Upcoming Events

I'm going to crib a few notes from Brewing News' Hoptips, a free e-newsletter from Brewing News (you can subscribe yourself HERE).

Saturday, May 30th: Maryland Brewer’s Springfest in Frederick – The Frederick Keys play host to this annual event at Harry Grove Stadium. Check out the local brewers, event lineup and buy your tickets at www.frederickkeys.com/brewers09.

Saturday, June 6th: Free State Homebrew Guild Summer Picnic, Patapsco State Park – Join fellow beer enthusiasts for a day of brew, food, games, and a wheat beer contest. There will also be a raffle for a heated and cooled 12 gallon conical fermenter. Chances are $20 each and limited to 200 tickets. Sales start Monday, May 4th, with the drawing at the picnic. All proceeds go to charity. Noon to 7pm. Tickets and details at www.mdhomebrewers.org/.

Wednesday, July 1st: Ladies Only Night at Clipper City – The women of Clipper City Brewing are taking over, sending the men home and setting up for an evening with the ladies. Brush up on your beer knowledge with guided tastings and a tour of the brewery. Chris Ames from MD Homebrewer Assoc will be on hand to answer your brewing questions. Also joining in will be Kim Rigby from Parfections, bringing chocolate truffles made with the Heavy Seas beer to sample and take home. They’re keeping it small so don’t wait to preregister at www.ccbeer.com. 6-8pm.

Saturday, August 1st: Montgomery County Fair Homebrew Competition Entries are due – This competition will accept all BJCP styles and categories. Judging happens on August 8th - Stewards and judges are needed. Details at g_a_b_s.tripod.com/ (Click on "MCAF Competition").

Saturday, September 12th: Maryland Microbrew Fest Homebrew Competition entries are due – Competition to be held at Union Mills Homestead on Sept 26th. This will be limited to 2 beer styles: Scottish 80/- and Belgian Dubbel and the best of show will be brewed by Dog Pub to be served at Buffalo Wild Wings locations in Maryland. More details as they become available.

Max's Rare & Obscure Update

From the e-mail inbox:

MAX'S TAPHOUSE

RARE & OBSCURE PART 2

JUNE 24-26, 2009

TIME: 5PM TILL CLOSE EACH DAY(2AM)

NO ENTRANCE FEE

"So, yes we had to expand the amount of days for this event due to the great amount of rare beers. We will be putting on at least 20 rare & Obscure beers on draft each day.I will be sending out a list of what beers will be on what days in two weeks. So , here is the final line up of draft beers for this event.

As always we may add a few or have to take a few off the list, due to shipping and things out of our control."

the list

RARE & OBSCURE PART 2 (DRAFT LIST)

Allagash Black

Allagash Confluence

Allagash Four

Allagash Hugh Malone

Allagash Interlude

Allagash Mussette

Allagash Victor

Allagash Victoria

Avery 13

BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon Chien 2007

BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon Chien 2008

BFM Alex Le Rouge

BFM La Cuvree

BFM La Mandragore

BFM La Meule

BFM La Torpille

Brouwerij Contreras Valeir Extra

Brouwerij Contreras Valeir Blonde

Brouwerij Contreras Valeir Divers

Brouwerij De Dochter Van De Korenaar Embrasse

Brouwerij De Dochter Van De Korenaar Noblesse

Cantillon Gueuze

Cantillon Iris

Cantillon Rose De Grambrinus

Christoffel Bier

Christoffel Bok

Christoffel Nobel

De Glazen Toren Angelque

De Preof Les Duex Brasseurs

De Ranke Noir Dottingnier

De Ranke XX Bitter

Del Borgo 25 Dodici

Del Borgo Rubus / Lamboni

Ellezelloise Hercule Stout

Ellezelloise Quintine Blonde

Flying Dog Devil Dog

Geants Goliath

Geants Saison Voisin

Geants Gouyasse

Geants Urchon

Grado Plato Kukumerla

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year (Cask)

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30 Year (Cask)

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 40 Year (Cask)

Hitachino Classic

Hitachino Espresso Stout

Hitachino Ginger

Hitachino Red Rice

Hitachino XH

Hofseffen Kubelbier

Hofseffen Honigs Bock

Hopfenstark Blanche De l' Emitage

Hopfenstark Ostalgia Blonde

Hopfenstark Postcolonial IPA

Huisbrouwerij Sint Canarus Potteloereke

Huisbrouwerij Sint Canarus Triple

Italiano Cassissona

JW Lees Harvest Ale 2008

Leifmans Oud Bruin

Mahrs Der Weisse Bock

Nogne O IPA

Nogne O Imperial Stout

Piccolo Chiostro

Piccolo Nau Amore

Prof Briem 1809

Slaapmustke Triple Night Cap

Slaapmustke Dry Hopped Lager

Stone Russian Imperial Stout 2007

Weissenhoe Bonator

Wintercoat Cockney Imperial Stout

Wintercoat Double Hop

Wintercoat Oatmeal Stout

[So, what, they can only get seven rare beers from the UK?]

Clipper City's new Big DIPA

Artwork reportedly approved minutes ago by the Feds in charge of such bureaucracy.

Does anyone still use the skull and crossbones to signify "poison" anymore? I'm just asking............

Late Update: Clipper City has decided to send a firkin of Big DIPA to the Maryland Brewers Springfest in Frederick next Saturday, to be tapped @ 4 PM. Also to be on hand out there: a firkin of Loose Cannon dry-hopped with Palisade, Simcoe, and Cascade hops.....

Wiessner/American Brewery reopening as nonprofit HQs

The Baltimore Sun did such a better job reporting, including a lovely photo gallery, so I'm just going to repost them here.

I'm working on an open house or other tour of the building for the public for Baltimore Beer Week.

Photo shows a seating area carved out of one of the old brewing vessels.

And yes, everyone calls it the American Brewery, but it was built in 1887 as the Wiessner Brewery--more on the building here. Wiessner's monument in Lorraine Park Cemetery has barley sheaves carved all over the monument--mistakenly called wheat by the guidebooks and websites I've seen.

Max's Rare & Obscure June 25th

Danged e-mail inbox just keeps overflowing today............. I assume this event keeps going on through the weekend of June 26-27......

JUNE 25, 2009

TIME: 5PM-CLOSE

NO ENTRANCE FEE-CASH BAR (and yes, we take credit cards)

Max's will be pulling out some really rare gems on drafts. We have been saving some of the rarest and hard to find kegs just for this event.

We have one keg each so they will go quickly.

HERE IS A DRAFT LIST : 50% DONE.I will update this weekly, leading up to the event

Grado Plato Kukumerla

Del Bordo Rubus/Lamboni

Cassissona

BFM La Torpille

BFM La Cuvree

BFM La Mandragore

BFM Abbaye De Bon Chien 2008

BFM Abbaye De Bon Chien 2009

JW Lees Harvest Ale 2008

Harviestoun Ola Duba 40 Year Old (Cask)

Harviestoun Ola Duba 30 Year Old (Cask)

BFM Le Meule (Cask)

Hofsteffen Kuebelbier

Hofstetten Honings Bock

Piccolo Chiostro

Piccolo Nau Amore

Del Borgo 25 Dodici

Allagash Conflouence

Allagash Interlude

Allagash Mussette

Allagash Black

Allagash Four

Allagash Hugh malone

Allagash Victor

Allagash Victoria

Leifmans Oud Bruin

De Proef Les Deux Brasseurs

Avery 13th Anniversary

De Ranke Noir Dottingnies

Stone Russian Imperial Stout 2007

Controversy at Brew at the Zoo?

You may, if you're paying attention, have noticed that weird beer line-up at the Brew at the Zoo, which I reported on here.

Well, I'm not the only one who noticed the lack of local beers. Apparently the reason is being discussed in the comments to Rob Kasper's blog post about the weekend event. I just managed to discretely confirm the details with one brewer off the record.

Sheesh.

On the one hand, it's nice that we have a good and strong local beer scene. On the other hand, the Brewers Assn. of Md.'s festivals at Frederick (next Saturday, May 30th, if I need to remind you) and Timonium (Oct. 10th, part of Baltimore Beer Week by design) really dominate the central Md. beer scene, and focus strictly on Maryland beers. We could sorely use a nice any-beer-that-wants-to-show-up beer fest in the region, one that isn't hideously expensive (like SAVOR in D.C. May 30th--$95 and up, and sold out) or split in loyalties like the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festivals at Timonium, Richmond, DC, and elsewhere........... and we especially need one for Baltimore Beer Week, because one of the best things about Baltimore as a beer town is the diversity of beers from elsewhere (Colorado, Scotland, Japan, California, Belgium, England, Australia, etc.) available here!

Maifest @ Blob's Park

In the ol' inbox:

This is just a reminder that the Maifest Celebration will be THIS SUNDAY, May 24. Check out the website for information - www.blobspark.net

The Alt-Washingtonia Schuhplattlers will be hosting the dedication of the fantastic Neuschwanstein Castle Mural that Idi Brown is just finishing up on the front of the building. The Schuhplattlers will perform traditional dances and songs and they'll be blowing those long alphorns as well! Leon and The Rheinlanders will be playing some great music for our dancing pleasure.

DuClaw Growler Sale this (long) weekend

From DuClaw's e-mail:

From Friday, May 22nd through Monday, May 25th, save $2 on every refill and $4 on every new Growler filled with your favorite DuClaw Brewing Company beers. It's a long weekend, so fill'em up!

Clay Pipe at Greene Turtle Columbia Friday

Some news from Gregg Norris, head of one of our lesser-heard-from local breweries (still contracting at Flying Goose/Wild Dog--I mean, the other way around--last I heard):

This Friday, May 22nd from 4-7pm we want to blow the roof off the Green Turtle in Columbia. With our new distributor alliances, CP has been surging these last couple months. Landing a Backfin tap at the TURTLE is pretty huge and drawing a crowd for our first promo there will help ensure our beer stays at the bar. If you are receiving this email, you are part of a fun group of friends, to whom I wanted to personally reach out(and party with this Friday). Your neighbors, coworkers, friends and family are welcomed too. Lets see if we can make it a weekend kick-off to remember.

And yes, we'll be giving away logo glassware and offering reduced price draft beers if just hanging out with me wasn't enough :]

Latest News from Pratt St. Ale House

Straight from the brewer's keyboard, as it were:

"Brewer's Choice Cask is currently American Oak aged Lions and will be followed by Dark Mild (a nice contrast in styles I think you'll agree!)
On regular tap soon will be the Rustic Red (my interpretation of a Biere de Garde). There will also be a French Oak aged cask on the hand pump in about 6 - 8 weeks (after all, it is a beer for keeping, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait). Also coming in late June is the Nut Brown Ale, a personal favorite of mine, expect plenty of casks of this one to be around!)"

You have been warned. And a reminder that they're still doing Cask Appreciation Nights every Tuesday, cask pints $3.

LATER UPDATE: "I don't think the 3 lions is going to make it through the day . . . just went into the cask room and was shocked to see the cask on full tilt! (those auto tilt stillages are fantastic!) cue a rapid venting/tapping of the mild. I'm brewing 3 lions again next week and I'll be doing a bunch more casks (subject to availability of cooperage). I will fill a kilderkin for sure and we will have a launch party in early July (we are relaunching the brewery with FP Winner with a view to pushing out more beer to outside accounts . . . we'll be focusing on 3 Lions, Amber, Ironman and Irish Red as the core brands though all of our beers will be available by special order. We'll have new tap handle logos, glassware, t-shirts etc."