Updated Cask List for Pratt Street Spring Real Ale Fest

 From the brewer, Steve Jones:

BrewDog, Brewer's Art, Brewer's Alley, Breckenridge, DuClaw, Evolution, Flying Fish, Great Divide, Oskar Blues, Red Brick Station, Stillwater, Troegs, Weyerbacher and of course plenty of Oliver's including Hot Monkey Love batch #2 aged in oak barrel for 10 months and the debut of [Stillwater/Olivers collaboration] Channel Crossing #4... lots more to come.

May 14th, 1-6 p.m at Pratt Street Ale House; $40.; VIP session ($60) gets you an additional hour from 12 to 1.  See http://www.prattstreetalefest.com/

Alonso's 80th Birthday

Well, at least they're not claiming to have been a bar "since 1775," like one place in town used to.

Alonso's, the Roland Park neighborhood institution, is marking its 80th birthday (meaning they opened shortly before the fall of Prohibition) next Monday through Friday, with daily specials with "throwback" pricing and some of the original menu items, ending with a party on the evening of April 8th. The party will feature a complimentary appetizer buffet, specialty craft beer pricing, and an amazing cake from Charm City Cakes.  (Beer cake, dare we hope?)

Quick Weekend Reminders

Santé at the B&O Museum Saturday evening............   Beer, Bourbon & BBQ at the Fairgrounds Friday night and Saturday afternoon (at-gate tickets only)......  and the Japanese relief fundraiser at Max's Friday evening.....

April Mid-Atlantic Brewing News is out...........

I've spotted the latest issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News in at least two places now.  It happens to have some Baltimore and Maryland beer news not covered here.  Stop by your favorite good-beer emporium and pick up your copy.

Controversy Surrounds Cancellation of "Brewmasters" on Discovery Channel UPDATED

Read the story here at BeerNews.org:

The host of one of Travel Channel’s most successful shows accused “big beer” of threatening the Discovery Channel if it kept BrewMasters on air.

The show featured the exploits of Dogfish Head owner/founder Sam Calagione, conjuring up new beer recipes.  Officially, the Discovery Channel blamed poor ratings.

UPDATE via Jack Curtin: Sam talks to a Wilmington News Journal reporter on the reports.

Press Releases We Never Finished Reading, #1

(Company name redacted to prevent publicity)

Budlight and Coors Light have declared war! Budweiser’s #1 spot is now being challenged, but how much longer can it hold on to that top position? 

This Brew Battle  will be an interesting fight until the very end. 

[CompanyNameRedacted] is known for being the best high stakes online sportsbook in the world.  With that in mind, Tony Harvey and his team have laid out the odds on which beer companies are most likely to out sell-

Another Japanese Relief Fundraiser, featuring Japanese Craft Beer

Friday, April 1st, at Max's Taphouse, 5-8 PM, there will be a fundraising event for the Tsunmia/Earthquake victims of Japan. 100% of all proceeds from the Hitachino beers listed below will be given to the Kuichi Brewery in Japan to help with relief in their town that was devasted by the events.  This event is being organized by their importer/distributor, Legends Limited.

On tap will be Hitachino Nest White, Hitachino Nest Red Rice, and Hitachino Nest Ginger.  

And this time, I know where my Hitachino glass is..............

Washington Post Beer Madness Down to Eight........

..... with "local" breweries DuClaw, Evolution, and Flying Dog holding their own, and thus far packing a home-court advantage in early reader voting, over Lagunitas, Great Lakes Brewing, and Long Trail.  (A similar syndrome seems to be at work in the other face-off, with New Jersey's Flying Fish over Chicago's Goose Island.

Brackets here (with voting ability).  Round Three write-up here.

Beer-Related Articles We Never Finished Reading, #1 UPDATED

From the Baltimore Business Journal:

Organizers of this year’s Preakness Stakes are relying on a mythological half-man, half-horse to help spur infield ticket sales to the May 21 event.
The Maryland Jockey Club’s latest promotional campaign for the 136th running of the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore will feature the presumed beer-drinking horse named “Kegasus” pitching this year’s infield festival in television, radio and online adverti-

UPDATE: I'm not the only one criticizing this.

Good--and Bad--Legislative News

The good:  The Maryland Senate has joined the House of Delegates in passing a proposal that enables wineries to ship bottles directly to Maryland homes.

The bad:  Both the Senate version and the House version specifically state "wine."  Spirits drinkers and wannabe "beer of the month club" members are STILL out of luck.

Good Beer at Oriole Park at Camden Yards for 2011

This just in from Heavy Seas:  Oriole Park at Camden Yards will have nine taps of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, nine taps of Heavy Seas Pale Ale, & three taps of Heavy Seas Gold Ale in 2011.  A call to the brewery confirms that these will be in place for the entire 2011 season.


Maybe if I get another free ticket for an Orioles game, I might actually enter the stadium this time......

Flying Dog Sues Michigan For Right to Market their "Raging B*tch"

From Flying Dog's press release:

East Lansing, MI — Citing its First Amendment rights and an appalling attempt at state censorship, Flying Dog Brewery, with the support of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, filed suit in U.S. District Court on Friday to overturn the Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s ban on the sale of the company’s best-selling beer, Raging Bitch. The suit also seeks to recover damages from the loss of Flying Dog sales under the statewide ban, which the Commission issued based on its members’ personal distaste for Raging Bitch’s labeling.

The brouhaha began in September 2009, when Flying Dog Brewery applied for a license to sell Raging Bitch, the company’s 20th anniversary commemorative beer, in the state of Michigan. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission barred the sale of Raging Bitch, claiming that the beer’s label — designed by renowned British artist Ralph Steadman — is “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.”

Flying Dog Brewery disagrees. “Regrettably, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and its members have taken it upon themselves to control not merely alcoholic beverages, but speech as well,” said Flying Dog Attorney Alan Gura of Washington, D.C.-based Gura & Possessky, PLLC. “The defendants arbitrarily imposed their personal tastes in banning Raging Bitch, clearly violating Flying Dog’s First Amendment right to free expression.”

Okay, let me preface this by saying that I'm a libertarian, and typically I support the right of any company to do a legal business in a manner that both the company and its customers see fit.  And I don't care for government, especially some appointed committee, presuming to know what's best for me and trying to protect me from things it finds distasteful, immoral, or fattening.

But at the same time, the folks that run Flying Dog HAD TO KNOW that this kind of thing would happen.  Don't give me all this blather about the "dog" theme.  They went out looking for trouble, and they found it.  I'm seriously of the opinion by now that this name was chosen specifically to "cause trouble" and garner the company the "free publicity" that the resulting denunciations, legal challenges, and whatnot would produce.

It's good beer.  It's fairly shrewd marketing, assuming my supposition is true.  But I'm not playing along with that game any further.  I got into craft beer in part to get away from the foul-mouthed "d-bags" at which the company seems to direct all its marketing......

More legal analysis here.

When is a "Microbrew" No Longer a Microbrew? Goose Island Purchased By Anheuser-Busch

No, we're not rehashing that redefinition of a "craft brewer" by the Brewers Association from 2 million barrels annually to 6 million (which keeps Sam Adams in the statistics, but also adds Yuengling, whose application for membership in the BA was approved in January).

Anheuser-Busch, the "evil incarnate" to many a good beer fan, the "whipping boy" playing the same role as McDonald's to American cuisine, Wal-Mart to American retail, and, well, just about any TV show of late to American arts/culture..........

...... has just purchased Goose Island, the Chicago-based brewpub-and-brewing company, for $38.8 million.

The news is still evolving; check the link above to see the latest.  Thus far: Brewmaster leaving and is being replaced in-house; A-B will pump money into expanding brewing capacity; etc. The brewpubs are not part of the transaction.

Those of you who follow the business side of craft beer will remember that Goose Island was already partially owned by Craft Brewers Alliance, which is effectively a subsidiary of ABInBev set up to partially own, and aid in distribution of, such craft beers as Redhook, Goose Island, etc.

Goose Island produces some astoundingly good/great beers--give me a Honker's Ale any day.  But is there a point where they become part of the "Evil Empire" or "Axis of Evil," as some folks call the mega-swill makers?  Should we be happy that they see the likes of Pere Jacques, Honker's, Sofie, Bourbon County Stout, etc, as worthy of investment/ownership, and that they are effectively expanding their portfolio?  Or should we expect the brand to end up like a Hops franchise outlet in a few years, producing bland and insipid beers but also pouring Redhook and Bud Light?

UPDATE: More from Time Out Chicago, by way of Lew Bryson.

Cask Ale at The Falls, Mt. Washington April 7th; PSAH Real Ale Festival May 14th

The Falls in Mount Washington is holding its first cask ale event April 7th, with Olivers 3 Lions Ale with French Oak tapped at 5.30 p.m. Also expected on regular draft: Sorachi Ace Strongman, Biere de Garde and Cherry Blossom Ale.  The early birds will receive a complimentary Oliver’s 3 Lions pint glass.  There will also be a free drawing at 6.30 p.m. to win a pair of tickets to the forthcoming Spring Real Ale Festival at The Pratt Street Ale House.

Oh, yes, that Spring Real Ale Festival............  Pratt Street Ale House Saturday, May 14th, 1-6 p.m for $40.; VIP session ($60) gets you an additional hour from 12 to 1.  Confirmed so far:  Olivers (of course), Stillwater (naturally); Red Brick Station, Weyerbacher, Flying Fish, Oskar Blues, Breckenridge, and more to be named later.  Info at the link above.

Strongman Sorachi Ace on firkin at The Judge's Bench TONIGHT

From Steve Jones:

[Tonight] The Judge’s Bench will have the only remaining firkin of The single hop Sorachi Ace Strongman Pale Ale. Big and bold, 8.6% abv, full of crazy Sorachi flavors this version of the popular Strongman Pale Ale is probably my favorite thus far so I can’t wait to finally try it the way the Brew Gods intended, straight from the cask! I’ll be tapping it at 5pm.

Balto. Sun: Booze Tax and Shipping a Compromise (Yeah, Right....)

The Baltimore Sun, in an article by Julie Bykowicz and Jessica Anderson, depicts the recent proposals to change Maryland's alcohol laws as something of a compromise--in trade for higher sales taxes (buried at the back of the article), you get the possibility that you can order wine from other states.  (Once again, nothing about shipping spirits or "beer-of-the-month" clubs is mentioned.)


I believe that the hype surrounding wine shipments is somewhat exaggerated.  Only a limited number of boutique operations will ever pay the proposed fees to be permitted to ship into Maryland or sell at farmers' markets.  It's certainly not going to happen for one or two chance orders from a small place someone runs across during their vacation travels, but only for organized "wine club" efforts.  The tax increase, however, will bite every retail purchaser of alcoholic beverages.


And let me be among the first to call the proposed increase from six to nine percent sales tax increase (spread over three years) what it is: a fifty percent increase in alcohol sales tax.

Md. Alcohol Sales Tax Passes Committee

The Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee has advanced a plan to bump tax on alcohol from 6 to 9 percent over the next three years--the first time an alcohol tax increase has made it out of a legislative committee in over forty years.

More here, including proposed revenue distribution..  The bill now goes to the House of Delegates.

Now It's Trading One Booze Tax For Another UPDATED

So now, according to WBAL TV News, it appears that the Maryland legislature is looking to sacrifice their vaunted "dime-a-drink" (yeah, right) tax proposal, with a specific recipient for the revenues, in favor of the just-proposed incrementally-implemented percentage sales tax, which will pump revenue into the general state coffers:

Until now, efforts to increase Maryland's alcohol tax to pay for health care programs have focused on raising the excise tax at the wholesale level. But advocates of the dime-a-drink campaign said they view the compromise as a victory even though the revenue generated will not directly go to specific health care programs.
"We understand that the proposal will not earmark the way we proposed it. What we are hoping is that the administration and Legislature, in the supplemental budget, use the money for these health care needs," said Vinnie Demarco, the president of the Maryland Health Care Initiative.

*Snort.*  
*Snicker*............  chuckle.....................  BWAA-HAA-HAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..........

Sorry.  Those silly dreamer tear me up sometimes, you know?

Anyhow, more details:

The legislation increases the state alcohol tax rate from 6 percent to 7 percent for fiscal year 2012, from 7 percent to 8 percent for fiscal year 2013 and from 8 percent to 9 percent for fiscal year 2014 and beyond.
Sen. Edward Kasemeyer, the chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, said estimates show it would bring in $90 million after three years.
The state comptroller's office tracks gallons of alcohol sold that aren't individual units and said it will cost the state $187,200 to make computer programming changes to register the new sales and use tax rates. Retailers will also have to make programming adjustments and, according to an analysis of the bill, the tax increase may result in as much as an 8 percent decline in liquor sales and a 3 percent decline in beer and wine sales.
"However, you have to look at it both short- and long-term. What is going to be the long-term benefit and the fact that it is phased in -- that phase-in strategy is to mitigate any drastic changes," said bill sponsor Sen. Verna Jones-Rodwell, D-Baltimore.

More coverage to come.............. stay tuned........

UPDATE: Please notice that the Baltimore Sun, which extensively and repeatedly covered details of the so-called "dime-a-drink" tax proposal, has been all but completely mum on this latest alcohol tax proposal, burying the news in two blog posts and a single sentence in a story on the governor's budget proposals.  Now, novelty cigarette lighters, on the other hand, seem much more interesting at the moment to the Sun staf............  oh, look! A squirrel!!

Extra Strong Beer at DuClaw

No, not the return of Colossus, sadly.

Starting today and while supplies last, DuClaw's three regular locations are putting Samichlaus Helles, the Samichlaus 14%-ABV lighter-colored sister to the original Samichlaus "imperial dopplebock", as a guest beer.  (No word on price or serving size.)

Round Two of Washington Post's Beer Madness

Article here.      Revised brackets (and voting ballot) here.

The Baltimore loser: Stillwater Stateside Saison lost out to Flying Fish Exit 4.  Still in the running from (reasonably) local breweries: Flying Dog Raging B*tch, Evolution Rise Up Stout, and DuClaw Misery.

It's intriguing to go down the brackets and see the discrepancies between the panel and the votes.

Booze-Shipping Bill Passes Committee

The proposal to allow direct shipment of wine to Maryland residents has unanimously passed through the two committees that had blocked such legislation from consideration by the legislature in the past, according to the Baltimore Sun "Maryland Politics" blog.

Still no word on whether said bill will allow or prohibit booze other than wine.  Typical.

I Blame This For the Japanese Earthquake

I mean, we're talking the world as we know it shifting on its axis here:

Bier Baron, the D.C. beer bar formerly known as the Brickskeller, now has 52 drafts: 28 downstairs, 24 upstairs.

Beer and BBQ Returns to the Md. Fairgrounds April 1-2

So this Saturday's Heavy Seas BBQ fest is sold out?

There's still the following weekend's Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Fest at the Md. State Fairgrounds in Timonium--this year, local festival producer Trigger Agency is using the Cow Palace, the big, long building on the northern end of the fairgrounds.  The VIP Saturday extra-long session is sold out, but the regular Friday evening and Saturday sessions are still open.  Regular admission is $35 advance and $45 at the door; last year they sold out in advance. 

Breweries (and the like) expected: Heavy Seas Loose Cannon and Maerzen (plus a firkin to be tapped Saturday at 11:45 am), Magic Hat #9 and Circus Boy, Saranac Pomegranate Wheat, Lake Placid Ubu Ale, Ommegang Three Philosophers and  Belgian Pale Ale, Evolution Primal Pale Ale and Lucky 7 Porter, Olivers Irish Red and a seasonal TBA, Lancaster Strawberry Wheat and Milk Stout, Gordon Biersch Marzen and Blonde Bock, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Glissade, Stone Arrogant Bastard and Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Modelo Especial/Negra Modelo, Guinness, Smithwicks, Buffalo Bill's Blueberry Oatmeal Stout [huh?], National Bohemian, Woodchuck Ciders, Heineken/Amstel, Newcastle Brown Ale, Dos Equis Amber, Mike's Hard Lemonade/etc., Strongbow, and beers TBA from Stevens Point, Pyramid, and DuClaw.

See the link above for a bourbon list.

Guess what? "Dime-a-Drink" tax increase isn't enough for Annapolis!

Gee, another proposed "sin tax" from Annapolis!  Who could have seen THAT coming?

BaltimoreSun.com:

Baltimore's Verna Jones-Rodwell introduced a measure in the Maryland senate Monday night to increase the sales tax on alcohol by three percent over the next three years. The state's sales tax would remain unchanged for all other goods.

The measure would raise $90 million a year when it is fully implemented, said Jones-Rodwell. "It needs to be on the table," she said Monday night. The money would go to the state's general fund.

A different proposal to raise an excise tax at the wholesale level -- known as the dime a drink tax -- was sold as a way to help the disabled.

More at the link above.  More on the general idea here in an earlier blog post.  The Washington Post covers it--briefly.

Remember, this is ON TOP OF the proposed so-called "dime-a-drink" excise tax that would be applied at the wholesale level.  And it apparently just goes into the general fund, not towards a specific program.

Other states are looking better and better with each passing month.................

New DC Brewery Hits Regulartory Snafu

As outlined by Greg Kitsock in the Washington Post, DC Brau, one of several new DC-area micro/nano-breweries we expect to hear more about in coming months, has hit a regulatory problem with letting visitors to the brewery sample their beers.

Hellas Beer Events

As part of the crusade to bring more good beer to central Anne Arundel County, Hellas' beer manager Joey Marchiano has e-mailed me notices of two upcoming events:

Victory Beer Dinner will be Sunday March 27th at Hellas Restaurant & Lounge. It starts at 5:30pm, and for $45 you will receive a five course dinner served with six beers from the wonderful Victory Brewing Co.  Joe Gold, of the V.B.C. and founder of Baltimore Beer Week will be our guest speaker of the evening.

Also, this Wednesday March 23rd, Andy Newell (owner of Flying Fish brewery) will be stopping by for a Flying Fish night at Hellas. We will be debuting Exit 9 Hoppy Scarlet Ale, the latest in their Exit Series. We will also be pouring a firkin of Exit 4 Belgian-Style Trippel , and Grand Cru Winter will be served at a discounted price for this evening only.

Mathematicians Make the Guinness Widget Redundant

So says an article in The Economist:

The widget’s days, though, may be numbered, for a crack group of mathematicians from the University of Limerick, led by William Lee, has modelled bubble formation in stout beers in detail. Their work suggests that lining the rims of cans and bottles with a material similar to an ordinary coffee filter would be a simpler, cheaper alternative to the widget. The team’s calculations show that a copious number of bubbles would form from air trapped inside the hollow fibres making up this lining. They have just submitted their work for publication in Physical Review E and are hoping that industry will soon begin testing their proposal.

Stout-Baked Cupcakes?

(Found this a couple days ago, lost it/got sidetracked, and found it again....)

A cupcake shop in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware is selling cupcakes laced with stout:

The $3 cupcakes come in three varieties -- Guinness, Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, and Irish I Had Another, which features Guinness and a Jameson Irish Whiskey chocolate ganache. All three have a green frosting for St. Pat's made with Baileys Irish Cream.

They can afford to use Dogfish Head World Wide Stout?

Seems that we'd do better adapting Heavy Seas' Siren Noire chocolate cake recipe--which isn't yet up at Heavy Seas' recipe page............

Washington Post Beer Madness, Round 1 Elimination

Read about it here.

The revised brackets.

Can We Say "See, I Told You So!" Yet?

Baltimore Sun:

The package of taxes and fees crafted by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and City Council members to meet a budget deficit last year is estimated to fall short of projected revenues by nearly $17 million — more than a third of the income that it was expected to generate — city finance officials said Tuesday.
The city will receive $12 million less in income tax than officials had projected — most likely due to unemployment, officials said — and a controversial bottle tax is predicted to generate $1 million less than officials had expected, city budget director Andrew W. Kleine told council members at a hearing.

But tell them that spending decreases when a commodity or service is taxed, and you're accused of "voodoo economics"........

Mark Your Calendars: Md. Beer on Md. Public TV April 14th

Some of you may have had the chance to run into a TV crew at certain Maryland beer places a few months ago.

Well, here's what they were filming:

Brewed on the Bay: Craft Beers of Maryland

April 14 at 8:30pm; also April 15 at 12:30am, 4am

Join Al Spoler, local food aficionado and cohost of WYPR's Cellar Notes, as he takes us on a tour of the Chesapeake region's microbreweries. Explore Maryland's rarely considered beer traditions and history in a thirst-quenching travelogue of our area.

Additional Sponsors:
Baltimore Beer Week
Brewers Association of Maryland
Heavy Seas Beer
Maryland Homebrew
Trigger Agency
The Wine Source

The show is part of MPT's Chesapeake Bay Week programming.

Benefit Beer for Japanese Disaster

Pratt Street Ale House is donating $1 from each pint of Strongman Pale Ale to the Red Cross to aid victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Why Strongman? Because this batch was hopped entirely with Japanese Sorachi Ace. Join the brewpub and raise a glass of Strongman to the families struggling through this experience and help them raise some money so that we can help in some small way.

 More on the project here.

 More ways to help listed here by Tom Cizauskas.

Washington Post's Beer Madness 2011

The Washington Post's Food section launches its annual “Beer Madness” competition this week. This year, the competition has doubled to include 64 beers (oh, their livers......). The theme chosen was American craft brews: all 64 breweries represented met the Brewers Association’s definition of a craft brewery (well, by now that includes Yuengling).

Over the next six weeks, the Post will reprint the results of ten tasters voting on their favorite brews through the brackets, arriving at the “sweet 16,” “final 4,” and an ultimate tournament winner. 

The initial story (in tomorrow's newspaper) here.  Accompanying video will be here (not up as this is typed).  More on the panelists here.

SPBW at Lures in Crownsville on Thursday, March 10

Consider this your heads-up to either detour to good beer in Anne Arundel County, or stay away and make room for the crowd.

The Chesapeake Bay Branch of the SPBW is visiting Lures Bar & Grille in Crownsville on Thursday.  At least two firkins are promised.  This will be the second attempt by the Branch to visit this Arundel oasis; last February's planned visit was snowed out.

Save the Date: City Paper Brew Fest April 30th

Saturday, April 30, 2011, 1pm-5pm, Rain or Shine, Fells Pt Square.  Tickets $ 30.00 until April 1st, then $35.00 till sell out; fest has always sold out in advance in recent years.  No tickets will be sold the day of the event!  60 Kegs to sample from, prizes, entertainment by Ocean City's Legendary DJ Batman....   Brewers for this year listed below :

Long Trail

Stillwater

DuClaw 

Brewers Art 

Old Dominion
Fordham

Magic Hat

Sierra Nevada

Saranac

Oliver's

Evolution

Ommegang

Anchor
Lancaster

Victory
Tommyknocker
Harpoon
Yuengling
Stoudt's
Leinenkugel
Flying Dog
Shiner
Goose Island
Kona
ShockTop
LandShark
Spaten
Boston Beer
Oskar Blues

Maybe it'll keep the vampires away............

From tomorrow's Max's Taphouse Tuesday Beer Social beer listing:

 

GULDENBOOT LEIREKEN WILD BERRIES (BOTTLES)

5.2%ABV. A White Spelt Brew with the addition of six red juices (raspberry, strawberry, elderberry, pomegranate, wild cherry and bilberry)

 

JESSENHOFKE TRIPLE(BOTTLES)

8.0% Triple Brewed with Garlic

Letter To The Editor

Hugh Sisson had a letter to the editor published in the Baltimore Sun on the proposed alcohol tax increase.

The commentary is as to be expected.

More on the topic at the Baltimore Business Journal.

Laugh of the Day

From Wrong Number Texts.  Forwarded by my sister.

Balto. Sun's Erik Maza discovers the concept of beer dinners.....

......  and writes about them (and the recent DuClaw beer brunch as well.)

What it Takes to Relocate Evolution To Maryland

What does it take to relocate Evolution from Delaware back to its originally planned Wicomico County, Md. home?

State legislation to alter Wicomico County liquor laws, apparently.

An article in today's Salisbury Daily Times details the many projects and holdings of the Knorr brothers, founders of Evolution Craft Brewing, and their original plans to establish a brewpub in the Salisbury passenger railroad station (ex-PRR), as well as their intention to relocate to a former ice-making plant in Salisbury from the former IGA supermarket in Delmar, Delaware.  But, of course, alcohol regulation is so detailed and complex that a minor change has to be made at the state level to allow it to happen.

(And, of course, the comments to the story already are alleging political cronyism.)

Heavy Seas' Annual Homebrew Competition

Yep, that time of year again.

Heaqvy Seas' Hugh Sisson is letting all you homebrewers know now about the upcoming Letter of Marque homebrew competition, so you can brew up something worthy of competition by mid-June, when the entries are due at the brewery.  As with past years, the winning recipe gets scaled up for a one-off production run at Clipper City Brewing.  Details are here.

Beer....... In......... SPA-A-A-ACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Apologies to The Muppet Show)

An Australian brewery, Four Pines, is producing a contract brew, Vostok, for a commercial space-tourism project.  Nope, not brewed in space, brewed for ideal consumption in zero-G space flight.

Read more about it here.

March Beer Events: Mark Your Calendars

This copy-and-paste calendar for Maryland comes courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News (disclaimer: for whom I write a paid column) and its Hop Tips e-mail newsletter and website; check out more throughout the region (especially D.C.) at http://www.brewingnews.com/calendar/mabncalendar.shtml or nationwide at this link.  (You can also submit your own event to the online calendar at this link.)

Wednesday, March 2nd: Maker’s Mark Bourbon Beer Dinner at Brewer’s Alley, Frederick –
Six courses for $55, plus tax and gratuity. 7pm. Reservations at 301-631-0089. Menu at www.brewers-alley.com.

Wednesday, March 2nd: Heavy Seas Pint Night at Mahaffey’s, Baltimore –
Join the whole Heavy Seas crew as they invade Mahaffey's in Canton. Find you favorites on tap and keep the glass with your first pint, plus get free booty. 5pm. 410-367-7840 or www.mahaffeyspub.com..

Thursday, March 3rd: Heavy Seas Pyrates Seize All 10 Taps at The Falls, Baltimore –
Relax with HS crew and talk beer. 6-9pm. 410-276-9989 or www.thefallsmtwashington.com..

Tuesday, March 8th: Mardi Gras Beer Dinner at Dogfish Head Alehouse, Gaithersburg –
Four courses for $60 inclusive. 7-9pm. Reservations at 301-963-4847. More info at www.dogfishalehouse.com.

Wednesday, March 9th: Heavy Seas Pint Night at Rocky Run, Glen Burnie –
Join the crew from Heavy Seas and keep the Heavy Seas glass with your first pint. Half price refills until 8pm. Featured beers will include Heavy Seas Gold Ale, Loose Cannon, and the new Mutiny Fleet release, AARSH Red. 6-8pm. 410-760-8850. www.rockyrun.com.

Wednesday, March 9th: Heavy Seas Pint Night hosted by Hugh at Frisco Grille, Columbia –
On tap will be Loose Cannon, Black Cannon, AARSH, Marzen, Small Craft Warning, Peg Leg. Get a free pint glass with your first beer after 7pm. 6-8pm. 410-312-4907. www.friscogrille.com.

Thursday, March 17th: St Patrick’s Day at Lure’s Bar and Grille, Crownsville –
Featuring traditional Irish food and a musical treat from Larry Thomas from 7-11pm. Beer and drink specials. 410-923-1606 or www.luresbarandgrille.com.

Sunday, March 20th: History in the Ale House in Baltimore –
Ever since men met in taverns to discuss the freedom of our nation, history can’t keep out of establishments connected to libations. Join Heavy Seas Beer and the Star Spangled Banner Flag House for an ale-inspired open house. Enjoy beer sampling and presentations from a Period Libations Expert. $10, or $5 for college students with ID. 410-837-1793 or www.flaghouse.org/index.php/flag/info/calendar

Tuesday, March 22nd: Stone Total Tap Takeover at Lure’s Bar and Grille, Crownsville –
All 14 taps so expect some surprises. 410-923-1606 or www.luresbarandgrille.com.

Thursday, March 24th: Tröegs Pint Night at Hudson Street Stackhouse, Baltimore –
Come out for a Keep-the-Glass night. Buy a pint of Tröegs and keep the Tröegs pint glass, while supplies last. 6pm. 410-342-0592 or www.hudsonstreetstackhouse.com.

Saturday, March 26th: Heavy Seas Beer Dinner at the Patuxent Greens Golf Club, Laurel –
You don’t have to be a member to attend. 7-9pm. $40. Reservations at 301-776-5533. Menu at www.hsbeer.com.

Saturday, March 26th: Heavy Seas Real Ale and BBQ Fest –
Over 12 taps plus firkins and great bbq. Live music by Black Falls. Noon to 4pm. $49. Tickets at www.hsbeer.com.

Sunday, March 27th: Beer Class: Wheat Beers at Punk’s Backyard Grill, Annapolis –
The world of white beers is vast and delicious. Break away from the Blue Moon, and experience the refreshing wheaty, yeasty flavors of fantastic white beers known as Hefeweizen, Weisse, Witbier, and Belgian White. Learn about the history of white beers and the brewing process while tasting five different styles of white beers with Punk's co-owners and beer-lovers, Dave and Sheila. Snacks are included. 5pm. $30. 5-6:30pm. 410-571-7744 or http://punksbackyardgrill.wordpress.com.

Tuesday, March 29th: Heavy Seas Social at Max’s, Baltimore –
Join the crew from Heavy Seas for Max's Tuesday night Beer Social. There'll be lots of Heavy Seas on tap as well as something wonderful from a cask. 6-9pm. 410-276-4807 or www.maxs.com.

Friday, April 1st and Saturday, the 2nd: Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Fest at the Timonium Fairgrounds –
60 beers, 40 bourbons and lots of bbq. Tickets and details at www.beerandbourbon.com/maryland/show-info.