Some events happening tonight (Thursday, January 5th) that you should know about.

Latona Pub

This is a big year for the Latona Pub, one of Seattle’s original great beer bars. It was 25 years ago that they began pouring great beer. To celebrate, they’re commissioning some local breweries to make special beers all year long. Tonight the first beer in the aniversary series goes on tap. First up, a special beer from North Sound Brewing in Mount Vernon, brewed using Galaxy and Meridian hops. Beer taps at 5:00, festivities at 8:00.

Beveridge Place Pub

As we reported yesterday, tonight the Beveridge Place Pub (blog sponsor) inaugurates the 2012 house IPA: Georgetown Brewing’s Lucille IPA. The entire crew from Georgetown Brewing will be there to celebrate. See our previous post.

Cask Nights, Etc

Airways Brewing Company (the brewery, not the Bistro) in Kent is tapping into a cask of ESB “dry hopped” with organic lavender.

Naked City Brewing in Seattle is tapping into a cask of Dry Hopped Imperial Hoptrocity Rye IPA.

Diamond Knot Brewing is tapping into a cask of 666 Industrial Bavarian.

The Beer Junction will have a tasting event tonight from 5:00 – 8:00 (7:45 last call)  featuring the beers of Oscar Blues.

Know of something else going on? Use the Comments forum below to share what you know.

People visiting The Atlantic magazine’s website today are reading a great story about West Seattle’s Super Deli Mart. The place is quite an anomaly and even many West Seattleites don’t realize that it is a beer destination.

Because of Christopher Soloman, a local writer who used to pen for the Seattle Times, the entire world now knows about what “Min the  Man” is serving at his unassuming mini-mart: really, really good beer. The article is titled, “A Postmodern Elks Club Serving Some of the World’s Best Beer.” Read the article here.

McMenamins Hotels, Pubs and Breweries recently announced plans to open a seaside hotel on the Oregon coast. In May 2012 the company will open the Gearhart Hotel at the historic Gearhart Golf Links.

The third floor of the Cape Cod-style building features 18 guest rooms with king- or queen-sized beds and private baths. McMenamins will integrate its signature artwork with a Pacific Northwest design style. Reservations will be accepted beginning in February. Rates start at $125 per night.

The town of Gearhart is located 20 minutes south of Astoria on the Oregon coast and is near the towns of Seaside and Cannon Beach, two better-known destinations. From Seattle it is a three and one-half hour drive. It is just 90 minutes from Portland.

The grand opening, scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend, will include a golf tournament, live music, McMenamins ales, wines, spirits and coffee tastings and more.

The hotel is in the same building as McMenamins Sand Trap Pub and the golf course pro shop. Gearhart Golf Links is an 18-hole course that is open to the public. McMenamins is teaming up with the golf course to host a series of regular tournaments. The first in the series, The True Oregonian Golf Tournament, takes place on January 28^th regardless of the weather.

Photo courtesy http://www.mcmenamins.com

The Gearhart Golf Links is one of the oldest links courses west of the Mississippi. The course, built in 1892, celebrates its 120^th anniversary this year. In 2010 Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportwear, bought the property.

According to the McMenamins website, “This new hotel had three predecessors over the past 122 years, each at different sites in Gearhart, but all connected with the pioneer golf course. The original Hotel Gearhart, built in 1890, was a popular summertime retreat for wealthy Portlanders and their families. Within a year or two, an informal golf course was laid out nearby (which evolved into today’s 18-hole Gearhart Golf Links). The hostelry burned down in 1913, as did it successor, two years later. The third Hotel Gearhart opened in 1923, and remained an Oregon Coast landmark until being razed in 1972.

Photo courtesy http://www.mcmenamins.com

“This newest incarnation of the Gearhart Hotel is “a phoenix rising from the ashes,” a welcome place not only for golfers but for visitors all along the coast. Located just across the way from the Pacific Ocean, the hotel is a convenient spot from which to explore Oregon’s seaside towns and villages.”

Gearhart Hotel
1157 N. Marion Ave.
P.O. Box 2299
Gearhart, OR 97138
Map
Website: http://www.mcmenamins.com/gearharthotel.com

(503) 717-8150
sandtrap@mcmenamins.com

The other day I visited the Pyramid Alehouse in Seattle. It was the first time in a long time, I admit. For the past few years seeing the old brewery in mothballs made me a bit sad. Although the company’s headquarters is still in Seattle, Pyramid Breweries halted the last vestiges of its Seattle brewing operations in 2008. The Alehouse remained a good place to go for a beer and a bite before or after an event at one of the nearby stadiums but there was nothing local about the beer.

The dark days are over. Pyramid is once again brewing beer at its location across the street from Safeco Field. Once again, it is the Pyramid Alehouse and Brewery. The Washington Beer Blog welcomes Pyramid Breweries back to our list of Washington Breweries.

While the Pyramid products that you find on shelves around town still comes from the big brewery in Portland, Kim Brusco has resurrected the Seattle brewery and is making delicious beers in comparatively small batches. The Pyramid Alehouse on First Avenue South now serves Brusco’s 100 percent Seattle-brewed beers alongside other Pyramid products.

Perspective

I don’t want this to be a history lesson but to understand the significance of this latest development you need some historical perspective. Here’s why I think this is such a big deal.

In 1985 the Hart Brewing Company of Kalama, WA introduced a beer called Pyramid Wheaten Ale. Hart Brewing was the first American brewery to produce a year-round wheat beer since Prohibition. For many of us oldsters, Pyramid Wheaten Ale conjures memories of a time when good beer had not yet hit the big time. Back in the late 1980s I felt very lucky if I stumbled into a Seattle bar and found two craft beers on tap. And when I did, likely one of those taps was dedicated to Pyramid Wheaten Ale. It was a great product and for many people it was a gateway to the world of craft beer.

It’s a long story but, in short, Hart Brewing became Pyramid Breweries, Inc. There was a public offering in the mid 90s. There were painful mergers and acquisitions along the way. Eventually the great wheat beer from the little brewery in Kalama, WA became nothing but a memory. The Wheaten Ale of the 80s morphed into the Hefeweizen of the 90s and beyond. Still, Pyramid remained a strong brand with roots dating back to the earliest days of the craft beer revolution. For many of us it remains a “Washington beer” in spirit at least. Chalk it up to nostalgia.

One thing that didn’t change from the 80s to the 90s and beyond, Pyramid kept winning medals for its wheat beers.

Perhaps the most confusing episode in Pyramid’s history was the decision to rebrand its Hefeweizen in 2008. (Not coincidentally the same year they decided to shut down the brewery in Seattle.)  In a move reminiscent of the “New Coke” debacle, Pyramid decided to change the branding of its legendary Pyramid Hefeweizen to Haywire Hefeweizen.

Reintroducing Pyramid

The latest changes in corporate structure saw North American Breweries, Inc. (NAB) acquire Pyramid. That’s the short version, anyway. See our original post to learn more about the acquisition. NAB controls a number of different breweries, including Labatt, Genesee and others. Among the changes instituted by NAB, the company rebranded (un-rebranded) Haywire Hefeweizen, reintroducing Pyramid Hefeweizen.

The new, old Pyramid Hefeweizen. Nothing haywire about it.

Another significant change, NAB seems to appreciate a more crafty approach to managing the breweries it owns. Press releases, not to mention the current situation at the Seattle brewery, suggest that NAB intends to foster a spirit of independence.

“Moving away from the tradition that made us great was a mistake,” said Ryan Daley, brand manager for Pyramid. “Our consumers connected with our Pacific Northwest heritage and craft beer brewing tradition… Our beer no longer reflected our rich history.”

Local Flavor

Recent developments at the Seattle brewery seem to be evidence of a change in corporate culture. Pyramid brought in Kim Brusco, a well-known member of the local brewing community, to reopen the brewery and reintroduce Pyramid to the local beer scene. Not content to be just a faceless national brand, NAB seems to recognize the value of making Pyramid cool again. By all indications, it is willing to give Pyramid the freedom to do what it needs to impress the local audience.

I am not a fool and I truly hope this is a sincere sentiment. I have no reason to doubt it at this point.

With experience as a head brewer and brewery manager, Kim Brusco was perfectly qualified to come in and end the brewery’s hibernation. He began brewing professionally in 1990 at a small brewpub in Pioneer Square and then moved on to Pike Brewing. Eventually his career took him to Redhook in Woodinville where he most recently worked as the Brewing Manager.

“At this point in my career I wanted to make some changes,” Brusco told me over a delicious pint of his Imperial Porter. “I left Redhook with only two requirements for my next gig: I wanted to be able to ride my bike to work and I wanted to get back to doing more hands-on brewing on a smaller system. My plan was to take some time off, do some skiing this winter, and just let things happen. Then this great opportunity came up.”

Kim Brusco is also a musician—a bass player. A good rhythm section is always about structure. There is plenty of room for creativity and imagination, but only within the strict bounds of tempo and time. As for the opportunity at Pyramid, it seems that the size of the brewery (15-barrel brewhouse), the location within reasonable distance of his home in Seattle, and the combination of structure and independence appealed to Brusco. At this point in his brewing career, this is where he wants to be .

Currently the Alehouse is pouring Seattle-brewed Imperial Porter and Hop-Tep IPA. Next up is a Spring Bock that is currently conditioning. Expect it to start pouring in a few weeks, though Brusco says he wants to make sure it gets enough time to properly condition. I was particularly impressed with the Hop-Tep IPA, although the Imperial Porter was also delicious.

The name Hop-Tep IPA is homage to a quirky but critically acclaimed film, Bubba Ho-tep, which imagines Elvis Presley living out his senior years in quiet anonymity. Why did Brusco name his IPA after that film? You are free to read-in to it whatever you like.

In addition to feeding the taps at the Pyramid Alehouse, the Seattle-brewed Pyramid beers will soon be available at local pubs. Among others, the Latona Pub and the Beveridge Place Pub (blog sponsor) have already expressed interest in pouring Brusco’s beers.

Note 12/27/2011 -  We just received word that The Publican (Tangletown’s new beer destination) will not open today as originally planned and as we posted the other day. We will keep you advised as we learn more.

Last night we joined our friend North Seattle Sarah for a soft opening event (preview) at The Publican. This new beer joint in Seattle’s Tangletown neighborhood is brought to you by the same people who run Brouwer’s Cafe so you can rest assured that the beer selection is outstanding and each pint is perfectly served. Here is Sarah’s report. I know many of you have missed North Seattle Sarah’s contributions. Let’s welcome her back to the blog.

– by North Seattle Sarah, North Seattle Bureau Chief –

I was one of the people who was very sad to see the note on Bandolero’s door one morning, saying that they were closed.  I enjoyed the food and drink there despite the lack of beer selection, and I loved the outdoor patio in the summer.  But much like my past failed relationships, I have moved on and started fresh as The Publican opens its doors this Tuesday, December 27th, in Bandolero’s old locale at 2253 N 56th Street.

I was privileged to attend their soft opening tonight, where beer and food samples were on hand to give us a taste of what’s to come next week.  The overall look inside hasn’t changed too much from its predecessor, but The Publican has some very big differences that are sure to bring in the crowds.

First, the beer.  The Publican has 21 taps for craft beer, and offers an incredible selection from an efficient storage system.  I sampled Fremont Brewing’s Publican IPA, made special for the occasion, but was excited to see a selection of stouts, saison, porters and pilsners accompanying the IPA choices. If you don’t want a beer on tap, just try their bottle selection – no wait, scratch that.  There is NO bottle selection.  Instead, there is a substantial menu of canned beers, which makes for a refreshing change.

One thing I love is that even though I’m a craft beer fan and was thrilled with my options, I can bring my non-beer loving friends here too.  Like Bandolero, they offer a hefty tequila selection (0ver 30 tequilas), a full bar, and a decent red and white wine cache.

Wondering what you’re in for with food at The Publican?  To start with, you’ll find brunch available all day, every day.  Although the menu hasn’t been entirely firmed up yet, you’ll find corned beef hash, salmon hash, two kinds of Eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, and family style hash browns on the side.  You’ll also be treated to sausages and beef ground IN-house, grass-fed beef, and house-made sauces.  Tonight, I sampled the hand cut frites with two different sauces for dipping – a chipotle, and a curry ketchup.

The Publican comes to us from the same folks behind Brouwer’s Cafe in Fremont, and is excited to be opening in the Tangletown location between Green Lake and Wallingford.  Welcome to the neighborhood, Publican!

by North Seattle Sarah, North Seattle Bureau Chief

Although the PNA Beer Taste has been going for 24 years, I haven’t. Let’s face it – I’ve only been of legal drinking age for the past 7. So I didn’t have a lot of expectations for the event or know what I was getting into.

Knowing it was at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, I suppose I expected something small and low key. What I got might as well have been the biggest thing in Washington – two stories consisting of five rooms of beers and one room for a sizeable silent auction.
I was told at the front that the taste did sell out, and I wasn’t surprised as it was packed with hundreds of people. I suppose before I even go into the details, I should say a big thank you to all the volunteers who made it happen – not just at the event, but those who spent the day making food, setting up, and tearing down. They did a fabulous job (and my personal thank-you to whoever made the meatballs).

The crew from Big Al Brewing.

Now, onto the good stuff. I made a beeline straight to Big Al’s table this year on the top floor, knowing that the infamous Peanut Butter Stout would be on tap again. I had tried to get it during last year’s Winter Beer Fest at Hale’s Palladium, but it had run out before I could even make it across the room. This time they had a good supply, and I was able to get my hands on one early in the evening. Other beers I sampled: Elysian Bi-Frost, Lazy Boy Mistletoe Bliss, and Silver City’s Old Scrooge Christmas Ale. Don’t ask me to pick a favorite, as I thoroughly enjoyed each one.

Don Spencer and Kurt Larsen of Silver City Brewing.

The Taste had a few new faces this year besides my own: new Ballard brewery Hilliard’s Beer was there, as was Phinney’s own Lantern Brewing. Another PNA Beer Taste newbie was Tieton Cider Works, which I was really pleased to see at an event dominated by heavy, darker beers. In all, 33 breweries participated last night. This year, you could also vote for your favorite beer through the placement of a QR code at every station, to be scanned with your Smartphone.

A big crowd warms the room on a chilly November evening.

Tons of items were donated from the breweries for the silent auction, and bids shot through the roof on most. Although the items were well worth the prices they fetched, you could also sense a community spirit amongst the crowd knowing that this was all to support a good cause – their neighborhood association. It’s events like this that are a constant reminder of how much I love my neighborhood!

Last Thursday, BitterSweet Beer+Chocolate brought the creative talents of eight local brewers and Theo Chocolate confectioners together at Fremont Brewing for a tasting experience. Kendall Jones and Kim Sharpe Jones produced this promotional event that paired eight local breweries with Theo Chocolate. Our event hosts, Fremont Brewing, opened their back warehouse to hold this event. Approximately 200 people attended, benefiting FamilyWorks, a food bank and family resource center serving the Wallingford community.

Dikla Tuchman of HaveGrowlerWillTravel.com reviewed the event and shared photos (many in the gallery below). Nancy of WineBeerWashington.com shared her thoughts about the event in a post,  “Pairing Chocolate with Beer.”

Thanks again to all the breweries who brought their creativity, time and energy to BitterSweet: Airways Brewing, Big Time Brewing, Black Raven Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Fremont Brewing, Georgetown Brewing, Naked City Brewery, Two Beers Brewing. Special thanks to Fremont Brewing for their generosity in hosting the event, and to Theo Chocolate for their enthusiasm for this great brewing and pairing experience. Finally thanks to our volunteers: photographer Dikla Tuchman, Chelsea Asplund, Sarah Heath, Shannon Sharpe and Tom Burns.

Tonight several West Seattle bars will be the first to release Whale Tail Ale, “the next West Seattle charity beer.” This brown Belgian-style beer is once again made by Big Al Brewing and will only be on tap around West Seattle. According to the website, “It’s a deep brown colored ale with malty sweet flavor and aroma, and a dry spicy/fruity finish. Overall, a smooth, flavorful beer that will smack you in the head as it passes by with it’s huge Whale Tail. Approximately 6.5% ABV.”

Tonight, Wednesday, November 9th at 6 p.m., participating West Seattle bars will celebrate the official release of Whale Tail. Bars include The Feedback Lounge, West5, Shadowland, Mission, The Bridge, Locol, Beveridge Place Pub, Company Bar, Full Tilt Ice Cream, Avalon and Big Al Brewing.

Named after the Whale Tail Park at Alki Beach, the name and logo were conceived by Jeff Gilbert of the Feedback Lounge. Most bars that carry the beer will designate a local West Seattle charity as their beneficiary and donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of the ale. (You can ask where the proceeds are going when you order a pint.)

This follows last summer’s highly successful release of the team’s first local charity beer, Lowman Brau, named after Lowman Beach Park, and a famous other beer.

As West Seattleites, we appreciate this final word from the beer’s makers: “Why a West Seattle-only beer? Because we think West Seattle is cooler than your neighborhood. (In your face, Ballard.)”

Our post’s headline? That’s the beer’s slogan. We didn’t make it up, you can thank Jeff Gilbert for that.

The full press release, as published in the West Seattle Herald:

Whale Tail Ale, local brew, launches tonight in area bars

By Steve Shay

Press release:WHALE TAIL ALE, a delicious brown Belgian ale crafted by our friends at Big Al Brewing, is the latest “made by West Seattle, for West Seattle” charity beer. Following in the hugely successful footsteps of last summer’s Lowman Brau, Whale Tail Ale is the second of three beers conceived to support our community.

And as with Lowman Brau, if you wanna drink Whale Tail Ale, you either gotta live here or come here, because this is OUR beer (though we’re happy to share it with anyone brave enough to cross the West Seattle Bridge during the afternoon commute).

WHALE TAIL ALE, being served at select local bars/restaurants (listed below), is not only West Seattle-centric in name (you’ve heard of our locally famous Whale Tail Park on Alki, yes?), but is designed to support our kick ass neighborhood and community. Each participating establishment has pledged a percentage of every pint sold during WHALE TAIL ALE’s limited winter run to West Seattle/White Center charities. If there was ever a time to drink beer, this is it!

THE FEEDBACK LOUNGE, along with our friends at WEST 5, SHADOWLAND, MISSION, THE BRIDGE, LOCÖL, BEVERIDGE PLACE PUB, COMPANY BAR, FULL-TILT ICE CREAM, AVALON, and of course, BIG AL BREWING, is introducing WHALE TAIL ALE to the entire West Seattle/White Center communities, all on the same night in each of our establishments.

On WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011, 6PM, all the participating venues will hold a 21 & older premier party for WHALE TAIL ALE, so whichever place is your hangout, we got some tail for you!

WHALE TAIL ALE’S logo was designed by Jeff Gilbert, co-owner of the Feedback Lounge. The Whale Tail name is an homage to Alki Beach’s famous Whale Tail Park and keeps with the West Seattle theme of each charity beer. (The displayed tail is based on the park’s actual whale sculpture.)

This weekend is turning out to be a good one, at least if you like local craft beers. Go get em.

Fresh Hop Throwdown at The Noble Fir
Saturday, October 15th, 4 p.m. Fresh hop beers from 15 Washington and Oregon breweries, organized by our fellow local beer blogger, Geoff Kaiser. Cheers to that. You know that the Washington Beer Blog loves our fresh hop beers. We had a lot of the Washington beers on the Throwdown list when we were at Yakima Fresh Hop Festival a couple weekends ago, so we’re planning on stopping by The Fir to sample some of the Oregon beers like Double Mountain’s Killer Red and Hopworks Give Me Liberty.

Washington Beer Festival at Brouwer’s Cafe
Continuing this weekend. When Brouwer’s turns their 64 taphandles over to Washington beer it’s an impressive sight. They’ve brought in some beers and brewers that you don’t always see in Seattle, like Paradise Creek’s Hopocalypse CDA and Wingman Belgian Strong.

The Cask One Year Anniversary
Saturday, October 15th, 5:30 p.m. West Seattle has a couple great beer bars, but The Cask has found its niche as a beer (and wine) bar with a dark, music-filled, cool-vibe space where conversation rules. Shon and Dee are the Yin and Yang of bar owners – Shon is the low-key, music and beer guy, and Dee is the high-energy wine gal. Join them as The Cask celebrates their one year anniversary on Saturday night with free appetizers from 5:30 to 7:30. Live music by Joe Ross and the Birdwatchers starts at 8 p.m.

Beveridge Place Pub Hoptoberfest
Continues all weekend. Hop lovers take note – the Bev (Washington Beer Blog sponsor), will have a minimum of 12 IPAs on tap, and this is your chance to vote for next year’s house IPA, currently held by Boundary Bay IPA. Full story here.

Foggy Noggin Brewers Night at Jillian’s
Friday, October 14th, 4 to 7 p.m. A chance to try the British-style ales of this nano-iest of nano-brewers straight from their garage in Bothell.

(Reported live from the event on Saturday.) Crowds are building as the sun shines down on the Elysian Great Pumpkin Beer Fest at their new production facility in Georgetown.

What’s new? More space – lots more space – so you can tell the lines apart from each other.

Food trucks – we had Po’boy sandwiches from Where Ya At Matt without waiting in line for an hour a la last weekend’s Mobile Chowdown. We also saw Skillet, Bluebird Ice Cream and Mighty O Donuts.

Presale ticket holders can walk right in. If you don’t have tickets, there’s a long line of people waiting to get in as drinkers leave for the day. (Probably will not be the case on Sunday as the second day of the festival did not sell out.)

We showed up early and sampled a wide assortment of pumpkin beers. We noticed a trend toward sour and Belgian style ales this year. We recommend two of the beers being poured inside, Elysian’s Orange Manalishi and Coche de Medianoche.

Advice for tomorrow – get there early, be patient while searching the construction-riddled neighborhood for parking, and bring cash for extra beer tickets. Sunday the event runs from noon until 6:00.

Elysian Brewery Parking Lot
5510 Airport Way S
Seattle, WA 98108
Map

Tickets
$20 – Ticket price includes Souvenir Glass and 6 drink tickets.

Dick Cantwell - Elysian Brewmaster and renowned pumpkin beer guru.