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 Pils

Prosciutto wrapped beer blanched asparagus with gruyere mornay sauce
Served with Rauch Porter

Cranberry and chestnut filled turkey breast cutlets with Pursuit giblet gravy and roasted seasonal squash
Served with Pursuit Pale Ale

Cracked barley encrusted oysters with Anaheim chili risotto and saffron aioli
Served with ESB

Cinnamon 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!

Beer & Glassware: Not Just Any Beer, Any Glass – Part 1

With love to Philly, with love to my taste buds.

One of my writers in crime here at Beer Blotter, Jess R., quite recently published a very well crafted article about glassware.  It reminded us all of the overwhelming importance of presenting beer in its proper vessel.

In turn, we were reminded of the the one place in the world where bartenders actually feel the need to offer a heartfelt apology for momentarily being out of the proper glass for the beer ordered: where else but Belgium.  Thoughts of Belgium take us down never ending roads of memory that we will most definitely not get into right now.

But for us three blotterers, a chance to get together, drink beer, and reminisce about our mighty Euro trip will never go unrealized.  In the midst of that exciting undertaking, we figured why not clear out a small corner of the cellar that drastically needed to be cleared, all the while bringing it full circle with just the topic that spawned the meeting, glassware.

This night was epic.  I guess we had a lot more cellar space to open up than we thought.  Time will not allow me to copy all of my notes on all of the beer-glass pairings of the night in one sitting, so here I present part 1.

 

Pilsner Glass – Victory Brewing Summer Love Ale

Though dubbed an ale right there in the name, this was most likely brewed with California Common yeast, which would indeed make it an ale but would attribute many characteristics of a lager.  Thus, the pairing with the pils glass, which allowed the head to stay compact and lively in the decreased circumference, where it would normally dwindle and lay dormant in short time.  This beer was specially made for Philly Tourism, who recently contacted us due to Timperial’s roots there.

 

We took our popular With Love, Philadelphia XOXO tourism initiative from campaign to consumer experience by partnering with Victory Brewing Company to create Summer Love Ale. Brewed locally in Chester County, PA with pale malts, German hops and water from the Brandywine River, the golden brew began flowing at bars throughout the Philadelphia region during the annual Philly Beer Week in June.

 

Check out this quote from Victory Brewer Bill Covaleski:

 

Summer Love starts with an all German malt base upon which we overlaid crisp German hops for that familiar, import quality that some many beer drinkers find attractive and comfortable, then we put bright, lemony Citra hops, grown here in the US, into the mix for an exciting aroma to start and refreshing and enduring finish. Kinda like Philly. Mostly familiar but always surprising!

 

My notes of the beer read as follows: This pours, not surprisingly, light in color, hazy yellow with a white head of very large bubbles.  The odor is very impressive in it’s hoppiness; floral and grassy.  This is very easy drinking with excellent sweetness coming from mild caramel notes.  From a light(er) beer perspective, this is really well balanced with a striking lemony, citrus hop profile.  I could drink this for days!

Spice-tastic!

 

Tulip Glass – Victory Brewing Saison Du Buff

This beer was originally released under Stone Brewing’s liscense as part of their collaboration series.  Dogfish Head, Stone and Victory teamed up to create this one, but each brewery is now releasing it under their own license and with their own distinctive artwork.

I found this beer to be hazy golden in color with intense carbonation.  To call it spicy and floral would be an understatement.  Herbal to the nth degree.  Some possible herbs at play are chamomile, ginger, coriander, citrus peel, rosemary, sage…  It’s a cornucopia.

The head quickly subsided to nothing at all, which I found to be very odd with respect to the lively carbonation.  Perhaps oils from the herbs had negative effects on the retention?

The aftertaste seemed to linger for days, and I also found it to be surprising that the finish was not super dry, which seems to be commonplace with saisons in general.  Damn good beer!

Wait, something impressive by The Bruery? No way!

 

Goblet – The Bruery Trade Winds Tripel

This is seriously no ordinary beer for no ordinary glass.  For branding consistency sake, I turned the glass around to the non-logo side for the picture (left) but just take my word for it that it’s a Westvleteren glass.  We got that shit straight from In De Vrede in West Flanders!  And the beer…well, it’s made by The Bruery…’nuff said!

This puppy weighs in at 8.1% and is brewed with rice and Thai basil.  It pours a soft amber hue with above average carbonation and pretty poor clarity.  Arising on the pour, a luscious white head that sticks around.  In the nose, that striking candy sweetness that accompanies nearly all true Belgian tripels.  There is also a malty sweetness that lends credibility to the brewer’s art.

The basil manifested itself into a simple, neutral spicy characteristic, and I also found there to be a very pronounced green apple quality.  The lacing on the glass is not to be scoffed at and all that sweetness lends to a fantastically smooth mouthfeel.

The aftertaste is mesmerizing as well.  Booze and grains come out as it warms, but I don’t find either to be negative here.

 

Flute – Ommegang Zuur

Ommegang and Liefman's collaborate with sour results.

This 6% Flemish Sour Ale was brewed in collaboration with the much heralded Belgian sour brewer Liefman’s.  It fills the glass with a brownish ruby red color and possess respectable clarity.

Initially, as it makes contact with the glass, the carbonation is wild and it’s very difficult to pour anything but a glass full of foam.  As quickly as the suds rise up they dissipate to not but a trace.  I find dark fruit in the scent, mostly the cherries that it was brewed with, and a good dose of funky, sour tartness, spot on for the style.

On the tongue, it’s prickly with the carbonation and tensing with tartness.  Puckering yes, but I’ve soireed with many Flemish ales with much more zing.  There is a pleasant bread-like maltiness in behind all the pizazz, but the overall body and intensity is underwhelming in the end.

Many respects for Ommegang for taking a swing at this exciting style, and though it’s very drinkable, it’s no Rodenbach.

 

Events for Week of May 3, 2010

d.b.a. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn- stop by for cask fest!

After a weekend of Hoppin’ Frog, Jolly Pumpkin, Naked City’s own brews and Rodenbach, I present to you, the next week of beer events.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Great Lakes Beer Tasting: Oakdale, Minnesota

4:30PM-6:30PM @ Cork and Barrel Wine and Spirits

Stop by and sample one of the greats from the Mid-West: Great Lakes Brewing Co. from Cleveland Ohio will be serving Dortmunder Gold (Dortmunder), Edmund Fitzgerald (Porter), Eliot Ness (Dark Amber), Burning River (Pale Ale) and Commodore Perry (IPA). Bring a business card and drop it in the bucket, at the end of the tasting we will draw a name for a six pack of beer.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

BrewDog Tasting: Hooksett, New Hampshire

4:30PM-7:30PM @ Bert’s Better Beers

Try out BrewDog from Scotland. Punk IPA, Rip Tide Stout, Dogma, Paradox Smokehead and Paradox Isle of Arran will be sampled.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Day of the Dogfish: Cincinnati, Ohio

5:00PM- 10:00PM @ Catskeller
Samples flights from Dogfish Head Brewing, a innovative brewery out of Delaware. On draft will be: Red & White; Black & Blue; Burton Baton; Chateau Jiahu; Palo Santo Marron and Midas Touch. Fingers crossed, as there might be some 90 Minute & Raison D’Etre available.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Southern Tier Brewery Night: Tampa, Florida

7:00PM- 10:30PM @ Mellow Mushroom

Southern Tier Brewing Co. ‘s IPA, 422, Unearthly Imperial IPA, and Iniquity Imperial Black Ale will all be on tap along with other Southern Tier bottles. GOOD TIMES.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Smuttynose Tasting: Somersworth, New Hampshire

4:00PM-6:00PM @ Somersworth Village Market

New Hampshire’s very own Smuttynose Brewing Co. is on the board tonight. Although the beers available for tasting have not been listed, fingers cross for their IPA and Wheatwine!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Williamsburg Cask Ale Festival: Brooklyn, New York

1:00PM-1:00AM @  D.B.A.

Great place in BK (there is also one in New Orleans) – tonight (according to ratebeer.com) expect about 16 rare and tasty cask beers to be pouring over the weekend, all tapped at once, including beers not normally seen in cask in NYC. Beer range is courtesy of Alex Hall (BA: Imbiber) in conjunction with Ray Deter of ‘dba’.  Beer will come in half pint and 16oz measures, there’s no entry fee and you pay by the glass.

Italian Beer Festival: Seal Beach, California

11:30AM-11:30PM @ Beachwood BBQ

Italians are known for pizza, art, pasta and wine- but tonight, come sample 18 different Italian brews.

Great Week! At least three of my top ten breweries are having a tasting this week. This weekend we had the conversation of our top 10 US breweries. I could only come up with 9 off the top of my head.  What are your favorite breweries? Leave a comment or email me at jess@beerblotter.com with an event you want us to post or to just start a dialogue about your favorite brewery!

52 Weeks: Het Waterhuis Aan De Bierkant, Ghent, Belgium

Numero Uno

We are back tracking to week nine, one of the two weeks we spent in Belgium.  If I said I wanted to go back there tomorrow and live for all eternity….that would be an understatement.

9 of 52

Het Waterhuis Aan De Bierkant

Groentenmarkt 9
9000 Gent, Belgium
09 225 06 80

Rank: #1 of 12 (again including there is one other unknown Belgian place, which will be in the top 5)

Type of Establishment: Your quintessential Belgium beer bar

BEERS ON TAP (at time of visit) —>

Rodenbach Grand Cru

House Beer Gandavum (blonde hoppy ale)

House Beer Mammelokker (dark ale)

House Beer Klokke Roeland (strong ale – 11.5%)

FOOD OPTIONS: No food options. Remember we are in Belgium. They drink all day on an empty stomach and so should you!

STAFF OPINIONS: A small establishment, there were two bartenders, one of which we had the pleasure of interacting with. He, like many, if not all Belgium residents knew his beer….he knew it well. He discussed 3 of the brews on tap that were the house beers and suggested we try them all. (Interesting, rare beers on draft are hard to come by in Belgium, a country that prides themselves on aged bottles).  He was pleasant, informative and happy to introduce beers that we had never had into our lives. We are forever indebted.

Ghent was the first stop outside of Antwerp that we made in Belgium. A city with so much history and beauty, Ghent has much to offer in the realms of beer and art. During our stay we encountered medieval churches, bell towers, castles, canals and quaint squares. Although these elements of the city were preserved, Pizza Huts and modern hotels proved that Ghent was a city of the past and of the future. Prior to stopping at the Waterhuis, we ventured into Saint Bavo Cathedral to see the Ghent Altarpiece, otherwise known as the Altarpiece of the Mystic Lamb by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck. Completed in the early 15^th Century, this masterpiece was very high on my bucket list and is the single most impressive piece of artwork I have ever seen. The picture in this post is from the internet, as you are not allowed to take photos of the piece.

Northern Renaissance Masterpiece, Ghent, Belgium

After taking in our art for the day, we head over to Het Waterhuis located along side a canal and therefore appropriately named in more ways than one. A modest space with old, almost rotting wood paneling along the floor, a layer of dust and a cloud of smoke, this bar would not exist in the US and this is why we love it.  We find a space in the back with a barrel surrounded by four chairs next to a window looking out onto the water with a castle in the back drop. Dried hops hang from the bar with bottles, many of which we had yet to try, layered with dust and mold that lined the wall.

We sat in awe of the country we just arrived in, in awe of the beer we were drinking.  Het Waterhuis was one of many beer experiences to come. It was amazingly worthy of our top spot to date.

Events for the Week of January 11, 2010

Bodega Cafe, Columbus, Ohio

After an amazing beer weekend in Portland, Oregon (more on that tomorrow), Beer Blotter is back on schedule with your weekly events. The weeks just keep passing us by and many great beer related festivals await us here in Seattle (Belgiumfest 2010 and Strangebrew festival). But for now, here is what’s going on in Beer USA.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Stout Fest: Chicago, Illinois

11:00 AM until close @ Quenchers Saloon

We are already on day 11 of 31. Yes, thats right, Stout Fest runs from January 1, 2010 until January 31, 2010- every single day. The goal? Well Quenchers has created four groups with five stouts in each group (buy four stouts, get one free). Spend the month of January drinking as many stouts as possible and “closing out” each group and winning congratulatory stouts. Here a beer from each group: Founder’s Breakfast Stout, Avery’s Out of Bounds Stout, Hitachino Espresso Stout and Left Hand Oak Aged Imp. Stout.

Bridgeport Tasting and Meet the Brewer: Portland, Oregon

6:00PM- 8:00PM @ Belmont Station

Come join local craft brewers for a tasting at Belmont Station. BridgePort Brewing Co. is considered Portland’s oldest craft brewing company. Tonight you will be able to sample, the Highland Ambush Scotch Ale, Hop Czar, Bourbon Barrel Aged Ebenezer and MORE

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Founders Black Biscuit Tapping Party: Columbus, Ohio

7:00-9:00 PM @ Bodgea

Details from ratebeer.com state, “Special guests Michael Bell and John Host from Founders Brewing Co. will be in to tap Founders Black Biscuit, an old ale/porter that was aged in a maple bourbon barrel that was stored in the old gypsum mines beneath Grand Rapids. 11% abv 50 ibu’s .” Founders is a one of a kind brewery and specializes in stouts and porters. This event is not to be missed. It is free and 50% happy hour prices will apply between the hours of 7:00PM and 8:00PM.

Weyerbacher Fireside Ale Promotion Night: Mount Holly, New Jersey

7:00PM- close @ High Street Grill

Stop by High Street Grill and enjoy a pint of Weyerbacker’s Fireside Ale, a dark ale with a hint of roasted, smoke flavor. From 7:00PM-10:00PM this beer will be featured along side 16 other taps, live Irish music and $10.00 all you can eat mussels. A perfect food paring for a beer with a rich maltiness, slight bitterness and robust flavor.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

3 Floyd’s Night: Jefferson, Indiana

4:00PM until close @ Rocky’s Sub Pub

If you do not go to this event, we will be so disappointed!  Not only can you enjoy a pizza from Rocky’s, you get to try 10 or more beers from 3 Floyd’s Brewing Co. What the beer drinkers of Seattle would do for such an event! Here….it….is….Moloko, a sweet stout, Dreadnaught IPA, Ham on Rye, Broo Doo, an Oktober style brew, Pride and Joy, Alpha King, Gumballhead, Alpha Klaus, Robert the Bruce, Großer Kurfürst, and Alpha King on cask. Not to mention, Lincoln Anderson will be there from the brewery!

Goose Island Beers Galore!: New York, New York

5:00PM- until close @ Rattle-N-Hum

20 taps are a flowing tonight and all of them are from Goose Island Brewery. In our humble opinion here are a few you should try: Matilda, Bourbon County Stout, Pere Jacques and Demolition.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Dogfish Head Night: Glenside, Pennsylvania

starts at 7:00 PM @ Union Jacks

The following Dogfish Head beers will be tapped this Thursday, World Wide Stout, 120 Minute IPA and Burton Baton. Do not forget all the free giveaway and the buffalo wings that patron’s rave about!

Michigan Microbrew Night: Lansing, Michigan

7:00PM-9:00PM @ Reno’s Sports Bar West

For only two hours, you can come experience the great beers of the Mid-western state that is Michigan. Featured breweries include Atwater, Founders, Arcadia, Michigan, Mount Pleasant, Shorts, Bell’s, New Holland, Dark Horse and Dragonmead. $15 Advance, $20 at door, includes 10 samples, snacks, and a raffle drawing.  There is a whole lot going on in these two hours!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Great Alaska Beer and Barleywine Festival: Anchorage, Alaska

5:00PM- 10:00 PM @ William A. Egan Convention Center

The price of this festival rivals that of many at $30.00. The major difference is that you get 30 tastes! Make sure you grab some food during and stay hydrated! Live music and amazing food will accompany a line of beers worth the trek across Canada.  Dogfish head features their Chicory Stout, Great Divide’s Old Ruffian Barleywine will grace the stage, Midnight Sun Brewing Co. has 10 beers for pouring (TEN!), Brewery Ommegang., Orval, Rochefort, Rodenbach…it certainly does not start nor stop there. Check out the event’s official website here!

Black Tot Day with Avery Brewing: Boulder, Colorado

5:00PM- 8:00PM @ Avery Brewing Co.

Straight from “source”–> Be there to make sure you get some bottles of this incredible and indelibly unique brew. Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in Gosling’s Rum barrels. Huge. Chewy. Endlessly deep. Smooth beyond belief with endless amounts of subtle flavors that work their way out as you sip. This beer is so good that you can quaff a pint or sip and savor a few ounces with equal ease. The only difficult part is deciding what you want to do with it! $8 per 12oz bottle. Max 6 bottles per customer. We’ll have just a tad over 300 cases of this beer (24/12oz.) to go around. Limited one time release, with a few cases being sent to select states. Coming to Black Tot Day at the Avery Tap Room is the only way to GUARANTEE that you get your hands on some bottles! We’ll also have 5 gallon kegs tapped of unoaked, rye barrel and bourbon barrel versions of the Imperial Oatmeal Stout, along with Black Tot itself. We’ll be pouring a single 5 gallon keg of each and no more…when they’re gone they’re gone! $3 per taster. No door charge!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The Great Alaskan Beer and Barleywine Festival Continues from 6:00PM-10:00PM

Brooklyn Brewery Night: Greensburg, Pennsylvania

7:00PM- 9:00PM @ Mister Bones Bistro and Brew Hub

Seating is limited at a cost of $15.00 and you will be able to sample Brooklyn Brewery’s Lager, IPA, and Brown ale. Brooklyn will also bring a limited release beer for everyone to sample. The bistro will be creating a special menu for the evening, full of foods that will compliment the different styles of beer featured. The signature light hors d’oeuvres will be included with the purchase of an event ticket. (The full menu will also be available)

World Beer Festival: Columbia, South Carolina

(2 sessions) 12:00 PM- 4:00PM & 6:00PM-10:00PM @ the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center

With over 150 vendors, local music and 300 beers, for $40.00 you can sample has little or as much as your heart and liver desire. For more information about the event click here and for pictures from the event last January, click right….here.

Sunday, January 27, 2010

Valley Brew Beer Dinner: San Francisco, California

starts at 6:00PM @ Anchor and Hope Restaurant

Join Brewmaster Steve Altimari from Valley Brewing Company and Chef Sarah Schafer of Anchor & Hope for an evening of an exquisite pairing of beers and food.  Click here to see the menu.

Victory Brewing Beer Dinner: Grand Rapids, Michigan

6:00PM-8:00PM @ HopCat

Victory Brewing out of Pennsylvia is featured at tonight’s beer and food pairing dinner.  Tonight four beers will be paired with four dishes. The beers you can expect to taste include, Yakima Twilight, Wild Devil, Baltic Thunder and the very rare V-12.

The holidays are surely over, as this week proved difficult in chosing which events to feature. From large beer festivals to small, intimate dinners, we hope those in attendance have a damn good time. If you attend any of the mentioned events, want to share an event or have any suggestions for the event blog, leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com. Cheers and have a great beer drinking week!