The Publican Opens

Seattle's newest bar, The Publican (their website will be up soon), which is brought to you by the same people who helped create Brouwer's Cafe and Bottleworks, opened for business yesterday 12/28 at 10:00AM in Seattle's Tangletown neighborhood.  I managed to get down there after I was off work to check the place out and relax with a few beers and a bite to eat. 

The Publican has 22 taps, which primarily feature American craft microbrews.  They also have a large selection of cans, rather than bottles, as the can revolution seems to be taking hold in the craft beer industry (Personally, I prefer bottles to cans, but that's another discussion).  They also feature an impressive selection of liquor, including several bourbons, Scotches and over 35 different tequilas, for patrons who might be missing Bandolero, the establishment that preceded The Publican at the same location. 

The View From My Barstool At The Publican

While there, I ran into Matt Bonney of Brouwer's Cafe, who has been working hard to get The Publican ready to open.  He was talking to the patrons, making sure everything was feeling right and tasting good since, of course, this was their opening day.  We chatted for a few minutes, and I congratulated him on the opening, which seemed to be getting off to a great start. 

Aging My Own Whiskey For The New Year

It's just three days until New Year's eve 2011.  Do you have any big plans?  I don't know for sure what I'll be doing this year yet, but I do know that I'd better enjoy myself this New Year's.  That's becuase I have decided that January will be a 'dry' month for me.

Firestone Walker's Proprietor's Reserve Series (I also have a XIIIth and XIVth Anniversary Ale)

I'm still working my way through my holiday beer selections, which consist mainly of the entire Firestone Walker Proprietor's Reserve series of beers (above) along with a few others, and I've also picked up an 'Age Your Own' whiskey kit from Woodinville Whiskey.  I'm looking forward to barrel-aging some of my very own bourbon whiskey and trying it out (the pre-barreled whiskey that comes with the kit is 110 proof bourbon mash).  Watch for a photo-heavy post soon, showing all of my Firestone Walker beers poured.

What You Get With The Woodinville Whiskey 'Age Your Own' Kit

A more detailed look at Woodinville Whiskey's website also shows that, from time to time, they sell used 5-gallon whiskey barrels.  These barrels have been used once only to age whiskey.  I'm seriously considering picking up a few of these barrels so I can try to barrel-age a few of my own beers.  Considering my love of oak-aged beers and spirits, I'd relish the opportunity to try and make an oak-whiskey-aged creation myself.  The barrels run $120 each and they should have some more available in February 2012. 

Woodinville Whiskey's Used 5-Gallon Barrels

I'll still be posting a few times in January to keep you all up to date on how I'm doing with my dry month, but I may not be posting as much regarding any beer events or specials in January, so as not to tempt myself too much.  My one 'slip' in January may be (by necessity) the once-weekly 'taste test' of my aging whiskey from it's micro-barrel.  But that will be less than a shot each time - just to check it's progress. 

Whatever your plans are for New Years, please drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Got Your Year End Beers Picked Out?

2012 is almost upon us.  As 2011 comes to a close, I'm looking back over many of the various beers I've had this year and trying to decide what my selections will be for around the holidays - especially considering the fact that I'm planning on a 'dry' January. 

You may already be aware that a few different places are celebrating the year's end with things like the `12 Days of Beer' (I believe this event is over now - sorry) or the Bottle Sale & Gift Wrapping event going on this weekend at Beveride Place Pub in West Seattle (Dec. 18th - 1-7PM).

(From Beveridge Place Pub's Website):
We’ll pull up rare offerings from the cellar from great breweries like Avery, Dogfish Head, Full Sail, Hair of the Dog, Harvieston, Hitachino, North Coast, Russian River, and more! We’re selling these rarities “to go” at retail prices! The selections will make perfect gifts for the beer geek in your life, even if that beer geek is YOU!  Bottle selection will be available soon.

Could You Make It A Month Without Alcohol?

Wallet feeling a bit light after splurging on some great beers?

I really Love good beer.  If you're a regular reader of my blog, you probably do too.  Unfortunately, loving something that much often means you indulge in it quite a bit - sometimes to the extreme.  For example, I've had single weeks where I've spent well over $200 or more just on beer.  Granted, weeks like these are rare and usually due to beer events/festivals I'm attending and/or some great and sought after bottles have just arrived in my local bottle shops.  Still, at times the cost of keeping up with all the amazing offerings out there can definitely add up.

The 'Beer Gut' - Got One?

Then there is, of course, the issues of calories and carbs.  I'm already fighting genetics (from both sides of the family), but my caloric and carbohydrate intake from beer can't be helping either. Enjoying just a few beers a day can add hundreds of calories and quite a few carbs into your diet.  I could stand a one month break to try and loose a few pounds. 

Therefore, I've made a decision.  I'm going to attempt to make January 2012 a 'dry' month for me.  That is, I am going to attempt to drink no alcohol for the entire month - excluding, of course, the wee hours of January 1st, when I may still be enjoying some New Year's festivities.  While I do have the occasional drink-free day, I've never attempted a full month of no alcohol whatsoever.  I'm curious to see how much I'll miss it or if I'll actually crave a drink after a while. 

I'll keep you posted on my progress with a few blog posts during the month, especially if I should slip up.  But I'm going to do my very best to make it the entire month and have no alcohol from January 1st to January 31st, 2012.  Wish me luck!

Think I can make it?  Care to join me?  Thankfully, there are no major beer events in January, so I think it's a good month to pick for me to attempt this.  Now to figure out what I'll break my alcohol fast with on February 1st.  Hmmm.

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

Big Wood 2011

I just got home from the kickoff of the 2011 Big Wood fest at Brouwer's Cafe.  I attended this year's event with a few friends, so we could share our beers and have a chance to sample a larger portion of the available menu. 

Here is the full list of beers and prices at this year's Big Wood.  The selections I enjoyed today are in bold:

 All Beers are 12oz pours unless otherwise denoted:

Allagash Curieux .................................................... $7.00

Alpine Imperial Porter in Bourbon Barrels ........... $8.00

Anacotes BBN Imperial Stout ................................. $6.00

Anderson Valley BBN Gatlin Damnosis ................ $5.00

Avery Rumpkin (6oz) .............................................. $9.00

Big Time 2010 Bourbon/Oaked Old Rip ................ $5.00

Black Raven Gunbarrel Brl Aged Porter(nitro) .... $5.00

Boundary Bay Scotch Ale in Dry Fly Barrels ........ $5.00

Cantillion Framboise ’06 (6oz) .............................. $9.00

Cantillion Lou Pepe Kriek ’10 (6oz) ..................... $9.00

Deschutes Abyss ‘10 ............................................... $6.00

Diamond Knot Oaked Shipwreck XXXIPAcask ...... $5.00

Dogfish Head Burton Baton ................................... $8.00

Dogfish Head Palo Santo ....................................... $8.00

Double Mountian Wooden Nipple Belgian Triple . $7.00

Elliot Bay Bourbon Imperial Stout ....................... $6.00

Elysian Perseus Lost Sour ..................................... $6.00

Emielisse Jack Daniels BBN Stout ......................... $9.00

Firestone DBA ........................................................ $4.00

Firestone Velvet Merkin (unblended from barrel) .. $8.00

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout (6oz) .............. $8.00

Fremont B-Bomb .................................................... $6.00

Full Sail Black Gold ............................................... $7.00

Glacier Maker's Eisbock ......................................... $7.00

Great Divide Oaked Rumble IPA............................ $6.00

Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti ................................... $7.00

Hales BBN Way Heavy ........................................... $6.00

Hitachino Classic in Schneider Barrel ................... $9.00

HOD 2008 Fred Flanders ...................................... $8.00

HOD 2008 Michael ................................................ $8.00

HUB Barrel Aged Imperial Porter ......................... $7.00

JW Lees Calvados Wooden Firkin(6oz) ................ $9.00

JW Lees Sherry Wooden Firkin(6oz) ..................... $9.00

Laughing Dog BBN Dogfather ............................... $6.00

Left Hand Oaked Imperial Stout ............................ $5.00

Lost Abbey Ad-Lib ................................................. $9.00

Maritime BBN Imperial IPA ................................... $5.00

Maritime BBN Decompression Ale Cask ............... $6.00

Morte Subite Rouge ................................................ $8.00

Morte Subite Wit .................................................... $8.00

Nectar Black Xantus ............................................... $9.00

New Belgium Special La Follie Blend ................... $6.00

New Belgium Love in Wood Barrel @6pm ............ $5.00

Ninkasi Oaked Maiden Shade ................................ $6.00

North Sound BBN Imperial Porter ......................... $6.00

Oakshire Gin Barrel Saison .................................... $6.00

Pike Oaked Imperial Stout Firkin .......................... $6.00

Port Brewing Bourbon Santa’s Imperial Stout ....... $9.00

Port Townsend Barrel Aged Mabel’s Nitro............ $5.00

Russian River Supplication .................................... $8.00

Russian River Temptation ...................................... $8.00

Schooner Exact Hoppy The Woodsman .................. $6.00

Seven Seas Le Havre Belgium Winter In Oak ........ $5.00

Shmaltz Barrel-aged Blockhead ............................. $7.00

Sierra Nevada Oaked Triple ................................... $6.00

Silver City 2010 Fat Woody ................................... $5.00

Stone 2008 Elijah Craig IRS .................................. $6.00

The Bruery 3 French Hens ..................................... $7.00

Tilquin Geuze (6oz) ................................................ $9.00

Quite an impressive lineup, as you can see.  The standout selections from the offerings I sampled were:

Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin (Unblended from the barrel) - rich and complex.  Subtly different from the blended versions I've had before.

Morte Subite Wit - with pleasant vanilla and citrus notes.  I'll have to see if I can find some of this in the botttle.  Yum!

Schooner Exact Hoppy The Woodsman - a dark, oak, bourbon barrel aged beer where the bourbon flavor really comes through.  One of my favorite winter beers this year.

Big Wood continues tomorrow and through the weekend but don't wait too long, because the best and most popular selections will run out fast. 

Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.