Events for Week of August 2, 2010

Blind Tiger Ale House in NYC- one of my favorites!

On Friday we stopped at our new favorite spot, Hooverville in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle. After an accidental fire, Hooverville was rebuilt to look exactly the same as it did before. If it aint broke, dont fix it. Free peanuts for all, permission to throw the shells on the floors and a decent tap list- Dogfish head 60 Min. IPA, Ninkasi Total Domination, Odin Ruby Ale and about 10 others. On Saturday, we participated in the after party for Tour de Fat at Brouwer’s Cafe. In honor of the environmentally conscience brewery, New Belgium who hosts the event, I had a Trip III and the Fall Wild Ale. All -n- all a good beer weekend.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Beer 101: Introduction to Beer: Escondido, California

7:00PM-9:00PM @ Stone Brewing Co.

One of many educational opportunities at Stone Brewing Co. Know about the beer you drink! This “class” provides an excellent introduction to the ins and outs of this ancient and delicious beverage. Sample some tasty brews and make yourself smarter all at the same time!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Beer Tasting: Gainsville, Florida

6:00PM-8:00PM @ Dorn’s

For $15.00 stop by and taste a variety of beers- Stouts, IPAs, Belgiums and more! Snacks will be provided and you get to keep the tasting glass.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Harpoon Night Hosted by Rich Doyle: New York, New York

4:00PM-9:00PM @ The Blind Tiger

Located in Greenwhich Village, The Blind Tiger is a gem as far as beer bars go and my favorite haunt in NYC. Tonight, they are featuring 16 Harpoon taps including two special casks made for this event only and several beers who have yet to reach the public. Brewer Rich Doyle will be there to toast to these amazing brews.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

International Beer Fest: Grand Rapids, Michigin

6:00PM-9:00PM @ HopCat

Tonight indulge in all the foreign beers you want (then take a cab home) because tonight, all imports are 25% off! Have yourself a nice little Thursday evening.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Jolly Pumpkin Night: San Diego, California

5:00PM-12:00AM @ Downtown Johnny Brown’s

This is going to be epic. So epic, I might just fly down to San Diego for this event (not really, who am I kidding?). Jolly Pumpkin Night will consist of kegs of Calabaza del Oro, Bam Noir, Bam Beire, Calabaza Blanca and Luciernaga. Also for sale by the glass or by the bottle: Noel Calabaza, La Roja and Maracaibo Especial. This will be the largest collection of Jolly Pumpkin beers on hand at once in San Diego ever. Complimentary pork butt will be served. Told you, epic.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

The Bite of Oregon: Portland, Oregon

11AM-10PM @ Tom McCall Waterfront Park (also on Friday from 11AM- 10PM and Sunday from 10AM- 8PM)

Oregon, known for great, fresh food and microbrews galore is celebrating just that. The Bite of Oregon features local wine, BEERS and culinary masterpieces. Click here for ticket prices and event info.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

IPA Fest: Hayward, California

11:00AM-7:00PM @ The Bistro

Over 50 IPAs on tap- take your pick! Not much else to say- as there isnt much else on this event. But BBQ and IPAs – what else do you need to know.

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!

URGENT: Hate Your Car? Want a Rad Bike? New Belgium is Still Looking For You!

One of the excellent bikes made by Black Sheep

We just received a press release from New Belgium Brewing indicating that they are yet to find a Car-for-Bike swapper for this weekend’s Tour de Fat stop in Seattle. If you are feeling the need to dump that crappy gas guzzler and pick up an amazing, hand-crafted Black Sheep cruiser – make your case!

We discussed the Tour de Fat in a post here last week. If you are interested in being the central figure in this years Tour de Fat extravaganza, visit their website and submit your video. You need to make a commitment to being car-free for at least a year. Believe us, we made this decision about 5 months ago and have yet to look back! Its a worthwhile change.

Here is the information provided to us by New Belgium. We hope to see you out at the festival:

Ft. Collins, CO, July 27, 2010 – Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle, will stop in Gas Works Park on July 31 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Get your costumes and bike ready, and join us to honor mankind’s greatest invention.

For the fourth year in a row, Tour de Fat is looking for volunteers to accept the swapper challenge. One volunteer in each city will give up their car and receive a hand-built Black Sheep (http://www.blacksheepbikes.com/) commuter bike. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or essay describing their desire to live sans-car for a year.  To submit an application, log on tohttp://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat. A swapper is still needed in Seattle!

Tour de Fat is free to participants, but beer and merchandise proceeds from the Seattle stop will go to The Bicycle Alliance of Washington (www.bicyclealliance.org) and Bike Works (http://www.bikeworks.org/).  Since its inception, the philanthropic cycling circus has raised more than $1 million on behalf of non-profit organizations.

What: New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
When: Saturday, July 31, 2010
Where: Gas Works Park

Tentative Schedule:
10:00 a.m.      Bike Parade Registration
11:00 a.m.      Bike Parade Launch
12:00 p.m.      Performances Begin
12:20 p.m.      The SLOW RIDE
1:30 p.m.        The Great Bike Story Contest for New Belgium Cruiser Bike
2:35 p.m.        Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
4:50 p.m.        Faux Finale
4:55 p.m.        Faux-Real finale
5:00 p.m.        Curtain Closes

Acts:
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt (http://theterrorpigeondancerevolt.com/hi.html)
The Dovekins (http://www.myspace.com/dovekins)
A Honeymoon Cabaret (http://www.daredevilchicken.com/honeymoon.html)
Jonathan Burns (http://www.comedystunts.com/)
Americaine: Stupide

Benefitting:
The Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Bike Works

Sustainable Support:
Sustainable Seattle (www.sustainableseattle.org)

See www.tour-de-fat.com for the Tour de Fat credo, schedules, videos and more.  Also visit our Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Belgium-Tour-de-Fat/10150099069050417?ref=ts .

Tour de Fat is Coming to Seattle! Grab Your Funky Bike. Drink Beer.

Tour de Fat is a burial for your car!

Seattle Beer News posted a quick blurb about New Belgium‘s Tour de Fat today. I wanted to take a moment to echo the call to bike-o-maniacs in the area.

Tour de Fat is a celebration of bikes and beer, but its meant to call attention to a much larger concept. Years ago, New Belgium started Tour de Fat with the idea of ridding the earth of automobiles and replacing them with hip bikes. Of course, the disdain towards the automobile stems from several concerns, including depletion of natural resources, pollution, energy consumption and all around hatred for all things oil – at a time when the BP spill is in our minds.

New Belgium’s goal was simple: get people to trade in their car; we’ll give them a bike. This is the central theme behind Tour de Fat, which now has 12 stops across America.

This is from the site:

It’s when one fortunate soul hands over their car, title and keys to the Tour de Fat altar in exchange for a bike. Not just any bike, a New Belgium, fully-loaded, hand-crafted, Fort Collins-built commuter bike. There’s 13 Tour de Fat stops – surely one near you – and that’s 13 car/bike trade opportunities. It’s about weaning yourself off the petroleum teat. It’s about becoming a better, sexier person. It’s about rediscovering the cultural thrill of public transportation.

So, while Tour de Fat is a truly a party, celebrating funky and interesting bike contraptions and the enjoyment of beer – its also a burial for someone’s car. People wishing to be considered for the big trade-in, can find more information about it on their website.

This concept is of great interest to your writers at Beer Blotter. We recently traded in our car for bikes (and a little public transport of course). Its been one of the best decisions we ever made. It maximizes our beer consumption experiences, limits the risk that a catastrophic accident could happen, and keeps us in good shape. Consider the shift. At least, it saves you insurance and gas costs.

We hope to see you all at Tour de Fat. Its an amazing event, going down all day on July 31, 2010 at Gasworks Park in Seattle. The event concludes at 4 PM and will be followed by an after party at Brouwers Cafe, where you will no doubt get to drink some amazing New Belgium ales.

See you there!

Beer for a Cause: Breweries That Give Back!

Tour de Fat 2009: A great event for a worthy cause!

Beer is not just about brewing, drinking, reviewing, blotting and food pairings, beer is about so much more. Well, at least to the many breweries who use their product, their brew pub and/or their loyal followers to raise awareness for noble causes around the country.

Breweries such as Stone Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Co. and Front Street Brewery, a small North Carolina establishment, hold events and utilize their “fame” to bring the community together to give back to people in need.

On December 22 and 23, 2009, Escondido, California’s, Stone Brewing Co. is holding the “Give a Pint, Get a Pint” blood drive from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM.  With the holiday season in full force, Stone Brewing Co. invites you to join the Stone Crew in donating blood to prove once again that craft beer and community service go hand in hand. And if you couldn’t guess by the name of the event, every person who donates blood will receive a free Stone Brewing pint glass. You know you love their logo!

Continuing the spirit of giving, Front Street Brewery out of Wilmington, North Carolina, is holding their first annual “Mugs for Jugs” event at the brewery. On January 23rd at 7:00 PM, come join the festivities while raising money and awareness for breast cancer. Look forward to pink wigs, photo booths, micro brews galore, and live music by local band, Buzzround.

The event’s main beneficiary is the NHRMC’s Coastal Care Van (CCV), a paramount program for victims of breast cancer working tirelessly to provide mammograms for local women who otherwise could not afford them. CCV also provides “comfort bags” for local women with breast cancer, filled with consoling and useful items.  Front Street Brewery believes in community, giving back to the community and focusing charity on local organizations.

As a brewery that prides themselves on community involvement all year round and values employee input, New Belgium Brewing Company located in Fort Collins, Colorado, was voted best place to work by Outside Magazine in 2008.  Non-profit organizations and worthy causes can apply to the brewery for in-kind donations for events, event sponsorship and even grants.  New Belgium’s Local Grants Program began in 1995 when it was established that for every barrel of beer produced, $1 would be given to non-profit organizations in the communities where we sell our beers. To date, New Belgium has donated $3 million. In 2009, the brewery will donate $490,000 to programs in 20 states.

Tour de Fat, a well known event held by New Belgium every year is energetic, vibrant and proves to be an amazing time!  This event promotes riding your bike and subsequently the environment and good health. Of course, New Belgium does not take ANY profits from this event and all proceeds go to bike charities and environmental causes.

Tis the season for giving, but remember, people are in need all year round and causes continue to exist even after December 25th.  Breweries that not only brew amazing beer, but put forth an extra effort to make a positive change in the world, are downright inspirational.  So in the name of causes around the globe, raise your pint to breweries that give back!