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.

Fremont Brewing Co.- take note of the tricycle. Pic courtesy of flickr.com.

Giving up beer for 9 months is one thing. I am happy to do so for the health and well-being of my child. Giving up beer bars and brewery visits scared me. Life after a child isn’t the end, it is just the beginning of family outings and showing our baby boy the things we love in this life.

We began to rigorously research places in Seattle were we could take the little tike and enjoy a beer. So for you beer loving parents, here is what we came up with:

Fremont Brewing Co.

Fremont Brewing Co. is loved by bb.com for many, many reasons. Reasons like the grassroots feel of the taproom, the thought of grabbing a killer sandwich from Homegrown or Paseo’s, heading to Fremont for a beer and hanging out with the warmth of a Seattle summer day streaming through the open garage door, the dry hopped IPAs that you can only get at the taproom and the fact that Fremont is starting to can and gives a damn about the environment. This wide open space is the perfect place for a family to enjoy time together, enjoy the weather and enjoy a good brew.

Elysian Brewing Co.

This gives us three choices for a kid-friendly place to enjoy some craft brews. All Elysian locations offer a long line of taps, a full menu and it doesn’t have that family-friendly feel- which trust me, although I am about to be a parent, I prefer to avoid those places, generally speaking. This is a place where you can still have that hip, adult atmosphere but teach your little one how to say Great Pumpkin.

The Dray

Another place that bb.com just fawns over. This small, quirky beer bar is my favorite spot to snuggle up and grab a brew. Lately, its been hot chocolate for me as I gaze at the various fermented beverages scattered across the bar. I have to keep other beer drinkers in mind, so parents, consider the size of this place and the mood of your child. A tantrum is bound to disturb more people here and they are enjoying good beer, damnit!

Elliot Bay Brewing Co.

We had to throw a West Seattle joint up here for our dear friends who are also expecting. Located right at the junction, this brewery has the vibe of a bustling restaurant. There is always a crowd and plenty of seating. This is great for a large group with kids in tow.

Naked City Brewery and Taphouse

This is another place I breathed a sigh of relief when we found out we could still take trip here without finding a sitter. Kids/people under 21 are allowed to enjoy the food and atmosphere at Naked City until 10PM every night. So beer loving parents, stop by for dinner and relax with an amazing tap list. Naked City’s taplist is guaranteed to have some house brewed favorites and note-worthy guest beers.

Hales Brewing Co.

Hales is one of the bigger breweries in Seattle and a staple in the Ballard/Fremont craft beer scene. This is a great lunch and/or dinner spot to treat the family to a night out and treat yourself to a beer!

Although some of the greats are going to be a bit harder for us to visit on a more or less regular basis (Brouwers, Maritime Pacific) I am so thankful for the above mentioned. Being a parent is hard work and getting out to enjoy some beer is well-deserved in so long as you remain responsible and aware of your kids. Cheers!

Grab some sour beers by Cascade Brewing Co. @ uber on May 17!

Seattle Beer Week continues with everything a beer lover could dream of: Cascade Brewing Night, Dogfish Head dinners, vertical tastings and bottle releases.  BB.com heads to DC on Thursday and we are so excited to stop by the beer bars of our nation’s capital.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Cascade Night: Seattle, Washington

6:00PM @ Uber Tavern

Come to Uber and enjoy some of Cascade Brewing Co.’s incredible sour beers: Cascade Apricot Ale; Cascade Kriek 2009; Cascade Noyeaux and Cascade The Vine 2009. These beers are top-notch. Cheese and meats will be served and are complimentary!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

East Meets West: Seattle, Washington

6:00PM-12:00AM @ Brouwer’s Cafe

I see beers and burgers in your Tuesday night plans. Brouwers is hosting Tomme Arthur of Lost Abbey, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Dick Cantwell of Elysian Brewing, Christian Ettinger of Hopworks Brewing Co. and Rob Todd of Allagash, each bringing along a list of beers and a signature burger. Check out the burger options and beer lists here!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Weyerbacher Release of Verboten: Warren, New Jersey

5:00PM-7:00PM @ Tap Room at Somerset Hills Hotel

If you have yet to visit Warren NJ, now is as good a time as any for the release of Weyerbacher’s Verboten, a Belgium style pale ale. Cheers!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

SOUR BEER FEST: Seattle, Washington

3:00PM-11:00PM @ Brouwer’s Cafe

This is my favorite of all the festivals…thats really all I have to say, except check back later this week for Timperial Stout’s review of the sour beer line up.

Friday, May 21, 2010

AHA Rally: Portland, Maine

5:00PM-8:00PM @ Allagash Brewing Co.

In the name of homebrewing and how awesome it is, you should 1. homebrew and 2. become a member of the AHA and 3. attend this event.

American Homebrewers Association Rally open to members of the AHA and those interested in joining. Non-members attending will pay $33, receive entry and will become an AHA member, the event is free to members. We will be hosting brewery tours throughout the evening. Light appetizers will be provided along with a raffle and door prizes!- www.beeradvocate.com

Saturday, May 21, 2010

Iron Horse Night: Seattle, Washington

5:00PM-7:00PM @ Bottleworks

Join the brewers from Iron Horse Brewing Co., located in Ellensburg, Washington and a local fav. Iron Horse brews beers across the board ranging from Black IPAs, Coffee Stouts, Red Ales and Dry Irish Stouts.

Sunday, May 22, 2010

Closing Ceremony for Seattle Beer Week: Seattle, Washington

12:00PM-6:00PM @ Hales Brewing Co.

Finish Seattle Beer Week with 21 of Washington’s finest Breweries at Hale’s Palladium. Admission is $25 and includes 6 beer tastings. Ok, this beer sounds amazing: Port Townsend Brewing Co. (Seattle, WA), Luciferous Belgian Whiskey Sour. Try that.

So long Seattle Beer Week, until next year…

If you have an event you want us to post about or you went to an event and want to report back, leave a comment or email us at beerblotter@gmail.com. Also, any more suggestions about places to go and beers to drink in the DC area are welcome!