A Quick Take On Allagash Night

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A Quick Take On Allagash Night

Published July 2nd, 2008 in Beer Events, Breweries, Watering Holes | 1 Comment »

Eric Michaud at Novare Res has raised the bar (pun intended) for brewers nights! We stopped in last night after the Kotzschmar Organ concert (www.foko.org) and were astounded to find 14 Allagash brews on tap, three of which were on cask. Also on offer was a series of cheese pairings, a different cheese for each beer. Truly a tour de force.

I very much enjoyed the Tripel Rosalare, only the second time I’ve had this beer. This has to be one of the finest American interpretations of a Belgian sour: tart, complex, something to savor all evening (well, if there weren’t 13 other beers beckoning). A comparable experience might be the Cambridge Brewing Cerise Casee (www.cambrew.com/seasonals.html)

A second high point for me was the Belgian Black on cask, aged with cocoa nibs. While I enjoy the smooth sophistication of the Belgian style black, I also like the roasted bite of an English stout. This beer offered a little of each. The cocoa added the expected chocolate note, but also added a welcome bitterness to the finish.

This was a terrific evening. As Jason mentioned elsewhere, mark your calendars for Tuesday nights…

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Beer Talk at Prost!

Published July 1st, 2008 in Beer Events, Maine, Watering Holes | No Comments »

If you’re in town this Wednesday (the 2nd), Luke at BlogAboutBeer.com will be hosting a beer tasting event at Prost! International Tap House from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. I will be Luke’s co-host. Our topic will be an introduction to better beer. This will cover some of the basics, such as selecting proper glassware, pouring properly, beer temperature and how it effects taste, etc. Please come by, drink some good beers and introduce yourself.

And, speaking of Prost!, they’ve been selected as the July venue for the Maine Beer Writers’ Guild meet-up on Wendesday July 9th. Check out the website for more information.

And hopefully we’ll see you at the bar!

Novare Res Bier Café Hosts Allagash and Dogfish Head

Published June 26th, 2008 in Beer Events, Maine | No Comments »

I stopped in to say hello to Eric yesterday, and he was working on updating the Novare Res Bier Café Events page. I took a look over his shoulder to see exactly what was going up there and was excited at what I saw. Eric has managed to set up evening tasting events with some renowned breweries. The first one, on July 1, will feature pretty much the whole crew from Allagash, Portland’s Belgian brewery, and the second, a week later, will feature everyone from Dogfish Head! There is not a complete listing of what they’ll be pouring, but the July 1 Allagash event promises 10+ kegs, and Sam and the DH guys are bringing some great stuff with them from Delaware.

Allagash Brewery
July 1
10+ kegs
Owner and brewers on-site from 6-9 PM

Dogfish Head Brewery
July 8
6 different beers
Owner and brewers, 6-8 PM

Oh, and according to Eric (and the Events page), we should be expecting Rogue in late August. I’ve already marked my calendar for every Tuesday in August, just to be sure!

Mark Your Calendars for Bray’s One Night Stand

Published June 24th, 2008 in Beer Events, Maine, Watering Holes | No Comments »

Mark your calendars now. That’s right. Grab your datebook (err…I mean open up Google or iCal) and flip to August 9. Now mark that whole afternoon as Unavailable. Oh, and you might not want to make plans for the 10th either. You’ll need some recovery time.

On Saturday, August 9, Bray’s Brewpub and Eatery in Naples, Maine will be hosting its annual One Night Stand. Head Brewer Rob Prindall is pleased to announce that, for the first time, there will be 25 beers on tap. With bands playing outdoors during the day and inside at night, plenty of food available, and some pretty rare beers available, this should be on every Maine beer lover’s calendar. Here’s the current tap list:

Brandy Pond Blonde
Old Church Pale Ale
Orien Oatmeal Pale
Mt. Olympus Special Ale
Pleasant Mountain Porter
Quaker Ridge Oatmeal Stout
Muddy River Bog Brown
Epicurean I.P.A.
Stanley Steamer Uncommon Ale
Yammityville Horror
Songo Loch Scotch Ale
440 Blues Brew
Gustave und Kristov’s Oktoberfest
Redeye P.A.
Causeway Cream Ale
Bray’s Imperial Stout
Burnt Meadow Mountain Peated Porter
I.rish R.ed A.le
Bald Pate Celebration Rye
Graveyard Shift Coffee Stout
Viciously Vivacious Vanilla Porter
Stang’s Swang Ginger Honey
Willie McGill Brown Ale
Causeway Cream Ale

Wow, what a list. The Peated Porter and Imperial Stout will be bourbon barrel aged, and some seasonals that aren’t usually available (a sweet potato ale?) and once-a-year specials like Graveyard Shift Coffee Stout make this a must-attend event for Maine beer geeks.

I’m definitely planning on attending. Naples is less than 30 miles from Portland. Perhaps an MBWG trip is in order? We’ll need to talk somebody into driving, but I’m sure one of our wives could be bribed into it. Hope to see you there!

International Brewers Day - July 18

Published June 18th, 2008 in Beer Events, Other Beer Sites | No Comments »

For thousands of years, these men and women have toiled to create beverage that we love. Beer may very well be the impetus for civilization. But they’ve never had a day in which all of their “customers” could stop and say thank you (every Friday happy hour not withstanding).

Until now, that is.

The brainchild of Jay Brooks, International Brewers Day is a day to “honor the great men and women who make the beer we love.”

Brewers have given so many of us the pleasure of their artistry and enriched our lives with their beer since civilization began. So I think it’s time we recognized their efforts by celebrating their lives, their commitment and their craft. We’re all beer people, but without the brewers what would we be drinking?

July 18 was chosen because that is the feast day of St. Anou of Metz (a.k.a. St. Arnold), the best known patron saint of brewers.

How to celebrate? Well, drink beer for one. Profile your favorite brewmaster. Hold an event. Hug your favorite brewer. Petition Hallmark to create greeting cards for the occasion. Whatever you do, tell the world about it.

For more information, please check out the official International Brewers Day website. And get ready to Hug a Brewmaster on July 18, 2008.

Thanks to Al at Hop Talk for bringing this event to our attention.

American Craft Beer Fest Countdown

Published June 9th, 2008 in Beer Events, Beer Festivals, Maine | No Comments »

We are officially less than two weeks away from the American Craft Beer Fest in Boston. The ACBF, organized by the Allström brothers of BeerAdvocate fame, takes place in Boston on June 20 and 21 and will feature 75 brewers with some 300 beers, panel discussions, and guest speakers such as Dave Lieberman (host of several Food Network shows), Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn Brewery), Rich Doyle (Harpoon), and Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head).

Among the breweries featured will be three Maine brewers: Allagash, Peak Organic, and Sebago. Of the three, the most interesting, in my opinion, is Peak, which will be offering a handful of new, experimental brews in addition to their four current production beers. The Double Amber Ale sounds like it would be a great summer beer. I’m not so sure about the Pomegranate Wheat, but Pomegranate is all the rage right now in juices, so I’m not surprised it’s finding its way into beer.

Sadly, I have other commitments that weekend which will preclude my attendance. I do know of several people who are going, though, and hope to talk at least one of them into guest posting about the event here.

Save a Buck on Belgians at GLB Tonight

Published May 28th, 2008 in Beer Events, Maine | No Comments »

The Great Lost Bear is hosting “Buck Off Belgian Night” tonight, May 28. All current Belgians will be offered at a $1 discount from 5:00 PM till close. They’re also giving away glasses. The lineup for tonight is as follows:

Allagash Black - a Belgian-style stout from right here in Portland
Biere de Boucanier - A golden tripel
Chambly Noire - A Belgian black ale
Cuvee van de Kezier Rood - A Belgian blonde (ale - get your mind out of the gutter)
Delirium Tremens - A Belgian strong pale ale
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel - A tripel “with a nod to both the English IPA and the American Double IPA”
Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Ale - An old brown style sour ale
St. Bernardus Tripel - A pale amber tripel

That Chouffe Dobbelen has quite a mouthful of a description. I really think I have to stop and and figure out exactly what that one tastes like. See you at GLB tonight!

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