Tacoma Drinks WA Beer Week - We did it!

I recently went on a fabulous trip through Washington. A trip solely experienced by my mouth hole that resulted in many a night spent ingesting Washington brewed beers. Tacoma Drinks Washington Beer Week is a collaborative event put on by the Red Hot and Parkway Tavern, 2012 will mark the 2nd year they've done this and I was stoked when I heard it would be going on again. Resulted in a big 'ol happy dance and a game plan, as a matter of fact.

The challenge is simple enough: Pick up a bingo-style beer sheet, get a stamp for every WA beer you drink during the designate time (both places dedicate all of their taps to this event so there were lots of options) and hopefully fill out the sheet to win a commemorative growler. Although I found absolutely nothing wrong with how this event played out in the Fall of 2010, some obvious improvements had been made. Only 20 pints (19 plus a free space) needed to be downed for completion, versus the 25 (24) of last year. Both places made sure to have multiple kegs of some of the harder to find beer, that way I didn't have to worry about making it out every single night just to ensure I don't miss a beer that might run out quickly.

Last year, if I remember correctly, a keg of Fish beer was only served the first day or two at Red Hot and if you didn't happen to get it at that time there were no other options during the event to do so. It left quite a few people (including both MGD and myself) with almost filled out beer sheets and no way to complete the task. Red Hot was great about getting another keg at the end of the event to sort everyone out and a couple days before this year's event ended, they did a shout out on Facebook to see what beers people still needed to drink for stamps. Brilliant.

The beer sheet also had special events listed for the duration (like Harmon brew on the Randall at Parkway and the release of the Wingman/Airways collaboration brew at Red Hot) which I found immensely helpful in our overall game plan. From previous experience, we knew to drink the 'hard' beers first and then drink whatever from there.

While there was oodles of WA beer to try during the event, here are some of the ones that MGD & I drank:

-Wingman Stratofortress
-Fish Mudshark Porter
-ABC Blonde on Randall
-ABC Scotch Ale (It was American Brewing Company brewers night at Parkway and this was my fave of the night. The Scotch Ale is terribly delicious!)
-ABC Oatmeal Caboose Stout on Nitro
-Elysian Heather Ale 
-E9 Pilsner
-Harmon Old Stock Ale
-Boundary Bay Inside Passage Ale (I think this is the full pint I spilled all over MGD while gesturing wildly during some excited story telling. The story was good so I think his dry pants were a worthy sacrifice, MGD may feel differently.)

Before I dumped the Boundary Bay IPA (pictured on the right) all over MGD...

After said beer dumpage. This was my cheesy "You still have to love me even though you're a victim of my clutsyness!"look. We were long overdue for a beer spilling anyways.

-7 Seas Port Royal Stout
-Snoqualmie Black Frog Stout on Nitro
-Black Raven Trickster IPA
-Big Al Poppa Charlie's Pale Ale
-Schooner Zythos

Big Al Poppa Charlie's Pale Ale & Schooner Exact Zythos

 (We spent the Saturday evening at Hops and Props in Seattle. Had a blast and on the drive home our conversation went something like this: MGD: "Parkway for the win?" Me: "Cha, you know it dude.")
-Silver City Wine Barrel Black Kolsch
-Diamond Knot IPA
-Pike Old Bawdy Barleywine (It was bloody brilliant to make our winning beer a barleywine at the end of an already long night of drinking. All I remember after imbibing the Old Bawdy was proving to MGD that I can throw popcorn and catch in my mouth with a 99% success rate and a hilarious comparison of our house to the Galapagos Islands. So in other words, we had a fab time.)

If you did the math and realized that 17 beers doesn't equal a full sheet then you get a sweet little head pat. In reminiscing about Tacoma Drinks WA Beer Week last year, I decided that MGD and I would only work on one beer sheet this time. We already have 24 growlers at home and 3 in my trunk (I just flitted downstairs to do a head count), winning only one would do us and our space issues just fine. Plus the lovely stomach issues I've been having lately don't make drinking (or eating for the matter) especially fun, and definitely not drinking every night for a week. So I put the limit to one growler and informed MGD that he was going to be doing most of the hard yards.

We started with 2 beers sheets, just in case, but focused our energy on completing one. So there are quite a few beers that we each had a pint of, hence the less than 20(19) beers. Plus we had friends 'donate' pints to our sheets, which I'm morally torn over. I won't go into my neurosis as to why but just know that MGD & I could have easily each completed our own sheets if we wanted to, we did 2 full ones last year.

So my whole 'one growler & you do the drinking' song and dance changed as soon as I saw that the commemorative prize growlers were the small medicine bottle style ones. I absolutely adore those little guys and if you want some explanatory logic, it would take roughly 3 of them to equal the space that one full sized growler would take up. Plus, while at the American Brewing night at Parkway, we had a fabulous time hanging with friends and our buddies from both Airways Brewing and ABC. I should have known, I get really excited about themed contests. Next year I will keep my trap shut and just go drink my little Washington heart out.

Winning combination at Parkway (and also the last we saw of Sheet #2)

MGD photographing me photographing the winning combination

This is one of those 'I hate this picture because I look like I have down syndrome but MGD likes it so that's the only reason you are seeing it.' pictures.

MGD hops behind the bar at Parkway for a photo op of our winningness with Sean Jackson

After party celebrations took place behind the beer sheet

While we 253ers are already pretty big cheerleaders for local beer in and around these parts, I think this event is a great one. Not just for the obvious reasons but it also gives people an opportunity to try some beers they haven't had before from breweries they already know well. I hope that the Parkway and Red Hot work to make this an annual event, it's one of my favorites of EVER.

Tacoma drinks Washington.
Washington loves Tacoma.
Well done guys, well done.

Photography by MGD

Tacoma Drinks Washington Beer! Wed. 2/22 through Wed. 2/29

Get your drinking arm ready, it's time for one of my most favorite events of ever: 

 The Parkway Tavern & The Red Hot present...

Tacoma Drinks Washington Beer Week 2012!

See why it's my favorite? Look how happy I was for the first rendition of this event, with my growler and Eye Luv WA Beer shirt and beer sheet!

I do. I really, really do.

What's not to love about a giant bingo-y punch card-y thing, spending oodles of time at both the Red Hot and Parkway Tavern, special beer related events and the opportunity to win a special made growler for completing the arduous task that has been set forth?

Here's the dealio: 

 (Hopefully you already knew this event was happening and in preparation let your liver rest for a few days or maybe pumped some iron to prep your drinking arm.)

1. Pick up your super special beer sheet (pictured above) at either the Parkway Tavern or The Red Hot.

2. Drink WA beer at the Parkway Tavern or The Red Hot.

3. Get beer sheet stamped for specific breweries or random WA beer.

4. Try your bestest to attend the listed events from the Red Hot blog. I have an inkling that most likely, not every brewery will be available on tap the entire week. Drink the hard to find stuff ASAP.

5. Complete beer sheet by Wednesday, February 229th.

6. Get a 32oz commemorative growler (pictured below) for completing.

7. Pat self on back.

8. Give speech to adoring fans.

9. DO NOT add up how much $$ you spent drinking beer just to get a nifty growler.

10. Possibly finish early and work on completing a 2nd beer sheet like MGD and I did last year. This year we have decided that we will feel fulfilled enough by just finishing uno sheeto. I of course say this now, as it is only the first day of the challenge. I'll let ya know how that's working out later this week. Basically, at what point do we by default finish enough beer and look at the 2nd sheet and state "Damn, we got this! Let's keep drinkin'!"

For all the official info (as if I'm not official) you can check out the Red Hot's blog post: Tacoma Drinks Washington Beer Week 2012. There are links to tap lists etc. that you may want to hang on to, as well as a list of beer related events you don't want to miss. 

As of my being chauffeured into work at 8:30a this morning and going over our MGP (Master Game Plan), MGD & I are planning on hitting every event that's listed. The fun starts tonight with the Tacoma debut of the Wingman/Airways collaboration Chocolate Rye beer (had it in Kent at the Airways Beer & Bistro awhile ago, twas delicious!) at the Red Hot and the Parkway Tavern will be hosting a brewers night with American Brewing Company (6-9p) for the release of their Scotch Ale and much more.

drink local

during this week if no other

Happy 4th Anniversary to The Red Hot !!!!

Today is a day for celebration as we pile some love on the wonderful Red Hot of the 253. It is their 4th Anniversary (which is the 'fruit & flowers' anniversary if you're all traditional like that and trying to pick out a gift for them) and they are hosting a casual BBQ soiree today (Saturday, August 13th) in celebration of their glory and achievement in awesomeness.

Party goes from 11-9p, so find some time to stop by and pay your respects. 

For more info on the event and a big fatty thank you message from The Red Hot, check out their blog/website. Here's the draft lineup for today:

• 7 Seas Bloody Seas Bloody Mary-infused Beer (Uh yeah, delicious! It'll blow your mouth hole away)
• Snoqualmie Falls pub-only keg of Little Si Kolsch
• Cascade Brewing Test Drive IPA
• Cascade Brewing Lime/Ginger/Honey Sour
• Two Beers Heart of Darkness Imperial CDA

While I've known of the Red Hot's existence for a couple years now, they officially weaseled their way into my heart of hearts at Tacoma Craft Beerfest last October. After a string of experiences I had at The Red Hot (some of it was them & some of it was me), it became the place that I wanted to like so very badly, but just didn't. Through the hard pressed efforts of the Red Hot just being cool in the way that it is and owner Chris Miller (one of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet), they now have a perma-place in my heart.

They've stayed true to their nature of serving up delicious/quirky/gourmet tube steaks, on-site execution of any jerks who dare to enter, and pint after pint of great craft beer. 

Wishing The Red Hot many more years of success, keep up the great job in true Tacoma fashion!!

Some of my favorite moments at The Red Hot...

A post gym drink up. Yes, that's what I wear to the gym & yes, I go to a bar after the gym.

The Red Hot is an enthusiastic participator & amazing force behind Tap Night Tacoma (2nd Monday of every month, real cask ales poured at several locations around the 253). We try to make it for every one if we can, whether we have enough funds or not. We're hardcore like that.

Ice Cream Social at The Red Hot

 One of my All Time favorite local events: Tacoma Drinks Washington Beer
2 weeks.
2 punch cards.
2 dedicated imbibers.
Too many pints to count.
(not really, I just prefer not to think about how much money we spent and how much beer we drank)

2 growlers earned.
Pictured above are our first set of victory beers & me claiming Growler #1 at The Red Hot.


way less of a jerk, because of you Red Hot
the pissed liBEERian

 This is me being less of a jerk @ Tacoma Craft Beer Fest. 

 

Photography by that one guy, the Real MGD or something like that. I'm sure I took some of these pics too.

MayHappenStances

I'd just like to say a big fat "Thank You" (also known as Suck It) to the Blogger site for having a random crash last week which erased all of my work in progress that was supposed to be a May Events posting. It was going to come out later than I wanted it to no matter what, but I did my total bestest to make the last 1/2 of May seem super eventful and exciting. This is what you get instead:

Monday 16th thru Sunday 22nd - American Craft Beer Week. Celebrate it. Organized events going on all over, CraftBeer.com is a great promoter and resource of this celebration.

Thursday 18th thru Sunday 29th - Seattle Beer Week. Title is mostly self explanatory but same deal. Celebrate it. Click here for a list of events. According to my oh-so-accurate-insight-into-all-things-beer-event-related... it's gonna be off the hook.

In both celebratory cases, I am going to try and participate in a multitude of ways. I'm a whore for themes. They make everything more fun. National Sea Monkey Day (5/16) resulted in an hour of important research during my day, for example. Note: Please don't attempt to dispute the authenticity of this event, it just IS. Mmmkay?! Kay.

I don't have the energy or the time to recreate all the events I listed but feel free to check back here, because I'll probably add some things at a later date. There ARE 15 fun filled days left in May! Random things worth checking out:

Tuesday 17th - Airways Brewing Night @ Tides Tavern (6-9p, Gig Harbor) They'll be serving their Triple Chocolate Stout, Sky Hag IPA, First Class IPA & T-Tail Blonde. The whole lovely gang (as I know it to be anyways) will be there to serve up some brews along with schwag. Sunshine optional.

Thursday 19th - 2010 Dogfish Head World Wide Stout and 120 Minute IPA will be on tap at a location in Seattle. I'm not sure I want to reveal where yet, in case it effects my chance to get some... Maybe if enough people bug me (who aren't willing to do the research themselves) I'll decide to disclose the location. (EDIT: Okay... it'll be pouring at UBER Tavern starting at 4p. I can't go now, so you might as well.)

Sunday 22nd - Iron Brewer Competition at Beveridge Place Pub (5-8p, Seattle) BPP chooses the ingredients, they brew the beer. This year will feature Elliott Bay vs. Georgetown, Fremont vs. Two Beers, & Big Al vs. Black Raven. Ingredients include: cucumber, wasabi, cedar, sesame, plum & yuzu.

Permanent - 2 extra taps @ The Red Hot. (Anytime, Tacoma) Dropped the ball on several events that Chris emailed me about. You know, events that I specifically asked him to keep me in the know on so I could add it to a blog like this. Which he did and I didn't. They had 13 taps, now they have 15. It's worth knowing & now you do.

yes please, May I have another?

the pissed liBEERian

You may have noticed that I rarely post pictures of myself that don't look good/flattering. Tonight I will make an exception but not without explanation.

I hate this picture of myself. I'm wearing my 'not amused' face.

However, it's a cutesy couple picture & it kind of makes me miss (outta town for uber long time) MGD even more.

Plus the 'not amused' look works well with my feelings toward Blogger at the moment.

Photography courtesy of Basil

A heart full of Tap Night

 Celebrate your love (of beer!) this Valentine's Day by doing a Tap Night Tacoma pub crawl. This beautiful event takes place on the 2nd Monday of every month. Casks of the following beers will be tapped at the following locations in The 253 (feel free to just read the poster if you are too lazy to read the words that are coming out of my fingers):

• The Red Hot -Maritime Pacific Islander Dry-Hop Pale
• Parkway Tavern - Big Al Brewing Hop Villain Black IPA
• Doyle's - Greene King Abbot Ale
• The Swiss - Diamond Knot Industrial XIPA
• Engine House #9 - E9 Chocolate Stout

All casks are tapped at 6p sharp and last until the beer runs out! 

Cheers Big Ears!

taptaptappin' on heavens door,

the pissed liBEERian

Love is in the air... or at least something smells in Tacoma.

I really need to start learning how to write things down in pencil. My poor day planner has about a 1/2 inch thick of white-out because of my ever changing, ale related plans. Thought it best to inform you of the crazy amount of fun stuff coming up for the days, weekend and beyond...

Tuesday 8th - Goldfish races at the Harmon Tap Room (8:30p, Tacoma) I hope for your sake that the Vanilla Porter is still on tap because it was darn loverly in my mouth hole last week.

Wednesday 9th - Brewers Night @ the Red Hot featuring Firestone Walker (6p, Tacoma) Sure to be bountiful schwag and copious amounts of swallowing. At least for me, I'm not a spitter.

Thursday 10th - The Nosh League of Tacoma will be hosting a wine/beer/chocolate pairing (Chocolate Lovers Unite!) at Beyond the Bridge Cafe this evening (6:30-9:30p, Tacoma) or if you feel like making the trek to Seattle, Pike Brewing is having their 3rd Annual Chocofest. Dubbed as a 'romantic evening of chocolate, beer, mead, wine and spirits'. Admission is $25, click here for more details. (5:30-9p, Seattle) I'll be attending the Chocofest but if I could be in 2 places at once this evening, I would. 

Friday 11th - IDK what y'all have planned for this Friday but after I get my tires replaced (stupidrunningoversomethingbigandmetalandstupidattwointhemorningonSundayonthefreeway) I'm hoping to FINALLY get my booty out to the 7 Seas Brewing tasting room in Gig Harbor for a tour and a proper pint or two. (3-9p on Fridays, Gig Harbor)

Saturday 12th - If you are a member of the Tacoma Beer Appreciation Society then you already know about the private Beer Drinkers/Makers Meeting (beer potluck) that's going down. Gonna do my best to stop by Amocat Cafe for some tasting. (7:30p-11p, Tacoma)

Sunday 13th - Anti/Valentine's Day Artist Craft Fair is being put on by Tacoma Is For Lovers at King's Books and has my name written all over it. With a Sharpie. A fat one. In fuchsia. (11a-4p, Tacoma) After I've shopped my little anti-Valentine heart out, I'll be hitting up Metronome Coffee for another rousing meeting of the Literature and Libations book group. (3-6p, Tacoma) We drink (coffee & beer), we read, we repeat every few weeks.

Monday 14th - Happy Valentine's Day! Now go participate in Tap Night Tacoma, I'll give you 5 reasons why you should. Engine House 9, The Swiss, Doyle's Public House, The Red Hot & Parkway Tavern. Oh and Big Al's newest brew, the Hop Villain Black IPA will be at Parkway Tavern. There... I gave you 6 reasons, so just do what I say. Kthnxbai. (6p, Tacoma) I stopped by Big Al Brewery last weekend to get a special tour, ala Micah Sims, and he let us try the Hop Villain Black IPA. Unless of course that was one of the 'Don't tell Big Al I let you have some of this and drink it quick because he'll be back any minute' beers... then I, uh, have no idea what I'm talking about. P.S. It was delicious, can't wait to have more!!!

Wednesday 16th- Brewers night at Parkway Tavern featuring New Belgium. (6-9p, Tacoma) I don't need to be told twice ('cause you're not the boss of me) so don't make me tell you twice either.

Hope you find yourself at one or many of these events, there is just too much fun to be had...

the pissed liBEERian

Tap Night numero Ocho

Tap Night #8 starting @ 6p prontissimo!

Monday Jan 10th, 2011

The Red Hot is pouring Walking Man Double Dry Hopped Homo Erectus IIPA, Parkway is pouring Nectar Ales Hemp Ale, Doyles is pouring Fullers ESB, The Swiss is pouring Maritime Pacific Dry Hopped IPA, & Engine House #9 is pouring E-9 Simcoe One Hop Wonder!! All casks tapped at 6pm!

Not going to bother listing a route (or plan of action) this go around since I'm (1) trying to avoid stalkers, (b) working until 9p so who knows how much ground I'll be able to cover, and (7) because Jacob Leonard (formerly Head Brewer @ Walking man, now working for Widmer Brothers) specifically made the cask of Double Dry Hopped Homo Erectus IIPA for the Red Hot for this event... you can guess where I'll be headed!

Hope all of you get your badonkadonks out there to represent the goodness that is Tap Night Tacoma!

the pissed liBEERian

Sometimes it's hard to remember the things you never want to forget.

New Years Freakin' Eve. I tend to build up upcoming events in my head. I always want everything to be the best, most fun & incredibly epic.  Important nights, like New Years Eve, are placed in a category best known as "most likely to never live up to my crazy big expectations". Someone who once knew me well told me that "they can't all be zingers". True enough. Except in the case of my Friday night, New Years Eve. What an amazingly great time. It was the best (most perfect) NYE I've ever had.





Co-hosted a private after hours party @ Amocat Cafe in Tacoma with owner Morgan Alexander. Got to share my evening with friends both new and old. Some of the people I love most in the world were there. It's a bit sappy but to be able to ring in 2011 with my best friend in the universe, my brother (who's lived out of state for the last 7 yrs & just moved back to WA), and the man I love and adore above all others; means more to me than a few keystrokes can express.

Morgan beer!

We had a million laughs, a ton of great beer (cue the 3 liter bottles of Double Bastard & Grand Reserve Chimay, plus some remarkable home brew by Amocat owner Morgan Alexander) and delicious nomz coming in all shapes and sizes. There was a damn taster cup pyramid for goodness sake!

Did a bit of pre-funking & last minute party preparing with a growler of Schooner Exact's Midnight Union before the guests showed up. Shortly before the hour of importance I trotted down to the Mix for some party swag they were giving away outside. I.e., feathered tiaras for the girls, bowler hats for the boys, and some noise makers for all. Dallas, the Mix's bouncer, let me have whatever my heart desired so I invited him to come drink with us when work ended. As I ran up the street back to Amocat I shouted something to the effect of "Just come do it, right now!" at him. A random street lingerer replied "When a girl like that says 'come do it right now' you go man, right now." Hahahaha. Too funny. He never came (that I know of) but I appreciate his contribution to the party.

My Fave Moments of NYE 

1. While playing with our newly acquired party attire, I believe I started a 'debate' with MGD over who gets to utilize the noise makers. As we clearly had different thoughts on the issue, someone (uh... me, obviously) got all pissy about not getting what she wanted and executed a sneak attack on her nemesis of the moment. Needless to say, I lost the noise maker and a bit of pride and executed Plan B. Some silent treatment accompanied by a whole lot of stink eye...

Trying to smooth the drunken waters, MGD took a rare DFHead bottle cap (which I collect obsessively) and lovingly scratched the price tag off to a perfect glean. And because I'm such a gracious loser in all things competitive, I swatted the cap out of his hand onto the floor while raising my stink eye level. As an innocent party guest attempted to collect it from the floor, I stomped on the cap with my shiny Mary Jane'd heel and swiftly kicked it under the beer fridge. Gave MGD the look of death (read: What now? I don't need your stupid peace offering!) and felt I proved my point sufficiently. Hugs were given, kisses were had and all was forgiven and forgotten.

10 minutes pass...

FUCK. I want that bottle cap. Ugh, why do I always screw myself over to make a point? Stubbornness at it's finest, right here. Spent the next 45 laying on the floor in my supercutepartydress with a flashlight, a big metal rod & the help of multiple friends trying to retrieve the item of importance. To no avail, the DFHead bottle cap shall remain a part of Amocat's history.



2. The 3 liter bottles of Grand Reserve Chimay (which we bought off Chris, the owner of The Red Hot during Lagunitas night) & Double Bastard were the best ideas ever. Holy awesome. I told MGD that it was a bit excessive @ approx. $100 each but then I saw the Double Bastard came with a chain, lock & key... That's a yes. Maybe I was more worried about having to explain to everyone all night what MGD was compensating for by bringing such largeness to share. Which is absolutely nothing. Visual examples below display that dude knows how to show this girl a good time.

3. Our group of 5 (MGD, my best friend and her hubby, my brother & myself) finally cabbed it back (safety first!) to Casa de MGD around 1a. No one was quite ready to call it a night so we stayed up drinking more (Chimay & Midnight Union) and playing Rummy in front of the fireplace, til 6a. It was a perfect end to a perfect night.

If the amount of fun I had on New Years Eve is any indication of the upcoming year, I'm stoked. I hope everyone I know had a wonderful and safe evening as well.

2011, bring it on yo!

the pissed (and uber content with her life) liBEERian

Photo credits: MGD, Myself, Bee & Michele Barnes
Editing award goes to MGD