Beer in Baltimore

Winter Restaurant Week in Baltimore & Howard

2012-01-25T12:07:00.000-05:00

We're halfway through Baltimore (Winter) Restaurant Week. Also Howard County Restaurant Week.

Craft-beer-friendly Baltimore venues participating in the discounted-meals menu plan include The Brewer's Art, Bluegrass Tavern, The Owl Bar, B&O American Brasserie, and others. In Howard County, check out The Ram's Head Tavern in Savage or Victoria Gastro Pub, among others. (There's certainly bound to be a place that has quietly upgraded their beer selection without our notice.)

Robert Burns Night

2012-01-25T11:40:00.002-05:00

Featured tonight at Liam Flynn's Ale House in salute to the birthday and works of the legendary Scottish bard,Robert Burn's born on this date in 1754. The evening will begin at 7 PM with a pipingperformance and the customary reading of "Address to a Haggis."Following will be a traditional Celtic music session and open-mike poetry.There will be a variety of Scottish Whiskies, Ales and Ciders, and for real ale aficionados, the first firkin of this year's batch of Oliver's Scottish (-style) Ale, and a firkin of Flying Dog's Road Dog Porter aged with Scottish whisky oak. And haggis, both real and vegan, as well as tatties & neeps (mashed potatoes/turnips), and more.

If your allegiances run to stronger stuff, there's always the oft-overlooked whisky standby, Birds of a Feather on Aliceanna Street and their extensive whisky selection.

If you don't feel like making the trek to North Avenue or Baltimore, I would normally refer you to The Royal Mile in Wheaton, Md., but there are reports about that the place has been closed since 8th January, is under renovation, and/or possibly closed for good; the website for the pub shows a cryptic, enigmatic "Software upgrade in progress". If indeed closed, sad. There are also a few good Scottish ales to be had at other places, including at Max's tomorrow when Heather Ale's Bruce Williams returns for yet another hoisted pint or twa.

More on the traditions of the day.

No. Not this guy. No. No.

NO.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

2012-01-24T13:33:00.001-05:00

Our federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a newly-released report, says "binge drinking" (defined as "men drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time or women drinking 4 or more drinks within a short period of time"; said period of time is not defined) is a greater problem in the United States than previously thought. The proposed approaches to the problem, of course, largely involve empowering government further or allocating more government resources (i.e. spending money on government).

Reason.com's response: "First, as noted, the length of an"occasion" is left to the respondent's interpretation; it could be"a few hours," but it might be five or six, or an entire Saturday.Second, the number Parker-Pope cites is actually the average for"the largest number of drinks [respondents] had on anyoccasion in the preceding 30 days" (emphasis added). In otherwords, it is atypical, by definition, for any given individual.Furthermore, because it is an average across all respondents,including very heavy drinkers, it does not necessarily mean most ofthem consume that much even on one occasion per month."

Or, as they cynically titled the essay: "CDC: If You Drink Enough to Enjoy It, You've Had Too Much."

DuClaw Anti-Venom Debut at JD's Smokehouse Sunday, and H.E.R.O. Homebrew Contest

2012-01-21T16:37:00.002-05:00

Personally, I'm not sure it's worth shoving through a raucous bunch of football fans to sample a new beer at its debut, but more than likely some beer fans will be making a trek to a pub anyway, so......

Sunday, January 22nd, cheer the Ravens on to victory against the Patriots at JD’s Smokehouse [3000 E. O'Donnell St., Canton] and sample the world debut of the first iteration of ANTI-VENOM on cask.

ANTI-VENOM is our new series of single hopped Venom Pale Ale variants, and we’re launching it with a bang. Hopped solely with New Zealand Green Bullet hops, the first ANTI-VENOM variant boasts a refreshing tropical flavor and aroma, and crisp, bitter, lingering finish.

In addition, DuClaw is doing a second H.E.R.O. Homebrew contest. Deadline for entries is April 18th (the day after taxes are due), and details and rules are here.

An Interesting Alternate Use for Taster Racks

2012-01-20T11:22:00.001-05:00

Spotted at Kloby's Smokehouse along Rt. 29 in "north Laurel".... Bread Pudding Samplers.

More on the concept at HowChow.

(Bread Pudding Beer..... hmmm.....)

The problem with Beer Advocate and RateBeer

2012-01-20T00:27:00.001-05:00

There are folks that question the attitude of others (and, by my mentioning them, this writer) that some of the beer-rating websites, specifically BeerAdvocate.com, have been getting, shall we say, some negative attention of late.

Here's my spin on things, short, sweet, and to the point.

In any aggregation of like-minded folks, there are always a few folks that are going to carry on in exaggerated fashion, garner an undue amount of attention (typically negative in nature), and by extension cast the rest of the group or community in an undeservedly negative fashion.

At a sports stadium, it may be the guy with the "JOHN 3:16" sign, or the pack that painted their bodies in the team colors spelling out the team name and taking their shirts off in 20-degree weather to show the world and TV cameras, or the thugs that riot with supporters of the "wrong" team.

At a science fiction convention, it may be the chorus that insists on singing multiple songs in Klingon or Sindarin, or the heavyset, bearded, bespectacled guy that dresses as Sailor Moon (warning: the image at the link is not for the faint of heart).

With Christians, it's the Westboro Baptist "Church" and folks willing to shoot abortion doctors. With Muslims, it's al-Qaeda and the Taliban. With politics, the extremes of the Occupy Wall Street arnachists and the idiots still insisting Obama isn't an American citizen.

And among the real-ale and beer geek community, it's the Real Ale Tw*ts.

Unfortunately for the Beer Advocate and RateBeer communities, the "discussion" at said sites is becoming increasingly dominated by a certain category of beer geek/snob, around which fewer seem interested in hanging about. It's as if a friendly beer bar with a fine selection of craft beers ended up being dominated, night after night, by a crowd of d*ucheb*gs. The beer and food may be terrific, but the atmosphere isn't conducive to the craft or its enjoyment. And, sadly, some misguided folks are guaranteed to walk into the "wrong" beer bar, see this audacious display, and go somewhere else to slurp Red Bulls and vodkas or Natty Boh or tequila shots instead. And if someone goes to the manager and says "You know, those guys are a little too boisterous/physical/drunk", what should the manager's reaction be?

There's a reason I--and many others--have pretty well avoided going to BeerAdvocate and RateBeer (and even my old sentimental favorite from over a decade ago, Pubcrawler.com) except on a "need-to-know" basis.

Hitachino Nest 3 Days

2012-01-19T23:29:00.000-05:00

Regular readers here know we don't go about routinely telling them that they must try a certain beer. Our assessment is that there's so much goodness out there that, as long as one practices proper discretion and looks in the right places, there's so much good beer out there in the Baltimore region that it's mostly a matter of personal preference, availability, and mood to find an experience far better than 90% of beer drinkers in America can readily enjoy (i.e. is it worth traveling to a venue with a cask beer simply to sample a beer on cask instead of in a bottle from a closer liquor store? do you prefer a "hop bomb," an "alcohol bomb," or a "session beer"?).

Every once in a while, an exception occurs. In this case, it's Hitachino Nest 3 Days.

Right at the time the Kiuchi Brewery in Naka, Ibaraki, Japan--makers of Hitachino Nest brand beers, with the familiar owl logo--was mashing a batch of its flagship weizen-style Nest Ale on March 11th, 2011, they were struck by the now-famous tsunami-generating Tohoku earthquake. Damage to most of the brewery was limited to some loose roof tiles, about 500 smashed bottles, 212 spilled gallons of umeshu (liqueur made from ume fruit), and the bottling line. The brewery reopened as soon as power was restored, bottling water for regional residents for free distribution and cooking up meals for local residents in its adjacent restaurant, Nakaya.

The power outage from this quake caused the mashing process of the Nest Ale to be shut down. Over the course of three days without power, the mash started to naturally ferment, with a lactic acid cultured by the process. Hitachino completed the batch, and bottled the beer. According to B. United, their importer, there were 8,000 550-ml bottles produced, as well as a scant few 30-liter kegs. 3,000 of those bottles were allocated to North America.

Max's Taphouse tapped one of those kegs Tuesday. It was still there tonight. This is an incredibly complex beer for 6.5%, somewhere between a hefeweizen and a Belgian abbey. Is it worth the (likely to be steep) price that's going to be demanded for it among beer traders and collectors? Maybe not, but why not steer around that hype and drink it on draft instead?

More about the earthquake's impact on Japan's breweries in the Sept./Oct. 2011 issue of Draft Magazine.

Stillwater Invades Scotland

2012-01-18T10:45:00.000-05:00

Word comes, via both brewers' info sources, that Brian "Stillwater" Strumke has arrived in Scotland for several days' stay in the company of, and planned collaboration with, Bruce Williams of Williams Brothers/Fraoch Heather Ale fame.

You can pick Bruce's brain for what resulted sometime next week, when he's back in Baltimore.

Meanwhile, a video about Brian for your bemusement, courtesy of Brewmerica TV:
Brian @ Stillwater Artisanal Ale from Williams Bros Brewing Co on Vimeo.

Draft Magazine's "Top 100 Bars"--The Brewer's Art and Max's (again)

2012-01-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

Draft Magazine has selected its annual "100 Best Beer Bars in the U.S." list, and, as with last year's list, Max's Taphouse and The Brewer's Art made the list. That's the problem with such lists--not a lot of turnover (though some are new listings).

Somebody doesn't like BeerAdvocate.com.......

2012-01-17T13:58:00.002-05:00

....... as evidenced by this, recently set up by someone allegedly in the Baltimore area.

No, not me. I don't have time to care that much. (But it means that Beer Advocate wasn't sharp enough to grab that domain for themselves just to prevent that from happening.)

Burns Night(s), Punk's Birthday Bash, and more

2012-01-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

Four upcoming events of note, three of them Scottish-themed:

Liam Flynn's Ale House is celebrating Robert Burns Night (the anniversary of the namesake's birth) on Wednesday, Jan. 25th with the now-usual weekly Celtic music session, open mic, food (regular and vegetarian haggis are promised), poetry readings, and Scottish ales and ciders.

The next night, Bruce Williams (of Fraoch Heather Ale and the Scottish Williams Bros Brewing fame) will be appearing at Max's Taphouse in Fells Point for another round of, we can safely assume, cask Scottish ales.

Bruce will also be at a 5-course, 9-beer Scottish beer dinner on Monday the 30th at Washington D.C.'s Churchkey/Birch & Barley, $73 per person:

On Monday, January 30 beginning at 7 p.m., Scottish craft brewing legend Bruce Williams, founder of Williams Brothers Brewing Company, will join us for an exceptional homage to the traditions and innovations in Scottish brewing and cooking. Beer Director Greg Engert has been working closely with Bruce to direct import some of the scarcest brews from Williams Brothers, while Chefs Kyle Bailey and Tiffany Macisaac have been working closely with Bruce to develop an inspired five-course dinner that will put a Mid-Atlantic spin on some of Scotland's classic dishes. The evening is a fantastic opportunity to meet one of craft brewing's most electric personalities. Bruce will shed light on his brews, his exceptional life, and we wouldn't be surprised if he recites some verse from Scotland's most beloved bard, Robert Burns. While the menu is still being finalized, the list of Williams Brothers brews and featured whiskeys for the evening are as follows:- Fraoch Heather Ale Matured in Auchentoshan Single-Malt Whisky Casks- Auchentoshan Valinch, Lowlands Single-Malt Scotch Whisky- Alba Scots Pine & Spruce Ale Matured in Bowmore Single-Malt Whisky Casks - Bowmore 15 Darkest, Islay Single-Malt Scotch

At Annapolis Mall, Punk s Backyard Grill is celebrating its third birthday on Tuesday, January 31st by hosting a local tap takeover, with nine unique and rare beers from their favorite local breweries to bring everyone a taste of what Maryland has to offer. Punk’s will also offer 10% off of all food purchases for the entire day:

Breweries featured will include Oliver Ales (Baltimore, MD), Flying Dog Brewery (Frederick, MD), Heavy Seas (Baltimore, MD), Stillwater Artisanal Ales (Baltimore, MD), The Brewer’s Art (Baltimore, MD), Brewer’s Alley (Frederick, MD), DuClaw Brewing Company (Bel Air, MD), Tuppers’ Brewing (Bethesda, MD), and Evolution Craft Brewing Company (Salisbury, MD).

Some of the unique offerings include Bourbon Barrel Aged William’s Winter Warmer from Oliver Ales, Stateside Saison from Stillwater Ales, Lot 6 from Evolution Brewing, Kujo Coffee Stout from Flying Dog Brewery, Cask Conditioned Draft Punk and many more!

“We’re excited to celebrate another great year at Punk’s, and in doing so, we wanted to highlight the creativity and talent of our local brewers here in Maryland,” says McCabe. “With the recent addition of our twelve seat bar, we are excited to continue to explore the growing beer scene in and around Annapolis.”

And speaking of Max's, I probably don't have to tell anyone reading this that their annual Belgian Fest is coming up Feb. 17-19.

Oatmeal = Beer?

2012-01-15T18:28:00.000-05:00

I've come to the conclusion that oatmeal, at least in the United States, doesn't get any respect, and for the same reason beer often doesn't get respect.

Instead of a good, hearty food, what most Americans know as "oatmeal" is that instant stuff upon which hot water is poured, or which is dampened in a plastic bowl with a rip-off cover and then microwaved. It's either maliciously bland with the consistency of wallpaper paste, or it's jammed full of sugar and a mix of artificial and "natural" flavorings. It's often made and doled out as cheaply as possible, with a big mark-up typical of almost all breakfast cereals. And this is the product most Americans accept as "oatmeal," as it's all they've ever known called by that name.

Whereas real oatmeal, such as steel-cut oats cooked gently for a half-hour or so, is full of rich, nutty grain flavors by comparison. And it's better for you. But you'll probably have to go to a specialty food store to find the stuff with which to make it, or to a high-end eatery.

I suspect all we need now is an "Oatmeal Lobbyist" website ("Respect Oatmeal") and "Oatmeal Connoisseur" and "Gruel" magazines....

Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione Gives Grousing Beer Geeks an Earful.....

2012-01-10T18:21:00.002-05:00

.... for going on (and on and on) about "overrated craft breweries" on BeerAdvocate.com's forums.

Three cheers for his proper, and well-thought-out, response, perfectly in keeping with his character.

Scots Scientists Recreate Century-Old Whisky

2012-01-07T18:27:00.000-05:00

As reported in Popular Science:

In 1907, Ernest Shackleton and crew set out on the ship Nimrod to visit Antarctica and, they hoped, the South Pole. The good news was, the entire party survived the trip, thanks in part to the Rare Old Highland Whisky they brought to the frozen continent. But the expedition was forced to evacuate in 1909, some 100 miles short of the Pole they sought. And, as winter ice encroached and the men hurried home, they left behind three cases of the choice whisky.
In 2007, just about a century later, the whisky was found, intact, at the expedition's hut at Cape Royds in Antarctica.
The stuff was made by Mackinlay & Co at the Glen Mhor distillery in 1896 or thereabouts. Mackinlay hasn't been an active brand for a while now, but the current owner of the Mackinlay name, Whyte and Mackay, obtained a few of the precious bottles and set out to do what any right-thinking Scot would do: first, taste the whisky; and second, attempt to analyze and re-create it. The result, a product called Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky, is, as of this writing, buyable in stores.

This, of course, raises two questions:

1) Given a certain Delaware brewery's a) ownership of a distillery and 2) fetish for recreating its interpretation of historic recipes based on similar chemical analysis, how long before they undertake a similar project?

2) Are any other readers here old enough to have read this and asked upon reading this story "Are those guys sure they didn't blunder upon one of those cases of Canadian whiskey Canadian Club was stashing as a publicity gimmick for years?"

Sorry about that, Highlandtown......

2012-01-06T13:49:00.001-05:00

Remember the June story announcing a new brewery for The Raven in the old Haussner's restaurant in Highlandtown?

As Emily Litella would say, "Never mi-i-i-nd!"

With the new project in Waverly, Baltimore-Washington Beer Works president Stephen Demczuk has announced that he's abandoning the Highlandtown proposal. "Now 100% on 30th Street," he reported in an e-mail.

Specials at Alewife

2012-01-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

Alewife doesn't get enough "love" here, so its time for a little equal time. From their Facebook post (with a correction or two):

TONIGHT we are putting on a gravity keg of Zehendner Mönchsambacher Lagerbier; it's a Keller Bier and will not be back until next year. Next week, on Wednesday we will will have a keg of the "Big D," a collaboration of Oliver and Dawson's, and on Thursday we [will serve] the ONLY keg of "Cedar Dales" on the east coast, there is not much of it so come down give it a try and get a pint glass.

I presume the latter refers to a cedar-wood-aged Dale's Pale Ale from Oskar Blues; here's a review of a similar (identical?) cedar-aged Dale's.

Heavy Seas Alehouse To Open Feb. 15th

2012-01-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

The Heavy Seas Alehouse management team has announced February 15th as their opening date--just days before Max's annual Belgian Beer Fest.

From the press release:

Chef Matt Seeber, formerly the Executive Chef at the flagship Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak at the MGM Grand for 6 years before settling in Baltimore, will lead Heavy Seas Alehouse's kitchen.
Craftsteak received numerous awards during Seeber's tenure, including the AAA 4 Diamond Award, Michelin Guide, Sante, Mobil and inclusion in John Curtas' "Eating Las Vegas: The 50 Essential Restaurants". Seeber has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry including a term at the famed New York City Gramercy Tavern and certification as a Chef Instructor from the French Culinary Institute.

"I'm excited to be cooking focused and bold flavored food that pairs well with Baltimore's own Heavy Seas Beer," stated Seeber. "Baltimore at its core has a long standing love affair with beer and we look forward to making an impression on the scene and raising the bar on the brewhouse experience."

Vince Cassino has been named General Manager. As GM, Cassino brings with him a wealth of experience in the Baltimore restaurant arena. Former assistant GM of Sisson's Federal Hill, Cassino reunites with the team that started brewhouses in Charm City. Cassino brings an exceptional commitment to both employee and guest satisfaction that ensures a phenomenal experience for all guests.

"I'm very excited to be back in Baltimore City," said Cassino. "I believe in the exceptional quality of the Heavy Seas brands and continually promoted them even in the post-Sissons era. I can continue to do so, coming back full circle to where it all started...the great city of Baltimore."

Heavy Seas said that beer fans can help set the atmosphere at the restaurant. Those who have participated in the Clipper City Brewery tours may be familiar with the Heavy Seas Beer Blessing invocation recited by Hugh Sisson.
Heavy Seas Alehouse is requesting video submissions by individuals performing the Beer Blessing either costumed as a Baltimore icon or in front of iconic Baltimore landmarks. Video submissions will be posted on the Heavy Seas Alehouse Facebook page where fans may vote for their favorite. The wining entrant will receive a $100 gift certificate and their video will be incorporated into the permanent video lineup broadcast at the restaurant. For full rules of the contest, interested contestants can visit
https://www.facebook.com/HeavySeasAleHouse?sk=app_95936962634

Flying Dog Brewhouse Rarities

2011-12-30T18:36:00.001-05:00

Flying Dog recently announced that they were going to be releasing a series of new one-off beers, once a month, in 2012. They've now announced the planned series:

Introducing Brewhouse Rarities, a series of limited-edition releases crafted by individual brewers here at Flying Dog.
We'll be releasing twists on the following styles throughout 2012:
Imperial Hefeweizen
Black Lager with Cherries
Abbey Dubbel
Sour Cherry
Red Ale
Gose
Nut Brown
Weizenbock
Gruit
Belgian Strong
For you locals, the Imperial Hefeweizen will premiere on Thursday, January 5 at Max's Taphouse in Baltimore.

Not included in the above list is the previously-announced Wildeman, a variation of the Farmhouse IPA, which will arrive in mid-to-late January and become a permanent part of the brewery's portfolio.

By my count, this still leaves one planned release unaccounted for...........

Brewer's Cask is Open.......

2011-12-30T16:30:00.003-05:00

Well, kinda sorta.

The new old beer bar in Federal Hill opened for a lunch market yesterday, within minutes of their liquor license being handed to them. Unfortunately, the draft lines were still being worked on, and the promised cask and beer engine was not set up uet, but they're selling what bottles they have on site--a decent cross-selection of local, national, and international favorites--for $4 a bottle until the drafts are up and running--possibly as early as tonight.

Kitchen's up and running, though.

Penna. Flavor Beer-and-Food Fest in Harrisburg April 28th

2011-12-30T12:43:00.004-05:00

You might want to add this to your "to-do" list for 2012, and tickets are already on sale:

The PA Flavor: The Ultimate Beer and Food Pairing will be held Saturday, April 28, 1-5 p.m. at the State Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg, PA. VIP Admission at 1:00 p.m, General Admission at 2:00 p.m, Event ends at 5 p.m.
PA Flavor: Beer and Food Expo, presented jointly by the Pennsylvania Brewers Guild, the American Culinary Federation and the Department of Agriculture’s PA Preferred Program, is designed to showcase the many unique beer and food offerings in Pennsylvania.
Focusing on Pennsylvania beer and food, this event brings together up to 40 Pennsylvania breweries along with 20 PA Preferred food producers and 20 PA Preferred restaurants in a sampling event for 1500+ attendees.
Attendees will be able to sample from all vendors and be able to purchase take home items from all food producers, as well as sample the numerous beer brewed from around the state and partake in restaurant samples featuring Pennsylvania beer and PA Preferred food items.

Depending on which breweries appear, this may be an excellent opportunity for "one-stop" shopping to sample the range of beers in Pennsylvania without so much driving (but a hotel or motel room afterwards, please). This may bear watching.

Good Beer Events for New Year's Eve and January UPDATED

2011-12-30T12:33:00.000-05:00

Snipped mostly from Mid-Atlantic Brewing News' online Hop Tips Calendar, with a few non-Maryland events thrown in for good measure.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's in Style at Brewer's Alley, Frederick, MD –
Two exciting ways for you to ring in the New Year. Fabulous New Year's Eve Specials that Chef Joe and the gang have put together in the regular dinning areas as well as a 3-course pre-fixe menu in the upstairs Banquet rooms overlook Historic Downtown. Reservations and details at 301-631-0089. www.brewers-alley.com.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's Eve Bash at Kloby's, Laurel, MD –
Ring in 2012 with a firkin of Heavy Seas Smoke on the Water plus many other HS beers on tap. Live music from Dirty Secret, food specials, and more. 8pm-2am. 301-362-1510 or www.klobysbbq.com.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's Eve at Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia, MD –
Special menu at 4pm, live music, complimentary champagne toast. Open 10am-2am. And open New Year's Day. www.victoriagastropub.com.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's Eve at Ram's Head, all locations –
Drink specials from 9pm-1:30am. Live music, party favors, and complimentary beer toast at midnight. .www.ramsheadtavern.com.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's Eve Dinner at KClingers, Hanover, PA –
Choose from Roasted Prime Au Jus, Broiled Rockfish Almondine, or Chicken and Crab Stuffed Shells, all with two sides for $20.95, market price, or $16.95, respectively. Or just come for the best local party anywhere -- party favors + champagne toast at midnight for $12, with music by Booker Lee & Co Fair. 717-633-9197 or www.kclingers.com.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's Eve at Belga Cafe, D.C. –
Decadent 5-course menu for $79. Reservations an more info at 202-544-0100 or www.belgacafe.com.

Saturday, December 31st: New Year's Eve at Cap City, D.C. –
Drink specials, complimentary midnight champagne toast, great food, awesome beer, and watch celebrations from other cities on one of the many large screen tvs. $5 in advance, $10 at the door. 10pm-2am. 202-628-2222 or www.capcitybrew.com.

Monday, January 2nd: Oliver's Pint Night at Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia, MD featuring The Big D (with limited glassware giveaway), the first release of Winter's Wolves Winter Ale (cask & draft), and Jacob's Winter Celebration, William's Winter Warmer, Hot Monkey Love, BW Rye #2, Draft Punk, Strongman Pale Ale single hop Sorachi Ace and Coventry Cream Ale. www.victoriagastropub.com

Thursday, January 5th: Scotch Ale Release Party at Ram's Head, all locations –
$4 commemorative glassware with $1 each additional pour. 4-6pm. www.ramsheadtavern.com.

Tuesday, January 10th: Heavy Seas Vertical Tasting/Release Party, Max's Taphouse, Baltimore –
The Heavy Seas crew will celebrate the annual debut of one of their favorite Mutiny Fleet beers: Siren Noire. Their imperial chocolate stout will be on draft at Max's. They'll also stage a vertical tasting of the barleywine, with four kinds to try (Below Decks 2010, Below Decks 2011, Below Decks Bourbon, and Below Deck Cabernet)! Black Cannon, the brewery's black IPA, will round out the selection; it'll be on draft and in the cask. 6-9pm. 410-675-6297. www.hsbeer.com/vertasting.
Tuesday, January 10th: Bell's Dinner at RFD, Washington D.C. –
Five courses and light appetizers. $60 includes tax and gratuity. Tickets at www.lovethebeer.com.

Wednesday, January 11th: Flying Dog Beer Dinner at Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia, MD –
Five courses. $85 plus tax and gratuity. 6:30pm. Menu at www.victoriagastropub.com.

Thursday, January 12th: Heavy Seas SPBW Meeting at Liam Flynn's Ale House, Baltimore –
A special cask will be on hand for a meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood, a group that takes their real ale seriously. Try some Fraoch Abrogod, Heavy Seas Pale Ale cask-conditioned with Northern Brewer hops, heather, and apricot. 5-7pm. 410-244-8447. www.hsbeer.com/liam-flynns.

Tuesday, January 17th: Heavy Seas Pints and Pizza at Johnny Rad's, Baltimore –
Black Cannon and Loose Cannon for $3 when you buy a pizza. Bonus: keep your Heavy Seas pint glass with your first beer. 6-9pm. 443-759-6464. www.hsbeer.com/johnny-rads.

Tuesday, January 17th: Heavy Seas Beer Dinner at Granville Moore's, Washington, D.C. –
Teddy and Matt collaborated with HS firkenmeister to design a very special Black Cannon cask to accompany the dinner. 6pm. Details and reservations at 202-399-2546 or www.granvillemoores.com.

Thursday, January 19th: Vintage Beer Dinner with Dogfish Head at Hemingways, Kent Island, MD –
$55 includes tax and gratuity. 6pm. Menu and reservations at www.dogfish.com.

Thursday, January 26th: Heavy Seas Beer Dinner at Stanford Grill, Columbia, MD –
Join Heavy Seas' founder Hugh Sisson for an exquisite four-course meal. Fourof the Mutiny Fleet beers will be served, including Prosit!, Yule Tide,Smoke on Water, and Siren Noire. 6pm. 410-312-0445 or www.hsbeer.com/stanford-grill.

Saturday, January 28th: Beer Pairing Dinner at Pratt Street Ale House, Baltimore –
With Stillwater Artisanal Ales and Oliver Ales. 7pm. Info at 410-244-8900 or www.prattstreetalehouse.com.

Saturday, February 4th: Heavy Seas Beer and Oyster Fest, Halethorpe –
At least 10 different kinds of oysters brought in from around the world and top local restaurants serving up their favorite oyster and seafood dishes. One-of-a-kind Casks, Firkins, and Heavy Seas Beers. $49. Noon to 4pm. Tickets at http://www.drinkeatrelax.com/tickets/heavy-seas-festivals/heavy-seas-oyster-festival-february-4th/heavy-seas-oyster-festival-febr

Tuesday, February 28th: Heavy Seas Beer Dinner with Hugh Sisson at Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia, MD –
In addition to Clipper Fleet classics like Heavy Seas Pale and Märzen, they'll have a vertical tasting of Loose Cannon and Black Cannon. For dessert, expect to see a buttery cabernet barrel-aged Below Decks barleywine and smooth Siren Noire. Tickets and details at 410-750-1880 or www.hsbeer.com/vicgastropub. www.victoriagastropub.com.

Gordion Biersch: Stifling Creativity? No... and Yes....

2011-12-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

An interesting post by MABN/Washington Post's Greg Kitsock comparing Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom/District Chop House over a year after the merger under the Craftworks banner:

The stereotype held by many craft-beer geeks about Gordon Biersch (with locations currently in the District, Rockville, and Annapolis, and thirty-plus other locations across the country) is that of a lager-friendly brewpub chain doling out mass-market-friendly "cookie-cutter" recipes to their outlets and telling the brewers to crank them out repeatedly, sending samples to the corporate lab for quality-control analysis. And there's a lot of truth to that. Meanwhile, Rock Bottom (with an award-winning location and brewer in Bethesda) was widely seen as the "chain that isn't a chain," with each location having its own distinct line-up of beers.

Now?

Gordon Biersch locations still have to keep five standard German-style brands on tap at all times and release four set-in-stone seasonals at the appropriate times. But the brewers are being granted considerable leeway in crafting “gap” beers to fill the down times between seasonal releases.
Last summer, brewer Kevin Blodger [whom many readers here may remember as a brewer at Capitol City Brewing in the Harborplace location] of the Gordon Biersch in Rockville released a “Gose,” an obscure eastern German-style ale flavored with coriander and salt. It was so well received that Blodger will likely repeat the recipe in 2012. On Dec. 28, Grant Carson of the Tyson’s Corner Gordon Biersch will tap a Rauch Dunkelbock, a strong dark lager made with 60 percent beechwood-smoked malt. Carson previewed the beer at R.F.D. Washington’s holiday tasting on Dec. 15; first sip brought out those bacony, phenolic notes typical of Bamberger rauchbiers, but it quickly was replaced by a depth of bittersweet chocolate flavor.
What’s more significant, Gordon Biersch for the first time is allowing its brewers to experiment with non-German styles. Blodger was set to tap a hoppy, American-style pale ale this week. In late January/early February, as part of a new Brewer’s Select program, all three local Gordon Biersch restaurants will unveil unique house beers. Blodger has a barley wine in the works. Scott Lasater at the Washington Gordon Biersch plans to tap a Belgian-style dubbel. And Carson will offer a saison, an IPA and possibly a Vienna-style lager.

But over at Rock Bottom?

Before the merger, each Rock Bottom brewpub offered a unique lineup of beers. Now, brewers are required to toe the line by keeping four year-around beers on tap at all locations: Rock Bottom Kolsch, White Ale, IPA and Red Ale.
“We’re being stigmatized because we’re all brewing the same beers, but we picked award-winning recipes that have a lot of hardware behind them,” protests brewer Dave Warwick of the Arlington Rock Bottom. The Red Ale, for instance, is based on the Raccoon Red formulated by Geoff Lively of the Bethesda Rock Bottom, winner of numerous Great American Beer Festival medals.
Both Warwick and Lively, however, stress that they’re still allowed considerable freedom in brewing a rotating dark beer and a once-a-month seasonal release. For about the 12th year in a row, Lively released his Anniversary Ale, but this year for the first time he added a dry-hopping with Amarillo, Mt. Hood and Cascade varieties, which contribute a spicy, herbal underpinning to the fresh ginger and sweet orange peel traditionally added to the beer. (He was also planning to tap one-, three- and five-year-old versions of his Atom Smasher barley wine.)

Left out of this comparison is District ChopHouse, one of four ChopHouse locations taken over by Craftworks, which is but a block away from the D.C. location of Gordon Biersch, and for which Wharf Rat/Oliver Ales alumni Barrett Lauer still brews......

Have you seen these places lately? Thoughts? Do folks still want a GB or Rock Bottom in Baltimore?

Christmas Eve in Rural Retreat, Va. 1957

2011-12-24T18:59:00.002-05:00

Train 42 'The Pelican' headed by Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 Class J 603 arrives at Rural Retreat, VA eastbound from New Orleans to Washington shortly before 10 pm Dec. 27th, 1957, and thunders off into the night. The Norfolk & Western Railway's own Class J was perhaps the finest of all express steam engines, and 603 is heard here in its last days of main line service with a consist of 17 cars. The photograph with the video is of Train 17 'The Birmingham Special' westbound arriving later that same night at 11.37 pm, being waved through by Agent J.L. Akers. The photograph and sound recording were by O. Winston Link and his assistant Corky Zider who operated a Tapesonic recorder and non-directional microphone; the Christmas carols on the chimes were played specially for the recording at the nearby Grace Lutheran Church by Mrs. Kathryn Dodson. Seven nights later, steam motive power would come to an end on the N&W main line through Rural Retreat and Bristol.

Alternate recording, with different photo of an eastbound and possibly of better audio quality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdWl4ur6hMM

NPR interview with Mrs. Dodson in 2001:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqRwIKJYPLA

The station still stands in 2011, in poor condition but the subject of a preservation effort:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25703516

The Wild Goose is Still Dead...........?

2011-12-22T14:05:00.001-05:00

A year ago today, many Mid-Atlantic craft beer aficionados were rejoicing over the pre-Christmas news that the new start-up Logan Shaw Brewery then starting up in Washington, D.C. had acquired the Wild Goose brand, which had just been abandoned the previous month by Flying Dog, new owners of the brand's second home in Frederick.

In February 2011, the brewery was reportedly signing a lease on a property in Waldorf, outside the District. Earlier, the company had announced that they were searching for a contract partner to brew the beer for them until they could get their own brewery up and running. Anybody following the travails of The Raven Beer, Pratt Street Ale House, Heavy Seas, and Flying Dog will laugh at that proposal that someone in this area has the spare capacity. (Left unmentioned in this discussion is yet another brewery, with Ringwood equipment like the original Cambridge Wild Goose brewery, about which little has been heard lately, but that's another story.....)

Nothing has been heard from the principals of Logan Shaw in months. E-mails and phone calls have gone unanswered.

Is this Wild Goose finally dead, cooked, and gone?

Ironically, another "Wild Goose" has shown up in craft brewing--Wild Goose Engineering in Boulder, Colorado is now designing and building canning lines for craft breweries, including a new system installed this past summer at Breckenridge Brewing.

New Flying Dog Beers Now and for 2012--and Time for a New Brewery?

2011-12-16T22:59:00.001-05:00

Lots of Flying Dog news swarming out, so here's a quick recap:

Newest beer: Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout, a now-permanent addition to their portfolio after earlier Coffee Stout experimental batches. It's out on draft and on shelves as of this week.

To follow soon: 12 new beers for 2012. First up: Wildeman, a variation of the Farmhouse IPA brewed earlier this year to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the legendary Amsterdam taproom, In De Wildeman. Wildeman will arrive in mid-to-late January and become a permanent part of the brewery's portfolio. Other new beers will include an "Imperial Hefeweizen," an Abbey Dubbel with the working title Disobedience, a black lager brewed with cherries, and a Gose.

Canning will begin in March; the first beer to get canned will be Underdog, a "sessionable East Coast pale ale" that will check in between 4.5 and 4.8 percent ABV.
“We aren’t sure yet if we will call it a session beer, but everything about it will indicate to the consumer that it is an easier drinking beer with tons of flavor,” brewery CEO Jim Caruso said in an interview with Brewbound. "I think this beer has the potential to be one of our top sellers next year.” Underdog will replace Tire Bite Golden Ale. Caruso said that ten percent of the brewery production (100,000 cases) will make its way into cans and expects Snake Dog IPA to be canned as well. The cans will be released only to the Mid-Atlantic market, and consumers will recognize slightly larger but still familiar Flying Dog artwork.

Flying Dog will also be partnering The Perfect Truffle, a Frederick chocolatier, to brew up a special chocolate beer just for SAVOR, the annual craft beer and food pairing event hosted by the Brewers Association in Washington D.C.

All this production comes at a price, of course. Caruso said the company plans to finish 2011 using over 75% of its potential 110,000-barrel brewing capacity at its Wedgwood Boulevard plant.. At that pace, Flying Dog will produce between 82,000 and 86,000 barrels of beer before the year’s end. He also said that he expects the current facility to reach its 110,000 barrel limit next year and is currently investigating ways to expand, including expanding at the current site or relocating to a new site. An additional four 200-barrel fermenters are scheduled to arrive in the early part of January.

The brewery also announced a "Junto Society," a beer club meeting monthly at the brewery, named after the philosophical society founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1727. The $150 annual memberships, which were limited to 100 subscribers and included benefits such as a six-pack or growler of each month's limited-release beer, sold out within hours of being announced to the brewery's e-mail list.

Brewer's Art Donates Domain Name to Belgian Family Brewers Association

2011-12-15T12:33:00.003-05:00

The Brewer's Art brewpub of Mount Vernon, which registered the highly-coveted (and potentially valuable, had it been offered for sale today) domain www.belgianbeer.com way back in 1996, has donated the rights to the domain to the Belgian Family Brewers Association.

Baltimore Belgian beer writer Chuck Cook, who had a hand in the donation process, has the full story at his blog.

The Brewer's Art still retains its second, and now primary, domain, www.thebrewersart.com.

A New Beer Business In Town, and other quick updates

2011-12-13T18:13:00.000-05:00

Pints and Plates is the new beer-dinner catering enterprise of East Baltimore residents Judy Neff and Lena Denison.
This week's Baltimore City Paper has a review of Maureen O'Prey's new Brewing in Baltimore book, which is debutting at Clipper City Brewing this Saturday..
Wednesday's Washington Post has Greg Kitsock's monthly Beer column, this time on local hops and malt in locally-brewed beer.

More Max's Mania

2011-12-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

I'm jus' gonna put up what the e-mail said (with corrections)........ You already see/know about Wednesday's fun (see post below this one):

THURSDAY DEC 15, 2011
5PM TILL--?
FLYING DOG KUJO CASKS - 5 DIFFERENT VERSIONS
We will be featuring 5 different versions of Flying Dog Kujo stout on Cask.

ON CASK:
Kujo w/ Samtura Coffee & Oak Chips Soaked in Rum primed w/ Agave Nectar
Kujo w/ Brazilian Coffee & Vanilla Bean primed w/ Agave Nectar
Kujo w/ Ethiopian Coffee & Elderberry primed w/ Agave Nectar
Kujo w/ Colombian Coffee & Star Anise primed w/ Agave Nectar
Kujo w/ Kenyan Coffee & Vanilla Bean primed w/ Agave Nectar

we will also have on draft- Kujo, Old Scratch, Raging Bitch, Double Dog & k9 Cruiser.

FRIDAY DEC 16, 2011
8PM-TIL ?
COME MEET JEREMY COWAN, THE OWNER OF SCHMALTZ BREWING (HE'BREW & CONEY ISLAND ALES)

We will have
ON DRAFT:
He'brew Messiah Bold
He'brew Genesis
He'brew Hop Manna IPA
He'brew Jewbelation 14
He'brew Bittersweet Lenny RIPA
He'brew Geektoberfest
He'brew Genesis 15:15
He'brew Vertical Jewbelation
He'brew Rejewventaor
He'brew Origin
He'brew Jewbelation 13
He'brew Jewbelation 12
Coney Island Human Blockhead
Coney Island Albino Python

Plus Bottles of Hebrew Jewbelation 15

TUESDAY DEC 20, 2011
6pm-til ?
STILLWATER SATURNALIA DAY
We will be featuring a bunch of different versions of Stillwater Folklore and many others.

ON DRAFT
Folklore
Folklore Red Wine barrel
Folklore Jack Daniels Barrel
Folklore W/ Coffee (Cask)
Folklore w/ French Oak (Cask)
Our Side Red Wine Barrel
Autumnal Red Wine Barrel
Debauched
Stillwater/Mikkeller Rauchstar
Plus a Few others....

IN BOTTLES
Stillwater/Max's 25 to One
Stillwater Barrel Aged Cellar Door
Stillwater Barrel Aged Stateside
Stillwater Barrel Aged Existent
Stillwater Folklore
Stillwater Of Love & Regret

Max's at 25

2011-12-12T23:47:00.004-05:00

Max's Taphouse is marking its 25th anniversary on Wednesday the 14th with a party beginning at 6 p.m. filling all three bars. Fun, crowds, door prizes, food, music (two bands), and some very special casks made by Max's own employees at the Heavy Seas Brewery, offered at $4 a pint from 6 p.m. on:

THE SPECIAL CASKS:

HEAVY SEAS GOLD
W/ Amarillo Hops
Orange Peel (Bitter)
Orange Peel
White Oak
Persimmon

HEAVY SEAS MARZEN
w/ Black Locust Cascade Hops
Stayman Apples
Clover Honey
Toasted Pear Wood
Cinnamon Chips

HEAVY SEAS LOOSE CANNON
w/ West Coast Cascade Hops
White Peaches
Elderflowers
Honey(Pure)
Coriander 2011

HEAVY SEAS PALE ALE
w/ West Coast Amarillo
Hibiscus Flowers
Fig
Coriander
Lavender

Be there or be square.

Survey Mania, or Indecision?

2011-12-12T16:30:00.001-05:00

Let's see. In the past couple days, I've been mulling a request by the owner of a particular bar, who wants to survey the readers of this blog readers for which beer(s) he would add next to his rotation of multiple taps. (Still thinking. Need to catch up with him in person and talk it over.)

Next, Heavy Seas announces a survey asking what hops and spices should be added to a cask of Loose Cannon for their upcoming Oyster Fest.

Next comes Burley Oak Brewery of Berlin, Md. asking on their Facebook page, "What type of beer would you like to see us create?"

Hmmmm. What do you think?

You Know You're Too Much of a Beer Geek When....

2011-12-09T13:54:00.001-05:00

........... when you can perfectly interpret this tag on a beer cask:

"Below Decks Toasted Pear Wet West Coast Simcoe".

It's a featured cask at tomorrow's Brewer's Art Holiday Beer Tasting at Pratt Street Ale House, by the way. And as last report, a few straggling tickets should be available at the door for $40 each.

(Photo from Oliver Ales via Facebook)

DuClaw Plans Major Expansion in Harford County

2011-12-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

From today's Baltimore Business Journal (preview only; full story for subscribers but may be posted publicly later):

DuClaw Brewing Co. is plotting a major Harford County expansion, part of a plan to push its line of beers into states up and down the East Coast.
The 15-year-old suds maker and restaurant chain has outgrown 10,000 square feet of brewery space in Abingdon and has a contract to acquire a vacant 165,000-square-foot building in Havre De Grace to help meet its expansion goals. DuClaw plans to occupy roughly half of the 26-acre property, at 1601 Clark Road, and lease the bulk of the excess space to contractors and vendors it does business with.

DuClaw founder/president David Benfield had briefed me on the general expansion strategy last week, over a 2005 DuClaw Repent at Max's Taphouse, but safe to say the cat's now out of the bag. The building in question is located just southeast of the junction of Rt. 40 and Post Road (Rt. 7A), on the other side of the industrial siding tracks from Stancil Field Park, in the "industrial" southwest corner of Havre de Grace.

According to information provided by a DuClaw publicist, renovations to the new site will begin in April, with hopes to have the building ready for brewing by next fall, and immediately expand production from the current 8-9,000 barrels to around 25,000 barrels annually within a year. The building affords the space for a potential production of around 125,000 barrels, which if realized would place DuClaw in the same league as Flying Dog, Victory and Troegs. Also projected is an immediate expansion of distribution to Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia; expanded bottle packaging and draft accounts at non-DuClaw bars has increased to reflect 35% of its sales in late 2012, up from a mere 1% from last year's 22-ounce-bottle sales.

Benfield is also planning an expansion of its beer-restaurant chain through a franchising arrangement similar to Dogfish Head's Alehouses and the pending Heavy Seas Ale House, beginning with an initial Maryland location, possibly in Baltimore City or Montgomery County, Md., with potential future locations in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

UPDATE: More from the Baltimore Sun's Explore Harford County page, including comments from Jim Richardson, Harford County's director of economic development, who notes that a deal for the property, which has been vacant for several years, has still not been signed.

Fourth Time the Charm for S. Light Street Bar? Brewer's Cask Looks to Break the Jinx

2011-12-07T10:22:00.001-05:00

The location at 1236 S. Light Street, across the street from the Light Street Branch of the Pratt Street Library, should hold a soft spot for craft beer enthusiasts in South Baltimore, if not all of Baltimore. But it's had a somewhat troubled history.

First, it gained attention as Ken Krucenski shifted his Irish-themed Sean Bolan's into a craft-beer emporium, adding twenty draft lines and a multitude of craft bottles to turn the bar largely away from its Guinness-and-shamrock trappings into a well-regarded craft beer emporium. Ken's personal life ended up taking precedence, however, and he sold the bar in October 2005 to a team that reopened the place as Clayton's, an upscale-aiming restaurant that paid little attention to its beer line potential. That place folded after a year or so, allowing Krucenski to reclaim his real estate and offer the modestly redecorated bar for lease. Local bartender Danny Young took up the call, opening the bar as Muggsy's Mug House, in early 2008, focusing on servings of craft beer in the 10-ounce mugs once used by Sean Bolan's to offer three-mug beer samplers (a technique pioneered by the original Wharf Rat in Fells Point and still in use by Mahaffey's in Canton). Young gave it a valiant effort for three years, but closed in June 2011.

Now a pair of partners have purchased the location, and are feverishly rehabilitating the interior for a projected opening before Christmas, possibly a soft opening early next week. And with a name like The Brewer's Cask, you know they are aiming at the craft beer market. Indeed, the bar's slogan is already "Love thy beer".

According to one of the owners:

We are going to have 20 beers on tap and will decent size of bottled selection and grow the selection based on customer's recommendations. Also we are going to try acquire the brewing licence and start brewing in home, and YES! we are going to have Cask Ales.
We have hired [a] Chef from Milan restaurant in Little Italy and he has put together a great menu.

Check out the website.

Beer List for Saturday's Brewer's Art/PSAH Tasting

2011-12-07T10:09:00.001-05:00

Still trying to decide if you want to go to that Holiday Beer Tasting Saturday afternoon at Pratt Street Ale House? Here's a partial beer list--and did we mention free food to go with it all?:

Brewer's Alley - Scotch Ale
Brewers Art -St. Festivus
Pub DOG -Very Berry Tart
DuClaw -Devil's Milk and Bourbon-Aged Porter
Evolution - Secret Spot Ale
Flying Dog - Pearl Necklace oyster stout & K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale
Heavy Seas - Winter Storm
Olivers - As well as the usual PSAH offerings, now including Hot Monkey Love and William's Winter Warmer, BW Rye #2 (8% Rye Porter, brewed in collaboration with 3 Stars Brewing Co. of D.C.)
Red Brick Station - Murphy's Porter
Stillwater/PSAH/Brewers Art collaboration: Merry Ole S.O.B. with Belgian yeast & rosemary, draft and cask (latter dry-hopped with German Tettnanger)
Troegs - JavaHead, Troegenator and Mad Elf
Victory -Yakima Glory
Weyerbacher - Winter Ale

A "Facebook Photoblocker" for Bars?

2011-12-05T15:17:00.001-05:00

It's come to this: The problem of people snapping candid photos of friends and acquaintances in bars and nightclubs, posting them to Facebook/Twitter/whatever, and arousing ire and problems for the subjects is now apparently so prevalent that an Argentinian beer company, Cerveza Norte, is now promoting a tabletop beer cooler for bars that comes complete with a flash mechanism that "blinds" the camera from which the flash came, washing out the intended picture and protecting the privacy of those at the table. This is likely to become an extra-cost option for patrons, much like the tap-equipped tables at some bars.

Those who still want to post pictures of the beers they're drinking are apparently still safe. And I can easily figure out how to build one myself (flipping through the B&H photo catalog in a minute to confirm my suspicions).....

Beer Events Week of Dec. 5th

2011-12-05T13:35:00.001-05:00

Just a quick run-down, likely to be updated as events warrant:

Max's Taphouse is holding its annual Holiday Beer Social on Tuesday the 6th:

ALL ON DRAFT:
Struise Tsjeeses Reserva
10.0% Belgian tripel aged 8 Months on Stone Fruits and 6 Months on oak (Belgium)
Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva 2005
10.0% Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Aged 24 Months on oak barrels; The Last 10 Months are aged on Calvados oak Barrels. (Belgium)
Hebrew 15:15
13.5% Hybrid Barleywine w. Pommegrantes, Dates & Grapes (US)
Firestone Walker XV
12.5% Barrel Aged Blended Beer. 76% Barleywine style Beer, 19.0% Stout 5% Imperial IPA (US)
Evil Twin Soft Xmas
10.9% Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla & Sour Cherries (Denmark)
Evil Twin Christmas Eve At a New York City Hotel Room
10.0% Imperial Stout (Denmark)
Van Steenberge La Biere Du Boucanier Christmas
9.5% Belgian Holiday Ale (Belgium)
Emelisse Winterbier
9.0% Quad Style w/ Pils, Munchener & Abbey Malt w/ Candi Sugar(Netherlands)
Mikkeller Ris A La M'Ale 2011
8.0% Dutch Ale Based on a Traditonal Desert.(Denmark)
Plus Maybe one More Surprise Beers....

Meanwhile, just tapped at Max's Taphouse in addition to the above list for tomorrow:

Apostelbrau First Bavarian Pale, Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad and Ovila Dubbel, Corsendonk Christmas, Heavy Seas Winter Storm, New Belgium Prickly Passion and Fresh Hop, Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter, Emelisse Barleywine and Triple IPA, Laughing Dog Bourbon Dogfather, Evil Twin Williamsburg Hipster, B. Nektar Imperial Funky Monky Mead....... [the latter blends honey, cherries, and hops]....

Tuesday, December 6th: Holiday Beer Dinner at Brewer's Alley, Frederick -
Six courses for $45 plus tax and gratuity. Seatings at 5:30 and 7:30pm. Reservations at 301-631-0089. Menu at http://brewers-alley.com.

On Thursday the 8th, the Chesapeake Bay Branch SPBW gathers there. Expected to be served: Thornbridge Jaipur, Kipling, and Halcyon, Flying Dog Pearl Necklace and a beer from the Flying Fish stable.

Also on Dec. 8th: Beer and Food pairing at the Baltimore Museum of Industry on Key Highway in South Baltimore. Hugh Sisson, founder and managing partner of Heavy Seas, and "Mick the Pirate" Kapp, Whiskey Island Spices purveyor, will host the Beer and Food Tasting. Hugh Sisson will provide five of his beers, and Mick will pair them with some of his signature dishes. For more information, contact Penelope at pfallon@thebmi.org or 410.727.4808 x129 or purchase your tickets now ($25 BMI members, $35 non-members). Online ticket sales will be open through 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 6.

Also on Thursday: Heavy Seas Beer Pints and Tunes at Leadbetters, Baltimore: Keep your Heavy Seas pint glass with your first Loose Cannon, Heavy Seas Pale, or Winter Storm. Live music by G-Tore. 6-9pm. 410-675-4794 or www.leadbetterstavern.com.

Friday the 9th: not in Baltimore, but out in Frederick the Flying Dog Brewery is holding its Merry Firkin Christmas Freak Show from 7 to 11 PM:

We’ll have jugglers, magicians, fire dancers, sword swallowers, fire breathing, and more for a freak show that puts your in-law’s 20-person dinner table to shame. It’s the kind of party meant for those consistently shunned to the kids’ table.
DJ Two Teks will be spinning in the interludes. Along with 12 beers on tap, we’ll have 3 cask-conditioned ales on the bar and beer engine.

Tickets $30 in advance (service fee alert!), plus get a hotel room or the services of a designated driver.

Also Friday, December 9th: Winter Storm Cask at Judge's Bench, Ellicott City Taps at 5pm sharp. Keep the logo'd pint glass with your first pour from the cask. http://judgesbenchpub.com.

Saturday the 10th: need we say, the Mid-Atlantic Holiday Beer Festival at Pratt Street Ale House, brought to you by The Brewer's Art and PSAH. Breweries expected with their holiday/winter beer offerings include The Brewer’s Art, Brewer’s Alley, Dog Brewing, DuClaw, Evolution, Flying Dog, Heavy Seas, Oliver/PSAH (of course), Red Brick Station/White Marsh, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, Troegs, Victory, and Weyerbacher, with a few possible surprises. A generous buffet of food, supplied by both the Brewers Art and PSAH culinary wizards, is included with the $40 admission, and in past years at the Brewers Art has been worth the price of admission itself. (If you've been avoiding the Brewers Art dining room on the basis of the price, here's a chance to sample something besides the rosemary-garlic fries!) Tickets, which may well sell out before Saturday if past trends at the smaller Brewer's Art are any indication, are available here (service fee alert!).

Finally for now, Liam Flynn's is expecting another firkin of their house-blended Fraoch Abrogod Ale (a Heavy Seas cask with apricot and heather).

Lost in the Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition.....

2011-12-05T10:17:00.001-05:00

Folks seemingly seeking any excuse possible to hoist a celebratory drink have glomped onto the anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Dec. 5th, 1932, when Utah became the 36th of 48 states to approve it. (Even though, as noted by many a party-pooper, myself included, this simply passed the regulatory powers to the local level--as much as half the nation emerged still under some form of "prohibition" for months or even decades later.)

Lew Bryson pulled up this New York Times website page showing the news in that paper that day. And buried under the big news in that article is an ugly truth for those wishing to deify Franklin D. Roosevelt for his role in the end of Prohibition:

.... FDR wanted to not only outlaw bars, but impose government control of liquor distribution:

Mr. Roosevelt asked personally for what he andhis party had declined to make the subject ofFederal mandate -- that saloons be barred fromthe country.
"I ask especially," he said, "that no State shall, bylaw or otherwise, authorize the return of thesaloon, either in its old form or in some modernguise."
He enjoined all citizens to cooperate with thegovernment in its endeavor to restore a greaterrespect for law and order, especially by confiningtheir purchases of liquor to duly licensed agencies.This practice, which he personally requested everyindividual and every family in the nation to follow,would result, he said, in a better product forconsumption, in addition to the "break-up andeventual destruction of the notoriously evil illicitliquor traffic" and in tax benefits to thegovernment.
The President thus announced the policy of hisadministration -- to see that the social and politicalevils of the preprohibition era shall not be revivedor permitted again to exist. Failure of citizens touse their new freedom in helping to advance thispolicy, he said, would be "a living reproach to usall."
He expressed faith, too, in the "good sense of the American people" inpreventing excessive personal use of relegalized liquor. "The objective weseek through a national policy," he said, "is the education of every citizentoward a greater temperance throughout the nation."
As a means of enforcing his policy, the President has the Federal AlcoholControl Administration ready to take control of the liquor traffic and regulateit at the source of supply. [emphasis added]

Just a reality check, y'all. Remember that if FDR had his way, you wouldn't have a saloon like Mahaffey's, Max's, Baltimore Taphouse, Alonso's, Racers, Frisco, TBonz, etc. in which to hoist your toast.

New "Oriole Park" Brewery in Waverly--a Collaboration Brewery, To Boot!

2011-12-02T08:23:00.001-05:00

This writer has been sitting nervously on this story awaiting official confirmation and a chance not to "jinx" the story, but it just snuck out this morning in the Baltimore Business Journal, so....

Baltimore-Washington Beer Works, makers of The Raven, and Oliver Breweries, of Pratt Street Ale House and Wharf Rat fame, are in negotiations to take over the old Beverage Capital Corp. building on 401 E. 30th St. in the Waverly neighborhood of Baltimore. They would do so under the auspices of Charm City Brewing Co., a new company being formed by J. Hollis Albert, a consultant with BWBW and a former owner of Operators Energy Services, a Baltimore-based fuel-supply company that sold its business to Carrol Fuel in 2003.

The goal of Charm City Brewing would be to form a type of co-op that would help some of the city’s smaller beer companies increase their distribution and bottle their beers, Albert said to BBJ. The company would brew in new equipment to be installed in the long-vacant former beverage-packaging and distribution facility, which just happens to sit on a block that formerly housed a predecessor Oriole Park, built in 1916 and burned in 1944. (As the Wikipedia article explains, there have been a number of "Oriole Parks." After the blaze, Orioles games moved to Municipal Stadium on 33rd St., and then to the new Memorial Stadium in 1950.)

As planned, Albert's brewery would contract brew and bottle for The Raven until BWBW completes its planned brewery and pub in Highlandtown, and also for Oliver Breweries, in part in order to take some of the strain and pressure off of Oliver's head brewer Steve Jones, who calls himself "The Hunchback of Pratt Street" for his claustrophobic work environment at the Pratt Street Ale House. Albert also entertained the idea of other local breweries or bars, such as The Brewer's Art, using the brewery for commercial-scale production and distribution. (Tom Creegan, one of the Brewer's Art's owners, said in response "We have never negotiated or had any conversation about this new project.")

The proposed brewery has received zoning approval from city officials, with no neighborhood opposition.

Justin Dvorkin, owner of the Pratt Street Ale House, was enthusiastic about the possibilities of the new partnership. "It's a great idea, if everything comes together. We've been looking for a way to expand out of this building ever since we acquired it [from Bill Oliver], and this looks like a good way for us to move forward. And, yes, to spare Steve's back a bit. It's a great facility--it's already laid out for beverage production, so putting in a brewery is going to be easier than most places." The planned partnership would allow Oliver Breweries to expand its distribution with bottled beer in retail markets, something the former Wharf Rat experimented with twice, both times briefly. (You're a true veteran of the Baltimore craft beer scene if you remember the original bottled "Oliver Ale" cranked out at Wild Goose Brewery in Cambridge, with green bottles!)

Stephen Demczuk of BWBW told the BBJ that his beer is currently distributed in five states, and that his current contract brewer, Clipper City Brewing Co. in Halethorpe, doesn't have enough room to continue brewing The Raven with its own increased production. "I can't get any more beer there. It's as simple as that. I could triple my [production] volume, but I can't. So I'm losing revenue as a result."

More on this story to come...........

Md. Alcohol Tax Raised Under False Pretenses--So How About Giving It BACK?

2011-11-29T00:35:00.001-05:00

Yeah, remember how, in April, the People's Democratic Republic of Maryland raised the sales tax on your alcohol purchases fifty percent, from 6% to 9%, and then retailers weren't allowed to add it as a separate line on your receipts?
Do you remember what that money was supposed to go for?

Remember that lovely "bait and switch" tactic where the excise tax was proposed with revenues going to specific health programs, and then once everyone got that in their heads and favored a tax increase, it shifted to a sales tax increase to be phased in over three years, with much (not all) of the money targeted to education programs in Baltimore and Prince George's County.

According to stories at MarylandReporter.com (which broke the story) and in the Annapolis Capital, the state's Developmental Disabilities Administration, the Maryland state program that allocates monies to pay for the care and development of those with physical/mental disabilities, received $15 million from that tax increase this year so far.

And it didn't need it:

For more than two years, Heidi Berlin and her husband, Dan, have fought state bureaucracy while seeking help for their developmentally disabled son.
And for more than two years, officials have told the Edgewater couple there isn't enough money in state coffers.
So the Berlins were shocked to learn this month that over the past two years the Developmental Disabilities Administration hadn't spent at least $34 million intended to help people with disabilities - and actually returned more than $25 million to the state's General Fund.

A spokeswoman said the Developmental Disabilities Administration serves about 22,000 people. It operates on a nearly $840 million annual budget, including about $498 million from the state and $342 from the federal government. As a result of the state's new 9 percent alcohol sales tax, the agency received a $15 million boost this year.
Kirkland didn't know why the agency didn't spend the $34.5 million. He said it came to light over the summer as his agency closed its books on fiscal 2011 - which ended June 30.
An investigation is under way by the inspector general of the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a private consultant. Preliminarily, Kirkland said it doesn't appear anything criminal occurred.
"It just seems to have probably been poor business practices," Kirkland said.
According to an Oct. 28 letter from DHMH Secretary Joshua Sharfstein to legislative leaders, the surplus was the result of the "inappropriate charging" of fiscal 2011 expenditures to the previous fiscal year. When officials corrected the error, the agency first believed it ended fiscal 2010 with a $25.7 million surplus and fiscal 2011 with a $12.6 million surplus.
Upon further review, the agency determined the fiscal 2011 surplus to be only $8.8 million.
The agency was able to forward the $8.8 million into its fiscal 2012 budget, but had to forfeit the $25.7 million under state accounting rules, officials said.
"The underlying problem appears to relate to challenges in the budgeting and payment process in the DDA program, dating back several years," Sharfstein wrote in his letter. "We are hiring new fiscal personnel, reassessing our current budgeting process, and developing plans for an upgraded accounting system."

The editorial board of the Capital responded with an editorial that, rightfully, calls out the Maryland legislature for its advocating the tax increase on what turned out to be false pretenses, or a "bogus argument":

"What's very hard to swallow is that at the same time that the services were underfunded, we were advocating our support for the alcohol tax," said Nancy Pineles, an attorney for the Maryland Disability Law Center. She and other advocates for the disabled would like to know how a blundering state agency could be sitting on so much money even as this affluent state, according to the ARC of Maryland, ranked an unimpressive 43rd in the nation in spending on services for the developmentally disabled.
The bookkeeping problem, according to state Health Secretary Joshua Sharfstein, goes back for years. And bookkeeping problems are nothing new at the DDA. A legislative audit from two years ago said the agency was wasting millions by overpaying care providers and not seeking federal reimbursement it was due.
So, earlier this year, why didn't it occur to the legislators to ask whether the agency really needed the new tax revenue to help fund services? The DDA currently gets $488 million from the state, and state officials ought to be sure that it's being properly spent before raising taxes to get more.
It is disgusting that state money could be so poorly managed. But it's even more disgusting that people with severe disabilities were denied help while DDA employees falsely claimed that the agency was short of money, then quietly dropped $25 million back into the state general fund.

A much better question is why the legislators doesn't give due consideration to dropping the sales tax increase? It's an obvious question, of course, unless you're in the government "company town" that central Maryland is, and apparently believe all money comes from, and goes through, the government to be allocated out to the "people" as the government sees fit. Besides which, the General Assembly saw to it that too many other sucklings, namely the schools of Baltimore City, Montgomery County (one of the richest counties in the nation, mind you), and Prince George's County, would be feeding on this teat to be able to cut it off completely.

Folks, do you now understand where the "Tea Party" gets its mentality and philosophy? This isn't based on believing government and taxes are the Devil's work (even if God supposedly only rates/wants ten percent); this is a call for accountability and responsible action with what the governments already take from us. Before us right now is Exhibit A (actually more like #8,639,742 or something like that) that government is either incompetent in running its own affairs or has made itself too complex to operate efficiently and effectively. But any serious calls for a rescission of this tax will automatically be met, of course with howls from "liberals" that the tax opponents want to "throw the disabled out into the streets" and "rob poor children of their educational opportunities," or other such overwrought hyperbole. All over a paltry ~~three percent~~ 1.8 percent of its total budget (recalculated to factor in the Federal appropriation).

(Sincere tip o' the hat to fellow blogger--and anti-government-overregulation activist--Lew Bryson for tipping us off to a story that sailed past our normal search filters by not involving the word "beer" anywhere.....)

Upcoming Events: Leininkugel Beer Dinner, Book Signings, Collect Glasses, and More

2011-11-28T15:35:00.001-05:00

Some upcoming local craft beer events:

Leinenkugel's Beer Garden has announced a beer dinner this Thursday, Dec. 1, featuring (among others) their "Big Eddy" Russian Imperial Stout. Menu will feature catfish fingers, beef tenderloin, cherry bread pudding, three other beers, and more. Tickets are $35 and available here (service charge alert).

TBonz in the Ellicott City area is featuring a "25 Pint Nights of Christmas" series of "keep the glass" events, starting tomorrow night; a full list of glasses/breweries featured is at the Baltimore Beer Guy's site.

Ladies Night at Heavy Seas' Clipper City Brewery in Halethorpe, $20 per person; see here for additional information.

Also at Heavy Seas on the 17th of December, Maureen O'Prey, author of the new Arcadia book Brewing in Baltimore, will be joining Heavy Seas before and after tours for a special pre-release book signing. Brewing in Baltimore has a foreword written by Heavy Seas founder Hugh Sisson. Tours and visits just to pick up the book are free; the $5 charge only applies to tastings before and after tours.

The Washington City Paper's Tammy Tuck has a whole list of coming events in the immediate D.C. vicinity, including the debut of this year's version of Oliver Breweries' Hot Monkey Love at The Big Hunt and Flying Dog pouring more Pearl Necklace at Meridian Pint. (Big Hunt is currently pouring Great Lakes Christmas Ale, not available in Baltimore.....)

And you should expect Hot Monkey Love to debut in Baltimore this week, too, at the usual suspects.....

Dec. 16th: The annual "Christmas vs. Hanukkah" tap-takeover at Max's Taphouse will feature, as well as the annual return of He'Brew/Shmaltz Brewing's Jeremy Cowan, a book-signing for Cowan's new book, Craft Brewing Bar Mitzvah: How It Took 13 Years, Extreme Jewish Brewing, and Circus Sideshow Freaks to Make Schmaltz Brewing Company an International Success. If Max's Taphouse doesn't happen to work for you, Cowan will also be reading from and signing his books at Hampden's Atomic Books from 6 to 8 PM, arriving down at Max's as soon as traffic permits.

Finally for the moment, the December issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News should be out at its usual distribution points sometime this week.

Beer-Food Recipes for Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T14:35:00.001-05:00

Just in time (well, maybe, depending on your shopping habits) for the Thanksgiving meal planning, Heavy Seas has posted a couple side dish recipes for Thanksgiving--all involving beer, of course. As a bonus (at least as far as this household is concerned), they're all potentially vegetarian. (Note: many of the cheaper cornbread mixes use lard as an ingredient; read the ingredients list carefully if this is an issue for you.)

Now, let's see, what can I add to the turkey brine this year?

Mid-Atlantic Holiday Beer Fest Tickets On Sale

2011-11-17T11:58:00.001-05:00

Well, now that you have a chance of getting in without being on the inside track, you might as well order your tickets now.

Heavy Seas Ale House coming to Harbor East

2011-11-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Heavy Seas, the popular Clipper City Brewing brand which had its origins in Maryland’s first brewpub, (Sisson’s in Baltimore’s Federal Hill, which later became Ryleigh's and lost the brew house), is in a sense returning to its roots with the Heavy Seas Ale House, to be opened in 2012 in downtown Baltimore's Harbor East area.

The project is the brainchild of Patrick Dahlgren, owner of The Rowhouse Grille in Federal Hill and stepson of Hugh Sisson, in partnership with Kevin Hollins, managing partner at The Tack Factory and landlord for the new site. It will be located at 1300 Bank Street at Central Avenue (more or less between Harbor East and Fells Point), the location of the former Diablita and adjacent to the Mustang Alley bowling bar. Heavy Seas will only be a provider of beer and a licenser of the brand name, not a partner in the operation of the restaurant.

“Heavy Seas Ale House,” says Heavy Seas marketing director Kelly Zimmerman, “will allow patrons to tap into the Heavy Seas Beer experience in a brick and mortar extension of the pyratical brand.” Clipper City founder and general partner Hugh Sisson, who often recounts the tale of how his father tossed him the keys to the family’s Sisson’s restaurant one night, literally and metaphorically, with the admonition “Now don’t [screw] it up!”, relishes the opportunity to pass on at least part of the business to his stepson. "I love the symmetry - the pub business launched my craft beer career. How cool is it that my brewing career will further the pub profession of my stepson?" said Sisson.

The Heavy Seas Ale House is the first in what is hoped will be a chain of several such locations around the region. The bar, much like the Dogfish Head Alehouse chain, will be a "tied house" to its namesake beer brand, featuring the various Heavy Seas beers in bottle, on draft, and on cask.

The neighborhood tavern inspired decor will feature a long bar, dark woods, comfortable seating, flat screens and a unique outdoor beer garden offering first class food and beer pairings, an array of specialty beer and cask ales, a raw bar, and growlers to go.

This does not mean an end to Heavy Seas distribution to other Baltimore locations, any more than the Pratt Street Ale House limits distribution of Oliver Breweries projects. You'll still see Heavy Seas drafts and firkins at better beer bars throughout the city. (As a matter of fact, the brewery held off on releasing this story until the Heavy Seas crew itself, including Sisson, had a chance to go around and personally inform his steady, loyal patrons in East Baltimore, the bars that serve his beers, that he was working with the project and not directly setting up shop to compete with them.)

Interestingly, this announcement comes at a time when several other projects are--pardon the expression--brewing in Baltimore. In addition to the previously announced Raven Brewery in Highlandtown and Union Craft Brewing in Woodberry, this writer is tracking down the full story behind at least one other confirmed brewery proposal in Charmingly Crabby City. Stay tuned........

UPDATE: More here, from the Baltimore Sun (subscription site alert).

SPBW at The Brewer's Art Thursday

2011-11-16T22:47:00.001-05:00

For all the quality Belgian-style ales it produces, The Brewer's Art in Mount Vernon is not known as a "real ale" or cask-conditioned beer location. Belgian ales seldom lend themselves to cask-conditioning and handpumps, and the noted gastropub focuses most of its energy on house-brewing its ales and the limited production brewing (canned Resurrection and bottled Ozzy, Resurrection, Green Peppercorn Tripel, Le Canard, etc.).

Nonetheless, the Society for Preservation of Beers from the Wood's Chesapeake Bay Branch, having presumably recuperated completely from last month's Chesapeake Real Ale Festival, will be "meeting" at the Brewer's Art on Thursday, the17th, "beginning" at 7 PM. In addition to at least one firkin (reported the dark Proletary Ale), the pub had on hand two house tripels (Ceberus and Sun Roi), the annual "Christmas beer" Festivus, plus more deliciousness, with Happy Hour running from 4 to 7. (A note on the tripels: They're a delicious straightforward respite from the rich complexities of Stillwater's saisons.) Bar food is available; for the dining room, reservations are recommended.

Not enough for you? Depending on your stamina, Liam Flynn's Ale House is a couple blocks to the north at North and Charles Streets, with two cask ales on handpump (most likely Oliver beers), plus an expanding array of ciders and Williams Brothers Ginger Brew from Scotland............

A gentle reminder that both The Brewer's Art and Liam Flynn's are withing walking distance of Penn Station, Light Rail, and the Metro Subway, and the Charm City Circulator takes you to both pubs (well, within two blocks of Liam Flynn's).

Woodberry's Union Craft Brewing gaining traction

2011-11-14T09:46:00.001-05:00

These days, it seems that all you need to call yourself a "brewery" is a homebrew rig and a label printer. Or even just a Facebook page and Twitter account.

This writer is keenly aware of several pending or proposed brewery and beer-bar projects in the immediate Baltimore region. Some are awaiting regulatory blessings; some are little more than a Facebook page; and at least one will be detailed in the upcoming issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News. Some grandiose announcements or proposals simply crash or peter out (anyone seen much of Bawlmer Beer lately? How about Logan Shaw's promised return of the Wild Goose brand?)

The Baltimore Sun's "Midnight Sun" blog now has details on one of these slowly-forming projects, Union Craft Brewing in Woodberry. (Reminder: The Sun now limits you to fifteen free page views per 30-day period.) Founder Jon Zerivitz, who freely admits that the first Baltimore Beer Week was part of the inspiration for his business plan, has taken the necessary first step away from a "virtual" presence with the signing of a lease on a 7200-square-foot industrial building adjacent to the Woodberry Light Rail station, almost in the literal shadow of the historic Meadow Mill building cupola visible from the Jones Falls Expressway. Construction begins later this month, with four fermentation tanks scheduled for delivery in February, according to Zerivitz.

Baltimore's Bottle Tax: Did you REALLY think they would stop at Two Cents?

2011-11-11T14:22:00.001-05:00

Contrary to the opinion some folks out there must have of me, I'm not one of those anti-tax activists who thinks the income tax is illegal and unconstitutional. Nor am I one of the folks that say "No taxes, nohow, no way!" I've even made a case recently for an increase in the highway gas tax, provided the monies raised went strictly to highway infrastructure (fat chance).

But when the Baltimore City Council and mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake proposed a two-cent bottle tax in Baltimore, I had my reservations. My major problem? Government has shown it can't be trusted. Give them an inch, they'll yank it to a foot. Concede that foot to them, and they'll take a yard. Let 'em have the yard, and they'll demand a league. Surrender to the league, and they'll demand a chain.

Can we say "I Told You So!" yet?:

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has announced plans to increase the city bottle tax from 2 cents to 5 cents. She plans to ask City Council to consider the measure Monday, according to 11 News reporter David Collins.
The mayor said funds generated by the increase would go toward school construction and renovation. Critics, meanwhile, contend the idea is irresponsible and may be necessary because of poor decision making at City Hall.The 2-cent tax took effect in July 2010, but the 11 News I-Team reported last month that it fell short of achieving expectations in its first year.

City officials estimated the tax would bring in $5.8 million a year. It generated $4.7 million in its first year. Rawlings-Blake announced the proposal for a 5-cent tax two days after she was elected to what will be her first full term as mayor. [emphasis added] “We were looking for ways, creative ways to really put more resources into school construction,” she said. “If you take a look at some of our schools around the city, and you know our kids deserve more, we think this is a way to help us get there.” School administrators are still looking into how much money is needed, Collins said. A recent study put the figure at $2.8 billion, Collins reported Thursday.
Increasing the bottle tax to 5 cents would generate about $10.2 million. The money, combined with other dedicated school construction funds, would enable the city to sell bonds to help pay for the improvements.
But the tax increase needs approval from City Council and is expected to face stiff opposition from the beverage industry and business.
Rob Santoni of Santoni Markets estimates that the 2-cent tax has cost his business a half-million dollars in sales, along with seven jobs.“ (Customers) say ‘I'm done,’ so they just go out into the counties and do their shopping,” Santoni said. Upon hearing about the 5-cent proposal, Santoni said: “Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake continues to demonstrate an outright disrespect for Baltimore businesses. Mocking our industry like this, in my opinion, is somewhat of an abuse of power."
Current bottle tax revenue, which is scheduled to end after three years, was supposed to go to street cleaning and other public works projects. Under the increase, the funds would be used for schools.“(We are) fully committed to finding a way to speed up the pace of school construction so we can make sure the facilities match the greatness of our kids,” Rawlings-Blake said.

Balto. Sun: '[Micro]Breweries Booming in Md."

2011-11-10T13:18:00.002-05:00

I think I need not direct most of you to today's front-page story in the Baltimore Sun by Erik Maza that has a broad overview of the craft beer industry in Maryland, including Frederick's Monocacy Brewing (a satellite operation of The Brewer's Alley, much like what happened to DuClaw's brewing operation). A second story at his Midnight Sun blog covers the pending move of Evolution Craft Brewing from its old Delmar, Del. location to a former ice plant in Salisbury (which, importantly, has its own water well!).

Note: If you do not have a subscription to the online Sun website, looking at those two stories will count towards your 15 free pages a month visible at that website.

DuClaw Oak Barrel Bottles

2011-11-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

Yeah, once again, just regurgitating the e-mail and letting you decide for yourselves.
Actually, no, I'll go gurther than that--the Retribution and the Divine Retribution served to me during Baltimore Beer Week may have been the best beers, at least of the "extreme" or "special" variety, I had that week. I can't be sure--it's apparently also something of a memory-wiper.....

22oz bomber bottles of, oak barrel aged Black Jack Russian Imperial Stout, Retribution Single Barrel Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout, and oak barrel aged Double Black Lightning are on liquor store shelves now in Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City!
Oak Aged Black Jack Russian Imperial Stout
A smoky, sophisticated Russian Imperial Stout boasting warm aromas of smoky malt and charred oak, and a big, bold swirl of dark chocolate, coffee, smoky malt flavors, with accents of charred oak, vanilla and caramelized sugar.
Retribution
A full-bodied, Single Barrel Bourbon-aged Imperial Stout with rich aromas of espresso and dark chocolate, and smooth roasted malt flavor, aged for 6 months inside charred Kentucky white oak bourbon barrels to add the natural vanilla and caramelized sugar flavors of the bourbon soaked wood to the beer. Each bottle run is drawn from a single barrel, making each batch a unique drinking experience.
Oak Aged Double Black Lightning
Double Black Lightning is twice the roasted malt flavor and northwestern hop bitterness of our Black Lightning American Black Ale, backed by a strong 7.7% abv for double the intensity. Hold on tight; you’re about to experience the perfect storm of flavor.
All three of these barrel aged brews are now available at liquor stores in Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City, so get them while you can!

Your Mead or Honey Beer May Not Have Honey In It UPDATED

2011-11-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

From Food Safety News:

More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn't exactly what the bees produce, according to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News.

The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled "honey."
The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies.

The food safety divisions of the World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled that without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says that any product that's been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn't honey. However, the FDA isn't checking honey sold here to see if it contains pollen.

Ultra filtering is a high-tech procedure where honey is heated, sometimes watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely small filters to remove pollen, which is the only foolproof sign identifying the source of the honey. It is a spin-off of a technique refined by the Chinese, who have illegally dumped tons of their honey - some containing illegal antibiotics - on the U.S. market for years.
Food Safety News decided to test honey sold in various outlets after its earlier investigation found U.S. groceries flooded with Indian honey banned in Europe as unsafe because of contamination with antibiotics, heavy metal and a total lack of pollen which prevented tracking its origin.

If you're a mead or honey beer enthusiast, or simply care about your sweetners, read the whole thing.

How concerned should we be about this? It's a good question. On the one hand, the presence or lack of pollen hardly has any actual effect on the actual quality or flavor of the final product. If you're enough of a brewer that you're discriminating between orange blossom and buckwheat honeys, this probably doesn't apply to you. On the other hand, the recent catastrophic price increases in honey have no doubt spurred much of the above behavior--five-gallon (typically 60-pound) buckets of honey that cost under a hundred dollars a dozen years ago now cost in excess of $250.

The Bee Folks, a Mount Airy, Md. apiary that is often seen at festivals and Renaissance Festivals, posted the following on their Facebook page:

The Bee Folks strains the honey. We use a gravity filter that catches the crunchy bits (beeswax, bees, extraction debris). We can filter down to 100 microns on a gravity filter (a remarkable amount of pollen still gets through, we can see it in the honey), but we typically use something between 200-600 microns.

The major US packers filter their honey under heat and pressure. Done correctly, it has minimal effect on the flavor. However, it kills the natural enzymatic activity, and removes the majority of particulates. Why? Primarily, because particulates, such as crystallized honey, pollen granules, etc, encourage crystallization of the honey. The average American prefers crystal-clear honey. (I have lost track of the number of people who have told me that they threw out honey because it had "gone bad" and "turned solid".) If the honey crystallizes on the shelf of the grocery store, the store views it as an unsalable product, and throws it out. Therefore, to "extend the shelf life" of honey, all particulates are removed. Also, the USDA grades honey by color and clarity. By removing particulates by filtering under heat and pressure, the packer gets a higher USDA rating, and can fetch a higher price for table honey.

The Chinese are are well-known for ultra-filtering. They add water to honey, run it through 1 micron filters, then dehydrate it. This is what the FDA referred to in the letter. The intent is to hide the country of origin by removing all traces of pollen, and to remove or mask the presence of antibiotics and fillers. This is supposed to be called a honey product, but not sold as actual honey. However, you don't get as high a price for a "honey product", so the Chinese call it honey, ship it to India or Vietnam, relabel it as Indian or Vietnamese honey, and ship it into the US.

UPDATE: More on how to avoid tainted honey. Glad to see my only remaining mass-commercial source for any sort of honey receives a passing grade.

Another Local-Hop Beer, at DuClaw

2011-11-07T10:35:00.003-05:00

A special, small batch of Venom American Pale Ale, hopped with locally grown Cascade hops from Maryland’s own Black Locust Farms, is on tap now at DuClaw Brewing's outlets (except BWI Airport), according to the company.

The Beer Industry Answer to Occupy Wall Street

2011-11-07T10:18:00.000-05:00

As illustrated here, in today's "Non Sequitur" comic strip.

Oyster Stout Revival in Md.

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

I've been a fan of a properly-done oyster stout since first encountering Fordham's Blue Point Oyster Stout at the Ram's Head in Annapolis in the mid-1990s. In recent years the style had disappeared from Fordham's portfolio, abandoned by the Ram's Head in favor of a re-tweaking to "Genius Stout" on nitro pour. Lately the style has been reintroduced on the local market by Ireland's Porterhouse, and then by Flying Fish, Harpoon, and Sixpoint.

Now it's Flying Dog's turn, as per their press release:

A dry stout brewed with local oysters, Pearl Necklace was the brainchild of Flying Dog, Rappahannock River Oysters, and Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen.

“Both Rappahannock and Woodberry were great partners in educating us on the oyster issues facing the Chesapeake Bay,” Flying Dog Brewmaster Matt Brophy said. “When we became fully aware of how crucial oysters are to the Bay’s fragile ecosystem, we knew we needed to do more than just brew a beer.”

Proceeds from Pearl Necklace will benefit the Oyster Recovery Partnership, which coordinates and conducts large-scale oyster restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. Both Woodberry Kitchen and Rappahannock River Oysters work closely with the Partnership on shell recycling programs and more.

“Woodberry Kitchen has been one of the most ardent supporters of our program to help restore the oyster population in the Bay, and Flying Dog jumped right in to help us both drive an innovative angle for reaching more consumers with our message of restoration and revitalization,” Travis Croxton, owner of Rappahannock River Oysters, said.

Pearl Necklace will be released in mid-November on draft only in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

“We are pumped that this beer is coming out at the start of oyster season,” Corey Polyoka, restaurant manager at Woodberry Kitchen, said. “Finally, we have a beer made with Chesapeake oysters to drink with Chesapeake oysters. It’s as good a food pairing as Muscadet, but is much more about where we are in the world – a better representation of our culture.”

The beer’s launch will be at Woodberry Kitchen on Monday, November 14. From 6 to 9 pm, they will be pouring Pearl Necklace, shucking Rappahannock River oysters, jamming to Cris Jacobs with members of The Bridge. Tickets are $35. Space is limited, so reservations through Woodberry are required and should be made soon.

Other Pearl Necklace release parties include:
-- Alewife in Baltimore, MD; Tuesday, November 15 at 6 pm
-- Firestone’s Culinary Tavern in Frederick, MD; Thursday November 17 at 5 pm
-- Olney Ale House in Olney, MD; Thursday, November 17 at 6 pm
-- Hank’s Oyster Bar in Washington, DC; Monday, November 21 at 5 pm
-- Hellas Restaurant and Lounge in Millersville, MD; Friday, November 25 at 5 pm

International Stout Day?

2011-11-03T12:11:00.002-04:00

Apparently it's supposed to be International Stout Day.

This writer first heard of this promotional effort through an Oct. 27th "Media Alert" press release--which came close to a "Press Release We Never Finished Reading" at first--from O Communications, marketing on behalf of Carlow Brewing and O'Hara's Irish Stout. However, by word of mouth, it appears to have spread as a marketing concept here and there.

The Pratt Street Ale House, for example, is offering $3.00 Bishop's Breakfast pints, both cask and draft, and $3.00 Snifters of Bishop's Indulgence. Alonso's, meanwhile, is offering North Coast Old Rasputin, Lancaster Milk Stout, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Guinness, Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout, and Crispin Landsdowne ("I know it's a stretch, but it is brewed with stout yeast!"). Alewife Baltimore is promoting Old Rasputin, Rogue Shakespeare, Green Flash Double Stout, and Stone Imperial Russian 10th Anniversary and Belgo. Meanwhile, Dogfish Head is holding a number of events, including debuting a "brewpub exclusive" in Rehoboth Beach, Count Chocula.

Possibly the most interesting offering? The Maryland debut of Leinenkugel's specialty "Big Eddy" line at the namesake Beer Garden at the Power Plant Live, which happens to be starting off with a 10% Russian Imperial Stout, tapped yesterday. RateBeer gives it high marks, BeerAdvocate not as high.

My interesting question: How long before savvy (or obnoxious) marketers start up more "official" beer-style days? Red Ale Day (May Day for the "revolution"?)? Imperial IPA Day? Saison Day? Wood-Aged Sour Ale Day? "Beerjoulais Nouveau" Day?? Heck, with the explosion or inflation of beer styles judged at the Great American Beer Festival, soon every other day would be a different "beer day," and dilute their collective impact and attention accordingly, ultimately defeating the purposes of such "events."

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for marketing, and for places finding or creating "excuses" to pay attention to their projects. Many brewpubs mark their official birthdays (it's coincidence that one of my favorite brewpubs shares my birthdate, and marks the occasion annually), or hold cask ale events (every Friday the 13th at the Grey Lodge in Philly, for example). But, as with the style guidelines/categories at the GABF or in the BJCP, never underestimate the ability of a good thing to run amok.

And now I get a press release that this weekend is "Learn to Homebrew Day"--or so says the American Homebrewers Association...........

Another Alewife opens... in NY

2011-11-01T09:19:00.001-04:00

Another Alewife, this one Alewife Queens, has opened in Long Island City. And yes, Daniel Lanigan of the Baltimore Alewife has a hand in it.

A Baltimore Brewer Reaches Israel

2011-10-31T10:46:00.000-04:00

The Jewish Chronicle publishes an article by Britain's Simon Jenkins on a thriving craft beer renaissance in Tel Aviv, Israel with a surprising Baltimore (well, suburban Baltimore) tie:

But the success of places like Jem's Beer Factory in the unfashionable industrial zone of Petach Tikva is symptomatic of a growing awareness among Israelis of hand-crafted beers.
This cavernous building serves as brewhouse, restaurant, bar and concert venue. Brewer Jem Welfield turned his back on an amazing job as White House events manager to swear a new allegiance to beer. He studied hard before going hands-on with Baltimore's Oxford Brewing Company, and moving to Israel with $5,000, his family and a dream.
It was a risk, but Jem's Beer Factory is a major success; 300,000 litres have been downed in two years. "Craft brewing has really taken off in the US," he tells me. "Israel usually follows about 10 years behind."

Fire Destroys Mount Washington Tavern

2011-10-31T08:35:00.002-04:00

A two-alarm fire early this morning has severely damaged the historic Mount Washington Tavern in its namesake northern Baltimore neighborhood. With the recent closure of The Falls, this effectively removes the two "best" craft-beer locations in that area.

More at WBAL-TV and at WBFF-TV.

BBW 2011: Was It Good For You?

2011-10-18T22:07:00.001-04:00

"Is it over yet?"

Yes, the third Baltimore Beer Week is over--and the industry folks who suffered through many long nights of work (see left) are no doubt relieved.

So how was it?

There were a few things different this year, including the wildly successful tours of the old Wiessner/American Brewery on Gay Street and the Walking Tour of Highlandtown/Canton that included a trip to the roof deck of the National Brewery Building.

The events were spread out far enough--you could find events going on from Annapolis to Mount Airy, and from Laurel to Bel Air. In fact, my biggest regret was making the "diplomatic" decision to remain rooted to my blog's name, and stay inside the city limits, save for the BAM Oktoberfest at Timonium. I know for a fact that I missed some excellent events at Kloby's, Victoria Gastro Pub, Hellas, Hop Heads, Frisco, and other places. It's the inevitable downside to any such Beer Week: too much good beer, too many good events, not enough time or money, and human cloning hasn't been perfected yet. And in spite of a "down" economy, I have yet to hear of any cancelled beer dinners

How was it for you?

The Last Three Days of BBW 2011.......

2011-10-13T23:49:00.001-04:00

Three days left.

Friday the 14th: Start with a 5-course Beer Breakfast at Pickles Pub (well, if you read this in time) or a Beer Brunch at Metropolitan; beer and blues at both Leinenkugel's Beer Garden and Kloby's Smokehouse; the Charmingly Charitable Chilibrew at Load of Fun Gallery (a block from Liam Flynn's, the sponsor); and loads of beer tastings, firkins, pint nights, tap takeovers, and dinners.

Saturday the 15th: Dominated, of course, by the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival at Pratt Street Ale House. If that's not your style, there's Oktoberfest at Alonso's, Belgians at Hudson Street Stackhouse, beef cookout at TBonz Grill, a "kill the keg" finish-the-leftovers special at Mount Airy Inn, a Trappist Beer Dinner at Metropolitan, beer art and Brewer's Art at Frisco Taphouse, meet-the-brewer-from-Brewer's-Alley (Maggie Lenz) at Hellas, a "date night" at the Baltimore Aquarium; and the usual medley of tastings, samplings, and the like.

Sunday the 16th: If you have any energy and liver left, Hop Heads is selling leftovers from the past week's tastings at half price; The Point in Fells Point is selling pumpkin pancakes and beers; a four-course beer brunch at Mount Airy Inn; ciders at Liam Flynn's; skee-ball and Flying Dog beers at Johnny Rad's; Session Sunday at Victoria Gastro Pub; and the to-be-expected football game tie-ins at many of the other venues.

Lots of photos at BBW's Flickr feed.

Some BBW 2011 Photos

2011-10-11T10:45:00.000-04:00

What, you're expecting regular updates? It's Baltimore Beer Week, folks--it's all I can do just to keep up with as much of the terrific stuff happening as I can!Anyway, here's a few photos from the past couple of days.

Another Round of BBW Highlights

2011-10-11T10:06:00.000-04:00

Man, took me long enough to get back to this.....

Anyway, Tonight (Tuesday the 11th): 40 events. This will be the day you have to clone yourself or ride a dirt bike through traffic between events. If you don't get on a bus at Mahaffey's after lunch to ride up to Philly and Yards Brewing for a tour and a casino stop, start things off with a Night of Scottish Ales at Liam Flynn's, with Bruce Williams of Scotland's Heather Ale/Williams Brothers (warning: bagpipes, kilts, and sporrans!). Hop Heads and Victoria Gastro Pub are having two of many Pumpkinfests with pumpkin ales; a Lagunitas fundraiser for the neighborhood animal shelter at Little Havana; burgers made to pair with Sam Adams special beers at Alonso's (the "Burger Bar"); the homebrew beer dinner at TBonz; meet the brewer from Hopfenstark of Quebec and sample some of their beers at Max's; and the Flying Dog beer dinner at Alewife and the Olivers/Evolution one at Pratt Street Ale House. Last but certainly not least is the "Pints for Poe" fundraiser for the Poe House in West Baltimore, with the Creative Alliance at the Patterson Theater in Highlandtown, featuring--naturally--Raven Beer. Mark Supik, the Highlandtown tap-handle producer, will be on hand, along with, it's likely, one of the new Raven tap handles for silent auction or raffle.

Wednesday the 12th, 44 events: Vertical Troegs Mad Elf at Hudson Street Stackhouse (if they have this year's, it was the last beer produced at their original Harrisburg brewery); Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head at Max's 3-5 and then Alewife later; two special Oskar Blues firkins at Victoria Gastro Pub; a selection of Evolution Menageries at Kloby's Smokehouse; a boxing match at Max's (no, really, fists and a ring, not cardboard); Carol Stoudt of Stoudt's Brewing at Frisco; the homebrewing showcase/fundraiser at Little Havana; Ommegang six-course beer dinner at Pickles Pub; dual beer release at the three main DuClaw outlets; joint Brewers Art/Red Brick crab feast at Red Brick Station; Bruce Williams and Steve Jones celebrating the best of Britain at Metropolitan; Raven pint night with new glass design at Patrick's of Pratt Street; Leinenkugel beer dinner at their Beer Garden; and the monthly Sea Shanty sing-along at The Wharf Rat. And more.

Thursday the 13th, 43 events: Women in Beer at Max's (paid admission event); do-it-yourself Oskar Blues can art at Alonso's; casks specially prepared by the Max's crew at Max's; DuClaw brewers show up at the homebrew demonstration (no, not an "Occupy The Brewery" demonstration!) at Maryland Homebrew's new site in Columbia; another DuClaw brewer and Duclaw-and-crab-claws at Hellas; a charity benefit beer dinner at James Joyce; and lots of other tastings, pint nights, and what have you. The beer dinner at Punk's in Annapolis is sold out.

Road Closures for Saturday, and Real Ale Fest Cask Update

2011-10-11T08:37:00.001-04:00

What, you're expecting day-by-day posts on beer tastings? Hey, it's all I can do just to keep the photos going up on the Baltimore Beer Week Flickr page!

But this public service announcement first:

The Baltimore Running Festival--both a marathon and a half-marathon--is totally guaranteed to screw up your travel plans for Saturday, if you're taking in any of the 38 BBW events in Baltimore that day.

Here's the course map.

Here's the schedule of when you can expect various parts of the route to be closed to traffic.

Want to watch the Marathon or half-marathon? The routes go past many good, craft-beer-friendly bars and cafes in town--such as Bistro Rx next to Patterson Park--but many of the runners will pass many before normal opening times. Best bets? Alewife, right on the home stretch, then either a quick lunch and/or directly over to the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival over at the Pratt Street Ale House.

Speaking of the Real Ale Fest, want an updated cask list, in case you're still trying to decide whether to go or not? Go here. And they're still not all in yet!

Tentative Star Spangled Banger Parade Route

2011-10-06T09:33:00.000-04:00

Gather at 11:45 at Fort McHenry near the front gate. At noon the group will begin walking down Fort Avenue with whomever shows up.
Stop #1 – City Limits: whomever shows up by noon will start walking from the gate at Ft McHenry to this bar which is .4 miles
Stop #2 – Barfly’s (if they are open)
Stop #3 – Captain Larry’s
Stop #4 – Little Havana (should get to this stop by no later than 1:45pm). Banger takes limousine shortcuts from here on in to:
Stop #5 – Big Jim’s Deli – Cross Street Market (2:30pm-ish)
Stop #6 – Metropolitan
Stop #7 – Mt Vernon Square for a photo op with the Monument and the mallet
Stop #8 – Wine Source
Stop #9 – Alonso’s
Stop #10 – Grand Cru
Stop #11 – American Brewery Building – Gay Street – photo op
Stop #12 - Fells Point
Stop #13 - Canton
Stop #14 - Rams Head Live!

'Twas the Night Before BBW. . .

2011-10-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

An Ode to Baltimore Beer Week
by Dominic Cantalupo

'Twas the night before Beer Week and all throughout town
The drinkers were perched in their beds without frown
They dreamed of porters, IPA’s and stout,
Lambics and pilsners for soon they would shout.

At Opening Tap the firkin will screech
When the Star Spangled Banger creates the first breech
The ale will flow and the people will cheer
For the love of the scene and more so the beer

Baltimore is richer for beer week we know
Eleven days in October has started to grow
Our Sponsors are gracious and definitely most giving
To support All Things Beer in the Land of Pleasant Living

Baltimore Beer Week: Read All About It!

2011-10-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

With less than 24 hours to go before the first pubs open for Baltimore Beer Week, the print media brings you lots of reading material. Check out the free weekly "B" paper from the Sun, in those orange boxes hither and yon. Not only is BBW prominently featured on the cover and inside, but their website features this essay on how BBW started, from some hack in town.

Meanwhile, the City Paper (the ones in the yellow boxes) gives its readers a double-whammy: a 12-page insert featuring all the BBW events that were scheduled by press time (not including the Wiessner/American Brewery Tour, approved too late for the deadlines), and a excellent cover story on Hugh Sisson and Clipper City/Heavy Seas and how it pioneered the central Maryland craft beer rennaissance, which online readers can read here.

In addition, glossy printed Official Baltimore Beer Week Guides have been distributed to most participating venues by now, and the latest issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, with a theme on Beer Weeks in general and several articles/photos by yours truly, should have arrived or be arriving any minute now at its usual outlets--good beer bars, breweries/brewpubs, and better craft beer retailers.

Maryland Among Lowest Beer-Consuming States: Report

2011-10-04T18:20:00.001-04:00

Cite:

According to the Beer Institute in their Beer Capita Consumption Report (PDF, 8 pages), the average American 21 years of age and older consumed 28.9 gallons of beer in 2010. New Hampshire had the highest per capita beer consumption rate in 2010 with 44.2 gallons per person, followed closely by Montana with 41.6 gallons per person, North Dakota with 41.1, South Dakota with 38.9, and Nevada with 37.6. The states with the lowest beer consumption per capita in 2010 were Utah (19.4), Connecticut (22.1), New York, (22.6), New Jersey (23.1) and Maryland (24.1).

Mind you, that figure still amounts to just under ten cases of beer per drinking-age adult in the state. Another surprise: California is just behind us, at #45 (26.4 gallons/adult), whereas Colorado is #23 (30.7 gallons).

The First Weekend of Baltimore Beer Week 2011

2011-10-04T18:05:00.001-04:00

Continuing the event suggestions for Baltimore Beer Week with the Columbus Day Weekend of Baltimore Beer Weekend:

October 8th: Get an early start with our exclusive tour of the landmark Wiessner/American Brewery at 1700 N. Gay Street, between 9 AM and noon. Then head either north to Timonium for the Maryland Brewers Oktoberfest, the biggest beer festival of the week, or southeast to Highlandtown and Mark Supik & Co. on Haven Street, for homebrew and a look at one of the nation's premier custom tap handle makers. If those don't work for you, there are brunch events at Mt. Airy Inn and Metropolitan. For something different, The Judge's Bench offers a blind tasting of mass-marketed industrial lagers; Hellas in Millersville is cracking open a Sam Adams Utopias to join a Sam Adams tasting line-up; Max's is showing a Yeti-themed movie to go with the Great Divide Yeti horizontal tasting; Mahaffey's is pouring "double digit" beers (i.e. beers above 10% abv); and Leinenkugel's Downtown Beer Festival features door prizes and a chance to win a trip to Wisconsin. All 30 Saturday events are here.

October 9th: The line forms at sunrise for a chance to purchase one of the 101 bottles of Olde Bay Saison from Stillwater Artisinal Ales brewer Brian Strumke at Max's Taphouse beginning at 10 a.m., after which 20 Stillwater beers will be on tap. The other big events include the Maryland Beer Festival at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia and the Historical Walking Pub Tour of Highlandtown, Brewers Hill, and Canton, beginning at Elliott's Pour House at 3 p.m. Join Baltimore Beer Week co-founder and Brewer’s Hill native Dominic Cantalupo along with the well-respected Baltimore Sun journalist and writer, Rob Kasper and Baltimore City Liquor Board Chairman, Steve Fogleman, as they take you on a walking pub tour through Brewer’s Hill and Canton.
Other events: Pancakes and Pints for breakfast at Mahaffey's; the family-friendly pumpkin-carving (with pumpkin beers, of course) at Alonso's in Roland Park; a women's-only homebrew competition fundraiser for breast cancer research at Maryland Homebrew; an animal-shelter fundraiser at TBonz; another beer festival (with a Flying Dog fundraiser for a local school) at Honeygo Liquors in Perry Hall/White Marsh; a homebrew tasting competition of a different sort at Kloby's (raising money for firefighters); a Haunted Pyrate Pub crawl in Fells Point; speed-dating over Yards love Stout at Metropolitan; The Wharf Rat open on Sunday for once; and lots of pint nights. Peruse all 28 events here.

October 10th: Some folks get that day off from work as Columbus Day. What's a Columbus? Anyway, the big event that day is the limited-seating Beer Forum at Bertha's; $30 gets you a luncheon featuring the area’s most prominent brewers, including Steve Jones from Oliver’s, Mike McDonald from White Marsh/Red Brick, Volker Stewart from The Brewers Art and Hugh Sisson from Heavy Seas Beer. Other events include beer dinners at Frisco Taphouse (their first ever), Alewife, and Mt. Airy Inn, a beer brunch at Metropolitan, and far too many firkins and beer tastings to recount. Look for yourself instead.

The Evolution/Olivers Beer Dinner Menu

2011-10-03T20:26:00.001-04:00

The Pratt Street Ale House has released its dinner menu for the joint Evolution/Olivers beer dinner on 11th October.
Tickets - $30 - Please contact Shannon@prattstreetalehouse.com for all ticket purchase info, or call 410-244-8900 to reserve your place.

Crab and Sweet Corn Fritters
Lump crab and organic sweet corn fritters with a dusting of ancho chile
Paired With
Olivers Dark Horse (4%abv)
A traditional English dark mild, light in body and hops and low in alcohol. A real session beer for any season

Fall Salad
Mixed greens tossed with a caramelized apple vinaigrette, topped with candied pecans, pickled onions and dried cranberries
Paired With
Olivers Harvest Ale (5.8%abv)
Brewed with a little clover honey and Gently bittered with English Fuggles and Kent Goldings and finished with generous amounts of American Cascade and Amarillo

Roasted Pork Belly with Cheddar Stone Ground Grit Cake
Fried stone ground grit cake topped with a spicy roasted pork belly ragout
Paired With
Evolution Lot 6 Double IPA (9.3%abv)
Deep gold in color, massive additions of American varietals of hops generate assertive bitterness and big hop flavor and aroma

Bourbon Braised Shortribs
Slow cooked beef shortrib topped with a smokey Makers Mark Demi Glace, served with sweet potato mash and mustard greens
Paired With
Evolution Menagerie 3 Redux (9.4%abv)
A big, rich scotch ale, 2/3 of which has been aged in bourbon barrels for six months

Cheese Course
Maytag Blue Cheese with roasted fig compote and toffee dusted walnuts
Paired With
Olivers “My Minkeys Got Wood” (10%abv)
French oak aged barley wine

Beer Float
Evolution “Morning Wood” (9%abv)
Oak aged coffee oatmeal stout served with a scoop of house made hazelnut chip ice cream

NOTE: The price has, indeed, been reduced from $45 to $30. PSAH's Justin Dvorkin said, "I decided to
make the event as affordable as possible due to the large amount of events going on during the week." I'm sure I'm not the only one thanking him--heck, some folks drop that much just on a beer session at other pubs!

The First Round of Recommended BBW Events

2011-10-03T17:52:00.000-04:00

ARE YOU READY FOR BALTIMORE BEER WEEK???

Too bad. It's sneaking up on us, anyway. Just hope for warmer weather, please.

As with past years, this blog's author will be rummaging through the list of available events, and a couple days early, recommending or highlighting particular events. Maybe they have a special beer or two, maybe they have an embarrassment of riches, or maybe they may be a rare opportunity to meet a brewer, or taste a once-in-a-lifetime beer. But as always, your personal choice will depend on your schedule, where you live, your transportation options, and/or your budget. Or lack thereof, in some cases.

Baltimore Beer Week officially kicks off, of course, with the Star-Spangled Banger Parade, basically a glorified pub crawl from Fort McHenry to downtown and ending up at the Ram's Head Live for the Opening Tap, which happens from 6 to 9 PM. Unofficially, of course, whichever participating venue opens its doors first on Thursday technically can lay claim to "starting" BBW; in past years, it's been a tie between several places with daylong specials that open at 11 a.m., such as the Pratt Street Ale House, the Wharf Rat, and Max's Taphouse "After-parties" following the Opening Tap will be held at the adjacent Leinenkugel's Beer Garden (with Flying Dog), at Max's Taphouse (with Unibroue brewers and Duvel trivia night), Pratt Street Ale House (a collaboration beer with Stillwater), and Alewife (Stillwater's Strumke and karaoke!),

Other events happening on Thursday include the tapping of Liam Flynn's Ale House's first "house firkin," a heather-and-apricot ale, at 4 PM; a "Science on Tap" educational event at the Maryland Science Center featuring DuClaw's beers and brewers; and what has to be by far the most exotic event of BBW, an erotic art show opening featuring The Raven Lager.

Among Friday's 33 events: a homebrewing demonstration as part of the Charles Street Farmer's Market; the monthly SPBW gathering at TBonz Grill in Ellicott City; beer trivia at James Joyce, a German brat-and-beer-fueled Oktoberfest at Hop Heads on Pulaski Highway, the aforementioned Flying Dog Habitat for Humanity fundraiser/building in East Baltimore and Canton, and a "Beer-Lesque Show at Metro Gallery in Station North.

More to come...................

Tour the Wiessner/American Brewery on Saturday, Oct. 8th

2011-10-03T16:24:00.001-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that, as of a few minutes ago, we have final approval from Humanim, the owners of the former Wiessner/ American Brewery at 1700 North Gay Street, to allow tours of the historic building on Saturday, October 8th from 9 a.m..to 1 p.m. Actual tours will be given at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon; last admission will be at 12:30 p.m.

The Wiessner Brewery, or American Brewery as it was later known as, is perhaps one of the most iconic jewels of Baltimore's brewing and architectural history and landscape, so much so that its image was heavily used by Baltimore Beer Week to promote this year's "theme" of the history of Baltimore's beer scene.

The building remains not only a monument to the development of brewing, one of Baltimore's major industries in years past, but also to the Germans who worked and lived in the area. John Frederick Wiessner, a German immigrant, leased the land upon which the current complex sits in 1863 in order to erect a brewery. Although there were already twenty-one breweries in Baltimore City and Baltimore County at the time, Wiessner's brewery rapidly expanded, employing many Germans that had been brewers prior to their emigration to America. In 1887, Wiessner constructed the present building to enlarge and modernize his brewery.

The height of the building and the internal organization of space were determined by the requirements of brewing, but its spectacular exterior reflects the tastes and decorative detail popular during the Victorian age in which it was built. Later renamed the American Brewery, it was one of the largest and finest breweries in the state. The Wiessners were forced to sell during Prohibition; it reopened in the 1930s under the American Brewery name, and the Allegheny Beverage Company was the last company to occupy the brewery. In the mid-1930s, a modern brewery was created behind the old facade. "American Beer" was produced here until 1973, the same year the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. The building was deeded to the City of Baltimore in 1977.

The building, which became part of a large city-owned conglomerate of properties in the neighborhood, sat vacant for three decades--aside from occasional covert use by the Baltimore City Police Department as an observation post for drug investigations--until November 2007, when Humanim, a Columbia-based nonprofit that provides work force development for the disabled, purchased the property for $2,500 fromthe city. The owners of the American Brewery complex in East Baltimore then secured $22.5 million in grants and financing to renovate and develop the Brewery building, totaling 30,000 square feet, in what was then one of the city’s most blighted neighborhoods. Streuver Bros., Eccles, & Rouse were the developers chosen to make the combined renovation-and-preservation project a reality.

Renovation of the building was completed in May 2009, and Humanim's offices opened shortly thereafter. In spite of beer having nothing to do with the non-profit's mission, Humanim and the site's developers have been especially sensitive to the building's heritage. Two display cases in the main lobby hold artifacts from the brewery's history; several significant details, including a grain elevator, have not only been preserved, but showcased in a sensitive manner; and even a brewing kettle has been "carved" into a conference table nook. On display, courtesy of a Humanim staffer, will be other American Brewery and pre-Prohibition Baltimore beer-related items, including original stock certificates, ball taps, trays, cone top cans, and more. More details and surprises await tour participants, and a handout highlighting the building's history will be provided free of charge (I'm sure donations would be welcomed). Added value: potential spectacular views of the city from one of its highest accessible points! Bring your camera!

Visitors will be welcomed at the building beginning at 9:00 a.m., and are asked to park on the building site and/or at overflow lot at the corner of N. Gay Street and Patterson Park Avenue (see the blue parking area on the map; click on the map for an enlargement). A television in the reception area will show a slide show depicting the extensive renovation process undertaken in 2008-2009. Tours of the building will commence at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon. No visitors will be permitted after 12:45 p.m., as another event is scheduled for the building after 1 p.m.

Also scheduled for that day are, of course, the Maryland Brewers Oktoberfest at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, the homebrew-and-beer-tap showcase at Mark Supik & Co. in nearby Highlandtown, and over two dozen other events that day. However, this event has been scheduled in the morning, specifically to allow attendees of the Oktoberfest, the tap-and-homebrew tour, or other events to take in the building before heading to the beer!

Earlier posts on the topic here and here. Humanim's own web page about the building, with links to far more information, is here. More on the brewery's history here and here.

The Baltimore Beer Week Committee is grateful to Humanim, Inc, for graciously permitting this tour as part of Baltimore Beer Week. See you there!

Win Tickets to BBW's Opening Tap (if you're on Facebook)

2011-10-03T13:54:00.000-04:00

Baltimore Beer Week is offering a last chance for someone to win two tickets to this Thursday night's Opening Tap event, via their Facebook page. Details over there, if you're a registered FB user. Enter by 5 PM tomorrow.

BBW is now up to 317 events, with at least one more still being worked on as we type.

The Latest Chesapeake Real Ale Fest Firkin List, UPDATED

2011-10-03T13:18:00.003-04:00

As supplied by the president of the Chesapeake Bay Branch, Society for Preservation of Beers from the Wood, Rick Bloemke, with a few edits, corrections and additions made:

2011 Chesapeake Real Ale Festival Cask List
Updated October 4, 2011

BrewDog: Paradox Smokehead Imperial Stout Aged in Scotch Whiskey Barrels
Boulder Brewing Cold Hop High Gravity British Style Ale
Boulder Brewing Planet Porter [GABF Gold Medal Winner!]
Black Diamond Black Harvest Black IPA Brewed w/Fresh Organic Hops
Black Diamond Imperial Porter Flavored with Cherry
DuClaw Brewing Venom American Style Pale Ale Flavored w/Apricot
DuClaw Brewing "31" Extra Spiced Munich Dunkel
DuClaw Brewing Imperial Chocolate Rye Porter
Flying Fish Hopfish IPA Dry Hopped w/Simcoe Hops
Sixpoint Brewing Autobahn American IPA Dry Hopped w/Columbus Hops
Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils Pilsner w/Chamomile & Lemon Peel
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale Dry Hopped in Cask
The Bruery - Autumn Maple - (10%abv) - Fall Spiced “Yam” Ale [not pumpkin.. Yam!]
Weyerbacher - Winter Ale and Pumpkin Ale [Yeah, probably Imperial Pumpkin....].
Stillwater Artisanal Ales Harvest (Dry Hopped with Citra & Summit) & Stateside (Dry Hop Chinook)
"S.O.B." Stillwater - Oliver Ales - The Brewers Art Collaboration - Smoked Belgian Porter

Oliver Breweries:
3500 (Oak Barrel Aged) - (9.2% abv) - Big Red Ale w/ Juniper Berries
“My Minkey’s Got Wood” - (10% abv) - French Oak aged Barley Wine
“My Monkeys Got Wood” - (10% abv) - American Oak Aged Barley Wine
The Darkness - (7.6% abv) - Dark English Wheat w/ Belgian Candy Syrup
Bishops Indulgence - (8% abv) - Stout w/ Vanilla Bean & Cacao Nibs
Smoke Break (5.9% abv) - Chipotle Smoked Porter
The Big D (8% abv) - IPA W/ Orange Blossom Honey, Orange, & Lemon Peel
Draft Punk (7% abv) - IPA Dry Hopped w/Maryland Grown Nugget Hops

Heavy Seas:
Loose Cannon Wet Hopped w/Fresh West Coast Citra Hops
Loose Cannon Wet Hopped w/Fresh Maryland Cascades (aka "Steve's Garden")
Winter Storm Wet Hopped w/West Coast Simcoe, White Oak & Plank
Peg Leg Stout with coffee, ginger root, wet Citra hops, vanilla bean and Montmorency tart cherries
Crispin Cider: Two firkins of cider, one with rhubarb and elderberry, one with blackcurrent and ginger
Brewers Alley - Two Firkins TBA
Brewers Art - Three Firkins TBA
Evolution -Lot 6 DIPA dry hopped with Galaxy, plus one more TBA
Flying Dog - The Fear – Imperial Pumpkin 9.0% ABV; and Dogtoberfest – German-style Marzen 5.3% ABV.
Fordham - Spiced Harvest Ale w/ Perle, Tradition & Nelson hops brewed w/ Cinnamon, Ginger & Clove
New Belgium - Hoptober – Double Dry Hopped 7.0% ABV
Yards Brewing: - Love Stout – Oyster Stout w/ Chocolate & Roasted Malt 5.5% ABV
Old Dominion - Baltic Porter w/ Perle & Bravo hops
Stoudt's - TBA
The Raven - TBA
Dog Brewing - "Very Very Berry Tart" double aged in French Oak, Imperial Dog IPA with French Oak & Dry Hopped with Citra
Troegs Java Head Stout with vanilla beans

Note: as many as fifteen firkins not listed are anticipated, pending supply and delivery logistics.

Get your tickets here.
Growler fills of any leftover cask ale (and usually, at best, that's what's left in the firkin, about one growler-ful!) are usually available to attendees at the end for $5 each plus the cost of the growler (or bring your own!).

Chesapeake Beer Madness 2011

2011-10-02T20:16:00.001-04:00

What's Up Annapolis/Eastern Shore Magazine is once again doing their online Chesapeake Beer Madness. Start stuffing the ballot boxes.

The Max's Taphouse Battle Plan--or Schedule--for Baltimore Beer Week

2011-10-02T17:57:00.001-04:00

Direct from the e-mail blast, here's the final(?) schedule of events for Max's Taphouse for Baltimore Beer Week, with a few annotations from yours truly. If you look very closely, you may find occasions where special beers, brewers, or representatives may be appearing at Max's that allows you to skip another appearance elsewhere, if you're being forced to choose between simultaneous appearances.

THURSDAY OCT 6
UNIBROUE--MEET THE BREWER 10PM-CLOSE
DRAFTS
Unibroue Ephemere Cassis
Unibroue Raftman
IN BOTTLES
La Fin Du Monde
Maudite
Ephemere Apple
Unibroue 15
Plus a few others....

DUVEL USA TRIVIA NIGHT 9PM-11PM
ON DRAFT
Duvel Single
Ommegang Aphrodite
Liefmans Oud Bruin
Chouffe Biere Du Soliel

FRIDAY OCT 7
NEW BELGIUM SPECIAL BEERS 5PM-8PM
ON DRAFT
1554 Enlightened Black Ale
Hoptober
Fat Tire
Ranger IPA
Kick
Clutch
OOhlala
Super Cru
Ten Ten Ten
Vrienden
Plus 2 Casks .......TBA
IN BOTTLES
Dunkelweizen
Trippel

DRINK WITH THE MONKS 8PM-9PM
ON DRAFT
Franziskaner Hefeweizen
Franziskaner Dunkelweizen

SATURDAY OCT 8
FLYING DOG NITRO'S 1pm-3pm
ON NITRO DRAFT
Raging Bitch
Dogtoberfest
Fear
Snake Dog

HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS--YETIS 4PM-7PM
We will be hosting this event in our new side bar--come check it out.
So we will be featuring 4 versions of Great Divide Yeti and we will also be showing the movie, Harry & the Hendersons--Get it? [If not, look here.]
ON DRAFT
Great Divide Barrel Aged Yeti
Great Divide Belgian Style Yeti
Great Divide Chocolate Yeti
Great Divide Yeti

SUNDAY OCT 9
STILLWATER DAY.
A Few Things. We will be opening out at 10am for the bottle release.We will open the door to our side bar for bottle sales. After you get your bottles walk over to the main bar and enjoy one of the great Stillwater drafts we will be featuring.
As for the bottle sales. we will be selling the special release bottle at one per customer.only 101 bottle made.
everything else is up for grabs.
So here it is, come early these beers are going to sell out.
BOTTLES FOR SALE
Olde Bay Saison (Special Release beer)
Cellar Door
Stateside Saison
Autumnal 2010
Autumnal 2011
Stillwater/Brewers Art Debutante
Existent
Stillwater/ Mikkeller Our Side
Stillwater/De Struise Outblack
Stillwater/Mikkeller Rauchstar
Stillwater/Max's 25 to One
Jaded
Rule of Thirds
Of Love & Regret
Debauched
Saison Darkly
Chardonnay Barrel Stateside
Burgundy Cellar Door
Bourbon Barrel Existent

ON DRAFT
Cellar Door
Stateside Saison
Existent
Autumnal 2011
Debutante
Our Side
Stillwater/Mikkeller Rauchstar
Stillwater/De Struise Outblack
Stillwater/Max's 25 to One
Jaded
Rule of Thirds
Debauched
Harvest Saison
Red Wine Barrel Aged Our Side
Red Wine Barrel Aged Autumnal
Red Wine Barrel Aged Debutante
Stillwater/Oliver's Channel Crossing V3
Stillwater/Oliver's/Brewers Art BBW Porter
Plus 4 casks .......TBA

MONDAY OCT 10
EVIL TWIN NIGHT 5pm-9pm
ON DRAFT
Ashtray Heart
Before During & After Christmas
Biscotti Break
Molotov Cocktail
Ron & The Beast Ryan
Ryan & the Beaster Bunny
Soft DK
IN BOTTLES
Yang
Ying
404 Belgian Pale
Disco Beer
Katz Pis

BOULDER BREWING 10PM -CLOSE
ON DRAFT
Single Track
Planet Porter
Buffalo Gold
Fresh Track
Never Summer
ON CASK
Flashback
Mojo

TUESDAY OCT 11
HOPFENSTARK MEET THE BREWER 6PM-9PM
ON DRAFT
Helles
Blanch De Ermitage
Post Colonial IPA Harvest
Greg American Foreign Stout Harvest
Saison Station 7 ( Herbs)
Saison Station 16 ( Rye)
Saison Station 55 ( Bitter)
Belgian IPA
Boson De Higgs
Saison DuRepos
Berlin Alexander Platz Epilogue
Triple
Kamarad Freidrich Russian Imperial Stout
Ostalgia Rousse
Lou Lou Porter

WEDNESDAY OCT 12
DOGFISH HEAD COME MEET SAM 3pm-5pm (info coming soon on how to reserve a space)
I will be sending out a separate e-mail on how you can reserve a space in our lounge for our meet & greet with Sam [Calagione] from Dogfish Head [You can figure out how to contact Max's yourself, if you want.]
ON DRAFT
120 Minute IPA
Punk in
Chateau Jaihu
Pangaea
Namaste
Plus A Few Other Special Surprises

YARDS BOXING 5PM-9PM
That's right, Tom Kehoe(owner of Yards Brewing ) vs Casey Hard (Beer Guy from Max's) are going to have a 1 round boxing match in Max's.
This is going to be very cool and maybe a bit funny.
ON DRAFT
Cape of Good Hope
Love Stout
Brawler
IPA
Philadelphia Pale
Bourbon Aged Thomas Jefferson

THURSDAY OCT 13
HEAVY SEAS FIRKINS(THAT MAX'S MADE AT THE BREWERY)
Max's sent 4 employees (Bob, Jason H. Casey H and Mike) to make their own casks at Heavy Seas. These beers should be very interesting. We will all find out, together.
ON CASK
Heavy Seas Loose Cannon w/ Blue Spruce Tips, Wet Hop Cascade & Wet Hop Simcoe
Heavy Seas Gold w/ Strawberries, Rose Hips, Meyer Lemon Peel and then Dry Hopped w/ Ahthum
Heavy Seas Pale Ale w/ Apricot, Lemon Basil, Cinnamon and then Dry Hopped w/ Centennial
Heavy Seas Peg Leg w/ Rainer Cherries, Coffee, White oak and then Dry Hopped w/ Simcoe

RODENBACH TRIVIA NIGHT 9PM-11PM
We will be featuring a few versions of Rodenbach
FEATURING:
Rodenbach
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Rodenbach 2007
Rodenbach 2008

FRIDAY OCT 14
EAST VS WEST(ALLAGASH VS UINTA)5PM-9PM
ON DRAFT
Uinta Detour Double IPA
Uinta Baba
Uinta Anniversary 2008
Uinta Wyld
Others TBA
VS
Allagash Curieux
Allagash Blonde
Allagash Fluxus 2011
Allagash Vrienden
Allagash White
Allagash Grand Cru
Allagash Four
Allagash Triple
others TBA

CRISPIN CASKS 9PM -CLOSE
We will be featuring some really interesting takes on Crispin Cider.
ON CASK
Crispin Stagerlee (Cider Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels)
Crispin Special (Cider w/ Rhubarb & Elderberry aged in Wine Barrels)
ON DRAFT
Crispin Cider

SATURDAY OCT 15
SIERRA NEVADA SPECIAL RELEASES 1PM-5PM
ON DRAFT
2x4
Estate
Black Hop Rising
Pitch A Tent
Northern Hemisphere
Back Porch Lager
Foam
Torpedo
Blonde
Ovila Saison
Life & Limb 2
Bigfoot 2008
Pale Ale

OSKAR BLUES NIGHT 6PM-10PM
ON DRAFT
Old Chub(Nitro)
G' Knight (Nitro)
Plus a few others TBA
ON CASK
Old Chub w/ vanilla

SUNDAY OCT 16
LOCALS ALL DAY
ON DRAFT
Duclaw Hero
DuClaw X2
DuClaw Double Black Lightning
DuClaw Special
DuClaw 31
DuClaw Twisted Kilt
DuClaw Bourbon X2(Cask)
Oliver's The Big D
Oliver's Smoke Break Smoked Chipotle Porter
Oliver's The Darkness
Oliver's The Bishop Indulgence w/ Cocoa Nibs & Vanilla Bean
Dominion (Cask)
Brewers Art--Beers TBA

Repost: PBS' "Prohibition" Series Starts Tonight

2011-10-02T13:52:00.000-04:00

Info reposted from an earlier post:
PBS and MPT are showing the premiere of noted documentarian Ken Burns' latest epic work, Prohibition, on the national "failed experiment" of 1919-1933. From the PBS blurb:

This 3-part, 5 1/2 hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the era it encompassed. The culmination of nearly a century of activism, Prohibition was intended to protect individuals, families, and society at large from the devastating effects of alcohol abuse. But a faith-driven moral code in the Constitution paradoxically caused millions of Americans to rethink their definition of morality. Thugs became celebrities, authority was rendered impotent. Social mores in place for a century were obliterated. Liquor consumption rocketed, propelling the rest of the culture with it: skirts shortened. Music heated up. America's Sweetheart morphed into The Vamp. Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system, caused illicit drinking to seem glamorous, encouraged neighborhood gangs to become national crime syndicates, and fostered cynicism and hypocrisy that corroded the social contract all across the country. The film raises vital questions that are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago - about means and ends, individual rights and responsibilities, the proper role of government and finally, who is - and who is not - a real American..

The program will be aired in three two-hour parts at 8:00 PM on Sunday, Oct. 2nd, Monday the 3rd, and Tuesday the 4th, with rebroadcasts at midnight each evening; additional rebroadcasts are scheduled on MPT and MPT-2 for the next two weeks. See the MPT page for this program for episode details and specific rebroadcast schedules.

The Washington Post's Hank Stuever has reviewed the series, and gave the (not really positive) review prominent placement in the dead-trees edition, but "buried" it on the website; you can find it here.

Maryland Medal Winners at 2011 Great American Beer Festival

2011-10-01T18:45:00.002-04:00

Flying Dog won a gold medal for Barley-Wine-Style Ale for its Horn Dog, beating out 41 other entrants.

Gordon Biersch's Rockville outlet won a Bronze in German-Style Sour Ale [?!?] for its Gordon Biersch Goze.

Rock Bottom Bethesda got bronze for Brown Bear Brown in Scottish-Style Ale.

And, well, that's pretty much it. Nineteen medals, including several golds, were awarded to breweries in Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. See the total results here. As usual, California and Colorado breweries dominated the medal winners, though the Brewers Association noted that Indiana had the greatest winner-to-entry ration--10 medals out of 52 total entries--in its press release. 3,930 beers (compared to 3,523 entries in 2010) competed for 248 medals in 83 beer categories covering 134 beer styles (encompassing subcategories).

Another Beer Fest Canceled

2011-10-01T17:18:00.001-04:00

Another beer fest has been canceled, but this time not to weather concerns, but staffing and ticket sales: The MACBrewFest scheduled for October 15th in downtown Washington, DC. Ticket refunds are being promised.

(Hey--that's more people to go to the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival that day.....)

Could Department of Justice Eliminate the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms?

2011-10-01T16:25:00.000-04:00

Found while cruising the web while waiting for the GABF medal results from Denver:

Multiple sources, including sources from ATF, DOJ and Congressional offices have said there is a white paper circulating within the Department of Justice, outlining the essential elimination of ATF. According to sources, the paper outlines the firing of at least 450 ATF agents in an effort to conduct damage control as Operation Fast and Furious gets uglier and as election day 2012 gets closer. ATF agents wouldn’t be reassigned to other positions, just simply let go. Current duties of ATF, including the enforcement of explosives and gun laws, would be transferred to other agencies, possibly the FBI and the DEA. According to a congressional source, there have been rumblings about the elimination of ATF for quite sometime, but the move would require major political capital to actually happen.

“It’s a serious white paper being circulated, how far they’d get with it I don’t know,” a confidential source said.

Most of this, of course, has to do with the still-imploding, undercovered-by-the-mainstream-media "Operation Fast and Furious" fustercku--err, "operation" where thousands of high-powered guns were trafficked to Mexican drug cartels by the ATF, later to be used against them and other law enforcement agents with fatal results. But if this agency is shut down or reorganized, it may well have an indirect impact upon Federal alcohol regulation--anything from a revamping and streamlining of regulation to endless delays for approval of such things as new labels and packaging designs.

Flying Dog To Rebuild Baltimore House for Habitat for Humanity During Baltimore Beer Week

2011-09-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

From their press release:

During this year’s Baltimore Beer Week, Flying Dog Brewery is partnering with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake to build a house in the Jefferson Street neighborhood [east of Johns Hopkins Hospital] on October 7.

“The reason we’re doing the build during Baltimore Beer Week is to utilize the exposure and momentum of the week to promote such a great cause for the community,” Flying Dog VP of Marketing Ben Savage said.

After the build, the Flying Dog team is closing the day with a Habitat fundraiser at Langermann’s in Canton from 6 to 10 pm. Flying Dog hopes to not only raise money for Habitat throughout the night, but also work with the organization to thank their Red Hat volunteers and AmeriCorps members for their leadership and countless hours of service.

“We couldn’t complete our mission without our Red Hat leaders and AmeriCorps team, “said Madeline Manlove, Executive and Development Associate for Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. “Their dedication to Habitat extends the reach of our staff, enabling us to serve more families, build more houses, and host more volunteers each day.”

Langermann’s has agreed to donate $1 from all Flying Dog pints purchased that night to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. Flying Dog will also buy the first beer for any Red Hat volunteer, AmeriCorps, or person who donates or signs up to volunteer with Habitat that night.

For more information on how you can get involved with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, visit its website at HabitatChesapeake.org.

Tonight's Firkin at Metropolitan

2011-09-29T11:49:00.003-04:00

At Metropolitan Coffeehouse and Wine Bar, where they tap a firkin every Thursday night:

"The cask for tonight's Firkin Thursday is Dobie Gillis Rye Pale Ale from White Marsh Brewing. It's 5.5% and highly sessionable."

Balto. Sun Reviews Victoria Gastro Pub and Baltimore Taphouse

2011-09-29T10:24:00.002-04:00

The Baltimore Sun just reviewed two good-beer venues at opposite ends of the spectrum: Erik Maza nominated the Baltimore Taphouse for "Ravens Bar of the Week," and Donna Ellis reviewed a full-blown beer dinner (featuring Lagunitas beers) at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia.

Preliminary Real Ale Fest Cask List UPDATED

2011-09-28T10:26:00.002-04:00

Pratt Street Ale House brewer Stephen Jones is letting leak what's arriving and being held for the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival on Oct. 15th:

Sixpoint Autobahn
Oskar Blues Mamas with Chamomile and lemon peel
Oskar Blues dry hopped Dales Pale Ale
The Bruery Autumn Maple
Boulder Cold Hop and Planet Porter
Black Diamond Harvest and Porter
DuClaw: Apricot Flavored Venom, Extra Spiced 31 (Spiced Munich Dunkel), and Imperial Chocolate Rye Porter
Heavy Seas: Loose Cannon with West Coast Wet Hop Citra & "Steve's garden" wet Cascade, Winter Storm with West Coast Wet Simcoe, White Oak & Plank and Peg Leg Stout with coffee, ginger root, wet Citra hops, vanilla bean and Montmorency tart cherries(!?!)
Also promised but not delivered yet: at least one firkin from Maryland's newest brewery, Burley Oak in Berlin.
From Olivers: "oak barrel aged batch #3500 (on the beer engine at the main bar), My Minkey's Got Wood (beer engine on the main bar), My Monkey's Got Wood (pin), The Darkness (pin), The Bishop's Indulgence, Smoke Break (smoked chipotle porter), The Big D (honey IPA) and for the VIP session Draft Punk dry hopped with Maryland grown Nugget.

Frederick Brewers Consolidate with New Brewery

2011-09-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

The Frederick News-Post is reporting on a new project by long-time Frederick microbrew personalities Bob Frank, Phil Bowers, and Tom Flores:

Phil Bowers, managing member of Monocacy Brewing Co. LLC, is establishing a craft beer production business at 1781 N. Market St.
Bob Frank, owner of the Flying Barrel, which sells ingredients and supplies to home-brewers and winemakers, plans to rent 3,000 square feet of the 15,000-square-foot building.
Bowers said he hoped to open the brewery in November. With the equipment in place, the brewery could produce up to 20,000 barrels a year and, over time, could hire up to 25 employees
Monocacy Brewing will produce its own line of craft beers, as well as craft beers sold at Brewer's Alley in downtown Frederick. It also will contract to brew for clients
Bowers, a partner in Brewer's Alley, said he has been selling his craft beers throughout Maryland for the past five years. More wine and beer retailers are dedicating additional space to craft beers as their popularity grows, Bowers said.
"Just like wine connoisseurs who explore the nuances of regional grapes, so, too, do fans of craft beer, who want to enjoy beer styles created with locally grown ingredients," Bowers said. "Local origination of ingredients will be one of Monocacy's major brewing initiatives."
Tom Flores, brewmaster at Brewer's Alley since 1997, will oversee operations at Monocacy Brewing Co.
Bowers chose the circa 1930s Market Street factory building that originally housed Ebert Ice Cream Co. after studying dozens of potential brewery sites.
"We all liked the idea of reusing and adapting an existing property, as opposed to building anew on a raw parcel of land," Bowers said. "It was a perfect spot because the building was originally designed and used for factory food production."

This seems a quite natural consolidation and expansion for several well-established Frederick brewing folks.

Baltimore Beer Week Fast Approaching--Get Tickets Now For Advance-Sale Events!

2011-09-27T15:32:00.004-04:00

Baltimore Beer Week has just managed to break 300 events for the week, with ~~303~~ 315 events officially posted (the latest flock from Grand Cru of Belvedere Square), and a few more in the works.

As with past years, this blog will be highlighting specific events worthy of extra attention and consideration a few days in advance, but for today we're going to run down and highlight only events with potentially limited attendance, limited supplies, and/or advance ticket sales, where you may wish to decide now to get tickets or reservations lest you be shut out. A few of these events offer discounts for advance purchase as well. Most BBW events are "pat as you go" (meaning "pay for what you eat/drink"), and a few are even free. All events are listed at the BBW Events page; this is only an overview for purposes of advance planning.

First and foremost on October 6th, of course, is the Opening Tap at The Ram's Head Live 6-9 PM ($30), preceded by the "parade" of the "Star-Spangled Banger" firkin hammer. Liam Flynn's taps a custom-ordered house firkin, a heather ale brewed for them by Heavy Seas. The Maryland Science Center is having its "Science on Tap" featuring DuClaw brewers at about the same time as the Opening Tap. After the Opening Tap, there are after-parties at Leinenkugel's and the Pratt Street Ale House, and former DJ Brian Strumke hosts a karaoke event at Alewife.

October 8th: The Brewers Association of Md Oktoberfest at the Fairgrounds in Timonium, with an added homebrew element this year ($20-35). Start the morning with a Unibroue beer brunch at Metropolitan ($30), or see the tap-making demo at Mark Supik & Co. in Highlandtown (free). Hellas is having a Sam Adams event that includes sampling from a bottle of Utopias; Leinenkugel's has its Downtown Beer Festival that evening ($20-30);

9th: Brewery tour and brunch at Heavy Seas ($40, not on website yet); a Stillwater event at Max's Taphouse includes sales of a one-off batch for the occasion; Victoria Gastro Pub's Maryland Beer Festival (($30-40); Honeygo's beer fest ($30); the Heavy Seas Pyrate Pub Crawl ($25); Flying Dog's Bachelor Beer Dinner at Golden West in Hampden ($35), and Homebrewing for the Cure at Maryland Homebrew in Columbia (which has a new home in the same general building, in case you didn't know).

10th, Columbus Day Monday: The Baltimore Beer Forum at Bertha's ($30); Exotic Beer Brunch at Metropolitan ($35); a Flying Dog Beer Dinner at Frisco Taphouse ($TBA); a Stillwater beer dinner at the Mt. Airy Inn ($75); a Heavy Seas beer dinner at Alewife ($65), and cigars and beer-and-spirits tasting at Red Brick Station ($45).

11th: Mahaffey's bus trip to Yards Brewery in Philadelphia (and a casino!) ($28); beer dinner at TBonz in Ellicott City with homebrew and Maryland Homebrew ($40); joint Olivers/Evolution dinner at Pratt Street Ale House ($45); the Pints for Poe fundraiser at the Creative Alliance/Patterson Theater in Highlandtown (donation); and a fundraising Flying Dog dinner at Alewife ($80).

12th: Flying Dog Civil War dinner at Grand Cru ($TBA); Ommegang six-course dinner at Pickles Pub ($45); the fundraising (for animal shelters) Homebrewing Showcase at Little Havana (which will run out of beer all too quickly!); Red Brick Station's joint RBS-Brewers Art crab feast ($45); Leinenkugel's Flying Dog dinner ($40).

13th: Women in Beer at Max's ($20); James Joyce's charity beer dinner (charity and price TBA); Max's staff makes their own casks at Heavy Seas and pours them at Max's; and the Brewmasters Beer Dinner at Punk's Backyard Grill in Annapolis ($50).

14th: Beer Breakfast at Pickles Pub ($25); beer brunch at Metropolitan ($25); the Charmingly Charitable Chilibrew, this time on North Avenue right near Liam Flynn's (and they usually run out of beer and chili both! $10-20); and a Leinenkugel's beer dinner ($TBA).

15th: The Chesapeake Real Ale Festival at the Pratt Street Ale House ($40-50); Date Night at the National Aquarium with Flying Dog beers ($80 per couple); and Metropolitan's Trappist Beer Dinner ($45).

16th: Wrap it all up with a Beer Brunch at the Mt. Airy Inn with Brewer's Alley beers ($40).

Once again, lots of other special events are out there. Lots of brewers are coming to town, including Carol Stoudt, Scotland's Bruce Williams (of Heather Ale fame), Pete Showvaker of Troegs, Pete Scheider of Victory Brewing, several brewers from Canada, and more. Plan accordingly.

Stella Artois Attempting to Out-Ritualize Guinness in Pouring

2011-09-27T12:18:00.001-04:00

Guinness has long been far more about marketing its brand and image as an integral part of some mythical Irish cultural ethos, presumably written into the Irish Constitution somewhere. Part of that marketing has been hyping the supposed "ritual" of pouring a "proper pint of Guinness," down to pouring a rendering of a shamrock into the head. (Step One: "Take a clean glass." Step Six: "sip." Come on, folks.)

Well, Stella Artois, in a press release just received here, has apparently upped the pretentiousness of the whole "ritual" for their beer by fifty percent:

Taking the Belgian beer experience to new heights of perfectly poured sophistication, Stella Artois is bringing its World Draught Masters competition, an annual event that honors beer connoisseurs’ mastery of the Stella Artois 9-Step Pouring Ritual, to DC.
On Oct. 7, U.S. finalists from across the country will rendezvous at the celebrated National Building Museum to vie for the chance to move on to the global finals in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I think I shall count the steps I go through for my next pint of real ale. I'm sure I could inflate it to 25 or so with little effort.

Advanced-Level Beer Humor

2011-09-27T11:57:00.000-04:00

In my joint mission with "The Big Bang Theory" to pepper the world with more sophisticated humor, I present the following:

(Don't get it? Read the comments at the source.)

A more advanced version.

Beer at the Dollar General?

2011-09-27T10:10:00.002-04:00

Oh, lawsie, lawsie, lawsie, there are so many different ways one could go with this, from confirming all the lovely stereotypes about Arkansas to "what kind of beer can they sell for a dollar?":

FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Several Dollar General stores in the Fort Smith and Fayetteville areas have been granted permits to sell beer, officials said Thursday.
The panel gave the nod to five stores each in Fort Smith, Little Rock and Pine Bluff, four each in Harrison and Paragould, and three in Fayetteville.Other stores that received approval are in Altus, Augusta, Brinkley, Bull Shoals, Cherry Valley, Eudora, Flippin, Hughes, Lake Village, Maumelle, Mountain Home, Newport, Ozark, Paris, Redfield, Sherwood, Stuttgart, Tuckerman, West Memphis and Wrightsville.Applications were denied in communities where there was local opposition, though those rulings can be appealed.

TV news video report at this link.

6th Maryland Microbrewery Festival 2011 Cancelled Due to Severe Weather Conditions

2011-09-23T10:32:00.002-04:00

Well, now I'm feeling a little less guilty about not doing enough here to promote this festival.

Just in from the festival website:

6th Maryland Microbrewery Festival 2011 Cancelled this YEAR Severe Weather Conditions
WHEN: Saturday September 24, 2011 11AM - 7PM Cancelled due to severe weather conditions and possible flash flooding. We regret this decision and will refund through Paypal advanced ticket sales.

Need alternate plans? Saturday just happens to be Museum Day, brought to you by the Smithsonian Institution, where you can get free museum admission at participating museums and venues with tickets procured online. (My wife is intent on an outdoor gardens museum. I'm not sure that's going to work tomorrow.)

PBS Series "Prohibition" to Air on Maryland Public TV Before/During Baltimore Beer Week

2011-09-22T18:09:00.003-04:00

Seriously, we couldn't have arranged this kind of timing if we had paid large sums of money to MPT or PBS.

PBS and MPT are showing the premiere of noted documentarian Ken Burns' latest epic work, Prohibition, on the national "failed experiment" of 1919-1933. From the PBS blurb:

This 3-part, 5 1/2 hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the era it encompassed. The culmination of nearly a century of activism, Prohibition was intended to protect individuals, families, and society at large from the devastating effects of alcohol abuse. But a faith-driven moral code in the Constitution paradoxically caused millions of Americans to rethink their definition of morality. Thugs became celebrities, authority was rendered impotent. Social mores in place for a century were obliterated. Liquor consumption rocketed, propelling the rest of the culture with it: skirts shortened. Music heated up. America's Sweetheart morphed into The Vamp. Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system, caused illicit drinking to seem glamorous, encouraged neighborhood gangs to become national crime syndicates, and fostered cynicism and hypocrisy that corroded the social contract all across the country. The film raises vital questions that are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago - about means and ends, individual rights and responsibilities, the proper role of government and finally, who is - and who is not - a real American..

Yet Another Fundraiser

2011-09-21T23:38:00.002-04:00

Alonso's/Loco Hombre and The Brewers Art on Thursday the 22nd are participating in a fundraiser for Dining Out for Life - Baltimore. 50% of sales proceeds will be donated to Moveable Feast, so head there and enjoy some tasty food and drink for a great cause.

ALSO PARTICIPATING, at various levels of percentage of tab as donation: Clementine (50%), Bistro Rx, Jack's Bistro, Joe Squared North Avenue, The Mt. Washington Tavern, and other places. See here for details and a list of participating venues.

City Paper's Best of Baltimore 2011

2011-09-21T08:42:00.000-04:00

The City Paper's annual Best of Baltimore issue is out for 2011.

Beer-geek-related entries:

Best Place to Buy Beer: Wells Discount Liquors, 6310 York Road.
Best Place to Buy Alcohol on Sundays: Fells Point Liquor & Bar, 1709 Fleet St.
Best New Bar: Liam Flynn's Ale House, 22 W. North Avenue
Best Wine Bar: Grand Cru, 527 E. Belvedere Ave. (Well, considering how this place much of the competition happens to be good beer places as well...........)
Best Neighborhood Bar: The Dizz, 300 W. 30th St.
Best Bar To Be a Designated Driver: Alexander's Tavern, 710 S. Broadway.
Best Beer Selection: Alewife, 21 N. Eutaw St.
Best Happy Hour: Ropewalk Tavern, 1209 S. Charles St.
Best Local Bottled Beer: Heavy Seas Beer
Best Draft Beer: National Bohemian [?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!]
Best Drinking Plan: The Wharf Rat Mug Club, 801 S. Ann St.
Best Summertime Revelation: Canned Beer Is Better
Best Public Transit Bar Tour: Charm City Circulator

Debate and discuss.

The Falls in Mt. Washington Closes

2011-09-21T08:21:00.001-04:00

From their Facebook announcement:

Attention friends and neighbors:
We're saddened to announce that after almost 2 great years we are no longer open for business, effective immediately.
The Falls was never perfect, but it wasn't for lack of effort. We always wanted the Falls to be a great place to have some good food, good drinks, and have good conversation- not only with each other, but with us as well. Anyone who came to the Falls more than once knows that there was always something different from visit to visit, and that was because we were always committed to improving, growing, and evolving.
This past month, we shook things up a bit in order to continue chasing our goal. The support from the people who came to see the changes was wonderful. To us, it really felt like we were better than ever and only getting stronger, but in the end, it was too little too late.
We'd like to offer our sincere gratitude to all of you who stuck with us, from the day we opened as a coffee shop to the night we closed as a full-blown restaurant and bar. We had a great run, and you can be certain that we went down swinging. It didn't work out for us, and it's hard for all of us to deal with right now, but in the end, what matters most is that we had a hell of a lot of fun.
Thanks again everybody.

I, for one, am saddened that a good beer destination outside the "usual" downtown beer-quaffing epicenters wasn't able to make it. I was rooting for some good beer dinners here for Baltimore Beer Week, but it just wasn't to be. I wish them the best in their future endeavors!

More Beer Benefit Events

2011-09-21T08:16:00.001-04:00

First, tonight up in Port Deposit, Md.:

WHAT: Beer & Burger Night for the Residents of Port Deposit sponsored
by Flying Dog Brewery and Bond Distributing Company

WHERE: C.M. Tugs 10 South Main Street, Port Deposit, MD

WHEN: Wednesday, September 21st beginning at 7pm

WHY: To celebrate the wonderful town and residents of Port Deposit,
Bond Distributing Company and Flying Dog Brewery will treat Port
Deposit Residents to one FREE Flying Dog product. ID Required.

Meanwhile, at Hellas in Millersville:

An update on the Maryland Beer and Wine Fundraising Beer Dinner coming up on Sunday, October 2nd: We have finalized the menu and would like you to take a look at the lineup we have prepared for you. As with our other beer dinners we have the option for you to enjoy a great selection of wines with your meal if you are not a beer drinker. Reception starts at 5pm and the cost is $65 per person with $10 of your ticket being donated to the Oyster Recovery Partnership. As always, tickets must be purchased in advance.

So away we go....

Reception Course: Assortment of Chesapeake Oysters (Assortment of Rockefeller, BBQ Baked and Virginia Style Oysters) and some raw Choptank Sweet Oysters.

Reception Beer: Heavy Seas Brewing Co. "Hop Haarvest" fresh hop porter, (wet hopped with fresh local hops from Mt. Airy) specially kegged in a firkin for this dinner.

Reception Wine: White Peach Sangria w/ Boordy Vineyards Icons of Maryland No. 6 Oriole-Riesling and fresh local peaches.

First Course: Maryland Blue Crab Salad w/ Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho (Fresh Md. Crabmeat, Revolution seedless Watermelon and Cucumbers from Papa John's Farm and Purple Basil from Gardner's Gourmet w/ a delicious Gazpacho of Local Heirloom Tomatoes).

First Course Beer: Stillwater Artisanal Ales "Cellar Door" American Farmhouse/Saison Ale brewed with white sage.

First Course Wine: Boordy Icons of Maryland No.1 Rockfish-Seyval Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc.

Second Course: Chesapeake Cioppino (A medley of fresh local seafood in a wine and tomato broth made w/ local Mountain Magic tomatoes and Boordy wine).

Second Course Beer: White Marsh Brewing Co. "Rye Pale Ale" kegged specially for this dinner.

Second Course Wine: Boordy Landmark Reserve - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Third Course: Chesapeake Blackened Blue Tacos (Blackened fillets of Invasive Chesapeake Blue Catfish wrapped in a flour tortilla w/ pickled local cabbage and peppers slaw, Sriracha-Ranch dressing served w/ grilled petite cob of Eastern Shore silver corn).

Third Course Beer: Duclaw Brewing Co. "Exile Series X-2" Imperial Belgian Wit.

Third Course Wine: Boordy JazzBerry Berry Wine.

Dessert Course: Local Cheeses and Preserves (A combination of local artisan cheeses and house made preserves of local fruits).

Dessert Course Beer: 2010 Vintage Flying Dog Brewing Co. "Horn Dog" Barley-wine style Ale.

Dessert Course Wine: Boordy Vineyards 2006 Veritas Ruby Port.

For info and tickets, contact Joey Marchiano at Hellas Restaurant and Lounge, 8498 Veterans Highway,

Millersville, MD 21108 (410) 987-0948

Beer Dinner at Frank & Nic's Thursday

2011-09-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

Just regurgitating the somewhat-forgotten press release here. It's nice to see beer dinners spreading to places that aren't known as craft beer hangouts.

    Flying Dog Beer Pairing Dinner at Frank & Nic's next Thursday September 22nd at 7pm

        Tickets are $45 a person + Tax & Gratuity.

        THE MENU

        Dogtoberfest Marzen
        Arugula salad with shredded duck confit and a cranberry gastrique

        Gonzo Imperial Porter
        Beer and Bacon brussel sprouts over deep fried basil polenta

        Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA
        Boneless braised short ribs with homemade dumplings

        Horn Dog Barley Wine
        Pumpkin Crepes

        I look forward to hearing back from you!

    Shelby Parrish
    Marketing Manager
    Frank & Nic's West End Grille
    511 W. Pratt St Baltimore, MD
    www.frankandnics.com
    parrish.shelby@gmail.com

Coming to Baltimore for Baltimore Beer Week 2011? Here's Your Travel Guide!

2011-09-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

First of all, the Baltimore Beer Week Committee encourages you to travel (and drink) responsibly while partaking of Baltimore Beer Week. Do not drink and drive. Take a designated driver (many events have discounts and/or special deals for designated drivers), pool together to take a taxi or van, or ride public transit. If in doubt, call a cab or have one called for you--even a long taxi ride is cheaper than a car accident or arrest. Heck, hire a limo or van if you must--several limos showed up at Baltimore Beer Week events in 2009 and 2010!

First things first: The downtown road construction traffic nightmares of last year are largely gone. However, RAIL transit (Metro and Light Rail) use for downtown events, especially at the Pratt Street Ale House, is strongly encouraged whenever possible.

ALSO: On Saturday, October 15, 2011 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., the Baltimore Marathon will cause major bus diversions and street closures in Federal Hill, Fells Point, Canton, Charles Village, and downtown (PDF route map here). Please allow extra time for your trip on this day. MTA encourages transit riders to ride the Light Rail and Metro Subway to avoid downtown congestion. The Baltimore Marathon will loop through many areas of Baltimore City, causing MTA to put significant diversions in place to maintain local bus service. This may require customers to catch a bus at a designated bus stop on a street that may not be a part of the normal route. The MTA is expected to post an official website page for exact route diversions and other details.

Downtown Baltimore has a FREE "circulator" shuttle bus service, the Charm City Circulator. Two routes are currently in service: the north-south Purple Route which operates from Amtrak/MARC';s Penn Station south to Federal Hill, and the east-west Orange Route, which operates from Hollins Market/the B&O Museum east to Harbor East. A third route, the Green Route connecting City Hall/Fallsway motels, Harbor East, Fells Point, and Johns Hopkins Hospital Campus, ~~MAY be~~ WILL NOT BE open by Baltimore Beer Week 2011. With the Circulator, it's easy--and free--to ride from Penn Station or downtown hotels to Federal Hill, or to go from Federal Hill to Mount Vernon. The southeasternmost stop of the Orange Route (#225 on the maps) is seven blocks from the heart of Fells Point, approximately a (relatively safe) ten-to-twelve-minute walk.
Circulator Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 6:30am-9:00pm
Friday: 6:30am-midnight
Saturday: 9:00am-midnight
Sunday: 9:00am-9:00pm

The Water Taxi: Baltimore's Inner Harbor is served by a flotilla of passenger boats called the Water Taxi. These boats do not just stop when flagged as the name implies, but operate over designated routes between designated stops like a bus (weather permitting--strong winds or thunderstorms will suspend service). Passengers pay a flat $10 day pass (children $5). Throughout Baltimore Beer Week, Water Taxi service starts at 10 A.M. every day, and ends at 8 P.M. every day except Friday and Saturday when service continues to 11 P.M. The Water Taxi can be an ideal way to travel from downtown locations or Federal Hill to Fells Point or Canton, especially for the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival or the Downtown Beer Festival!

Baltimore MTA in general: http://www.mtamaryland.com
MTA's Transit Trip Planner (how to get from one address to another via transit): http://www.mtamaryland.com/transit/
Google Maps http://maps.google.com
MTA City Buses: http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/bus/
MTA Light Rail (BWI Airport/Glen Burnie-Downtown-Timonium/Hunt Valley): http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/lightrail/
MTA Metro Subway (Owings Mills-Downtown-Johns Hopkins Hospital): http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/subway/
MARC Commuter Rail (weekday only, Perryville-Baltimore-D.C.): http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/
Baltimore Super Shuttle (airport van): http://www.supershuttle.com/bal.htm
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport: http://www.bwiairport.com
DC Airports: http://www.metwashairports.com
Amtrak (Penn Station, north of Mt. Vernon): http://www.amtrak.com
Greyhound (Terminal between M&T Stadium and I-95): http://www.greyhound.com

BoltBus (stops next to Penn Station) http://www.boltbus.com
Megabus: http://us.megabus.com (NOTE: Megabus uses White Marsh, Md., northeast of the city proper, as its stop for the city. Riders can ride downtown on the MTA #35 bus, or they can just proceed directly to Red Brick Station, the brewpub on The Avenue at White Marsh.....)

More Transportation: http://www.baltconvstr.com/pages/transportation.htm

Baltimore City Taxi Cabs
Yellow Cab (410) 685-1212
Baltimore Taxi Company (410) 327-7777
Royal Cab (410) 327-0330

Anne Arundel County Taxi Cabs
Cab Connection (410) 766-1000

Baltimore County Taxi Cabs
County Cab (410) 339-0000
Jimmy’s Cab (410) 296-7200

Howard County Taxi Cabs
Columbia Taxi Service (240) 210-6688

Downtown Hotels: http://baltimore.org/hotels-and-accommodations/

HOTEL DEALS COMING SOON:

Some more information posted by BBW at its Hospitality page.

General hints: An MTA Day Pass, good for all modes, is $3.50--cheaper if you're a senior. It's only thirty cents more than the cost of two bus trips, or any round trip on the subway or Light Rail, so it's best to get said pass if you anticipate any use other than a simple round trip. Baltimore has also instituted a "smart card" electronic card reader program called the Charm Card, similar to Washington DC's SmartCard; in fact, they are interchangeable, and DC's SmartCards will work on Baltimore's MTA and even carry over cash balances between systems. (These cards do not recognize day passes on the Baltimore system yet, so get a paper "day pass" if you intend to take the above advice.)

Routes: If you're trying to get to Fells Point from downtown, you should seek out the #10 bus line, which drops you off at the Broadway Market at Broadway and Eastern, three short blocks from Max's and less than that for Alexander's, etc. The #11 route also stops in Fells Point at Broadway and Aliceanna. Bus routes 7, 11, and 13 will get you to various points around Canton, with varying success depending on your origin and exact destination. Routes 1 and 64 will get you to Federal Hill, with the former also getting you to Locust Point. Several routes will get you between downtown and Mount Vernon/Station North/Penn Station, including the 3, 11, and 64; simply remember that Charles Street is one-way northbound and the streets to either side east and west (St. Paul and Maryland/Cathedral/Light) are one-way southbound. Light Rail can get you from downtown or Glen Burnie to the Timonium Fairgrounds on Saturday the 8th for the Oktoberfest; it will get you from the north and south to Pratt Street Ale House for the Real Ale Fest on the 15th.

Try the MTA Trip Planner at: http://www.mtamaryland.com/transit/ Enter a start and destination address and time you plan to start, and the website calculates the best (or several optional) ways to get between the two points by MTA, even including walking between connecting routes if need be.

Lastly, I will shamelessly refer you over to another nonprofit's website and its "how to get to our convention" pages: http://www.otakon.com/allroads.asp . I harbor no qualms in doing so because I wrote approximately 90% of the content on that page in 2006-2008 (in spite of the lack of credit). Actually, I do have one qualm in that some of the information and links are outdated, but nothing so critical that you'll get lost, gouged, or hopelessly stranded. It's especially useful for getting downtown for the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival on Sept. 15th or any events at the Pratt Street Ale House, as that's right across the street from the Baltimore Convention Center's main entrance. Similarly, it also works for the nearby Alewife, Leinenkugel's Beer Garden, Ram's Head Live, and other such locations.

A Medley of Future Beer Events Besides Baltimore Beer Week

2011-09-20T12:32:00.001-04:00

Baltimore Beer Week (oh, like have have to point you to the website) should be dominating your future beer-money and liver-work allocations, but just in case those don't work for you, here's a list of other beer events in the region, from the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News Hop Tips e-newsletter:

Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, the 25th: Das Best Oktoberfest at National Harbor -
Wear German attire and get extra beer tokens. Tickets and details at www.dasbestoktoberfest.com.

Saturday, September 24th: Maryland Microbrewery Festival at Union Mills Homestead, Westminster -
Celebrate and promote the best of Maryland’s handcrafted and distinctive microbrews. 11am-7pm. Tickets and details at www.marylandmicrobreweryfestival.com.

Saturday, September 24th: Oktoberfest at Baying Hound, Rockville -
Baying Hound and Frederik De Pue will be grilling up the bratwurst and other delectable selections to complement the excellent and wide-ranging selection of Baying Hound brews on draft. Noon to 5pm. 301-637-5179 or www.baying-hound.com.

Monday, September 26th: Heavy Seas Beer Dinner with Hugh at Carrol's Creek Cafe, Annapolis -
$55, all-inclusive. 6:30pm. Reservations by the 23rd at 410-647-7363 or klawson@fishpawsmarket.com.

Friday, September 30th: Heavy Seas Tasting at Fenwick Beer and Wine, Silver Spring -
4:30-7:30pm. 301-650-5770 or www.fenwickbeerandwine.com.

Friday, September 30th: Chesapeake Beer Madness at Park Place, Annapolis -
6-10pm. Tickets and details at http://whatsupmag.com/wu-events/chesapeake-beer-madness.html.

Friday, October 7th: Southern Tier Tasting at Fenwick Beer and Wine, Silver Spring -
4:30-7:30pm. 301-650-5770 or www.fenwickbeerandwine.com.

Sunday, October 9th: First Annual Maryland Beer Fest at Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia -
Ticket includes beer tasting from each of the participating Maryland breweries, appetizers, Hors D’oeuvres, and complimentary tasting glass and bottle opener. Noon to 4pm. Tickets at the pub or at 410-750-1880. www.victoriagastropub.com.

Wednesday, November 16th: Yuengling Beer Dinner at Clyde’s, Columbia -
7-9pm. Menu and tickets at http://clydesbeerdinners.com.

And now for something completely different: A Baltimore-based theatrical movie featuring homebrewers......

2011-09-18T12:29:00.001-04:00

Dang, if they had only thought to tie in this premiere with Baltimore Beer Week.
Snipped from DreadCentral.com:

It was last November when we first told you about Witch’s Brew, the beer-soaked gross-out horror comedy about what happens when a pissed off witch lays a curse upon your lager. A new trailer proclaims this blood-battered brewski is ready for serving.
Those of you living in Baltimore, Maryland, will get first crack at Witch’s Brew when it makes its world premiere at The Charles Theater on October 19th. Here are the rest of the gory details regarding the impending fermentation of the evil that is Witch’s Brew, followed by the special premiere trailer:
Just in time for Halloween, Baltimore filmmakers Chris LaMartina and Jimmy George unleash bottles of beer and buckets of blood in the gory horror-comedy Witch's Brew.
SYNOPSIS: When two micro-brewers screw over the town witch, she curses their latest batch of alcohol. Anyone who drinks it suffers a gruesome, ironic demise.
Written and directed by LaMartina, Witch's Brew harkens back to the days when horror films were fun, without taking themselves too seriously. The film boasts performances by George Stover (John Waters' Desperate Living and Polyester), Ruby LaRocca (Lord of the G-Strings), and Shawn C. Phillips (star of Syfy Channel's "Haunted High School" and Chillerama).
Witch's Brew is the fourth film from Baltimore based Midnight Crew Studios.
LaMartina and George's previous film, President's Day, tore up the festival circuit last fall, playing Fargo Fantastic Fest, Fuel the Fear Fest, Killer Film Fest (winning "Best Feature" and "Best Screenplay"), Oklahoma Horror Film Festival, San Diego Horror Film Festival, and Synerfest (winning "Best Feature") It will be released early next year through Spy Global Media.

Facebook page.

Trailer:

"More Beer at the White House" Identified!

2011-09-17T12:43:00.002-04:00

Remember this earlier question about the beer Obama had with a Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor?

The White House has identified it, according to this blog: more of the White House's honey homebrew:

President Obama quaffed beer with 23-year old Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer on Wednesday, a day ahead of presenting the former Marine Sergeant with the Medal of Honor on Thursday. Turns out the beers for the Oval Office patio chat were some of the special homebrew the White House chefs have been making since last January, a White House spokesman told Obama Foodorama. The President served Meyer, the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war, White House Honey Blonde Ale.

Ellicott Mills Brewing Holding Flood Victims Relief Fundraiser

2011-09-16T15:47:00.001-04:00

From the Baltimore Sun, and heard through other media:

Seeing the damage all around him, Kendzierski and other members of the close-knit Ellicott City community began brainstorming ways to raise money for their neighbors who'd been hit the hardest.
One result is that the Brewing Co.'s fourth annual Maryland crab soup competition, already planned for Sunday, Sept. 18, is now part fundraiser as well.
As an estimated 20 contestants vie for the title of top soup, there will also be raffles and a collection for flood victims, Kendzierski said.
For the rest of September, one dollar from every Kolsch beer – renamed Muddy Waters – and every dinner special sold at the brewery will go toward the collection fund as well, Kendzierski said.
Everyone is invited, and Kendzierski said he expects a full house of supporters. The money raised will likely be divided among flood victims along Main Street and in the town's west end residential neighborhood, he said.
"People's lives were affected in a strong way, and hopefully this'll help us raise awareness," he said. "It's not charity. It's community."
The event is from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Ellicott Mills Brewing Co., 8308 Main Street in Ellicott City.

Okay, NOW the Baltimore Beer Week schedule ramps up.......

2011-09-16T11:03:00.000-04:00

The pressure is now on for Baltimore Beer Week's sponsors to add events to the official schedule, both on the website and for the upcoming guide booklets and City Paper schedule inserts. The official tally now stands at ~~214~~ 267 events, and we are well aware of several more that haven't made it onto the website list yet.

Start perusing, and start arranging your schedules accordingly. (The home page gives you the seven "featured events;" select individual dates to see what's happening on those days.)

Charitably Charmin' ChiliBrew Returns For Baltimore Beer Week

2011-09-15T23:02:00.000-04:00

Just in from the organizers:

WHAT: The 4th Charitably Charmin' ChiliBrew competition, a nonprofit fundraiser
WHEN: Fri, 10/14/11; competitor setup 6:00-7:00PM, competition 7:00-10:00PM, live music afterwards
WHERE: The Load of Fun Gallery, 120 W. North Ave., Baltimore MD. 21201
WHO: presented by the BaltiBrew homebrew club, sponsored by Liam Flynn's Ale House
WHY: to promote localized lifestyles, and build community amongst DIY enthusiasts
HOW/etc.: http://bmorecharmin.intuitwebsites.com/

A more in-depth description of the ChiliBrew along with rules and entry form are found on the event website above. Ours is a relatively informal event, so the judging is "hedonistic"-style, and there are no style categories and no competitor entry fee (in a sense, it's like a giant potluck party with prizes). We ask that competitors fill out an entry form by October 5th (i.e. before Beer Week), or email us to discuss other arrangements or ask any questions: bmorecharmin@gmail.com