Beer Potluck Numero Quatro

Last Friday night marked the installment of Beer Potluck #4 at Amocat Café in Tacoma. The home brews were out in force that night and we got to enjoy an eclectic variety of beers, delicious food and good company. We were small in numbers with a few elements (minions) missing from our usual crowd, but it was a typical Beer Potluck. Code… awesome.

Homebrewer Matt LaCroix, not only returned a borrowed growler (full of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale no less) of mine but let us taste some of his concoctions. His Rye IPA was so full of grapefruity goodness it was mutually labeled as the quintessential breakfast beer.  I was  huge fan of his cranberry blonde as well, even with all of its explodiness. It's possible that you may not be convinced of his skillage by just reading my thoughts on what I tasted but he did receive the Gold Medal for his Barleywine in the recent Parkway Pro-Am Homebrew competition. Just sayin'.

Another competition participant was present with beer in tow, Charles Smith of Monocle & Mustache Brewery. One of his beers (we’ll call it a CDA, since the jury plans on being out for forever and a day on what to name the style) was a big winner and chosen to be brewed & served at the celebratory Parkway event in November.  Very delicious, as was his 90min IPA. Congrats!

While the giant ass 3-litre bottle of blue Chimay was in attendance it remains (sadly) intact through another beer event, yet again. Which may be for the best since MGD wasn’t in attendance. That thing is practically our child & he should be present for the birth. Instead, we busted out 2 Dogfish Head beers. The Red & White along with the My Antonia. After tasting, neither fall into my ‘must have’ DFH category but it was nice to get a crowd consensus and add to my bottle cap collection of awesomeness. And we had amazing homemade beer bread (made by Rebecca Scott, owner of the future Beach Rose Bakery) along with Vietnamese sammys from Pho King. Yeah… say that last part a couple times fast and try not to laff.

“May I have another Pho King tofu sandwich please?” If they didn’t get eaten so quickly I would have been saying that all night long.

This potluck weighed heavier for me on the nerdy beer talk side than the hostess with the most-est side. Discussions about beer judging and the art of home brewing were prevalent as was the term 'mouth hole'. We can only get so high brow, watcha gonna do?

Going to hit up some Big Deal Seattleites to make the trek down and join the next one. 

You know who you are.

A great time was had, thanks to all who made the effort to come out. 9a start time at work came way too early the next day but I survived. For the most part.

pinkies up for the homebrew,

the pissed liBEERian

Homebrewing 101 - she CAN be taught!

Before I delve into the hilarity that is my personal experience of this class, I’ll cut to the chase for those who don’t feel like reading the novel length account of my randomness. The King County Library System is currently offering classes in the art of beer making. ‘The Basics of Homebrewing’ is led by certified BJCP beer judges and expert home brewers.

We had the awesome luck to be showered with the pearls of wisdom by Dan O'Leary & Mike Hausenfluck. Both guys are insanely knowledgeable about their chosen craft while utilizing humor and visual aids as a teaching method. Methods I do well with as I’m mostly a visual learner. Considering they gave me a precious little hop flower to fondle, there’s pretty much nothing they could do wrong at that point.

Hop flower.

Although I reside in World de Beer quite often, I admittedly don’t know much about how beer becomes beer to even be considered dangerous. When Basil said she thought we should start homebrewing, I was mildly interested. Mostly to the extent where I get to wear a cute apron and stir something with a big stick. Not only did it seem like an expensive & time consuming hobby, but a complex craft to dive into.

The best way to describe my experience would be to state that after the class concluded, I was so excited about home brewing I couldn’t sleep that night. I learned a (mash) ton about the beer making process and everything involved. Although our instructors are old hands at brewing, they made it seem easy, inexpensive & accessible to everyone. I would highly recommend this class to anyone interested in homebrewing or wanting to expand their knowledge of beer in general.

Kewt little guys!

Malt extract on a tooth pick, tastes like Raisin Bran

KCLS is still offering courses throughout May that you can attend so check it out. Registration is required, but the class itself is free. Where & When:

Sunday, May 8^th 2p – Des Moines Library   

Tuesday, May 10^th 7p – Fairwood Library

Thursday, May 12^th 7p – Fall City Library    

Thursday, May 7p – Shoreline Library

Monday, May 23^rd 7p – Kirkland Library

Besides the (relevant) info above, here is my personal account of being in class…

Other than recording every beer I drink & where I drink it, I don’t know why I bother taking notes for anything.  I look back and am realizing that it takes me longer to decipher what the eff I was talking about, than to actually scribe a blog. That is why Basil joined me (in all fairness, it was actually her idea and follow through in registration that got us there) for The Basics of Homebrewing class. Naturally we decided to sit front and center so that we could be annoying to everyone and not just entertaining to us. I’m sure I could look at her notes, start typing and BAM! I’d have a blog. Essentially, it takes a village of minions to raise a Pissed LiBEERian blog.

Here is my version of note taking during the 2 hr session, some stuff was written for Basil to read so we wouldn’t get in trouble for talking during class:

(Three hearts are doodled on top of page, obviously to add a little flair to my title.)

Bottle Capper = fascinating! We want one!!

@Basil-Multipurpose cave with kegzzzzz! Start drafting design soon...

Malt extract + hops + yeast + water = magic

Beer is fermented grain.

Ninkasi. Yeahyeahyeah, I already know about & want to ‘totally dominate’ her. Hahaha

Hop addition reasons:  @60m: Bitterness @20m: Flavor @2m: Aroma

Exploding bottles =’s Basil being in charge of all measuring.

Why is wort called wort?

@Basil-Dibs on adding hops 1^st

Liberate the Chlorine!

Louis Pasteur was the discoverer of yeast. Cuddle?

@Basil-Green pants guy has a bottle opener ring on his right hand. Epic. If MGD asked for my hand in matrimonial blissitude, do you think he’d hook me up with one of those?

There’s an app for that.

I thought I was being way studious at the time, but that’s the gist of what I have to go on people. I’m now slightly recalling the debate I got into with MGD during Belgianfest. We use a rating system of 1 thru 3 at events, marking everything we drink in the brochure for future reference. Well that’s a little restricting, no? I gave one beer a rating of 2.637, which did not fly in the world of MGD. His reason: “When you finally get around to writing this blog a few months later, how will you remember what you even meant by that?”

According to my notes, I want to give Louis Pasteur a cuddle. I have no idea why. Point taken.

I'll try to make (or at least record) some sense in the future. Until then, any way you slice it this was a fantastic class and it taught me mucho mucho a buncho about cerveza. 5 stars. Gold ones.

working up to teacher's pet,

the pissed liBEERian

Mike, myself and Dan, post class photo op

Photography work by Basil

The Eleventieth Tap Night Tacoma - 6p tonight!

Join the local 253 crowd in the tapping of some delicious cask ales this Monday evening, April 11th. All casks will be tapped at 6p sharp & the pouring will proceed until the casks runneth dryeth at 5 Tacoma locations. Drum roll please for tonight's lineup...

The Red Hot ~ Schooner Exact Nalley Valley 3-Gridlock Dry-Hopped IPA

The Parkway ~ Airways Brewing Ol' Wooden Hag Double IPA

Doyles ~ Belhaven Twisted Thistle

The Swiss ~ Silver City Indianola IPA

E9 ~ E-9 Dry-Hopped Red

I am really stoked to sample what's being offered at both The Red Hot & The Parkway, but hoping I can make it to the Swiss as well since Silver City is doing such a great job. Too bad my work schedule has changed yet again, although I'm not overly upset about being able to sleep in this morning. Luckily, I have a minion on standby to make the rounds until  I'm released from paid slavery at 8p. 

If you want to keep tabs on the haps for Tap Night Tacoma, 'Like' them on Facebook. You'll hear about what's being served & where as soon as they know, the caskedness goes down on the 3rd Monday of every month. Next month is the 1st Anniversary of the event! Hope to see you there!!

drink local,

the pissed liBEERian

 

Belgianfest - Washington Beer Commission style yo!

Weebles WABL, but they don't fall down! WAshington Beer Lovers did the Belgian beers justice this January during Belgianfest. Talk about sensory overload! I didn't realize until recently that so many beers fell into the Belgian Beer category. I'll also shamefully submit that I didn't know that Krieks fell under the Belgian umbrella until right before attending. For anyone who possesses as little knowledge as I formerly did, you can find out more by visiting BelgianBeerMe.com. Because the Krieks are my fave, here's a quick rundown on the style:

Kriek - Well, other than being delicious in my mouth they are categorized as a lambic made with cherries or cherry extract. Similarly Peche (peach), Framboise (rasberry), Cassis (currant)etc.

And now for the even funner stuff... PICTURES!!!! We (we ='s MGD but look, it's MY blog) took a ton so I'll let them do most of the talkin'. For once.

The Representing Breweries
(in order of our visitation)

First stop of the day, Elliott Bay BC

Those pouring for Odin Brewing know their stuff! We got quite the education on mace & it's use in Odin's Pearl.

Issaquah brought a whole lotta Menage-a-Frog along

Anacortes Brewery is having a bit too much fun on the job...

but know how to get down to business when beer is involved.

Dinner & a show. Oh Three Skulls, you always make me laugh.

Big Time Brewing looking as happy as was appropriate

Cheers from Hale's Ales

Quite the selection at Elysian Brewing

Snoqualmie wouldn't give me any beer until I gave them 1 wooden token and said 'Triskaidekaphobia' 3x fast

Something must be good at Black Raven to already be partially out of order

Silver City Brewing

Boundary Bay Brewery

Featuring Carl from Big Al Brewing. Happy brewers make great beer!

The Belgianfest Scene 

(the crazy crowd & late night antics)

Very early crowd shot. Can you spot Brew Dad?

Getting friendly with Kim from the Washington Beer Blog

They say Big Al is so nice 'cause it's freakin' true. He shared his Belgian waffle with me. This was right before I laughed and blew powdered sugar all over him. Please keep your big mouth jokes to yourself.

Mischievously toying with the Scuttlebutt paddle. You should see the look of concern (for his own safety) on MGD's face from behind the camera. Priceless.

A great shot of the entire Belgianfest crowd!

MGD enjoying some Big Al with owner of Beveridge Place Pub, Gary Sink

Even though I look a little crazy eyed, I think we are basically way kewt together.

Chris Miller from Snipes Mountain shows us how it's done. Twangzister... be gone!

Sweet Delirium Tremens suspenders, I lurv those little pink elephants!

Evening crowd shot, not a chance of winding down anytime soon!

Rarely do I have a problem taking matters into my own hands, especially when it comes to a lack of Big Al in my glass.

Snipes Mountain Twangzister is good until the very last drop. Even Bill Jenkins from Big Time lends a hand in order to extract the not-so-bitter end

 Effing Around w/ Big Al 

(a beer festival just isn't a beer festival without these guys!)

Please take a moment to notice the proper pinky placement by yours truly

How could a Belgianfest be complete without waffles!

Cheers from the Big Al booth with Micah Sims

Belgians of Outstanding Nature 

(what our unit loved most from the fest)

Big Al Kriek (well duh...)
Black Raven Pour Les Oiseaux (4 grain farmhouse ale/saison aged in French oak white wine barrels with brettanomyces)
Elysian Brewing Backhanded Compliment (Belgian-Style IPA)
Odin's Pearl White Ale (sweet and spicy Belgian hybrid Wit, made with mace)
Ram Brewing's BBBLage-A-Trois
Snipes Mt. Brewery Twangzister #3 (had the last of the 3 yr old Belgian strong aged in a bourbon barrel with house cultures and obnoxious amounts of Montmorency cherries, blended with a non-infectious Belgian strong that was fermented with two strains of Belgian yeast and Belgian candy syrup. And a partridge in a pear tree.)

Wrapping Up

If it looks like we had fun it's because we did. Major fun and laughs were had both day and night. If the Cask Beer Festival this weekend (another WABL event) is half as great as Belgianfest was, I'll be wearing my ridonkulously happy lady face.

If you are interested in attending the Cask Beer Fest on Saturday April 9th, click here for more info & tickets. I've heard this WABL event sells out like crazy time so hop on it!


the pissed liBEERian

I used this picture twice because I heart it so much. Deal with it.

Photography & Editing by TheRealMGD

Wednesday - The reason I need a clone.

So much happening tonight and so little time to do it all. I cannot be in 3 places at once but if I could, this is what I would include on my itinerary:

Anderson Valley Brewers night at Parkway Tavern (6-9p, Tacoma) Parkway has been hosting semi-regular brewers evenings full of fun & chaos for awhile now. You can stop by and meet the folks who run & operate the featured brewery, taste their beer and win lotsa schwag. Well, as long as I don't win it first but I probably won't make it to this event so good luck to ya. Anderson Valley will be serving their Imperial IPA, Imperial Pale, Black IPA, Boont Amber, Hop Ottin, Brother David's Double & Triple. Plus they will be randallizing some Hop Ottin as well. Yay-n-stuff.

&

Chuckanut Brewing Night at The Red Hot (6p, Tacoma) In addition to the awesome beers Chuckanut will be serving at The Red Hot tonight, (British IPA, Pilsner, Kolsch & Export Stout) the Cowboy Dog will be unleashed upon the masses for one night only. Check out the Red Hot blog for more info on this dog of awesomeness & Chuckanut Brewing. Yet again, more for you. I won't be der.

and...

The Basics of Homebrewing hosted by KCLS (7-8:45p, Federal Way) It's a school night kids, imma be goin' to class with my favorite flavored minion... BASIL! This is a freebie offered by the King County Library System, but registration is required. We will crack open the world of home brewing tonight like a well lubed book. Or loved, whatever. We will be discussing ingredients, equipment & the beer making process as a whole. As long as Basil & I can hold off on the note passing and spit ball throwing, we might actually learn something.

get busy people!

the pissed liBEERian