Flying Dog To Rebuild Baltimore House for Habitat for Humanity During Baltimore Beer Week

From their press release:

During this year’s Baltimore Beer Week, Flying Dog Brewery is partnering with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake to build a house in the Jefferson Street neighborhood [east of Johns Hopkins Hospital] on October 7.

“The reason we’re doing the build during Baltimore Beer Week is to utilize the exposure and momentum of the week to promote such a great cause for the community,” Flying Dog VP of Marketing Ben Savage said.

After the build, the Flying Dog team is closing the day with a Habitat fundraiser at Langermann’s in Canton from 6 to 10 pm. Flying Dog hopes to not only raise money for Habitat throughout the night, but also work with the organization to thank their Red Hat volunteers and AmeriCorps members for their leadership and countless hours of service.

“We couldn’t complete our mission without our Red Hat leaders and AmeriCorps team, “said Madeline Manlove, Executive and Development Associate for Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. “Their dedication to Habitat extends the reach of our staff, enabling us to serve more families, build more houses, and host more volunteers each day.”

Langermann’s has agreed to donate $1 from all Flying Dog pints purchased that night to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. Flying Dog will also buy the first beer for any Red Hat volunteer, AmeriCorps, or person who donates or signs up to volunteer with Habitat that night.

For more information on how you can get involved with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, visit its website at HabitatChesapeake.org.

Tonight's Firkin at Metropolitan

At Metropolitan Coffeehouse and Wine Bar, where they tap a firkin every Thursday night:

"The cask for tonight's Firkin Thursday is Dobie Gillis Rye Pale Ale from White Marsh Brewing.  It's 5.5% and highly sessionable."

Balto. Sun Reviews Victoria Gastro Pub and Baltimore Taphouse

The Baltimore Sun just reviewed two good-beer venues at opposite ends of the spectrum:  Erik Maza nominated the Baltimore Taphouse for "Ravens Bar of the Week," and Donna Ellis reviewed a full-blown beer dinner (featuring Lagunitas beers) at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia.

Preliminary Real Ale Fest Cask List UPDATED

Pratt Street Ale House brewer Stephen Jones is letting leak what's arriving and being held for the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival on Oct. 15th:

• Sixpoint Autobahn

• Oskar Blues Mamas with Chamomile and lemon peel

• Oskar Blues dry hopped Dales Pale Ale

• The Bruery Autumn Maple

• Boulder Cold Hop and Planet Porter

• Black Diamond Harvest and Porter

• DuClaw: Apricot Flavored Venom, Extra Spiced 31 (Spiced Munich Dunkel), and Imperial Chocolate Rye Porter 

• Heavy Seas:  Loose Cannon with West Coast Wet Hop Citra & "Steve's garden" wet Cascade, Winter Storm with West Coast Wet Simcoe, White Oak & Plank and Peg Leg Stout with coffee, ginger root, wet Citra hops, vanilla bean and Montmorency tart cherries(!?!)

• Also promised but not delivered yet: at least one firkin from Maryland's newest brewery, Burley Oak in Berlin.

• From Olivers: "oak barrel aged batch #3500 (on the beer engine at the main bar), My Minkey's Got Wood (beer engine on the main bar), My Monkey's Got Wood (pin), The Darkness (pin), The Bishop's Indulgence, Smoke Break (smoked chipotle porter), The Big D (honey IPA) and for the VIP session Draft Punk dry hopped with Maryland grown Nugget.

Frederick Brewers Consolidate with New Brewery

The Frederick News-Post is reporting on a new project by long-time Frederick microbrew personalities Bob Frank, Phil Bowers, and Tom Flores:

Phil Bowers, managing member of Monocacy Brewing Co. LLC, is establishing a craft beer production business at 1781 N. Market St.
Bob Frank, owner of the Flying Barrel, which sells ingredients and supplies to home-brewers and winemakers, plans to rent 3,000 square feet of the 15,000-square-foot building.
Bowers said he hoped to open the brewery in November. With the equipment in place, the brewery could produce up to 20,000 barrels a year and, over time, could hire up to 25 employees
Monocacy Brewing will produce its own line of craft beers, as well as craft beers sold at Brewer's Alley in downtown Frederick. It also will contract to brew for clients
Bowers, a partner in Brewer's Alley, said he has been selling his craft beers throughout Maryland for the past five years. More wine and beer retailers are dedicating additional space to craft beers as their popularity grows, Bowers said.
"Just like wine connoisseurs who explore the nuances of regional grapes, so, too, do fans of craft beer, who want to enjoy beer styles created with locally grown ingredients," Bowers said. "Local origination of ingredients will be one of Monocacy's major brewing initiatives."
Tom Flores, brewmaster at Brewer's Alley since 1997, will oversee operations at Monocacy Brewing Co.
Bowers chose the circa 1930s Market Street factory building that originally housed Ebert Ice Cream Co. after studying dozens of potential brewery sites.
"We all liked the idea of reusing and adapting an existing property, as opposed to building anew on a raw parcel of land," Bowers said. "It was a perfect spot because the building was originally designed and used for factory food production."

This seems a quite natural consolidation and expansion for several well-established Frederick brewing folks.

Baltimore Beer Week Fast Approaching--Get Tickets Now For Advance-Sale Events!

Baltimore Beer Week has just managed to break 300 events for the week, with 303 315 events officially posted (the latest flock from Grand Cru of Belvedere Square), and a few more in the works.

As with past years, this blog will be highlighting specific events worthy of extra attention and consideration a few days in advance, but for today we're going to run down and highlight only events with potentially limited attendance, limited supplies, and/or advance ticket sales, where you may wish to decide now to get tickets or reservations lest you be shut out.  A few of these events offer discounts for advance purchase as well.  Most BBW events are "pat as you go" (meaning "pay for what you eat/drink"), and a few are even free.  All events are listed at the BBW Events page; this is only an overview for purposes of advance planning.

First and foremost on October 6th, of course, is the Opening Tap at The Ram's Head Live 6-9 PM ($30), preceded by the "parade" of the "Star-Spangled Banger" firkin hammer.  Liam Flynn's taps a custom-ordered house firkin, a heather ale brewed for them by Heavy Seas.  The Maryland Science Center is having its "Science on Tap" featuring DuClaw brewers at about the same time as the Opening Tap.  After the Opening Tap, there are after-parties at Leinenkugel's and the Pratt Street Ale House, and former DJ Brian Strumke hosts a karaoke event at Alewife.

October 8th:  The Brewers Association of Md Oktoberfest at the Fairgrounds in Timonium, with an added homebrew element this year ($20-35).  Start the morning with a Unibroue beer brunch at Metropolitan ($30), or see the tap-making demo at Mark Supik & Co. in Highlandtown (free).  Hellas is having a Sam Adams event that includes sampling from a bottle of Utopias; Leinenkugel's has its Downtown Beer Festival that evening ($20-30);

9th: Brewery tour and brunch at Heavy Seas ($40, not on website yet); a Stillwater event at Max's Taphouse includes sales of a one-off batch for the occasion; Victoria Gastro Pub's Maryland Beer Festival (($30-40); Honeygo's beer fest ($30); the Heavy Seas Pyrate Pub Crawl ($25); Flying Dog's Bachelor Beer Dinner at Golden West in Hampden ($35), and Homebrewing for the Cure at Maryland Homebrew in Columbia (which has a new home in the same general building, in case you didn't know).

10th, Columbus Day Monday: The Baltimore Beer Forum at Bertha's ($30); Exotic Beer Brunch at Metropolitan ($35); a Flying Dog Beer Dinner at Frisco Taphouse ($TBA); a Stillwater beer dinner at the Mt. Airy Inn ($75); a Heavy Seas beer dinner at Alewife ($65), and cigars and beer-and-spirits tasting at Red Brick Station ($45).

11th: Mahaffey's bus trip to Yards Brewery in Philadelphia (and a casino!) ($28); beer dinner at TBonz in Ellicott City with homebrew and Maryland Homebrew ($40); joint Olivers/Evolution dinner at Pratt Street Ale House ($45); the Pints for Poe fundraiser at the Creative Alliance/Patterson Theater in Highlandtown (donation); and a fundraising Flying Dog dinner at Alewife ($80).

12th:  Flying Dog Civil War dinner at Grand Cru ($TBA); Ommegang six-course dinner at Pickles Pub ($45); the fundraising (for animal shelters) Homebrewing Showcase at Little Havana (which will run out of beer all too quickly!); Red Brick Station's joint RBS-Brewers Art crab feast ($45); Leinenkugel's Flying Dog dinner ($40).

13th: Women in Beer at Max's ($20); James Joyce's charity beer dinner (charity and price TBA); Max's staff makes their own casks at Heavy Seas and pours them at Max's; and the Brewmasters Beer Dinner at Punk's Backyard Grill in Annapolis ($50).

14th: Beer Breakfast at Pickles Pub ($25); beer brunch at Metropolitan ($25); the Charmingly Charitable Chilibrew, this time on North Avenue right near Liam Flynn's (and they usually run out of beer and chili both! $10-20); and a Leinenkugel's beer dinner ($TBA).

15th:  The Chesapeake Real Ale Festival at the Pratt Street Ale House ($40-50); Date Night at the National Aquarium with Flying Dog beers ($80 per couple); and Metropolitan's Trappist Beer Dinner ($45).

16th: Wrap it all up with a Beer Brunch at the Mt. Airy Inn with Brewer's Alley beers ($40).

Once again, lots of other special events are out there.  Lots of brewers are coming to town, including Carol Stoudt, Scotland's Bruce Williams (of Heather Ale fame), Pete Showvaker of Troegs, Pete Scheider of Victory Brewing, several brewers from Canada, and more.  Plan accordingly.

Stella Artois Attempting to Out-Ritualize Guinness in Pouring

Guinness has long been far more about marketing its brand and image as an integral part of some mythical Irish cultural ethos, presumably written into the Irish Constitution somewhere.  Part of that marketing has been hyping the supposed "ritual" of pouring a "proper pint of Guinness," down to pouring a rendering of a shamrock into the head.  (Step One: "Take a clean glass."  Step Six: "sip."  Come on, folks.)

Well, Stella Artois, in a press release just received here, has apparently upped the pretentiousness of the whole "ritual" for their beer by fifty percent:

Taking the Belgian beer experience to new heights of perfectly poured sophistication, Stella Artois is bringing its World Draught Masters competition, an annual event that honors beer connoisseurs’ mastery of the Stella Artois 9-Step Pouring Ritual, to DC.

On Oct. 7, U.S. finalists from across the country will rendezvous at the celebrated National Building Museum to vie for the chance to move on to the global finals in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I think I shall count the steps I go through for my next pint of real ale.  I'm sure I could inflate it to 25 or so with little effort.

Advanced-Level Beer Humor

In my joint mission with "The Big Bang Theory" to pepper the world with more sophisticated humor, I present the following:

(Don't get it?  Read the comments at the source.)

A more advanced version.

Beer at the Dollar General?

Oh, lawsie, lawsie, lawsie, there are so many different ways one could go with this, from confirming all the lovely stereotypes about Arkansas to "what kind of beer can they sell for a dollar?":

FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Several Dollar General stores in the Fort Smith and Fayetteville areas have been granted permits to sell beer, officials said Thursday.
The panel gave the nod to five stores each in Fort Smith, Little Rock and Pine Bluff, four each in Harrison and Paragould, and three in Fayetteville.Other stores that received approval are in Altus, Augusta, Brinkley, Bull Shoals, Cherry Valley, Eudora, Flippin, Hughes, Lake Village, Maumelle, Mountain Home, Newport, Ozark, Paris, Redfield, Sherwood, Stuttgart, Tuckerman, West Memphis and Wrightsville.Applications were denied in communities where there was local opposition, though those rulings can be appealed.

TV news video report at this link.

6th Maryland Microbrewery Festival 2011 Cancelled Due to Severe Weather Conditions

Well, now I'm feeling a little less guilty about not doing enough here to promote this festival.

Just in from the festival website:

6th Maryland Microbrewery Festival 2011 Cancelled this YEAR Severe Weather Conditions

WHEN: Saturday September 24, 2011    11AM - 7PM  Cancelled due to severe weather conditions and possible flash flooding. We regret this decision and will refund through Paypal advanced ticket sales.

Need alternate plans?  Saturday just happens to be Museum Day, brought to you by the Smithsonian Institution, where you can get free museum admission at participating museums and venues with tickets procured online. (My wife is intent on an outdoor gardens museum.  I'm not sure that's going to work tomorrow.)

PBS Series "Prohibition" to Air on Maryland Public TV Before/During Baltimore Beer Week

Seriously, we couldn't have arranged this kind of timing if we had paid large sums of money to MPT or PBS.

PBS and MPT are showing the premiere of noted documentarian Ken Burns' latest epic work, Prohibition, on the national "failed experiment" of 1919-1933.  From the PBS blurb:

This 3-part, 5 1/2 hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the era it encompassed. The culmination of nearly a century of activism, Prohibition was intended to protect individuals, families, and society at large from the devastating effects of alcohol abuse. But a faith-driven moral code in the Constitution paradoxically caused millions of Americans to rethink their definition of morality. Thugs became celebrities, authority was rendered impotent. Social mores in place for a century were obliterated. Liquor consumption rocketed, propelling the rest of the culture with it: skirts shortened. Music heated up. America's Sweetheart morphed into The Vamp. Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system, caused illicit drinking to seem glamorous, encouraged neighborhood gangs to become national crime syndicates, and fostered cynicism and hypocrisy that corroded the social contract all across the country. The film raises vital questions that are as relevant today as they were 100 years ago - about means and ends, individual rights and responsibilities, the proper role of government and finally, who is - and who is not - a real American..

The program will be aired in three two-hour parts at 8:00 PM on Sunday, Oct. 2nd, Monday the 3rd, and Tuesday the 4th, with rebroadcasts at midnight each evening; additional rebroadcasts are scheduled on MPT and MPT-2 for the next two weeks.  See the MPT page for this program for episode details and specific rebroadcast schedules.

Yet Another Fundraiser

Alonso's/Loco Hombre and The Brewers Art on Thursday the 22nd are participating in a fundraiser for Dining Out for Life - Baltimore. 50% of sales proceeds will be donated to Moveable Feast, so head there and enjoy some tasty food and drink for a great cause.

ALSO PARTICIPATING, at various levels of percentage of tab as donation:  Clementine (50%), Bistro Rx, Jack's Bistro, Joe Squared North Avenue, The Mt. Washington Tavern, and other places.  See here for details and a list of participating venues.

City Paper's Best of Baltimore 2011

The City Paper's annual Best of Baltimore issue is out for 2011.

Beer-geek-related entries:

Best Place to Buy Beer:  Wells Discount Liquors, 6310 York Road.
Best Place to Buy Alcohol on Sundays:  Fells Point Liquor & Bar, 1709 Fleet St.
Best New Bar:  Liam Flynn's Ale House, 22 W. North Avenue
Best Wine Bar:  Grand Cru, 527 E. Belvedere Ave. (Well, considering how this place much of the competition happens to be good beer places as well...........)
Best Neighborhood Bar:  The Dizz, 300 W. 30th St.
Best Bar To Be a Designated Driver:  Alexander's Tavern, 710 S. Broadway.
Best Beer Selection: Alewife, 21 N. Eutaw St.
Best Happy Hour:  Ropewalk Tavern, 1209 S. Charles St.
Best Local Bottled Beer:  Heavy Seas Beer
Best Draft Beer:  National Bohemian [?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!]
Best Drinking Plan: The Wharf Rat Mug Club, 801 S. Ann St.
Best Summertime Revelation: Canned Beer Is Better
Best Public Transit Bar Tour: Charm City Circulator

Debate and discuss.

The Falls in Mt. Washington Closes

From their Facebook announcement:

Attention friends and neighbors:
We're saddened to announce that after almost 2 great years we are no longer open for business, effective immediately.
The Falls was never perfect, but it wasn't for lack of effort. We always wanted the Falls to be a great place to have some good food, good drinks, and have good conversation- not only with each other, but with us as well. Anyone who came to the Falls more than once knows that there was always something different from visit to visit, and that was because we were always committed to improving, growing, and evolving.
This past month, we shook things up a bit in order to continue chasing our goal. The support from the people who came to see the changes was wonderful. To us, it really felt like we were better than ever and only getting stronger, but in the end, it was too little too late.
We'd like to offer our sincere gratitude to all of you who stuck with us, from the day we opened as a coffee shop to the night we closed as a full-blown restaurant and bar. We had a great run, and you can be certain that we went down swinging. It didn't work out for us, and it's hard for all of us to deal with right now, but in the end, what matters most is that we had a hell of a lot of fun.
Thanks again everybody.

I, for one, am saddened that a good beer destination outside the "usual" downtown beer-quaffing epicenters wasn't able to make it.  I was rooting for some good beer dinners here for Baltimore Beer Week, but it just wasn't to be.  I wish them the best in their future endeavors!

More Beer Benefit Events

First, tonight up in Port Deposit, Md.:

WHAT: Beer & Burger Night for the Residents of Port Deposit sponsored
by Flying Dog Brewery and Bond Distributing Company

WHERE: C.M. Tugs 10 South Main Street, Port Deposit, MD

WHEN: Wednesday, September 21st beginning at 7pm

WHY: To celebrate the wonderful town and residents of Port Deposit,
Bond Distributing Company and Flying Dog Brewery will treat Port
Deposit Residents to one FREE Flying Dog product.  ID Required.

Meanwhile, at Hellas in Millersville:

An update on the Maryland Beer and Wine Fundraising Beer Dinner coming up on Sunday, October 2nd:  We have finalized the menu and would like you to take a look at the lineup we have prepared for you.  As with our other beer dinners we have the option for you to enjoy a great selection of wines with your meal if you are not a beer drinker.  Reception starts at 5pm and the cost is $65 per person with $10 of your ticket being donated to the Oyster Recovery Partnership.  As always, tickets must be purchased in advance.

So away we go....

Reception Course:  Assortment of Chesapeake Oysters (Assortment of Rockefeller, BBQ Baked and Virginia Style Oysters) and some raw Choptank Sweet Oysters.

Reception Beer:  Heavy Seas Brewing Co. "Hop Haarvest" fresh hop porter, (wet hopped with fresh local hops from Mt. Airy) specially kegged in a firkin for this dinner.

Reception Wine:  White Peach Sangria w/ Boordy Vineyards Icons of Maryland No. 6 Oriole-Riesling and fresh local peaches.

First Course:  Maryland Blue Crab Salad w/ Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho (Fresh Md. Crabmeat, Revolution seedless Watermelon and Cucumbers from Papa John's Farm and Purple Basil from Gardner's Gourmet w/ a delicious Gazpacho of Local Heirloom Tomatoes).

First Course Beer:  Stillwater Artisanal Ales "Cellar Door" American Farmhouse/Saison Ale brewed with white sage.

First Course Wine:  Boordy Icons of Maryland No.1 Rockfish-Seyval Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc.

Second Course:  Chesapeake Cioppino (A medley of fresh local seafood in a wine and tomato broth made w/ local Mountain Magic tomatoes and Boordy wine).

Second Course Beer:  White Marsh Brewing Co. "Rye Pale Ale" kegged specially for this dinner.

Second Course Wine:  Boordy Landmark Reserve - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Third Course:  Chesapeake Blackened Blue Tacos (Blackened fillets of Invasive Chesapeake Blue Catfish wrapped in a flour tortilla w/ pickled local cabbage and peppers slaw, Sriracha-Ranch dressing served w/ grilled petite cob of Eastern Shore silver corn).

Third Course Beer:  Duclaw Brewing Co. "Exile Series X-2" Imperial Belgian Wit.

Third Course Wine:  Boordy JazzBerry Berry Wine.

Dessert Course:  Local Cheeses and Preserves (A combination of local artisan cheeses and house made preserves of local fruits).

Dessert Course Beer:  2010 Vintage Flying Dog Brewing Co. "Horn Dog" Barley-wine style Ale.

Dessert Course Wine:  Boordy Vineyards 2006 Veritas Ruby Port.

For info and tickets, contact Joey Marchiano at Hellas Restaurant and Lounge, 8498 Veterans Highway,

Millersville, MD 21108    (410) 987-0948

Beer Dinner at Frank & Nic's Thursday

Just regurgitating the somewhat-forgotten press release here.  It's nice to see beer dinners spreading to places that aren't known as craft beer hangouts.

    Flying Dog Beer Pairing Dinner at Frank & Nic's next Thursday September 22nd at 7pm

        Tickets are $45 a person + Tax & Gratuity.

        THE MENU

        Dogtoberfest Marzen
        Arugula salad with shredded duck confit and a cranberry gastrique

        Gonzo Imperial Porter
        Beer and Bacon brussel sprouts over deep fried basil polenta

        Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA
        Boneless braised short ribs with homemade dumplings

        Horn Dog Barley Wine
        Pumpkin Crepes

        I look forward to hearing back from you!

    Shelby Parrish
    Marketing Manager
    Frank & Nic's West End Grille
    511 W. Pratt St Baltimore, MD
    www.frankandnics.com
    parrish.shelby@gmail.com

Coming to Baltimore for Baltimore Beer Week 2011? Here's Your Travel Guide!

First of all, the Baltimore Beer Week Committee encourages you to travel (and drink) responsibly while partaking of Baltimore Beer Week.  Do not drink and drive.  Take a designated driver (many events have discounts and/or special deals for designated drivers), pool together to take a taxi or van, or ride public transit.  If in doubt, call a cab or have one called for you--even a long taxi ride is cheaper than a car accident or arrest.  Heck, hire a limo or van if you must--several limos showed up at Baltimore Beer Week events in 2009 and 2010!

First things first: The downtown road construction traffic nightmares of last year are largely gone.  However, RAIL transit (Metro and Light Rail) use for downtown events, especially at the Pratt Street Ale House, is strongly encouraged whenever possible. 

ALSO: On Saturday, October 15, 2011 between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., the Baltimore Marathon will cause major bus diversions and street closures in Federal Hill, Fells Point, Canton, Charles Village, and downtown (PDF route map here).  Please allow extra time for your trip on this day.  MTA encourages transit riders to ride the Light Rail and Metro Subway to avoid downtown congestion.  The Baltimore Marathon will loop through many areas of Baltimore City, causing MTA to put significant diversions in place to maintain local bus service.  This may require customers to catch a bus at a designated bus stop on a street that may not be a part of the normal route. The MTA is expected to post an official website page for exact route diversions and other details.

Downtown Baltimore has a FREE "circulator" shuttle bus service, the Charm City Circulator.  Two routes are currently in service:  the north-south Purple Route which operates from Amtrak/MARC';s Penn Station south to Federal Hill, and the east-west Orange Route, which operates from Hollins Market/the B&O Museum east to Harbor East.  A third route, the Green Route connecting City Hall/Fallsway motels, Harbor East, Fells Point, and Johns Hopkins Hospital Campus, MAY be WILL NOT BE open by Baltimore Beer Week 2011.  With the Circulator, it's easy--and free--to ride from Penn Station or downtown hotels to Federal Hill, or to go from Federal Hill to Mount Vernon.  The southeasternmost stop of the Orange Route (#225 on the maps) is seven blocks from the heart of Fells Point, approximately a (relatively safe) ten-to-twelve-minute walk.
Circulator Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 6:30am-9:00pm
Friday: 6:30am-midnight
Saturday: 9:00am-midnight
Sunday: 9:00am-9:00pm

The Water Taxi: Baltimore's Inner Harbor is served by a flotilla of passenger boats called the Water Taxi.  These boats do not just stop when flagged as the name implies, but operate over designated routes between designated stops like a bus (weather permitting--strong winds or thunderstorms will suspend service).  Passengers pay  a flat $10 day pass (children $5).  Throughout Baltimore Beer Week, Water Taxi service starts at 10 A.M. every day, and ends at 8 P.M. every day except Friday and Saturday when service continues to 11 P.M.  The Water Taxi can be an ideal way to travel from downtown locations or Federal Hill to Fells Point or Canton, especially for the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival or the Downtown Beer Festival!

Baltimore MTA in general: http://www.mtamaryland.com 
MTA's Transit Trip Planner (how to get from one address to another via transit):  http://www.mtamaryland.com/transit/
Google Maps http://maps.google.com
MTA City Buses: http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/bus/ 
MTA Light Rail (BWI Airport/Glen Burnie-Downtown-Timonium/Hunt Valley):  http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/lightrail/  
MTA Metro Subway (Owings Mills-Downtown-Johns Hopkins Hospital):  http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/subway/
MARC Commuter Rail (weekday only, Perryville-Baltimore-D.C.): http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/marc/
Baltimore Super Shuttle (airport van): http://www.supershuttle.com/bal.htm
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport: http://www.bwiairport.com
DC Airports: http://www.metwashairports.com
Amtrak (Penn Station, north of Mt. Vernon): http://www.amtrak.com
Greyhound (Terminal between M&T Stadium and I-95): http://www.greyhound.com

BoltBus (stops next to Penn Station) http://www.boltbus.com
Megabus: http://us.megabus.com (NOTE: Megabus uses White Marsh, Md., northeast of the city proper, as its stop for the city.  Riders can ride downtown on the MTA #35 bus, or they can just proceed directly to Red Brick Station, the brewpub on The Avenue at White Marsh.....)

More Transportation: http://www.baltconvstr.com/pages/transportation.htm

Baltimore City Taxi Cabs
Yellow Cab (410) 685-1212
Baltimore Taxi Company (410) 327-7777
Royal Cab (410) 327-0330

Anne Arundel County Taxi Cabs
Cab Connection (410) 766-1000

Baltimore County Taxi Cabs
County Cab (410) 339-0000
Jimmy’s Cab (410) 296-7200

Howard County Taxi Cabs
Columbia Taxi Service (240) 210-6688

Downtown Hotels: http://baltimore.org/hotels-and-accommodations/

HOTEL DEALS  COMING SOON:

Some more information posted by BBW at its Hospitality page.

General hints:  An MTA Day Pass, good for all modes, is $3.50--cheaper if you're a senior.  It's only thirty cents more than the cost of two bus trips, or any round trip on the subway or Light Rail, so it's best to get said pass if you anticipate any use other than a simple round trip.  Baltimore has also instituted a "smart card" electronic card reader program called the Charm Card, similar to Washington DC's SmartCard; in fact, they are interchangeable, and DC's SmartCards will work on Baltimore's MTA and even carry over cash balances between systems.  (These cards do not recognize day passes on the Baltimore system yet, so get a paper "day pass" if you intend to take the above advice.)

Routes:  If you're trying to get to Fells Point from downtown, you should seek out the #10 bus line, which drops you off at the Broadway Market at Broadway and Eastern, three short blocks from Max's and less than that for Alexander's, etc.  The #11 route also stops in Fells Point at Broadway and Aliceanna.  Bus routes 7, 11, and 13 will get you to various points around Canton, with varying success depending on your origin and exact destination.  Routes 1 and 64 will get you to Federal Hill, with the former also getting you to Locust Point.  Several routes will get you between downtown and Mount Vernon/Station North/Penn Station, including the 3, 11, and 64; simply remember that Charles Street is one-way northbound and the streets to either side east and west (St. Paul and Maryland/Cathedral/Light) are one-way southbound.  Light Rail can get you from downtown or Glen Burnie to the Timonium Fairgrounds on Saturday the 8th for the Oktoberfest; it will get you from the north and south to Pratt Street Ale House for the Real Ale Fest on the 15th.   

Try the MTA Trip Planner at: http://www.mtamaryland.com/transit/   Enter a start and destination address and time you plan to start, and the website calculates the best (or several optional) ways to get between the two points by MTA, even including walking between connecting routes if need be.

Lastly, I will shamelessly refer you over to another nonprofit's website and its "how to get to our convention" pages:    http://www.otakon.com/allroads.asp .  I harbor no qualms in doing so because I wrote approximately 90% of the content on that page in 2006-2008 (in spite of the lack of credit).  Actually, I do have one qualm in that some of the information and links are outdated, but nothing so critical that you'll get lost, gouged, or hopelessly stranded.  It's especially useful for getting downtown for the Chesapeake Real Ale Festival on Sept. 15th or any events at the Pratt Street Ale House, as that's right across the street from the Baltimore Convention Center's main entrance.  Similarly, it also works for the nearby Alewife, Leinenkugel's Beer Garden, Ram's Head Live, and other such locations.

A Medley of Future Beer Events Besides Baltimore Beer Week

Baltimore Beer Week (oh, like have have to point you to the website) should be dominating your future beer-money and liver-work allocations, but just in case those don't work for you, here's a list of other beer events in the region, from the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News Hop Tips e-newsletter:

Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, the 25th: Das Best Oktoberfest at National Harbor -
Wear German attire and get extra beer tokens. Tickets and details at www.dasbestoktoberfest.com.

Saturday, September 24th: Maryland Microbrewery Festival at Union Mills Homestead, Westminster -
Celebrate and promote the best of Maryland’s handcrafted and distinctive microbrews. 11am-7pm. Tickets and details at www.marylandmicrobreweryfestival.com.

Saturday, September 24th: Oktoberfest at Baying Hound, Rockville -
Baying Hound and Frederik De Pue will be grilling up the bratwurst and other delectable selections to complement the excellent and wide-ranging selection of Baying Hound brews on draft. Noon to 5pm. 301-637-5179 or www.baying-hound.com.

Monday, September 26th: Heavy Seas Beer Dinner with Hugh at Carrol's Creek Cafe, Annapolis -
$55, all-inclusive. 6:30pm. Reservations by the 23rd at 410-647-7363 or klawson@fishpawsmarket.com.

Friday, September 30th: Heavy Seas Tasting at Fenwick Beer and Wine, Silver Spring -
4:30-7:30pm. 301-650-5770 or www.fenwickbeerandwine.com.

Friday, September 30th: Chesapeake Beer Madness at Park Place, Annapolis -
6-10pm. Tickets and details at http://whatsupmag.com/wu-events/chesapeake-beer-madness.html.

Friday, October 7th: Southern Tier Tasting at Fenwick Beer and Wine, Silver Spring -
4:30-7:30pm. 301-650-5770 or www.fenwickbeerandwine.com.

Sunday, October 9th: First Annual Maryland Beer Fest at Victoria Gastro Pub, Columbia -
Ticket includes beer tasting from each of the participating Maryland breweries, appetizers, Hors D’oeuvres, and complimentary tasting glass and bottle opener. Noon to 4pm. Tickets at the pub or at 410-750-1880. www.victoriagastropub.com.

Wednesday, November 16th: Yuengling Beer Dinner at Clyde’s, Columbia -
7-9pm. Menu and tickets at http://clydesbeerdinners.com.

And now for something completely different: A Baltimore-based theatrical movie featuring homebrewers......

Dang, if they had only thought to tie in this premiere with Baltimore Beer Week.
Snipped from DreadCentral.com:

It was last November when we first told you about Witch’s Brew, the beer-soaked gross-out horror comedy about what happens when a pissed off witch lays a curse upon your lager. A new trailer proclaims this blood-battered brewski is ready for serving.
Those of you living in Baltimore, Maryland, will get first crack at Witch’s Brew when it makes its world premiere at The Charles Theater on October 19th. Here are the rest of the gory details regarding the impending fermentation of the evil that is Witch’s Brew, followed by the special premiere trailer:

Just in time for Halloween, Baltimore filmmakers Chris LaMartina and Jimmy George unleash bottles of beer and buckets of blood in the gory horror-comedy Witch's Brew.
SYNOPSIS: When two micro-brewers screw over the town witch, she curses their latest batch of alcohol. Anyone who drinks it suffers a gruesome, ironic demise.
Written and directed by LaMartina, Witch's Brew harkens back to the days when horror films were fun, without taking themselves too seriously. The film boasts performances by George Stover (John Waters' Desperate Living and Polyester), Ruby LaRocca (Lord of the G-Strings), and Shawn C. Phillips (star of Syfy Channel's "Haunted High School" and Chillerama).
Witch's Brew is the fourth film from Baltimore based Midnight Crew Studios.
LaMartina and George's previous film, President's Day, tore up the festival circuit last fall, playing Fargo Fantastic Fest, Fuel the Fear Fest, Killer Film Fest (winning "Best Feature" and "Best Screenplay"), Oklahoma Horror Film Festival, San Diego Horror Film Festival, and Synerfest (winning "Best Feature") It will be released early next year through Spy Global Media.

Facebook page.


Trailer:

"More Beer at the White House" Identified!

Remember this earlier question about the beer Obama had with a Marine recipient of the Medal of Honor?

The White House has identified it, according to this blog:  more of the White House's honey homebrew:

President Obama quaffed beer with 23-year old Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer on Wednesday, a day ahead of presenting the former Marine Sergeant with the Medal of Honor on Thursday. Turns out the beers for the Oval Office patio chat were some of the special homebrew the White House chefs have been making since last January, a White House spokesman told Obama Foodorama. The President served Meyer, the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war, White House Honey Blonde Ale. 

Ellicott Mills Brewing Holding Flood Victims Relief Fundraiser

From the Baltimore Sun, and heard through other media:

Seeing the damage all around him, Kendzierski and other members of the close-knit Ellicott City community began brainstorming ways to raise money for their neighbors who'd been hit the hardest.
One result is that the Brewing Co.'s fourth annual Maryland crab soup competition, already planned for Sunday, Sept. 18, is now part fundraiser as well.
As an estimated 20 contestants vie for the title of top soup, there will also be raffles and a collection for flood victims, Kendzierski said.
For the rest of September, one dollar from every Kolsch beer – renamed Muddy Waters – and every dinner special sold at the brewery will go toward the collection fund as well, Kendzierski said.
Everyone is invited, and Kendzierski said he expects a full house of supporters. The money raised will likely be divided among flood victims along Main Street and in the town's west end residential neighborhood, he said.
"People's lives were affected in a strong way, and hopefully this'll help us raise awareness," he said. "It's not charity. It's community."
The event is from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Ellicott Mills Brewing Co., 8308 Main Street in Ellicott City.

More at the link.

Okay, NOW the Baltimore Beer Week schedule ramps up.......

The pressure is now on for Baltimore Beer Week's sponsors to add events to the official schedule, both on the website and for the upcoming guide booklets and City Paper schedule inserts.  The official tally now stands at  214 267 events, and we are well aware of several more that haven't made it onto the website list yet.

Start perusing, and start arranging your schedules accordingly.  (The home page gives you the seven "featured events;" select individual dates to see what's happening on those days.)

Charitably Charmin' ChiliBrew Returns For Baltimore Beer Week

Just in from the organizers:

WHAT:  The 4th Charitably Charmin' ChiliBrew competition, a nonprofit fundraiser
WHEN:  Fri, 10/14/11; competitor setup 6:00-7:00PM, competition 7:00-10:00PM, live music afterwards
WHERE:  The Load of Fun Gallery, 120 W. North Ave., Baltimore MD. 21201
WHO:  presented by the BaltiBrew homebrew club, sponsored by Liam Flynn's Ale House
WHY:  to promote localized lifestyles, and build community amongst DIY enthusiasts
HOW/etc.:  http://bmorecharmin.intuitwebsites.com/

A more in-depth description of the ChiliBrew along with rules and entry form are found on the event website above.  Ours is a relatively informal event, so the judging is "hedonistic"-style, and there are no style categories and no competitor entry fee (in a sense, it's like a giant potluck party with prizes).  We ask that competitors fill out an entry form by October 5th (i.e. before Beer Week), or email us to discuss other arrangements or ask any questions: bmorecharmin@gmail.com

More Beer at the White House

Dear God, the man can't even sit down for a damn beer without being accused of a politically staged photo op.  I actually have sympathy with the President on this one.  (Well, having a photographer follow you around constantly and "tweeting" the resulting imagery instantly leaves you wide open to that charge, of course.)

Of course, what WE want to know:

Was the beer an all-American "macroswill" lager made by a unionized plant, a locally-made "craft" beer (3 Stars, DC Brau, Chocolate City, Capitol City, etc.), a "chick" beer with herbs and fruit, a complex hoppy double India Pale Ale or "manly" barleywine, a foreign-made artisan beer, or a non-alcoholic stage prop?

"Woody Creek White Extreme" at Metropolitan tonight

From the e-mail from Metropolitan:

The cask for tonight's Firkin Thursday is Woody Creek White Extreme from Flying Dog in Frederick, Maryland.  Normally, Woody Creek White is a wonderfully refreshing 4.8% Belgian-Style White, but the version we have in the cask is an experimental one made with five types of hops.  Hence, Woody Creek White Extreme.

Word has it that this version of the beer has only been tasted at the brewery tap room on a brewery tour and at a street festival in Frederick.  So this should be an extra special treat.

Max's German Fest draft list

From their e-mail:

We will have over 60 German beers on throughout the weekend (over 40 to start on Friday)

We will have over 40 German beers in bottles and a full German inspired Food menu.

 

We will be offering Sample Size glasses, Pints, 1 Liter Steins , 1 Liter Boots and even 2 Liter Boots

 

So here its is, the draft list for Friday. As always beers may change due to things out of over control

 

GRAVITY KEGS AND CASKS

Aecht Schlenkerla Marzen

Aecht Schlenkerla Kaeusen

Hofstetten Hochzeitsbier 1810

Lowenbrau Buttenheim Kellerbier

Mahrs Hell

Mahrs Ungespundet Lager

Monchsambacher Lager Bier

Schneider Aventinus Eisbock

Schneider Edel Weisse

Weissenohe Monksfest

 

ON DRAFT

Aecht Schlenkerla Weizen

Aecht Schlenkerla Helles Zyhtmore Ramato Wine Barrel

Bahnhof White Ale Interpretation

Bahnhof Berliner Weisse w/ Brett

Einbecker Brauherren Pils

Einbecker Urbock Dunkel

Einbecker Schwarzbier

Einbecker Winterbock Dopplebock

Erdinger Oktoberfest Weizen

Franziskaner Hefeweizen

Franziskaner Dunkel Weizen

Hofstetten Granit Bock Aged in Whiskey Port Barrels

Hofstetten Granit Bock Ice

Hofstetten Heller Saphir Bock

Hofstetten Kubelbier

Hofstetten Honigs Bock W/ Single Vartiel Limetree Blossom Honey

Julius Echter Hefeweizen

Klosterbrauerei Ettal Dunkel;

Klosterbrauerei Curator

Kostritzer Schwarzbier

Kulmbacher Eisbock

Kulmbacher Monchshof Kellerbrau

Kulombacher Monchshof Schwarzbier

Bahnhof Leipziger Gose

Reissdorf Kolsch

Schneider Aventinus

Schneider Weisse

Spaten Lager

Spaten Pils

Spaten Oktoberfest

Spaten Optimator

Steigl Lager

Uerige Classic

Uerige Sticke

Uerige Dopplesticke

Weissenohe Bonator

Weltenburger Pils

Wurzburger Pils

 

Plus a whole bunch more.........

Happy Anniversary to The Brewer's Art

The Brewer's Art, now a landmark brewpub in the Northeastern microbrewery scene, turns fifteen today.

As co-founder Volker Stewart likes to observe, it opened for business on a Friday the Thirteenth, September 1996.

As recounted by Lew Bryson in his book Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Breweries (an excellent and underrated, if now slightly outdated, book),

Stewart was a librarian at the University of Baltimore, where he met founding partners Tom Creegan and Johey Verfaille through homebrewing, and they decided to open The Brewer's Art.  "It was almost a lemonade stand kind of idea," said Volker.  The :lemonade stand" came together over the next year and a half.

"It's hard to find brewpub space in Baltimore," Stewart said, noting the expense of Inner Harbor locations and the reluctance of Fells Point residents to allow yet another liquor license in their neighborhood.  But there are no residences on the block of Charles Street where the partners finally located, in the northern end of the city's Mount Vernon section, and the building, originally the "city house" for a wealthy banker, with a proud, column-framed entrance, turned out to be perfect for The Brewer's Art.

May we be lucky enough to have you all around for fifteen more years, Volker, Tom, Steve, and Rob.

I am told that the brewpub has tapped a 15th Anniversary ale, Bag Man, a Belgian porter.  More on this after sampling in the next day or so.

For the record, here are some other things that were happening around that time period in Mid-Atlantic brewing in mid-1996

• Brewpubs starting in that time period: Church Brew Works and The Strip Brewery and Alehouse in Pittsburgh; Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, Pa.; Appalachian Brewing and Troegs in Harrisburg; Champion Billiards Cafe & Brewery in Parkville (initially supervised by the brewer at Bardo Rodeo in Arlington, Virginia); Brimstone Brewing's new bottling line was set to start up July 4th; Brewers Alley in Frederick, Rock Bottom in Bethesda, Washington Brewing Co in D.C. (maker of Monument Ale by contract, first in Iowa and then at Steamship Brewing in Norfolk, Va.); Roanoke Brewing in Roanoke, Va.; Worcester Street Brewing in Ocean City (first opened in 1993, but not brewing until 1996); Cedar Creek Brewery in Egg Harbor City, NJ; Breakers Brewing in Ashbury Park, NJ; and others.  
• Dogfish Head celebrated its first anniversary that June, and Victory was less than a year old.. 
• Remember Blue Ridge Beer?  The Last Chance Saloon?  Oxford Brewing?  Mount Airy Brewing?  Patwomack Pale Ale?  Wild Goose in Cambridge?  Maryland Homebrew just moving into their new home that they would occupy for fifteen years?  Belgian ale dinners at The Wild Mushroom on Montford Avenue? 

Coming Soon to Hellas Lounge

Straight from the e-mail from Hellas Restaurant & Lounge in Millersville:

We have a couple of great events coming up in the near future here at Hellas.  On Wednesday September 21st, we will be hosting the Troegs Brewing Company for a Pint Nite. This is a RARE treat for us to offer.... a special firkin of their Hopback.  Firkins are pretty tough to get a hold of, so we feel very lucky to have one. As always with our Pint Nite's we will be offering discounted prices for the featured brewer and your first purchase gets you a free glass to take home with you. (While supplies last, one per customer).  Beers start flowing at 6pm.

Our next event is something of a first for us. We will be hosting a fundraising dinner. On Sunday October 2nd, we present to you, the Maryland Beer and Wine Fundraising Dinner. Enjoy an evening of wonderful local food and drinks featuring numerous guest speakers and industry professionals while raising money for a great cause. Reception starts at 5pm featuring assorted Chesapeake Oysters paired with a special firkin of Hop Haarvest Fresh Hop Porter from the Heavy Seas Brewery.  The cost is $65 per person, tickets must be purchased in advance. $10 from every ticket will be donated to the Oyster Recovery Partnership. Please stop by the restaurant, call us, or email us to make your reservation for this special event.

Get Your German (or Sixpoint) On!

1) The Old Stein Inn in Mayo (near Annapolis) reopens on Wednesday after rebuilding after this winter's fire.

2)  Max's German Fest is this weekend, Sept. 16-18th.  50 or so German drafts.

3)  Max's Tuesday Beer Social this week features 30+ beers from Sixpoint Brewing of New York (of course, many/most will be available for a week or more):

ON DRAFT:
Bengali Tiger
Sweet Action
Righteous
Crisp
Growler Dark(Inspired by our Trip to the UK)
Mad Scientists #4 (Hibiscus Ale)
Old Krusher (Barleywine)
Mad Scientists #5 (Belgian Golden Ale Infused w/ Shiso)
Spice of Life:Chinook
Meatball Shop Ale (Red Ale w/ 30% Wheat Malt)
Bark Ale (Red Session Ale)
Little Wisco Special(Kolsch Style Ale w/ Flaked Corn)
Mad Scientists #3 (Double Sticke)
Vienna Pale Ale (Pale Ale w/ Vienna malt)
Mad Scientists #6 (IPA Wet and Dry hopped w/ Freshly Pikced Hops from the Hudson Valley)
El Barrio (Brown Ale, Nicely Hopped & Roasty)
Belgian IPA (IPA w/ Belgian Yeast Strain)
Brevity (Belgian Wit)
Little BZZZ (Honey Infused Ale)
Filling Station(Belgian Pale Ale)
Otis (Nitro Stout w/ Flaked Oats)
Signal IPA (IPA w/ A Slight Amount of Smoke malt)
Brownstone (Signature Brown Ale, Brady, w/ Hints of Coffee & Chocolate)
Frankie's Pale Ale (Well Balance Pale w/ Fruity Finish)
Spice of Life:Cascade
Spice of Life: Amarillo
Catch and Brass (Pale w/ Lots of Juicy Notes, Think Hawaiian Punch)
Gemini (Double IPA)
Autobahn (West Coast Style IPA)
Oyster Stout(Brewed w/ Oyster Shells)
Bills Burger Beer (ESB)

Plus a few others...................

Harvest Beer Festival in Anne Arundel Co. Sept. 17th

From the press release:

Annapolis, MD: The Inaugural Harvest Beer Festival at Homestead Gardens will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2011 from 2-6pm. The first of its kind in our area, The Festival features 15 Breweries; including Chicago based Goose Island, Widmer Brothers, local favorite Fordham and newcomer to Maryland, New Belgium Brewing Company. Your $35 ticket allows you the opportunity to sample over 50 outstanding import and craft beers, chat with the experts, a souvenir etched glass mug, free parking and entry to the Brewer Sessions -all on the beautiful grounds of Homestead Gardens.

The Brewer Sessions will address multiple components of beer. Paul Pendyck, the foremost authority on Cask Conditioned Ale in the USA will speak to all aspects of Real Ale and the continuing renaissance of Cask Conditioned Ale in the United States. Billy Smith, Brew Manager for Red Hook’s Portsmouth, New Hampshire Brewery will talk about Dry hopping – techniques, nuances and new technologies. John J. Hall, Senior Brewer for Goose Island Beer Company will discuss Goose Island’s history with barrel aging. Eric Salazar, Lead Brewer in charge of Sour and Wood Ales for New Belgium Brewing Company will talk about the ever increasing popular Sour Ales as they march east across the USA and Levi Duncan, Chief Brewer for Starr Hill will delve into the intricacies of off flavors in Beer.

Live music by local favorite Rob Levit Quartet will entertain and Homestead Gardens will have their grills Blazen –even an Oyster bar for the occasion. The Harvest Beer Festival benefits Scenic Rivers Land Trust (SRLT), a non-profit organization that has been preserving land in Anne Arundel County for over 23 years. SRLT currently holds easements on 48 properties, totaling over 2,100 acres and influences the management of thousands of additional acres. Their efforts support the conservation of forests, farmlands and open space land along the waterways of Anne Arundel County.

Tickets may be purchased on-line at www.harvestbeermd.com and will be available at the door.

Homestead Gardens is on Central Avenue (Md. Rt. 214) in Davidsonville, southwest of Annapolis; the Old Stein Inn is nearby in Mayo and is scheduled to reopen this week, if you need more German in your beer.

The First Craft Beer Flood Victims UPDATED

This post will be updated as news arrives.  Check back often.

The Phoenix Emporium in Ellicott City got hit by flooding Wednesday, with a flooded cellar, but was open Thursday night, according to their Facebook page.

Ellicott Mills, from Mid-Atlantic Brewing News Maryland columnist Kevin Smith:

Ellicott Mills closed earlier in the week due to flooding in Ellicott City. Bill Pastino reported up to two feet of water in the basement, but that would only affect the Ratskellar, which is likely to remain closed until the rains are done and the downstairs has a chance to dry out. The rest of the restaurant would remain open whenever possible in this weather.

Up in Pennsylvania, the Riverhouse Pub in Montandon, Pa. was flooded, but due to a dispute between brewer Bart Rieppel and the restaurant management, Rieppel had removed his brewing equipment, reportedly the week before.  Selin's Grove is reported as being out of danger for the moment (the record-setting 1972 flood didn't quite reach the alley on which the brewhouse sits); we await reports on Old Forge in Danville (in a low spot on Danville's main street, too close to Mahoning Creek) and others.

Report from Troegs in Harrisburg and Hershey:

We lost power in Harrisburg yesterday morning (Thursday) around 9:30 a.m. We evacuated the brewery around 1 p.m. after loading 4 trailers full of packaging, merchandise, files, computers and anything else that would fit. We put all hops, barley and a lot of the of beer up on pallets to get it above two feet level inside the building. They lowered the crest level by two feet overnight (currently forecasted for 26.5 feet), so we hope we are ok, but the entire brewery is surrounded by water and we won’t be able to get in there until Monday at the earliest.

No problems in Hershey – except for a lot of road closures that won’t allow us to get trucks into the building.

This just in from Appalachian in Harrisburg:

Don't worry, the beer has been protected.  We never lost power.

Selin's Grove in Selinsgrove: 

Police enforced Curfew at 11pm tonight & tomorrow in the Grove, last call at 10pm kitchen closes at 9:30 pm

A Different Kind of Brewery Collaboration

Evolution Craft Brewing of Delaware (for the moment) was seeking a venue for a beer dinner for Baltimore Beer Week, and found one: the Pratt Street Ale House for Tuesday, Oct. 11th:

Evo are bringing the big guns ... Morning Wood: [a] big oatmeal stout blended with oak aged stout conditioned on Sumatran coffe beans, 9%; Menagerie 3: redux--oak aged Scotch ale 9.4 %; Lot 6 [double IPA]. We'll ease you into the event with Dark Horse mild and will also offer My Minkey's [sic] Got Wood & Harvest Ale.

Menu and price TBA at the PSAH website.

SPBW/PSAH Real Ale Fest Oct. 15th

Tickets now on sale.

Saturday, Oct. 15th, 1-6 PM, $40-60 advance, 45 cask ales expected.

Flying Dog Secret Stash Harvest Ale

Flying Dog Secret Stash Harvest Ale is reported as rolling off the lines today in Frederick.  "This year, we’re using fresh Cascade and Chinook hops balanced with soft red wheat, sweet corn, potatoes, and honey."  Look for it in the "usual locations" in Md., DC, and Va. over the next two weeks.  More on the beer here.

Next: "The Fear" Imperial Pumpkin, due out later in September.

DuClaw Real Ale Fest on Saturday

Last warning.  Noon to 4 PM Saturday, rain, shine, or tropical storm.  $45 or $55 for a VIP extra hour, includes lots of food (an embarrassment of riches in gluttony, if past years are any indication).

Breweries expected: 

• Flying Fish
• Flying Dog
• Stillwater Artisanal
• Heavy Seas
• Stone
• Stoudt's
• Barley And Hops
• Red Brick
• Oliver's
• Pub Dog
• Brewer's Alley
• Frankiln's
• Troegs
• Brewer's Art
• Old Dominion
• Evolution
• Fordham
• Harpoon
• Yards
• Raven
• Mad Fox
• and several firkins from DuClaw Brewing Company.

Baltimore Beer Week preview at Hudson St. Stackhouse Tonight

The latest in a series of promotional "happy hours" for Baltimore Beer Week is tonight at Canton's Hudson Street Stackhouse, beginning at 5 PM.  Merchandise, plus a chance to win tickets to the Opening Tap.

If you're in the neighborhood, check out Mahaffey's, Ale Mary's, Baltimore Taphouse, and JD's Smokehouse, all with terrific beer selections.

Heavy Seas Updates

No, not those storms in the ocean, the brewery.

Heavy Seas is releasing the Great Pumpkin and Greater Pumpkin (barrel-aged version) on Thursday at Max's Taphouse, and their new Hop Haarvest fresh-hop porter (5% abv) at Kooper's Tavern in Fells Point on Wednesday the 14th.  The latter is only out on draft and 22-ounce bombers, very limited supply.

With the recent expansion, the brewery is expanding the previously scheduled Beer & Bacon Fest on Saturday the 17th, and a scant few tickets are now once again available.   $49 a head.

The brewery is also offering used bourbon barrels, re-used once for a batch of barrel-aged Greater Pumpkin beer.  $50 cash-and-carry at the brewery.   So, about that big batch of spiced barleywine you were thinking about brewing......

In the bad news department, the brewery lost power for several days last week due to this little storm going by the name "Irene".  It's too early as of yet to tell, but the brewery's lab is testing what beers were in fermentation at the time to see if the loss of refrigeration, etc. affected any beers.

Mike Franklin, the owner of Franklin's Brewery in Hyattsville, was unaffected by Irene, but remembers the "damage" wrought by Isabel years earlier: "We lost power for several days, and had to dump ALL the beer we had on at the time!"

Maryland's Newest Brewery

Burley Oak Brewing in Berlin, Md. is finally pouring product.

Their website.  Facebook.

Future Events at Max's Taphouse

Okay, this is full/crazy enough that I'm simply going to copy, paste, and edit for clarity......

MAX'S TUESDAY BEER SOCIAL

LIEFMANS OUD BRUIN (DRAFT)

 

This Tuesday we will be featuring Liefmans Oud Bruin from Belgium on draft. This Flemish Brown Ale is one of the finest examples of the style.Slightly Acidic with great flavor.

 

As Always we start at 6pm

We will be meeting at the main bar Downstairs

 

ON THE BEER ENGINES:

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

Lagunitas Lucky 13

Flying Dog Raging Bitch

Heavy Seas Prosit

 

NEW DRAFTS

Allagash Curieux

Southern Tier Pumking

Wolaver Pumpkin

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin

Peak Fall Summit

Flying Dog barrel Aged Gonzo

Pauwel Kawk

Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils

Rogue Double Dead Guy

Stillwater/ Brewers Art Debuntante

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb

Smuttynose Homunculus

Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu

Brooklyn Brown Ale

BFM B.A.T.S

Plus a whole bunch more to come....... 

THURSDAY SEPT 8, 2011

HEAVY SEAS GREAT & GREATER PUMPKIN CASK NIGHT

5PM-CLOSE

We will be featuring Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin and Great Pumpkin on Cask and Draft

 

TUESDAY SEPT 13, 2011

SIXPOINTS BREWERY RELEASE

WE WILL HAVE 32 SIXPOINT BEERS ON DRAFT

6pm-close

 

ON DRAFT:

Bengali Tiger

Sweet Action

Righteous

Crisp

Growler dark Ale

Old Krusher

Mad Scientists #4

Spice of Life: Chinook

Meatball Shop Ale

Bark Ale

Little Wisco Special

Mad Scientists #3

Mad Scientists #5

Vienna Pale Ale

Mad Scientists #6

El Barrio

Belgian IPA

Brevity

Little Bzzz

Filling Station

Otis

Signal

Brownstone

Frankie's Pale Ale

Spice of Life:Amarillo

Spice of Life :Cascade

Catch and Brass

Gemeni

Autobahn

Oyster Stout

Bills Burger Beer

Plus A few casks..........

SEPT 16-18, 2011

MAX'S 4TH ANNUAL GERMAN BEER FEST

11AM-2AM EACH DAY

NO ENTRANCE FEE

WE WILL HAVE OVER 60 AUTHENTIC GERMAN BEERS ON DRAFT THROUGHOUT THE 3 DAYS AND OVER 40 AUTHENTIC GERMAN BEERS IN BOTTLES.

WE WILL ALSO BE SERVING A FULL GERMAN INSPIRED FOOD MENU

WE WILL HAVE SAMPLE SIZE GLASSES, PINTS, 1 LITER STEINS, 1 LITER BOOTS AND 2 LITER BOOTS

 

ON DRAFT:WILL UP DATE AS THEY COME IN...

GRAVITY KEGS:

Aecht Schenkerla Oak Smoke

Aecht Schenkerla Marzen

Schneider Aventinus Eisbock

Schneider Edel Weisse

Hofstetten 1810

Aecht Schenkerla Kaeusen

Plus a bunch more TBA

 

ON DRAFT:

Aecht Schenkerla Weizen

Bahnof Berliner Weisse W/ brett

Bahnof White Ale Interpretation

Schneider Aventinus

Schneider Weisse

Leipziger Gose

Hofstetten Granit Bock Ice

Hofstetten Granit Bock Aged in Whiskey Port Barrels

Einbecker Winterbock Dopplebock

Erdinger Oktoberfest Weizen

Erdinger Dunkel Weizen

Aecht Scheklnlera Helles Ramato Wine Barrel

Spaten Oktoberfest 

Spaten Pilsner

Spaten Optimator

Spaten Lager

Steigl Lager

 Franziskaner Hefeweizen

Franziskaner Dunkel Weizen

Reissdorf Kolsch

Weltenburger Pils

Uerige Sticke

Uerige Dopplesticke

Uerige Classic

Ayinger Oktoberfest

Einbecker Brauherren Pils

Einbecker Urbock Dunkel

Hofstetten Kubelbier

Hofstetten Heller Saphir Bock

Hofstetten Honings Bock w/ Single Vartiel Limetree Blossom Honey

 

Plus a whole lot More.....................

FARMERS CABINET BREWERY RELEASE

WE WILL BE FEATURING A FEW THEIR BEERS ON DRAFT.

MORE INFO COMING SOON........

Clipper City FINALLY Expands

After well over a year of promises, buyout/moving offers, and more, Hugh Sisson's Clipper City Brewing Co. has cut through the walls of its industrial-park location to expand next door into a "stall" formerly housing a check-processing/storage facility of M&T (formerly Provident) Bank.

The expansion adds approximately 10,000 square feet to the brewery's pre-existing 15,000 square feet.  "The [microbrewing] industry standard is about a square foot per barrel of production," said Sisson.  "We're well above that already."