Author: Nat Pellman

March is Women’s History Month. We are hosting a couple of events to highlight some of the women in the beer industry.
Our first event is with Whitney Burnside, the Head Pub Brewer at 10 Barrel’s Portland Brew House.

In 2010, Burnside got her start working as an intern at Laurelwood Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon. From there, Burnside strategically climbed the ropes and worked at some of the Northwst’s best breweries: First at Upright Brewing in Portland, then at Elysian in Seattle, she was the Head Brewer at Pelican in Pacific City, and is now currently killing it as Brewmaster at 10 Barrel Brewing Company in downtown Portland.

Join us and Whitney on Thursday, March 2nd at 6pm when we will showcase 5 of her beers on draft for you to enjoy.

Pearl IPA- Double IPA– The number one best selling beer at the Portland pub and the first beer brewed on the system. Massive piney and tropical fruits come together to create this old school meets new school IPA.

Grapefruit Tartlette Gose– Brewed with toasted coriander, cardamom, vanilla, and honey.

Glen Coco- Coconut Stout– American stout brewed with loads of both toasted and untoasted coconut from Bob’s Red Mill.

A.W.D.- Belgian Dark Strong– Deep, rich flavors of dark fruits and caramel with spicy Ardennes yeast.

XS – Session IPA

Alton Bruin- Belgian Dark Strong aged in Merlot barrels for 1.5 years with Roeselare* and fresh raspberries.

*Roeselare is a brewing yeast that is a mix of lambic cultures, including lactic bacteria. Produces beers with a complex, earthy profile and distinct pie cherry sourness from a brettanomyces culture.

We invite you to join us for one of our much anticipated festivals.  Hardliver Barleywine Festival is a celebration this delicious boozy beer style.  We did away with the judging a couple of years ago, this year we are bringing it back.  It won’t be the same format as in previous years.  We have carefully crafted a list and have some older vintages as well as current year vintages for your palette’s tasting pleasure.

We will post the list soon.

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting 2nd Shift Brewing from St. Louis on Friday, February 24th starting at 5pm. We first met 2nd shift while in Alaska attending the Culmination Fest at Anchorage Brewing.  We drank a few beers and ideas were hatched.  They are here to attend the Farmhouse Fest, which happens to be on the same day as our Hardliver Barleywine Fest.  We will be putting 3 beers from them on draft:

Katy Brett Beer

Art of Neurosis IPA

Cat Spit Stout

We look forward to seeing you at the event.

On Thursday, February 16th, we invite you to join us for An Evening with Wander Brewing out of Bellingham.  We have collected a few of their beers throughout the last year and will be pouring them on this night. We will pouring:

Plum Millie
Uno Bretto
Wild Warehouse
Kriek
Wanderale

and maybe one not yet named beer.  Please join us.

The whole thing begins with the official Hop Mob Kickoff at Brouwer’s Café in Seattle on Thursday, February 2 @3pm. At that event, we’ll have 32 triple IPAs on tap, the single largest collection of Hop Mob beers. Maybe the largest collection of Triple IPAs anywhere.  Following that, there will be more events (Hop Mob Roadshow events) up and down the I-5 corridor. The entirety of Washington Hop Mob spans the course of 10 days.

What is Hop Mob? It all started a few years ago when the hoopla surrounding the annual release of Russian River Brewing’s Pliny the Younger reached a fevered pitch. That’s when some breweries around Seattle decided to make triple IPAs of their own, most notably Big Time Brewing’s Whiney the Complainer and Naked City Brewery’s Cry Me a River.

Following that lead, Washington Hop Mob was conceived to showcase how Washington breweries can make triple IPA that is every bit as tasty, albeit not nearly so ballyhooed, as Pliny the Younger. It is no accident that Hop Mob coincides, roughly, with the annual release of Pliny the Younger. The first year, Hop Mob saw 14 Washington breweries produce triple IPA. The second year, 42 breweries. This year? We want to make Hop Mob an annual, enduring thing. We want it known that in Washington a whole lot of breweries release triple IPA at the same time. Nobody else does that.

For the first two years, events were held around the Seattle-Tacoma area only. This year, we are expanding to include all of Washington’s I-5 corridor, with events already confirmed in Vancouver and Bellingham, as well as other locations in between.

What follows is most of the breweries that will be on tap here at Brouwer’s on February 2nd.

Airways

Aslan

Backwoods

Bale Breaker

Big Time

Boundary Bay

Cloudburst

Elysain

Farmstrong

Flying Bike

Fremont

Georgetown

Kulshan

Matchless

Naked City

Pike

Populux

Post Doc

Reuben’s Brews

Schooner Exact

Seapine

Skookum

Sound

Standard

Structures

Stoup

Three Magnets

Wander

Walking Man

 

 

New Belgium has a new series of beers coming out.  The Voodoo Series.  We will be pouring 3 beers in the series:  Voodoo Ranger IPA, Voodoo Ranger 8 Hop Pale Ale, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA.  We will also bring out a couple of our favorites from the cellar.  Decennium (our 10th Anniversary Sour Brown) and Tart Lychee.  Jamie Mastin one of our favorite New Belgium employees will be bringing his turntables and spinning records.   We look forward to seeing you.

 

We are proud to be hosting Scuttlebutt to showcase their Barleywine Release as well as their 20th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stouts.  They released different barrel aged variants last year and this is your opportunity to taste all of them side by side.

Scuttlebutt’s Old No.1 Barley Wine
Brew Highlights:
aroma: Hints of maple, vanilla, raisin, and black currant
taste: Full body, rich maple and black currant flavors, smooth finish.
color: Deep rich amber
bitterness: 83 bittering units
hops: Columbus, Amarillo, and U.S. Golding
alcohol % (by volume): 13.33%; OG 27.4 P
brewer’s note: This is the 10th year of brewing the Old #1 barley wine. The 05′ and 08′ versions were awarded bronze medals in the English Barley Wine category of the North American Beer Awards. The 09′ version won a World Beer Cup Gold and has since been awarded a Silver and Bronze medals in the NABA in the same category.  Deceptively subtle, strong hints of raisin, maple, vanilla, and black current work together in pleasant harmony. Aged for over a year, this beer has gained a stalwart following. Enjoy!

20th Anniversary Imperial Stout

This pitch black beer is intensely malty. Featuring a velvety texture with seemingly endless layers of dark fruit, freshly ground coffee, toffee, dark chocolate, cream, molasses, pipe smoke and well aged leather. Smooth, rich and deep this beer can be consumed right away but will only get better with age.

Color: Black with a mocha colored head
ABV: 11.74 
IBU’s: 76

Oola Smoked Whiskey Barrel Aged 20th Anniversary Stout

This version was aged in Oola’s Smoked Whiskey barrels for ninety-one days. All the flavors described above are present but many are enhanced with this barrel version. It peaks very early, rich up front with the flavor of the barrel asserting itself on your palate. As the vertical accent levels off the coffee notes press forward followed by rich dark chocolate and pipe smoke to a satisfying finish.

Woodinville Whiskey Barrel Aged 20th Anniversary Stout

This version was aged in Woodinville Strait Bourbon Whiskey barrels for ninety-nine days. The bourbon barrel comes through on the sweet side early before the oak rises to take the spotlight, Coffee notes follow with chocolate and leather. The hops seem a bit more present in this beer than the other barrel aged products… There’s a lot of balance in this version.

Skip Rock Rum Barrel Aged 20th Anniversary Stout

This version was aged in the Rum barrels for one hundred and seventeen days. It starts softer than the other two barrel version and gains a richness as you progress. Chocolate and leather notes are very forward at the beginning and it finishes with notes of baker’s spice.  It’s very elegant in its execution of balancing the flavors of the rum.

 

 

 

We are proud to be host Green Flash Brewing.  On Thursday, January 19th we will be showcasing some of their Cellar 3 beers.  Cellar 3 is their barrel aging and bottle conditioned line of beers.  Tonight we will be focusing on the Cellar 3 Belgian style beers.  More specifically we will be pouring:

Blanc Tart Barrique, Oculus Sauvage w/ Black Currant, Divine Belgique Trippel, Ideal Belgique Grand Cru, Sepia Frumento Barleywine, Sea to Sea Zwickel Lager, a Special yet to be determined Ipa on Cask, and bottle pours of Baroque Belgique a Belgian Pale with Brett.

We hope to see you for this rare chance to try all of these beers side by side.  We will have a limited number of Cellar 3 glasses available to purchase.

 

The Founders Family, a group of passionate beer enthusiasts, has grown around this simple philosophy: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.”

Founders Brewing Co. is coming to Washington! Come celebrate with us and Co-Founder of Founders, Dave Engbers on Wednesday, January 11th at 6pm!

We will have these beers on draft:

Azaca IPA—made with Hops from Roy Farms

All Day IPA

Porter

Rubaeus (Nitro)

Oatmeal Stout (Nitro)

Breakfast Stout

Dirty Bastard (Scotch)

Lizard of Koz—Blueberries, Chocolate aged in Bourbon Barrels

Backwoods Bastard (barrel aged Dirty Bastard)

Yep you read that correct, we will be showcasing Chimay on Wednesday, December 28th.  While supplies last this will be your opportunity to try bottle pours of the limited release of Barrel Aged Grand Reserve.  We will also have Chimay White, Red and Blue on Draft as well.  For $1 you more on your pour you can keep the Chimay goblet while supplies last

Throughout the month of January we will focus on Brouwerij Lindemans.

We will have unique menu items as well as limited draft lambic beers.

Brouwerij Lindemans is located Southwest of Brussels, in the quiet Belgian town of Vlezenbeek, the Lindemans family has been farming and homebrewing as long as anyone can remember. Commercial brewing started in 1822.

Lambic, or spontaneously fermented beers, are the beers of this region and are among the world’s rarest: they are the only beers fermented via wild, airborne yeast – no yeast is added by the brewers. Lambics come only from the Senne River valley, near Brussels – a region about 15 by 75 miles in size. The unusual, demanding, and unique flavors that come from multiple yeast strains are unmatched in the world of beer.

 

This gives you the rare opportunity, to taste Lindeman’s unblended Lambic available for the first time in Seattle.

Lindemans Young Lambic is unblended straight lambic, from a single year’s batch – not blended with older brews, like gueuze. It’s made from barley, wheat, aged hops, and the multiple strains of wild yeast that live around Lindemans Brewery.

 

The flavor and aroma show the Lindemans house character: zesty, crisp, and with a sharp, inviting – but not intimidating – sourness that shows beautiful balance. Fairly light body and a gentle sparkle – lower carbonation than gueuze – really highlight the amazing, layered complexity of this true lambic.  ABV is 5.5%.

 

We will also have other Lambic’s on draft from Lindeman’s.

We are pleased to announce the dates for our favorite festival of the year, our Bigwood Festival. This year the festival kicks off on Thursday, December 1st at 11am and runs through Sunday, December 4th.   What you ask is this festival all about?  It’s our annual celebration of beers aged in wood from stout to sour.  We collect beer all year for this festival and tap over 50 unique barrel aged beers from around the world.  Some have aged in our cellar for years, some are delivered right before the event.  We invite you to join us for this celebration.  We will be posting a tentative draftlist soon.

Firestone Walker Sweater Party—Thursday, November 17^th @ 6pm

Now in its 5^th year! This is a not to be missed event! We dig deep in the cooler, and suggest you dig deep in your closet (or your parents or grandparent’s closet!) for the ugliest sweater you can find, and make your way to Brouwer’s Café for games, and one hell of a party. No one in an ugly sweater will go away empty handed (or at least they haven’t in past years!). As usual, we will judge ugliest sweater in 3 different categories – male, female and couple. Look for there to be a few of your favorites (draft beers!), as well as some gems from Firestone’s cellar and ours.

 

Firestone Taplist:

DBA

Union Jack

Wookie Jack

Pivo

Nitro Merlin

Sour X2– we will be searching the cooler

Barrel x2–we will be searching the cooler

Firkin

 

pFriem Lambic Event – Thursday, November 10^th @ 6pm

pFriem has always been a favorite of ours around here (a must stop if you’re in Hood River, OR!). Since their inception, over 4 years ago, they have been producing some of the finest Belgian Style beers in the US. This year they produced 4 lambic style fruit beers, and tonight we tap all 4 of these beers, along with a few other pFriem favorites.

 

pFriem Taplist:

Peche

Bosbossen

Kriek

Frambozen

Super Saison

Belgian Strong Dark

Pils

IPA

Stone Woot Stout Event— Sunday, November 6^th @6pm

W00t Trek Night

Stardate 70231.3. The nights, have become long, and the Romulan Ale unfulfilling. I, crave a supermassive, black hole inspired brew, to get me through the endless, monotony of the void. Soon, we dock at the weigh station, Brouwer’s Café, where I hope to find the antidote to this space sickness. It might just be, the Ceti eel talking, but I fear these, could be my last days here without finding that dark matter stout.

Fortunately for the captain, on Nov 6^th, we are showing our love for the 50^th anniversary of Star Trek by featuring Stone’s Farking Wheaton w00tstout in its 2015 and 2016 iterations. We are also tapping Stone’s Suede Imperial Porter and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard to cure what ails you.

We’ll be hosting some trivia (original and TNG) at 6 pm and showing old episodes on the TV. Prizes will be awarded for the winning teams. So come out, nerd out, and Spock out with Brouwer’s and Stone.

 

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2015

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout 2016

Stone/10 Barrel/Bluejacket Suede 2013 Imperial Porter

Stone Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard 2015

Finnriver Sour Plum Cyser Launch –Saturday, November 5^th @3pm

We have always been big fans of Finnriver, which is why years ago we gave them a High West Barrel, and asked them to use it to make a sour cider. The result? The very delicious Country Peach! They have since expanded their sour program (thanks in part to our little barrel!), and after many emails and a visit to the farm, our new brainchild Plum Cyser is ready for release.

 

Calling all sour lovers! We invite you to stop by Bottleworks in the morning and grab some bottles of Plum Cyser, then join us for the tapping at 3pm. Andrew from Finnriver will be on hand to answer your questions. He is a great storyteller and a wealth of knowledge, so you are sure to be entertained.

 

Plum Cyser Description: ABV @7%

Super bright acid profile, smells like plums and flowers, stirred into a barnyard swagger high in the Chimacum Valley. Twangs in the back of the throat, floats through the nose for a long and mouth working finish.

 

This is a soured plum cyser (Name on bottle is PLUM CYSER). Raw apple juice, raw honey + low attenuating white wine yeast. 100lbs of pitted purple plums from Tonnemaker farms in Yakima. Brett C. , Pedio and Lacto starters. 6 months old. Blended with a touch of brett + acetobacter barrel funk. Topped with fresh red plums, and wild golden plums to keep the “bugs” growing.

Elysian Pumpkin Roadshow- Tuesday, Nov 1^st @6pm

Let’s all celebrate the gourd! Elysian Brewing, Seattle’s king of pumpkin beers, will be here with 4 of their pumpkin offerings. We’ve also chosen 4 other pumpkin delights to accompany them.

 

Pumpking Taplist:

Elysian Dark O’ the Moon Stout

Elysian Punkaccino Pumpkin Latte Porter

Elysian Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale

Elysian Blight Pumpkin Ale

Midnight Sun T.R.E.A.T. Imp. Chocolate Pumpkin Porter

One Tree Pumpkin Cider

Pike Harlot Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

 

Heavy Night- Thursday, October 27th @6pm

The final event of our Hopfest celebration! Come join us for a few of our favorite things – heavy metal and big beers!

 

Heavy Taplist:

Dogfish Head 120 min

Evil Twin Molotov Heavy

Boneyard Notorious

Hoppy Sour Night Featuring Almanac Brewing, Thursday, October 20^th @6pm

This year we changed our annual Hopfest up by making it a month long celebration of hops, and when we thought about all the different ways hops can be celebrated, hoppy sour night was a must! Needless to say, Almanac in SF came to mind, so we reached out to see what they could send our way. We’ll have 5 Almanacs on tap, plus some favorites from the likes of Holy Mtn, New Belgium, and North Fork, as well as few others. So, if you likes hops and sour this is the night for you.

 

Almanac Taplist:

Amarillo

El Dorado

Equinox

Azacca

Mosaic

 

Others:

Holy Mtn Demonteller

NB Le Terrior

North Fork — She is Weird with Centennial

Mikkeller Simcoe Sour

Prairie Funky Gold Mosaic