On Tuesday, January 24 The Beer Authority hosts a brewers night celebration featuring the beers of Elliott Bay Brewery. The event is intended to welcome Elliott Bay Brewery to the Lake City neighborhood. In case you haven’t heard, Elliott Bay is in the process of building its third brewery and pub. The location, which is just a couple blocks up the street from The Beer Authority, is now in the final stages of construction. No word of a grand opening date yet. We will keep you posted.

In the meantime, join The Beer Authority on Tuesday evening as they pour Elliott Bay beers, hopefully including some special treats. Bill Jenkins will be there representing Elliott Bay. Formerly the head brewer at Big Time Brewery in the University district, Bill will be manning the brewhouse at the new Elliott Bay location.

Tuesday evening at The Beer Authority we expect Bill to talk about Elliott Bay Brewery’s beer, hopefully provide some valuable information about the status of the new brewery, and generally warm the room with his congenial personality and rapier wit.

Elliott Bay Brewers Night at The Beer Authority
12716 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98125
(206) 417-9629

Tuesday, January 24th
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The Washington Beer Blog would like to extend our congratulations to Schooner EXACT Brewing. The once-diminutive brewery is about to celebrate its 5th anniversary. A party to mark the occasion takes place tomorrow night (Friday, January 20, 7:00 p.m.) at the Beveridge Place Pub (blog sponsor). The official gift for any 5th anniversary is wood. For a brewery, the “wood anniversary” is appropriately marked with barrel-aged beers. And that is exactly what Schooner EXACT has in store for you. We provide details below.

From Humble Beginnings

More than five years ago my friend Erin told me that she knew someone opening a brewery in West Seattle. I quizzed her further and eventually discovered that the brewery would be located in an ActiveSpace studio on Harbor Avenue, near Alki Beach. Back then, it was hard to imagine such a thing.

Schooner EXACT started out brewing one keg at a time in a brewery the size of a very small garage. More like a large closet, actually. In January of 2007 the Beveridge Place Pub hosted the Schooner EXACT debut party. That was the first night that I, or pretty much anyone else, ever tasted Schooner EXACT beer. The place was packed beyond belief, the beer went quickly and the atmosphere was electric. It was an auspicious occasion.

Not long after that, West 5 Lounge in West Seattle dubbed Schooner Exact 3 Grid IPA it’s house IPA. West 5 was the first regular account for Schooner Exact. In those days it was all brewer Matt McClung could do to maintain that one account and occasionally get a keg out to someone else. By the way, 3 Grid IPA is still the house IPA at West 5.

The term had yet to be invented, but Schooner EXACT was a nano-brewery. Owners Matt and Heather McClung maintained their day jobs and operated the brewery part-time along with their friend Marcus Connery. They delivered beer out of the back of a Subaru.

Last spring we brewed Beer Church Pale Ale v2.0 at Schooner Exact. That is not a nano mash tun.

Today Schooner EXACT is one of Seattle’s rising stars. The SODO brewery is now anything but nano, having undergone several rounds of expansion. There is no longer anything small or part-time about Schooner EXACT.

Here is more information about the anniversary party, from Schooner Exact:

Schooner EXACT is celebrating its 5th anniversary this Friday January, 20th. We held our inauguration at the Beveridge Place Pub, so what better location to commemorate 5 crazy years; going from a little nanobrewery in West Seattle into a full-fledged microbrewery in SODO (with a short layover in South Park along the way). The gift for a 5th Anniversary is wood, so the brewers have come up with 6 wood-inspired beers and we’ll bring along some good ole’ favorites as well.

To warm everyone up, there will be a firkin of 3-Grid IPA, dry hopped with Cascades being tapped on Thursday the 19th.

Come brave the snow and celebrate with us. Thanks for supporting Washington beer and small business.

Heather McClung

Schooner EXACT Brewing Company

Each year the Northwest Brewing News runs a Readers’ Choice survey asking its audience to vote for their favorite breweries, pubs, bartenders, beers and more. Winning one of these awards is quite prestigious. The public is invited to the Readers’ Choice Awards Reception at the Hale’s Palladium this Sunday, December 4th. Admission is free and the event runs from 1:00 – 5:00.

The Northwest Brewing News is distributed across the entire region, so the Readers’ Choice Awards cover breweries, pubs, and more from Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon and Washington. Last year the awards reception took place at Widmer Brewing in Portland.

The list of last year’s winners is below.

Northwest Brewing News
2010 Best of the Northwest Readers’ Choice Awards

Best Brewery, Alaska
Midnight Sun Brewing Company. Anchorage

Best Brewery, British Columbia
Phillips Brewing Company, Victoria

Best Brewery, Oregon
Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene

Best Brewery, Northern California
Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

Best Brewery, Washington
Black Raven Brewing Company, Redmond

Best Brewpub, Alaska
Tie: Moose’s Tooth Brewing Company, Anchorage
Glacier Brewhouse, Anchorage

Best Brewpub, British Columbia
Spinnakers, Victoria

Best Brewpub, Washington
Boundary Bay Brewing Company, Bellingham

Best Brewpub, Oregon
Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland

Best Brewpub, Northern California
Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville

Best Alehouse/Pub, Alaska
Humpy’s, Anchorage
Honorable Mention: Cafe Amsterdam, Anchorage

Best Alehouse/Pub, British Columbia
Alibi Room, Vancouver

Best Alehouse/Pub, Northern California

Toronado, San Francisco

Best Alehouse/Pub, Oregon
Horse Brass, Portland
Honorable Mention: Apex, Portland

Best Alehouse/Pub, Washington
Brouwers’ Café, Seattle
Honorable Mention: Beveridge Place Pub, Seattle

Best Bartender, Alaska
Tie: Adam Rowe, Café Amsterdam, Anchorage
Monique Stewman Barker, Glacier Brewhouse, Anchorage

Best Bartender, British Columbia
Nigel Springthorpe, Alibi Room, Vancouver

Best Bartender, Washington
Tom Dineen, Brouwers’ Café, Seattle

Best Bartender, Oregon
Tyler Vickers, Saraveza, Portland

Best Bartender, Northern California
Jen Foesig, Six Rivers Brewery, McKinleyville

Best Beer Store, Alaska
La Bodega, Anchorage

Best Beer Store, British Columbia
Brewery Creek, Vancouver

Best Beer Store, Washington
By the Bottle, Vancouver

Best Beer Store, Oregon
Belmont Station, Portland

Best Beer Store, Northern California
City Beer, San Francisco

Best Homebrew Supply
Arctic Brewing Supply, Anchorage

Best Homebrew Supply, British Columbia
Dan’s Homebrewing Supplies, Vancouver

Best Homebrew Supply, Washington
Bader Beer & Wine Supply, Vancouver
Honorable Mention: Larry’s Homebrew Supply, Renton

Best Homebrew Supply, Oregon
FH Steinbart, Portland
Honorable Mention: Brew Brothers, Portland

Best Homebrew Supply, Northern California
Beer, Beer & More Beer, Concord

Best Beers

Ales

Best Golden/Light Ale:
Columbia River Sandy Blonde, Oregon

Best Pale Ale
Deschutes Mirror Pond, Oregon

Best ESB:
Redhook ESB, Washington

Best IPA:
Boundary Bay Inside Passage Ale, Washington
Honorable Mention: Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, Oregon

Best Double IPA:
Ninkasi Tricerahops, Oregon
Honorable Mention: Russian River Pliny the Elder, California

Best India Black Ale/Cascadian Dark Ale
Deschutes Hop in the Dark, Oregon

Best Amber Ale
Alaskan Amber, Alaskan Brewing Company, Alaska

Best Red Ale: Double Mountain IRA, Oregon

Best Brown Ale:
Rogue Hazelnut Brown, Oregon

Best Porter:
Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Oregon

Best Stout:
Oakshire Overcast Stout, Oregon

Best Imperial Stout:
Deschutes The Abyss, Oregon
Honorable Mention: North Coast Old Rasputin, California

Best Strong Ale:
Big Time Nemesis, Washington

Best Barley Wine
Tie: Midnight Sun Arctic Devil, Alaska
Deschutes Mirror Mirror, Oregon

Best Scotch Ale:
Boundary Bay Scotch Ale, Washington

Best Belgian Ale:
Columbia River Dubbel Vision, Oregon

Best Wheat Ale:
Widmer Hefeweizen, Oregon
Honorable Mention: Columbia River Hollywood Hef, Oregon

Best Fresh Hop Ale:
Deschutes Hop Trip, Oregon
Honorable Mention: Driftwood Sartori Harvest Ale, British Columbia

Lagers

Best Pilsner:
Chuckanut Pils, Washington

Best Märzen/Oktoberfest
Heater Allen Bobtoberfest, Oregon

Best Dark Lager:
Heater Allen Dunkel, Oregon

Best Bock/Doppelbock:
Tie: Chuckanut Bock, Washington
Columbia River Rick-N-Bocker, Oregon

Best Fruit Ale:
Cascade Apricot Ale, Oregon

Best Herb or Spice Beer:
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale, Washington

Best Organic Beer:
Hopworks IPA, Oregon

Best Barrel Aged Beer:
Cascade Bourbonic Plague, Oregon

Best Sour Beer:
Storm Lambic, British Columbia

Best Cider:
Wildfire Pirates’ Plank Cider, Washington
Honorable Mention: Blue Mountain Cherry Cider, Oregon

Best Other:
Columbia River Ground and Pound, Oregon

On Saturday, November 19th Beer Church raised over $5,500 in cash and 2,700 pounds of food for the West Seattle Food Bank. Participants at the 13th Annual Beer Church Turkey Bowl included a total of 199 bowlers and dozens of spectators. Beer Church is the charitable arm of the Washington Beer Blog. We organize and operate the events but it is the participants, volunteers and sponsors who actually make a difference.

Two competitions took place within the larger Beer Church Turkey Bowl event. First of all, eight breweries fought it out for the Beer Church Battle of the Brewers trophy. This year Naked City Brewing walked away victorious. The breweries involved in the Battle of the Brewers included Two Beers Brewing, Elliott Bay Brewing, Odin Brewing, Emerald City Beer Co,  Schooner Exact Brewing, Pike Brewing, Elysian Brewing, and Naked City Brewing.

The Washington Beer Blog wants to thank all of the breweries that worked with us over the past couple months. This was the third charity fundraiser that we have organized in the past eight weeks: Craft:Beer+Food, BitterSweet:Beer+Chocolate, and now Turkey Bowl. Our participating breweries generously donated time, beer, swag and creative energy. We very much appreciate their support.

The other competition within Turkey Bowl involved seven local bars competing for the Beer Church Bar Brawl trophy. Elliott Bay Brewery Pub won an incredibly close race, ending West 5′s three-year run as champs. The top three finishers in the Bar Brawl ended up within one point of each other.  The bars involved in the Bar Brawl this year included Beveridge Place Pub, Feedback Lounge, West 5,  Mission, Latona Pub, Dog & Pony, and Elliott Bay Brewing (the pub’s team).

West 5 was the undisputed food champion again this year, bringing over 600 lbs. of food. Their contribution to the annual Beer Church food drive is always an inspiration. Also, big thanks to our sponsor who donated prizes for our Target Raffle and helped us raise over $4,000. We also want to extend our thanks to the crew of Turkey Bowl volunteers: Chelsea Asplund, Shannon and Nancy Sharpe, Mark and Barb Vadakin, Darol Hinton, and Allen Maxwell. It was also great to see the West Seattle Food Bank bring a group of bowlers to enjoy the event.

This year Turkey Bowl participants enjoyed a special treat – a sneak preview of Beer Church Midnight Mass Holiday Pale Ale, a beer brewed by Two Beers Brewing. The beer was very well-received and absolutely delicious. Best described as a northwest-style Winter Warmer, Midnight Mass weighs in at 6.8% ABV. It is dark and rich with a notable spiciness and a sharp hoppiness. We will have more information about Midnight Mass Holiday Pale Ale in the coming days. Expect to start seeing it in better beer bars around Seattle after Thanksgiving.

Here are some pictures from Saturday night.

Tickets are now on sale! Mark your calendar for the 2011 Winter Beer Festival at Hale’s Ale’s Palladium in Ballard, December 2-3, 2011. It is one of the most unique craft beer festivals in the state and is a great way to celebrate the holiday season.

This Washington Beer Commission event features an impressive beer lineup with 33 Washington craft breweries pouring tastes of more than 75 beers. You can try dark rich stouts, hoppy I.P.A.’s, new winter seasonal releases, and even some special vintage beers. The full list of beers to be poured at Winter Beer Festival will be released soon!

WHEN: Friday, December 2, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

Saturday, December 3, Noon – 9:00pm

WHERE: Hale’s Palladium

4301 Leary Way NW

Seattle, WA 98107

ADMISSION: Advance tickets are $23 per session, $25 at the door.

Tickets include six 5oz samples and a tasting cup.

Additional tasting tokens may be purchased at $1.50 each or four for $5..

Tickets are on sale now at www.washingtonbeer.com.

PARTICIPATING WASHINGTON BREWERIES

7 Seas Brewing
American Brewing Co.
Anacortes Brewery
Big Al Brewing
Big Time Brewing
Black Raven Brewing
Boundary Bay Brewery
Chuckanut Brewery
Diamond Knot Brewery
Elliott Bay Brewing
Elysian Brewing
Flyers Restaurant and Brewery
Foggy Noggin Brewing
Fremont Brewing
Hale’s Ales Brewery
Icicle Brewing
Iron Horse Brewery
Naked City Brewery
Northern Lights Brewing
Pike Brewing Company
Port Townsend Brewing
Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Redhook Brewery
Rock Bottom Brewery (Seattle)
Schooner Exact Brewing
Scuttlebutt Brewing
Silver City Brewery
Slippery Pig Brewery
Snipes Mountain Brewing
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing
Two Beers Brewing
Valholl Brewing
Wingman Brewers

I don’t know too many people who like good beer but do not appreciate good cider. Beer and cider are kindred spirits. While beer and food pairing is all the rage these days, cider is not to be left out. Today we report on an upcoming event at the Brave Horse Tavern featuring some top notch ciders paired with the culinary creations of Chef Bryan Walczyk.

What pairs well with cider? How about Dungeness crab, pork cheek, and Idaho trout? Having attended multiple beer dinners at the Brave Horse Tavern, I can attest to Chef Bryan’s skills when it comes to pairing beer and food. I have no reason to doubt his cider pairings will be equally spectacular.

Here are the details:

Cider Dinner at Brave Horse Tavern

Date: Wednesday November 16th

Time: 6:30pm

Cost: $50.00 plus 18% gratuity and tax

To purchase tickets, click here!

Celebrate ciders at the Brave Horse Tavern’s Cider Dinner.

Chef Brian Walczyk designs a four course dinner paired with spectacular ciders:

First Course: Crab Apple!

Dungeness Crab, Apple Jelly, Horseradish, Verjus, Fizzy Grapes

with Tieton Cider

Second Course: Pork and Beans!

Hazelnut “Baked Beans”, Cider Braised Pork Cheek, Farmhouse Cheddar

with Dupone Cider Bouche

Third Course: Fish n’ Chips!

Pan roasted Idaho Trout, Brussels Sprout Leaves, Smoked Trout,

Apple Flavored Potato Chips

with Finn River Cider

Dessert Course: Sticky Toffee Date Cake

Rum Sauce, Buttermilk Ice Cream

with Pear Cider

 

It’s another sure sign that season’s have changed. It’s time to get tickets for the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Winter Beer Taste. This event sells out every year. Get your tickets now, before it’s too late. The event takes place on Saturday, November 12th at the Phinney Neighborhood Center in North Seattle. Thirty-one of the area’s best breweries will pour samples of their new winter ales and other favorite beers.

Two important tips. First, get tickets now. This is a great event and it will sell out. Second, dress appropriately and wear layers. While it may be cold outside, it will quickly heat up inside. 

Here’s the official press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24th Annual PNA Beer Taste

The Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) will host its 24th annual beer taste on Saturday, November 12, at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA. Preview Tasting for Patron tickets opens at 6:15 pm and regular admission opens at 7 pm.

Thirty one Northwest microbreweries will offer samples of their new winter ales and other favorite beers. Tickets cost $25 for PNA members, $30 for the general public and $10 for designated drivers.

Patron tickets cost $55 for PNA members, $65 got the general public and $30 for designated drivers. Admission includes a selection of ten tastes of microbrews, pub snacks and a silent auction of unique and not so unique beer paraphernalia. Patron tickets include a $30 donation to the PNA elevator fund, commemorative tasting glass and 6:15 pm admission to the event. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.phinneycenter.org/events/beer.shtml or at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

Participating breweries include American, Anacortes, Baron, Big Al, Boundary Bay, Chuckanut, Diamond Knot, Elysian, Epic, Fremont, Georgetown, Golden Hills, Hale’s, Harmon, Hilliard’s, Iron Horse, Lantern, Lazy Boy, Maritime Pacific, Naked City, North Sound, NW Peaks, Oakshire, Odin, Pike, Schooner Exact, Sierra Nevada, Silver City, Snoqualmie, Two Beers and Tieton Cider Works

Go to www.phinneycenter.org for a complete list of participating breweries and event details.

For additional information, call Chardell Paine at 206.783.2244 or email chardell@phinneycenter.org.

Event page:  http://www.phinneycenter.org/events/beer.shtml

Updated at 4:30, Tuesday, Oct 1st. Photos added at bottom of post.

Congratulations to Airways Brewing. The Airways Brewing Beer & Bistro opens for business today at 11:00 a.m. It has been a long time coming and a lot of work. The owners of Airways Brewing, Alex and Dione Dittmar, did not want to make a big deal out of the opening. That’s why they waited until today to make the official announcement. Seriously, Kent is a city so starved for good beer that they could get crushed if they aren’t careful.

In addition to offering a lineup of Airways’ beers, the Beer & Bistro will offer a number of beers from other breweries. There are twelve taps in all, with one dedicated to cider. The current list of beer is included in the press release below.

We should have pictures for you soon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Airways Brewing Beer & Bistro Opens in Downtown Kent Historic District

Kent, WA (11/01/11) – Airways Brewing Company, Kent’s Brewerysm, today opens the Airways Brewing Beer & Bistro – a new location in the Downtown Kent Historic District.

The Bistro is located at 320 W. Harrison Street, offers seating for 35 guests, and features a menu of pizzas, artisan sandwiches, soups and salads. Twelve taps pour only Washington produced products: Airways Brewing’s signature and seasonal beers, guest brews from other small and medium-sized breweries, and a dedicated Washington cider tap.

“We’re excited to finally be open in downtown Kent,” said Alex Dittmar, the company’s founder and head brewer. “It took a little longer than we had planned, and we still have some finishing touches, such as artwork and signage to put up, but we think we’ve got a great local pub that people will really enjoy.”

“Our goal with the Bistro is to be able to offer delicious food to go alongside beers and wines produced right here in this great state. Our menu is based on fresh produce and high quality meats for a healthier take on pub food. We plan to rotate selections frequently to take advantage of seasonal flavors,” said Dittmar.

“We think people will really enjoy the location, as well as what we’ll have to offer. It’s convenient to the ShoWare Center, the Sounder Rail Line, and Kent Station.”

In addition to Airways signature beers, and some special “one-off” creations, opening week beers include selections from M.T. Head Brewing in Graham, Valhöll Brewing & Slippery Pig Brewing from Poulsbo, Soos Creek Brewing in Covington, and Two Beers Brewing in Seattle.

The Bistro will be open for both lunch and dinner, Tuesday-Saturdays, starting at 11:00 a.m.
Founded in spring of 2010, Airways Brewing Company is located in Kent, Washington. The brewery has two locations – a production facility and tap room in the Kent Industrial area, and a Restaurant/Bistro in the Downtown Kent Historical District. Airways distributes its beer to microbrew specialty bars and taverns in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area.

Tuesday, November 1st: Opening Night Beer List

• Airways Jet City ESB 5.5% ABV 35 IBU
• Airways First Class IPA 5.5% ABV 44 IBU
• Airways Sky Hag IPA 7.8% ABV 99+ IBU
• Airways Über Hag IPA 8.0% ABV 99+ IBU
• Airways Rauchbier 6.0% ABV 29 IBU
• MT Head Brewing Bonehead Brown Ale 4.7% ABV (Graham, Washington)
• Valhöll Brewing Stouty Oatmeal Stout 7.0% ABV (Poulsbo, Washington)
• Slippery Pig Brewery Damndeleven Bitter 11% ABV (Poulsbo, Washington)
• Chuckanut Brewing 2011 Festbier 5% ABV (Bellingham, Washington)
• Soos Creek Brewing Rua Beoir Irish Red 5.6% ABV (Covington, Washington)
• Two Beers Brewing Persnickity Pale Ale 5.7% ABV (Seattle, Washington)
• Tieton Cider Works Cherry Cider 6.4% ABV (Tieton, Washington)

Upcoming Beers Include:

• Two Beers Heart of Darkness Imperial CDA
• Valhöll Brewing Poulsbo Abbey Wit
• Snoqualmie Brewing Avalanche Winter Warmer
• M.T. Head Dark Marc Black IPA
• Pike Brewing Naughty Nellie Golden Ale

Yesterday our North Seattle Bureau Chief, North Seattle Sarah, told you about tonight’s anniversary celebration at Naked City. Read it here. Today we want to tell you about something happening in West Seattle.

Our friends down at Locol in West Seattle are having a rare beer tasting event tonight. Local is a great neighborhood bar with a serious commitment to good beer and good food. Here is what we learned from Kyle at Locol:

RARE BEER TAPPPING @ Locöl This Saturday @ Noon. Full Sail Hopfenfrisch-Fresh Hop Pilsner. 1 of 3 kegs that made it to WA! “…brewed with fresh harvested Perle hops, a close cousin to the North Brewer hop, these hops give the beer a strong herbal character with classic pils hop aromas. Combined with our lager yeast, these flavors make for a classic pilsner beer which give the beer a pleasant hop character. This pale gold aromatic brew was left unfiltered to preserve its smooth body and honeyed malt flavors. Had this at Full Sail and it is Crisp, Clean and Sessionable!…”  ABV- 5.7% IBU-53

-by North Seattle Sarah, North Seattle Bureau Chief-

Join Me this Saturday for Naked City’s 3^rd Anniversary

I know I have a tendency to post a lot about Naked City Brewery and Taphouse in Greenwood, but can you blame me?  With a new recent award under their belt, and a full events calendar that’s always changing, it’s definitely the place to get your craft beer on.

In just this past year, they’ve expanding into the space next door to create their “screening room” with comfy couches and a huge movie screen, and soon they’ll be expanding their tiny kitchen, which pumps out some of the tastiest local, sustainable food around.

So join me there this Saturday, October 22nd, to help them turn 3 years old.  3 years!  They’ll have 15 of their incredible beers on tap and on cask, including some VERY special choices like a cask of I and I Double IPA and a cask of the famous Big Lebrewski, plus their brand new Merlot barrel aged imperial sour Dark Passage.

Apart from the libations, you’ll also find an oyster bar (I have NEVER tried an oyster before – do I dare?), live music, and raffles/giveaways all day long.  The fun starts at 12 p.m. and goes all day, don’t be the one left behind!  In fact, if you come find me I’ll even let you buy me a beer!