December 2007
Happy Samichlaus Day,
That's right, December 6 is the day they brew Samichlaus, and the day they release last year's Samichlaus. If you're brewing this weekend you might want to consider brewing up a Samichlone, there are plenty of recipes out there.
This month's WSB meeting will be held at the Quall's in Illahee on Friday, Dec. 14, 6PM+. Next year's officers will be elected at this meeting. Consider running for office and consider who you would like to nominate for office. Our lifelong treasurer Don Wyatt and secretary Alan Moum wouldn't mind if somebody is interested in replacing them. Other than that we have a president and VP. If you have some good ideas or dreams for the direction of the club please offer them up.
Our traditional Christmas beer exchange will happen at this meeting too. Bring a bottle take a bottle. Wrap them so we can't guess what they are before we take them home.
Dave didn't request any particular style of beer to focus on for this meeting but holiday beers would be appropriate, as well as his favorites if you have them (monster malt brews, lambics, etc.).
Contact Us for directions to the meeting.
Our January BW meeting will presumably take place at Mary's again, and our Febrewary meeting will take place at Jack's. If these or the December meeting must be canceled due to weather we'll try to let you know ASAP. If the weather takes a huge turn for the worse just hours before the meeting use your own judgment or call our hosts about whether or not we're gathering.
The World's New Strongest Beer is the same as the old one, sort of.
This year's Samuel Adams Utopias is quoted as 27%abv, rising the bar a bit higher than the 25.6%abv of the last release in 2005. This is all fermentation, no distillation (not even by freezing). A ton of these bottles are available now on ebay and from various places back East. Initial retail was $120-140 per 24oz. bottle which resembles a copper brewing kettle. I know a guy who knows a guy who knows where 10-15 bottles are retailing for $170 (plus $15-20 shipping?). This new release has flushed a bunch of older versions onto the market too. I've seen bottles of SA Millenium ('99-17.5%abv), Utopias MMII ('01-24%abv), and more Utopias MMIII ('05-25.6%abv) on ebay than have been on there in a long time. Bottles of Millenium have sold for over $1,000. Bottles of MMI have gone for over $500. MMII is regularly getting over $400. The beer tastes like a combo of the biggest sweetest beer you've ever had plus cognac, plus liqueur, plus maple syrup... It's hard to describe and worth tasting even at $10-20 per ounce in a group gathering. Locally we have held a few such sippers and many didn't finish their 1.5-2 ounces for over 4 hours. Yes, it's that good and that complex. The question for many is, is it beer? Yes Virginia it is beer, but it's unlike any beer you've ever tasted.
Heads Up 9mm Imperial Amber beat MMII and MMIII in judging at the NABA 2006. Ted mused, "What were those judges smoking?" But Heads Up has been making a string of amazing huge beers. Keep an eye out for the brandy barrel aged 9mm which is in the works.
Here's a note about big changes coming on the local beer scene:
From: tfarmer@headsupbrewing.com
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 14:03:53 -0800
For those of you who received my email this is a clarification on the discounted wine. The 35% discount is only for wines in stock and will not apply to any wines ordered to make between now and December 21.
Also I’m sorry to have to resend this message, but approximately 1/3 of the emails kicked back, because I hade too many people as addressees. So, for all of you who did not receive the message below, here it is.
Well, the rumors of my demise may be slightly exaggerated?
We are still in business and have several activities planned. This Friday November 30, is St. Andrews Day. Celtic magic will start playing at 6PM and we will be Kirking (blessing) our Clan Heads Up Tartan.
There will be more great beer tastings in December and January. Details to be announced.
The Heads Up Christmas party is planned for Friday December 21, at 6PM.
There is much happening at Heads Up Brewing Company, and I’m sorry to report that some is not good news. We have made many friends here at Heads Up, and Clan Heads Up will live on, with or without a brick and mortar facility.
Here is where we are:
The current business model is not working and can not be sustained. The business must grow, shrink or totally go away. I am exploring all three scenarios. As most of you know Heads Up Brewing Company had plans to expand into a full blown brew pub. A lot of money and time went into purchasing equipment and planning. For many reasons, the expansion plans came to a halt when we found that the building under lease negotiation did not meet current building codes. The money needed to bring it to code was beyond what our partners were willing to risk. Just after the building fiasco Tom Williams, one of the partners in the new adventure, passed away. Since that time we have been searching for a new location, but have not found anything that will work.
At his point a major expansion is not an option, so the business and equipment were put up for sale in August. To date we have no serious offers. If you know of potential investors or interested parties, let me know.
We are currently exploring opening a bottle store with a small tap room. Heads Up bottle store would have a greatly expanded selection of bottled beer. There would be no brewing facilities. This option has the best possibility of success, and I would like your thoughts on this.
I have parties interested in spinning off the brewing part of the business and continuing the production of our award winning beers. The business will probably not include a customer Brew on Premises concept. I am helping the brewers put together a feasibility study on a stand alone brewery. We will NOT be selling off part of the brewing operation. It will be sold as a package.
The final option is to totally close down the business. My lease is up next year and I will not be renewing. Our rent is fair for our space, but the business can’t support this type of overhead. We need more space and more parking.
Our time table for the transition is rapidly approaching. We are looking at either opening a bottle store or closing, assuming that someone does not purchase the business, in February 2008. That means we will start curtailing beer production in January, and wine production in mid December.
I am closing out all, IN STOCK, wine kits at 35% off, effective immediately. I will not be ordering replacement kits. So, when we run out we will no longer be making wine. I will not be renewing my winery license in January.
Whichever path we take, know that each and every one of you is part of a family network which has created lifelong memories for many. I thank you for your support, friendship, and laughs.
Now let's get busy with some fun! Stop by tomorrow, and get those Christmas gifts wrapped and ready.
Ted Farmer, Owner & Ale Conner
Heads Up Brewing Company
9960 Silverdale Way NW
Suite 6
Silverdale, WA 98383
360.337.2739
www.headsupbrewing.com
Turn toys into dessert at Silver City:
Whether you are ready for it or not, the holidays are here. But don't worry; Silver City is here to help you through this season.
First and foremost, the Holiday's are a great time to think about those in need.
Here at Silver City Restaurant & Brewery we have once again partnered up with Kitsap Community Resources to collect Children’s Gifts for those in need in Kitsap County through their Christmas Angel program.
We want to help them raise more Gifts than ever before so we are offering YOU a....
SHAMELESS BRIBE TO HELP US.
Silver City is offering a
FREE DESSERT
in exchange for a new, unwrapped children's gift brought to
Silver City now through December 20th.
So, stop by your favorite Toy Store before your next visit to Silver City.
Happy Holidays,
Silver City Restaurant & Brewery
One flavor you should never mix with beer is mint, it just doesn't work. Avoid minty toothpaste several hours before drinking good beer.
This video is a rather extreme example of what can happen when you combine mint with beer.
http://www.starterupsteve.com/video/carlsberg_mentos.shtml
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:04:29 -0800
From: "Brad Ginn"
Subject: Tacoma Beer Society
Huh, a group of people who get together to taste a variety of beers. What a novel idea. Tacoma's on the cutting edge once again:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/213163.html
A story on a homebrew club by the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR200712...
Someone Belched, and a Club Was Born
By Greg Kitsock
Wednesday, December 5, 2007; Page F05
A guy is playing "Ain't She Sweet" on the banjo as a football game blares from a television in the living room. Between samples of British-style beers, participants eat from a potluck spread that includes venison marinated in chili pepper beer.
Unlimited food and drink, no lines and the friendly crowd make this one of the area's best beer events, and it happens every November on the enclosed back porch of a house in Rockville.
You can't buy tickets, because it's a private affair: the annual Real Ale Competition, held by the regional home-brewing club Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP) and open only to members and guests. This year's contest features 49 ales dispensed from Cornelius kegs: five-gallon metal canisters, rescued from scrap yards, that soft-drink companies use to package syrup.
About 150 people, the biggest crowd in the competition's 10-year history, are here for the chance to yank a hand pump and fill a glass with a crisp, golden bitter; or a chocolaty porter; or a rich, warming old ale. I sampled at least a dozen beers, and there wasn't a dumper in the bunch.
BURP (http://www.burp.org) is one of the nation's oldest home-brewing clubs. It was founded in 1981, two years after President Jimmy Carter signed a bill re-legalizing home beermaking, which had been outlawed by Prohibition. At its inaugural meeting, "somebody belched," recalls founding member Ralph Bucca, inspiring the club's acronym. BURP has a membership of about 250, including non-brewing, social members like me; each month about 75, on average, meet at a member's home to swap home-brews and subject their efforts to peer review. At this month's event, special holiday beer will be on the judging table.
Back in 1981 there were only a handful of microbreweries, all west of the Mississippi; none of them sold beer here. Today more than 1,000 brands, in almost every conceivable style, can be bought locally. So why do so many people -- the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) estimates the number at 500,000 at least -- insist on brewing their own?
Dan Curl, a 29-year-old graduate film student at American University, has a simple reason: "For me, it's being able to say, 'I made this!' "
Steve Marler, a federal employee from Arlington, got into home-brewing by sheer happenstance. "I was lying around the house being lazy, and I saw this guy being interviewed on TV about his new book, 'The Complete Joy of Home Brewing.' " The guy was Charlie Papazian, founder of the 15,000-member AHA (http://www.beertown.org), which holds an annual convention and publishes a magazine called Zymurgy.
On his 30th birthday, Marler bought something called Beer in a Sack. "It consisted of a lined burlap sack with a pressure release valve and a spigot," he says. "You added water and yeast to make an English ale." His maiden effort was "not great, but all right."
"My wife thought that home-brewing would be a fad that would end in a few years or so," he says. The intervening 15 years, during which he served two terms as BURP president and one as treasurer, proved her wrong.
One of BURP's chief objectives is to produce educated consumers, and the Saturday competition kicks off with organizer Andy Anderson explaining what a "real ale" is. I arrive a little late, so he recaps for me. It's a myth that the Brits enjoy their beer flat, warm and cloudy, he asserts. Real ale isn't forcibly injected with gas, as is American mass-market beer. The delicate carbonation is a natural byproduct of a fermentation that continues inside the bottles or barrels. Real ale is properly served at cellar temperatures, between 52 and 56 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, Anderson says, the keg should sit until the yeast has dropped out of suspension, producing a brilliantly clear brew.
Brewing and serving beer the British way brings out subtle nuances: the fruity and earthy flavors of the English hops, the biscuity sweetness of the European malts. "You can drink a few pints and you're not going to get bloated," Anderson notes. The modest alcohol content -- sometimes as low as 3.5 percent by volume -- also encourages quaffability.
As the lecture concludes, the party spreads out across the property. The porch can accommodate only half of the entries, so at 2 p.m., the kegs are pulled off-line and 24 new beers are hooked up. BURP members Wendy Aaronson and Jim Kelly take the drainage from the lines -- about 3 1/2 gallons of beer -- and whip up a "slop soup," adding caramelized onions, celery, carrots, a few peppercorns and various other ingredients snatched from the kitchen.
"Have you ever met a home-brewer who didn't have an interest in food?" Aaronson asks.
With cries of "Beer ye! Beer ye!," the club's officers periodically interrupt the festivities for announcements, including the results of the judging, which, as is customary, was a closed event held the night before. The grand prize goes to Wendell Ose, a retired investment banker from Reston, for his traditional mild, a mahogany-colored ale with an appetizing bready flavor and a hint of cocoa.
"Mild" denotes a dark, malty, low-alcohol brew once favored by burly coal miners who wanted to wash away the day's dust with a few pints but didn't want to wake up hung over the next morning. There are 10 milds in the BURP competition, a lot more than you'll find available commercially.
Why don't more breweries make such beers? "The problem is terminology," Marler says, and the difficulty selling a beer called a "mild" to America's macho, male-sports-fan-dominated beer culture.
And that illustrates another reason for home-brewing: to produce a beer tailored to your taste, one you can't pluck off a shelf. Many home-brewers quickly graduate from store-bought kits, with their pre-mixed extracts, to "all-grain" brewing: making beer from scratch, choosing their own unique blend of grains and hops. Marler has long since abandoned his beer sack; he brews in a sawed-off 15.5-gallon keg and ferments in glass carboys.
But the most compelling reason for home-brewing might be the applause elicited by a well-made batch. "Home-brewing is a little bit of the creative, a little bit of the technical and a lot of the social," Aaronson says. "It's knowing that you can create something special and delicious that you can share with all your friends."
Greg Kitsock's Beer column appears every other week. He can be reached atfood@washpost.com.
From: "Beveridge Place Pub"
To: "publican"
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 17:40:36 -0800
Pubsters,
JOLLY AULD WEE WASSAIL WINTER JUBILATION!
(going on now until year end)
That's right, the time is now to tantalize your tastebuds with tasty winter treats. We'll be bringing in a wide array of holiday brews from down the street and around the world! On tap sometime this week: Alaskan Winter Spruce, Dupont Bons Voeux, Corsendonk Christmas, Elysian Bifrost, Pike Auld Acquaintance, Pyramid Snowcap, Sierra Nevada Celebration, Butte Creek Never Summer, Fish Winterfish, and Maritime Jolly Roger.
THUR, DEC. 6, 7:00PM – WRECK THE RANDALL!
“Wreck” = Full Sail Wreck the Halls. “Randall” = the ultimate dry-hopping system. We’ll be pouring Wreck through the Randall until one of them gives up, so don’t be late!
THUR, DEC. 13, 6:00PM – HOPPY HOLIDAY ’S CASK!
Schooner Exact's scrumptious winter offering, but this time with a hint of bourbon, oak, and of course, dry-hopped!
THUR, DEC. 20, 7:00PM – TRUMPETER STOUT VERTICAL TASTING!
Join us for a rare tasting of Skagit River Brewing's famous Imperial Stout – Trumpeter! We’ll have vintages 2001, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, and ’07; ALL ON DRAFT!
THUR, DEC 27, 7:00PM – RARE DRAFT NIGHT!
We’ve been saving a few kegs to put on for a special night, so for those of you staying in town for the holidays, you can enjoy: Stone 11th Anniversary, Dogfish Head Festina Peche, Boulder Obovoid Empirical Stout, Allagash Curieux, Water St. Balls To the Wahlstrom, Lang Creek 100X Zeppelin, and just for kicks, a cask of Jolly Roger on the bartop!!!
NORTHWEST BREWING NEWS READERS POLL RESULTS ARE IN!
We're excited to announce that the readers of Northwest Brewing News have once again chosen Beveridge Place Pub as the Best Alehouse in Washington (three-peat)! And if that wasn't good news enough, our very own Rob Farris garnered the popular choice for Best Bartender in Washington (again)! Congrats to Rob and thank you all for supporting us!
Wassal!
Gary, Terri, Jennifer, Rob , Lorraine , Dennis, and Kate
WABL event updates
We have some great events lined up for WABL in the coming months so mark your calendar now!
December WABL event @ Harmon
Harmon will be releasing two beers- Nitro Red Ale and Imperial Stout in December. Those two won’t be on tap at the restaurant for a while but on December 9th WABLers are invited to an advance tasting of those fantastic beers! Plus WABL members will receive 20% off all the food and beverage so, as always, don’t forget to bring your WABL passport!
Sunday, December 9th, 2pm-
Harmon Brewery & Restaurant
1938 Pacific Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98402
(253) 383-2739
www.harmonbrewing.com
January WABL event @ Snoqualmie Falls
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing is throwing a big party to celebrate their 10 year anniversary on December 20th but the celebration doesn’t stop there. Come out to the Snoqualmie Falls Tap Room on January 8th and help them celebrate the big milestone!
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co.
8032 Falls Ave. SE
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
(425) 831-2357
www.fallsbrew.com
February WABL event @ Pike Brewing
Pike’s Old Bawdy Barleywine comes out early next year and on February 2nd WABLers are invited to a special tasting. There will this season’s new Old Bawdy as well as 2006 and a very, very special vintage keg. Stay tuned for more info in the next newsletter!
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008
Pike Brewing Co.
1415 1st Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 622-6044
www.pikebrewing.com
Dix X-Mas X-treme Winter Caskival
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Noon - 5pm
A gathering of many of BC's finest breweries and their cask beers, focused on winter appropriate brews.
Place Dix Brewing
871 Beatty St
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Cost $20 (I think)
sodbuster@hotmail.com
(604)682-2739
Santa and Friend’s Wreck the Randall Pub Crawl
Monday, December 17, 2007
6PM-??
Event ends Monday, December 17, 2007
Place Duck Island
7313 Aurora Ave. N
Seattle, WA, USA
Cost pint by pint
Santa and Friends Present: 2nd Annual Wreck the Randall Pub Crawl
Monday, Dec. 17
Start: 6ish Pipers Creek 206.417.5734
Continue: Uber Tavern, Kangaroo and Kiwi Finish: Duck Island (206.783.3360)
9ish for pictures with Santa and Friends and Dueling randall Battle
Featured Randall-ized beers: Full Sail Wreck the Halls Randall-hopped Avery Old Jubilation whiskey-chip Randall-ized
Featured Guests: Santa, Mrs Clause, Elf #1, Jesus, A Jew, Easter Bunny, Baby New Year, a monk and a few more. Costumes Encouraged. Feliz Navidad.
Northwest Brewing News 2007 Readers' Choice Awards Ceremony
January 13, 2-5PM
Pike Brewing
Seattle
Great Alaska Beer and Barleywine Festival
Friday, January 18, 2008
Fri night, Sat afternoon and Sat night
Event ends Saturday, January 19, 2008
Place Egan Center
555 W 5th Ave
Anchorage, AK, USA
http://www.auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html
Over 200 beers and barleywines from over 50 regional breweries.
Ellensburg Washington's WinterHop BrewFest
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Time: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Contact: Leslie Berry
Event Contact Phone: 509-925-2002
Event Contact Email: info@ellensburg-chamber.com
Website Address/URL: http://www.ellensburg-chamber.com
Price: $15
Ages: All, but 21+ to taste
Complete Description:
Saturday, January 19th, between 12 and 5 PM. Join us for the
Ellensburg WinterHop BrewFest! Ten local businesses will be
hosting over 20 of Washington’s finest microbreweries.
Wander through venues, listen to live music, and sample some
of the finest microbrews the Northwest has to offer.
Tickets are limited! $15, includes glass and 5 tasting scrip.
For more information, please call the Ellensburg Chamber of
Commerce at (509) 925-2002.
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing's 10th Anniversary Celebration
January 20
Snoqualmie, WA
www.fallsbrew.com
(425)831-2357
Water Street Brewing's Strange Brewfest 2008
January 26-27, 2008
http://www.waterstreetbrewing.com/
Over 35 breweries will bring strange brews, with some twist on their regular habits. Last year's beers were particularly astonishing, with many barrel aged, spiced, peppered, and fruited brews. In recent years some strange brews were made with 5+ types of squash. Others were made with spruce tips, kaffir lime leaves, Thai spices, honey, chestnuts, mandarin orange, black raspberries, and even one fermented with fungus other than yeast. Other oddities included Sierra Nevada brewing a great tripel and Pike's blend of 5X and Lindemans Framboise. Expect the unexpected again this year. But behave yourselves. Each year the great folks at Water Street put up with a bit too much rowdiness at the end of the fest and wonder if they're really going to do it again. Be early, there wasn't much beer left over for Sunday.
One overly enthusiastic attendee promised to be designated driver this year. Perhaps we can borrow a large vehicle and do some serious carpooling. The more eyes on our designated driver the more likely we'll all make it home alive.
The Bistro's Double IPA Festival
February 9
The Bistro
San Leandro, CA
www.the-bistro.com
Toronado Barley Wine Festival
February 16-22
San Francisco, CA
www.toronado.com
50+ BWs on tap
Craft Brewers Conference
San Diego, CA
April 16-19, 2008
http://beertown.org/events/cbc/
World Beer Cup
San Diego, CA
April 14-19, 2008
http://beertown.org/events/wbc/
Big Brew Day/National Homebrew Day
May 5, 2008
http://beertown.org/events/bigbrew/index.html
American Craft Beer Week
May 12-18, 2008
http://www.beertown.org/events/acbw/index.html
National Homebrewers Conference
Cincinnatti, OH
June 19-21
http://beertown.org/events/hbc/
I'm sure we often miss some big local beer events in this newsletter. If you notice any that we should know about please contact us. If you want more detailed calendars there are plenty out there online.
Some beery online calendars to check:
http://ratebeer.com/Events-Show.asp
http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar/2007/09
http://www.brewingnews.com/cgi-bin/calendar/webevent.cgi?cmd=opencal&cal...
http://www.realbeer.com/search/eventscalendar/index.php
From Firestone Walker Brewing, a note about their 11th anniversary brew. Ask Vic and Alan about their 10th anniversary brew, one of the best beers we've tasted all year.
Welcome to another edition of the Double Barrel Bulletin...your monthly ticket to news, brews and more from Firestone Walker Fine Ales.
Firestone "11" Release Date - Friday, November 30
Eleven, our sequel to last year's very successful "10", will go on sale for the first time Friday, November 30th at 11am exclusively at our two locations in Buellton and Paso Robles. 22oz. bottles will be available starting that day and sales will be limited to 1 case per person per day (while supplies last). The price per bottle will be $16.99 before tax. Subsequently, "11" will be available for a limited time at select retail accounts throughout California in early December.
"Eleven is our latest effort at creating a beer devoid of style, but exhibiting the complexities of a big beer, aged in oak", said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson.
Text from packaging:
Since founding our brewery in 1996, we have specialized in the rare art of brewing beer in oak barrels. In the fall of 2006, we released a limited edition oak-aged strong ale called 10 to commemorate our 10th anniversary.
We now present Eleven, our second release in what promises to be an annual autumn rite at our brewery. Eleven was crafted in separate lots over 18 months, then carefully blended to create this truly unique and harmonious brew.
Each of the contributing lots was aged in American oak barrels, all of which were previously used and matured by premium American spirits producers. Each barrel lent its own bit of soul to the flavor profile, including nuances of tobacco, leather, spice and molasses.
After extensive trials, the chosen components were united in the final blend. The resulting limited-production brew offers immense depth and complexity, with long, intense flavors that beg to be sipped and savored.
Eleven is built to last and will reward careful aging for several years.
For more information email:
marketing@firestonebeer.com.
Artist/Band: Luke Bryan
Lyrics for Song: All My Friends Say
Lyrics for Album: Luke Bryan
I got smoke in my hair
My clothes thrown everywhere
Woke up in my rocking chair
Holding a beer in my hand
Sporting a neon tan
My stereo cranked up
I can't find my truck
How'd I get home from the club
Ain't got a clue what went down
So I started calling around
And all my friends say
I started shooting doubles
When you walked in
All my friends say
I went a little crazy
Seeing you with him
You know I don't remember a thing
But they say I sure was raising some cain
I was a rock star, party hard,
Getting over you comeback kid
Yeah I must have did
What all my friends say
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
I found my billfold
I cried oh no no
Good time Charlie got me now I'm broke
But it was worth acting like a fool
Yeah girl I must have really showed you
Cause all my friends say
I started shooting doubles
When you walked in
All my friends say
I went a little crazy
Seeing you with him
You know I don't remember a thing
But they say I sure was raising some cain
I was a rock star, party hard,
Getting over you comeback kid
Yeah I must have did
What all my friends say
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
I was Elvis rocking on the bar
Working the crowd pouring out my heart
And all my friends say
I started shooting doubles
When you walked in
All my friends say
I went a little crazy
Seeing you with him
You know I don't remember a thing
But they say I sure was raising some cain
I was a rock star, party hard,
Getting over you comeback kid
Yay I must have did
What all my friends say
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, just one beer tune lyric this month due to all the beery happenings we've covered above.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
