Two Craft Beer Events, North & South

AHA Rally at Big Time Brewery in the U-District

Big Time Brewery is holding an AHA Rally (American Homebrewers Association). Homebrewers will be in attendance, sharing their best batch and trying to hook up with breweries to get their concoction brewed for Pro-Amateur competition. A Pro-Am pairs a home brewed recipe with a commercial brewery, to produce the beer at scale.

Homebrewers aren’t the only ones invited. Beer lovers of all levels are welcome and will be able to taste a ton of Big Time beers along with at least six potential Pro-Am beers, and get a tour of Big Time’s facilities. Learn more about homebrewing, catch the fever, or just drink and judge.

Saturday, August 23rd
Big Time Brewery, 4133 University Ave. NE, 5pm
Free for current AHA members, $33 for new memberships

Petit Beerfest at Laughing Buddha in South Seattle

Laughing Buddha is hosting a four brewery tasting in South Park at their new brewery expansion. Neighbor Baron Brewing will be there pouring, along with nanobrewery Schooner Exact and NKOTB Two Beers Brewing. Patrons of Beveridge Place will be familiar with Schooner Exact and their IPA, and I profiled the Asian-inspired beers of Laughing Buddha a few weeks ago, which are indeed inspired. Baron Brewing concentrates on German-style beer, and I spot more of their tap handles every month, especially and gleefully that of their Schwarzbier. Two Beers is brand-spanking new, and I’m excited to try them after hearing lots of buzz about their Belgian Wit. (And they have a super cute website.)

Saturday August 23rd
Mini Beerfest, 9320 15th Ave S, Unit CE2, South Park, 3pm to 7pm
Cost is $13 online or $15 at the door, and tickets are available HERE.

Topics: Beer and Events

Permalink | Comments (0)

Brown Bagging, Hair of the Dog Are Back

The Trib ran a Wall Street Journal story about brown bagging, which I'm sure is the only story on the subject ever published that makes no mention Old English. It's about suits cutting back on their angel-hair pasta in favor of leftovers. I can only assume the follow-up story will be about the savings of a 99-cent tall boy over a $9 martini, and how much, if invested in their 401Ks, they would have when they're 65.

I know I'm the last one to finish watching this week's Meet the Press (video podcast, baby!), but I couldn't help but chuckle at the way Al Gore played the Hair of the Dog card here.

Talking about why he's not in favor of more leases for off-shore drilling:

"And going back over and over and over aging to the old ways of the past, just puts off the reckoning with the opportunity that we need to seize now to shift over to renewable sources of energy. People used to propose cures for hangovers by having what they call the Hair of the Dog that bit you. Just more in the morning. Well, we've got a big hangover right now. Because oil is so hight in price, so much of it comes from overseas. The climate crisis is really the heart of this. This is no joke, Tom."

No joke, I've never needed a pre-lunch drink a badly as I do right now.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Seattle International Beer Festival Weekend

Oh, and 4th of July, too. If you don't have enough drinking plans for the extended weekend, make an afternoon or evening of the Seattle International Beer Festival, Friday through Sunday at Seattle Center (click link for details). $20 gets you 10 tickets, and the show promises at least half the beers only cost one ticket — for a 4 oz. pour. Many of the show-stoppers will set you back at least 3 or 4 tickets, but then it only takes three or four of them to wipe you out (in more ways than one).

Here's a 10 beer crib sheet. No rhyme, no reason, just what looks damn good right now, and it's something to keep you from making the too easy/familiar choices, when you're standing dumbstruck and thirsty, holding a wad of beer tickets.

Samuel Smith Organic Cider, Reissdorf Kolsch, Boon Oude Geuze, Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, Allagash Black, Petrus Aged Pale, Flyer's "Plan B" Belgian Brown, Port Brewing Hop-15, Utenos Porterus, and Dinkelacker Dunkel.

The last beer is a test. If you cannot pronounce it or say it without cracking up, you have had enough and it's time to go home.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Save the Freak: Drink Lager at Bottleworks

Get your lager on tonight at Bottleworks (1710 N 45th Street, 5-7 pm) when Shmaltz Brewing Company debuts its new line of Coney Island Craft Lagers. Covering every shade of gold, and with names like Albino Python white lager and Freaktoberfest, and brought to you by the makers of HE'BREW, this is beer for a good cause. Proceeds from the beer will benefit freaks and other forms of lost art and culture through the Coney Island USA non-profit, focusing on bolstering the creativity in and around the historic park's Brooklyn neighborhood. Ladies and gentlemen, young sword swallowers and tassel twirlers need your help.

The labels were designed by a local tattoo artist, and... Maybe my eyes just live in the gutter, but that being said...I really would like to know how at least one of those labels passed the mustard with the BATF. So to speak.

Coney Island Craft Lagers

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

La Spiga Dinner: Italy Does Belgium

So, I went to an Italian beer dinner at La Spiga. (Right now, you're either "pff"ing or intrigued.) This is the country that gives us some of the world's best wine and cheese; the boot knows a little something about fermentation, people.

Because of the limited availability of the beers (reinforcements on their way), I don't want to gush about specifics here. I dare say the Italian take on Belgian beer rivals some of our own beloved "extreme" brewmasters, like the 12 malt Bran Riserva aged in barbera barrels (one word: @#$%.) Check out La Spiga's list, whether you're a beer lover on the hunt for something new or a wine drinker in a rut.

Bonus about beer in restaurants: It's a bargain because everybody feels weird marking it up as much as wine (i.e. 300% or more). $25 can get you some of the best, most complex beer in the world. $25 on the wine list usually gets you a remedial bottle of $7 supermarket wine.

I did start the night with a very refreshing cocktail called an Amarcord, scotch and amaretto with OJ. I don't think I've ever ordered amaretto in my entire life. When you tough it up with some scotch, you get a delicious drink in the vein of a sidecar but less potent and a little more sweet—a great aperitif for a hot night (and for people who don't dig bitters).

That dessert is the torta di ricotta. It tastes somewhere between a very light cheesecake and a panna cotta, sits on top of a walnut orange cookie, and is surrounded by stewed cherries and prunes. It deserves mentioning, and I'm mentioning it to everyone.

La Spiga, 1429 12th Avenue E., 323-8881 CAPITOL HILL

Topics: Beer and Eats report

Permalink | Comments (0)

Pandan pudding, pandan juice, pandan...beer?

I was totally inspired by Jonathan's piece about locally made tofu last week, a huge feat for this omnivore. I have to second the Joy Palace shout out for their ethereal tofu pudding. Matter of fact, the first time I ate at Joy Palace was with JK.

With pudding and pandan on the brain, I finally picked up the Laughing Buddha Pandan Brown Ale I've been spying for a while in the cooler at Bottleworks. Brewed with pandan leaf and palm sugar, this fairly classic brown ale takes on a little aroma and flavor of a Belgian, without the overly candied smell that can come off the richer Belgian ales, and with only 6.0% alcohol. Did you ever sprinkle sugar on your French toast? That's the overriding flavor/taste memory I got with my first glass of this beer. The finish brings a quick sharp note at the end, like a good brown should. The hint of sweet matches well with spicy (especially my srirachi dipped fried FRESH tofu), and that finish will help cut through any sauce (especially garlic black bean).

You can find Laughing Buddha at Full Throttle Bottles in Georgetown, Bottleworks, and select QFC. They smartly and handily have a full list of outlets on their website (with tasting room info, too!). If you read my article about South Seattle wine touring, you might want to add Laughing Buddha as an asterisk—they're in the same complex as Cadence in South Park. The brewery specializes in beer with an Asian style, either in lightness or ingredients.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

What's Better Than One Award-Winning Brewer?

Duh, two. Tom Munoz, formerly of Far West Brewing and STIX Brewpub, has joined the staff of Silver City Brewery in Silverdale, WA.

Silver City head brewer Don Spencer and Munoz have been friends for a long time, but the decision came unexpectedly. "It was like picking up a veteran player off of waivers," says Spencer, "I think our talents compliment each other very well."

What does this mean for us? For one, expect a steadier stream of Silver City beer to be pouring into Seattle. You can also expect the team to do a little more experimenting, including that which begins with a capital "B," as in Belgian. Spencer explains, "We have a saying at Silver City that "no ONE of us is as smart as ALL of us"."

Yeah, but the two of these guys? They're gonna be dangerous, and that is very good for the rest of us.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Ya Vull! West Seattle To Get More Beer!

(translated from the German, thanks freetranslation.com!)

When I made a profile year last on Chris Navarra for the 2007 best of edition (that beer enthusiast best German), he has interest in the opening of a Seattle Western by its German leaning taverns in my just village expressed. I hoped that it me not hänselte (teasing).

Goods things the paper climbed only on this place on California Avenue Southwestern. ... Opening Fall 2008th! Summer has us only in the face and struck, would please me that already the change of the leaves is coming!

Thank you, Mr. Chris!

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (1)

Drink Your Ass Off Sunday....for Recovering Alcoholics

Want to support alcoholics in recovery? Then come drink like a fish Sunday afternoon at the Park Pub, where $1 of each pint purchased will be donated to the assistance of former lushes, courtesy of Two Beers Brewery. The more you drink, the more money you'll help raise. So get hammered — so other people can continue to avoid getting hammered. Ironic? Hypocritical? Who cares! The end justifies the means, m'peoples.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Brown-Bagging for Breakfast

It's 8:02 a.m., and the couple in front of me aboard the ferry from Bremerton just cracked open a pair of Miller High Lifes. OK, so, I guess it's not technically brown-bagging if you don't put it in a bag.

Happy Monday.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Meet the New Beav, Same as the Old Beav...almost

Definitely bigger, but not necessarily better, the new Beveridge Place is open, as I'm sure their fans are well aware and already have partaken. The game room is bigger. There's an outdoor deck looking at what will be a new park (now just a crappy gravel lot), and the pub still maintains it's unique tap selection and huge list of bottles.

The owners and staff are the same wonderful people that made this pub so cozy and inviting, but the building itself...well, bars shouldn't smell like model homes. Right? If ever there was an excuse to bring back smoking in bars, it would be to get a patina on this place and fast. I know the owners have plenty of beer tschotchke to adorn the walls, maybe that will make a difference and help the room mesh with the gorgeous back bar.

So, pssst, next time you're at Beveridge Place, you could spill a little beer in the interest of ambiance.

The New Beveridge Place Pub
6413 California Ave. SW
www.beveridgeplace.com

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Festival Alert: The Real Champagnes of Beer

This weekend brings one of the most cherished of all beer dates in the Seattle area, the Washington Beer Commission's 2008 Cask Beer Festival. Though there are more and more opportunities to taste cask beer at pubs all around Seattle, nothing compares to Cask Fest.

Cask beer is personality plus. After fermenting, the beer is transferred to cask with all its flotsam and jetsam. This sediment further develops the beer and gives it a soft, natural carbonation. (More on cask beer HERE, along with a mini round up of last year's fest). If you've found yourself intrigued by really good wine, or geek out over hand made cheese, or tried a beer this year that made you stop and think: Go check this festival out. It'll make a beer lover out of anyone.

Off the top of my head, breezing down the list, make sure you don't miss: Big Time Brewing's Mere Mortal, Scuttlebutt's 10 Below, Schooner Exact's 3 Grid IPA, and Water Street's Mayor McPrior's Irish Stout. And anything Scotch Ale. I've sampled the dark chocolate beast that is the 9lb Porter from Georgetown Brewing already this year out of cask. It is so choice.

WABL 2008 Cask Beer Festival
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion, 305 Harrison Street
Session 1: 12-4pm, Session 2: 6-10pm
(one ticket required for each session)

$40 at door/$35 advance
All you need to know at www.washingtonbeer.com

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Guinness; The Best Head - At Home

Who doesn't love a good pint of Guinness? A creamy velvet foam top followed by a gulp of chocolaty stout. Everyone knows that a pint just tastes better when it's been slowly poured from a nitrogen tap at an Irish Bar. A few years ago, Guinness introduced the "surge" can that came with an internal widget that sounded more like you were shaking a can of spray paint than pouring a beer. The surge can was ok but still nothing like the real thing. While picking up lunch at Ballard's Treehouse Bar & Grill the other day, the owner showed me the latest gadget the marketing geniuses at Guinness recently introduced; The Guinness Surger. The Surger (what looks like a hybrid coffee cup warmer from the 80's) requires just a couple of steps beyond just pouring your pint from a can, but the results are remarkable. Once your pint has been poured, place a small amount of water into the reservoir base of the unit. Place pint of Guinness into base of and hit the button. Watch the vibration of sound waves travel up from the bottom of the pint, leaving you with the perfect meringue head without leaving your house!

Just don't try The Surger with your bottle of Stella like these clowns did!

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (2)

Coming Soon: Costco Brand Beer

The brew blog says we should keep our eyes open for Kirkland's own amber ale, pale ale, and hefeweizen.

Has anyone tried Kirkland wine?

I haven't, but it's certainly not the cheapest bottle they carry. I'm guessing this beer's not gonna be too ugly, aside from the packaging.

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)

Aging Beer: What's out there now

Now is a great time to stow a mix and match case of barley wine in the cellar for next year (my article this week on aging beer). I�ve seen bottles including Hair of the Dog�s 2007 Doggie Claws, Alaskan, Mad River�s John Barleycorn, and Full Sail, not to mention a gaggle of locals around town on the shelves. Matter of fact, every single grocery I cased had at least one barley wine, amazing. I also didn't get to fit into the article that a Belgian (or Belgian style) beers with a cork and over 7% alcohol will give you the most change in character for your aging efforts. They are the beer equivalent of Bordeaux.\

I�m still seeing winter beers from just about everyone. I just got a half case each of Scuttlebutt 10 Below and Ommegang�s beer version of a liqueur, Chocolate Indulgence. (It�s Ommegang, so I will forgive them for a name that sounds like some sort of feminine bath product.) Scuttlebutt�s winter warmer pours like root beer, and some of its aromas are even a little sarsaparilla like. This is a beer I�ve been enjoying a lot the last month, and I want to see what these unique flavors do with a little age. I don�t think there�ll be a huge transformation, but maybe just a little mellowing, enough to make nice with a grill full of Bavarian Meats sausage this summer. (Jonathan, this was the beer you wanted to drink with Hector, or parts of him anyways.)

Topics: Beer

Permalink | Comments (0)