Beer Blotter

When we were in Boston, a local beer bar was marketing their upcoming Session Fest and I thought it was such a good idea. There are so many quality brews out there at lower ABVs- we dont always need to drink big beers, do we?

When we got back to Seattle, I was thrilled to find out that Naked City Brewery and Taphouse was hosting a Session Fest of their own. It starts tomorrow and goes through July 24, 2011, does not have an entry fee- you just pay as you drink and will allow you to drink more without the consequences of getting too drunk. So Cheers!

Below is the draft list for Naked City’s Session Fest:

Session Beers at 5.00% Alcohol by Volume

Cascade Summer Gose German-style Gose
Chuckanut German-style Alt Bier
Roslyn Brookside German-style Lager
Big Al Summer Lager German-style Helles
Hale’s German-style Kolsch
Dogfish Head Namaste Belgian-style Wit
Anacortes American-style Pale Ale
Sound Dunkelweizen

Session Beers between 4.50% and 4.99% Alcohol by Volume
4.80% Wingman American-style Pale Ale
4.80% Anacortes Helles Festival-style Lager
4.80% Firestone Walker Pale 31 American-style Pale Ale
4.80% Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Bavarian-style Hefeweizen
4.70% Silver City Gee Whiz Black Koslch-style Ale
4.50% Slip Point Chito Cream Ale
4.50% Fremont Wandering Wheat American-style Wheat Ale

Session Beers between 4.00% and 4.49% Alcohol by Volume

4.40% Stone Levitation
4.40% Boulevard ZON
4.30% Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde American-style Blonde Ale
4.20% Fremont Universale American-style Pale Ale

Session Beers between 2.00% and 3.99% Alcohol by Volume
3.40% Foggy Noggin Bit O Beaver English-style Bitter Ale
3.00% Elysian Slight Return
2.99% Silver City Baby Fat 60 Schilling Scottish-style Ale

Report back on what your favorite beers were! For More information contact Paul Orchard (northwestbeerguide@gmail.com), follow the festival on Twitter (@sessionfest) or visit http://nwsessionfest.blogspot.com.

Monk's Cafe raises money for Japan on Monday, April 11, 2011. Pic courtesy of virtualtourist.com.

Beer. Events. Events about beer.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Belgian Ale Tasting: Washington, DC

6:30PM-8:30PM @ Bier Baron Tavern Beer Bar

Bier Baron will hold it’s second event on Tuesday, April 5th. This time it’s Belgian Beers. Highlighted will beers from Latis Imports: PALM amber ale, Steenbrugge Tripel ale, and Rodenbach and Rodenbach Grand Cru. We’ll also have two Trappist ales on hand to show the difference between them and other Belgian beers. Small food pairing plates and education should make for a fun night. Contact the Bier Baron for tickets.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Goose Island Matilda Tasting: Centerville, Ohio

5:00PM-7:00PM @ Archer’s Tavern

I have a Goose Island Matilda and after having it on tap in Chicago last year, I cannot wait to pop it open and guzzle it down. Stop by Archer’s Tavern and taste for yourself!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Founders KBS Tapping: Springfield, Massachusetts

6:00PM-8:00PM @ Smith’s Billiards

This keg of Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders is going to go fast, so get there at 6 or even before! This double imperial stout is one of the best and is worth the extra effort.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Colorado Beer Week Opening Ceremony: Denver, Colorado

5:00PM-8:00PM @ Blake Street Tavern

This event is presented by New Belgium Brewing- done and done.  Dozens of brewery’s special beers will be poured and representatives from each brewery will be on hand to tap their kegs and answer questions about their beer. Below is a taste of what will be poured tonight and they are all from Colorado:

Great Divide: Colette Farmhouse ale, 17th Anniversary wood aged double IPA and Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

Oskar Blues: G’Knight Imperial Red, Old Chub, Deviant Dale’s IPA, One Nut Brown, Old Double Bagger Barleywine, Dales Pale Ale

Ska Brewing: 15th Anniversary beer – Dementia. (Euphoria Pale ale aged in bourbon barrels.), Mexican Logger

Strange Brewing Co.: Le Bruit du Diable Farmhouse Ale, Cherry Bomb Belgian Stout, Powerhouse Porter, Strange Pale Ale

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Breckenridge Beer Festival: Breckenridge, Colorado

12:00PM-5:00PM @ Main Street Station

At this festival you have two ticket options: $25.00 will buy you a plastic commemorative tasting glass and UNLIMITED beer (damn, Washington State, damn). $65.00 will buy you a glass commemorative tasting glass, UNLIMITED beer, a VIP tour and VIP tasting as well as a private lunch buffet.

Breweries include Great Divide Brewing Co., Deshutes Brewing Co., Oskar Blues Brewing Co. and many many more. For the full list, click here.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Low Country Dogfish head Dinner: Rehoboth Beach, Delware

6:30PM-8:30PM @ Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats

Join Dogfish head Brewing Co. for one of thier fantastic, fabulous and fun off-season monthly beer dinners! From beeradvocate.com website:
Our April 2011 Beer Dinner is an Evening In The Low-Country.

Menu:

Trio of She Crab Soup, Pimento Cheese with Baguette, Fried Oyster with Lemon Cayenne Aioli – Midas Touch, 60 Minute IPA, Lawnmower Light

Fried Green Tomatoes with Local Lettuces, Sweet Tea Glazed Salmon, Goat Cheese and Peach Vinaigrette – Aprihop

Shrimp and Grits – Stone Ground Grits, Homemade Smoked Pork Belly – Red & White

Warm Cream Cheese Pecan Brownie, Brown Honey Rum Caramel Sauce – World Wide Stout through Randall with Brown Honey Rum soaked Oak Chips

Menu subject to change due to general awesomeness and availability.

Seating at 6:30pm

$57 per person (includes gratuity)

To reserve your seats for any of our beer dinners, just shoot Matt Patton an email with your phone number and a good time to call. He’ll call you back and get all the info we need.

For our Beer Dinners, tables of 4 or more are guaranteed group seating. Tables of 2 may share a table with another table of 2.

Once your credit card information is collected, no refunds. All beer dinner ticket purchases are final.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Hitachino Fundraiser: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

11:30AM-2:30PM @ Monk’s Café

Today, Monk’s Cafe is drinking for Japan. Three Hitachino beers will be tapped: the White Ale, Ginger and Red Rice. These three Hitachino staples will help Monk’s Cafe reach their fundraising goal of $2,000.00 as 100% of the sales will go toward disaster relief in Japan.

If you would like to promote an event or if you go to an event, please leave a comment or email me at jess@beerblotter.com!

Stop by the Bronx Ale House This week! Photo Creds- amymittelman.com.

This weekend we swung by Kitsap Oktoberfest for some Derblokken Porter, Valholl Brewing Co’s Licorice IPA and Smoked Cherry Rye as well as Silver City’s Oktoberfest.

You can blame my late post on the release party of Trip IV, a fresh hop IPA collab between Elysian Brewing Co. and New Belgium–more on that event later.

Now for your week in beer.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Brewery Ommegang Tasting: Bronx, New York

6:00PM-9:00PM @ The Bronx Ale House

Enjoy a night of Belgium brews with Brewery Ommegang: Belgian Pale Ale, Cup O Kyndnes, Zuur, Witte, Rare Vos, Hennepin and Three Philosophers. Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Saison Du Buff Trifecta Night: Chicago, Illinois

7:00PM-11:00PM @ Fountainhead

all three versions, a Saison Du Buff Trifecta!!!

Tonight enjoy three flights of each of the three breweries takes on the saison recipe as well as tapping, rare kegs from Stone, Victory, & Dogfish with food pairings to go with them. Victory Braumeister Pils paired with Sambal Spiced Noodles with Lime, Cilantro, & Grilled Chicken, Stone Chipotle Smoked Porter with BBQ Pulled Pork & Chipotle Mashed Potato Stuffed Pablano Pepper and Dogfish Head Sah’Tea with
“Pumpkin Pie” Custard with Crispy Crust & Black Tea Whipped Cream.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Goose Island Beer and Cheese Pairing: Louiseville, Kentucky

3:00PM-5:00PM @ Valumarket

Cheeses! Beers from Goose Island! Sounds like a sophisticated wine tasting- But no, come by and taste Sofie, Demolition, Matilda & Pere Jacques perfectly paired with tasty artisan cheeses.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Great Divide Kickoff: San Diego, California

7:00PM-11:00PM@ Urge Gastropub

Mark your calendars- Great Divide is coming to San Diego! 7 brews including the Yeti will be tapped tonight at Urge Gastropub.

Friday, October 1, 2010

An Evening of Chocolate and Beer: Ann Arbor, Michigan

5:30PM-9:30PM @ Jolly Pumpkin Brewery

We’ll have Patric Chocolate’s Alan McClure and Jolly Pumpkin‘s Ron Jeffries here for an informal presentation and Q&A with chocolate and beer samples. And then if your heart desires, there is a strolling beer, chocolate and food tasting featuring pairings. Ron’s brewed some very special chocolate beers for this event, and we are very excited to taste them. Chocolate and Beer Tasting – $15 – 5:30 to 6:30 PM
Price includes samples of beer and chocolate. Beer, Chocolate & Food Tasting – $35 – 6:30 to 9:30 PM OR you can buy tickets for both events for $45 and save!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Dogfish Head Tasting: Bellport, New York

1:00PM-5:00PM @ Bellport Cold Beer and Soda

Vintage, rare to find Dogfish head beers will be at this event!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Whole Foods Market Homebrew Event: New York, New York

10:00AM-10:00PM @ Whole Foods

Whole Foods Market’s Local Homebrew Hero Contest is under way and the entries have been rolling in. They will be accepting entries until Sunday October 3rd. Stop by anytime and get a copy of the Rules, Entry, and Bottle Label Forms. Entry is free and welcome to anyone interested. Check out our website for more information.
http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores … beer-room/

If you go to an event, want to go to an event or had a beer at an event leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com. Cheers!

Stop by the Iron Abbey and drink to save the Gulf! pic creds: hamburgercalculus.com

Is it Sunday night already? After an eventful weekend in Eastern Washington, I am not ready to let the beer memories fade into my work week. Recap: Whitstran Brewery in Prosser, Horse Heaven Hills Brewery, a stop at a hop farm during the harvesting process, Snipes Brewing Co and a stop at Iron Horse’s new tasting room in downtown Ellensburg.

Also, the GABF 2010 results were released over the weekend. Our Washington winners include a Gold for Hales Ales; a Gold and Bronze for Chuckanut Brewing; a Bronze for Boundary Bay Brewing; and a Silver for Elysian Brewing. Congratulations brewers!

Now for your week in beer.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Victory/3 Floyd’s Night: Chicago, Illinois

6:00PM-11:00PM @ The Fountainhead

Ill let the tap list speak for itself: Victory Scarlet Moon, Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow, Victory Scarlet Fire, Three Floyds Ich Bin Schwarz Genug Fur Dich, Victory Kolsch, Three Floyds Dreadnaught, Victory Hop Wallop, Three Floyds Robert The Bruce, Victory Prusuit Pale Ale AND a firkin of Three Floyds Moloko Stout plus a rare keg of Victory’s Saison Du Buff- the Dogfish head, Stone collab!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Snipes Brewer’s Night: Seattle, Washington

5:00PM- 7:00PM (a guess, the time isnt posted) @ Naked City Brewery and Taphouse

An evening with Snipes Brewing Co.‘s Chris Miller and plenty of samples of his amazing beers. If you see their Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter, Moo Cow (a Belgium), Twangzister Sour Cherry Stout** (Barrel Aged Sour) Diminished Returns Double IPA or their Pumpkin Death ORDER IT. Of course, Snipes’ regular rotations are also worth a taste!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Mikkeller Beer and Food Tasting: Rochester, New York

8:00PM-10:00PM @ The Old Toad

This menu sounds amazing. I mean the beers alone are from Mikkeller and therefore top notch. $50.00 gets you 5 beers from this Danish brewery and 5 creatively flavorful dishes. It’s Alive! paired with Home smoked trout with warm brewer’s bread and accompaniments, Beer Geek Breakfast with Deconstructed English breakfast, Monks Brew complemented by Cheese and homemade chutney sampler, Jackie Brown served with Wild Boar with Port cherry sauce and 2 dessert choices: Divine Rebel
Infused Panna Cotta with bitter chocolate and Black Hole with Fleur de Sel chocolate truffle. Hot damn!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Abita Save Our Shore and Fallfest: Horsham, Pennsylvania

7:00PM-2:00AM @ Iron Abbey Gastro Pub

You know I love drinking for a cause, so tonight, get out and consume some Abita beers to help the Gulf Coast. In bottles, they are cracking open Abita’s “Save Our Shore” special brew and tapping Turbodog and Fall Fest beginning at 7 p.m. Spend $5.00 and keep your pint with $4 refills. For every bottle sold Abita will donate $0.75 to the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive the disastrous oil spill.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Dogfish Head Brewery Weekend: Miami Beach, Florida

8:00PM-5:00AM @ Abraxas Lounge

This event marks the release of Dogfish Head’s Bitches Brew. As always, DFH made a beer to tantilize the senses and push the boundaries of innovation. Bitches Brew is described as “a bold dark beer that is a fusion three threads of Imperial Stout and one thread of honey beer with gesho root”… at 9% abv. Cannot wait to try this…if I ever get my hands on it!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Pumpkin Ale Showdown: Boardman, Ohio

4:00PM-7:00PM @ Vintage Estate Wine and Beer

Its that time of the year- time for beers that are spiced and beers with pumpkin flavors. Today put your palette to the test and decide which brewery has the best pumpkin ale. They will have several pumpkin ales for you to taste and food pairing with the beers.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Fremont Oktoberfest: Seattle, Washington

11AM-6:00PM (beer garden hours) @ Phinney Ave N and N 36th St, outside

This is one of three days (Friday and Saturday) which include races, runs, hunts, beers, food and fun! Check out the event page for more details!

If you go to an event, want us to post about and event or whatever suits you, please leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com. Cheers!

An alternative beer bar for your bottle buying, food needing and beer drinking needs.

32 out of 52

(still getting caught up. We are such slackers!)

Saraveza

1004 N. Killingsworth St.

Portland, OR 97217

503-206-4252

Rank: 4/5

Type of Establishment: Beer bar, trendy Portland hangout, Bottle shop, Pasty Tavern

Visit: After a 5 hour, yes 5 hour, drive from Seattle to Portland (this drive normally takes 2 hours, at most) preceded by a long day at work, I was practically out of my mind once I arrived at Saraveza. Knowing there was an IPA festival awaiting me kept me alive during the grueling drive.

Beers on Tap:

HUB (a.k.a. Hopworks Urban Brewery) Evelyn Sunshine

HUB Ace of Spades

HUB Galactic

Avery Maharaja

Cascade Imperial Wheat IPA

Stone, Victory, Dogfish head Saison du Buff

Weihenstephaner “Korbinian” Doppelbock

Bottles: Saraveza serves over 200 beers in bottles stored in glorious light filled coolers calling you into the depths of beerdom. Some highlights: Ommegang Chocoate Indulgence Chocolate Stout; The Bruery Saison Rue; Mikkeller It’s Alive Belgian Wild; Mikkeller Beer Geek Stout; De Ranke Kriek; Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus and more!. Click here for a complete list.

Food Options: For the full menu click here. I personally tried the picked deviled eggs. It was a jazzed up version of a childhood, summer picnic favorite- a must have for the table! They are known for their pasties. Potato, veggie, cheese and meat are cooked in a light, flaky crust; kind of like a calzone for woodsmen and Germans. I had the vegetarian option and it was flavorful, but slightly dry. It could have used some stone ground mustard on the side or another dipping sauce.

BAR OPINION:

I was basically silent the entire cab ride from the hotel to the bar. I was starved and needed a beer to take the week’s edge off.

We arrived to a packed bar. People to my right standing at tall boy tables and glowing coolers full of bottles to my left. We keep walking – no time to gawk – we need a table, stat! Past the bar is a small dining area with a few booths, all wooden with tall backs. Holy crap, we get a table. The gods know what I just went through, a hellish ride on Interstate 5. Crawling for 100 miles. The table tops are made of bottle caps covered in glass- always a nice touch.

Despite the intensity of the crowd, the waitress was extremely attentive. We order a sampler tray of IPAs- 5 10poz pours for $8.00- done deal and an order of the pickled deviled eggs. Okay now that I am satisfied with my first sip of beer, I finally take a moment to soak in my surroundings.

Portland: organic, adventurous, wilderness. Words that come to mind when I think of the city and those that inhabit it. Saraveza’s decor captures the essence of the city- Paintings of outdoor scenes, mountains, forests. Heads of wild animals hang from the walls. The added kitschy adornments gives Saraveza a warm, welcoming feel.

All in all Saraveza is worth a stop. It felt out of the way, but to me, almost every neighborhood in Portland feels “out of the way.” A small space with a cult following, expect to fight for a table. But once you sit down with a beer in your hand and an egg or sausage on your plate, the crowds will just melt away.

Note: Sorry for the lack of pictures- I was on a serious mission that night- beer + food.