote from Rick and Ellen:
Together, we hope to bring a festive approach to your enjoyment of some of the best things the Pacific Northwest has to offer – hops, barley, fermented grapes and miles of trails…
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Events for the week of June 7, 2010
City Tap House in Philly, PA. "Great Food- Craft Brewed"
Is it really Monday again? Sure enough we had a weekend excursion..where to? Wenatchee, WA along with Cashmere, Leavenworth and Ellensburg. Along the way we drank Deschutes Hop Henge and Jubel at the Applewood Grille, enjoyed a German brew at Munchen Haus in Leavenworth and stopped at Iron Horse Brewing Co. for some IPA, Hefe (6%!!) and Biere De Garde. Always a good time. Now, for times to come….
Monday, June 7, 2010
Bell’s World Record Draft Event: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:00PM-11:00PM @ City Tap House
31 different and rare beers on tap tonight, all from Bell’s Brewing Co. Oh man….this event is amazing. Fresh Hop Slam and Golden Funk, Kal Haven Brett Rye Ale, Black Note and Sparkling Ale, Oracle, Wheat Love, Deb’s Red, Q Falls Lager, or Bourbon Barrel Hell Hath.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
3rd Annual Belgium Beer Festival: Queens, New York
6:00 PM- 4:00AM @ Sunswick 35/35
Can’t get to Belgium? Then just go to this event: 5 rotating Belgian beers on tap. Six specialty bottled beers will also be available. The menu will feature Belgian-inspired dishes, such as Belgian cheese plates, waffles, fries, and salads. Check out Brugze Zot, Saison Dupont, Westmalle Trappiste Tripel and more!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Meet and Greet with Great Lakes Brewing Co.: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6:00PM- 8:00PM @ the Devil’s Den
Owner of Great Lakes Brewing Co., Pat Conway will be here to discuss and enjoy his beers with you. GLBC, out of Cleveland OH, makes amazing brews, ranging from Blackout Stout to an unbelievable Christmas Ale. Their American style IPA, Commodore Perry and their Burning River Pale Ale are also not to be missed.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Victory Beer Dinner: Purcellville, Virginia
7:00PM-9:00PM @ Magnolias at the Mill
This $80.00 dinner will be worth every penny….6 courses (including a greeting beer) will be paired with Victory Brewing Co. beers. 8 beers will be tasted including Old Horizontal Barleywine and Wild Devil!!! Enjoy!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Allagash Night: San Diego, California
5:00PM-8:00PM @ Downtown Johnny Browns
The beer line up for the Allagash Night will include: Curieux, Victor, Victoria, Confluence, Wit, Interlude, Odyssey, Fluxus 09′, Four and Dubbel. Also, enjoy some smoked brisket with a Curieux BBQ sauce! Check out Johnny Browns for brewer nights in the future.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Monthly Brew Day: Anthem, Arizona
9:00AM-5:00PM @ Hops and Tannins
If you don’t have room at home or want to get out to meet other home brewers, this is the event for you! Equipment is available for purchase at the store. But feel free to bring your own equipment to this event. You will have access to electricity, running water, a workbench area and use of two propane burners on a first come, first served basis. As a part of “buy here, brew here”, an area to store fermenters will be provided in shop if needed and access on Saturdays to transfer/rack, and bottle. For more information, call 623-551-9857.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday Funday with New Belgium Brewing: Fort Worth, Texas
2:00PM – 5:00PM @ Ginger Man
New Belgium beers on tap, money spent will go towards The Ryan Family YMCA Step Up for Kids program. Give back on a Sunday while enjoying brews from NB. If they have Eric’s Sour Ale on tap- get it!
That’s it, that’s all. Email us at beerblotter@gmail.com or leave a comment if you want to discuss an event, want us to post an event or just want to talk about beer! Cheers!
52 Weeks: LTD Bar & Grill, Seattle, WA
LTD Bar and Grill. Picture courtesy of fremontuniverse.com.
Week 14 of 52- we are behind, most sincere apologies. by the end of the week, we will be caught up.
309 N. 36th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
Rank: 3.5/5 (Yea that’s right we changed our ranking style. As the weeks pile up, it’s very difficult to fairly rank one venue against another. Plus we also need to think about genre, if we can’t compare apples to apples, then we shouldn’t compare at all. we will however do a top 10 at the end of the 52 Weeks.)
Type of Establishment: Sports Bar
BEERS ON TAP (at time of visit) —>
Odin Brewing Co.’s Odin’s Gift (Ruby Ale)
Rainier- oh yea
and others not worth mentioning.
BOTTLE OPTIONS: As far as I know, there aren’t any bottle options aside from your Miller Light, Bud Light, Corona….
FOOD OPTIONS: Your typical sports bar. The wings were above average, the fries were fresh-cut fair style and we promptly doused them in vinegar. The chicken nachos were stacked with goodness. Other than that, expect to see burgers, tater tots and other unhealthy food options.
A word about the wings: they are delicious. I believe that they are deep fried briefly and then finished on the grill. They have grill markings and a nice smoky finish. The wings themselves are massive – some of the biggest ever seen. You get 10 in an order at 9.00 (at happy hour they are 5.00 – but you only get 8).
There are a few sauces to choose from: BBQ, Teriyaki and Spicy. Of course, we always defer to Spicy Buffalo style. The sauce is good and full of flavor – not straight from the bottle (i hope.)
BAR OPINION:
This is a great sports bar with at least 10 flat screen LCD TVs strategically placed around the area. We were able to watch an NBA Cavs playoff game and the Dodgers v. the Giants simultaneously. The best thing about the place is that they situate their televisions at eye level behind the bar. This means no leaning back to stair upwards – i hate that.
The bartenders were decent. I would not rave about their attitude, but there were a few Midwestern transplants that knew how to treat a paying customer. They will do what they can to get your game on the tube and ensure that you have all the fixings needed for your food.
One great option is the shuffleboard. Brand spanking new and almost always available. They also pack a pool table, a massive patio and open and shut garage doors to give you that open air feeling.
With an IPA in one hand and a nice, plump wing in the other, you can go ahead and call this a sports haven. It’s nice to see a few regional micro brews on tap at a sports bar. Beer enthusiasts like sports and vice versa. All in all, if you want to catch a game, indulge in food while watching others exercise and NEED a decent beer to do so, then this is your place.
Collins Pub Showcases Real Strong Ale Fest in Seattle
Two Deschutes masters - Mirror Mirror and Black Butte XXI
Last night we ventured over to Collins Pub in Pioneer Square to enjoy the opening day of the bar’s Real Strong Ale Fest. Nice start guys!
The pub opened with a bevy of Deschutes Reserve Series and Bond Street Ales. In fact, Collins Pub had the entire Reserve lineup, absent my personal favorite – the Dissident – which had earlier been expected, but according to our favorite bartender Amy, didn’t make the shipment (damn).
On tap yesterday were some amazing beers:
from Deschutes – The Abyss, Hop Henge, Jubel 2010, Black Butte XXI and what we believe was a keg of Mirror Mirror 2008? – apparently aged in Collins Pub’s basement over the past year.
from others – Naked City The Big Lebrewski (stepped up at 8-9%), Port Brewing Mongo Double IPA, and Mad River Wheat Wine.
We had a Mirror Mirror, Black Butte XXI and Big Lebrewski. The Mirror Mirror was impeccable. After trying this beer every year, in many different formats and glasses – this was by far the best pour we have ever had. The aging did it right, as the residual bitter sweetness had resided and the maltiness carried a prune and nectarine flavor. Get this one.
Black Butte XXI was as always – very good. This is one of the most ultimate in heavy beers that can be drank in volume. No surprises here, just very enjoyable out of the whiskey barrel with the added coffee notes.
The Big Lebrewski left us a little disappointed – and we hate saying that. We are huge fans of the people over at Naked City and we love that they are finally pumping out some great ales! But the new version pumps up the alcohol while killing some of the great flavor prevalent in the former version. We would stick with the older creamy and coffee version. (*Note: our palates may have been tainted by the Black Butte XXI we had just drank)
We also want to throw a thank you out to Mr. Seth Howard, the Collins Pub owner, who threw some great shwag our way! Thanks for the pint glass and shirt. We will cherish.
Today is no slouch of a day. Collins Pub is reporting on Twitter that they will showcase what we believe to be the 3 best barleywines of the season:
Real strong beer goodness! Firestone abacus, angels share (carbonated!), 05 full sail old boardhead, older viscosity, fish old woody, etc - @CollinsPub
Do not leave this place without doing a side by side between Firestone’s whiskey monster – Abacus – and Lost Abbey’s brandy barreled gemini – Angels Share. Port Brewing’s Older Viscosity has the body of motor oil and the hint of fresh baked pretzels! yum.
Stop in and grab a beer this week while the festival continues. It goes on through March 7. You can read the lineup over at Seattle Beer News. Have fun.
Preparing For Bacchanal: Dear Barleywine, a beer time capsule
The Barleywine Bounty: 14 for 2014
We here at Beer Blotter have full hearts. Sure we do. We love that mushy stuff.
Over time we have accumulated a bevy of wonderful fans and colleagues in beer. We want to give each of them a chance to tell their wonderful stories and share their great love for the beer they wrap their hands around each evening.
In preparation of Beveridge Place Pub’s Barleywine Bacchanal, a couple of our most favored contributing friends wrote monologues to their beloved – barleywine.
The muse…..14 bottles of recently released Barleywine. The goal…..to lock them away in February 2010 – and open them in February 2014. After 4 years of aging, I just hope we are invited to the uncapping.
Lets see the list:
Anchor Brewing Old Foghorn
Sierra Nevade Bigfoot Ale
North Coast Old Stock Ale
Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws
Alaskan Barleywine Ale
Marin Brewing Old Dipsea
Lagunitas Old Gnarlywine
Stone Brewing Old Guardian
Green Flash Barleywine
Great Divide Old Ruffian
Deschutes Mirror Mirror
Midnight Sun Arctic Devil
Flying Dog Horn Dog
Victory Old Horizontal
Damn that looks good. So, lets lend an ear to our friends and see how inspired they were:
To be locked away in youth…
A Letter
Dear Barleywine,
I write you this day with hope that you find my words, within yourself merriment, and that these words touch you deeply with the purpose steeped upon them. The seasons have changed, brought bitter airs and quelled growth – ever bare, and within myself spawned yearning for warmth. An engulfing fever, submerged so to leave no piece of thy depth unwrapped. Might we emblaze the year’s provisions? Not lest our souls, and heart be abandoned. The steam of my exhale, the burn of my blood aches for infusion with your essence. I thirst for the remedy that lies in you, O impassioned elixir. Might we meet today and churn glowing red from this dead place? Might our tangling force back the encroaching destitution? This season I ask of your hand in melting this glacial encasing, and that together, each Winter passed, our allegiance advanced, tactics tempered, passion prospered. Will we be merged now my sweet nectar, and age together with graceful longevity?
With all my allegiance,
Timperial
…brought to maturity in the cool, dark confines…
A Poem
To break a young stallion takes patience, and time
Strewn flora, trot leaves wake scented with herb and pine
A steady handler calms the wind’s stir, strives to bring sweetness forth
Within of the eye of our student, great tales of a deeper worth
A bond is born in one moment’s blind plunge, foreseen in dark tomb
By hand interwoven in mane, violence seized, froth of realized womb
Only to be reborn from this earth, maturation sees that glimmer sprout
Complexity developed within, to be shared and savored without doubt…
…a time capsule locked and buried...for warmth in the frostbitten air of Winter 2014.
The Beer Blotter Guide to Beveridge Place Pub’s Bacchanal 2010
The facade of Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle - the site of the Annual Bacchanal of Barleywines
Beveridge Place Pub’s 7th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal kicks off this Friday, February 26th, with over 40 barleywines pouring for a week straight from 24 taps. That’s a lot of big bold brews to choose from. Since there is clearly more beers than taps, there will be a constant rotation of kegs a flowin’. As one blows, another will replace it, and so on.
The folks over at the Washington Beer Blog were kind enough to post the complete list for all to slobber over. Below you will find the entire list. Clearly, all are barleywines, and thus, all are going to be packed with copious quantities of both malt and hops. All will be fairly high in alcohol, and chances are good that all will taste pretty darn good. Your main fear should be a harsh, young vintage. Sometimes these fellas just need some time to mature and mellow out. Too much bitterness and not enough sweetness can make your barleywine experience akin to being strangled by a hop vine. There is no question, if you read this site with any regularity, that Beer Blotter holds great respect for Father Time and his agile hand at improving beers of many kinds, especially barleywines.
For Beer Blotter, the older the vintage, the more excited we are to try it. Both rare and refined, these pours should improve your evening no matter who brewed them.
So our first overarching tip to you, “age is all the rage”.
But we need more detail than that. Let’s dig deeper.
The biggest challenge of the Bacchanal is the barrels-to-taps ratio. The rotation system will make it difficult to have a clear game plan for your visit, whatever day you choose to attend. You will never really know exactly what to expect, which, granted, offers its own brand of excitement. Your best bet is to pre-create a list of b-dubs that you’re most excited to taste, and chances are that no matter what day you decide to venture out to West Seattle there will be at least a few of them available.
Perhaps a look at the Beer Blotter list could assist you in creating your own list. Below, as promised, is the unadulterated list. Below that, the Beer Blotter list.
Complete List:
Alaskan, Barleywine ‘06, ‘07,’08
Anacortes, Old Sebastes ‘07
Anchor, Old Foghorn ‘06, ‘07, ‘08
Anderson Valley, Horn of the Beer ‘09
Avery, Hog Heaven ‘09
Big Sky, Old Blue Hair ‘06
Boulder, Killer Penguin ‘09
Boundary Bay, Old Bounder ‘09
Deschutes, Mirror Mirror ‘09
Diamond Knot, Icebreaker ‘09
Dick’s, Barleywine ‘05, ‘09
Dogfish Head, Olde School ‘09
Elliott Bay, Old Portside ‘09
Elysian, Cyclops ‘09
Fish, 10 Squared ‘08, ‘09
Fish, Leviathan ‘06
Flying Dog, Horndog ‘09
Full Sail, Old Boardhead ‘06
Full Sail, Old Boilermaker 98 (yes, 1998)
Hale’s, Rudyard’s Rare ‘06, ‘09
Hopworks Urban Brewery, Noggin Floggin ‘09
Hood Canal, Breidablik ‘06, ‘07, ‘09
Lagunitas, Old Gnarleywine ‘04, ‘06, ‘07
Laurelwood, Old Reliable ‘09
Left Hand, Oak Aged Widdershins ‘07
Lucky Lab, Old Yeller ‘09
Mad River, Old Barleycorn ‘07
New Old Lompoc, Old Tavern Rat ‘08
North Coast, Old Stock ‘07, ‘09
Pike, Old Bawdy ‘07, ‘08
Port, Angel’s Share ‘09
Port Townsend, ‘09
Rogue, Old Crustacean ‘08
Schooner Exact, Old Sinking Ship ‘09
Scuttlebutt, Old #1 ‘06, ‘08
Sierra Nevada, Bigfoot ‘08
Skagit River, Shiver Me Liver ‘09
Speakeasy, Old Godfather ‘09
Stone, Old Guardian ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
Three Skulls, Wreckage ‘09
Victory, Old Horizontal ‘09
Walking Man, Old Stumblefoot ‘08
Beer Blotter List:
Alaskan, Barleywine ‘06, ‘07,’08
-This is a “must” if offered at the time of your visit. A Northwest Masterpiece. Alaskans know how to warm up with Barleywine. This guy ranks very well in any festival that it is involved in. In the last 5 years this brew has placed in the top 3 at Brouwer’s Hard Liver Barleywine Fest 3 times, and the ’07 vintage was number 1 last year. A warning though…chances are high that these will only be available on Monday, March 1st or Tuesday, March 2nd when verticals are offered. To try all three vintages side by side would truly be a treat.
Lagunitas, Old Gnarleywine ‘04, ‘06, ‘07
-In Beer Blotter’s humble opinion, there is not many Barleywines being made in the world better than Gnarleywine. The ’08 vintage was awarded 3rd place in this years Toronado Barley Wine Festival, and chances are, the older the better. Do not skip this one, any vintage. Another warning: 3 years offered…look to vertical night for these.
Speakeasy, Old Godfather ‘09
-Though this is young, the ’06 got second place last year at Brouwer’s. Expect this one to be high in alpha…it’s the Speakeasy way.
Stone, Old Guardian ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
-If you read Timperial’s review of the ’07 vintage you would know, this beer is sickly good. Astounding balance, even through time.
Victory, Old Horizontal ’09 & Dogfish Head, Olde School ‘09
-With the exception of a few CO representatives, these are the only 2 offerings that aren’t from the West. Reason? They are astounding beers made by two of America’s best breweries.
Fish, 10 Squared ‘08, ’09 & Leviathan ‘06
-Both of these beers are incredible and hard to come by, even in their home state. 10 Squared was probably my personal favorite from last years Hard Liver Fest and old vintages of Leviathan, like this ’06, are pretty much legendary. The barrel-aged version of Leviathan is in the top 10 on ratebeer.com’s list of barleywines.
Port, Angel’s Share ‘09
-It would be silly of me to leave this one out since it is literally one of my favorite beers of all time. Number 9 on ratebeer.com’s barley wine list.
New Old Lompoc, Old Tavern Rat ‘08
-Beer Blotter recently had this from the always-impressive taps of Uber Tavern and really enjoyed it. Very nutty if you’re into that.
Boundary Bay, Old Bounder ‘09
-Seattle does not see enough Boundary Bay. Maybe if we drain this keg quickly the “will of the people” will change that depressing fact.
That’s a pretty healthy list for you, and honestly, I could go on an on. There is A LOT of really good stuff on this list, and even a few that Beer Blotter has never had and looks forward to trying (like Lucky Lab, can we please have more of their beers in Seattle?).
Anyone and everyone within striking distance of Seattle should never, EVER miss events like this. We are so lucky to have beer bars that put so much time, effort and money into aging beers for years and organizing such exciting festivals. Beer Blotter sends a massive hug to Gary and The Bev for making this happen year after year.
Find us in West Seattle, raise a glass, it’s barleywine season!
