Perhaps my favorite thing about Tour de Fat is that it gives me an opportunity to use the word jalopy.

Note - Stylish woman not included.

Got an old junker of a car that you’re looking to get rid of? Got a jalopy you want to offload? This is your chance to trade that car in for a stylish new bicycle. See the details below. We’re talking about a serious bike. This is a handmade, hardcore piece of machinery. You can see all specs details online. It’s a pretty intense bike. Trading in that old jalopy for this bike is a bargain.

Here’s the latest press release from New Belgium.

New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
Rolls into Seattle on July 31

Car-for-Bike Swapper Still Needed! Send in Your Essay or Video Today!

Ft. Collins, CO, July 27, 2010 – Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle, will stop in Gas Works Park on July 31 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Get your costumes and bike ready, and join us to honor mankind’s greatest invention.

For the fourth year in a row, Tour de Fat is looking for volunteers to accept the swapper challenge. One volunteer in each city will give up their car and receive a hand-built Black Sheep (http://www.blacksheepbikes.com/) commuter bike. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or essay describing their desire to live sans-car for a year.  To submit an application, log on to http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat. A swapper is still needed in Seattle!

Tour de Fat is free to participants, but beer and merchandise proceeds from the Seattle stop will go to The Bicycle Alliance of Washington (www.bicyclealliance.org) and Bike Works (http://www.bikeworks.org/).  Since its inception, the philanthropic cycling circus has raised more than $1 million on behalf of non-profit organizations.

What: New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
When: Saturday, July 31, 2010
Where: Gas Works Park

Tentative Schedule:
10:00 a.m.      Bike Parade Registration
11:00 a.m.      Bike Parade Launch
12:00 p.m.      Performances Begin
12:20 p.m.      The SLOW RIDE
1:30 p.m.        The Great Bike Story Contest for New Belgium Cruiser Bike
2:35 p.m.        Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
4:50 p.m.        Faux Finale
4:55 p.m.        Faux-Real finale
5:00 p.m.        Curtain Closes

Acts:
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt (http://theterrorpigeondancerevolt.com/hi.html)
The Dovekins (http://www.myspace.com/dovekins)
A Honeymoon Cabaret (http://www.daredevilchicken.com/honeymoon.html)
Jonathan Burns (http://www.comedystunts.com/)
Americaine: Stupide

Need to catch up? Read our introduction to 7 Seas Brewing here.

In just one year, 7 Seas Brewing has accomplished a lot. They have the proud distinction of being the first Washington craft brewery to package its product in aluminum cans, they are brewing beer furiously to keep up with orders, and they are currently in the process of expanding their brewing capacity.

Mike Runion and Travis Guterson

It’s been quite a ride for Travis and Mike since that fire tore through their fledgling brewery 16 months ago. We hope you’ll all join us in wishing them a happy first birthday. And many more!

Here are some details about the party. Visit the 7 Seas website for more information.

7 Seas Brewing 1 Year Anniversary Bash

Time flies when you’re having fun and drinking great beer! 7 Seas Brewing will be celebrating this occasion with a Beer Bash of epic proportions. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, 7 Seas has rebuilt better than ever and introduced Washington to Craft Beer in a Can! Come celebrate with us and enjoy the local live music of China Davis, Perry Acker, and Black Market Revue.

Grillmaster Buck Buchanan will be holding down the grill serving Brats, Burgers, Ribs, and world-famous Buck’s Beans, while Courtney and Trish of Provisions Catering will be serving Fish Tacos, Stout Ice Cream, Taco Salad, and Hop Lemonade. I know…… a little something for everyone, we’re in for a treat!

Beers? Oh Yeah! All of the 7 Seas Proper Pints will be pouring! A full spectrum of refreshing brews to satisfy all.

Parking will be @ the old Gig Harbor Ford Dealership (a mere 2 blocks away) and there will be a continuously running shuttle to and from. Please NO parking at the Inn at Gig Harbor Hotel.

The cost of such an amazing day? $3 per person which goes to support our local entertainment. Credit/debit cards will only be accepted for merchandise purchases, so cover, beer, and food will be on a cash basis.

We are extremely fortunate to have had all of the amazing support from the local community here in Gig Harbor and throughout Washington. We truly appreciate all of you and would like to thank you by throwing one hell of a bash. Please plan ahead and designate a driver or other accommodations.

PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

When: Saturday, July 31st: 12noon-8pm
Where: @ 7 Seas Brewing (see below for parking info)
3207 57th St CT NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Details: $3 cash cover (+21 and over only)

The bands performed on the loading dock, while the crowd was assemlbed in the parking lot, which is conveniently fenced off for security. The party spilled over into the retail space and even into a portion of the brewery itself. The crowd was comprised of industry insiders and various other types of friends. Georgetown Brewing has a lot of friends and it seemed that they were all at the party yesterday.

Food was provided by a hot dog vendor, a taco truck, and Hallava Falafel. We opted to wait in line for a shwarma sandwich from Hallava Falafel. We’d heard stories about the amazing food served by this little yellow grub-truck, which can most often be found on a corner in Georgetown but always seems to to be closed when we’re in the neighborhood. The sandwich was worth the wait.

A tent in the parking lot was pouring Roger’s Pilsner, Manny’s Pale, and Lucille IPA. More beer was available inside at the retail bar. The servers were all representives of the Great Nabob (the bar on lower Queen Anne). They did a great job and seemed to be truly enjoying what they were doing.

Georgetown Brewing said that this party was a way to say thank you to their many friends. Indeed, we are the ones who should be thanking them. It wasn’t just a party, it was a stone groove!

• Avery Brewing Maharaja
• Boulder Brewing Mojo Rising
• Deschutes Brewing Hop in the Dark
• Green Flash Brewing Imperial IPA
• He’Brew Brewing Lenny’s Bittersweet R.I.P.A.
• Laughing Dog Brewing Alpha Dog
• Laurelwood Brewing Workhorse IPA
• New Belgium Brewing Belgo
• Oskar Blues Brewing Gubna Imperial IPA
• Port Brewing Anniversary Ale
• Port Brewing Hop 15
• Southern Tier Brewing Gemini
• Southern Tier Brewing Oaked IPA
• Flying Dog Brewing Double Dog
• Stone Brewing Cali-Belgique
• Stone Brewing Sublimely Self Righteous
• Victory Brewing Hop Wallop
• Walking Man Brewing Homo-Erectus
• Beer Valley Brewing Black Madness
• Caldera Brewing IPA
• New Belgium Brewing Ranger IPA
• Pike Brewing SBW Double IPA
• Dick’s Brewing IPA

Specials:

• Two Beers Brewing will brew a special IPA made for exclusively for IPA week
• Fremont Brewing will brew a dry-hopped version of Interurban IPA.
• Iron Horse Brewing will brew a special (perhaps Imperial) version of their IPA.
• Ninkasi Brewing will brew a special version Tricerahops.

Once again, the event will take place at The Foss Waterway Seaport and the proceeds will benefit the Emergency Food Network.  In addition to the fact that this year’s event will be generally bigger and better, here’s some new stuff.

• A total of 50 breweries will be represented compared to 44 last year.
• Parking – while we had no problems parking last year, apparently it became a bit of an issue as the day wore on. This year, there will be parking at the Tacoma Dome Station parking garage with free shuttle buses to get you to and from the venue from there.
• Two days instead of one! Friday October 1st (from 5pm-9pm), and Saturday October 2nd (from noon-8pm).
• The event space will be reconfigured to better accommodate the crowd. Essentially, some of the museum-type stuff will be moved aside for the event.
• Friday night Firkins. There will be a special firkin tapping event within the larger event. Basically, a whole bunch of firkins will be tapped at once on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. We’ll confirm the exact time and the number of firkins as the event nears.

Yes, it is true. At long last, Spokane is getting its own Washington beer festival. It will be an Oktoberfest celebration on the river in Spokane.

According to Eric Radovich, Executive Director of the Washington Beer Commission, the people and the city are starving for a Washington beer festival. Radovich also recognized that Riverfront Park was the best location for such a festival in Spokane. No doubt, it will make for an outstanding beer fest venue.

We will have more details shortly and we’ll share them with you as soon as they’re available. In the meantime, we know that a handful of our west side breweries plan to be there. We have heard that breweries like Elysian, Georgetown, and Snoqualmie Falls have already signed on to participate. We also know that festival organizers are hoping to attract brewers from across the state’s inland empire, giving festivalgoers the opportunity to sample beers in one place that might otherwise require driving hundreds of miles from brewery to brewery.

Congratulations to the Washington Beer Commission for putting this together. No doubt, it will be a great weekend in Spokane. More details coming very soon.

Over the past three years, IPA Week has grown into one of  Tap House Grill’s biggest events of the year. They’ve served over 10,000 pints or 100 kegs of IPA during the ten day long promotion. Among the beers being served will be a number of special releases or limited releases brewed exclusively for this event. To stay on top of things, and to know exactly what is going on tap and when, you should follow Tap House Grill on Facebook and Twitter.

We will publish a list of the the beers when and if it becomes available. Stay tuned.

For the second year, the Tap House Grill will donated a percentage of sales to Farestart in Seattle.  Farestart is a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. Over the past 18 years, FareStart has provided opportunities for over 3,500 people to transform their lives, while also serving over 4 million meals to disadvantaged men, women, and children.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 25th, from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Des Moines Beach Park. According to festival organizers, the event will feature beer from 12-15 craft breweries. Do not expect to see the Bud Light girls. This is a 21+ event.

The event is a benefit for the Des Moines Rotary Club’s “Music for Youth/Music for Life” service project. All proceeds from the beer and music festival will provide instruments to local fourth and fifth graders to encourage early participation in the musical arts. More specifically, proceeds will help provide kids from low-income families with instruments, supplies and repairs, the cost of which can often make participation in music programs impossible.

B & E Meats, a local favorite, will also be involved: they will be selling tri-tip sandwiches at the event. Other local food vendors will also be involved.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 at http://www.dmrotary.org/ or at the gate for $25 the day of the event.

Although there were plenty of other events going on this weekend around the Seattle area, the turn out was impressive. In the end, Beers for Boobies raised over $1,100 for Team Tracy, a group of women who participate in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event each year. Team Tracy intends to raise $60,000 for this year’s event, which takes place September 24-26. The plan is to raise $1,000 for each mile the team will walk over the course of three days.

Tracy (Team Tracy) on the left, and BBQ chef Frances on the right.

Big Al Brewing donated $1 for every pint sold and $2 for every pitcher sold. For the attendees, donations were made in exchange for hot dogs, t-shirts and tank tops. Many people expected nothing in return for their donations. Live music was provided by Four on the Floor, a classic rock tribute band which just so happens to be fronted by this writer.

The event was a blast. The organizers and everyone involved want to thank Big Al Brewing for their hospitality and generosity. We also want to thank every person who attended and donated to the cause. We know there were plenty of other things you could have been doing. Cheers to all of you!

Happening this Weekend:

The PNA Summer Beer Taste. It’s a beer festival, basically. The event supports the Phinney Neighborhood Association. They’ll be pouring beer from more than 20 breweries. The event is Saturday from 4:00 – 7:30 at the Phinney Center (65th and Phinney Ave. N.). Go to the official website.

Beers for Boobies. It’s a benefit for breast cancer research. Proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The event takes place at Big Al Brewing in White Center (9832 14th Avenue Southwest -map). The event will feature live classic rock from Four on the Floor. A portion of all beer sales will be donated to the cause. This is an all ages event. Beers for Boobies gets started at 5:00 p.m. and runs until 9:00 p.m. Read our post about this event for the details.

Rails to Ales Brewfest. This annual event is a fundraiser with all of the proceeds going to the Cascade Rail Foundation. The event will be held at the historic Milwaukee Depot in South Cle Elum. This year they’ll be pouring 41 different beers. The event runs from 4:00-10:00 p.m. Go to the official website for details.