April Craft Beer Events

April Craft Beer Events & Going Ons

in and around Tacoma

(including related events outside of Tacoma that I think are rad and/or will be attending personally)

Tuesday 10th - Science Cafe @ The Swiss Pub (Tacoma, 6:30p) Get your nerd on while enjoying a pint or two! This month's Science Cafe topic is all about climate change. "Climate Change and the Arctic Ocean"As global warming continues, we hear a lot about melting polar ice, warming oceans, and their potential consequences. At the April Tacoma Science Café, join Dr. Mike Steele from UW's Polar Science Center to discuss his experiences in the Arctic studying how our changing climate is affecting the Arctic Ocean. If this date/time/location isn't convenient for you, check out the other April Science Cafes in different areas.

Thursday 12th - PRO-AM Parkway Submissions Due @ Parkway Tavern (Tacoma, by closing time) This is the last day to enter your beers in the Parkway Am-Pro. Bottles must be properly labeled and it is $5 per entry. MGD & I have been asked to guest judge again this year and I'm excited for another chance to do so, it was so fun and I learned a ton!

Saturday 14th - Snipes Mountain Brewers Dinner & Blending Panel @ Snipes Mountain Brewery (Sunnyside, 6p) All kinds of delicious, gourmet oddities (such as Prairie Oysters and Creole Bread Pudding) will be served up to us with Snipes beer pairings for their Brewers Dinner after we participate in a beer blending panel. And since MGD and myself are making the trek across the mountain on Friday night, we can commence the wine tasting at 10a on Saturday to get nice and lubed up for said blending and eating.

Sunday 15th - PRO-AM Parkway Beer Judging @ Parkway Tavern (Tacoma, should probably find out what time they need us there since we have to drive back from Eastern, WA this same morning...) We had a blast being a part of the beer judging process for Parkway's PRO-AM homebrew competition, I'm sure this year won't let us down one bit either! Can't wait to try what's been concocted! Last year I rated a barleywine that a good friend had brewed (unknowingly a the time, as all the brews are anonymous) and he gave me some kudos for my review a few weeks later. He said my comments were constructive and helpful, so this year I feel marginally more confident in my abilities as a judger of beery goodness vs. beery badness.

Wednesday 18th 
- Wingman Brewers Night @ Diamond Knot Brewery & Alehouse (Mukilteo, 6-9p) I don't have any other info on this so just show up at Diamond Knot and enjoy some tasty Wingman brews, mmmmkay?
- Sidetrack Distillery Collaboration Beer Release @ Airways Bistro (Kent,  5:30p) For the 2nd beer released in Airways' collaboration series you can head on down to the Bistro and enjoy Airways Starliner Stout with Oak Chips soaked in Raspberry Liquer.
- Black Raven Night @ Red Hot (Tacoma, 6p)Your favorite tube steak place has the hook up on some gems by the oh so popular Black Raven Brewery. Swing in tonight for a taste of the Trickster IPA, Totem Northwest Pale, Wisdom Seeker Double IPA and Grandfather Raven Redmond Imperial Stout (only brewed once a year). It's sure to be packed with this kind of line up, so get there early!

Thursday 19th -  Double IPA Blind Tasting @ Beveridge Place Pub (West Seattle, All day long) Think you know what your favorite IPA is? Challenge your taste buds with 6 of the best and find out the truth...

 Saturday 21st - Wingman's New Brewery Opening!!!  (Tacoma, starts at 2p) The Wingman Brewery doors will finally be open on the new brewery and taproom, a much needed expansion. You can find their new digs at 509 1/2 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, 98421. Come join the party!

Wednesday 25th
-PBR Night @ Parkway Tavern (Tacoma) Something about there being a gigantic Connect Four game, IDK. Gets pretty kuh-razee up in the Parkway sometimes so bring your A-Game.
-DUO Brewing Brewers Night @ Dog & Pony (Renton, 6:30p) Go try a pint of DUO's Belgian Golden Ale, Coffee Porter, Cask Conditioned Vanilla Porter, or the Milk Stout.

Saturday 28th - April WABL Gathering @ H20 Bar (Anacortes, 3-6p) This new beer bar is owned and operated by the peeps of Anacortes Brewery. Go check out the new bar (maybe on your way to April Brew's Day in Bellingham) and enjoy 24 taps of lovely craft beer. WABL members can enjoy $3 pints (this means you should probably bring your passport) and there will be prize drawings!

Saturday 28th thru Monday 30th - Holy Crap, It's Barley Wine Fest! @ Parkway Tavern (Tacoma, from 2p on Sat. until closing on Sun. (technically 2a Mon.) My liver is both excited and currently cramping in anticipatory happiness for the Parkway's BWF. I don't remember last year very well but that means I probably had a stellar time. Hit up their Facebook page for a complete list, it's guaranteed to make your mouth hole water. They usually coordinate a Barley Brunch for one of the mornings with special food (brunch, duh) and beers so keep an eye out for that as well!

Reoccurring Events

Randall Wrecker Mondays @ Parkway Tavern (Tacoma, 6p) - A new beer (and much more!) will be thrown in the Randall every Monday night for your delight. They even have a punch card!

Beer Tasting Wednesdays @ Tacoma World Beers (Tacoma, 4-7p) Hit up your localest of local beer stores every Wednesday for a $2 beer tasting. You can always make your own tasting from the beers they have on tap but check out their Facebook page or sign up for the newsletter to see what special beers are being served every week.

Cask Thursdays @ Airways Brewing Tap Room (Kent, 4p) - A firkin will be tapped every Thursday at their Tap Room. You can find weekly updates on what cask ales are being served on their website.

Growler Fills @ Wingman Brewery (Tacoma) - New Taproom open now!!! Newly located at 509 1/2 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, 98421. Swing by for a growler fill or taste of their lovely beer on Thurs, Fri & Sat from 2-11p.

 April showers bring me

special beer powers!

January's Tap Night Tacoma & Science Cafe

Tap Night Tacoma

Looks like Tacoma will be tapping into some great stuff this January! I'm personally stoked about the Rich Brewery Old Slug Porter and the E-9 Meridian Dry Hop Tacoma Brew. 

Make it down to one of the following places for a pint of cask ale on Monday, January 9th. Drink Local. Do what I say.

All casks will be tapped at 6p sharp and here's the lineup:

Red Hot - Pike Brewing India Pale Ale

Parkway - American Brewing Breakaway IPA

Doyle's - Rich Brewery Old Slug Porter

Swiss - Port Townsend Hop Diggidy IPA

Engine House No. 9 - E-9 Meridian Dry Hop Tacoma Brew

Science Café

(Alternate title I just made up: "Why it's cool to be a nerd: beer & science.")

The Physics of Music: Using Light to Study Sound
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 6:30 p.m. - Swiss Pub

From clarinets and violins, to drums and cymbals, vibrations create the complex sounds that we hear from musical instruments. At the January Tacoma Science Café, join the University of Puget Sound's Rand Worland, Ph.D., to discover how he uses lasers to produce images of these vibrations and how differences in vibrations alter how we perceive sounds.

The Swiss Pub is located at 1904 Jefferson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402.

Science Café is a recurring monthly event in Tacoma and parts of Seattle. You can learn more about it here and see if there are some topics coming up that you'd be interested in traveling to Seattle for.
You know, if that's your thang.


the pissed liBEERian

Science Café @ The Swiss

Science Café to be held at The Swiss Pub on Wednesday, October 12th. 6:30-8:30p

The Surprising Behavior Of Crows

Do crows really talk, give gifts and use surfboards? Come to the October Tacoma Science Café to discuss the amazing behavior of these everyday birds with John Marzluff, a bird expert from the University of Washington. Dr. Marzluff will also talk about how observations from "citizen scientists" have contributed to our understanding of crow behavior.

Now that you know what's happening where and when, here's a bit more info about Science Café...

What is Science Cafe?
Ongoing monthly events put on by the Pacific Science Center & KCTS9 that brings scientists face-to-face with the general public in the comfortable, lively atmosphere of a neighborhood café or pub. The evening begins with a brief presentation by a scientist, which kicks off an extended discussion session between the scientist and audience. Previous cafés have covered climate science, evolution and religion, robotics, and health care, just to name a few. All Science Cafés are free to the public, open to all ages and no science background is required!

Where is Science Cafe?
Locally in Queen Anne (T.S. McHugh's), Kirkland (Wilde Rover) and Tacoma (The Swiss Pub, previously held at the Harmon Brewery).


When is Science Cafe?
Queen Anne - First Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
Kirkland - Second Monday of each month at 7 p.m.
Tacoma - Second Tuesday each month at 6:30 p.m.

Why is Science Cafe awesome?
Pretty girls just want to be told their smart so why not go drink beer and nerd it up? I won't pull the whole 'because I said so' thing quite yet. I have not personally had a chance to attend a Science Cafe yet due to my work schedule, but I've been dying to go. Since the topics they've chosen for Tacoma so far have not been ones I'm overly interested in, I contacted the coordinators and gave them a few suggestions for the 253. (Read: begged them profusely to come talk about global warming and astronomy) They were great to talk with, loved my enthusiasm and asked for suggestions on people to come speak. Where I promptly gave them MGD's contact info, he's wicked smart & will endlessly put up with my asinine questions solely involving the word "Why?".

Kind of a douche bag or trapped in paid slavery and can't make it?
All Science Cafés are recorded by KCTS9 and are available for online viewing. If you have questions, comments or suggestions for future Science Café speakers please contact us at science.cafe@pacsci.org. Plus you can find out all kinds of information about the awesomeness that is Science Café in October.

I personally vote for Beer Science. Now who can I volunteer to come talk about that...

the pissed liBEERian