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Washington Beer Commission Open House This Saturday!!
Washington Beer Commission's logo- a staple in the beer community.
This Saturday, February 26, 2011 (TOMORROW) for approximately 4 hours, you should go on a tour of the local craft brewing industry.
The Washington Beer Commission organized an Open House of sorts where local breweries open their doors to beer lovers providing them with the good stuff to make this an epic Saturday afternoon. From 12PM-4PM you can plan your route or pick an area of Washington to tour:
CENTRAL and EASTERN WA
C.I. Shenanigans Brewery, Spokane
Iron Horse Brewery, Ellensburg
Palouse Falls Brewing, Pullman
Yakima Craft Brewing, Yakima
NORTH and EAST of SEATTLE
American Brewing, Edmonds
Anacortes Brewing, Anacortes
Black Raven Brewing, Redmond
Boundary Bay Brewing, Bellingham
Chuckanut Brewing, Bellingham
Diamond Knot Brewing, Mukilteo
Foggy Noggin Brewing, Bothell
Gallagher’s Where U Brew, Edmonds
Lazy Boy Brewing, Everett
Redhook Brewery, Woodinville
Scuttlebutt Brewing, Everett
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing, Snoqualmie
NORTH SEATTLE
Big Time Brewery, U District
Fremont Brewing, Fremont
Maritime Pacific Brewing, Ballard
Naked City Brewing, Greenwood
DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
SOUTH and WEST of DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
Big Al Brewing, White Center
Elliott Bay Brewing, W. Seattle
Epic Ales, SODO
Georgetown Brewing, Georgetown
Schooner Exact Brewing, SODO
Three Skulls Brewing, South Park
Two Beers Brewing, SODO
SOUTH SOUND
M.T. Head Brewing, Graham
Trade Route Brewing, Pacific
The Ram Brewery, Puyallup
The Ram Brewery, Tacoma
WEST of PUGET SOUND
7 Seas Brewing, Gig Harbor
Der Blokken Brewing, Bremerton
This event will showcase a number of special beers, beer pairings and surprises at many locations. You will just have to go and find out what is in store. Don’t forget this Saturday is the Grand Opening of American Brewing Co.
This event is free but beer prices at each location will apply. Drive safely or don’t drive at all and ENJOY!
Belgium Fest 2011- Get Your Tickets ASAP
One of several beer fests in Seattle throughout the year, Belgium Fest is the first in 2011. On January 22, 2011 this festival, run by the Washington Beer Commission will begin. Due to the high demand of this event, the venue has been moved to Magnuson Park (it will be heated, do not worry).
Word on the street is that tickets are already being sold at an alarming rate, so go online NOW and secure your spot. This is a festival that requires some advance commitment. Waiting until the day of might not be the best idea. $30.00 advance and $35.00 at the door, if available. As always, the designated driver ticket is $5.00 and only available at the door- includes free water and soda.
You pick one of two sessions on Saturday, January 22, 2011-
Session 1: 12:00-4:00 p.m.
Session 2: 5:30-9:30 p.m.
The Workshop at Magnuson Park
6310 NE 74th St., Seattle, WA
Now for the important stuff. The beers. For now all I have are the breweries, but hope to have a list of all the beers in the next week or so.
Breweries expected to participate:
Anacortes Brewery
Baron Brewing
Big Al Brewing
Big Time Brewery
Black Raven Brewing
Boundary Bay Brewery
Der Blokken Brewing Co.
Elliott Bay Brewing
Elysian Brewing
Fremont Brewing
Georgetown Brewing
Hale’s Ales Brewery
Issaquah Brewhouse
Lazy Boy Brewing
Naked City Brewery
Odin Brewing
Paradise Creek Brewery
Pike Brewing
Ram Brewery
Redhook Ale Brewery
Scuttlebutt Brewing
Snipes Mountain Brewery
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing
Silver City Brewery
Two Beers Brewing
Its going to be a doozy!
Its Alive! Success, Failure and Happiness in Brewing
We made that guy. There's a lot more.
So, we promised a lot of new articles this week. I especially promised to have a Walking Man Brewing review up by today. But alas, there were some magical developments last night that prevented me from visiting the computer to do a write up.
As you might know, two of our Beer Blotter writers are brewing beers on a home system that they created a few months back.
The product is beginning to flow and we decided to drag you along for the ride. We also believe that our readers can be an excellent source for information on brewing and bettering your finished product. So please give it a read and chime in if you have any info to help us.
The Event & The Opportunity.
Last night, our famed kickball team was forced to forfeit a game after our editor was injured by a bit of excessive play on the other side. Luckily, both teams are forfeiting – and deservedly so for that team. Best of luck to our editor as she overcomes her mild head injury. Get better Jess!
Anyways, the early departure allowed us to return home to find our good friend Timperial Stout, home from a day of brewing Lazy Boy Brewing‘s Imperial IPA (cannot wait to try this!). Tim and I decided to unearth the fermentors that we deposited in the basement a few weeks back – and sample our first batch of beer.
The Concerns.
We had truly feared contamination after a troubling conclusion to our first brewing experience with the new half-barrel system that we built. Our chilling process was exacerbated, our yeast measurements were shoddy at best and our transfer process was forced to happen after-dark, causing all types of concerns.
We also had tons of problems keeping solids from entering the boil, which made the wort a bit earthy. We have since developed better techniques to prevent solid insurgence.
The Beer Recipe.
For our inaugural beer, we chose a nice solid, summery IPA. We wanted to keep the hop profile simple, yet tasty. We also selected a malt mix that focused on one type of pale malt, but a lot of it to reach an optimal range of 7% alcohol by volume. This beer includes crystal malt, cara-pils, and pale malt. The hop list includes Magnum, Cascade and an abundance of Amarillo.
The Result. Beer.
We racked the fermentor and slid a small portion of the beer down into a pitcher. The beer had stopped bubbling and fermenting several days prior, so we were concerned we were a bit late on racking. But I recently read an article that shows that leaving the beer on the yeast a bit longer has a marginal impact on the beer’s taste.
I take a whiff first – it smells like beer. Nothing incredible about the nose, but it smells a bit skunky, though not overwhelmingly so.
Then I take a sip, convinced that the smell was encouraging. First take: not bad, not at all. Second take: I actually enjoy this beer. I take another deep smell and a big sip, swishing the beer around my mouth. I am met with strong tones of sweetness, hefty bitterness and a deep fruity finish. I am a happy man.
The Measurements.
We took some measurements. Our original gravity was 1.066 and we finished at 1.012, exactly as we had set out to do. The ABV rang in at about 7.1%, again what we were looking to do. The color was a nice golden copper (probably a 7 on most charts) and the clarity was above average. The amount of unfiltered residue was minimal as well.
We were seriously surprised on the finished color and clarity, especially after we had termed the beer as “Pond Scum IPA” during the brewing process. The beer seemed to really clear up throughout fermentation.
The Remaining Dilemmas.
So, we are ready to drink the 8-9 gallons that we yielded (a poor yield, but we’ll get better). But the goal is to correct some of the common problems that many Seattle home brewers probably face:
(1) How do we chill the wort with a hose temperature of 78 degrees!?
Using an immersion chiller is difficult in Seattle. Our ground water is only about 78 degrees, which is higher than what we want to chill the beer to. This time, it took about 1.5 hours to get it chilled. Thats dangerous.
(2) How do we manage the yeast?
We are using recycled brewery liquid yeast (thanks to great friends). Because of this, we need to find a good way to (a) determine the amount of active yeast particles in the liquid and (b) figure out how much is needed for our batch.
We will continue to work and figure this stuff out – but Beer Blotter’s 1st Anniversary party is this November and we plan on brewing our own beer for the big extravaganza. So, any help from you brewer readers out there is greatly appreciated.
Beer Events: Week of August 9, 2010
Don't Miss Lazy Boy Brewing at Alligator Soul on Thursday
We had a nice little Monday evening, enjoying some of great beer in the process.
One of our good friends received a nice care package complete with about 20 bottles of New Glarus Brewing‘s year-round ales. The Wisconsin brewer makes a couple great beers, and a couple rough ones. We really enjoyed the Moon Man Pale, Cracked Wheat Imperial Weizen (a seasonal) and the Fat Squirrel Nut Brown Ale.
After sucking down a few bottles, we decided to embark on a night of Pink Floyd over at Brouwers Cafe. Apparently, the Seattle beer mecca will be playing concert videos every Monday evening at 10:00 PM. I really enjoyed the show, coupling it with an Ommegang Zuur (a Flemish Brown, very similar to an Oud Bruin) and Mikkeller Frelser (a Triple Bock). Both are excellent beers that you need to try, before they are gone.
By the way, Jessica is over at the Beer Engine in Lakewood, Ohio today. She will be taking notes and letting you all know about it later this week. We are a bit jealous, Beer Engine has Dieu De Ciel Aphrodite, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, and Founders Cerise on tap!
We are also planning a trip to San Diego for the next beer week. Very excited to attend.
So here are the events for this glorious week…….
Monday, August 9, 2010
Concert Vids: Seattle, Washington
10:00PM-?? @ Brouwers Cafe
Since we are a day late, I wanted to call attention to Brouwers’ new Monday night feature – music video showings! Brouwers will dim the lights, boost the volume and showcase a different concert/music video each Monday night, starting at 10 PM. Last night’s showing of Pulse by Pink Floyd was epic.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Allagash Brewers Night: Brooklyn, New York
6:00PM-10:00PM @ Bar Great Harry
No cost to join Rob Todd’s festival of ale. Check out this list:
1. Blonde
2. Fluxus
3. Hugh Malone
4. Victor
5. Curieux
6. Black
7. Confluence
8. Odyssey
9. Victoria
Do not miss this if you are in Brooklyn area. The Bar Great Harry is an amazing bar and anyone in the area should certainly become acquainted. What better way to do that – than with a pint of Allagash Curieux.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Blending Night to Benefit the Berkeley Humane Society: Oakland, California
6:00PM-10:00PM @ Beer Revolution
There are actually a few good brewers nights around the country on this Wednesday. But, the combination of charity and a really cool pub in Oakland – make this one the winner.
Beer Revolution is a very cool little spot in Oakland, where you can find about 12 beers on tap and a plethora of bottles. Beer Revolution does an excellent job of attaining little know, and hard to find beers.
Their blending night brings some blending pros over to show you how to make some fine concoctions from you already have in your cellar. They will be working with the following:
Green Flash Trippel
Green Flash West Coast IPA
Bockor Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge
Lost Abbey Serpent’s Stout
Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor
North Coast Old Stock
Stop by and check this out. You know why – its FREE!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Lazy Boy Brewing’s Brewers Night: Everett, Washington
6:00PM-9:00PM @ Alligator Soul
Its a really slow beer night across our great nation. But, if you live in Seattle, like us, there is something great going on close to home.
Lazy Boy Brewing is holding a brewer’s night at Everett’s blossoming Alligator Soul. The Gator has a growing tap list and well-received food. Read this write up, done by Seattle Beer News’ Geoff Kaiser.
This Thursday, LBB‘s Shawn Loring and Timperial Stout will truck on over to the Gator to serve up some of their incredible beers. These days, LBB is showcasing a Nacho Pilsner (made with chillies), a NW Pale (packed with more hops than you typical IPA) and a NW Hefeweizen (for you men who like hops with their light beer). Check them all out – and remember to look for their Imperial IPA at next month’s Fremont Ocktoberfest.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Alpine Triple Threat: San Diego, California
5:00PM-1:00AM @ O’Brien’s Pub
I cannot express to you all – how damn good this beer tastes. Alpine Beer Company, of Alpine, CA (outside San Diego), is quickly becoming my favorite brewery. I would have no trouble considering them a part of my Top 5 US brewers today, and they are likely gain ground as I get my fill of more from them at San Diego Beer Week in November.
Alpine makes, what I believe to be, the top IPAs in the country. They are abundantly scented, daringly flavorful and perfectly intoxicating. But, I have also had their Barleywine, Flemish Red Sour Ale, and their Irish Red. They all bring tears to my eyes, in a good way.
This is your chance to get a look at 3 of the best of their beers. From the bar’s release:
O’Brien’s Pub will be releasing brand new batches of Alpine Bad Boy, Exponential Hoppiness and O’Brien’s IPA on Friday the 13th. We’ll also have Nelson Rye-IPA, Duet IPA and Tuatara on tap. A great night of rare hoppy beers from Alpine.
Don’t miss this.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Great Taste of the Midwest: Madison, Wisconsin
1PM-6PM @ Olin-Turville Park
This might be the most sought-after ticket in all of the Midwest. The Great Taste has become a cult event, showcasing over 100 breweries from the wonderful Midwest, serving over 500 beers.
Tickets were priced at $40.00, but a tweet from Six Point Craft Ales, yesterday, indicated that tickets are going for almost $200.00 on eBay.
You can find the list of specialty beers that were available last year by following this link. Don’t slobber on your keyboard.
Expect to see Three Floyds, Founders, Bells, Great Lakes, New Glarus, Surly and other phenomenal brewers at this party – if you can get in.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Strong Beer Festival: Las Vegas, Nevada
5:00PM-??? @ Aces & Ales (also Friday 8/13 and Saturday 8/14)
You never see anything good going down in the City of Sin. So I was very excited to see that a rather impressive beer festival will happen this weekend – and its for charity. In association with Ronnie James Dio’s ’Stand Up & Shout’ cancer fund, the festival will include silent auctions to benefit cancer research.
You can find out more about the event by visiting this link, Aces’ Facebook page.
Aces & Ales will spread the following list over the course of 3 days this weekend:
Dogfish Head:
Burton Baton
Red & White
Olde School Barleywine
Raison D’Etre
Midas Touch
Sah’tea
Theobroma
Stone Brewing:
2007 Old Guardian Barleywine
2010 Old Guardian Barleywine
999 Vertical Ale
13th Anniversary Ale
Noble Aleworks:
IPA
Alpha Red
Dark Sybian IPA
Moylans:
Kilt Lifter Port Barrel
Ryan Sullivan’s Imperial Stout
Old Blarney Barley Wine
Hopsickle Imperial Pale Ale
Moylander Double IPA
Ryan Sullivan’s Imperial Stout
Old Blarney Barley Wine Bourbon Barrel
The Bruery:
Coton
Mischief
Saison Rue
Rugbrod
Autumn Maple
North Coast Brewing Co.:
Old Rasputin
Le Merle
Brother Thelonious
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.:
Union JAck
Parabola
13th Anniversary
Newport Beach Brewing Co:
A Fortnights Journey/14th Ann Barleywine
Tustin Brewery:
Old Town IPA
14th Anniversary Imperial Red
Ballast Point Brewing Co.:
Sculpin IPA
Deschutes Brewery:
Mirror Mirror 2009
The Abyss 2009 Jubel 2010
Rogue Brewery:
XS Imperial India Pale Ale
Imperial Chocolate Stout
Morimoto Imperial Pilsner
XS Imperial YSB
If you attend an event, want us to post about your event, or anything beer event related, please leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com. Cheers!
Beer Blotter’s Guide to WA Brewers Fest 2010
A major highlight at this year's WA Brewers Fest
This coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the WA Brewers Fest. You should go. Support our great state’s breweries, both new and old.
Very few states in this great US of A have so many exciting breweries. Unless you are some sort of professional brewery visitor and all you do from Monday through Friday is travel from brewery to brewery, trying everything available, there is no way you have tried all of the beers available at this fest. Get out, educate yourself, have fun, challenge your palate, and be responsible.
The following is the complete list of beers available for taste throughout the weekend. Well, I guess they won’t all be available throughout the weekend, some are Friday only (indicated with **). I’ve chosen to steer clear of these, for the most part, for several reasons. The biggest reason being that most of these beers have rarely been seen before, if at all, and thus I have very little information about them. If they sound good, and most do, and you are able to get a pour, sip it down and let us know what you think.
Of the remainder, I’ve highlighted the ones that I feel are most worth checking out. If you know about something special that I glossed over, please feel free to contact us.
Washington
192 Brewing*- Kenmore, WA
Granny’s Apple Ale (Fruit Ale)
Shticky Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Bier de Garde (Farmhouse Ale) - Timperial Stout loves saisons and is in a constant search for the world’s fairest. A recent visit to The Dray allowed for our taste buds to experience the exquisite nature of Double Mountain Bonne Idee. FL’s St. Somewhere probably makes one that’s even better. How will this new brewery’s offering compare?
Shed Light (Light Ale)
Vanilla Stout** (Stout)
7 Seas Brewing*- Gig Harbor, WA
British Pale Ale (British Pale Ale)
Rude Parrot IPA (Spring/Summer Seasonal IPA)
Ballz Deep Double IPA (Double IPA)
Airways Brewing- Kent, WA
First Class IPA (IPA)
Jet City ESB (ESB)
Triple Chocolate Stout (Stout) – Airways keeps eluding me. The name of this brew alone makes my mouth water. A must try for me.
Alpine Brewing- Oroville, WA
Alpine Pilsner (Pilsner)
Alpine HefeWeizen (HefeWeizen)- Alpine and Chuckanut are always battling it out for German style superiority. A hefe is one of the very best styles for outdoor summer drinking.
Anacortes Brewery*- Anacortes, WA
Belgian Dubbel (Belgian Dubbel)
Mai Oh Maibock (Maibock)
IPA (IPA)
Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Cask IPA** (Cask IPA)
Baron Brewing/Three Skulls Ales*- Seattle, WA
Three Skulls Blood Orange Wit (Witbier)
Three Skulls Amber (American Amber Ale)
Baron Pilsner (German Pilsner)
Baron Schwarzbier (Schwarzbier)
Hop the Plank IPA (IPA)
Big Al Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Summer Lager (Helles)
Big Al Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Belgian Tripel (Tripel)
Brougham Bitter (ESB)
5 Star Chile IPA** (Chile IPA)
Big Time Brewery- Seattle, WA
Wheat beer (American Wheat)
Trombipulator (Belgian Tripel) - In case you didn’t know, bb.com has a strong affinity for Belgian ales. Big Time is quite possibly Seattle’s best brewery, but it often slips under the radar with its U-District hideout and lack of bottle distribution. I’ll take a little slice of Europe in the Emerald City any chance I get.
Ave Rat Malt Liquor (Malt Liquor)
Black Raven Brewing*- Redmond, WA – Ummm… I’d say it’s pretty safe to say that Black Raven isn’t messing around. Every one of these is worth a try. Wisdom Seeker is WA’s greatest effort to date for world hop supremacy. Not to be missed. Coco Jones won gold at the most recent World Beer Cup for “Herb and Spice Beer”. A true rarity.
Wisdom Seeker (Double IPA)
Malt & Vine 3rd Anniversary (Sour Mash Rye)
Jerked Brown Porter (Herb & Spiced Ale)
Splinters (Bourbon Barrel Aged Scotch)
Coco Jones** (Coconut Brown Porter)
Boundary Bay Brewery- Bellingham, WA
German Tradition Single Hop Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
IPA (IPA)
Peach Blonde Ale (Blonde Ale)
Dunkles Bock (Dopple Bock) – Silver medal winner at this year’s World Beer Cup. Drink some suds from the nation’s largest brewpub.
Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen- Bellingham, WA
Kolsch (German Ale)
Pilsner (German Pilsner) - It is extremely rare that I recommend a lager of any kind, especially a pilsner, but chances are good that you will find no better brew in the style than that of Chuckanut.
Diamond Knot Brewing*- Mukilteo, WA
Industrial IPA (Imperial IPA)
Scottish Ale (Scottish Ale)
Whip Ale (American Pale Ale) – This is Michael “Whip” Wilton of Queensryche’s beer. Lazy Boy Brewing made it first, now it’s DK’s turn. Let’s see if it has been improved.
Mystery Cask (changes daily)
Elliott Bay Brewing- Seattle & Burien, WA
Demolition Ale (Strong Pale Ale)
Wit von Boorian (Belgian Wheat Beer)
Elysian Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Loser Pale (Pale Ale)
Avatar Jasmine IPA (IPA)
Mens Room Original Red
Valhalla
Fish Brewing*- Olympia, WA
Fish Tale Organic IPA (IPA)
Fish Tale Organic Blonde Ale (Blonde)
Leavenworth Whistling Pig Hefeweizen (Alpine Style Hefeweizen)
Spire Mountain Pear Cider (Pear Cider)
Starfish Imperial Red Ale** (Imperial Red Ale)
Flyers Restaurant & Brewery*- Oak Harbor, WA
Pacemaker Porter (Robust Porter) - I’ve never had this one before, but a very reputable source once told me that this is the best porter in WA.
Afterburner IPA (Northwest IPA)
Humbles Blonde Ale (Blonde Ale)
Barnstormer Brown Ale (English Dark Mild)
Afterburner Mach II IPA** (IPA)
Foggy Noggin Brewing*- Bothell, WA
Bit O’ Beaver (English Bitter)
Christmas Duck (Porter) - Here is a good chance to check out one of our newest breweries. At the very least, these guys seem to know how to name a beer. I’m simultaneously hungry and thirsty right now.
Kastrated Dawg** (Strong Ale)
Fremont Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Universale Pale (Pale Ale)
Interurban IPA (IPA)
Solstice (Summer Ale)
Mystere de l’ete (Mystery beer) – We really like Fremont Brewing. Whatever this ends up being, it should be tasty.
Scary Monster Double IPA** (Ridiculous IPA)
Gallagher’s Where U Brew- Edmonds, WA
Magnum PI…A (IPA)
Citra Blond (Blond Ale)
Eric the Red (Red IPA)
Georgetown Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Manny’s Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Lucille (IPA) – Those of you who read our work with any regularity know that we have done some gushing about this one. Timperial has yet to try it. It will be sampled.
Roger’s Pilsner (Pilsner)
Cask Porter** (Porter)
Hale’s Ales Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Supergoose (IPA) – Chances are good that you have had this one before. Its presence on the market is very strong. If by chance you haven’t, please do yourself a favor. This beer is really good.
IX Gold on Sour Cherries (Belgian Strong Golden)
Kolsch (Kolsch)
SBW (Double IPA)
Saizon** (Saison) – Another saison for us to try. Let’s see how a Fremont brewery interprets the farmhouse style.
Harmon Brewing*- Tacoma, WA
Pt. Defiance IPA (American IPA)
Scott’s Puget Creek Vanilla Porter (Flavored Brown Porter)
Rajah’s Royal IPA** (IPA)
Hood Canal Brewery*- Kingston, WA
Dabob Bay (IPA)
Big Beef (Oatmeal Stout)
Iron Horse Brewery*- Ellensburg, WA
Quilter’s Irish Death (Dark Smooth Ale)
High Five Hefe (Ginger Honey Wheat) – A recent bb.com trip to Ellensburg solidified our opinion that all things Iron Horse are worth drinking. This hefe packs a punch, but should fit in very well at this outdoor festival.
Loco Imperial Red Ale (Big Hoppy Red)
Biere de Garde (French Ale)
Issaquah Brewhouse- Issaquah, WA
White Frog (Wit Bier)
Brutal IPA (IPA)
Chili
Beer
Plus
Lazy Boy Brewing*- Everett, WA - This is what they call “shameless self promotion”. But seriously, all of these beers are delicious. If for no other reason, get the chili beers so that all of the pain Shawn and I go through manually chopping those peppers is worth it. Dry, cracked brewer hands + Scoville units = burning for days!
Nacho Pilsner (Dry Hopped Chiles/Pilsner)
Lazy Boy Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Oscuro Con Chiles** (Infused/Porter)
Mac & Jack’s Brewing- Redmond, WA
African Amber (Amber)
IPA (IPA)
Black Cat Porter (Porter)
Maritime Pacific Brewing- Seattle, WA
Double Dry Hopped Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) – Just read the name. ‘Nuff said.
Maybock Lager (Helles Style Lager)
Nightwatch Dark Amber Ale (Amber)
Special Aged Portage Bay Pilsener (Northern European Style Lager)
McMenamin’s Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Terminator Stout (Stout)
Herd of Eagles IPA (IPA) – OK, this beer is called Herd of Eagles. I need it.
Whiskey Barrel Aged Terminator Stout** (Cask Stout)
Naked City Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Yankee Drifter (Pilsner)
Fleur d’ Elise (Saison) – Oh look, another saison.
Hopacalypse Now** (Double IPA) – Yes, this is a **, but bb.com had an extensive discussion with Don Webb about this brew a few weeks back and let me tell you…it’s a labor of hop love. Strongest possible recommendation.
Northern Lights Brewing*- Spokane, WA
IPA (IPA)
Solar Winds (Strong Pale Ale)
Blueberry (Fruit Ale)
Chocolate Dunkel (German Style Dark Ale)
Cask IPA** (Cask IPA)
Odin Brewing- Seattle, WA
Odin’s Gift (Ruby Red)
Freya’s Gold (Kolsch)
Old Schoolhouse Brewery*- Winthrop, WA
Ruud Awakening (IPA)
Blazing Amber (American Amber)
Epiphany Pale (American Pale)
Pike Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Dry Wit (Belgian White Beer)
Naughty Nellie (Golden Ale)
IPA (IPA)
Kilt Lifter (Scotch Style Ale)
Port Townsend Brewing*- Port Townsend, WA
Hop Diggidy (IPA)
Brewer’s Surprise 1 – Ohhh I like surprises.
Brewer’s Surprise 2 - See above, number 2.
Pyramid Breweries*- Seattle, WA
Haywire (Hefeweizen)
Outburst (Double IPA)
Curveball (Blonde Ale)
Thunderhead (IPA)
Ram Restaurant & Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Barefoot Wit (Belgian Style White Ale)
Black Sheep IPA (IPA)
Cat Tread Red (Red Ale)
Cloudburst Cream Ale (Cream Ale)
Redhook Ale Brewery*- Woodinville, WA
Copperhook (Copper Ale)
Rope Swing (Summer Pilsner)
Big Ballard Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) – Much respect for acknowledging those Ballard roots. Plus, “imperial” is in the name.
Rock Bottom Brewery*- Seattle, WA
Raw City Red Ale (Irish Red Ale)
Saison au Printomps (Farmhouse Ale) – Ok, I think you get the point. Looks like you could make a day of the saisons alone. We likie.
Rock Bottom Brewery*- Bellevue, WA
Hop Bomb IPA (IPA)
Pretty N Pink (Raspberry Wheat)
Uberwit (Belgian Wit)
Milk Stout (Milk Stout) – I’m hoping to make a milk stout in the near future at Lazy Boy. Every brewery should make one. Sweet, creamy, delicious.
Roslyn Brewing- Roslyn, WA
Roslyn (German Style Dark Lager)
Brookside (German Style Pale Lager)
Schooner Exact Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Seamstress Union (Raspberry Wheat)
Gateway Golden (Golden Ale)
Gallant Maiden (Hefeweizen)
3 Grid IPA (IPA)
Imperial Project #2: Virgil Gamachinator** (IPA)
Scuttlebutt Brewing*- Everett, WA
Tripel 7 (Belgian Tripel)
Mateo Loco (Imperial Red Ale)
Homeport Blonde (Blonde Ale)
Cask Oaked Porter** (Cask Porter)
Seattle Beer News/Big Al Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Passive Aggressive Wheat (Hoppy American Wheat Ale) – Props to our buddy Geoff Kaiser over at Seattle Beer News for making this happen. “Hoppy” and “wheat” rarely tangle together.
Silver City Brewery*- Silverdale, WA
Ridgetop Red (Irish Red Ale)
Fat Scotch Ale (Scotch Ale)
Whoop Pass IPA (Double IPA)
Skookum Brewery*- Arlington, WA
Off Kilter (Scottish Style Wee Heavy)
Olde Tom (American IPA)
Katspaw (Blonde Ale)
Mammoth Jack** (American Double IPA)
Snipes Mountain Brewing- Sunnyside, WA
Dos Borracho’s (Pilsner Lager)
IPA (IPA)
Cask IPA (Cask IPA)
Cask Twangzister Sour Cherry Stout** (Barrel Aged Sour)
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing*- Snoqualmie, WA
Summer Beer (Alt Style Pilsner)
Wildcat (IPA)
Haystack (Hefeweizen)
Black Frog (Nitro Stout)
Sunstroke** (Imperial Pilsner)
Trade Route Brewing- Pacific, WA
Midnight Ale (Brown Ale)
Chieftan Amber (Amber Ale)
Jetstream Lager (Lager)
Two Beers Brewing*- Seattle, WA
Crooked Belgian Wit (Belgian Wit)
Immerson Amber (Amber)
Evo IPA (IPA)
Alaska
Alaskan Brewing- Juneau, AK
Alaskan Amber (Alt Style Amber)
Alaskan Summer Ale (Kolsch Style)
Alaskan IPA (IPA)
Smoked Porter (Rauchbier) - This is a perennial favorite. If you like liquid smoke, join in on the fun.
California
Firestone Walker Brewing- Paso Robles, CA
Double Barrel Ale (English Style Pale Ale)
Pale 31 (California Style Pale Ale)
Sierra Nevada Brewing- Chico, CA
Summerfest (Lager)
Southern Hemisphere Harvest (IPA)
Stone Brewing- Escondido, CA
Stone Lieviation Ale (Amber)
Stone IPA (IPA)
Colorado
New Belgium Brewing- Fort Collins, CO
Ranger IPA (IPA)
Trip VI (Spring Citrus Pale Ale) - In case you have been living under a rock for the past few years, the Trip series is a collaboration with Seattle’s own Elysian Brewing. These rarely strike out. Spring Citrus sounds really refreshing.
Oskar Blues Brewery- Lyons, CO
Dales Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Old Chub (Scotch Ale)
Delaware
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE
Festina Peche (Berliner Weisse) – I don’t think that we could possibly talk up DFH any more. These guys poop gold. A low abv, peach flavored sour beer…are you kidding me! The pinnacle of spring/summer drinking.
Indian Brown Ale (Brown Ale)
Hawaii
Kona Brewing- Kailua Kona, HI
Longboard Lager (Island Style Lager)
Wailua Wheat (Wheat Ale)
Illinois
Goose Island Beer Co. – Chicago, IL
Matilda (Belgian Style Ale) - I’m kind of amazed that these guys are going to be at the fest. They are clearly quite serious about pushing into the WA market. That’s very fortunate for us. Goose Island makes killer brews and Matilda is no exception.
Missouri
Boulevard Brewing – Kansas City, MO
Unfiltered Wheat (American Wheat Beer)
Single Wide IPA (IPA)
Zon (Belgian Style Witbier)
Oregon
BridgePort Brewing- Portland, OR
BridgePort IPA (IPA)
BridgePort Hop Czar (Imperial IPA)
Deschutes Brewery- Bend, OR
Twilight Sumemer Ale (Light Ale)
Hop in the Dark (Cascadian Dark Ale) – CDA is another way of saying black IPA, or balanced to the extreme. You can never go wrong with Deschutes.
Double Mountain Brewery- Hood River, OR
Kolsch (Kolsch)
India Red Ale (Hoppy Red Ale)
Hop Lava (Northwest IPA)
The Vaporizer (Pale Ale)
Ninkasi Brewing – Eugene, OR
Total Domination IPA (IPA)
Rudiant Seasonal Ale (Pale Ale)
Widmer Brothers Brewing- Portland, OR
Drifter Pale Ale (Pale Ale)
Widmer Hefeweizen (Hefeweizen)
Sun Burn (Blonde Ale)
2010 Washington Brewers Fest WABL Beer
Three Tree Imperial Porter by Elliott Bay Brewing
Available exclusively to WABL members at the WABL/Merchandise Booth
So that’s the list. Very impressive if you ask me.
If you happen to be at the fest early on Saturday or late on Sunday, swing by the Lazy Boy Brewing booth and say hi.
Events for Week of May 31, 2010
Exon, PA's very own Draftingroom Taproom and Grille
As you know by now, we just returned from an epic week of camping which included Dick’s Imperial Stout (amazing), Imperial IPA, Barleywine and Grand Cru as well as Lazy Boy Brewing’s Pale Ale and Imperial Red. After a lot of laughs and an unforgettable 27th Birthday, I am back in action with your weekly events, minus Monday.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Over. Done. Next.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Ommegang Night, Tripel Perfection Release: Caldwell, New Jersey
6:00PM-9:00PM @ Cloverleaf Tavern
4 Ommegang drafts will be pouring tonight: Ommegeddon, BPA, Rare VOS and the new release Tripel Perfection. All drafts will be reduced in price for the evening.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Three Floyds Beer Tasting: Washington, District of Columbia
7:30PM- 10:30PM @ Brickskeller
Brickskeller has so many beers, a top notch bottle selection and when their taps are available, its damn good too. But tonight is not about the wide array of beers, its about Indiana based brewery, Three Floyds. Meet the Floyds themselves and our old buddy Barnaby Struve who now brews there in his welcome return to the city and taste at least EIGHT of their great beers, many rare brews never before available in the area! Tickets for this GREAT event are just $35.00
Puchase tickets at: http://www.lovethebeer.com/events.html
Thursday, June 3, 2010
An Evening with Patrick Rue from the Bruery: Washington, District of Columbia
7:00PM-9:00PM @ Brasserie Beck
You folks from DC sure are lucky this week, Three Floyds and The Bruery in one week. Timperial Stout had the pleasure of chatting with Patrick Rue during Seattle Beer Week and we are all very impressed by the beers. This four course beer pairing with take you through all of the creative, flavorful brews from the Bruery. Enjoy!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Magic Hat Tasting Event: Queens, New York
5:00PM- 8:00PM @ Triboro Beverage
Enjoy your Friday night during a Magic Hat Brewery tasting event. There will be free samples, discounts and give-a-ways. Come on down and try the Magic Hat line up. Check out their website, its very entertaining.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Bell’s for Boobs: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8:00PM-1:00AM @ Devil’s Den
The Devil’s Den will be donating $1 from every Bell’s beer sold on Saturday, June 5th to the Rena Rowen Breast Center of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Look forward to this amazingly wonderful bottle list: Two Hearted, Batch 9000, HopSlam, Kalamazoo Stout (the good stuff), Oberon. Final Draft List TBD but look for Fresh HopSlam, Two Hearted, Oberon & Hell Hath No Fury.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Beer Brunch: Exton, Pennsylvania
11:00AM- 3:00PM @ The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille
Its Sunday, so take it back from the man with this amazing tap list: Featuring on draft: Hair of the Dog Blue Dot, Hoppin’ Frog Brewing Co.’s Hopping to Heaven, Lost Abbey Angel’s Share “Bourbon Aged”, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere and Troegs Nugget Nectar.
You know the drill, if you go to an event, want us to post about an event, email me at beerblotter@gmail.com or leave a comment. Cheers!
Happy Birthday to Beer Blotter Editor Jessica Reiser
BeerBlotter.com's Jessica Reiser at the Manneken Pis in Brussels, Belgium.
Yesterday was the 27th birthday of our editor and fearless leader – Jessica Reiser. We all really appreciate her dedication to BeerBlotter.com and her amazing thirst for excellent beer at home and abroad on our many beer excursions!
We celebrated this joyous event with a weekend full of camping in Southern Washington’s Seaquest Park, topped off with a day in Seattle drinking beer at Collins Pub, dining at Cafe Campagne and having a nightcap supplied by cellar treats! There was some good beer along the way….
On the way down south, we stopped for a lunch over at the Nothwest Sausage and Deli, the home of Dicks Brewing Co. This place is a mecca of smoked meats, cheeses and of course Dick Young’s famous beers. A more substantive article will appear this week in our 52 Weeks column – but this place is simply amazing and should never be missed by any beer lover.
Lazy Boy Brewing supplied a jockey box and 1/4 kegs of its new Pale Ale and its Imperial Red for our camping trip over the weekend. New Lazy Boy assistant and Beer Blotter writer Timperial Stout helped create what we are calling a “dixie cup randall” filled with fresh smoked wood chips, soaked in Makers Mark. We used the mini-randall to create a bourbon wood infused imperial red (we kind of wish we had used the Pale Ale, but this was still a damn good beer).
Yesterday, Seattle’s Collins Pub supplied some exciting beers with pours of Boundary Bay’s Imperial IPA, Midnight Sun’s 3767 Belgian-style IPA, New Belgium’s Eric Sour Peach Ale and Allagash’s Trippel. We are all such big fans of 3767, an IPA wort engineered by Ballast Point Brewing (San Diego) and infused with 3 different yeast strains (Brett included) and bottle conditioned by Midnight Sun (Anchorage). Its amazing beer in the bottle – and better on the tap.
We enjoyed an incredible dinner at Cafe Campagne, comprised of escargot, country pate, roast duck, steak and fine grenache wine. But we finished up with a nite cap filled with some cellar favorites that had been pushed back for a special occasion. Avery Brewing‘s Brabant Wild Ale was a splendid surprise. The beer has the body of a Cascadian Dark Ale, but the Belgian undertones of a Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire. The beer is fermented with Brett and conditioned in Zinfendel barrels. Very impressive, though not as sour as we hoped.
The Grand Cru Bruscella from Cantillon.
We also enjoyed a special beer from Brussels’ Brasserie Cantillon. Cantillon’s Grand Cru Bruscella was a beer that we first enjoyed during a meal at De Gans, a quirky house/restaurant on the outskirts of Ghent, Belgium. After visiting the Cantillon brewery back in March, we decided to take a bottle for the road. The beer is a simple 3 years old lambic with virtually no carbonation and little body – but bursting with flavor. This particular bottle was from the 2006 vintage and is from the “Bio” series of beers made with organically grown ingredients. We very much enjoy this beer, as its flavor develops down to the last drop.
Again – Happy Birthday to Jessica! Expect to see an article reviewing her night with Tomme Arthur during Seattle Beer Week at Brouwers Cafe, later this week.
Events for the week of May 10, 2010
Brouwer's Cafe in Seattle: Where the magic happens.
This Thursday marks the opening day of Seattle Beer Week, so events might be a bit Seattlecentric for the next week or two. For those of you who live in Seattle- awesome for you and for those of you who do not, its time to visit!
Monday, May 10, 2010
FredFest 2010: Portland, Oregon
6:00PM-10:00PM @ Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.
The date of this event recently changed from May 8th to May 10th. Check out our post for more information on the event.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Belgium Beer Fest: Santa Monica, California
4:00PM- 12:00AM @ the Library Ale House
This is just the beginning of a two-week festival featuring, you guessed it, Belgium style beers. Guests can purchase a logo Chimay glass for $15 and refill it with one of the 8 rotating Belgian handles for only $5 during the entire two weeks of the festival. Each beer will be on for one keg only, so once its gone.. its gone. This event stars: Goose Island‘s Matilda, Urthel Hop-it, Russian River‘s Consecration and many more.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Great Beers of the Great Lakes: Bronx, New York
7:00PM-9:00PM @ the Bronx Ale House
You know we have an affinity for beers from the Mid-West and now you lucky New Yorkers can drink up and report back. Beers from Founders Brewing Co. and Erie Brewing Co. will be available for your enjoyment. Cheers!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
OPENING DAY FOR SEATTLE BEER WEEK!!: Seattle, Washington
5:00PM @ Hales Ales Pub
Kick it off with visits to Hale’s Brewery for the featured SBW beer on cask, Shultzy’s Sausage for a special imported cask and end the night at Naked City Taphouse for some special Washington beers on tap!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Back in Black Stout Night: Seattle, Washington
3:00PM-3:00AM @ Brouwer’s Cafe
All I can say, is “Thank God this is on a Friday night.” With a line up of rare and wonderful stouts on tap, surely a beer lover will need a day to recover. Brouwer’s Cafe always gets the finest selections for these events, so if you’re a stout fan, this is not to be missed!
Lazy Boy Brewing Night: Seattle, Washington
5:00PM- close @ Naked City Taphouse
Come join Shawn Loring, owner and brewer for a night of special Lazy Boy Brewing beers! Prizes and giveaways will also be in the mix.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tour de Pints: Seattle, Washington
11:00AM @ Pike Brewing Co.
Grab your helmet, check your brakes and jump on your bike. Today is full of physical activity rewarded with plenty o’ beer. The Seattle Beer Week website states:
The 2010 Seattle Beer Week Tour de Pints, a bike ride with stops at some great beer bars, is now upon us. If you were there last year, we will be following a very similar route. Only one Feat of Strength this year as we hope to keep the group more together. We plan to spend about 30-45 mins at each location.
Route is as follows:
11am – Pike Brewing; Brouwers Cafe; The Dray; Naked City Taphouse; Fiddlers Inn (FOS) or Latona Pub (FOW); Shultzys Sausage; Whiskey Bar and Elysian Fields.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Brett Brunch: Seattle, Washington
11:00AM- 2:00PM @ Hudson Public House
This is my dream brunch:
Brett Brunch! Four beer, three course brunch featuring the sour beers of Russian River, Cascade, New Belgium, and Jolly Pumpkin paired with Chef Nicole’s special brunch menu. $30/pp plus tax and tip.
Seattle Beer Week- if only I could take a vacation from work to enjoy all of the amazing events lined up EVERY DAY. Those of you who get to go to an event, please email me at jess@beerblotter.com or leave a comment. I want to live vicariously through you!
Seattle Thursday: Events include Beer at Beveridge Place and Art at OHGE, Ltd.
OHGE Ltd's new show opens tonight!
Well well, its Thursday and that signals the beginning of the perennial Easter 4-day drinking weekend! We are looking forward to a pub crawl on Saturday in Georgetown to celebrate Beer Blotter writer Timperial Stout’s new role with Lazy Boy Brewing. Then on Sunday, a magnificent Waterwheel Lounge Brunch up in Ballard!
But for tonight – what say we? Here are some options:
- Beer? Go to Beveridge Place Pub
Seattle Beer News put out an article illustrating the mind melding lineup that Beveridge Place Pub will be showcasing tonight. From Geoff’s site:
….. Beveridge Place Pub always has plenty of great beers on tap. But, tonight they plan to throw on gems such as Green Flash Le Freak Belgian IPA, Bockor Cuvee des Jacobins Flanders Red, Catherine the Great Imperial Brown Stout, Port Mongo Double IPA, Dogfish Head Aprihop, and more.
Plus, don’t forget that their month-long I.P.April kicks off today as well. A dozen of their taps will pour IPAs all month long.
Yuck. Ok, April Fools. This is amazing.
- More Beer. Go to Naked City
Ohhhhh, its beer you like. Well then hop on over to Naked City Taphouse to sample a little firkin love from Firestone Walker. Tonight the bar will be serving a firkin of the brewery’s Double Barrel Ale (DBA).
Should go pretty fast, but if they run out, do not despair. Take a gander at this taplist:
Port Townsend Imperial Bourbon Porter – my goodness gracious this beer is incredible.
Black Raven Brouwers 5 – no secret that their IPAs are the best in Washington at this point. This one is intriguing; rye and lemongrass – yum.
Naked City Impact – The brewery’s own double IPA. I still haven’t had this one, but dying to give it a try. If anyone has had it, please leave a comment below with some notes.
- Art. Go to OHGE, Ltd. for an incredible opening.
***This event includes beer, so we will call it “Bert” (beer + art – we’re clever).
Feeling like you need a little culture? Want to enjoy the best of both beer and art? Then head over to the international district to see the OHGE, Ltd. opening this evening. The event begins at 6 PM and yes, there is beer. Lazy Boy’s Amber will be on tap.
OHGE, Ltd. is an art space owned by Alex Ohge and managed/curated by Erin Toale. Their show “You’re so cool” opens tonight, showcasing art from 16 amazing artists from around the country.
Stop by, check out some amazing art, whet your whistle with some of Everett, WA’s finest, and applaud Erin Toale on her latest and greatest. Hope to see you all there!
