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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!
Nothing To Do in Seattle Tonight? Hit The Bev For Pumpkin Beer, While You Still Can
Drink, but not that much.
October is nearly over, and you know what that means right? It is pretty depressing, so I’m not surprised if you are having a hard time answering. Yeah, it means that we will soon be saying goodbye to the fall seasonals until next year. Oktoberfests are pretty much already gone. Fresh Hops, you still might be able to find some, if your really search, but they are nearly gone. Pumpkin Ales…oh good god, please don’t say it…sorry but, almost gone.
Sure, if pumpkin ales were all of a sudden available year round, they would probably lose their luster after a while. I kind of like it the way it is, though I wouldn’t mind if I could hoard some bottles and crack them open at some other time in the year, where the mood to strike. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s really hard to find bottles of the good stuff. It seems like the moment they hit the shelves, you blink and they’re gone. This element seems to add to the excitement around finding pumpkin ales on tap. You really have to keep your eyes and ears open and pounce when the opportunity presents itself to sip on that nectar of the great gourd.
Lucky for us here in the Seattle area, we have Elysian Brewing, kings of pumpkin mashing, right in our backyard. We get to attend The Great Pumpkin Beer Fest at their Capitol Hill location (read our review here), which is indeed great. But, it still doesn’t fulfill my unrelenting hunger for pumpkin and spice. I even made a batch at home this year…still want more.
In steps Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle, to provide that one last dance of the season. Tonight they will be tapping five pumpkin beers for their Plethora of Pumpkin celebration: Elysian Night Owl and Dark o the Moon, Southern Tier Pumpking, Schooner Exact Gutter Punkin, and Snipes Mountain Pumpkin Death. These gems will be available all day and night, and they’re happy to pour taster trays of all 5.
If you are like me, and your hunger for pumpkin is not unlike a zombie’s hunger for brains, lurch and groan, with arms outstretched in front of you, over to West Seattle’s finest beer bar and feed on the flesh (of a pumpkin please).
This Weekend: Elysian Brewing’s Great Pumpkin Festival
Great scott! Its Great Pumpkin.
No doubt – this is a Top 5 Seattle beer event. Each of us, over here at Beer Blotter, agree that Elysian Brewing‘s Great Pumpkin Beer Festival is one of the can’t miss events we have here in Seattle, each year.
Elysian Brewing puts on this years celebration of all things pumpkin from October 16-17, 2010. The event begins each day at 12:00 PM and goes on through the evening.
What should you expect from this event? How about 40+ pumpkin-styled beers!
Elysian will roll out 3 or 4 beer trucks and set them up in the back lot. Each truck will pour several beers, from brewers all around the country. Here is the preliminary lineup, but remember that Elysian always holds a few names back as a surprise:
From Elysian: Night Owl Pumpkin Ale, The Great Pumpkin, Dark o’ the Moon Pumpkin Stout, Hansel & Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pilsner, Kaiser Kurbis Pumpkin Hefeweizen, PK-47 Pumpkin Malt Liquor, Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale, and a few surprises including a new brew and treats from the Elysian Cellar.
Guest Beers From: Big Time, Silver City, Snipes Mountain, Naked City, Elliott Bay, Schooner Exact, Rock Bottom, Fremont, Diamond Knot, Anacortes, Ram-Puyallup, Rogue-Issaquah, Allagash, Russian River, Iron Hill, Cambridge, Nodding Head, Jolly Pumpkin, Dogfish Head, Stewart’s, Beer Valley & Laurelwood!
We hope that you caught some of these names and did a double take – we did. Jolly Pumpkin!? Russian River?! Iron Hill!! These are some of the greatest brewers around. You can expect to see some other surprises, throughout the festival.
One other thing. Did you see that gigantic pumpkin on the Elysian webpage? Dick and the guys over at Elysian brew a beer in one of these massive gourds each year. I am hopeful that this trend continues on this year.
Don’t miss this event – It’s one of a kind!
Pick The Best of the NW In The Northwest Brewing News Reader’s Choice Poll
The Man, the myth. Chris Cavanaugh (Photo: ElysianBrewing.com
The Northwest Brewing News has rolled out its annual Reader’s Choice Poll – its time to vote. The Brewing News is a national brewing publication, severed into seven regional publications. Our good friend Geoff Kaiser writes for the Northwest edition, when he’s not manning the ship at Seattle Beer News.
Every year, the Brewing News holds a poll asking its readers to select the very best in the Northwest. Categories for best brewery, brewpub, bar, beer store, home brew shop and perhaps the most heated category – best bartender – are divided state by state. You may vote on the best Northwest beer for each style, as well.
When going through this poll, we noticed that we hit a few stumbling blocks. How do you pick between Hair of the Dog & Cascade Brewing? Is Uber Tavern a better place to grab a beer than The Dray? What the heck is down in Northern California? Don’t be ashamed to have to Rate Beer yourself a group of candidates, as long as you have actually experienced the pub, brewery or beer you intend to choose. But, if you are stuck – let us recommend a few:
Best Imperial IPA
Even with heavyweights like Russian River, Hopworks, Walking Man and Midnight Sun in the mix, and with Washington rising stars Boundary Bay and Port Townsend making their own cases – there can still be only one choice for us. Black Raven’s Wisdom Seeker licked the competition at Brouwers Hopfest. We have no reservations about this choice.
Best Strong Ale
The Northwest has always somewhat lacked in the big beer categories. But, there is no doubt that one strong ale has dominated the Northwest for many year – Hair of the Dog’s Fred. Alan Sprints has been making this beer for ages. If you have a vintage bottle laying around, you know what makes this complex ale so special. Vote with confidence.
Best Sour Beer
For years, I would probably have said that Russian River had this category killed with Consecration. But after recently tasting Cascade Brewing’s Noyeaux, I have reservations. Noyeaux was recently described in a post by our very own Timperial Stout. Check this one out before you mark down one of Russian River’s excellent choices.
Best NorCal Brewpub
We pushed Russian River out of the competition above, but here they take the cake. Backed by unprecedented selection and incredible beer food – there is no better place to grab a collection of beer and a delicious meal.
Best Washington Brewery
Some would say Boundary Bay has the history and fanfare to deserve this award. Some would say that Black Raven is the young gun that should take the title. We don’t disagree, but lets consider a 3rd choice – Snipes Mountain Brewing? You might think we are crazy but the Sunnyside, Washington brewer has been turning heads. Just about everything that brewer Chris Miller has put out of late, has shocked and awed. Food for thought.
Best Washington Bartender
Wow, we have some great bartenders up here in Seattle. We have a ton of love for Rachel up at Naked City, Natasha at The Dray and certainly Amy, down at Collins Pub. These three wonderful ladies have excellent beer IQs and care about their patrons. This gives them serious consideration.
But, to find someone who can advise, entertain, and take excellent care of you, all without being a giant asshole – priceless. Chris Cavanaugh is that guy. Chris can be found at three, count them, three amazing beer spots in Seattle. Once a fixture at Brouwers Cafe, Chris had to leave to tackle cancer. Once he returned to the bar, Chris grabbed spots at Elysian Brewing (Capitol Hill), The Stumbling Monk, and time behind the bar at Brouwers Cafe. There is one reason that he is at these three places – everyone loves him! Chris will give you great attention, wonderful advice, and excellent entertainment. Not once have we ever heard one person dislike him. Vote for this man.
So take a stab at the poll and let your voice be heard! You can access the poll by following this link. Got any other suggestions for choices, please post them in the comments below.
Nothing To Do in Seattle Tonight? Hit Some New Belgium Events
A look inside Whiskey Bar, Seattle, WA. Photo creds: sortuv.com
New Belgium Brewing is holding a few events this evening, in Seattle. If you have nothing going on, there is no reason to miss out on the opportunity to taste some very rare NB offerings.
The Colorado brewer has been very active in the area of late. We assume this is in part related to the ongoing collaboration with Seattle’s Elysian Brewing, with whom New Belgium recently released the sixth installment of its Trip series of beers. Check out Jess’ article on the series by following this link.
Tonight you can catch New Belgium at either of these two fine events:
New Belgium Brewers Night @ The Whiskey Bar
Wow. So glad that I heard about this event. New Belgium’s Brewer’s Night features New Belgium-Elysian Trip VI Fresh Hop IPA, Lips of Faith Sahti, NB-Elysian Trip III Sour brown, Lips of Faith Fall Wild Ale (Dubbel w/ Brett), 1554, & Lips of Faith Matty’s Dunkelweiss.
All of these beers are incredible. Most of these beers are a hard find in Washington. I am most intrigued by the Lips of Faith Sahti, the latest addition to this absolutely mouth-watering collective of beers. The Sahti is rumored to feature much of the flavors found in Trip IV, which is one of my favorites. The brewery stated that it will almost mimic Trip IV with “maybe a slight tweak in percentages but same grain bill for sure.” That means juniper, rye, and amarillo magic. Don’t miss it.
You probably also want to try the Dunkelweiss and the Trip III, before its gone for good. Oh yeah – the Fresh Hop will be pouring as well.
The Whiskey Bar is at 2000 2nd Ave # 101, Seattle, WA. Get there at 7:00 PM, when this event kicks off!
New Belgium/Elysian Brewing Trip VI Firkin @ The Hopvine
Its Harvest Beer Week at the Hopvine! Tonight, Oct. 5th is Cask Night at the bar. They will be rolling out a firkin of New Belgium-Elysian Trip VI Fresh Hop IPA.
This is the last remaining cask of this amazing beer! You will not want to miss a chance at tasting this off the cask.
Hopvine is at 15th Ave E., Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA. The event kicks off at 6:00 PM.
A Quick GABF Review: Washington Shows Up, Pizza Port Destroys.
The results are in. Washington takes 7 medals.
Well, the results are in. GABF 2010 is officially over and the results have been tabulated. Thanks, Pizza Port, for not taking all of the medals.
While Washington put up a reasonable fight, the show was stolen by several Southern California brewers, who swallowed up all of the best brewpub awards this year at the GABF.
Here is what we see.
Washington shows up.
Washington appears to have turned in a respectable finish, earning a total of 7 medals (well, if you count Pyramid). Out of the total 237 Medals, Washington will take 1/34th of the medals. But, in a year where the event seems to have been dominated by San Diego brewers, its an ok finish.
Washington award winners include the following:
Hales Ales – Kolsch Ale – Gold Medal
Chuckanut Brewing – Vienna Lager – Gold Medal
RAM Tacoma – Total Disorder Porter – Gold Medal
Elysian Brewing – Dark O The Moon – Silver Medal
Pyramid Brewing – Apricot Ale – Silver Medal
Boundary Bay Imperial Oatmeal Stout – Bronze Medal
Chuckanut Brewing – Pilsner – Bronze Medal
San Diego is on fire.
This was the year for So. Cal. San Diego brewers, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey/Pizza Port, Ballast Point, Karl Strauss and Stone Brewing, took home a total of 14 medals. Los Angeles brewpub, TAPS, took home three medals, as well.
Pizza Port Carlsbad is the big winner with a total of 6 medals (almost matching Washington state). The brewpub is one of several brewpub locations for the retail line of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey. The Carlsbad location is headed by brewer Jeff Bagby, who took home the Best Large Brewpub of the Year, for the second straight year.
Pizza Port’s San Clemente pub took home the Small Brewpub of the Year, while also collecting the Gold Medals in the two most hotly-contested categories – American-Style IPA and Imperial IPA. We cannot wait to get a taste of these ales during San Diego Beer Week.
One other note: Fathead’s Brewery took home the Silver Medal in the American-Style IPA category. This is the same IPA that floored us during a recent trip to the Cleveland brewer’s pub. Try to get this if you ever visit.
Check out the complete list of winners by following this link. Start planning your trip for next year’s September event!
52 Places: Delicatus, Seattle, WA
If you are walking through Pioneer Square and you spot that sign...go in and eat...no matter what.
Week 23 of 52
Rank: 4/5
Type of Establishment: Delicatessen
Visit: A Monday without work provided a great opportunity to get lunch at this very new sandwich shop in Pioneer Square, aka – The New Sandwich Center of Seattle.
BEERS ON TAP —>
None
BOTTLED/CANNED BEER:
Scuttlebutt Brewing Tripel 7 Belgian Ale
Hale’s Ales Pale Ale
Elysian Brewing Immortal IPA
Pike Brewing Tandem Double Ale
Pike Brewing Pale Ale
Kostritzer Schwarzbier
Terminal Gravity ESG
Full Sail Session Lager
Full Sail Session Black
FOOD OPTIONS:
This is a Deli. They have sandwiches here. Amazing, amazing sandwiches!
BAR OPINION:
The lower dining area at Delicatus
Just a mere hop, skip,and jump down 1st Ave, south of the Beer Blotter home base, lies a lunch dream that we have never before visited. On this day, we changed that.
Allow me to quickly state, right from the onset, that this is not a Seattle beer destination. This is, however, a serious Seattle culinary destination. If you like sandwiches, this place is a MUST visit. I think, after reading this article, you will be very willing to take my word for it.
Luckily for us, they offer a few local craft beers to sip on whilst chewing.
Let’s get down to business. I’m an East Coast guy. I grew up just south of Philadelphia. There is nothing that I miss more about home, other than a few superior humans, than sandwiches. Breakfast sandwiches from street vendors, Tony Luke’s and John’s Roast Pork, Italian hoagies from Sarcone’s, Cheesesteaks from Jim’s. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. I am totally serious when I yell you that the last time I went to Philly, my absolute first stop, before seeing family or friends was Sarcone’s for an Italian, everything sweet. That was shortly followed by a trip to Philly Soft Pretzel Factory. Food is even above beer for me when I go home, and that is surely saying a lot.
In Seattle, Tat’s is my savior. I can get a 12″ Italian hoagie there and all that is required to make it authentic is to request oil over the menu subscribed mayo. For those that don’t know, the piece of the puzzle that is very rarely attained in the West is the bread. Philly has good Italian bread…period. It makes the sandwich. Tat’s has the bread. Tat’s also had Tastykakes, but I won’t get into that now or this will be far too long of an article.
Most sandwich joints worth while in Seattle have good bread as well, just different from the bread of Philly. Many seem to use baguettes, which seems to work quite well most of the time. It is the opinion of this writer that there is no better sandwich in Seattle than the Cuban delights of Paseo. Just as an example of how highly I regard Paseo, I offer the following insight. My father is coming to town in a few weeks. He has never been to Seattle. My top-three list of non-nature related destinations to take him to, in order, are Pike Place Market, Brouwer’s Cafe, and Paseo. If I had to pick one place in Seattle to eat every meal of the rest of my life, it would be Paseo.
Moving on… Salumi is amongst my favorites, as is Tub’s and Honey Hole. Buffalo Deli is on my list of places to go, as is Homegrown. Delicatus, though I have only been there this one time, has been added to my list of favorites. I feel confident in doing this, not only because of the quality of the sandwich I had, but of the genius behind the available sandwich offerings. I implore you to brief the menu online, you will begin to salivate.
The only negative thing I have to say about Delicatus is that choosing a sandwich from the menu is impossible. I wanted everything. I initially narrowed my search to “spicy” sandwiches, I guess because I was in a spicy mood. The Pavo Diablo and the Fire of 1889 became my finalists, and the braised pork won me over in the end. Fire of 1889 it was. This little firecracker consists of spicy braised pork (as I just mentioned), jalapeno-lime aioli sauce, shredded cabbage, shaved and pickled red onions, hot peppers, and cilantro on a toasted Italian roll.
Fire of 1889
I can honestly say that I have never had a sandwich quite like this one. A unique marriage of flavors that worked ever so well. The cabbage gave a bit more of a crunch than your average run-of-the-mill lettuce. The aioli and cilantro mingled like royalty and reminded my of the special sauce of Paseo. Hot peppers have me the kick that I needed and the picked onions fought through all that stood in their way to shine but not overpower the flavor. The shaved pork, though not all that spicy, was still shaved pork, which is awesomely delicious.
I chose a beer that would wash a bit of the heat down but not overpower the flavors in the sandwich. Hale’s Pale worked wonders. The carbonation and light floral hopiness sliced just the right amount of heat out of the jalapenos in the aioli and the hot peppers on top. This was a Monday moment to remember.
As much as I find it a bit embarrassing that I speak so enthusiastically about sandwiches and have yet to hit all of the most respected spots in the city, it’s places like Delicatus that continually stand in my way. Once I find a place that I know I like, and they have a massive menu of mouth-watering, bread flanking treats to ingest, all I can think of is conquering the menu from front to back.
Something tells me that I’ll make it back for the Pavo Diablo sooner than later.
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.
52 Weeks: LTD Bar & Grill, Seattle, WA
LTD Bar and Grill. Picture courtesy of fremontuniverse.com.
Week 14 of 52- we are behind, most sincere apologies. by the end of the week, we will be caught up.
309 N. 36th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
Rank: 3.5/5 (Yea that’s right we changed our ranking style. As the weeks pile up, it’s very difficult to fairly rank one venue against another. Plus we also need to think about genre, if we can’t compare apples to apples, then we shouldn’t compare at all. we will however do a top 10 at the end of the 52 Weeks.)
Type of Establishment: Sports Bar
BEERS ON TAP (at time of visit) —>
Odin Brewing Co.’s Odin’s Gift (Ruby Ale)
Rainier– oh yea
and others not worth mentioning.
BOTTLE OPTIONS: As far as I know, there aren’t any bottle options aside from your Miller Light, Bud Light, Corona….
FOOD OPTIONS: Your typical sports bar. The wings were above average, the fries were fresh-cut fair style and we promptly doused them in vinegar. The chicken nachos were stacked with goodness. Other than that, expect to see burgers, tater tots and other unhealthy food options.
A word about the wings: they are delicious. I believe that they are deep fried briefly and then finished on the grill. They have grill markings and a nice smoky finish. The wings themselves are massive – some of the biggest ever seen. You get 10 in an order at 9.00 (at happy hour they are 5.00 – but you only get 8).
There are a few sauces to choose from: BBQ, Teriyaki and Spicy. Of course, we always defer to Spicy Buffalo style. The sauce is good and full of flavor – not straight from the bottle (i hope.)
BAR OPINION:
This is a great sports bar with at least 10 flat screen LCD TVs strategically placed around the area. We were able to watch an NBA Cavs playoff game and the Dodgers v. the Giants simultaneously. The best thing about the place is that they situate their televisions at eye level behind the bar. This means no leaning back to stair upwards – i hate that.
The bartenders were decent. I would not rave about their attitude, but there were a few Midwestern transplants that knew how to treat a paying customer. They will do what they can to get your game on the tube and ensure that you have all the fixings needed for your food.
One great option is the shuffleboard. Brand spanking new and almost always available. They also pack a pool table, a massive patio and open and shut garage doors to give you that open air feeling.
With an IPA in one hand and a nice, plump wing in the other, you can go ahead and call this a sports haven. It’s nice to see a few regional micro brews on tap at a sports bar. Beer enthusiasts like sports and vice versa. All in all, if you want to catch a game, indulge in food while watching others exercise and NEED a decent beer to do so, then this is your place.
Seattle’s Fremont Brewing Begins Route to Canning and Sour Beer
Fremont Brewing's Matt Lincoln barreling beer....sour ale is on its way.
Seattle’s sustainable brewer, Fremont Brewing, is making a big splash. Amidst increasing exposure and growing popularity, Fremont Brewing is finally rolling out a canning line. Even more exciting (to us) is that Fremont has begun the process of producing sour beer, right here in Washington state.
Both of these items were disclosed by way of a blog post today at the brewery’s website. The blog post states that the brewery acquired a used canning system that will allow them to put beer in a can at impressive rates.
From the post:
The used caning line Matt scored for us arrived yesterday! It’s a manual system capable of canning 20 cases an hour. Now we just have to buy some cans (minimum order: 85,000) and soon you’ll see us in grocery stores — and elsewhere…
This is some pretty exciting stuff. If Fremont moves quickly, they will be the 3rd (2nd?) canner in the state of Washington. Whats great about this news is that shows that Fremont has fulfilled its dreams.
When the first announcements of Fremont’s launching were released, the press release promised canning – now they have fulfilled that lofty goal. Congrats Fremont, we cannot wait to crack a beer.
More interesting to many of us at BeerBlotter.com was the claim that Fremont began barreling its Universale Pale Ale in Cabernet barrels this week. That beer will be fermented using wild yeasts to create sour ale. Yum.
Washington brewers and sour ale have not historically joined forces. Minuscule batches of sour ales have been brewed in the past for super-limited releases from Elysian Brewing and Big Al Brewing, but nothing consistently produced and available to the public.
Fremont’s sour ale endeavor involves using a pale ale, aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels. The concoction may closely resemble that used to create Russian River Brewing’s Consecration (though no fruit was mentioned).
Lets just hope that Fremont sticks with this trend. Sour beer is a great seller and something that can raise a brewer’s profile considerably.
Hey, maybe they will even entertain the idea of canning their new sour creation? Its highly doubtful, but its been done – just ask Rodenbach, who’s Grand Cru can be found in cans throughout Belgium.
We cannot wait to try both of the new products from one of Washington’s finest.
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