I just received the list of breweries and beers for this year’s Washington Winter Beer Fest. Once again the event showcases some amazing beers: Winter Beer Fest always features some wonderfully interesting beers as well as some seasonal classics. I share the list below. Don’t delay, tickets will go fast.

One of my favorite things about the Washington beer scene is the creativity our brewers express through their beer. Nowhere is this artistic zeal better displayed than the Washington Winter Beer Fest. Whether you fancy a traditional Winter Warmer or long for something more adventurous like a Bourbon-barrel chocolate Porter or a Peanut Butter Dark Ale, the Washington Winter Beer Fest is the event for you. This year’s fest features 30 different Washington Breweries pouring more than 70 different beers. I am guessing the number will end up being closer to 90 different beers.

Washington Winter Beer Fest takes place at the Hale’s Palladium on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd. Visit the official website for tickets and details.

Here is the list as it stands right now. I am sure there will be some changes and additions.

7 Seas Brewing

1) 2011 Wheelchair Barleywine
Brewed in the tradition of British-style Barley Wines, our 2011 offering displays burgundy/brown hues, a thick off-white head of lacey foam, toasted malt, a strong presence of raisiny, vinous fruit aroma and warming alcohol.  Crafted with British Marris Otter, dark crystal and aromatic malts, liberally hopped with Glacier and East Kent Goldings, we also added 60 LBS of locally sourced Washington State Clover honey to the boil kettle.  With its’ coating, silky rich mouth-feel, and complex interplay of deep caramel malt, ripe fruit aroma and sturdy alcohol, 7 Seas 2011 Wheelchair Barleywine is a colossal, yet refined brew. 10.6% ABV

2) Ballz Deep Double IPA
A mash tun packed mostly with Pale Ale Malt and several different varieties of Crystal malt provide a firm, slightly sweet malt flavor while copious amounts of resiny Yakima Valley hops go berserk on bitterness, flavor and aroma. 8.4% ABV

3) Port Royal Export Style Stout
Port Royal Stout (Foreign Export Style), combines seven different malt varieties to create intriguing flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, and roasted barley. Nugget and Mt. Hood hops offer a soft floral nose and just enough bitterness to balance the creamy, smooth finish. Dark and ominous in appearance, Port Royal Stout is a great sipping companion for any drizzly Northwest afternoon. 6.8% ABV

4) le Havre (the Harbor) Belgian Winter Ale
This seasonal offering is fashioned with reverence towards the long-standing tradition of Trappist Abbey-style beers of Belgium.  Brewed with Pale Ale malt, oats, and dark crystal malts, hopped with Fuggles, and fermented with authentic Belgian Abbey yeast, the ale reveals intricate layers of spice, fig, bitter chocolate and delicate alcohol.  An inviting, yet complex brew that implores us to relax, silence ourselves, and take a moment to appreciate what’s genuine, simple, and beautiful in life.  8% ABV

American Brewing Company

1) Winter Classic
A strong dark ale at 8.5% abv.

2) Special sour version of our brown ale

Anacortes Brewery

1) Cask Noel Winter Ale
Noel Winter Ale – Brewed to celebrate the holiday season, this winter warmer uses various aromatic specialty malts and has a prominent hop character from mild American Noble varieties. 7.0% ABV  45 IBU

2) Klosterbier
Klosterbier – Originally brewed at the Anacortes Brewery under the guidance of the visiting Brewmaster of Kalt Loch Brewery in Bavaria, this beer is modeled after a dark lager brewed by Kalt Loch for the Engelberg monastery. Our version uses Perle hops and a portion of apple wood smoked malt. 5.3% ABV  35 IBU

3) Broadsword
Broadsword Scottish Ale – This strong Scottish ale has robust malty flavors with subtle smokiness and a balanced bittereness from Perle, Cascade and Mt Hood hops. Broadsword is made with Black Patent, Caramel, Chocolate, Munich and Peat smoked malts for a dark color and rich flavor. 8.3% ABV  35 IBU

Big Al Brewing

1) Winter Warmer 2011
A dark Strong Ale with deep toffee and milk chocolate malt flavors, firm bitterness and a kick that will put the Happy in your Holidays. 7.5% ABV

2) Winter Warmer 2010
The 2010 Vintage of our popular winter seasonal. 7.5% ABV

3) Nut Warmer
Our take on the classic & traditional PBDA (that would be a Peanut Butter Dark Ale  for the non-beer geeks out there) 7.5% ABV

Big Time Brewery

1) Yule Fest
A dark Christmas Ale not fk’ed up with spices.  Complex malt character from multiple crystal malts. 7.3% ABV

2) Perspective IPA
Simcoe and Amarillo make this IPA a hop bomb that every hop head loves to detonate in their mouth. 6.1% ABV

Black Raven Brewing

1) Gunpowder Plot Bourbon Nitro Porter
Porter aged in a bourbon barrel with chocolate and coffee. 6.2% ABV

2) Festivus Seeker
Double IPA with cranberries, ginger and herbs. 9.1% ABV

Boundary Bay Brewery

1) Vintage 2008 Cabin Fever
A strong ale or “Winter Warmer” with dark red-brown color and a very rich malty flavor. Dry-hopped lightly with Cascades for a pleasant aroma and slightly spicy hop finish. This big beer is deceptively strong. yet tastes very smooth thanks to extra long cold conditioning. Three years of aging have transformed this brew in a rich. old-style ale. Original Gravity: 1.072

2) Barrel Aged Scotch Ale
Traditionally strong, this ale is a unique beer with a similar malt profile to its more famous cousin Scotch whiskey. Roasted, unmalted barley provides a distinctive flavor. A thick creamy head and a beautiful red hue are two of the trademark results of its brewing process. Hopped just long enough to achieve balance with the malt, the end product is incredibly smooth with a finish that lingers. This brew was aged in a Dry Fly Distillery Whiskey Barrel. We are thrilled to be collaborating with this new distillery located in Spokane, WA. Original Gravity: 1.064

3) Imperial Oak Aged Oatmeal Stout
Lightly hopped, it is aged for one month to allow the medley of dark malts and oats to celebrate their union. This brew was aged with toasted French oak adding hints of oak & vanilla. Vintage 2010. Original Gravity: 1.090

Diamond Knot Brewery

1) Front Street Bitter
Originally a batch of IPA that went sideways, this one is straw– to light-copper-colored, medium-bodied ale with some grassy, herbal goodness imparted by a generous Willamette dry-hop.  40 IBUs; 6.6% ABV

2) Industrial Ho!Ho!
A robust ‘winter warmer’ ale, ruby brown in color with a slightly sweet, fruity nose. Very hoppy, yet balanced with a sturdy malt foundation. 60 IBUs; 8.5% ABV

Elliott Bay Brewing

1)Organic Noale Holiday Ale
Brewed with a Dunkel Weizenbock recipe in mind, our winter seasonal ale uses 40% wheat malt to achieve its hearty texture and blend of caramel and roasted malts for color. 8.9% ABV

2)Three Threads Barrel-aged Blend
We dug deep in the cellar to fashion this one-of-a-kind blend of three different beers which were aged in oak barrels.

Elysian Brewing

1) Bifröst Winter Ale
Named for the mythical bridge connecting the mortal world to the heavens. Brewed with pale malt and small amounts of Munich and Crystal malts. Bittered with Simcoe and finished with Amarillo, East Kent Goldings and Styrian Goldings hops. Starting gravity 18.4° Plato (1.074), alcohol 6.35% by weight. 58 IBU 7.6% ABV.

2) Bye-Bye Fröst
An extremely strong pale ale made with huge amounts of two row pale and small amounts of Munich and Cara-hell. Bittered with Magnum, Amarillo and Styrian Goldings; finished with Amarillo and Styrian Goldings hops. Additionally dry-hopped with  Amarillo. Starting gravity 23.6° Plato (1.099), alcohol  8.3% by weight, 10.6% ABV.

3) Dragonstooth Stout
The name is referential to the founders of Thebes, warriors who sprang from the earth when the teeth of a slain dragon were sown by Cadmus. Made with 10% rolled oats, roasted barley, Crystal, Munich and chocolate malts. Bittered with Magnum, finished with Cascade and Centennial hops. Starting gravity 20° Plato (1.080), alcohol 6.2% by weight, 60 IBU. 7.45% ABV.

Flyers Restaurant and Brewery

1)Daybreak Breakfast Stout
A rich black oatmeal stout infused with coffee from Fidalgo Bay Roasting Co.. Smooth and very easy to drink, beer for breakfast you bet! English Barley Malts, and a generous portion of oats are used along with English Challenger Hops for balance. 7% ABV

2) Hop Duster IPA
We went with Crisp pale ale malt and lots of Columbus and Cascade hops on this one! When some is good and more is better is concerned this hits the mark, 7% ABV and tons of hops all the way through.

Foggy Noggin Brewing

1) Christmas Duck
A mouthful of sweetened roasty flavors that linger long as a roasty dryness. Satisfying in every respect and a pint of the holiday spirit each time. Everyone deserves to celebrate Christmas year-round. Jingle Beers! Jingle Beers. 6.6% ABV

2) Powder Keg
A Coffee Stout. 7.2% ABV

Fremont Brewing

1) Abominable Ale
A tasty winter ale to snuggle up to, released for the winter months when snow blankets the terrain of the mind and the body craves warmth and…Dark and roasty, chocolatey, malt flavors balanced by Noble hop aroma and subtle hoppy spice. Warm up to it. Don’t be Scared to be Abominable. IBU: 50 8.0% ABV

2) Bourbon Abominable Ale “Bbomb”
The 2011 Kentucky bourbon barrel-aged edition of our winter warmer.  Bourbon, wood and vanilla add to the dark and roasty, chocolatey, malt flavors and subtle hoppy spice.  Aged in 20 year-old bourbon barrels until just right. Warm up to it. Don’t be Scared to be Bbominable. IBU: 50 ABV: 9.5%

3) The Sister Imperial IPA
The Sister is a beast. Are You? Brewed with both extract and pellet hops, the Sister will sit on your palette and beat you down. And you’ll like it. Washington Imperial IPA, All Hail The Hops…and Great Head….from the Malted Wheat.  Down and Dirty: Pale Malt, White Wheat, Vienna Malt with Amarillo, Bravo, Calypso and Columbus hops. IBU: Billions and Billions 9.0% ABV

Icicle Brewing

1) SnowBockalypse (Doppelbock)
Deep brown lager with ruby highlights. Heavy, rich, and sweet malt notes carry this beer, with a slight warming sensation at the finish. Bocks were originally brewed in Germany, with the Doppelbock variation being attributed to the Paulaner Monks of Munich, who brewed this beer for their fasts when they were not allowed solid food. Doppelbocks served as “liquid bread”.  21 IBU. 7% ABV

2) Priebe Porter
A dark, rich and full bodied ale with a sweet aroma.  Strong malt flavors and character with a dry roasted finish. This Robust American Porter is full of dark chocolate flavor, complemented by the firm presence of Yakima grown hops.  Named for Head Brewer, Dean Priebe, this beer won many home brewing awards for Dean before he started brewing professionally.  Served in an American crafted traditional 16oz. pint glass. 34 IBU. 6.5% ABV

Iron Horse Brewery

1) Cozy Sweater
Vanilla Milk Stout 4.5% ABV

2) Brewer’s Choice TBA

Naked City Brewery & Taphouse

1)Big Lebrewski
The Big Lebrewski is made with copious amounts of 2 row Pale Malt, Chocolate Malts and Roasted Barley along with Magnum and Cascade Hops. Lactose is added for a rich creamy mouth feel. After primary fermentation, the beer is transferred onto 2 lbs of Kahlua soaked medium toast French oak cubes and allowed to condition for an additional month. The resulting beer is bold and rich with roasted coffee and chocolate notes and pleasant alcohol warmth. 9% ABV

2) Bing
English Style Old Ale aged on a combination of Bing and Tart Montmorency Cherries. 8% ABV

Northern Lights Brewing

1) Winter Ale
This hearty seasonal offering is crafted in the likeness of Northwest style winter warmers. We utilize 2-row pale, Munich, and Crystal malts plus 5 kettle additions of hops and dry hopping to create this deliciously hoppy winter ale. Rich maltiness and citrusy hop profiles mingle with fruity esters and alcohol to create a beer with classic northwest characteristics and a great drink for the holidays. 7.5% ABV

2) Frankin Stout
Imperial Stout. 9.5% ABV

Pike Brewing Company

1) Pike Auld Acquaintance
A Winter treat, infused with Curacao and sweet orange peel, cassia bark, nutmeg and coriander. 32 IBU. 5.00% ABV

2) Pike 5X Stout
Malt: Pale, Crystal and Roasted. Hops: Chinook, Willamette, East Kent Goldings. Color: Black IBU 65 7.00% ABV

3) Pike Imperial Stout
Hops: Chinook, Willamette, Columbus, Goldings. Malts: Pale, Crystal and Roasted. IBU 80 9.00% ABV

Port Townsend Brewing

1)Winter Ale
A rusty colored ale created by a multi faceted malt bill with enough cascade hops throughout to let you know it’s winter on the Peninsula. 7% alc/vol

2) Brewer’s Choice, TBA

Ram Restaurant & Brewery

1) Ol’ Mallwalker
“The beer formerly known as Seligher” – A festive strong ale deep copper hued with a sturdy malt backbone and assertive hop character – pouring 2009, 2010 and 2011. 9.5% ABV

2) S’no Angel
Our Winter Wizenbock features a rich and complex malt profile with hints of fruit, spice and chocolate and a smooth, warming finish. 6.8% ABV

Redhook Brewery

1)Winterhook
Cask Conditioned Spiced Winterhook. We put a twist on our winter seasonal by spicing it up with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and a bit of vanilla, then cask conditioning it! The base liquid is RedhookÂ’s 27th brew of Winterhook which has roasted chocolate notes that smooth out the quick, spicy hop finish. The rich body and nutty, malty backbone make this winter ale slightly naughty and very nice. ABV 6.0% / IBU 45

2) Down Under Stout
A“Dark, Smooth and Goes Down Easy.” A smooth and creamy brew that is loosely modeled after Australian and sweeter styled stouts. Brewed with plenty of specialty malts, this stout is dark in color with a rich and decadent taste. ABV 7.0% / IBU 55

Rock Bottom Brewery (Seattle)

1) Saison
2 row, Munich malt and Flaked Rye. Hopped with Nugget and Mt. Hood. Brewed with Lachouffe yeast strain. Crisp, fruity and spicy in the tradition of of French/Belgian Farmhouse Ale. 5.4% ABV, 26 BU.

2)IPA
Pilsner malt. Hopped with Citra, Ahtanum, and Amarillo. Dry-hopped with Amarillo. Dry and aromatic IPA with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. 7.0 % ABV, 65 BU.

Schooner EXACT

1) Hoppy Holidays
A rich, malty beer with an assertive but balanced hop character. This beer greets you with hints of chocolate and dark fruits on the nose. Flavors of rich dark malts with chocolate undertones play over your tongue and finish with a prevalent earthy hop finish.

2) Hoppy the Woodsman
This bourbon barrel- aged beer gives off an aroma of malty sweet chocolate with vanilla and oak undertones. Flavors of dark pit fruit will conjure up memories of fruitcake are intertwined with vanilla and oak flavors imparted from the barrels. This medium bodied ale finishes smooth and boozy with a good hop bite.

3) Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter
After brewing batch 100 on our 10bbl system, the brewers at Schooner EXACT squirreled away some of the beer to age in bourbon barrels. This very limited-release beer is the happy result.

4) Foxy Mocha Brown
Back by popular demand, this version of our classic brown ale is perfect for those dark Seattle evenings. Malty, rich nutty brown mingles with the energizing flavors of Schooner EXACT’s own hand-roasted espresso.

Scuttlebutt Brewing

1) Oaked 10 Below
This Imperial Dunkle is like drinking a chocolate brownie.  Rich chocolate flavors with a hint of vanilla are balanced with molasses.  Very drinkable without being too decadent. The fresh American Oak creates another layer of complexity without compromising the strengths of the beer. 7.4% ABV

2) Sea Hag Scotch Ale
A complex malty brew with a hint of smoke. 7.44% ABV

Silver City Brewery

1) Silver City Winter Bock
Just as old world brewers aged their beer in snow-covered cellars, Silver City stores Winter Bock for five weeks at near freezing temperatures. Cold conditioning makes Winter Bock the smoothest, most flavorful way we know to celebrate the winter season.  7% ABV

2) Silver City Old Scrooge Christmas Ale
Silver City Restaurant and Brewery is proud to present this limited batch of our very own British style barley wine ale. Old Scrooge is a rich and malty ale with all the character of a fine wine. Its character will fully develop over time. Intriguing notes of apple, cherry and apricot occur naturally as a result of its unique fermentation and extended aging. To fully appreciate this special Christmas Ale, we recommend serving it in a brandy glass near 55 F and slowly savored. 8.5% ABV

Slippery Pig Brewery

1)Black Boar
Black Hefeweizen. Made with locally roasted wheat, and a touch of lemon verbena.  6.5% ABV

2) Emasculator
Dark and malty Doppelbock. Brewed with local blackberries.  10% ABV

Snipes Mountain Brewery

1) Miller Reserve: Pumpkin Death ’10
A massively drinkable, cherrywood smoked pumpkin imperial stout.  Last year’s vintage is tasting good. 8.0% ABV

2) Julekalender
Imperial Oatmeal Chocolate Stout 8.5%

3) Ye Olde Roza
Barleywine 13% ABV

Snoqualmie Falls Brewery

1) Avalanche Winter Ale
Designed to take the chill off of our stormy Northwest winters, Avalanche is the prefect combination of complex malt flavors and distinct hoppy goodness. 6.8% ABV and 48 IBUs

2) Black Frog Irish Oatmeal Stout
Creamy and smooth, a classic nitro stout with chocolaty flavors and a satisfyingly dry finish. 4.8% ABV

Two Beers Brewing

1) Infused 20:20 Blonde
20:20 Blonde infused with lavender, rose, currants and elderberries

2) Infused Evo. IPA
Evo. IPA infused with mango pieces, apple bits, calendula and orange peel

3) Infused Jive Espresso Stout
Jive Espresso Stout infused with coconut shreds, cacao nibs, cinnamon, star anise

Valholl Brewing Company

1) Stouty Stouterson
Imperial Oatmeal Stout brewed with sweet potatoes, raisins, cinnamon, and brown sugar. 11% ABV

2) Brewer’s Choice TBA

Wingman Brewers

1) Stratofortress Belgian Strong Ale
Aged on black rum soaked cedar.  The familiar smell of cedar fills your nose as you breathe in the toasted wood aroma of this ale.  Then strong flavors of fig and fruit give way to a sweet rum and spice finish. 11.4% ABV

2) Cerise Noire Lambic
Brewed with black cherry tea and fermented with cherries.  The tea adds a delicious herbal bite that pairs well with the wild brett flavors. 7% ABV

3) Ace IPA
A Belgian meets American style IPA. Distinctly Belgian malts complement a healthy portioning of Citra, Centennial and Cascade hops. Light malty flavors up front give way to a distinctive hop kick. 7.4% ABV

Chuckanut Brewery

1)Brewer’s Choice TBA

2)Brewer’s Choice TBA

Hale’s Ales Brewery

1)Brewer’s Choice TBA

2)Brewer’s Choice TBA

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

There will be a lot of great beer poured this weekend at the Washington Winter Beerfest (see the complete list). It’s always a challenge to decide where to start, but this year I have my eye on few things in particular.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets in advance. This festival often sells out and you don’t want to be left out in the cold, so to speak. Click here for details.

Below is the list of beers about which I am most excited.

Cabin Fever Vertical – Boundary Bay Cabin Fever is probably my favorite winter beer year in and year out. I tend to have an annual  favorite each year, but I always reach into the bottom drawer and pull out the same old wool sweater when the temperatures drop and the snows start to fall. This year Boundary Bay Brewery will be pouring 2008, 2009, and 2010 Cabin Fever. I seriously cannot wait!

Back by Popular Demand – Two beers that blew everyone’s minds at the Washington Brewers Festival last June. Both of these beers are made in smaller batches, so we’ll call them rare. I’m sure some of it will be available at each of the three sessions, but it will go fast. First is Big Al Brewing’s Peanut Butter Stout, which is  made with real peanut butter and presents a real challenge for the brewer as well as the “assistant brewer” (the person who cleans up after the brewer). The other is Black Raven Brewing’s La Petite Mort, a barrel-aged Belgian dark ale (bourbon barrel).

Sweet and Sour – Elysian Brewing’s Bifrost Winter Ale—the seasonal offering from one of Seattle’s most revered breweries—might not qualify as sweet, per se, but it is a beer that we consider a wintertime staple around these parts. This year, they’ll be pouring it alongside Bret Frost, which we can reasonably assume is a soured version of the Bifrost.

Coffee Brews – Nobody will be pouring 4 Loko, but artisan brewers are not shy about their love of coffee. There are three coffee-themed beers that we are looking forwards to enjoying at Winter Beerfest: Daybreak Breakfast Stout, an oatmeal coffee stout from Flyer’s Brewery in Oak Harbor; Sumatra Coffee Stout from Trade Route Brewing; and Jive Espresso Stout from Two Beers Brewing, an outstanding beer with which we are already familiar in its regular form, but not the cask-conditioned version they’ll be pouring at the festival.

A Winter Welcome – Paradise Creek Brewery is located Pullman and is a newcomer to the festival this year. Actually, they’re a fairly new brewery overall. They will be pouring three different beers: Hopocolypse Black IPA, Dirty Blonde, and Over the Hop American IPA. We look forward to sampling their beer without driving all the way to Pullman.

We will be at the festival this weekend. Look for us in our “Follow Me to Good Beer” shirts. Be sure to say hello.  Tell us about your favorite beer.

Pictures from last year’s Winter Beerfest:

Getting there early has advantages. You get to meet Santa - Ken from Port Townsend Brewing.

We were the first people through the door last year.

Later in the evening the crowd picked up, as expected.

Did you hear us? We were on the radio. KUOW 94.9 FM, to be exact. It was a fast hour, for sure. Time flies when you’re drinking beer, I guess.

The show’s site is here.

You can download the MP3 here.

You can find it in the KUOW archives as well, click here. (The show aired on 12/6 at 10:00 a.m.)

I was contacted a few weeks ago by a KUOW producer who wanted to talk about beer – winter beer, in particular. We chatted via email and then over the phone. I was invited to come into the studio for an hour of beer talk. Drew Cluley from Pike Brewing and Alejandro Brown from Big Al Brewing joined me as we appeared on KUOW’s Weekday.

We sampled a few beers, talked about beer and the local brewing industry. We had a great time and were honored to be on air representing the Washington beer industry.

Below is the official list of breweries and beers for the 2010 Washington Winter Beerfest.  In all, 35 breweries will pour nearly 100 different beers. For complete details and ticket information visit the official event website.

The event takes place on Friday, December 10th and Saturday, December 11th at the Hale’s Palladium in Ballard. There are three sessions this year−a Friday evening session, a Saturday afternoon session and a Saturday evening session. Washington Winter Beerfest regularly sells out. Get your tickets early.

7 Seas Brewing-Gig Harbor
1) Port Royal Export Style Stout
2) Saison
3) Ballz Deep Double IPA

Airways Brewing-Kent
1) Hot Chocolate Ale
2) Sky Hag IPA
3) Jet City ESB

Anacortes Brewery-Anacortes
1) Noel Winter Ale
2) Broadswood Scottish Ale
3) Klosterbier

Baron & Three Skulls-Seattle
1) Three Skulls Poison Winter Warmer
2) Three Skulls Blackbeard Dark Lager-Schwarzbier

Big Al Brewing-Seattle
1)Winter Warmer
2) Belgian Tripel
3) Peanut Butter Imperial Stout

Big Time Brewery-Seattle
1) Yulefest Winter Ale
2) Random Thought Generator Imperial Rye IPA
3) Holy Molé Chocolate-Chile Ale

Black Raven Brewing-Redmond
1) 2010 Old Birdbrain Barley Wine
2) 2010 Bourbon Barrel la Petite Mort Barrel Aged Belgian Dark Ale
3) Festivus IPA Herb and Spice Beer

Boundary Bay Brewery-Bellingham
1) 2010 Cabin Fever Winter Ale
2) 2009 Cabin Fever Winter Ale
3) 2008 Cabin Fever Winter Ale

Chuckanut Brewery-Bellingham
1) Kolsch
2) Dunkel

Diamond Knot Brewing-Mukilteo
1) Industrial HO HO HO
2) TBA

Elliott Bay Brewing – Burien & Seattle
1) IMPERIAL RED ALE (2010)
2) NOALE HOLIDAY ALE (ORGANIC)

Elysian Brewing-Seattle
1) Bifröst Winter Ale
2) Oak Frost
3) Brett Fröst
4) Valhalla Christmas Ale

Fish Brewing-Olympia
1) Winter Fish
2) Boulder Bend Dunkelweizen

Flyers Brewery-Oak Harbor
1) Daybreak Breakfast Stout-Oatmeal Coffee Stout
2) Dry Hop Afterburner IPA-American Strong Pale Ale

Fremont Brewing-Seattle
1) Bourbon Abominable Ale “BBomb”
2) Le Mystère de l’hiver – Bourbon barrell Oatmeal Stout

Gorden Biersch Brew-Seattle
1) Dopplebock Lager

Hale’s Ales Brewery-Seattle
1) Supergoose
2) Wee Heavy Scotch Ale
3) Quadruppel Belgian Style Strong Dark

Harmon Brewing-Tacoma
1) Olde Bog Breath Scotch Ale
2) Oak Aged Point Defiance IPA

Hood Canal Brewery-Kingston
1) Southpoint Porter
2) Bywater Bay ESB

Iron Horse Brewery-Ellensburg
1) Cozy Sweater
2) Mocha Death

Issaquah Brewhouse/Rogue Ales-Issaquah
1) Jolly Frog
2) Brown Frog Belgian Wit

Naked City Brewery-Seattle
1) French Dude Barrel Aged Beer
2) Bing Spiked Cherry Ale

Northern Lights Brewing-Spokane
1) Winter Ale
2) Stellar Stout
3) Imperial IPA

Paradise Creek Brewery-Pullman
1) Hopocolypse Black IPA
2) Dirty Blonde
3) Over the Hop American IPA

Pike Brewing-Seattle
1) Auld Acquaintance Holiday Ale
2) Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale

Port Townsend Brewing-Port Townsend
1) Winter Ale Old Ale
2) Hop Diggidy IPA

Ram Restaurant & Brewery-Seattle
1) Ol’ Mallwalker – Strong old ale
2) Uber Dunkle Weizenbock
3) Dawgsled Winter warmer

Redhook Ale Brewery-Woodinville
1) Winterhook Winter Ale
2) Eisbock 28 Iced Winter Lager
3) Copperhook Copper Ale

Rock Bottom Brewery-Bellevue
1) Frostbite Imperial Red
2) Hollydaze Imperial IPA
3) Black Diamond Oatmeal Stout

Schooner Exact Brewing-Seattle
1) Hoppy the Woodsman
2) Puget Soundian Dark Ale – Black IPA
3) Profanity Hill Porter
4) Black Raspberry Wheat Ale

Scuttlebutt Brewing-Everett
1) 10 Below Winter Ale
2) Oaked 10 Below Winter Ale

Silver City Brewery-Silverdale
1) Imperial Stout
2) Old Scrooge Christmas Ale English Strong Ale

Snipes Mountain Brewery-Sunnyside
1) Pumpkin Death
2) 2 Fresh IPA

Trade Route Brewing-Pacific
1) Sumatra Coffee Stout
2) Trade Route IPA

Two Beers Brewing-Seattle
1) Cask Conditioned Jive Espresso Stout
2) Double Dry-Hopped Infused Evo
3) 20:20 Blonde

Tickets are now on sale for the Washington Winter Beer Fest, which takes place at Hale’s Palladium on December 10th and 11th. Advance tickets are $23 ($25 at the door, if available). This year there will be three sessions: Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. It will be interesting to see which session sells out first.

Sessions:
Friday, December 10th, 5:30 – 9:30
Saturday, December 11th, 12:00 – 4:00
Saturday, December 11th, 5:30 – 9:30

Click here to purchase tickets.

Click here to go to the official event website.

The Breweries

The lineup includes 35 Washington breweries pouring more than 70 dfferent beers. The lineup of beers will be available after Thanksgiving. Looking at the list of breweries, a couple of things jump off the page. Paradise Creek Brewery, from Pullman, is on the list, providing an opportunity to sample their beer without a cross-state roadtrip. Gordon Biersch Brewing will be at Winter Beer Fest this year. I can’t remember the last time I saw them at a beer festival and I’m curious to see what they’ll be pouring.

Here is the complete list of breweries:

• 7 Seas Brewing
• Airways Brewing
• Anacortes Brewery
• Baron Brewing
• Big Al Brewing
• Big Time Brewery
• Black Raven Brewing
• Boundary Bay Brewery
• Chuckanut Brewery
• Diamond Knot Brewing
• Elliott Bay Brewing
• Elysian Brewing
• Fish Brewing
• Flyers Brewery
• Fremont Brewing
• Gordon Biersch Brewing
• Hale’s Ales Brewery
• Harmon Brewing
• Hood Canal Brewery
• Iron Horse Brewery
• Issaquah Brewhouse/Rogue Ales
• Northern Lights Brewing
• Paradise Creek Brewery
• Pike Brewing
• Port Townsend Brewing
• Redhook Ale Brewery
• Rock Bottom Brewery
• Schooner Exact Brewing
• Scuttlebutt Brewing
• Silver City Brewery
• Snipes Mountain Brewery
• The Ram Brewery
• Trade Route Brewing
• Two Beers Brewing

The old logo.

The new logo.

Mark the date. Winter Beer Fest is just around the corner. Preliminary information is now available regarding the Washington Beer Commission‘s 2010 Winter Beer Festival.

The event will take place at Hale’s Palladium on Friday December 10th and Saturday December 11th. In addition to a Friday evening session, there will be two sessions on Saturday — afternoon and evening.  That’s a new twist.

Admission will be $23 advance, $25 at the door, and includes six beer tastes. No word yet on how to score advance tickets.

We’ll keep you posted as details become available. For now, get more information…

On the website

On Facebook

We were at Winter Beer Fest last night and there are dozens of reasons why you should go today. There are 34 Washington breweries pouring 86 different beers (approximately). I’d say those are 86 reasons to go. If you don’t like good beer, then this is not the event for you. If you are stuck at home with the swine flu, please don’t go. Other than that, there really isn’t any reason to miss it.

For us WABLs, the WABL hour is a pleasure. For one hour the crowd is practically non-existent. You move freely and can easily chase down the things on the list that sound most intriguing to you.

Here is a list of some of our favorites, though we must admit we didn’t try all 86 beers. We will post the winner of the People’s Choice award tonight when it is announced.

Snipes Mountain was pouring a couple things we liked. The ’08 Bourbon Barrel Pumpkin Death warmed me right up. Kim, Mrs. Beer Blog, was overwhelmed by the Fresh Hop IPA.

Naked City Brewery gets the award for the best tap handle for the Big Lebowski Imperial Stout. We liked the beer a lot, but also loved seeing the Dude on the tap handle. Their Bing, cherry spiced dubbel, was also one of our favorites.

Ram Northgate was serving up their Bi Clops – Belgian dubbel. This might have been my favorite. It’s hard to pick a single winner amongst so many great beers.

Port Townsend, Grey Sky Winter Rye. Kim said that this beer paired extremely well with the chocolate cupcakes that the Chocolate Box was serving at the chocolate booth.

Schooner Exact, Hoppy the Woodsman. I think I am finally beginning to warm up to these wooded beers. This was the big winner at last year’s Winter Beer Fest. It may be again this year. Nothing too eloquent to say but… damn good beer.

Lazy Boy, Mistletoe Bliss A and B. No surprise here. Kim and I both adore this beer and this brewery. We liked both versions of the Mistletoe Bliss.

Black Raven, Petite la Mort. Stop the presses! Hold the bus! Shut the front door! This beer is un-effing believable.

Big Time. ’nuff said. They’re pouring Malaprop 8 Abbey-style, Yulefest, and Decade 2.1. They are all outstanding.

Diamond Knot, Industrial Ho Ho ’07. This beer has laid down well. Pat Ringe (brewer) was pouring when I visited. As good as this beer is right now, he assures me it will be even better in a year or two.

There are a ton of beers we did not try, and there were plenty of good ones we missed. You cannot do them all unless you want to start spitting out beer for the sake of tasting. I don’t do that. Here are a few photos.

It was chilly last night. Kim is bundled in her puffy coat with Ken (Big Al Brewing), Hutch (Rogue Issaquah Brew House), and Janelle (Snoqualmie Falls Brewing).

We were the first people through the door. The WABL happy hour certainly has its advantages. No crowd.

Later in the evening the crowd picked up, as expected.

Big Wood – Today (Thrs. Dec. 3rd) the Big Wood Festival* gets underway at Brouwer’s Cafe in Fremont. Doors open at 11:00 a.m. This year the list of beers is huge – at least 45 beers long. Beers from near and far, from brewers like Firestone Walker, Cantillon, Allagash, Avery, Great Divide, Southern Tier, Pike, Port Townsend and Schooner Exact. And many more. If you like big, ballsy, wood-aged beers, this is the event for you. To view the list of beers, see our previous post or go to the Brouwer’s Cafe blog.

*NOTE- You should consult your physician before attending Big Wood. Big Wood is not intended for people taking Nitrates or with other heart conditions. If Big Wood lasts for more than four hours, seek immediate medical attention.

Winter Beer Fest – This weekend (Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4th and 5th) the Washington Beer Commission presents the Washington Winter Beer Festival. The event takes place at Hale’s Paladium in Frelard (the place where Fremont meets Ballard). Tickets are still available at some of the outlets and tickets will be available at the door. This is a highly-anticipated event each year and should not be missed.  For more information see our previous post, or go to the official event Web site.

There are still tickets left for this weekend’s Washington Winter Beer Festival. The event is in Fremont at the Hale’s Paladium. It is one of the most highly-anticipated beer events of the year. There were a limited number of tickets available online, now sold out, but there will be plenty of tickets at the door for both the Friday and Saturday sessions. Read our story about the festival.

The Washington Beer Commission invited us to attend a media event yesterday at the Hale’s brewery - a chocolate and beer pairing session. The event served as a preview of this year’s Winter Beer Festival. Along with all the fabulous beer, one of Seattle’s finest chocolate shops – The Chocolate Box – will be at the festival serving samples of some of the world’s finest chocolate treats. The idea is that you sample different beers alongside different chocolates to find the pairing that makes your tongue do cartwheels.

Representatives from the beer industry and the chocolate industry were at yesterday’s event to tell us about their products as we sampled delectable chocolates alongside a delicious assortment of beers. Pairing beer with chocolate is beautifully subjective. There is no “right” pairing. It is entirely up to you to determine which combination works best for your palate.

Yesterday we learned from the experts the proper way to do it. Start with the chocolate. The only real requirement is that you let it melt on your tongue to release the entire depth of its flavors. It is hard, but you must give the chocolate some time to work its magic before you swallow. Let the oils coat your mouth. You’ll notice flavors that were not there when you first popped it into your mouth. Then take a sip of beer. Repeat.

My favorite pairing was the Trade Route Ginger Pale Ale paired with a Chilli Truffle from Carter’s Chocolates. When the truffle first hit my mouth, I barely noticed any hint of chilli. The heat came as the chocolate melted into nothingness on my tongue. It lingered. Then I took a sip of the beer. The truffle’s chilli combined with the beer’s ginger to create a whole new flavor, one that reminded me of Thai food – spicy, sweet, and hot.

Mrs. Beer Blog has a much more sophisticated palate for chocolate than I do. One of her favorite pairings was the XXXXX Stout Truffle, also from Carter’s Chocolates, paired with a couple of different beers. First, the truffle paired with Big Time Malaprop 8 Abbey Style Bier created a dessert-like sensation. The same truffle paired with Pike Entire created something that reminded her of an after dinner glass of bourbon.  The truffle served to bring out, or emphasize, different characteristics in each beer.

Like I said, chocolate and beer pairings are entirely subjective. It’s all about what you like. We highly recommend that you try it yourself at this weekend’s Winter Beer Festival. The folks from the Chocolate Box know a lot about chocolate and they know a surprising lot about beer as well. They will be happy to make recommendations. If you can describe the beer to them, they can recommend a chocolate to you.

Winter Beer Fest tickets will be available at the door. Visit the official Web site for complete details.

Here’s one last note for those of you wondering. The XXXXX Stout Truffle is indeed made using Pike XXXXX Stout. Mike Carter, the man behind Carter’s Chocolates, worked as a server at Pike. He now operates a chocolate business out of Port Orchard. His chocolates are amazing.