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. 

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. 

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:

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

Seattle Beer Week 2012 - Day 2

I woke up a bit groggy from all the opening night events on day 1, and got myself ready to head to Brouwer's Cafe for the start of this year's Back In Black Stout Fest.  We managed to arrive just minutes after the doors opened. 

Enjoying Back In Black 2012

Seattle Beer Week 2012 Kickoff Events

Seattle Beer Week 2012 kicked off yesterday, and I managed to make it to all four opening night events with my beautiful wife, Lynn.

Beer Monger's Picks For Seattle Beer Week 2012

Seattle Beer Week 2012 kicks off tomorrow!  Are you ready?  There are well over 150 events listed at various locations throughout Seattle and the Puget Sound, but you'll need a plan of attack if you want to keep them all straight and hit the events you really want.

Here are my picks for Seattle Beer Week 2012, and the events I plan on attending myself:

Thursday, May 10, 2012:


5:00PM

 Seattle Beer Week Kickoff Part 1 at Elysian Brewing Company on Capitol Hill (1221 E Pike St., Seattle, WA).  Join everyone at Elysian for the tappling of the Official Seattle Beer Week Beer, Split Shot, which will be tapped at 6:00PM.  Let the festivities begin!

Full List Of Seattle Beer Week 2012 Events

LAST UPDATED - 5/8/2012

Seattle Beer Week kicks off this Thursday!  Below is the most up-to-date list of all Seattle Beer Week events (including a few not listed on seattlebeerweek.com!)  '

Just like last year, this year's SBW has become so crowded with events, it's literall impossible to hit every single one.  Watch soon for a new post on my event pics and where I'll be for each day of Seattle Beer Week 2012.  Cheers!

Recently added or updated events (since the last update) are marked with a red asterisk.  *

It's IPApril At Beveridge Place Pub

UPDATED 4/23/2012

It's April - and that means IPApril at Beveridge Place Pub in West Seattle!  All month long, BPP will have 12 taps devoted to IPAs of all varieties.  No spcific tap list has been posted, but you can usually get a good idea of what Beveridge Place has on tap over at Taplister, which currently lists all 12 IPA's things kicked off with on April 1st. 

Me With Don Webb (Naked City) and Gary Sink (Beveridge Place Pub)

A bit more than halfway through the month, April 17th, is Beveridge Place Pub's anniversary, and to celebrate they'll have a clear (as in see-through) keg of Georgetown Brewing's Lucile IPA (BPP's current 'house' IPA, based on voting last year), so you can watch the beer in the keg as it drains. 

There will also be a 'blind' taste challenge on April 19th, with double IPAs being featured.  The idea here is the same as the 4 daily blind taps over at Cooper's Alehouse for their 10th Annual IPA Fest.  Can you pick our your favorite double IPA without knowing it?  Test your taste buds and find out. 

UPDATE 4/20:

I wasn't able to make it down to Beveridge Place for their Anniversary on the 17th, but I did make it there yesterday for their Double IPA Blind Tasting as part of IPApril.  The challenge?  8 different Double IPAs, in 3oz pours, and we were asked to vote for our favorite 3. 

I got my taster tray, settled in and took some sparse notes as I tasted each offering.  Here are my rankings 1-8, for each beer on the taster tray.  They were labeled on the tray with the letters only:

1 - E - Citrusy - Grapefruit - More hops than malt - My kinda IPA
2 - F - Great Balance of hops/malt - Nice aroma
3 - C - Citrusy - A bit more cloudy than the rest
4 - B - Slight passion fruit quality
5 - H - Caty - but still good (Simcoe hops(?))
6 - D - Some sediment (Yeast? Wood? Didn't taste like it - not sure)
7 - A - Too malty for a double IPA
8 - G - Toffeish - and way too malty (almost cloying considering what I was expecting)

When the beer names are revealed, I'll update this post again and find out how my rankings look.  Cheers!

UPDATE 4/23:

Sorry I wasn't more on the ball on Friday, but here are the winners:

The Taps were:
A-Avery Maharaja
B-Russian River Pliney the Elder
C-Port Hop-15
D-Leavenworth Double Hodgsons
E-Black Raven Wisdom Seeker
F-Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
G-Port Townsend Dead Sea
H-Sound Humulo Nimbus

And the winners are:
1st: Black Raven Wisdom Seeker (E) - This was my first choice.
2nd: Russian River Pliny The Elder (B) - This was my fourth choice.
3rd: Avery Maharaja (A) - This was my 7th choice!  Very surprising.  I didn't realize it was so malty. 

Congratulations to Black Raven Brewing in Redmond for their well-deserved win!

So, what were your choices?  Did you pick out any favorites even while blind?  I found it interesting that I picked out Hoptimum as my 2nd favorite.  It was also my 2nd favorite during the 'California Dreaming' Double IPA blind tasting at Cooper's Alehouse.  That means, it would seem, that Firestone Walker Double Jack, Black Raven Wisdom Seeker and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum are my three favorite double IPAs.  That's good to know for the next time I head to the bottle shops! 

Cheers!


Drink responsibly and stay safe out there.

The 10th Annual IPA Fest At Cooper's Alehouse

LAST UPDATED:  4/18/2012

The 10th Annual IPA Festival at Cooper's Alehouse on Lake City Way kick off this Friday, and your taste buds had better be ready for some hops becuase Coopers has over 75 different IPA's coming your way between April 6th and April 27th. 

Here is the full tap list for this year's IPA fest.  Cooper's is still calling this list 'tentative', but they assure me it should be 99.9% accurate, so take a look and start drooling:

Super Deli Mart's Full List Of Seattle Beer Week Events

We're less than one month from the kickoff of Seattle Beer Week 2012, and one of my favorite little beer shops in Seattle, Super Deli Mart, has provided me with a full list of their Seattle Beer Week event list. 

Super Deli Beer Week Events: