Archive
Events for Week of December 27, 2010
Stop by the Library Ale House this week! Happy 2011!
The New Year quickly descends upon us. What will you be drinking to ring in 2011?
After a trip to Ohio full of endless Great Lakes Christmas Ale, we arrive back in Seattle. But now for your week in beer.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Meet the Bruery Fundraiser: Santa Monica, California
6:00PM-9:00PM @ the Library Ale House
The Bruery is one of the newer, yet highly acclaimed breweries in Southern California. Tonight, they will be tapping kegs of 3 French Hens and Rugbrød. Rare bottles of Workman’s Friend Imperial Porter will also be available. A flight of all three will be available for purchase. In addition small bites for pairing will be provided:
- Workman’s Friend with Turkey Meatloaf
- Rugbrod with Jerk Chicken
- 3 French Hens with Bread Pudding
Fellow SoCal brewery Port Brewing will have Santa’s Little Helper for your enjoyment.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pint Night with Breckenridge Brewery: Exton, Pennsylvania
6:00PM-11:00PM @ The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille
Pint Night at The Drafting Room Taproom & Grille
featuring Breckenridge BreweryJoin us on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 6:00
On Tap from Breckenridge:
Christmas Ale (Winter Warmer)
Lucky U IPA (American IPA)
Avalanche (American Amber)
471 IPA (Imperial IPA)
Vanilla Porter
Regal Pilsner (Imperial Pilsner)
Oatmeal StoutHope to see you there
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Founders and Friends Benefit and Tasting: Columbus, Ohio
7:00PM-11:00PM @ Bob’s Bar
All things good in the Midwest (and more) will be available on tap tonight!
1) Founders Brewing – Backwoods Bastard Tapping
2) Columbus Brewing – 12 Hops of XMas (Firkin)
3) Fatheads – Headhunter IPA (1st columbus tapping) –> THIS BEER IS SO GOOD!!!
4) Stone Brewing – First tapping of their collaboration with Fatheads (brewed during Cleveland Beer Week)
5) Sierra Nevada – Celebration and 30th Anniv.
6) North Coast – TBA
7) Troegs – Mad Elf and perhaps a little surprise from the brewery
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Beer’s Eve: Chicago, Illinois
4:00PM-12:00AM @ Fountainhead
Ok this event is only $30.00 per person and the beers on tap and the food look amazing- this might be the best New Year’s Eve deal in the country.
On Draft,
New Belgium/Allagash – Vrienden
Left Hand – Fade To Black
Bierbrouwerij Emelisse – Triple IPA
Two Brothers – Bare Tree Weiss Wine
Dogfish Head – Bitches Brew
Bear Republic – Apex Imperial IPA
Mikkeller – Rauch Geek Breakfast Stout
Anderson Valley – Imperial Boont Amber
Half Acre – Big HuggsOn Cask,
Bells Two Hearted
Three Floyds Alpha KingNew Beer’s Eve Pre-Fix Dinner:
1st Course:
Choice of:
Beer Cheese Soup, Spicy Beer Cheese Soup with Potatoes, Lime Cream, Bacon, Grilled Rye & Sourdough
or
Crispy Salad, Spiced Walnuts & Diced Apple with Goat Cheese over Mixed Greens & Cherry Vinaigrette
2nd Course
Choice of:
Pot Roast, Rioja Demi and Root Vegetables over Parsnip Puree
or
Bourbon Maple Glazed Salmon with Root Vegetable Succotash and Celery Root Salad
3rd Course
Generous slice of Belgian Chocolate Bread Pudding with Caramel and Candied Pecans
Each course paired with a beer by our Beer Director
Pre-Fix Dinner by reservation only, 4-8 pm, $30 per Person
Please email by Wed. Dec. 29th with Preferred Time, Number of People, & Course Choices to: phil@fountainheadchicago.com
New Beer’s Eve Small Plates, 8-11pm
Saturday, January 1, 2011
20 Stouts on Tap: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
12:00PM-12:00AM @ Monk’s Cafe
Yep, we’re doing it again. Every line will have a stout running though the spout. As always, we’ll have some recognizable stouts and a few keg that most of you have not tasted before. Come in out of the cold and warm up with some hearty food and robust stouts.
Cash Bar, starts around noon.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
All of the events I can find today are not worth going to. Sit at home with some friends and break open something from the cellar.
Cheers!
Monday, January 3, 2010
Diners, Drive-In and Dives Party: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10:00PM-11:00PM @ Memphis Taproom
The Memphis Taproom will be featured on the Food Network’s show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Tonight, celebrate with PENNY DRAFT BEERS for one half hour! During commercials only — when the show’s on, you will have all eyes on the TV!
If you want me to post about an event, want to talk about an event you went to or just want to talk about beer, email me at jess@beerblotter.com or leave a comment!! Cheers!
Notes of a Beer Nerd: Simple Pleasures – Beer Desert
Happy Birthday to me!
**Notes of a Beer Nerd is written by Timperial Stout, our resident cellar dwelling mammal. Reach out to him at timperialstout@beerblotter.com or write a comment below.***
Tuesday I celebrated my 30th birthday. Well, actually, I use the word “celebrate” loosely. The real celebration was about 2 weeks ago when the greatest friends and family a man could ever ask for threw me a “Dirty 30″ surprise party (thank you all so very much!).
I also just completed a long weekend away at Treehouse Point, yet another surprise provided by my wonderful girlfriend. Point is, I’ve already done a lot of celebrating, so Tuesday, the actual anniversary of my birth, was more or less comprised of a bit of self-pampering.
After a long day at the brewery helping out Rhett Burris of Burris Brewing cook up another batch of his delightful Jackrabbit Pale Ale, I stopped at Ballard Market on my way home and grabbed some ingredients for an epic Skooby-Doo style sandwich (you know, the kind that is so tall that you need to crush it down with both hands in order for it to fit in your mouth) and, of course, some tasty adult beverages.
A Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA paired very nicely with my turkey (and a ridiculously lengthy list of accompanying ingredients) sandwich. The scent of palisade hops that filled the air of the brewery earlier in the day made me crave this member of the Seven Wonders of the Hoppy World (doesn’t exist, but it should).
Honestly, the herbal and malty sweet balance of 90 Minute is so perfect that I believe it would pair nicely with just about anything. I mean, if you told me I had to eat a shoe but I could wash it down with a 90m, I’d eat the hell out of that shoe.
The most exciting and noteworthy element of this pampering came at the very end of the night. A simple pleasure, but a pleasure without a doubt – an ice cream float! I took the simplicity to the extreme, using Rogue‘s Chocolate Stout and vanilla bean ice cream, both of which are very easily obtained at almost anywhere selling foodstuffs. I decided to give it a little pizzazz and added a few fresh raspberries.
This made me think…surely, in the vast reaches of culinary creation, there must be countless ways to pair beer with ice cream and make it delicious. With all the styles of both out there, what possibilities await us? I did a bit of brainstorming and some research, and I thought I’d share a few thoughts. Maybe the next time your sweet tooth comes a knockin’ you’ll whip up a beer float and tell us your thoughts.
Sticking with the stout motif, The imperial stouts of Southern Tier would be killer combos with vanilla, chocolate, or even fruit flavored ice creams. Try Choklat, Jah*va, Mokah, Creme Brulee, or Oat.
How about fruit lambics and ice cream? Just about any offering from Lindeman’s would be killer with vanilla. A Cantillon Kriek or any of the New Belgium Lips of Faith beers would work wonderfully as well.
What about a nut brown ale like Troegs Rugged Trail? A coffee flavored ice cream might go well with this one, or paired with a milk stout like Left Hand‘s.
A sweet barleywine like an aged Speakeasy Old Godfather or even an eisbock like Kulmbacher‘s could go exceptionally well with a mildly flavored ice cream.
Playing mad scientist with beer and ice cream seems like a darn productive use of time to me. Beer Blotter suggests that you give it a whack and let us know what pairings work best.
Whats Up At Your Bar?: Whats on Tap Tonight in Seattle
Big Time Brewery Kicks off Winter Beer Series @ Latona!
Ok ok, you know we are from Seattle. Despite our best attempts to keep this blog all about beer and not just Seattle beer – it just tends to lean that way. Its our backyard!
In any event there are some great offerings out there in the NW corner this week – lets discuss:
Naked City Taphouse:
Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper – an incredible imperial stout with a kick of spice. If you have never had this you are missing one of America’s best Chrsitmas beers.
Naked City Hoptricity – the fourth (we think) offering in the Naked City regulars, this beer is supposedly stunning, raves Naked City’s own, Rachaal.
Avery The Czar – one of the top stouts, this beer will warm you up with its incredible body and roasty nose.
Black Raven Wisdom Seeker – my favorite NW IPA of 2009. This is extremely limited and is actually a double. Drink this before its gone.
Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale – have not heard too much of this offering. Sounds interesting though.
Malt & Vine
For you eastsiders. Also, did you all know that they recently updated and changed their website – much more manageable!
Anchor Our Special Ale 2008 – Last year’s version did fairly well among beer critics. This Christmas ale wont last long.
Ommegang Rouge – I love that this keeps popping up lately. Probably the most widely loved and sold sour in America, upstate NY’s brewer does it well.
St. Bernardus Belgian Christmas Ale – They make Abt 12. This is not very far off in quality.
Latona Pub
Latona is rocking a heavy Big Time influenced menu – which is fine by us. This kicks off Winter Beer Series that is going down over the next few months:
Big Time Jeezum Crow IPA – This one was had at WA Brewers Fest and its sweet as hell (as in sugar content). Very enjoyable with some x-mas cookies i presume!
Big Time Dark Days – a dark IPA with some punch. Read The Pickled Liver’s review of it here.
Left Hand 400 Lb Monkey – another IPA that borders on the edge of too sweet. But worth the try alongside a Jeezum Crow.
Bottleworks
I am skipping the pour list – though a nice pint of Flying Dog’s Gonzo sounds good – to discuss the post about their cellar sale that began late yesterday:
From the site:
Annual Holiday Cellar Sale in progress!
Every year around this time we dive into our cellar and release a few of the goodies contained within. As always, bottle limits apply to certain items and quantities are scarce. Happy Holidays!
Domestic Craft:
Allagash Victoria 2006 750ml (ME)
Avery Czar Imperial Stout 2008 22oz (CO)
Avery Fifteen 22oz (CO)
Butte Creek Train Wreck Barleywine 22oz (CA)
Dogfish Head Burton Baton 2007 12oz (DE)
Fish Leviathan Barleywine 2000 750ml (WA)
Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2006 12oz (OR)
Hair of the Dog Fred Batch #23 1.5L Magnum (OR)
Hair of the Dog Matt 12oz (OR)
Lost Abbey 10 Commandments 2008 750ml (CA)
Lost Abbey Judgement Day 2007 750ml (CA)
Maritime Jolly Roger 2005 12oz (WA)
Maritime Jolly Roger 2007 12oz (WA)
New Belgium Bottleworks X Anniversary 750ml (CO)
New Belgium La Folie 2007 750ml (CO)
Pike Old Bawdy 2006 12oz (WA)
Rogue Ten Thousand Brew 750ml (OR)
Russian River Deviation 750ml (CA)
Victory Storm King 2007 12oz (PA)Imports:
De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier Reserva 2002 330ml (Belgium)
De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier Reserva 2006 330ml (Belgium)
De Dolle Brouwers Stille Nacht 2002 330ml (Belgium)
De Ranke Cuvée 2007 750ml (Belgium)
De Ranke Kriek 2006 750ml (Belgium)
Dubuisson Scaldis Noël 2006 750ml (Belgium)
Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux 2006 750ml (Belgium)
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noël 2004 750ml (Belgium)
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noël 2005 750ml (Belgium)
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!
