Pacific Northwest Beer Chick

Breweries, Beers & Good Times

Upcoming event… April 25, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Seasonal beers,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 10:44 pm

 

WHEN: Saturday, May 12th, 2012.

TIME:  Noon-7:00pm

WHERE: Uptown Gig Harbor Pavilion (4701 Pt. Fosdick Dr.)

ATTENDING BREWERIES:

  • 7 Seas Brewery
  • American Brewing Company
  • Der Blokken Brewery
  • Dicks Brewing Company
  • Everybody’s Brewing
  • Harmon  Brewing Co.
  • Hood Canal Brewery
  • Port Townsend Brewing Co.
  • Silver City  Brewery
  • Sound Brewery
  • Valholl Brewing Company

Pre-sale tickets are $20 or $25 the day of the event. Admission includes a 2012 commemorative taster cup and eight taster tokens. 21+ up only. You can purchase tickets through the festival website, www.gigharborbeerfestival.com or from www.brownpapertickets.com.

I will definitely be there!

Cheers!

Liz

 

Texas summer in the PNW! April 22, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Seasonal beers,Summer Beers — pnwbeerchick @ 7:59 pm

Summer in the PNW cannot come soon enough! Luckily the summer seasonals are already churning out. And apparently a little brewery in Texas knows what summer should taste like. I have been a huge fan of Spoetzl Brewery’s Shiner Bock for years. Well, I happened upon a new concoction released for summer. Shiner Ruby Redbird is a wonderful citrus seasonal brewed with Texas Ruby Red grapefruit juice and fresh ginger. The grapefruit flavor is not the hoppy kind, but the sweet, juicy kind. The ginger sweetens ups the tart of the grapefruit by adding a light pungent character creating a very well-balanced, flavorful beer. Mt. Hood, Citra and Cascade hops along with Munich malt give a little extra kick and texture to this lovely crisp beer. The finish is clean and sweet and at 4% ABV it is perfect for the hot summer days.

So next time you’re sitting in your fold up chair with your feet in the kids wading pool, don’t forget to grab one of Shiner’s finest. It’s a great start to a lovely, hot summer.

Cheers!

Liz

www.shiner.com

 

 

Upcoming event: Hand Truckin’ @ Latona April 16, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Earth Day,Pacific Northwest Beer,Seattle Beer,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 7:08 pm

Local Brewery and Pub Toast Earth Day with Ten Mile Hand Truckin’ Event

Two Dozen Volunteers Trek Beer From SODO to Green Lake to Promote Neighborhood Walkability

Event Name: Hand Truckin’ @ Latona

Venue: Latona Pub; 6423 Latona Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98115

Description: A unique Earth Day celebration for beer lovers and supporting a more walkable community. Enjoy a beer and socialize with walking enthusiasts, pedestrian advocates and craft brew lovers. This event benefits Feet First, the only organization in Washington working to ensure there are walkable communities across the state. Your ticket gets you a Feet First pint glass and a big frothy mug of Two Beer’s limited edition Hand Truckin’ Wheat Ale. Prior to the event, volunteers will transport the ale 10 miles on foot from SODO to Greenlake in order to make this a zero-carbon event (call to be part of the great beer hike). Hand Truckin’ Wheat Ale is a bright-colored draft with a soft, slightly fruity aroma that is both brisk and refreshing. This beer is a tribute to people powered beer transportation, Mother Earth, and Feet First’s continued efforts to save lives, improve health, and expand economic growth in Washington.

 

When: April 22, 2012 (Earth Day). 2pm- 4:30 pm (there will be a press event with speakers and photo op at 2:20pm)

Price: $20

Tickets Website: http://feet-first.ticketleap.com/two-beers-a-pub-and-a-nonprofit/

Contact Name: Lee Warnecke

Contact Email: lee@feetfirst.org

Contact Phone: 206.652.2310 ext 4

Visuals: (Image: http://feetfirst.info/KegsAlongBGTrail.jpg ) The unveiling of the Feet First Chicken, the organization’s new mascot designed by staff at Seattle Central Community College’s Apparel Design program. Dozens of volunteers hand trucking kegs on foot from SODO to Green Lake. Friends and neighbors celebrating Earth Day by enjoying a glass of hand trucked ale at Latona Pub.

 

This event is sponsored by Feet First, Latona Pub, Two Beers Brewing Company and Immersus Tours. For the past ten years, Feet First has worked to ensure that all communities in Washington State are walkable. Walking is a vital transportation mode that connects communities, reduces pollution, improves health and physical fitness, and allows people to explore their natural environment.
 

My Beer Vacation – Part 3 April 12, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Port Townsend,Seattle Beer,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 7:45 pm

A lovely drive north on the Olympic Peninsula will take you to the gorgeous seaside town of Port Townsend, WA. Port Townsend is the perfect getaway for lovers of Victorian architecture and all things nautical. It’s also a fantastic spot for some tasty beer.  But first, a short history lesson.

Port Townsend is a step back into time. Founded in 1851, the town’s physical appearance has changed very little over the last 120 years. Gorgeous Victorian buildings line the

Manresa Castle

Manresa Castle

downtown area and amazing Victorian homes (AKA “painted ladies”) peer down from the cliffs just behind the main street. You can stay in one of the historic hotels located on the main street or you can do what hubby and I did and stay just a few blocks away at Manresa Castle. Yes, there is a castle in Port Townsend! Built in 1892, it was the hill-top home of Port Townsend’s first mayor and his wife: Charles and Kate Eisenbeis.  Jesuit priests bought the home in 1927 and used it as a training college. Today it is a hotel lovingly restored and   gorgeously decorated in period antiques and photos of Port Townsend’s past. One can’t help but want to explore every nook and cranny of the grand old house. As with most old structures, Manresa Castle is rumored to be haunted. I was so looking forward to encountering a spirit. Alas, not this time.

Just down the hill in the ship yard sits Port Townsend Brewing Company. Opened in 1997, the brewery has become the pride of the town. And it’s no wonder why! The tasting room is very large and quite elegant. And boy do they have a lot of beer. I enjoyed the taster tray but was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of beer served; twelve tasters on the tray! Instead of describing every one of them I will pick out my favorites.

Port Townsend Brewing

Chet’s Gold (4.3% ABV) – the lightest beer in the joint. Very crisp, light hops, slightly sweet and finishes clean. Great for a hot day.

Bitter End IPA (6% ABV) – Gold color. Hoppy aroma and full body hop character. Grapefruit notes all the way through. Very tasty.

Hop Diggity IPA (6% ABV) – For an IPA this popular beer has a malty body. Hoppy but easy for the beginning  IPA drinker to enjoy. Lovely grapefruit finish.

Planet Zythos Pale (6.8% ABV) – Unfiltered, hoppy, and well-balanced. Another great beer for the beginner to give a try, but the enthusiast will enjoy as well.

Straight Stout (6% ABV) – For the chocolate fans, this one’s for you! Ink black color and light tan head. Chocolate aroma with smooth, chocolate, malty body and finish.

It was very hard to choose just a few of Port Townsend Brewing’s beers to talk about because they were all great. The tasting room is open Tuesday through Saturday. During warmer weather they open the grassy beer garden and feature live music.

Sirens

Making a right onto Hwy 20 will take you to the middle of the town’s main drag. Located on the second floor of one of the Victorian buildings is Sirens: A Pub of Distinction. I would

describe Sirens as a mix of gypsy den and antique store. There is outside seating and a gorgeous view of the Puget Sound. Sirens has a great beer selection (11 brews on tap and various bottled beers) and the food in incredible. The staff is very friendly and there is live music on occasion so be sure and check their schedule.

Port Townsend is a town full of maritime and Victorian history. Great for an overnight stay or a romantic weekend getaway, I would suggest anyone to stop through at least once. There aren’t too many towns like this left!

Cheers!

Liz

www.porttownsendbrewing.com

www.manresacastle.com

www.sirenspub.com

 

My Beer Vacation – Part 2 April 9, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,McMenamins Brewery,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,WA — pnwbeerchick @ 8:33 pm

The next leg of my beer vacation took me to the sleepy little town of Centralia, WA. What’s in Centralia you ask? McMenamins Olympic Club, that’s what! What is the Olympic Club? A gym? Ok, enough of the questions. The Olympic Club is a historic hotel located in old downtown Centralia. Built in 1908 and renovated in 1913, the Olympic Club has spent the last century reinventing its self and, as with most old hotels, has a colorful history. Spending most of its life as the Oxford Hotel, it was known as a gentlemen’s club, a pool hall and, of course, there are even tales of a brothel. Today it serves as a 27 room hotel with a full service restaurant, two bars, pool hall, and movie theater.

McMenamins Brewery bought the club in 1997 and lovingly restored it to the impressive retreat it is today. Now I could go on all day about McMenamins Brewery and their commitment to salvaging PNW history one building at a time but I will save that for a later article…back to The Olympic Club. Now if you have never been to a McMenamins establishment you are in for a treat. Except for the name change the Olympic Club has remained virtually unchanged over the last 100 years, right down to the Tiffany-style stained glass light fixtures and Belgian crystal to the ceramic tile floors and antique cash register. In fact, if you take a stroll through the building you will see many photos of The Olympic Club and the city of Centralia over the last century. The adjoining restaurant is kid friendly and more of the original establishment lurks in every corner. In the connecting pool hall you can choose your “stick” and play a few games on the original century old pool tables.

Down the hall you will find McMenamins movie theater. You can cuddle up on any of the love seats or choose a comfy chair and enjoy one of the latest releases. Food and drink are very welcome in the theater and they will even bring it to you when you order from the bar. Kid friendly matinees show during the day and the latest blockbusters begin showing in the early evening. Live bands also grace the theatre so check the club’s schedule for performances.

Up the creaky old stairs the hotel’s spirits greet guests in photo and art. McMenamins artists preserve the history of the club by whimsically illustrating stories on the walls. Each guest room is named for and tells a story of a different character in the clubs history. Guest room prices depend on bed preference: queen beds or bunk beds. Trust me… it’s great fun reliving childhood by sleeping in a bunk bed! One thing I must warn you about, if you are not a fan of European style restrooms (shared restrooms) then this hotel may not be for you. Only one of the guest rooms, the King Suite, has a private bathroom so you may want to check far in advance for availability. But in all honesty my husband and I have stayed at the Olympic club MANY times and have never had a problem with unavailability of the shared bathrooms.

Now you are probably thinking “Liz, this is all great, but where does the beer come in?” Glad you asked. McMenamins has been brewing beer since 1985 and is exclusive only to McMenamins pubs, hotels and restaurants. You can drink beer anywhere in Olympic Club including the hotel and theatre. What’s on tap? One of my favorites is also one of McMenamins most popular beers: Ruby. Not too sweet Ruby is brewed with 42lbs of Oregon grown raspberry puree. This Raspberry ale is crisp, light bodied, and fruity and a great beer for warmer weather but also enjoyable no matter what time of year you visit. Hammerhead is McMenamins top-selling beer and it’s not hard to see why. This lovely pale ale is brewed with Cascade hops and crystal malt creating an incredibly hoppy aroma and flavor but finishing very smooth.  For those of you looking for something a bit darker I would recommend the Terminator Stout. The black beauty is full-bodied and toasty with flavors of coffee and dark chocolate. I enjoy this one on the Olympic Club back patio next to the fire pit. The Olympic Club has seasonal beers on tap so always ask the bartender what’s new. McMenamins also owns a winery and a distillery creating some pretty potent spirits.

Tickets to the movie theater and access to the pool tables are free to hotel guests. I love the Olympic Club. One could spend the day browsing through the nearby antique stores or playing pool in the pool hall. It’s a great way to spend an evening or even a long weekend.

Cheers,

Liz

www.mcmenamins.com

 

 
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