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Redhook Ale Brewery is staged to release Big Ballard Imperial IPA next month. The beer will be available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft. To pay homage to Redhook’s noble past, the beer sports a familiar face on the label. Ya sure, ya betcha! He’s back!

Not long ago I shared a pint with Kim Brusco, Brewing Operations Manager at Redhook. He told me about the impending release of Big Ballard and the reintroduction of the Ballard Bitter branding that is so familiar to us old school craft beer lovers. Kim also told me about some other interesting stuff happening out in Woodinville. I will be posting a story about that stuff in the near future. Cool, creative things brewing out at Redhook? That makes me happy!

The official Big Ballard Imperial IPA release party is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14th at the Elephant and Castle in downtown Seattle.

The specs: 8.6% ABV, 73 IBU, 19.5 Deg. Plato.

Kim assures me that those numbers are “laboratory numbers” and not just an approximation. He says the 73 IBUs will surprise you. As we understand it, this is a seasonal, limited release. Will Big Ballard become part of the regular lineup? Stranger things have happened.

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Okay, we admit we’re slacking off this week. Your humble Washington Beer Bloggers are seriously distracted right now (in body but not in spirit). We are out of town doing important beer-related business in a place where the sun actually does shine. I know, the thought of us baking in the warm desert sun makes you want to tell us to stick it where the sun does not shine;  however, we have not forsaken you. We would like to direct you to visit our buddies over at the Seattle Beer News for three important stories:

Elysian advances in the NIPAC.

Washington prevails in Beer Brawl III.

Brouwer’s celebrates 5 years with 10 IPAs .

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The 4th annual ExBEERience will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Redhook Brewing Company in Woodinville from noon to 4 PM. The event, sponsored by the Cascade Brewers Guild home brewing club, will feature commercial brewers, home brew samples, food, and the recognition of award winners from both the 2010 Cascade Brewers Cup home brewing competition and the annual awards from the Washington Homebrewers Association.

Brewers scheduled to pour at the event are Alaskan Brewing, Baron/3 Skulls, Big Al, Black Raven, Firestone Walker, Fremont Brewing, Georgetown, Issaquah Brewhouse, Kona, Lazy Boy, Odin, Powerhouse, Redhook, Trade Route and Widmer. Proceeds benefit Childhaven, a non-profit to benefit abused and neglected children.

Entry is $20 in advance, $25 at the door and includes entry, lunch and 9 beer tokens. Additional tokens available to purchase on site; ATM available. Advance tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/98927

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Here at the Washington Beer Blog, we’re big on causes. This is one we really believe in. Beer festivals and the other beer-related events we usually promote on this blog are great, but this one supports an incredibly noble cause. Tickets are just $35 and that includes food and beer. A bargain.

We invite you to attend the 5th Annual Water 1st Beer Second fundraiser. Don’t let the PBR-ish logo fool you. Beer will be provided by  Pike, Hale’s, Two Beers, Georgetown, and Mac and Jack’s. (They’ll be serving wine as well.)

Watch the video and you’ll get the point.

Water 1st International is an amazing organization with a  noble mission: To serve families in the poorest communities in the world as they implement community-managed projects that integrate water supply, sanitation, and health education.

Much of the world is burdened with the most basic of all human tasks: getting water. For many, the water they work so hard to procure isn’t even safe.
The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrines is the top public health problem in the world and the number-one killer of children in the world. Lack of access to clean water has a devastating effect on women and girls who are traditionally responsible for water collection.

Water 1st changes communities and lives. When a community is given easy access to safe drinking water and sanitary latrines, everything changes. Women are freed to work and do other things. Children are freed to go to school. Seriously, come to the event and you’ll learn things.

We usually just suggest that you attend a beer festival or beer-related event.  Today, we are urging you. Please come to this event. I cannot stress enough what an important mission this is. And it’s easy to support! Just come drink some beer and have some fun.

WHERE: Naval Reserve Building (“The Armory”)

DATE: Friday, March 5, 2010

TIME: 7:00 p.m.

To make your reservations and to get more information, go to the official Web site.

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Today marks the start of the Beveridge Place Pub’s 8th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal – a week-long celebration of potent libations. This year the Beveridge Place has included some special events within the larger event. We have included a complete list of what will be on tap and when below. This is the most amazing list they’ve ever assembled for this event, and that’s sayin’ something.

This is one of Seattle’s premier beer events and you should expect a healthy crowd this evening. Don’t know what to expect? Click here to check out our previous posts, including coverage of last year’s Bacchanal. Bring your patience, especially tonight, and remember that there’s enough beer for everyone. Also remember that a bacchanal is defined as “A wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity.” It would not be a proper Bacchanal if it wasn’t a little bit crazy

FRIDAY 2/26 (various vintages)

  • Anacortes Old Sebastes
  • Avery Hog Heaven
  • Beer Valley Highway to Ale
  • Boundary Bay Old Bounder
  • Deschutes Mirror Mirror
  • Diamond Knot Icebreaker
  • Dick’s
  • Dogfish Head Olde School
  • Elliott Bay Old Portside
  • Elysian Cyclops
  • Firestone Walker Abacus
  • Fish 10²
  • Fish Leviathan
  • Hale’s Rudyard’s Rare
  • Hood Canal Breidablik
  • Pike Old Bawdy
  • Port Angel’s Share
  • Port Townsend
  • Rogue Old Crustacean
  • Schooner Exact Old Sinking Ship
  • Scuttlebutt Old #1
  • Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
  • Three Skulls Wreckage
  • Walking Man Old Stumblefoot

SATURDAY 2/27 (these will be added, some Fridays may be taken off)

  • Anderson Valley Horn of the Beer
  • Boulder Killer Penguin
  • Flying Dog Horndog
  • Left hand Widdershins
  • Mad River John Barleycorn
  • North Coast Old Stock
  • Speakeasy Old Godfather
  • Victory Old Horizontal

SUNDAY 2/28 – PDX to SEA

  • Hopworks Urban Brewery Noggin Floggin ‘09
  • Laurelwood Old Reliable ‘09
  • Lucky Lab Old Yeller ‘09
  • New Old Lompoc Old Tavern Rat ‘08

MONDAY 3/1 – Vertical I

  • Alaskan ’06, ’07, ’08, ‘09
  • Anacortes ’07, ‘08
  • Anchor Old Foghorn ’06, ‘08
  • Hood Canal Briedablik ’06, ‘07

TUESDAY 3/2 – Vertical II

  • North Coast Old Stock ’07, ’09, ‘10
  • Pike Old Bawdy ’07, ’08, ‘09
  • Stone Old Guardian ’07, ’08, ‘09
  • WEDNESDAY 3/3 – Party Like it’s 2006
  • Lagunitas Old Gnarleywine
  • Big Sky Old Blue Hair
  • Full Sail Old Boardhead
  • Fish Leviathan

THURSDAY 3/4 – RARITIES

  • Full Sail Old Boilermaker ‘98
  • Left Hand Oak Aged Widdershins ‘07
  • Black Raven Old Birdbrain ‘09

FRI & SAT, 3/5 & 3/6 – Whatever’s Left!

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The current issue of Draft magazine includes a listing of the Top 150 Beer Bars in the country (Draft magazine, Jan-Feb 2010). Six of our local beer joints made the list.

If you were conducting this important research, what would be your criteria? Draft kept things rather ambiguous, stating only that they were looking for: “The bars where you’re guaranteed to sip unmatched suds. The 150 places where craft is king and fun comes in all fashions.”

I read it for the articles

Draft magazine is great, but by no stretch of the imagination is it the gospel of beer. Ben Stiller movies make me laugh, but that doesn’t mean he’s a comic genius. Draft is a slick rag, for sure: glossy pages, airbrushed pictures of perfect beer, and page after page of beautifully poured pints described in delicious detail. It never fails to make me thirsty. Sure, it’s  beer porn, but I read it for the articles. When Draft, or anyone like them, publishes a list of “the best” anything, I take it with a grain of salt.

Congrats to our locals

I suppose congratulations are in order for our local spots that made the list. To say Draft magazine missed a few would be an understatement. If you lived in Denver or Boston you’d probably say the same thing. It’s a tall order, scouring the entire U.S.A. searching out the best beer bars, spending enough time in each to really get a good feel for the place, and then moving on to the next. I’d like to offer my services next time Draft magazine conducts such important research.

Let’s face it, when listing the country’s 150 best beer bars, Washington is probably only going to get five or six on the list. Are these the ones that you would choose?

Beveridge Place. The description provided in the magazine is amazingly accurate. They’re right when they say, “This spot feels less like an international beer mecca and more like your place… the rec room you wish you had.” I was particularly impressed that they spelled the name correctly.

Brouwer’s Cafe. Um, duh. I’m not entirely sure I agree with the observation, “This is one of the best looking bars in Seattle.” Actually, what would I know? Whenever I walk into Brouwer’s I get tunnel vision and all I see is beer. Draft says, “Its Flemish cafe-inspired vittles and brew will quickly transport you to bucolic Belgian life.”

Naked City Taphouse. Way to go Don and Don. You’re still pretty darn new and your pub is getting national pub like this. Right on! About Naked City, Draft said, “Capturing Seattle’s attention with beer isn’t easy, but this new spot has turned heads.” I’m not sure the Dons knew what they were getting themselves into.

Stumbling Monk. They’re right when they say, “This subdued corner pub is easy to miss, but try not to.” I often miss it, and that’s a personal problem. The Stumbling Monk is classic. It’s a cozy little spot where they take beer very seriously. I admit that I’m a local beer freak, so sometimes I’m a bit overwhelmed by the worldliness of the menu at the Stumbling Monk. Again, my problem.

Über Tavern.
Draft magazine rightly points out that Über is “closet small,” but they also mention that the beer selection is not. They also describe the staff as being “amicable” and “knowledgeable.” That’s like saying a girl is handsome and has a nice personality. I have a feeling they were at a loss for words when they described Über. Doesn’t really matter, locals know what Über is all about: good beer and a lot of it.

Zayda Buddy’s Pizza and Bar. Of all the Washington beer bars listed in the Draft 150, this one got the longest write-up. Mostly, Draft tells us about their pizza. Also, we learn that Zayda Buddy’s serves Old Milwaukee, Stroh’s, Hamms, and Blatz, as well as local beers like Manny’s Pale Ale. Maybe they just needed a place with a name that started with a Z.

Who do you think they missed? Or do you agree that the six bars listed above are Seattle’s best?

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Last night we attended a Big Time brewers night celebration at Naked City Taphouse. While we were there enjoying fine beers from Big Time, we also had a chance to chat with Don Webb, one of the owners/brewers at Naked City. We have a couple of quick things to report.

Finally, an Oscars party for beer lovers

First off, for those who have not figured it out yet, the name of the bar is a reference to an old movie. Released in 1948, The Naked City is a quintessential example of film noir. That’s what Naked City is all about; old movie stuff. This year the 82nd Academy Awards gala takes place on Sunday, March 7th.  To celebrate, Naked City Taphouse is having an Oscars Party. They will be serving a special beer for the occasion: Don’s Oscar Ale (DOA).

While this is the first time Don Webb has brewed DOA at Naked City’s brewhouse, it is not the first time he’s brewed this beer. He has been working on this one for some years now. Each year the DOA is a little different, just like the Oscars. The DOA Oscars Party at Naked City will become an annual event. There will be raffle prizes, a chance to “wager” on who you think will win, and other fun stuff.

The Dude abides

Speaking of movies, Naked City’s Big Lebrewski is an obvious homage to the Coen brothers’ film classic by nearly the same name – The Big Lebowski. Naked City released the first batch of the Big Lebrewski a couple months ago. It was one of the stars of the 2009 Washington Winter Beer Festival. Naked City is now poised to introduce the second version of the beer dubbed “a White Russian Imperial Stout.”

Don Webb tells us that this version is closer to what they originally imagined the Big Lebrewski to be: a very, very big beer. The Big Lebrewski redux will debut at the Collins Pub Real Strong Ale Festival (March 3 – March 7). Don tells us that it will weigh in at over 12% ABV.

As the narrator says at the end of the film, “There are eight million stories in the Naked City; this has been one of them.”

Well, two of them anyway.

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We just got a message from Bill Jenkins at Big Time Brewing. Tomorrow (Tues. Feb. 23) there will be a brewers night celebration at Naked City. No doubt, Big Time is one of the finest breweries in all the land, but they don’t step out an do this sort of thing all that often. This is one not be missed. Here’s the word from Bill:

Since I am the master of the last minute announcement, I’d like to let you know that Big Time is having a Brewers Night at Naked City tomorrow, February 23rd, starting at 7pm. Draft beer, cask beer, and schwag: sounds like the perfect combination for a Tuesday night. And honestly, there’s no excuse this time – I’ve given you nearly 36 hours to prepare. We’re even going to debut a new beer. . .

See ya there!

-bill

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Is it a conspiracy to keep Washington breweries down or is it simply fate? Is it a blatant attempt to stack the deck against us or is it the luck of the draw? You be the judge.

Seven of Washington’s finest beers made it out of the first round of the National IPA Championship (NIPAC), but only three continue on after the second. To learn more about NIPAC, read our previous posts about NIPAC here or go to the official NIPAC Web site.

The first round of the championship saw four Washington IPAs compete in head-to-head match ups: Lazy Boy vs. Port Townsend and Elysian vs. Breakaway. With 128 beers in the tournament, how could these four end up pitted against each other so early in the competition? The fates seemed to be aligned against us. Now, in the third round there is another WA vs. WA duel, so only two breweries will continue after this round, at best.

All you have to do is look at the bracket to realize it is inevitable that these kinds of unfortunate match ups are just the luck of the draw, but it’s kind of fun to pretend that some evil force is at work against us. Uh, I suppose. Uh, I mean, I’m being paranoid, right?

Advancing:

Hale’s Supergoose IPA – Defeated Oakshire Brewing’s Watershed IPA in the first round and Big Bear Brewing’s Paw Print IPA in the second round. Now set to face crosstown rival Elysian Brewing’s Stolen Fire/Prometheus IPA in the third round.

Elysian Stolen Fire/Prometheus IPA - Defeated Seattle’s own Breakaway IPA in an unfortunate first round pairing. Next, defeated Ale Asylum’s Ballistic IPA in the second round. Now set to battle Hale’s Supergoose IPA.

Port Townsend Hop Diggedy IPA - In another unfortunate first round pairing, Hop Diggedy IPA defeated fellow WA entrant Lazy Boy IPA. In the second round they beat 21st Ammendment Brewing’s Brew Free or Die IPA. They now prepare to go up against Fat Head Brewery’s HeadHunter IPA.

Eliminated in Round Two:

The following lost in the second round: Pike IPA, Fremont Brewing’s Interurban IPA, Diamond Knot IPA, and Black Raven Brewing’s Trickster IPA.

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ravenBack by popular demand, Black Raven Brewing’s Wisdom Seeker Double IPA. The brewery will re-release the beer tomorrow at the brewery’s taproom (the Raven’s Nest) and it is sure to go fast. Quantities are limited: they only brewed 5 barrels. It will be available at the brewery’s taproom (Raven’s Nest) in pints and growlers. Other than that, a very few select accounts might get one of the four or five 1/6 barrel kegs they’ll distribute. Depending on how well the particular publican decides to publicize the event, you can expect a “pliny-like” frenzy whenever they tap into one of those.

NEW BEER RELEASE

Wisdom Seeker Double IPA

Release date: Tuesday 2/23

Back by popular demand (and because the brewers have drank all their secret stash), the Wisdom Seeker Double IPA is the latest seasonal release from Black Raven Brewing. This big and bold IPA is brewed in the American Double IPA style.

Featuring a large cast of hop varieties stitched together to create a big hop flavor and finish … over 37 pounds!

ABV: 9.0%
IBU: 85+

Malt: 100% base ESB malt

Hops: Nugget, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Summit

WARNING: Based on previous history, this beer will go fast. We will be filling growlers but no kegs to go.

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