CraftBeerMonger.com has arrived!

It's time to say goodbye to Beer Monger and say hello to Craft Beer Monger!

This blog is going inactive.  Please follow my new blog at: CraftBeerMonger.com!  And be sure to 'Like' my new 'Craft Beer Monger' page on Facebook (Unfortunately, Facebook wouldn't simply let me change the name of my existing 'Beer Monger' page, so I had to make a new page.) 

Thank you so much for reading.  Cheers! 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there. 

Pumpkin Fest 2012 Tickets Go On Sale Tomorrow

It may still be August and it should reach over 90 degrees out there today, but don't forget that October and this year's Great Pumpkin Beer Festival are only 2 months away.  This is the second year the festival will be held at Elysian Brewing's new commercial brewing facility in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. 

This year's fest will feature over 60 different pumpkin beers; 13 of which are from Elysian Brewing Company, including: Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale, Night Owl, Great Pumpkin, Dark o' the Moon Pumpkin Stout, Hansel and Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pils, Coche de Medianoche (new!), Kürbitinus, PK-47 Pumpkin Malt Liquor, Headless Horsey (new!), Ursa Orange (new!) Mens Room Original Pumpkin Ale (new!) and Orange Manalishi (new!).  Wow! 

Upcoming Events At Beveridge Place Pub

One of my favorite craft beer stops in Seattle, Beveridge Place Pub (BPP), has lots of great events on tap for August.  If you've never been there, this month is a great time to head down and check them out.  They were recently rated #1 in the Top 10 Beer Spots list by Seattle Beer News.  They also just increased the number of taps they have to 36, offering an even wider selection of great craft beers and ciders. 

Walking into BPP, it has a comfortable feel like a big family room.  In addition to the bar and tables, there are also a couple of couches, some easy chairs and to top it off, they're even dog friendly (well behaved, non-barking dogs please).  They also have pool (free on Tuesdays) and shuffleboard.  They do not, however, have any food beyond nuts and popcorn, so they allow any outside food you want to bring.  If you didn't bring anything, they have menus from local establishments that will deliver food to you right in the bar. 

CraftBeerMonger.com Is On The Way!

After a year and a half of beer blogging, the time has come for Beer Monger to evolve.  Based on feedback from my readers and limitations with some of my earlier selections, beermonger.blogspot.com will soon be moving to the URL: CraftBeerMonger.com. 

This change will allow me to provide a richer content experience for my readers, as well as helping me with finding some sponsors for my blog.  Attending so many events/festivals/launches/etc. can, at times, be a bit of a financial strain and a few organizations have already expressed an interest in sponsoring my blog. 

I'm hoping my readers will also take this as a sign that Beer Monger is here to stay.  I'm very passionate about the craft beer community and want to continue to provide you with coverage of the craft beer happenings in and around the Seattle area. 

I'd like to thank all of my readers for their support.  I am working on constructing the new site and hope to be up and running by the end of this month.  Stay tuned for an update on when to expect the switchover. 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there. 

Questionable Practices From Urban Family Public House

Last night I attended the Firestone Walker tap takeover event at Urban Family Public House in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood.  It was the first time I'd been to UFPH and, at least intially, I liked the look and feel of the place.  Unfortunately, that's not the same opinion I had when I left. 

Their doors opened just after 4:00PM but, unfortunately, K&L Distributing wasn't on the ball and the Firestone Walker kegs had not yet been delivered.  After a few frantic phone calls from Firestone Walker's local rep, we were assured the kegs were on the way and would arrive in 10-15 minutes, which they did.  I don't blame UFPH for this at all.  They have no control over K&L. 

Once I got settled at the bar, however, I started looking over the taplist and prices.  If you'll recall from a post I made earlier this week, the tap list included:

-Pivo Pils
-Double Barrel Ale
-Pale 31
-Union Jack
-Wookey Jack
-Double Jack
-Nectar IPA
-Hemp Ale
-Walker's Reserve
-Unfiltered DBA
-Double DBA
-§ucaba
-Parabola
-Reginald Brett
-Lil' Opal (on French Oak)

It's A Great Week In Seattle For Firestone Walker Fans

Are you a fan of Firestone Walker Brewing Company?  If you are, it's a great week to be in Seattle.  There are three different places/events this week where you can go to get your FW fix. 

Things started last night at The Pine Box on Capitol Hill, where they were clearing out their cellar a bit and put on a stellar lineup of Firestone Walker beers including:

-Double Barrel Ale
-Luponic Distortion
-Parabola
-Sticky Monkey (Very rare!)
-Union Jack
-Velvet Merlin
-Velvet Merlin though a randall of rum-soaked currants
-Wookey Jack

According to the online tap list at The Pine Box (which they do a great job of always keeping up to date), they will still have all of these beers available when their doors open today at 3:00PM.  Firestone Walker rep Mike Clark was also on hand to answer any questions and enjoy a few with some local FW fans. 

Mrs. Beer Monger With Firestone Rep Mike Clark at The Pine Box

Next up is a Firestone Walker tap takeover at Urban Family Public House in Ballard this Thursday, 7/19, whith over 23 Firestone Walker (and Nectar Ales) taps, including:

-Pivo Pils
-Double Barrel Ale
-Pale 31
-Union Jack
-Wookey Jack
-Double Jack
-Red Nectar
-Nectar IPA
-Hemp Ale
-Walker's Reserve
-Unfiltered DBA
-Double DBA
-§ucaba
-Parabola
-Reginald Brett
-Lil' Opal (on French Oak)

I could be mistaken, but I believe this event may be the first time Reginald Brett has made an appearance in Washigton.  I'm looking forward to trying it.  Lil' Opal is also fairly rare, so be sure to give it a try if you make it down to Urban Family.  Firestone Walker rep Mike Clark will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. 

Last but not least is a special Firestone Walker beer dinner at Deluxe Bar and Grill on Capitol Hill.  This is a BBQ-themed dinner, and it takes place this Thursday, July 19th from 6:30-9PM.  Reservations are required.  You can call 206-324-9697 to make a reservation.  Below is the full menu for the dinner:

So there you have it, three different Firestone Walker events to statisfy your craving.  I'll be back down at The Pine Box on my way home today for a few more, and then at Urban Famiy Public House on Thursday.  C'mon down, say hi and have a few great beers. 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there. 

My Experience At The Seattle International Beer Festival 2012

Last weekend, I attended the Seattle International Beer Festival at Seattle Center.  This annual event gives beer enthusiasts the opportunity to taste some unique and rare beers from around the World.  This year's fest had over 200 different beers from 16 different countries. 

I attended two days of this year's festival.  First, on Saturday, I attended as a volunteer.  From 6:30PM until the beer stopped flowing at 9:45PM, I was manning a tap handle for Mad Viking Brewing out of Denmark.  I was pouring their Belgian Golden Strong and their, very popular at this year's fest, Stingray Double IPA. 

There's A New Beer Festival In Town

UPDATE - 6/27/2012: The date for the fest has been changed from October 6th to October 13th.

Washington is well know for beer festivals.  We have the Washingon Brewer's Festival, Belgianfest, the Everett Craft Beef Festival, Sour Fest, the Hard Liver Barleywine Fest and many, many more scattered all around the Seattle area. 

Well, I hope you have room for one more on your craft beer calandar, becuase coming up on Saturday, October 13th, 2012 is the first annual B-Town Brewfest - the Seattle area's newest beer festival.  Proceeds from this festival will go to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital. 

There is no info yet regarding which brewers will be attending the fest, but we do know the basics.  The festival will be held at the Burien Community Center (14700 6th Ave SW, Burien, WA), and will be divided into two sessions.  The first is from 11:30AM  - 3:30PM and the second will be from 4:30PM - 8:30PM.  Tickets for the festival are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate.  Advance tickets are available for purchase now through  Brown Paper Tickets.  You can also CLICK HERE to sign up as a volunteer for the festival. 

Your ticket price includes admission to the festival, a festival program, a 5oz commemorative taster glass and 9 tasting tokens.  Additional drink tokens will be available for purchase for $2 each. 

So mark your calendar now and maybe I'll see you in Burien on October 13th. 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

The Seattle International Beer Festival Is Coming - July 6-8

With Seattle Beer Week, the Washington Brewers Festival and the National Homebrew Conference all behind us, it's time to look ahead to what's next. 

Kicking off one week from Friday at the Fischer Pavilion at Seattle Center is the 2012 Seattle Internatioal Beer Festival.  This three-day event will feature over 200 different beers from 16 different countries, live music, food, games and more. 

Super Deli Mart Celebrates 3 Great Years

Super Deli Mart, the best little mini-mart in the World, is celebrating their 3rd Anniversary this Sunday, June 24th from noon to 4:00PM with another customer appreciation BBQ.  Can you believe it?  Three years already, and Super Deli Mart has attained quite the reputation and quite a following. 

If you've never been there, you're missing out. With 5 taps and hundreds of bottle choices, Super Deli Mart rivals most Puget Sound area bottle shops and even a few taprooms.  And with everyday prices of $3 pints (or schooners, depending on the style/strength of the beers on tap) and $10 growler fills (though, no growler fills are allowed for certain specialty beers), it's a craft beer bargain-hunter's dream.

Cooper's Alehouse Golf Tournament - August 18th

Are you a golfer?  I used to be.  I still have my clubs but haven't been out on the links in so long I'll be a duffer when I try to go back!  lol  Hopefully, that will be sometime this Summer but I have a lot of other things to take care of first. 

If your golf skills surpass mine however (and most people's do), then you might want to consider signing up for the Cooper's Alehouse Golf Tournament.  It's set to take place on Saturday, August 18th at Jefferson Park. 

According to Cooper's:

It’s a four person scramble with tee times starting at 10:30am.  Cost is $320/foursome which includes cart, lunch, drink tickets, and prizes.

Space for the tournament is limited, so if you're interested don't delay.  Drop by Cooper's Alehouse and sign up ASAP.  Sunday might be a good day for it, as Cooper's has extended their Happy Hour to all day long on Sundays for the summer (in addition to their regular happy hour that goes from 2-6pm Monday thru Friday). 

Cooper's is also updating themselves a bit.  They have a new logo (Above) and they are working on revising their website.  The new version of the website should be up soon.   

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there. 

Big Changes On The Way

I've been beer blogging for a while now, and I've decided it's finally time to stop using Blogger and graduate to a full site with my own URL! 

Unfortunately, the URL BeerMonger.com is already taken - but the company who currently owns it is not using it for anything, and their registration for the URL is set to expire on the 28th of this month.  So I've put in my applicaiton. Unless the company who currently owns the URL is on the ball about renewing it (and why, if they aren't using it?) then I should hopefully get it.

Wish me luck on securing the URL, and watch for some big changes in July and beyond as I migrate Beer Monger to a full-fledged site. 

Drnk responsibly and stay safe out there.

Crawfish At Burgundian On June 15th - And 29th - UPDATED

One of Seattle's newest craft beer bars, Burgundian, has been consistently impressing me with their menu offerings.  Even though I do miss a few items their opening day menu offered, which they no longer have (things like Scotch Eggs or real Scrapple), they keep adding more items and specials that are truly gourmet. 

Here are just a few of the more delectable choices Burgundian has had on their menu over the past few weeks:

Benefit For Victims Of The Cafe Racer Tragedy

As I'm sure you're aware, tragedy struck Seattle last week when five innocent people were gunned down by shooter Ian Stanwicki.  A sixth victim is still in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center. 

Stanwicki's rampage began at Seattle's quirky Cafe Racer in Seattle's University District where most of his victims where shot.  Since the shooting, the Cafe has become a memorial of sorts, with lots of flowers and cards out front as remembrance for friend's and family senslessly lost. 

The Memorial In Front Of Cafe Racer This Morning

To assist the victim's families of this horrible event, Latona Pub will be holding a benefit this Thusrday, June 7th.  A keg of 'Racer 5 IPA' will be on tap, and all proceeds will benefit the victim's families.  So be sure to drop by the Latona on the 7th to raise a pint in honor of those we have lost.  It's sure to be an emotional evening; hopefully an evning that can allow the healing to begin.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

So You Want To Own A Brewery...

If you're a homebrewer, or even just a Lover of craft beer, then it's likely you've contemplated opening your own brewery at one time or another.  Of course, after looking at what it really takes, most of us can't.  The cost and time investment required to open your own brewery or craft beer bar can be a daunting challenge - and it's these barriers that usually stop most people. 

Personally, I'd love to open my own brewery.  The problem?  I work a regular, 40 hour+ per week job, have a mortgage and bills, and don't have the extra capital necessary for the initial investment nor paid months I can take off from work.  Also, since laws don't allow you to open a commercial brewery fom within a residence (i.e. You can't just setup shop in your garage), I also lack the necesary space in which to setup my brewing sytem and tap room; which of course will cost even more. 

I suppose I could sell every material posession I own and start living in a dinky studio apartment to save money for the brewery, but that would be a bit rough on me, my wife and our two dogs, and would be rather drastic. 

'Food Truck Fridays' Announced At Two Beers Brewing

Do you enjoy Two Beers Brewing Co. beers, but don't enjoy the lack of food at the taproom (unless you're lucky enough to be there when they have a food truck - or you brought your own munchies)?  We'll now you can plan ahead and know what you'll be eating. 

Two Beers Brewing Co. has just announced 'Food Truck Fridays' at their taproom known as The Woods. 

Two Beers Brewing is excited to announce the rollout of Food Truck Fridays this summer at its popular tasting room, The Woods. Each Friday June through August, one of Seattle’s favorite food trucks – including Skillet Street Food, Dante’s Inferno Dogs, Bigfood, Maximus/Minimus and more – will be parked outside The Woods, offerings up delicious eats for purchase from 3-8 pm. To sweeten the deal, tasting room patrons who purchase food will receive their first pint of any one of Two Beers Brewing’s unique handcrafted brews for just $3.

“The combination of delicious local food, great local beer and a sun-filled patio make for a perfect end to the work week,” said Joel VandenBrink, Two Beers Brewing founder and head brewer. “We’re excited to be partnering with these local food trucks to offer our loyal fans some delicious grub to pair with their favorite Two Beers Brewing beer and yet another reason to keep coming back to The Woods.”

Kicking off June 1, hungry tasting room patrons can plan their Friday trips to Two Beers Brewing around the schedule below:

June 1: Dante’s Inferno Dogs
June 8: TBD
June 15: Streetzeria Street Pizza
June 22: Dante’s Inferno Dogs
June 29: Skillet Street Food
July 6: BigfoodJuly 13: TBD
July 20: Maximus/Minimus
July 27: Dante’s Inferno Dogs
August 3: Skillet Street Food
August 10: TBD
August 17: Bigfood
August 24: Maximus/Minimus
August 31: TBD

*Food trucks slotted for TBD dates will be announced via Facebook.              
In addition to Food Truck Fridays, Two Beers Brewing has also extended its tasting room hours and is offering up some great deals during the week. Now open on Tuesdays from 3-8 pm (in addition to Wed – Fri) and Saturdays from 1-6 pm, guests can take advantage of more time to enjoy the twelve unique beers from Two Beers Brewing and the sun-filled patio on Saturday afternoons. Weekday deals at The Woods include:

Tuesdays: Be prepared for the week and fill up your growler with any of Two Beers Brewing’s year-round offerings for only $6 (sorry, no imperials, infusions or guest handles).

Wednesdays: Stop in for Hump Day happy hour from 3-6 pm when pints of any Two Beers Brewing brew are just $3 (guest handles excluded).

Thursdays: Stock up for the weekend with our “to go” happy hour! Receive $1 off all 22-ounce bottles and six-packs of 12-ounce aluminum cans.

Two Beers Brewing offers pints, bottle, cans, growlers and kegs-to-go in its 4,800-square-foot SoDo brewery and tasting room – The Woods – in addition to being available on tap in more than 300 restaurants and bars in Washington, Idaho and Vancouver, B.C. Two Beers Brewing’s 12-ounce aluminum cans can also now be found in Portland and Alaska.

So head down to Two Beers on Fridays this summer, and get your grub on! Two Beers Brewing Co. is just one of a few craft breweries in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood.  While you're in the area, you can also check out Schooner Exact Brewing, Epic Ales Brewing and Georgetown Brewing. 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Seattle Beer Week 2012 - Days 7 & 8

I started out day 7 of Seattle Beer Week 2012 by heading up to Cooper's Alehouse for the start of their IPA Championships - the conclusion of the blind tastings they held during their 10th Annual IPA Fest in April.  

Wait - That Sign Says Thursday & It's Only Wednesday.  D'oh!

Seattle Beer Week 2012 - Days 5 & 6

Seattle Beer Week 2012 rolls on - and is wearing me out!  On Monday, I headed down to Big Time Brewing for their first ever bourbon-barrel beer release.  That's the tap handle above.

The Heavenly Bourbon Limited Edition Growlers

Seattle Beer Week 2012 - Day 4

Your Iron Brewer Host & Sensei - Gary Sink

Quite a few events during day 4 of Seattle Beer Week 2012 were about Moms - for obvious reasons.  Since my Mom is several states away, I had no opportunity to take her out to any of the Mother's Day-themed events around the city. 

Rob With An Iron Brewer Taster Tray

Instead, I played it low-key and hit just two events.  The first was Iron Brewer at Beveridge Place Pub.  This annual event is a challenge for the brewers, who must use the ingredients Beveridge Place specifies, and then be judged by the masses to see who comes out as champion. 

Seattle Beer Week 2012 - Day 3

For the third day of Seattle Beer Week 2012, I started things off at The Pine Box to check out the Can Derby - The Pine Box's version of the old Pinewood Derby races from Cub Scout/Boy Scout days gone by.  I started off my visit with a delicious Elysian Brewing's Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout, through a randall of Four Roses Bourbon-soaked oak chips and a tasty savory fritatta. Yum, yum.

The Randall Filled With Four Roses Bourbon-Soaked Oak Chips