March 2008

This month's club meeting is at Ernie and Marti's west of Silverdale.

From Marti:
So, the meeting is on Thursday, the 20th - starting at 6pm. Will have shredded pork or beef with rolls again, with other treats. Bring homebrews - the quality of homebrews in this club is impressive.
Contact Us for directions to the meeting.

National Homebrew Competition
Window for 1st Round AHA National Competition Entries is open 3/10 to 3/21
Monday March 10, 2008
All Day
Location: Seattle, WA

Notes:
Entries for the AHA National Competition 1st Round can be dropped off at Pyramid Alehouse in Seattle. The entries will be shipped from Seattle to Anchorage for judging at no additional cost. Entry cost is $9/ea for AHA members, (1) bottle is required for each entry. If your entry makes it to the final round, an additional (3) bottles will be required. Consider setting aside the (3) additional bottles now, just in case.

See the website for more information

http://www.beertown.org/events/nhc/entry.html

NOTE: You can deliver your entries (and entry checks-$9 per entry for AHA members, $14 non-members) to Olympic Brewing Supplies and Vic will pick them up and run them into Seattle.

Contact Vic (286-3870) or Bill at OBS for deadlines.

They are brewing again at Pyramid Seattle so if you want to drop off your entries personally you should stick around and try their new brews. Currently they have a Belgian Wheat, Imperial Stout, and barley wine brewed on site. The imperial stout straight out of the fermenter was wonderful and had the most amazing texture. It seemed something like a nitro brew but even more ethereal. The mouthfeel was something between a gas and a liquid.

From: "Brad Ginn"
Subject: WAHA Representative
Hi guys,
There's a fledgling statewide homebrewing organization, Washington Homebrewers Association (http://wahomebrewers.org). The goal of the group is to promote homebrewing in the state and foster communication and participation between clubs and independent homebrewers, etc. We should appoint a representative to their board.

We could either select someone, or make it an auxiliary duty of one of the officers. I could do it, but Alan may be a better choice since he already knows everyone involved (Jon Tobey, Mark Emiley, etc), or Matt could do it since he pretends to know everyone.

What do you guys think?

Brad

Subject: Craft beer sales climb 12% in 2007
From: Matt
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 18:51:46 -0800

http://www.realbeer.com/blog/?p=761

Go to the link for graphics and more details, but here's the basic text:
The Brewers Association reports it estimates sales of what it defines as craft breweries rose 12% by volume in 2007 and 16% in dollars. Craft brewers' share of the beer category is 3.8% of production and 5.9% of retail sales.

"Since 2004, dollar sales by craft brewers have increased 58 percent," Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association, said in a press release. "The strength of this correlates with the American trend of buying local products and a preference for more flavorful foods and beers."

The BA estimates the actual dollar sales figures from craft brewers at more than $5.74 billion, up from $4.95 billion in 2006.

Rogue Warrior Deployed to Oregon.

NEWPORT, OR., March 5, 2008 (Rogue Wire Service): Dick Marcinko, aka Rogue Warrior, aka Demo Dick, aka Shark Man of the Delta, will be dispatched to Portland, Astoria, and Newport on March 13-15 as part of a whirlwind tour of Rogue Ales meeting halls, breweries, distilleries, and Rogue Nation Headquarters. The Rogue Warrior's deployment is part of Rogue Ales' 20th Anniversary (1988-2008) Celebration that will honor long time, loyal Rogues of distinction.

Richard "Dick" Marcinko began his military career in 1958 when he enlisted in the Navy where he worked as a teletype operator at the Naval Air Station in Naples, Italy. He eventually worked his way into the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team and served two tours in Vietnam as a Navy SEAL and was awarded numerous medals: the Silver Star, 4 Bronze Stars, 2 Navy Commendation Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Marcinko and his SEAL platoon became such a problem for the enemy that the Viet Cong posted a reward of 50,000 piasters for his death.

After his time in Vietnam, he served as a Naval attache to Cambodia where he served 14 months advising the Cambodians in their fight with the Khmer Rouge. He left Cambodia in 1975 to become the commanding officer of SEAL Team Two. Marcinko also served in the Pentagon as a special operations planner assigned to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and from there created SEAL Team Six, the Navy's first and only counter-terrorism command team. He was later named commanding officer of a second counter terrorism unit, Red Cell.

His experiences led to the New York Times best-selling autobiography Rogue Warrior, as well as subsequent fictional novels in a series called Rogue Warrior. He has now written 15 books, including 3 management and leadership nooks.

Currently, Marcinko is Chairman of the Board of Red Cell International, a private security consulting firm based in Washington, DC, and is President of SOS Temps, a motivational and team-company. He also is a spokesman for Zodiac Boats Maritime Academy, Oakley Sunglasses, and is designing a Rogue Warrior series of knives.

The Rogue Warrior will appear at the following locations on his tour:

· A book signing party celebrating the latest Rogue Warrior novel, Holy Terror, will be held at the Rogue Distillery and Public House on Thursday, March 13th at 5 PM.
· A reception in Dick Marcinko's honor will be held at the Rogue Pier 39 Public House in Astoria on Friday, March 14th at 1 PM.
· A book signing and Rogue Warrior commemorative bottle debut celebration will be held at Brewer's on the Bay in Newport on Friday, March 14th at 6 PM.

At the behest of its Citizens and risking inflation in the Rogue Nation, the Rogue Department of Budget and Management has issued a 2008 Rogue Warrior Hopoe. The hopoe is the official currency of the Rogue Nation.

Celebrating its second century, Rogue Ales is an Artisan Varietal Brewery founded in Oregon in 1988, as one of America's first 50 microbreweries. Rogue has 550+ awards for taste and quality and is distributed nationally and in 9 other countries.

For more info contact: Brett Joyce
(503) 241-3800 or brett@rogue.com

New IPA alert (and have you seen their Belgian Wheat in local stores?)

"John Foyston"
Subject: Henry's releases IPA
To: "Oregon Brew Crew Official Discussion List."
We need to taste this...esp. if it's from Full Sail (as it must
be...will find out.)

HENRY WEINHARD'S LAUNCHES INDIA PALE ALE
'Hoppy' New Brew Features Pacific Northwest Ingredients
HOOD RIVER, Ore. (Mar. 3, 2008) – Henry Weinhard's, the pioneering producer of small-batch handcrafted beer in the Pacific Northwest, is adding a new summer seasonal to its lineup of craft beers this month. Henry Weinhard's India Pale Ale is a balance of locally grown, premium caramel malts and two-row barley with Pacific Northwest hops. It is a refreshing brew with an aromatic full-hop flavor balanced by caramel malt sweetness. Henry Weinhard's IPA is a blend of Challenger, Simcoe, Chinook and Summit hops. It contains 6.0 percent alcohol by volume. The new brew will be available in Idaho, Oregon and Washington where Henry Weinhard's products are sold for a limited time only! Suggested retail price is $5.99 for a six-pack."Pacific Northwesterners are notorious lovers of IPAs and we're delighted to offer them a beer we know they'll appreciate," said Jennifer Gerrie, brand manager for Henry Weinhard's. "This IPA is a premium craft beer we feel the biggest of hop heads will enjoy."Henry Weinhard's IPA is among several new Henry Weinhard's offerings in recent years. Henry Weinhard's Classic Dark Lager was introduced as the brewer's first seasonal offering in fall of 2005. Classic Dark won the gold medal in the American-Style Dark Lager category at the 2006 World Beer Cup awards, and the silver medal in 2007. Henry Weinhard's also added a Belgian Style Wheat beer to its lineup initially as a summer seasonal in 2006, but due to demand made it a year round offering in 2007.
--
Message: "John Foyston"
Subject: Re: [Brewcrew] Com: Henry's releases IPA
To: "Oregon Brew Crew Official Discussion List."
confirmed that this is brewed at Full Sail...

Beer battle brewing in Alabama
LA Times | March 10, 2008 | Stephanie Simon

HARVEST, ALA. -- Two dozen guys are crowded into a basement, talking loudly over Triscuits, when Scott Oberman breaks the law.
In defiance of Alabama Criminal Code 28-4-20, he pours his buddy a beer. "John Tipton's Chocolate Porter," he announces. It's a dark brown beer, almost black, with a taste that starts out astringent, like cheap red wine, then mellows into a silky chocolate flavor, with fleeting notes of coffee and cinnamon.

Tipton, a big-bellied mechanical engineer, brewed it at home, for fun. That's illegal in Alabama. He estimates the beer is about 8% alcohol by volume. That's illegal, too.

But it won't be for long, if the guys in the basement get their way. Seventy-five years after Prohibition, beer aficionados in Alabama are fighting for the right to brew and chug as they please. That's raised the ire of Southern Baptists, who frown on alcohol in any form. As they jockey for advantage in the Legislature, one side quotes Scripture. The other cites BeerAdvocate.com. One talks morality. The other, malt.

Though this may seem like an only-in-the-Bible-Belt brawl, booze-related debates have flared recently in a number of states. In Virginia, for instance, sangria was the talk of the statehouse after a Spanish restaurant was cited for illegally mixing brandy with wine, in violation of a 1930s-era statute. Idaho lawmakers may soon amend the criminal code to permit vodka sales on election days. And in Colorado, lawmakers have considered rescinding a law that bans supermarkets (but not liquor stores) from selling wine with more than 3.2% alcohol content.

Here in Alabama, home-brewing beer has long been a Class A misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

6th Annual Hard Liver Barleywine Festival
Saturday, March 15+
~50 barley wines on tap, and plenty more in bottles
www.hardliver.com
The sixth annual Hard Liver Barleywine Fest will be Kicking off Saturday March 15th 2008, at Brouwer's Café in Seattle Washington.

Judging begins at 9am, and the doors open to the public at 11am.

The Festival runs all week, so if you didn't get to try all 50 in one day, come on back! No Cover

Sponsored by Bottleworks

Brewers! It's not to late to enter.
Contact us to participate.
Draft only please.

Laughing Buddha Bottle Tasting (Saturday, March 15th)
99 Bottles
35002 Pacific Highway South
Suite A102
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253) 838-2558
www.99bottles.net
Come taste Dragon King Lager, Pandan Brown Ale, as well as trial batches of the Lychee and Mango Weizens!

St. Patrick's Day @ Pike (Monday, March 17th, 6 p.m.- )
Pike Brewing Co.
1415 1st Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
www.pikebrewing.com
On St. Patrick's day Pike Brewing will feature Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale and the Elliott Bay Pipe Band, all 23 members; they will enter and march through the entire Pub, playing for the pleasure of the guests in the Museum Room.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration & Corned Beef & Cabbage (Monday, March
17th, 4-9 p.m. )
Ice Harbor Brewery and Pub
206 N Benton St.
Kennewick, WA
Join Ice Harbor Brewing on St. Patrick's Day for homemade Corned Beef & Cabbage. CinD's mom, Clarine, makes the best corned beef & cabbage and she was kind enough to let us use her recipe. Absolutely delicious. Ice Harbor Irish Red will be on special for $2.50 per pint. Plus there will be the Desert Thistle Pipe Band performing Celtic music.

"Support Washington Beer" Night at the Knot
(Wednesday, March 19th, 6 p.m.- )
Diamond Knot Brewing Co.

621 Front Street
Mukilteo, WA 98275
www.diamondknot.com/
March's featured brewery: Anacortes Brewery.

Pike Monk's Uncle Release Party

(Thursday, March 20th, 6 p.m.- )
Pub At Pipers Creek
10527 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA 98133-8720
(206) 417-5734

Brewmasters Dinner
Thursday, March 20th
Ray's Café
6049 Seaview Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 782-0094
www.rays.com/

$45.00 per guest, tax and gratuity additional.

14th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Festival
Portland, OR
March 21-22, Fri-Sat
www.springbeerfest.com

The Washington Cask Beer Festival Update
The day you've been waiting for- the 2008 Cask Beer Festival is only a few weeks away and here are some updates & reminders:

Beer lineup—There will be nearly 60 beers on tap, making this year's event the biggest Cask Fest ever! The beer list is attached. As you know the Cask Fest admission includes ALL beer tastes, meaning you can sample as many beers as you want during the four hour sessions. So if you want to try many of those fantastic beers please pace yourself, ask for smaller sample tastes and it's always a good idea to take public transportation or have a designated driver (designated driver admission is $5 at the door). Also Fred's Rivertown Alehouse is NOT serving food this year and there will be only limited food/snack available at the event so please plan accordingly.

WABL Beer—This year's Cask Festival WABL Beer is Imperial Oatmeal Stout by Boundary Bay Brewery. As usual the beer will be served at the WABL/Merchandise Booth and you have to be a current WABL member to try this special beer. So make sure your membership is current (check the sticker on the cover of your Passport) and most importantly, don't forget your Passport!

Herbert's Legendary Cask Festival Ale—This year's Herbert's is hosted by the Northgate Ram led by the Ram brewer Dave Leonard. About a dozen of Washington brewers got together in mid-February and we had a blast brewing the beer! Thanks to our friend, Darren Gamache from the Gamache hop farm in Yakima who donated (and personally delivered!) tons of hops, this year's Herbert's is going to be hoppier and tastier than ever! And if you are wondering what the Herbert's is, make sure to stop at the Herbert's exhibit during the event that was put together by Beaux Bowman (yes, our Beaux from the WABL Committee) with help from many other brewers who have participated in this Washington Beer tradition since 2001. If you can't wait to try the Herbert's then head to Latona Pub next Monday for a special tapping of the beer (see below).

Get your tickets now!—We are moving back to the spacious Fisher Pavilion so it is very unlikely that the event will sell out this year, but who knows? The tickets are selling faster than last year so we still recommend getting your tickets sooner rather than later. Tickets are available online at www.washingtonbeer.com/cbf.htm and at select ticket outlets. WABL members will receive a $5 discount when you use the online promo code or present your current WABL Passport. Remember, this discount is for you, WABL members only and not for your friends, cousins, or neighbors!

2008 Washington Cask Beer Festival
Saturday, March 22nd
Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion
305 Harrison St. Seattle, WA 98109
Session 1: 12-4pm
Session 2: 6-10pm
$35 advance/$40 at the door.
Separate tickets required for each session.
Limited snacks available at the event
21+ only

Issaquah Brewhouse Beer Dinner
Tuesday, March 25th
Issaquah Brewhouse
35 Sunset Way
Issaquah, WA 98027
(425) 557-1911
www.rogue.com

The 9th Annual Beer Church Blarney Bowl (Saturday, March 29th, 5:30-9pm)
West Seattle Bowl
4505 39th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 932-3731
www.beerchurch.com
Join Beer Church and KIRO 710's Mike Brown as they put the "fun" back in fundraiser. Along with the bowling, they will be raffling off prizes all night long and will also host a silent auction for many wonderful items. Nobody leaves empty handed! Included in this year's silent auction will be authentic, autographed memorabilia from the Seahawks and the Mariners. $25 entrance fee gets you three games, shoes, and countless chances to win prizes. A charity benefit for Whisker City.

Okanagan Fest-of-Ale
April 4-5, Penticton, BC
http://www.fest-of-ale.bc.ca/index2.html

IPA Festival (April 4th-April 25th)
Coopers Alehouse
8065 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 522-2923
www.coopersalehouse.com
There will be over 40 IPA's including cask, special releases, and a couple brewed specifically for the event. Food specials and tasters will also be available. On Friday, April 25th they will present the very first Best of the Fest plaques (including honoring the past winners) and will have IPA specials all night.

Hops and Props: An Elegant Craft Beer Tasting Experience (April 5th,
2008, 7-10 p.m.)
The Museum of Flight
9404 East Marginal Way S.
Seattle, WA 98108-4097
www.museumofflight.org/hopsandprops
Fifty craft breweries from eight states and five countries will once again converge on The Museum of Flight to share their specialties. Gourmet food will be provided by McCormick and Schmick's. The general event ticket price includes live music by Seattle's Dudley Manlove Quartet, unlimited beer tastes, food selections, an educational tasting guide, souvenir glass, and access to the Museum's galleries. Some tickets will be available at the door, but space is limited and advance reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets can be purchased after Dec. 15, 2007 online at museumtix.com or at the Museum Store. Tickets are $50 before March 5, 2008 and $60 after. All attendees must be 21 years of age and identification in the form of a valid photo ID will be required for entry.

The 3rd Annual Parkway Tavern Barleywine Festival
Saturday, April 12th, 2 p.m.-2 a.m.
The Parkway Tavern
313 North I St.
Tacoma, WA 98403
(253) 383-8748

A twelve hour celebration of barleywine featuring 25 aged barleywines from local and regional breweries. They will be also grilling whole pigs and prime rib to help soak up the beer. Lots of prizes, giveaways, and drinking!

25th Annual San Francisco International Beer Festival
April 26, San Fran
www.sfbeerfest.com

2nd Annual Women's Brewfest
April 26, Sacramento, CA
Rubicon Brewing Co.
darcyquinn@rubiconbrewing.com

12th Annual Boonville Beer Festival
May 10, Boonville, CA
www.avbc.com

The Washington Brewers Festival
Some of you have already starting asking, "what's the scoop for this year's Washington Brewers Festival?". The answer is the Washington Brewers Festival will return to St. Edward State Park on the Fathers Day weekend and we'll be open for 3 days this year! Friday evening will be a 21+ only affair with select breweries (with possibly some Friday-only beers available in limited quantities), and we are working to secure a killer headliner for the music stage. Saturday and Sunday will remain an all-ages, family event with the Brewers Keg Toss Contest, lots of kids' activities, Rootbeer Garden and tons more!

The web site will be updated with new information later this month or early April. Ticket sales will begin online in April and at select ticket outlets beginning May 1st.

The Washington Brewers Festival
Friday, June 13th, 5-9pm (21+ Only)
Saturday, June 14th & Sunday, June 15th, 11am-8pm (All Ages)
St. Edward State Park
14445 Juanita Dr. NE
Kenmore, WA 98028
www.washingtonbeer.com/wabf.htm (Web site will be updated in April)

4th Annual Homebrew Fair
June 21, Kent, WA
Larry's Brewing Supply
http://www.homebrewfair.com/

North American Organic Brewers Festival
June 27-29, Portland, OR
abe@brewingnews.com

Check out this page for tons of AHA/BA events:
http://beertown.org/events/index.html

National Homebrew Competition
April 2008
http://beertown.org/events/nhc/

Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America(R)
April 16-19, 2008 in San Diego, California USA
http://beertown.org/events/cbc/

2008 World Beer Cup(R) Gala Awards Dinner
April, 19 2008 in San Diego, California USA
http://beertown.org/events/wbc/

National Homebrew Day (Big Brew)
May 3, 2008
http://beertown.org/events/bigbrew/index.html

American Craft Beer Week
May 12-18, 2008
http://beertown.org/events/acbw/index.html

SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience
May 16-17, 2008 in Washington, DC USA
http://www.beertown.org/events/savor/

National Homebrewers Conference(R)
June 19-21, 2008 in Cincinnati, Ohio USA
http://beertown.org/events/hbc/

Mead Day
August 2, 2008
http://beertown.org/events/meadday/index.html

...and more.

Marti forwarded us this poem from the Santa Barbara homebrew club, the Santa Barbeerians.

And now, a little Beer Poetry, by Flann O'Brien:
The Workman's Friend
Flann O'Brien/Myles na gCopaleen/Brian O'Nolan (1911-1966)

Born in Strabane, County Tyrone (which is now Northern Ireland), Flann O'Brien was an Irish novelist, satirist and poet. He described and immortalized the Irish love of life and the "craic" ("fun" in Irish) in his works. The refrain from the following poem "A pint of plain is your only man" has become a famous quotation in Ireland, meaning a pint of stout will fix anything.

"The Workmans Friend"

When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When money's tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change,
A pint of plain is your only man.
When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.
In time of trouble and lousey strife,
You have still got a darlint plan
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.

lyrics to song by C.W. MCCALL
Outlaws and Lone Star Beer

Well, they're rompin' down in Austin
And they call it ";Western Swing";
They even wrote a song that says";
Bob Wills is still the king";
Well that I can agree with
But this much I declare
There's more to country music
Than outlaws and Lone Star beer
From Tennessee to Texas,
They say it's all the same
Well, there's no ";T"; in Nashville,
But we've got our claim to fame
It's called The House That Hank Built
And it's sacred, Lord, I swear
There's more to country music
Than outlaws and Lone Star beer
Well, there's more to country music
Than the hurtin' side a' life
Like takin' pride in fam'ly
And a good, warm, lovin' wife
There's more to country music
Than to leave somebody cryin'
And the cheatin'
And the lyin'
Now brothers, understand me
I don't put nobody down
'Cause we all know with what you do
Well you're the best around
But as I stand to cheer you
I'll make my feelin's clear:
There's more to country music
Than outlaws and Lone Star beer
Yeah, there's more to country music
Than outlaws and Lone Star beer

Jerry Reed-performer, songwriter
Eastbound and Down

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

Keep your foot hard on the pedal. Son, never mind them brakes.
Let it all hang out 'cause we got a run to make.
The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in Texarcana.
And we'll bring it back no matter what it takes.

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.

Ol' Smokey's got them ears on and he's hot on your trail.
He aint gonna rest 'til you're in jail.
So you got to dodge 'im and you got to duck 'im,
you got to keep that diesel truckin'.
Just put that hammer down and give it hell.

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin',
we're gonna do what they say can't be done.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there.
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run.