Events for Week of March 21, 2011

EVENTS!!!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Smuttynose Beer Dinner: Milton, Massachusetts

6:30PM-9:00PM @ Abby Park

Smuttynose is one of my favorite breweries- their IPA, Wheat Wine and Barleywine are all amazing and hopefully on the menu tonight! Enjoy a 5 course specialty dinner paired with 5 Smuttynose beers for $55.00. Call 617-696-8700 or email Aja (aja@abbypark.com) for reservations.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Grand Teton Thursday Beer Tasting: Greenville, South Carolina

5:00PM-7:00PM @ The Greenville Beer Exchange

Grand Teton Brewing Company hails from Victor, Idaho and brews some extremely delicious beers! This week we will be tasting their Bitch Creek ESB, Sweetgrass American Pale Ale, Pesephone Pils, and Black Cauldron Imperial Stout. Drop in anytime between 5pm and 7pm this Thursday to experience four Idahoan beers (and how many of those can you say you’ve had?) completely FREE!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Stone Brewing Co. Tasting: Boston, Massachusetts

5:30PM-7:30PM @ Wine Emporium

Stop by tonight to sample Stone Brewing Co. beers all the way from Escondido, California (sounds warm and sunny): Featured beers will include:

Stone IPA
Stone Smoked Porter
Arrogant Bastard Ale
Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
Ruination IPA
2010 Old Guardian
2011 Old Guardian

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Dogfish Fest: Dallas, Texas

11:00AM-5:00PM @ The Common Table

The Common Table is tapping 12 Dogfish Head beers all on one day, Saturday March 26th- starts @ 11AM.

Here’s the lineup: HOT DAMN!

Bitches Brew
Burton Baton
90 Minute
Indian Brown
60 Minute
Raison d’Etre
Palo Santo Morrin
Chateau Jiahu
Red & White
Aprihop
90 Minute dry-hopped through a Randall
Midas Touch
Namaste (yet to be confirmed but likely will be available)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Meet the Brewer, Cantillon: Escondido, California

3:00PM-5:00PM @ Stone Brewing Co.

Spend two hours in the presence of beer holiness- Jean Van Roy, the head brewer of one of Belgium’s finest, Cantillon. Cantillon is known for brewing traditional lambics for over 100 years. We have been there, its amazing as are the beers.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Brown Bag Night “Stouts”: Los Angeles, California

6:00PM-9:00PM @ Blue Palms BrewHouse

The idea is that this is a way to strip away any pretensions and preconceptions about specific beers you are drinking, and to challenge and educate your palate about the flavors and aromas you experience.Price of admission? Just a bottle or two of beers that you bring in for the occasion. If you’re bringing a 22 oz. or 750 mL bottle, one should be enough. If it’s a 12-ounce bottle or can, please bring two (if possible– if you only have one, just bring the one).

If you want us to post about an event, go to an event or want to just drink good beer- email me at jess@beerblotter.com or leave a comment!

Events for Week of February 21, 2011

Stone World Bistro a.k.a. Stone Brewing Co. is pretty epic. Go there. Pic courtesy of beeranswers.com.

Your week in beer:

 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

 

Founders Tasting: Gahanna, Ohio

7:00PM-9:00PM @ Lounge 62

Not sure what the tap list is here, but its Founders, so its sure to impress! Check it out and report back!

 

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

 

25 Beers for 25 Years: Ann Arbor, Michigan

11:30AM-12:15AM @ Ashley’s Restaurant & Pub

This is amazing- 25 years is epic and so is this tap list:

Celebrating Bell’s Brewery with twenty-two beers on draft all day and three special releases beginning at 9 PM.

9PM Hopslam Firkin release
9:45 PM Batch 10,000 release
10:15 PM Black Note release

Special guest Larry Bell, owner and founder of Bell’s will arrive around 8:30 PM.

Complete Bell’s Draft Line-Up:
Winter White
Two-Hearted Ale
Amber Ale
Sparkling Ale
Lager of the Lakes
Quinnanan Falls Special Lager
Hopslam
Oarsman
Cherry Stout
Expedition Stout
Milk Stout
Third Coast Beer
Third Coast Old Ale
Porter
Kalamazoo Stout
Best Brown Ale
Pale Ale
Batch 9,000
Smoked Stout
Raspberry Ale
Hell Hath No Fury
Double Cream Stout

 

Thursday, February 24, 2011

 

Mardi Gras Mambo with Oskar Blues: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

3:00PM-3:00AM @ The Sidecar Bar & Grille

I left a piece of me when I moved from New Orleans, so to honor the city- here is a Mardi Gras event….not in New Orleans…

 

You know us, then you know how we do, especially with the NOLA vibe – we’ll have the Oskar Blues premiere line on the taps, Chefs Brian Lofink & Kevin McCue with be throwning DOWN with the New Orleans fare and we’ll be spinning the best in New Orleans music – now and then~

Taps for the night will be updated soon!

 

Friday, February 25, 2011

 

9th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal: Seattle, Washington

2:00PM-2:00AM @ Beveridge Place Pub

Twenty-four (24!) dedicated taps for the biggest, boldest brews born between Bellingham and Boulder (and elsewhere, too)! Over fifty barleywines in all! This event will boast new beers through March 5.

 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

 

Washington Beer Open House: Seattle and outside of Seattle, Washington

12:00PM-4:00PM @ various locations

Today, breweries in and around Seattle open their doors for beer lovers to sample and experience their beers. Admission is free but beer prices at the various locations will apply. Check out the Washington Beer Commission’s website for details of where to go and what to do!

 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

 

Sunday Funday: Escondido, California

11:00AM-9:00PM @ Stone Brewing Co.

Every Sunday Stone offers something from “the cellar.” Today its 2005 Russian Imperial Stout. This stout is top notch, my personal favorite of all the Stone brews. Check out what the 2005 has to offer!

To add to the excitement, we’ve raided our cellars for some awesome rare and vintage brews. Every Sunday, we’ll have these special beers available either to purchase in bottles or to fill up your growlers.

 

Monday, February 28, 2011

 

Randall, Meet Bacon. Bacon, Meet Randall: Providence, Rhode Island

6:00PM-8:00PM @ Graduate Center Bar (GCB)

 

The first time that Randall visited the GCB he went nuts with peanuts and dried cranberries in Dogfish head’s Raison D’Etre… now he’s coming back and bringing the bacon…and roasted peppers. Keith will be with Randall and infusing Palo Santo Marron with thick cut bacon and roasted hot peppers. Come check it out!

 

If you want us to post about an event or if you went to an event and want to tell us about it, leave a comment or email me at jess@beerblotter.com! Cheers!

 

Beer Nerd From the Vault: The Bruery’s Rugbrod

The Bruery Rugbrod: One Damn God Rye Beer!

***This Notes of a Beer Nerd was originally published on December 30, 2009. As I am preparing for my trip to The Bruery’s tasting room in Placentia, CA next weekend, I thought it was a great time to do some research on one of the brewery’s finest. That – and this write up is sexy.***

Enjoyed on: 12/13/2009

Brewery: The Bruery

Location: Placentia, CA

Beer: Rugbrod

Web: http://www.thebruery.com/

Presentation: 750 ML – Brown Glass Bottle

Vintage: 2009

Style: Julebryg / Dark Rye Ale

Barrel: N/A

ABV: 8%

IBU: 30

Hops: N/A

Malt: 3 types of Rye

Vessel: Tulip

Recommended Serving Temp: 50 degrees

Notes from the bottle: A deep auburn colored robust Danish-style ale with spicy rye, and caramelly, bready malts.  Rugbrod Rye Ale is suitable for aging up to 2 years when cellared properly, around 55 F (13 C) in a dark place.  Best served at 50 F (10 C).  Pour carefully, leaving the yeast sediment behind in the bottle.  Best served in a tulip or wine glass.  For proper pronunciation, chef recommended food pairings and recipes, please visit our website.

Food Pairings: Pork, lamb

Cheese Pairings: Monterey, Pepper Jack

Beer Advocate: B+

Rate Beer: 89 (3.58)

Timperialstout’s Notes:

What the hell is Rugbrod?  Good question, I didn’t know either.  As is turns out, Rugbrod means “rye bread” in Danish.  What the hell is a Julebryg?  Good question, I didn’t know either.  As it turns out, Julebryg is a Scandinavian term for a winter warmer.  Tis’ the season.  Now that we have crossed the language barrier, let’s see what this unique brew offers.

This one is unfiltered and bottle conditioned.  A subtle, inquisitive pour brings a glass full of head.  It takes several minutes and a lot of patience to get a tulip full of beer.  A dark  auburn fluid eventually settles out from the luscious tan head.  The scent is so warm and cozy I wish I was enjoying this by a fire in a remote European village.  Understandably Danish, it’s Belgium that comes to mind when i put my nose to it.  So bready!  Croissants and ryes and pumpernickel.  A faint fruitiness lends the Belgium thoughts.

Despite the big head there is not a lot of carbonation feel to the liquid.  The mouthfeel is pleasantly smooth and some alcohol comes through as it warms.

The flavors are more of yeast with mild fruitcake notes.  A drying aftertaste is present, like I just swallowed a mouthful of absorbent, porous bread.  Bread, bread, bread… so much bread here.  Rye beers are not extremely common, yes, but I have no doubt had my share, and none have tasted quite so much like the bread.

I’ve always had a great appreciation for bread, in its many forms.  Some subtle, even bland, other deep and flavorful.  It seems like such a simple food, something that has always fed man.  Sustenance for the most poor, a simple pleasure for the most rich.  The process of baking bread and its ingredients make it a similar product to beer in many ways, and it is surely a great accompaniment as well.  Throw some cheese in the mix and I think I’d have all I ever need for a happy life.

Some chocolaty, caramelly flavors come through well after the swallow reminiscent of Werther’s Original Caramels.  The Bruery really made something special here.  Unique, intriguing, historic, delicious.  My hat’s off to the Family Rue.

If you like Rugbrod, good luck finding something similar.  If you like rye you should try, or buy:

Bear Republic Brewery’s  Hop Rod Rye; Two Brothers Brewing’s Cane & Ebel; Left Hand Brewing Co.’s  Terra-Rye’ZD

Disclaimer: This beer was purchased on my own with my own hard earned money at a local bottle shop .

Beer Trip: Where Should Beer Blotter Go in So Cal?

San Diego's Hamiltons Tavern will not be missed - but where else do we go?

Fresh off a trip to Washington DC, a month back from Tampa, FL and just two months back from our epic adventure to Belgium – Beer Blotter hits the road once again.

To celebrate the birthday of one of our writers, we are headed down the coast to Southern California to visit Orange County and San Diego County.

Now, we have enjoyed beer for quite some time. But, we have yet to experience beer the So Cal way! So we are very excited about this new trip down south, inevitably to sample some of the world’s greatest hoppy ales!

We are looking for some pointers on “not to miss” venues for our trip. Of course, we are expected to try and jam a lot into our 3 day trip. For starters:

Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Brewery – San Marcos, CA

Alesmith Brewing – San Diego, CA

Ballast Point Brewing – San Diego, CA

Hamilton’s Tavern – San Diego, CA (excited for their wings!)

Oggi’s/Left Coast – Huntington Beach, CA (i’m a sucker for Hop Juice)
Here are a few of the issues presented, please try and solve, if you can:

1. I cannot find the time to make it out to Alpine Beer Company. While this stabs me in the heart, because they make the best IPAs on earth, Im wondering if anyone has a clue on where to go to get their beer on tap? I am thinking Hamilton’s is a good start?
2. I will be staying on Orange County – but I am not finding too much other than brewpubs (Oggis, Karl Strauss, etc.) Does anyone know of any bar that should be visited in the Costa Mesa, Newport, Huntington area?
3. We have a limited time, so I need to bunch places together. If you know of a nice cluster, let us know. This was the idea behind Ballast Point and Alesmith – who are right across from each other.
4. Anyone have a nice bottle shop in Orange County to share?

That’s it. Of course, we really appreciate all the help! Please leave your comments below, or e-mail us at beerblotter@gmail.com!