Pacific Northwest Beer Chick

Breweries, Beers & Good Times

16th Annual Holiday Ale Festival – Portland, OR December 18, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Holiday Ales,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Oregon Micro Breweries,Portland Holiday Ale Festival — pnwbeerchick @ 5:30 pm

Due to a minor hospital stay, holiday madness, and lack of motivation I have been out of the writing loop for a while. Needless to say I have some catching up to do! First on my list…the 16th Annual Holiday Ale Festival in Portland, OR that took place a couple of weeks ago. As usually the festival was a great event. A large, heated tent covered the park where the festival was held, food venders kept our tummy full, and there was even a coat check for those of us that didn’t want to schlep our stuff around. As for the beer…

Old Saint Chongo – Bear Republic Brewing Co (7% ABV) – Cloverdale, CA – With the aroma of a chocolate covered banana, this winter warmer is a tasty treat. Medium bodied and malty this wheat beer starts with chocolate and finishes with a banana split.

Sang Noir – Cascade Brewing (9.2% ABV) Portland, OR – One of my top five favorites from last year’s Ale Festival was this lovely sour ale. Tart cherries dominate the taste while hints of Bourbon hit the nose. Cascade ages their red and double red beers in Pinot Noir and Bourbon barrels for up to 24 months creating this very pretty, sparkly, holiday ale. Take it easy though, the wonderful flavor will make you forget the high alcohol!

Chocolate Mint Stout – Gilgamesh Brewing (6% ABV) Turner, OR – Using locally grown mint and chocolate cocoa nibs, Gilgamesh has crafted a fun and festive stout that tastes like peppermint patties. I enjoyed this beer but was a bit disappointed with the body. It felt more like medium than full-bodied for a stout. Still a nice beer though.

Bonaparte’s Retreat – Laurelwood Brewing Co (8.2% ABV) Portland, OR – One of my favorites of the day was this toasty, smoky Corsican Christmas Ale. A very strong ale, Bonaparte’s Retreat had a nice hint of roasted chestnut and a malty finish. Great beer but this one you will need to sip, slowly.

The Nutcracker – Oakshire Brewing (8% ABV) Eugene, OR – Very nice Imperial Porter. Full bodied and malty with rich gingerbread spices and a touch of dark chocolate and coffee to finish. The Nutcracker is a great festive porter for the holidays.

Belsnickle’s Strong Ale – Rusty Truck Brewing Co (7.6% ABV) Salem, Or – My favorite beer of the event was this wonderful strong ale. Brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander Rusty Truck really captured what holiday ale should taste like. Warm and malty I had a hard time putting this baby down.

Just a reminder with winter beers; the alcohol is going to be a bit higher than beers brewed during the rest of the year so please be careful when enjoying them.

The Holiday Ale Festival itself was very fun and well-organized. The downside unfortunately was the beer. Brewers from all over the PNW showed up, but did not seem to bring anything spectacular. There were some really good beers at the event, but nothing seemed to “wow” me this year. Many of the beers did not taste as described and surprisingly a lot of them were a bit watery. Oh well, there is always next year.

Cheers!

Liz

www.bearrepublic.com

www.cascadebrewing.com

www.gilgameshbrewing.com

www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com

www.oakbrew.com

www.rustytruckbrewing.com

 

Coming Soon: Portland Holiday Ale Festival, Airways Brewing Co, Trade Route Brewing Co, and a couple of tasty 22oz brews.

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Holiday Ales,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Pacific Northwest Beer,Portland Holiday Ale Festival,WA,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 10:39 am
 

16th Annual Holiday Ale Festival – Portland, OR November 2, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,Holiday Ales,Portland Holiday Ale Festival,Portland Holiday Brew Festival — pnwbeerchick @ 9:12 pm

WHEN: November 30 – Dec 4

WHERE: Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, OR

HOW MUCH: 

$25.00/per person for General Admission (Festival entry, tasting mug and 10 tasting tickets)

$50.00/per person for VIP Admission (Festival entry, tasting mug, 20 tasting tickets and access to VIP beer lines)

(Both general and VIP admission includes entry for all 5 days with current years mug and wristband)

More than 40+ breweries are signed up to bring their best ( and strongest) winter warmers! I can hardly wait!

Cheers!

Liz

www.holidayale.com

 

Grab your lederhosen and dirndl! It’s Oktoberfest time in Puyallup! October 6, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,German Beer,Oktoberfest — pnwbeerchick @ 9:43 pm

7th Annual Oktoberfest Northwest

WHEN: October 7th-9th, from 11:00am -12:00am

WHERE: Puyallup, Wa Fair &n Events Center

HOW MUCH: $10.00 – Stop by participating Safeway stores in Pierce and South King County and pick up a $3 off admission coupon, available at the customer service counter, valid all days of the festival!

Oktoberfest Northwest is an all-ages event until 7 p.m. each evening (and all day Sunday!).  After 7 p.m., guests must be 21 years of age or older. 

“Grab your stein and Prost our neighbor with authentic German beers from the Festalle Beirgarten. Authentic Munich-Type Steins both ½ liter and 1 liter sold on-site and while supplies last! The Munich-inspired Festhalle Biergarten will pour Paulaner Lager, Hoffbrau Oktoberfest, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, Snoqualmie Harvest Moon Fest Bier, Warsteiner Dunkel, Warsteiner Oktoberfest.  As a special treat, there will also be a limited run of Hacker-Pschorr Hubertus Bock poured at the official opening ceremony, at 6:15 on Friday evening. “

Beer, brats, & authentic entertainment…what more do you need?

 

Another Great Pacific Northwest Beer Festival: Anacortes Oktoberfest Bier on the Pier September 28, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Pacific Northwest Beer,Seattle Beer,Tacoma Breweries,WA,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 1:40 pm

WHEN: October 7: 5PM-9PM & October 8: 12PM-6PM

WHERE: 1st & Commercial, Port Warehouse. Located on the pier over-looking the beautiful Guemes channel in Anacortes.

HOW MUCH: 2 day advance passes and single entry tickets  available online at Brown Paper Tickets.

  • 2 day advanced pass $35 plus 12 tasting tickets and festival glass—$45 at
    the door.
  • 1 day ticket $20 advanced plus 6 tasting tickets and festival glass—$25 at the door.
  • 1 day ticket sales begin August 15
  • 21 and older, must have ID

30 breweries will be pouring their finest for…2 days! The event will also feature live music and a variety of food vendors with festival style seating.

So many festivals…so little time!

Cheers!

Liz

www.anacortes.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elysian Brewing Company’s 2011 Great Pumpkin Beer Festival

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Pumpkin Beer,Seattle Beer,WA,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 1:07 pm

Hey kids! It’s that time of year again! Elysian Brewing Company will be holding their annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in their new location in Seattle’s Georgetown Neighborhood. Elysian will serve 11 of their own beers brewed just for the occasion and 50 guests beers will also be sporting their best. Linus would be so proud!

WHEN: OCTOBER 8-9, 2011
Sat. 10/8 from 12-10PM
Sun. 10/9 from 12-6PM
The Great Pumpkin is tapped at 4PM each day.

WHERE: 5510 Airport Way S., Seattle, WA 98108

HOW MUCH: $20 Presale and $25 at the door – includes souvenir pumpkin glass and 6 drink tickets. You can purchase tickets through Brown Paper Tickets, at any of Elysian’s pubs, or from Full Throttle Bottles.

ELYSIAN BEERS: Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale, Night Owl, Great Pumpkin, Dark o’ the Moon Pumpkin Stout, Hansel and Gretel Ginger Pumpkin Pils, Coche de Medianoche (new!), Kürbitinus, PK-47 Pumpkin Malt Liquor, Headless Horsey (new!), Ursa Orange (new!) and another TBA. Elysian collaborations will also be poured: Kick Sour Cranberry Pumpkin Ale (New Belgium), Saison of the Witch (Tom Douglas) and Le Citrueille Celest de Citricado (Stone, The Bruery).

GUEST BREWERS: Silver City, Big Time, Rock Bottom, Ram, Schooner Exact, Fremont, Georgetown, Naked City, Black Raven, Snoqualmie, Elliott Bay, Pike, Anacortes, Rogue, Anderson Valley, Russian River, Allagash, Jolly Pumpkin, Avery, Cambridge, Iron Hill, Howe Sound, St. Arnold, Utah Brewers Collective, Nøgne Ø and more TBA!

 Food trucks will be on-site.

See you there!!!

Cheers,

Liz

info@elysianbrewing.com  or 206.860.3977

 

 

A Brewery Looks At 30 September 20, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Redhook Brewery,Seattle Beer,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 11:07 pm

I’m not talking about a certain “parrot head” and his mid-life crisis, I’m talking about a Washington icon celebrating 30 years as
one of the Pacific Northwest’s best breweries. This year Redhook Brewing turns 30 years old and boy do they know how to throw a party! Mitten, the Tom Tom Club, Psychedelic Furs, and headliners DEVO performed during the event. And I got a chance to sample Redhook’s Extra Special Birthday beer making this the best birthday bash I have ever attended. More about the

Jeffrey, Shannon, Master Brewer Greg and Robert

entertainment in a bit; first things first…the beer!

We started off the event with an enjoyable lunch and conversation with the Redhook crew: Jeffery, Shannon, Ciea, Robert, and Master Brewer Greg.  The Redhook staff was decked out in their 1980’s best and I had some serious flashbacks (Why did we ever dress like that? I think I owned a pair of those fish nets! Did makeup really need to come in neon?) But back to the beers…Scott & I threw back a couple of the Redhook’s best…

Tina Weymouth of Tom Tom Club

Big Ballard Imperial IPA (8.6% ABV) – Dark amber color. Hoppy yet surprisingly sweet for an IPA. Nice malty texture. Well balanced hop/caramel character with a crisp hoppy finish.  Great beer for the “hop heads.”

ESB (5.8% ABV) – One of the brewery’s flagship beers, the ESB is dark red in color with a spicy nose. Crisp, medium bodied, and hoppy.  Malty caramel notes without being too sweet. One of my favorites!

Blonde (5.7% ABV) – Smooth and malty with a soft honey sweetness. Just a hint of hops giving it a nice citrus snap. Great for
hanging out by the pool.

Pilsner (5.3% ABV) – Dark honey color and think honey flavor. Crisp and clean with a nice medium body. Light hops and spices brings out a lovely floral character.  The summer to autumn transition just got a little easier.

Wit (5.3% ABV)- Another Redhook favorite of mine! Gorgeous banana clove aroma and flavor. Master Brewer Greg and I had a

Psychedelic Furs

great discussion about this beauty. He informed me that tea from the famous Market Spice located in the Pike Place Market in Seattle is used in the brew, creating the lovely spicy aroma and flavor. I truly love this beer!

Extra Special Birthday Beer (7.0% ABV) – Now for the Pièce de résistance! Don’t let the dark color of this gem fool you. Paying homage to the original ESB, Redhook modified their recipe and uses a special yeast strain to create a lovely banana clove character. Very rich and slightly toasty with a little bit of a dry finish. The Extra Special Birthday Beer is a great tribute to Redhook’s brewing legacy! The Extra Special Birthday Beer is in the process of being bottled and will hit the stores soon…but only for a limited time!

As the day progressed we joined the crowd of 5,000 Redhook fans outside for the birthday party featuring live music from some great music icons: Tom Tom Club, Psychedelic Furs and DEVO. Opening New York band Mitten took the stage first followed by Tom Tom Club. Tina Weymouth still has it after 30 years!

DEVO

The rain held out as long as possible but the Psychedelic Furs took the stage and the sky opened up! The Furs still sound as great as they ever did and Richard Butler’s raspy vocals and sexy stage presence still captivates!

As the rain Gods continued to pummel us, DEVO strummed their first chord and we all suddenly forgot we were getting soaked. Being true showman the band played on without complaint…and they were getting just as soaked as we were. DEVO is just as great to watch now as they were when I was a teenager in the 80’s!

Well as I said earlier, Redhook knows how to throw a party. Thank you again to Redhook for inviting me to this great event. The brewery should be proud of their accomplishments over the last 30 years and I’m proposing a toast to the next!

Cheers!

Liz

www.redhook.com

For more pictures of the 30th Birthday Party visit my Facebook page.

 

Americana Music Festival – Saturday September 10, 2011 September 8, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Pacific Northwest Beer,Poulsbo,Uncategorized,WA,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 2:39 pm

Where: Poulsbo Waterfront & Marina. Poulsbo, WA

When: 12:00pm – 7:00pm.

Live music, yummy food and great local beer from Slippery Pig Brewing, Sound Brewery, and Valholl Brewing! 

Cheers!

Liz 

www.poulsbomusicfestival.com

 

New Facebook page! September 5, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Tacoma Breweries,Uncategorized,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 8:40 pm

I just started a new Facebook page…look up Pnwbeerchick on Facebook and click “like.” Thanks for looking!

 

1st Annual Bremerton Summer BrewFest 2011 July 27, 2011

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 9:07 pm

Beautiful blue sky, 85 degree weather, and 23 micro-breweries…what a great day! Well…for the most part it was.

The first annual Bremerton Summer BrewFest on Saturday was packed full of some of Washington State’s best brewers pouring some of their finest, and quirky, beers.  Over 50 beers were served, sipped, discussed and spilled. But it was quite apparent there are some bugs that need to be worked out before the 2nd annual is held.  Let’s discuss the low points a little later. Right now let’s get into the high point of the day…the beer. Below I have listed my top 5 favorites.

#5 Summer Rain Pale Ale – Battenkill Brewing Co. (5.8% ABV) Poulsbo, WA – This wonderful pale ale is  like orange blossoms in a glass. Sporting a beautiful orange blossom nose and sweet honey finish, Battenkill brews this great summer ale with NW Pale ale malt, Simcoe and Amarillo hops, and a bit of Orange Blossom Honey. Summer Rain is a sweetly refreshing, light and crisp ale and one of my favorite beers of the day.

#4 Curly Tail Pale Ale – Slippery Pig Brewery (5.0% ABV) Poulsbo, WA – Unusual brew, and wicked good. One of Poulsbo’s newest breweries has created a deliciously fun pale ale brewed with 10 lbs of stinging nettles. This dark red ale is a little sweet and a lot sour. Very similar to the increasingly popular sour beers, but not quite as tart. Great job Slippery Pig!

#3 Mt. Walker Wheat Ale – Hood Canal Brewery (4.0% ABV) Kingston, WA – Who doesn’t love gum balls?
Another fun beer making an appearance at the BrewFest, the Mt. Walker Wheat smells like bananas, wheat, and flowers. The taste is just as tantalizing with flavors of banana and gum balls. I know it sounds strange and overly sweet, but trust me…you will have a hard time putting this one down!

#2 Loser Strong Pale Ale – Elysian Brewing Co. (7.0% ABV) Seattle, WA – One of my favorite breweries in Washington created one of my favorite beers of the day. Both my hubby and I loved this beer! Elysian uses quite a few different hops and malts creating a very well-balanced, crisp pale ale that has what I can only describe as a “rice crispy” finish. Medium bodied and yummy!

#1 Yoda’s Green Tea Gold – Port Townsend Brewing Co. (4.7% ABV) Port Townsend, WA – With me The
Force was (Yoda voice) after my first sip of this awesome beer! Brewed with an organic, steamed green tea called bancha, Port Townsend created a truly refreshing, flavorful beer unlike any I have ever had before. I had to take it slow while I enjoyed this brew because it was very easy to forget I was not drinking an iced green tea! MMMmmmmm (Yoda voice again)What a gem!!!!

Now for the low points…unfortunately, the brewers began running out of beer around 3:00pm and still had 6 hours to go! We cut the organizers some slack because, after all, this was the 1st annual BrewFest and perhaps they underestimated what the turnout would be(about 4-5,000 people showed up!). But hopefully next year they will be a bit more prepared. There was absolutely no place to sit unless you found a curb and the only shady spots were under the baby trees that lined the street. There was 1 food cart that served hamburgers and hotdogs but again, no place to sit and eat it and there wasn’t a bottled water or soda in sight. Live bands provided some entertainment, but, for the third time, no place to sit, not even a tree stump, anywhere! Overall, we had a pretty good time and will give it a go next year, but will be bringing my own chair… and umbrella hat… and food.

Cheers!

Liz

www.porttownsendbrewing.com

www.elysianbrewing.com

www.battenkillbrewingcompany.com

www.hoodcanalbrewery.com

Info for Slippery Pig Brewery can be found on Facebook.