Here is a press release from Big Time Brewery about today’s big release event. If the introduction of this beer is anything like the release of Pliny the Younger, then there is probably a line outside the Big Time’s front door as I write this. Consider Whiny the Complainer a tribute beer that pays homage to the great beer from Russian River Brewing and all the people who are hopelessly obsessed with it. Here’s the press release from Big Time.

The Big Time Brewing Company is pleased to announce the release of Whiny the Complainer on February 7th 2012 when the doors open at 11:30 am.  Brewed on 12/28/2011, Whiny is a delicious triple India Pale Ale that features an abundant amount of bitterness, hop flavor and aroma from over 3 lbs of hops per barrel.  Hops include, Cascade; Centennial, Chinook; Columbus; Magnum; Amarillo; and Simcoe.  It was dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand.  Original gravity 1.088; Terminal gravity 1.019;  9.1%  abv.

The name Whiny the Complainer was thought up by former head brewer Bill Jenkins – it is in homage to Russian River’s Pliny the Younger – and the patrons who whine because they missed out on their coveted few ounces of PtY.

Whiny the Complainer is the 2,300th batch brewed at the Big Time since batch #1 was brewed on November 10th 1988.  Whiny will be available on draft at the Big Time through the month of February.  It will be served in 10 ounce snifters only.  Seven quarter barrels have been released to the following accounts for release at their discretion:  Beveridge Place Pub; Brouwers Café; Fiddlers Inn; The Hopvine, Naked City Brewery and Taphouse; Wedgewood Alehouse; The Yard Café.

The Big Time is the oldest brewpub in Washington State having opened its doors on December 7th 1988.  Big Time is celebrating its 24th year of serving quality craft beer to beer aficionados in the University District of Seattle.  4133 University Way, Seattle 98105

We just received some IPA news from Elysian Brewing Company. They plan to get a bit manic about IPA in the coming months.

Also, Avatar Jasmine IPA (one of Mrs. Beerblog’s most favorite beers ever) is about to make its return and is getting a facelift. The brewery reports that after a little hiatus due to difficulties securing quality jasmine flowers, Avatar Jasmine IPA will soon be returning to taps and shelves.

Here is the information about the manic IPA series straight from Dick Cantwell, brewmaster at Elysian:

I was trying to come up with some clever way to introduce this story. I thought about creating a metaphorical image to describe the many unexpected, interesting, brilliant and bizarre things I’ve heard Dick Cantwell say over the years. You see, Dick first told me about the 12 Beers of the Apocalypse a few months ago. Once written, that introductory paragraph seemed really self-indulgent. In fact, so does this one.

The 12 Beers of the Apocalypse is a cool enough idea that I should just back off and let the story tell itself. As everyone knows, the Mayan calendar marks 2012 as the last year for humanity’s existence. Below is the official announcement about the Elysian Brewing Company’s celebration of the end of the world.

AN APOCALYPTIC BEER ADVENTURE

In a year-long run-up to the end of all time (according to the Mayan calendar), Elysian Brewing Company and Fantagraphics Books, both of Seattle, are planning a series of twelve beers, issued on the 21st of each month in 2012 and featuring the label artwork of Charles Burns. Taken from Burns’s weirdly apocalyptic work “Black Hole,” the labels will adorn Elysian’s “Twelve Beers of the Apocalypse,” featuring the creativity and unusual ingredients for which its brewing team is known. What twelve beers would you brew (and drink) if you knew they would be your last?

First up in January is NIBIRU, named for the mysterious planet X supposedly on a collision course toward Earth. The Elysian / Fantagraphics Nibiru will be a Belgian-style Tripel flavored with an infusion of yerba maté. Combining the tasty esters of Belgian yeast and the compelling tea-like flavors of the South American herb mixture, the beer will weigh in at around 7.6% alcohol by volume. A mixture of German Northern Brewer, Czech Saaz and American Amarillo hops round out the uniqueness of this first beer of the Apocalypse. Oddly enough there’s another apocalyptic-themed Nibiru out there: a super volcano currently burbling most dangerously beneath Yellowstone National Park. It too is scheduled to end life as we know it very very soon.

February 21 will usher in RAPTURE, an ale of opulent proportions flavored with heather tips. Unlike the various Rapture events predicted by pseudoscientists and alarmist evangelicals, the beer will be very real and frankly delicious, combining the floral fragrance and slight bite of high country heather with Northwest Glacier hops in another 7% abv beer. FALLOUT follows in March, right around the time of the vernal equinox. Fallout will be a pale ale made with green cardamom.

As Earth’s last year unfolds, other beers will appear as if by dangerous magic. Persimmons, chilies, raisins, blood oranges, rosemary and other herbs will be integrated into ales, lagers and Belgian styles using the finest local and imported ingredients. These limited brews will be available in bottles and draft and at select bars and bottle shops.

We will celebrate as they are released – on the 21st of every month in 2012 – with events at one or the other of Elysian’s three Seattle pubs and at Fantagraphics headquarters in the Georgetown neighborhood. Once they’re gone, these beers will never be brewed again. Then again, come December 21, that will be the least of our worries.

REMEMBER: THE END IS BEER.

About a month ago Kim and I sat down with Joel Vandenbrink of Two Beers Brewing and Dave Richter of Briess Malt & Ingredients Company to formulate a recipe. We wanted to create a wintery version of a Northwest Pale Ale. Once we’d determined how the beer would look, and how we anticipated it would taste, we named it Beer Church Midnight Mass Holiday Ale. On Saturday, November 5th we brewed the beer at Two Beers Brewing.

The beer’s unofficial release took place at Beer Church Turkey Bowl on Saturday, November 19th. It was very well received. Midnight Mass turned out just about exactly as we hoped. It has an interesting and contemplative malt character, balanced out by a very nice punch of hops that bites you on the nose. It is an extremely drinkable winter beer that never forgets it is a hoppy Northwest ale at the core.

As of today, the beer is available for distribution. You can look forward to seeing it at better beer bars around the Seattle area in the coming weeks and through the season. Best of all, you can feel good about drinking Midnight Mass Holiday Ale. Proceeds from the sale of the beer will be donated to the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).

We want to extend our gratitude to Briess Malt & Ingredients Company, Puterbaugh Farms Hops Direct, and Taphandles, Inc for their generous donations. And of course we want to thank Two Beers Brewing for helping us bring this idea to life.

Here is the official press release with more information.

Announcing the release of Beer Church Midnight Mass Holiday Ale by Two Beers Brewing Company

Contact:
Beer Church
Kendall Jones
www.beerchurch.com

For Immediate Release
November 28, 2011

A beer for the holidays benefitting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America

(Seattle, WA) Beer Church Midnight Mass Holiday Ale, Brewed by Two Beers Brewing, will be released for distribution on Monday, November 28^th. Expect to see it on tap around the Seattle area in the coming months. It will also be available at the Two Beers Brewery taproom in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood.

This is the third in a series of beers conceived and promoted by Beer Church, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to creating ways for beer drinkers to contribute to charitable causes. Proceeds from the sale of Beer Church Midnight Mass Holiday Ale benefit the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA).

“With the help of Two Beers Brewing and our sponsors we were able to create a beer reminiscent of a traditional Winter Warmer but with an unmistakable Northwestern twist,” says Kendall Jones, Director of Beer Church. “We wanted to brew a beer to help people enjoy the holiday season and also celebrate the spirit of giving. With the support of Briess Malt & Ingredients Company, Puterbaugh Farms Hops Direct, and Taphandles, Inc we were able to create a beer that started raising funds for the CCFA the minute we fired up the brew kettle.”

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The organization also works to increase awareness of the diseases and improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by the diseases.

“Doctors diagnosed me with Crohn’s almost three years ago,” says Joel Vandenbrink, owner and Brewmaster at Two Beers Brewing. “Since then I have learned that the average person with Crohn’s goes 11 years without the proper diagnosis. People need to be educated about Crohn’s and the CCFA is one of the best sources for this to happen.”

About the Beer

A northwest-style Winter Warmer, Beer Church Midnight Mass weighs in at 6.8 percent alcohol by volume. A complex and rich malt backbone gives the beer a dark mahogany hue. A variety of different Washington-grown hops provide a spicy aroma and an unmistakable northwest character.

To give the beer a hearty quality befitting the season, the grain bill featured a number of different malts donated by Briess Malt & Ingredients Company. Among the specialty grains used were Carapils^® Malt, Rye Flakes and Briess Aromatic^® Malt. The hop schedule included liberal portions of four Washington-grown hop varietals donated by Puterbaugh Farms Hops Direct. Taphandles, Inc generously donated the tap handles.

“Midnight Mass Holiday Ale is a sessionable Winter Warmer that is perfect if you want to sit down and drink a few while staying warm by a fire,” says Vandenbrink, who was excited to be involved in a project benefitting the CCFA Northwest Chapter. “I was amazed at how everyone we asked so easily came onboard for the project. From the grains to the hops, from to the tap handles to CCFA Northwest Chapter, it is fun to partner with good people at good companies.”

Each bar that pours Midnight Mass Holiday Ale has agreed to make a donation to the CCFA Northwest Chapter.

About the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The Foundation ranks third among leading health non-profits in the percentage of expense devoted to research toward a cure, with more than 80 cents of every dollar the Foundation spends going to mission-critical programs. http://www.ccfa.org/chapters/northwest/

About Beer Church

Beer Church is a Seattle-based organization dedicated to one simple principle: make the world a better place one beer at a time. To that end, Beer Church organizes fundraisers and creates other opportunities for beer lovers to contribute to the community. http://www.beerchurch.com

About Two Beers Brewing

Two Beers Brewing Company began in a small Seattle garage in 2007. Today, Two Beers Brewing produces twelve beers including five year-round, seven seasonal and a host of intricate infusions in its 4,800-square-foot SoDo brewery and tasting room. With a strong belief in supporting the local economy, Two Beers Brewing takes pride in using Washington ingredients to create all of its handcrafted beers. http://www.twobeersbrewery.com

More Information

Briess Malt and Ingredients Company – http://www.brewingwithbriess.com

Puterbaugh Farms Hops Direct – http://www.hopsdirect.com

Taphandles, Inc. – http://www.taphandles.com

Sound Brewery is now bottling beer. The Poulsbo brewery hit the ground running last winter. You never would have guessed it was a new brewery. The very first beers I ever tasted from Sound Brewery were polished to perfection. Now you can enjoy that same deliciousness in bottles.

Once again, Sound Brewery seems to have very carefully thought this through. The bottles are beautiful. (Photos shamelessly lifted from the Sound Brewery Facebook page.) Every step this young brewery makes seems so very carefully placed. It is impressive. The beers available in bottles include: Koperen Ketel, Tripel Entendre, Dubbel Entendre, Humulo Nimbus and Monk’s Indiscretion. The 22 ounce bottles are available at the Sound Brewery tasting room, and at the retail outlets listed below.

Marina Market – Poulsbo
Europa Bottleshop – Poulsbo
Garguilles Red Apple – Bremerton
Poulsbo Red Apple
Malt&Vine – Redmond
99 Bottles (blog sponsor) – Federal Way
Beer Junction (blog sponsor)- West Seattle
Beer Authority – Lake City

Pearl Jam, the Seattle-based band that conquered the Western world, turned 20 this year. Hard to believe that it was 20 years ago when a group of flannel-clad longhairs from Seattle took the world by storm, stage-diving their way into the hearts of rock-n-roll fans around the globe. Today we announce the availability of a beer to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Pearl Jam Ten, the band’s amazing debut album.

Over the past two decades Pearl Jam proved that you don’t have to bow to rock-n-roll’s greedy, corporate dark side to become one of the biggest bands in the world. Seattle is, and should be, very proud to have spawned this uncompromisingly ethical and conscientious band.

Yep, I’m a fan. Kind of obvious, I know.

Ten Turns 20

Among the many forms of commemoration, Dogfish Head Brewery recently released  Faithful Ale, an extraordinary beer to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Pearl Jam Ten. Faithful Ale is rare, which is typical for all of Dogfish Head’s special brews, but the beer is out there. It is likely that most of the better bottleshops around Seattle and across the state received their fair share of Faithful Ale. It is also likely to fly off the shelves. If you want a bottle, you’ll have to do the legwork. Here’s what we know for sure:

• Faithful Ale went on sale a few minutes ago at 99 Bottles (blog sponsor). They expect it to sell very quickly. Sales limited to one bottle per household.
• Full Throttle Bottles announced yesterday that it had Faithful Ale and would also limit sales to one bottle per household.
• In West Seattle, the part of town that some band members still call home, The Beer Junction (blog sponsor) announced yesterday that they now have Faithful Ale. Located just around the corner from Easy Street Records, The Beer Junction is my sentimental choice for picking up a bottle Faithful Ale. It seems like only yesterday that I saw Eddie Vedder standing on the corner outside Easy Street Records. Seems like yesterday, but was actually a couple months ago. Probably on his way to West 5 to meet Kim Thayil for lunch, or something insane like that. (It’s a West Seattle thing. You wouldn’t understand.)

About Faithful Ale

From Dogfish Head: “Faithful Ale is a celebration of Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary as a band and its extraordinary debut album, Ten. In recognition of these milestones, this Belgian-style golden ale is delicately hopped to 20 IBUs and fruit-forward from ten incremental additions of black currants over a one-hour boil. Faithfull clocks in at 7% ABV.”

“To me, Ten is the perfect example of a record-lover’s-record. The whole thing rocks,” says Dogfish Head President and Founder Sam Calagione. “As an off-centered brewery, we believe in celebrating the breadth of our whole portfolio and we feel an affinity for Pearl Jam a long-player band in a singles-obsessed world.”

Slightly Unrelated

You may soon find yourself reading something else about beer and Pearl Jam on this blog.  Stay tuned.

This photo just added. Shamelessly lifted from the 99 Bottles Facebook Page. Faithful beer-loving Pearl Jam fans line up outside 99 Bottles in Federal Way, WA to get a bottle of Faithful Ale.

While the world waits with bated breath for the release of Jolly Roger Christmas Ale from Maritime Pacific Brewing, the Ballard brewery announced today the upcoming release of its Harvest XPA. (Expect to see Jolly Roger around Thanksgiving, or so we’ve been told.)

Maritime Pacific will release the beer at the Jolly Roger Taproom in Ballard on Halloween night (October 31st). Look for the Harvest XPA at pubs and alehouses around the greater Seattle area beginning on November 2nd.

The beer is described as a harvest Pale Ale that “exudes freshness” and was brewed with copious quantities of fresh Amarillo hops harvested at Gamache Farms in Toppenish, WA. This is the first time in three years that Maritime Pacific has brewed the Harvest XPA.

Here is the official press release from Maritime Pacific.

October 24, 2011– Maritime Pacific Brewing Cmpany is releasing its latest special offering, Harvest XPA, on Halloween night

ANNOUNCEMENT
Seattle, WA – Maritime Pacific is celebrating All Hallow’s Eve by treating everyone with the release of their latest special offering, Harvest XPA, in the Jolly Roger Taproom on Halloween night. The special Harvest Pale Ale will be available in draught on November 2nd at select pubs, taverns, and alehouses throughout Seattle and Tacoma.

Harvest XPA exudes freshness! It is brewed with 100 pounds of freshly harvested Amarillo hops from the Gamache Farms, as well as the finest Organic malts the Northwest has to offer. The carefully selected malts give the Harvest XPA a light amber hue as well as subtle caramel notes while the Amarillo packs the palette with loads of citrus flavor. At 5.5% ABV and 45 IBU, it is the perfect session ale for hop heads as well as people seeking ales made with local, fresh ingredients.

A crowd favorite, this is the first time the Harvest XPA has been brewed in 3 years. It is also the first time that it has brewed with all Organic Malts from Great Western Malting in Vancouver, WA. Head Brewer, Corey Blodgett, believes, “If you are going to brew a true harvest ale, you should at least use Organic ingredients when at all possible.” The beer release will take place on October 31, 2011, in the Jolly Roger Taproom starting at 5 pm with the tapping of the inaugural firkin. Come and join the celebration.

Maritime Pacific and The Jolly Roger Taproom, located near Historic Ballard, is a small, family-owned brewery featuring hearty fare as well as world-class ales and lagers. The 40 barrel brewhouse produces over 6,600 barrels per year for its taproom and for distribution throughout the Puget Sound and the Spokane area.

The Jolly Roger Taproom features eleven (11) different Maritime beers at all times with two (2) cask conditioned ales on the beer engines. Happy Hour runs from 3 to 6 pm daily, with a great menu of food and $3 pints. The Taproom is located at 1111 NW Ballard Way, is kid friendly, and its hours are: Monday through Wednesday from 11:00 to 10:00; Thursday from 11:00 to 11:00; Friday and Saturday from 11:00 to Midnight; and Sunday from Noon to 9.

Cheers!

For More Information Contact:

• website
• Twitter.com/MaritimePacific
• Facebook.com/pages/Maritime-Pacific-Brewery/130576053648026

 

Two Beer Releases

Hale’s Ales in Seattle will be releasing 22oz bottles of Bourbon Barrel Aged Wee Heavy Winter Ale at the Hale’s Pub on Thursday, December 1st from 6-9 p.m.  Limited release… come and get it!

Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen in Bellingham has announced the tapping of its Chuckanut Smoke Porter – a beer to celebrate the fall. Chuckanut Smoke Porter is very distinct in flavor and body. With a delicate smoky aroma and taste, this dark brown roasted ale is perfect for our damp northwest fall weather. Chuckanut’s Smoke Porter is the first of several wintery style beers the brewery will release in the next couple of months.

Two Beer Dinners

Art of the Table, Nov 2

On November 2nd Art of The Table in Wallingford is hosting a five course pairing dinner with Portland’s Hopworks Urban Brewery. Esteemed chef Dustin Ronspies is sure to knock your socks off. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant:  206-282-0942.

The evening’s menu includes…

Reception: Pork and smoked bacon rilettes, chicken liver mousse, sliced meats, toasts, pickles, mustard, other snacks, maybe quiche bike beer Kolsch style ale

First Course:  Grilled shrimp bun, bok choy kim chi, cilantro aioli, curry oil. Paired with Kolsch.

Second Course:  Spiced cider glazed salmon, delicata squash, chantrelles, kales, beer mustard. Paired with abominable winter ale

Third Course: House-smoked pastrami, pork fat fried potato, braised cabbage and onions, tellegio fondue. Paired with Galactic Imperial Red Ale

Final Course: Hazelnut-oatmeal cookie & coffee ice cream sandwich, chocolate ganache, poached pear. Paired with Survival 7 Grain Stout.

Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen, November 6

Sunday, November 6th at 5:30pm Chuckanut Brewery will host a four course beer dinner to celebrate the fall. The event takes place inside the brewery. Brewmaster Will Kemper will speak about each beer as it is served.  Discussions about how to serve beers and more about the food will also take place. Tickets must be purchased by November 2 by phone or in person for $39.95 (includes food, beer, & gratuity) plus tax.

First Course: The dinner will start with GABF gold medal Kolsch with Crispy Kale Chips.

Second Course: Then we’ll dig into a fall salad with a full circle (from chickens fed our brewery spent grains) poached egg with warm bacon vinaigrette alongside our GABF bronze medal Alt Bier.

Third Course: A chop/rib duel featuring Chuckanut mustrad-chipotle rubbed lamb chops and pork ribs braised-finished in Chuckanut Dr Pepper BeerBQ sauce served up with polenta & local brussels sprouts. The double GABF gold medal winner Vienna Lager is the accompaniment to the duel!

Fourth Course: To finish the beautiful meal we’ll have our new Smoke Porter to drink alongside a Dark Chocolate Mousse Terrine with creme anglaise & berry sauce.

Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery announced today that it has released its first beer. The release party happens at Pillagers Pub in Seattle on Thursday, October 27th at 7:00 pm. The inaugural beer is an IPA named Fly-PA. Ingredients were sourced by co-op members and the beer was brewed at Three Skulls Brewing in Seattle.

Flying Bike is a unique idea. You can read our previous stories about Flying Bike here. Nearest we can tell, it is the first brewery of its type in Washington or any other state.

The membership drive was met with a great deal of enthusiasm by local beer lovers who wanted a stake in the brewery and at least some kind of input into what kind of beers the brewery produces.

The Fly-PA is the result of a membership brewing competition. That is, members submitted their homebrew to a tasting panel made up of BJCP judges and co-op members. The winning brew received the honor of being Flying Bike’s first beer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery
press@flyingbike.coop
www.flyingbike.coop

Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery Releases Their First Beer! Announces new Board member

Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery has announced the release of their first beer! An IPA (dubbed Fly-PA), was member-sourced, and brewed by Three Skulls Ales.

A release party will be held at Pillagers Pub (8551 Greenwood Avenue N) on Thursday,

October 27. The first kegs will be tapped at 7PM! Growler fills will be available, but please bring your own growler. The party is open to members and non-members alike.

The beer was created as part of a member brewing competition. In July, members voted for ‘IPA’ to be the category for the first Coop beer competition. Thirty-five members entered the competition. In September, BJCP judges and Coop members meticulously tasted the beers, and after several hours a winner was crowned! The winning recipe was created by member Mike Kilpatrick and was brewed by Three Skulls Ales in September. Mike was also on hand at the brewery as his beer was being brewed.

As part of the development of Coop beer, competitions will be an integral part of beer offerings at Flying Bike. Along with our ‘house beers’, members will be invited to compete to have their beer placed on tap at the Coop once it is operational”

Fly-PA will be on tap at Pillagers Pub and several other TBD locations in the Seattle area.

The Board of Flying Bike was also happy to announce the election of their newest Board member: Michael Dieterle. The announcement was made at the FBCB annual meeting on Saturday, October 22 where members were treated to Fly-PA. Two other incumbent Board members were re-elected, Jake Walters and Tim Dery.

_________________________________________

About Flying Bike: Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery is a member-owned cooperative that is working towards opening a brewery in the Seattle area, featuring member beer recipes and input from members on various aspects of the business. The co-op started selling memberships in May of 2011 and currently has over 435 Founding Members.

Elliott Bay Brewery has just tapped its 2011 Hop Harvest Ale. It is currently on tap at the Burien pub and goes on tap tomorrow (if not sooner) at the West Seattle pub.

Elliott Bay Brewing was the first brewery in King County to earn Certified Organic status from the US Department of Agriculture. For this beer, they used fresh organic Amarillo hops from Gamache Farms.  If you’re keeping score, this is the first year Gamache has grown organic Amarillo hops. That is significant information for us serious hop geeks, especially as it relates to the world of certified organic beer.

As I write this, Mrs. Beerblog is at the Burien pub enjoying a pint of Hop Harvest (pictured below). She reports that it is nothing short of spectacular.

I should note that tomorrow (Saturday, October 8th) is also Elliott Bay’s big Oktoberfest party in West Seattle. Time to drink some freshy-fresh and do some oom-pah-pah music! Expect special food, great beer, and tubas.

Here is what Brooks Gay, the manager at the West Seattle pub told us about the beer.

This Saturday is not only our Oktoberfest celebration but it is also our release of the 2011 Hop Harvest. What makes this batch so special is that instead of dry hopping the beer, we added 44 pounds of Organic Amarillo Hops that had been picked the day before from Darren Gamache’s farm. This is the first year that Gamache farms has grown organic Amarillo hops, and we are the first to get to use them. We ran the whole batch of beer over these freshly picked hops on its way to the fermentor. We didn’t dry hop because we didn’t want to cover up the citrusy earthy of these freshly picked hops. We are very proud and excited to be the first to use organic Amarillo hops!! ABV=6.0 percent. IBU=86