SBM Days 18-23

Engine House 9's Belgian White
https://www.facebook.com/EngineHouseNo9
There really is nothing like being a tourist in your own town.  While I used to frequent this iconic establishment during my college years, I haven't ventured there much lately.  Primed and ready for one heaping helping of an adventure bite, I made sure to try a taster of all the house beers E9 had to offer.  By far, my favorite was their Belgian White.  Crisp and refreshing, I could see taking advantage of their sunny patio and throwing a couple of these back before the end of summer.

Bellevue Brewing Company
bellevuebrewing.com
Way back in February, I visited BBC to check them out.  What I found were some tasty brews with an extensive food menu.  The BBQ Chicken Pizza I had was quite delish.  This time around, my visit was strictly about the beer.  Once again, an uncommon favorite arose from the bunch.  Their Belgian Witbier was the preferred taster for me...even over their IPA and Oatmeal Stouts, two of my noted favorites from February.

Elk Head Tap Room Ocean Shores, WA
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elk-Head-Tap-Room/173869659321115
Even though Elk Head's actual brewery in in Buckley, WA (within 30 short minutes of my daily happenings) I have yet to visit that location.  However, I always seem to find myself in Ocean Shores a few times each summer.  My first stop is ALWAYS Elk Head's tap room for their IPA and onion rings.  No, those aren't donuts.  Those are the most amazing freshly beer battered onion rings that you will ever have.  Paired with their American IPA, an ocean breeze, and great local conversation, this summer time treat can't be beat.

Triplehorn Brewing Company
www.triplehornbrewingco.com
It is customary that if you have much to write about in the beer world, you must do said writing at a brewery.  Ok, maybe it isn't customary, but it definitely should be necessary.  A Sunday afternoon full of summer sun with nothing to do but write and enjoy, I ventured up to Triplehorn to see how far they had come.  Last October, I swung through for a quick taste on my way to a Halloween party.  This time, I settled in for a full sampler and then chose a pint of their IPA...or was it two pints.  The more beerspiration the better, right?

Girls' Night In
I know, I know.  This picture has NOTHING to do with beer.  Hold on just a minute and let me explain.  When a dear friend of yours shows up at your door with Pizza Rolls, Oreos, and a couple bottles of sparkling wine, you concede to whatever the night turns into.  After finding a lonely bottle of Rhubarb Liqueur from It's Five Artisan Distillery (its5distillery.com) in my refrigerator, it was on.  Good movies, tasty snacks, and great conversation all mixed with this wine concoction made for a fun evening.  I didn't even miss my daily beer.  It's amazing what junk food can do!

Day at the Museum
www.museumofglass.org
Turns out, a night full of bubbly lends itself nicely to some lunch time cocktails the following day.  Luckily, on our way to the Museum of Glass, a cute little place called The Social (www.thesocialbarandgrill.com) was spotted.  Right along the pristine Thea Foss Waterway, their libations, along with some of fried munchies, were just what we needed prior to a tour of Dale Chihuly's pride and joy.  With an extensive menu, The Social might just become my go to happy hour locale within stumbling distance of my digs.  How was the MOG?  Awesome as always.  A must see when in the Puget Sound.

SBM Days 13-17

Wow, where has the month gone?  As I sit here at the airport, all sprawled out on the floor like a hipster hobo (complete with power cords), I finally find the time to catch up and share some of my summer beer adventures.

Narrows Brewing Company
narrowsbrewing.com
On their opening weekend, I had the pleasure of tasting Tacoma's newest brewery's beers.  Three in the lineup with fermenters full of more, I grew quite fond of their IPA.  At 8%, this hop bomb was everything right, especially when tooling around the pristine brewery with Joe, the head brewer.  A recent transplant to the Northwest, Joe led THE most informative brewery tour I have EVER been on.  And you all know that I have been on a number.  Great location and solid beers makes this a go to destination for South Sound beer lovers.

Golden Road's Point the Way IPA
goldenroad.la/
A summer sunset with an Los Angeles based craft beer in my hand was nothing short of delish.  While I have slightly swayed from my summer beer oath, I have found that this hophead likes IPAs any day of the year.  Especially IPAs that are rare to these parts.  At only 5.9%, this borderline session ale was nice and smooth with a generous amount of Cascade hop love.   Pour.  Drink.  Repeat.

Cans, Cans, and More Cans!
Broken Spoke in Tacoma, WA
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Broken-Spoke-Tacoma/346634752095475
If there is one thing I love more than beer, it is teaching.  When I can combine the two, I might as well be in heaven.  Introducing locals to all the great beer in our town never gets old.  Make that a canned beer enthusiast that has yet to discover all that is Broken Spoke, well it doesn't get any better than that.  With forty or fifty some canned beers available, this Tacoma custom bike shop/beer bar is anything but ordinary.  My advice?  Try a couple different ones each time you go.  Bring a friend and try theirs too.

Northwest Brewing/Three Skulls Blood Orange Wit
nwbrewingcompany.com
More often than not, I find myself spending workweek afternoons in the sunshine of this Pacific, WA brewery.  Now that they are producing Three Skulls Ales, I was anxious to try their Blood Orange Wit.  While not a huge Wit fan, the flavor profile of blood oranges always seems to catch my palate's attention.  This easy drinking summer refresher was easily enjoyed among friends.  I would love to try this on draft to see how this tasty bottle compares.

Green Flash Brewing's Citra Session
www.greenflashbrew.com
There are so many things that are SO right about this beer.  First off, it is from Green Flash.  My beerventure down to SD a few months back led me to being in serious beer love with that brewery.   Secondly, the Citra.  This hop creates an insatiable yearning for more.  Much like that famous Depeche Mode song, I just can't get enough.  The fact that I enjoyed it at my favorite bar while receiving a home brewng medal was only icing on the cake.

SBM: Day 12

Day 12:  Fremont Brewing's Organic Pale Session Ale
The official beer of Seattle Beer Week 2013, this easy drinking bright pale, weighing in at 4.5 % ABV, is a perfect summer choice.  Equipped with essential camp/hike/bike/travel/summer packaging, Fremont nailed this Pale using organic Cowiche Canyon Citra and Simcoe: two hops that are near and dear to my palate.  When I was in Yakima last month, I was able to attend Pecha Kucha: an I Heart Yakima event.  Learning about all the beauty and adventure that Cowiche Canyon has to offer, it was all I could really think about while drinking this can.  Next adventure I take east of the mountains will undoubtedly include a cooler full of this Fremont creation.

www.fremontbrewing.com                    www.iheartyakima.com     

SBM: Day 11

Day 11:  Georgetown Brewing's Manny's Pale Ale

This Northwest staple might not appear to some to be a summertime beer.  For me, this is an all the time beer.  Whether I am at a baseball game, playing pub trivia, or here, writing in the sunshine waiting out traffic, Manny's is a fine choice.  Hoppier than other pales on the market, Georgetown's signature English Ale yeast makes the barley and hops sing in harmony.  Yeah, I said sing.  Go get a pint of this already.

www.georgetownbeer.com



SBM: Day 10

Day 10:  Two Beers Brewing Trailhead ISA
A day full of meetings with fellow beer peeps made choosing the right summertime beer to write about a bit challenging.  But, not to worry, I was able to make it happen.  A visit to Two Beers reintroduced me to their Trailhead India Session Ale.  Available only on tap in the summer, but in cans all year long, I liked the aggressively hoppy yet relatively low ABV, just under 5%.   Another great summer beer for us hopheads.
Up and Coming:  Conversation buzz at The Woods was of the soon to be released cider from the Seattle Cider Company.  Look for 16oz cans of Dry and Semi Sweet varieties, made with Washington apples, to be available later this summer.

www.twobeersbrewery.com

Birthday Brewday and SBM Day 9

Day 9:  American Brewing's American Blonde

There are a few days a year when everything just seems to come together.  I would like to remember July 9, 2013 as one of those days.  After a longer than necessary commute up to Edmonds to hang with the American Brewing crew, I was met with excitement when I learned that I was for sure going to be competing in the Great American Beer Festival Pro Am.  See, not only do less than 100 home brewers in the nation get to do this, it took quite a few stars aligning.  Brewery registration opened that morning, and rumor has it that all 500 spots available were spoken for in less than two hours.  Here I thought the most challenging part was winning a medal to qualify!  So after a long, hot, exciting day of brewing with a fork lift (don't ask), this Blonde was what I needed.  Paired with one of Big Mike's famous beer soaked hot dogs from the grill, it quite possibly was the perfect end to a perfect day.

www.americanbrewing.com

Birthday Eve Celebration: SBM Day 8

Day 8:  Big Time Brewery's Sunbreak Blonde Ale
Any chance I get to spend some time with my 35s, I know that it is going to be good.  Throw in a "grumpy hour" in the U District with the promise of a hookah lounge in our future, and there you have it: the ultimate Birthday Eve celebration.  My first pint at Big Time was their Sunbreak Blonde Ale.  After a toasty drive up north in traffic, it was just what I needed.  At only 4.1% ABV, I didn't feel guilty when I had a few more.  A girl's gotta hydrate, right?
Another taste: Old Sol Wheatwine.  When news of my impending oldness caught our beertender's attention, he promptly poured four shots of Old Sol (no pun intended, I'm sure).  While one of my 35s shot it back immediately, I sipped mine.  At nearly 10%, I savored every last drop.

bigtimebrewery.com

SBM: Day 7

Day 7:  Black Raven Brewing Company's Sun Thief
When in the neighborhood of Redmond, WA, it is imperative to stop by Black Raven.  With ample seating both inside and out, it makes for a nice respite in between places to be.  Sunday afternoon, with an hour to spare, I went in for a cold Sun Thief Kristallweizen.  All the times I have been to Black Raven, I have never tried this ale.  Nice and crisp, this German style wheat beer was a thirst quencher.  Paired with great conversation and a warm breeze, I could see how this beer could appease the masses with its low ABV and touch of banana.

blackravenbrewing.com

SBM: Day 6

Day 6:  Hopworks Urban Brewery's Evelyn's Imperial Sunshine IIPA
A day trip down to Portland for few birthday weekend beers landed us at Hopworks Bike Bar.  With an extensive patio, it was hard to start our PDX journey anywhere else.  Sitting in the Pacific Northwest sunshine, I grinned at the beertender when she told me that their seasonal beer was an Imperial IPA.  Perfect!  This IIPA is named after the brewer's daughter, whose 8lb 4oz entry into the world prompted 84 pounds of hops into this brew.  A welcomed and tasty alternative to the last five days of lighter hopped beers, a couple of pints went down without hesitation.  This hophead needed a good dose of lupulin to get through the rest of the month's challenge.

hopworksbeer.com


SBM: Day 5

Day 5:  Widmer Brothers' Citra Blonde Summer Brew
My recent jaunt over to Yakima taught me a lot about the beloved Citra hop.  First, it is hard to get.  Second, it smells amazing.  Third, I have become a bit obsessed with finding beers that contain it.  That being said, when my eyes spotted a six pack of Widmer Brothers' Citra Blonde, I was sold.  That sought after Citra aroma floated out of the bottle as I poured it into a pint.  My first sip didn't match the hoppiness I expected.  As the beer warmed up, the pale malt and citrus hop melded better together and made for a more enjoyable beer.  Although your instinct will be to drink this one ice cold, do you taste buds a favor, and let it warm up just a bit to unleash all of the flavor.

widmerbrothers.com

Happy Birthday America: SBM Day 4

 

Day 4: DUO Brewing's Earth & Wind Wheat

Where do I start with my love affair with this beer?  This Wheat and I first laid eyes on each other back in March, a brief meeting at DUO headquarters.  Like a cheesy personal ad, I haven't been able to get my mind off of it.  For months, literally months, I have been begging its brewer to reintroduce us.  You see, I like very few Wheats.  Growing up in the land of Widmer and Pyramid, I always thought that Wheat beers needed a slice of citrus to give them flavor.  Not the case with Earth & Wind: a mildly cloudy wheat with just a touch of hop spice to give depth across the sip.  This quickly became a refreshing crowd favorite at a muggy holiday afternoon BBQ.   

 

www.duobrewing.com



SBM: Day 3

 

Day 3:  Leinenkugel's Lemon Berry Shandy

After trying Two Beer's Simple Shandy at the Washington Brewers' Festival last month, I knew that this Leinenkugel's would need to be on my list to try.  A Shandy, by definition, is a mix of beer and either soda or juice.  When making your own Shandy, proportions can be altered to suit your taste.  With a premade Shandy, you take a risk with a predetermined mix.  This Lemon Berry Shandy had the proportions perfect for me: a Weiss beer with just the right amount of lemony tartness and blackberry sweetness.  I personally liked having the beer flavor come back through instead of just the sweet berry.  I would be interested in tasting Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy, which simply has the Weiss and lemonade mix.  Interested in making your own Shandy?  Keep an eye out on the E.C. Kraus blog for my upcoming feature (blog.eckraus.com).

https://leinie.com

Summer Beer Month: Day 2

Day 2:  Northwest Brewing Company's Beach Blonde.

The second day of my Summer Beer Month challenge found me on the sunny patio at Northwest Brewing Company in Pacific, WA.  With their location a stone's throw away from my inaugural Bingo night at the Puyallup Eagles, a few beers in the warm afternoon sunshine were a must.  On tap were a couple of my hoppy favorites.  But, as promised, I reached for a summer seasonal.  NWBC's Beach Blonde, unlike other blondes, was flavorful all the way through.  The light pilsner malt coupled with a budding favorite of mine, Belgian Abbey yeast, produced a flavor I have become quite fond of.  The resulted fruity notes made this 6% ABV pint feel like a true summer ale.

Special note:  I tried a few tasters of NWBC's Mango Weizen and Ginger Pale Ale.  While drinkable alone, I found that blending these two together with a quick swirl made a spicy sweet treat.

nwbrewingcompany.com

July: Summer Beer Month

Each year, July signifies the start of many things.  First, it is the one full month that I have off of work.  I know.  Don't be jealous.  When I'm complaining about my classroom full of preteens this Fall, please remind me of this.  Second, it is the start of Heatherkah.  Yes.  Heatherkah.  My month long birthday celebration.  Apparently being raised an only child did have some side effects.  But honestly, how could such celebration be contained to only one day?  This year I am adding one more event to the mix.  Welcome to my Summer Beer Month Challenge.  Many of you might remember my Winter Beer Month Challenge in December, when I tried a different winter beer each of those 31 days.  Well, now that my liver has recovered, it is time to do it again for July.

Day 1: Samuel Adams Summer Ale
I welcomed in July with my first visit to World of Beer.  Boasting 50 taps along with over 500 bottles, I knew that I would be able to find a suitable summer quencher.  Even though there wasn't a Seasonal Flight to choose from, our savvy beertender was able to wrangle up a few tastes.  My favorite of these was Samuel Adams Summer Ale.  This American Style Wheat Ale had just the right amount of citrus and spice to compliment the wheat backbone.  I enjoyed a taster as well as a full pint while sitting outside on a 90+ degree Pacific Northwest afternoon scorcher.  Drink cold.  Drink often.  

www.wobusa.com          www.samueladams.com

Fort George Home Brewers' Dinner

On a happenstance shot in the dark competition entry, I carted three of my finest home brews down to the Hop 'N Grape  (www.hopngrape.com) in Longview, Washington one Thursday night in March. A five hour round trip venture in the middle of my work week didn't seem like the most appealing idea, but the prize of winning did. Fort George Brewery (www.fortgeorgebrewery.com) was going to be selecting six home brewers to be featured in a six course dinner at their brewery that following month. Just the thought of having a course built around one of my beers was enough motivation to continue through rush hour traffic.

Two short weeks later, I received an email while on a family vacation in Maui. My Peanut Butter Imperial Porter was chosen to be featured for the dessert course. Not only was I completely ecstatic, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum. I needed to get five gallons brewed in a little under three weeks, yet I wasn't returning home for a few more days. With the help of some great friends, I satellite brewed my PBP back home while still enjoying my island paradise.

Fast forward three weeks, I headed down to Astoria, Oregon for the featured event. Arriving an hour before the dinner started, I went straight to the Taproom bar and grabbed myself a pint of FG's Vortex IPA. My parents showed up soon after and we headed into the Lovell Taproom event space, a former car dealership showroom complete with floor to ceiling windows all around. Candlelit tables, overflowing beer goblets, and seats full of beer lovers from near and far anxiously awaited the as promised bacon filled dinner.

Caramelized Onion, Creme Fraiche, and Bacon Tart with Ken Fisher's Grateful Deaf Zythos Black IPA

If Ken Fisher's name sounds familiar, that's because he is.  Known as the Grateful Deaf Gypsy Brewer, Ken travels internationally to brew his Cascadian Dark Ale (or Black IPA, if you will).  Not only was this Bacon tart exquisite, Ken's hoppy dark creation was a smooth and tasty compliment.  Before I knew it, my tart was devoured and my beer glass empty.


Pancetta and Broccoli Bread Pudding with Andrew Livingston's Vanilla Cream Ale

When Drew described his ale, he noted that it was like an adult's cream soda.  A bit skeptical, I caught some of the aroma from the pour.  Sure smelled like cream soda.  Took the first sip.  Yup, adult cream soda.  I think I might be in serious beer love.  Drew has been brewing for just a little over a year and well, in my opinion, he hit this one out of the park.  A sweet pairing with the heavy bread pudding, I made sure to get another glass of this one just to make sure I liked it.  Turns out, I did!

Cream of Leek, Brussel Sprout, and Bacon Soup with Len Hallock's Pale Ale

Like Drew, Len has been brewing for just about a year.  He equates brewing his own beer to making his own BBQ sauce, it just makes everything taste better.  While his favorite beer to drink is IPA, Len brought a Pale Ale to the dinner.  With the richness of the Cream of Leek, this refreshing yet still a bit hoppy ale was a perfect fit.  Both the soup and the beer were gone way too quickly.
 

 

Spinach Salad with Hard-Boiled Egg and Roma Tomatoes, Tossed in a Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette with Thomas Litwin's Maibock
 

After the last three indulgent courses, it was refreshing to have some greens to lighten up the dinner.  A freshly boiled egg and bright tomatoes set the stage for the smoky Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette.  Tom's Maibock, in my opinion, went well with this lighter style bite.  I haven't explored many Maibocks over the years.  But after tasting this medal winning home brewer's creation, I was quite interested in trying some more.  Tom has been winning medals for his beers for eight years now, and it doesn't look like he is stopping anytime soon.

 

Roasted Quail with Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing, Served with a Smoked Tomato Gastrique with Ian and Mark Koelsh's Imperial IPA

I eyed this IIPA on the menu during the first course.  While I wanted to try it right away, the astutely trained FG staff knew that heavy hops would coat your palate too much to enjoy the other offerings.  So, I waited.  Patiently.  Yes, it was beyond worth the wait.  Mark and Ian, father and son, have been brewing together for the past two years, although Ian's brewing story started nine years prior to that.  Severe hopheads by nature, their IIPA was anything but mildly hoppy.  With the heat of the jalapeno stuffing, the pairing was once again well contrived.

 

House-Made Bourbon Ice Cream served in a Waffle Cone with Salted Caramel Bacon Bits with MY Peanut Butter Imperial Porter

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't just a bit nervous to see how this course turned out.  See that big slab of caramel in the picture?  That caramel is sweetly wrapping a hunk of bacon, on top of ice cream, in a waffle cone.  Are you drooling yet?  After getting up in front of everyone to tell a few self medicating teacher jokes along with some stats about my beer, I settled in for a bite.  The creaminess of the dessert lent itself perfectly to the smooth peanut butter essence of my porter.  Beyond pleased, I basked in the glow of the candlelit evening.

I think I can speak for all of the aforementioned home brewers that having our beer a part of such a special night was beyond incredible.  To home brewers everywhere: keep brewing, keep taking risks, and keep competing!