Post-Beer Week Tom Douglas pairing event

public houseAs we bid adieu to another outstanding Seattle Beer Week, we know there are still many more beer-centric festivities soon on the horizon in Seattle. In fact, such an event is coming up this week, being hosted by none other than one of the shiniest of jewels in the Tom Douglas crown: The Dahlia Lounge. If you’ve had the distinct privilege of attending a beer dinner at one of Tom Douglas’ many fine establishments, you probably already know what a phenomenal culinary experience these are. If you haven’t, well, I’d say now’s your chance.

And if you’re intimidated by the highfalutin concept of a “beer dinner” (which sounds a lot like a wine dinner), don’t be. First, it’s just beer. Second, this one looks like it will be seriously low-key and relaxed.

Local SODO brewery Schooner Exact Brewing Company and chef Brock Johnson of Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Lounge have teamed up to bring you a 4-course beer pairing dinner, for an incredible price of $50 all-inclusive! The dinner is taking place this coming Thursday, May 23 at 6 p.m. at the Dahlia Lounge.

The Dahlia Lounge is dressing down and getting casual to bring you a special evening of English pub fare with suds from local brewery, Schooner Exact. Chef Brock Johnson has created a four course menu that would satisfy any group of mates in the mood for beer matched perfectly to delicious pub grub. The Schooner Exact Team and Chef Brock will be on hand all night to guide you through this tasty, no-nonsense menu.

The Menu:

Course One: Gallant Maiden Hefe paired with Ploughman’s platter with homemade cured meats, pickles and spent grain toast.

Course Two: King Street Brown paired with brown ale crepes, foraged mushrooms, and melted teleme cheese.

Course Three: 3 Grid IPA paired with malt battered halibut, green garlic potato, asparagus, and ramp tartar sauce.

Course Four: Profanity Hill Porter paired with chocolate porter cake, malted mascarpone, honey-hop ice cream, and cinnamon toasted barley.

To make your reservations for the dinner, buy your tickets at the Tom Douglas events site. There is a good chance this event will sell out in advance, so don’t delay on making your reservations. Hope to see you there for an unforgettable post-beer week beer dinner.

Cheers!

Intoducing The Masonry

imageI am excited to announce the arrival of Lower Queen Anne’s newest beer-centric pizza bar and restaurant, The Masonry. Located at 20 Roy Street, The Masonry will be located between the nail salon and UPS Store, across the street from and facing St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Currently in the build-out stages, the Masonry will open with 14 taps for fresh, craft beer and a handful more for red wine. The atmosphere will be laid-back and inviting with the open-air kitchen including a wood fire oven facing the entrance and a large community table leading up to it.

“We are applying for a small patio permit as well so hopefully we’ll have a couple of standing tables outside,” says owner Matt Storm. Storm has a solid beer history working at the Redmond bottle shop, The Malt & Vine, and German beer bars, Prost and Feireabend.


Storm is bringing in some local talent with Chef Lucas Neve, previously of Cafe Lago in Montlake. Neve will have full run of the kitchen, encouraging some craft food exploration based on his personal artistry and local market seasonal offerings. Suffice to say, the menu will change frequently, with only a few fixed regular items.

The space is a modest size with a seating capacity of 35-40 and the majority of seating will be at bar height to allow for a comfortable, relaxed, intimate environment.

With only a handful of bars offering a large, rotating craft beer selection in this neighborhood, this is sure to be an oasis for craft beer aficionados in Queen Anne.

As I receive updates about the space and possibly new photos throughout the build-out process, I will be sure to add more to this post. Cheers!

Gird thy liver! Seattle Beer Week approaches.

sbw_logo_mainAh yes, Seattle Beer Week is finally upon us. In its fifth year of glorious existence, SBW is a 10-day marathon where we test the heartiness of our livers and imbibe far more beer than we ever thought possible. These ten days, beginning Thursday, May 9 and commencing on Saturday, May 19, focus on celebrating beer from both the Pacific Northwest and around the country. With a growth in breweries, craft beer appreciation and beer venues in the greater Seattle area, SBW hosts well over a hundred events. These include pub crawls, style-focused tastings, beer car races, lavish beer dinners and much more.

As SBW has become more daunting, the need to schedule, pare down and make the tough decisions as to where you want to spend your precious beer-drinking hours has become imperative. At least, it certainly has for me. So, while I do this schedule partially for myself, I also feel it’s fun and fair to share it with you. Cheat-sheets are always nice, right?

While I do not condone trying to attend every one of the events below — as many of them overlap in time and are a demographic impossibility to safely reach in one day/night— these represent my favorite events from past SBWs with a few new ones that look like they’re sure to be winners. A special note: If you attend the Women in Beer event at Pike, be sure to try Airways Brewing’s Spring Bitter — I helped brew it!

For a complete list, visit the events page on the Seattle Beer Week site, and be sure to also download the new iPhone app (sorry non-iPhone users) that was released just two days ago!
Read the rest of this entry »

From Imperial to Session, IPA just keeps getting better

DSC_0083If you are a craft beer enthusiast like me, there is rarely an occasion the does not call for a frothy pint of brew, whether it be a cold stormy night or a hot summer’s day. While I subscribe to the school of thought that there is no hard-and-fast rule as to “proper time and place” for a specific style, let’s face it: On a hot summer day, a lighter beer is what most of us reach for. Whether your taste buds call out for a crisp pilsner or citrusy pale ale, beers in the gold to apricot-in-hue category are typically what most folks classify as “summer beers.” As someone who has made the mistake of consuming too many high-alcohol-by-volume beers out in the sun (and paid for it), the best option for summer drinking is generally something low and lean. With a craft pils or lager, this isn’t usually too troublesome. But what if you crave big, bold, hoppy beers? How then does one achieve a trip to Flavor County without sacrificing his ability to stay conscious? The answer: Session IPAs.

The term “session beer” is sometimes confusing for people. Beer Advocate does a great job explaining exactly what the root of this classification is and how we use it today. A quick n’ dirty definition: Session refers to a beer with a low alcohol by volume (ABV) value.

So, now that I’ve used the term “session IPA,” let’s take a moment to address the argument that such a style category (for some) is ludicrous. Chris at the Hoosier Beer Geek blog feels strongly that calling a beer a session India pale ale is flat-out wrong. Over at Beer Advocate, they define American IPA as:
Read the rest of this entry »

Beerducation

Beer 101Yesterday, I found myself expounding upon how I experience a beer. In the context of the conversation we were having, my boyfriend pointed out that just because this is the way in which I experience beer doesn’t mean everyone else does or should. Not everyone has to have that same spiritual journey when sitting down to drink what is essentially, a beverage that has been around for centuries. From the first time I open a beer and begin pouring it into the (proper) glass, I’m thinking about every aspect of that liquid. What does it look like (clarity, color), how carbonated is it (bubbles, foam), and what initial aroma do I get from the beer before I even stick my nose in it. Yes, that is how intensely I am studying something that most people view as just a beverage they drink to relax after work. Don’t get me wrong: I do that too. And that’s fine. But, when it comes to beer, I can’t turn my brain off.

Both a blessing and a curse, my thirst for knowledge on the subject and my diligent quest to experience as many styles, variations and nuances in craft beer makes me a target for many questions. Some, I easily know the answers to. Many, I don’t. To some, I am considered an expert; to others, a novice. Regardless of the label you may have for me in your own mind, I’m always hungry to find the answer to someone’s question for my own edification and out of a voracious desire to be well-educated in a field I truly love.

So for those that wish for more education on the robust subject of craft beer – beyond a twitter question here and there – there actually is an abundance of resources out there for you that I’d like to share.
Read the rest of this entry »

Washington Brewery-hop Day aka WA Beer Open House

portf-WAbeer-openHouseAfter three years of success — and piggy-backing on the Oregon Brewers Guild’s wildly popular Zwickelmania — the Washington Beer Commission presents their WA Beer Open House 2013.

The event is simply a chance (or excuse) for craft beer enthusiasts across the State of Washington to gather up some friends and hop around to as many local microbreweries in the span on five hours as they can. Many breweries will offer tours of their facilities led by the brewer(s) and some breweries even have special beers for the event, swag give-aways, free tastes and the like. All-in-all, a good time well worth devoting one of your weekend days to. The open house officially begins at noon, Saturday, February 23 and ends at 5 p.m.

So, boys and girls, you have exactly 5 hours to make it to as many Washington breweries as you (safely) can this Saturday. Which will you choose?

Here are my two recommended plans for WA Beer Open House 2013. These are based on proximity, as to not kill yourself or others trying to overdo it, as well as personal favorites. Focusing your energy on staying within Seattle, you can easily stick to two neighborhoods: SODO and Ballard.
Read the rest of this entry »

Cupid strikes with chocolate and beer

169893-250Whether you love or loath what some call the holiday invented by Hallmark, Valentine’s Day is precisely a month away. And while you may boycott this holiday by avoiding romantic restaurants or flower shops, don’t miss an excuse to drink dozens of chocolate infused beers. Yes, that’s right: Pike Brewing’s annual Chocofest on February 10, “a romantic evening (or not) of chocolate, beer, wine, mead and spirits,” is an extravaganza you won’t want to miss. What they coin as “foreplay before the big day,” or what you might deem an excuse to drink a load of tasty booze and screw the rest.

The Pike Brewing Company is celebrating Pike Chocofest on February 10, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. We started Pike Chocofest in 2009 as a romantic experience, to expose the sensual relationship between chocolate and beer since Seattle is a love-nest for both. Wine, spirits, cider and mead also cohabitate deliciously with chocolate, though perhaps they are not as orgasmic a combination as with beer.

“Au contraire” you say! Pleasurably answer that question at Pike Chocofest 2013 where a wide variety of potables will be paired with chocolate and savory comestibles a tasting from as they say, “soup to nuts” and “sweet to savory.” In 2012, over 300 people attended and experienced food and drink from 60 vendors; an orgy for food and drink lovers!

This year Pike has expanded Chocofest and is targeting 400 guests, with 69 vendors. Because the experience of each of our participating partners has been so satisfying, the Pike Pub will only be open for Chocofest guests who will be able to enjoy food and drink in Pike’s Microbrewery Museum; each of the rooms in the pub; in the brewery, as well as the main arcade entry-level.

Pike Chocofest is a pleasure for vendors and guests alike a Valentine gift for everyone involved, including Puget Sound Keepers Alliance for helping to keep local waters pristine for another love potion featured at Pike Chocofest, oysters on the half shell.
Enjoy over 69 local vendors beer, wine, spirits, chocolates and savories as well as our Chocofest 2013 commemorative glass.

This event benefits the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.

Chocofest is held at Pike Brewing Company, 1415 1st Ave., Seattle. Admission is $45 and you can purchase your tickets now through Brownpaper Tickets.

Game on: Brave Horse’s Big Beer Hunter dinner

beerhunter2Tom Douglas’s name has been synonymous with incredible cuisine for years in Seattle. And since opening Brave Horse Tavern in the heart of SLU, he now ranks up there with the big boys in beer. With Beer Czar Kayle Thompson heading up the campaign for great brews on tap, patrons can enjoy a few dozen of the tastiest beers and ciders found in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

With such quality fare, it should come as no surprise that Brave Horse should be host to some of the classiest local beer dinners. Next week is sure to be one of their finest: America’s favorite hunting dinner. Chef Brian Walczyk and Beer Czar Kayle Thompson are teaming up with Double Mountain Brewery to pair this spectacular 5-course feast with game meats and brews.

Here’s what the menu looks like (careful not to drool too much on your keyboard):

First Course
Headcheese Hot and Cold
Chilled Terrine with Mandarin Marmalade, Toast
Pan Fried, Bread Crumbs, Beer Mustard
Paired with Kolsch, German-style ale –hoppier than traditional examples; a soft, clean, fruity beer.
Read the rest of this entry »

Escape the wet weather with Bulbs & Brews

While Seattle may not be a winter wonderland in December, there are plenty of other ways to feel the holidays in the Emerald City.

With over 160 craft breweries in Washington state, beer is clearly a large part of our Pacific Northwest landscape. And what better time to discover and enjoy some of the most celebrated breweries in the Seattle area than when the weather gets cold and the lights twinkle on neighborhood houses? And what better way to do so than having a team of experts do the guiding and the driving? Whether you’re a local or visiting from out-of-town, this is sure to be a gift that won’t be forgotten.

Evergreen Escapes has put together a fun and affordable package for the beer lover in your life (whether that’s you or a loved one). After taking the tour, I can tell you that the this is not only a great way to spend half the day drinking delicious beer, the delightful crew and sites make this a must-do for the holiday season.

Each tour is a little bit different, but in general, the tour begins from a meeting point in downtown Seattle (at Third and Pike) at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. You’ll have the chance to visit three distinctly different Seattle craft breweries, sample from many of their standard and specialty seasonal selections and snack on some craft foods while you’re at it. Evergreen Escapes is unique in their focus on not only great beer and twinkly lights, but also on getting to know the neighborhoods of the breweries you will visit and seeing some of the most breathtaking sites Seattle has to offer. All-in-all, it’s pretty magical.
Read the rest of this entry »

Is that beer in your turkey or are you just happy to see me?

First off, I apologize for the dramatic length in time since my last post. I’ve been a) busy with other writing projects and b) procrastinating on my blog posts. That being said, let’s get you guys some sweet, sweet beer recommendations for the upcoming holiday.

Regardless of whether you are hosting your own Thanksgiving dinner this year or just a guest at family or friend’s meal this year, beer is an essential piece of the Turkey Day puzzle. Without great beer to go with all those delightful carb-heavy foods, how are you going to properly pass out in a happy, gut-busting coma at the end of Thursday night?

Beyond the fact that beer is an important part of the holiday meal, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to stock up on and try some of this year’s best holiday brews. And trust me, there are some truly great local releases that will go perfectly on or with your turkey.
Read the rest of this entry »

Switch to our mobile site