Barleywine, Barleywine Everywhere, So Let's All Have A Drink

It's barleywine season - one of my favorite beer times of year.  I've always been a fan of good barleywines, so I'm really looking forward to both the 10th Annual 'Barleywine Bacchanal' at Beveridge Place Pub, and the 10th Annual 'Hard Liver Festival' at Brouwer's Cafe. 

First up is the 10th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal at Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle.  This is a popular beer destination in the Seattle area, so if you've never been there I urge you to head on over to West Seattle and check them out.  It's well worth the trip across the West Seattle bridge. 

Belgianfest, Judging & Barleywine Festivals

Snowpocalypse 2012 has passed.  I for one, hope that was the majority of lowland snow we'll be seeing this winter.  Living at the bottom of a steep hill, it cuases lots of problems for me.  I hope any of you who were snowed in had an adequate supply of liquid courage on hand.  Now it's time to look ahead to what's next. 

Belgianfest:

The next event I'll be attending is Seattle's 2012 Belgianfest, which will be held this year on Saturday, February 4th at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on pier 66.  There will be more than 60 different Belgian styled beers from several different Seattle area breweries.  Tickets are on sale now from Brown Paper Tickets, and there are two sessions to chose from:

Session 1: 12:00-4:00 pm
Session 2: 5:30-9:30 pm

I already have my ticket for Session 1, and I'm looking forward to wrapping my lips around some Saisons, dubbels, wits, farmhouse ales, lambics and more.  Belgian yeasts have very distinctive character, and I'm looking forward to a full afternoon of inundating my palate with various, wonderful Belgian styles. 

Barleywine Bacchanal & Hard Liver On The Way

I'm currently into the first week of my dry January, but I'm already thinking ahead to two of my favorite annual events coming up in February and March, respectively: The Barleywine Bacchanal at Beveridge Place Pub and the Hard Liver Fest at Brouwer's Cafe.  These are two of the most popular annual barleywine events in Seattle and I usually try to attend both events each year. 

You can read about the details of last year's Barleywine Bacchanal HERE, and about last year's Hard Liver Fest HERE.  This year will be the 10th year for both events, and I'm eager to see this year's lineups.  This year's Barleywine Bacchanal will start on Saturday, February 25th, and the Hard Liver Fest will kick off on Saturday, March 3rd. 

Thankfully and for obvious reasons, these events offer smaller pour sizes.  This allows you to try a greater number of selections from the menu than would otherwise be possible (without needing a wheelchair to get home, 'cuase you can't walk straight). 

In fact, I believe the best way to experience each of these events is to attend with a few friends.  For example, if you attend either event with two other friends, plan carefully so that you don't double-order and share your selections, you can sample up to three times as many barleywines as you would be able to on your own, without drinking a greater volume. 

No matter how many selections you have or friends you attend with, however, drink responsibly and stay safe out there.