The First Round of Recommended BBW Events

ARE YOU READY FOR BALTIMORE BEER WEEK???

Too bad.  It's sneaking up on us, anyway.  Just hope for warmer weather, please.

As with past years, this blog's author will be rummaging through the list of available events, and a couple days early, recommending or highlighting particular events.  Maybe they have a special beer or two, maybe they have an embarrassment of riches, or maybe they may be a rare opportunity to meet a brewer, or taste a once-in-a-lifetime beer.  But as always, your personal choice will depend on your schedule, where you live, your transportation options, and/or your budget.  Or lack thereof, in some cases.

Baltimore Beer Week officially kicks off, of course, with the Star-Spangled Banger Parade, basically a glorified pub crawl from Fort McHenry to downtown and ending up at the Ram's Head Live for the Opening Tap, which happens from 6 to 9 PM.  Unofficially, of course, whichever participating venue opens its doors first on Thursday technically can lay claim to "starting" BBW; in past years, it's been a tie between several places with daylong specials that open at 11 a.m., such as the Pratt Street Ale House, the Wharf Rat, and Max's Taphouse  "After-parties" following the Opening Tap will be held at the adjacent Leinenkugel's Beer Garden (with Flying Dog), at Max's Taphouse (with Unibroue brewers and Duvel trivia night), Pratt Street Ale House (a collaboration beer with Stillwater), and Alewife (Stillwater's Strumke and karaoke!),

Other events happening on Thursday include the tapping of Liam Flynn's Ale House's first "house firkin," a heather-and-apricot ale, at 4 PM;  a "Science on Tap" educational event at the Maryland Science Center featuring DuClaw's beers and brewers; and what has to be by far the most exotic event of BBW, an erotic art show opening featuring The Raven Lager.

Among Friday's 33 events: a homebrewing demonstration as part of the Charles Street Farmer's Market; the monthly SPBW gathering at TBonz Grill in Ellicott City; beer trivia at James Joyce, a German brat-and-beer-fueled Oktoberfest at Hop Heads on Pulaski Highway, the aforementioned Flying Dog Habitat for Humanity fundraiser/building in East Baltimore and Canton, and a "Beer-Lesque Show at Metro Gallery in Station North.

More to come...................