BeerUtopia

2012 Texas Beer Fest Pre-Party at the Ginger Man

BU Staff — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:28:35 +0000

Tickets for the 2012 Texas Beer Fest went on sale earlier this week and now the organizers are holding a pre-party to help raise aware about the festival at the Ginger Man on Saturday, February 4th beginning 7:00pm. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the upcoming event, particularly the volunteer opportunities.

The TxBF has also partnered with Duff Distribution which allowed them to purchase 6 casks, 3 of which will be making an appearance at the pre-party with selections from Texas brewers that you cannot find anywhere else:

Austin Beerworks – Fire Eagle that was dry hopped with Warrior in the tanks and Amarillo in the firkin,

Karbach Brewing – Herkules Dry Hopped Hellfighter Imperial Porter
Southern Star Brewing – Centennial dry hopped Pine Belt.

And there will also be special pours of 15th Anniversary from Real Ale and Czar Imperial Stout from Avery Brewing.

In addition to great beer, there will be live music from the Brandon Matthew Band and bagpiping from Clif Wigington, Manager General of Texas Beer Fest (trust me, its worth going to the party just to see Cliff play the bagpipes). Representatives of Open The Taps will be onsite, tasty treats from Happier Desserts and Oh My Gogi food truck will be available and merchandise with the new logo and slogan for the 2012 Texas Beer Fest will be on sale.

All Good Beer

February Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

BU Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:28:02 +0000

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of February:

8th – Peroni
15th – Duvel Para Art Glasses
22nd – Independence
29th – Karbach

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

All Good Beer

February Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

BU Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:28:01 +0000

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of February:

8th – Peroni
15th – Duvel Para Art Glasses
22nd – Independence
29th – Karbach

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

All Good Beer

No Label Brewing Beer Dinner at Baker Street Pub

BU Staff — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:28:20 +0000

The Baker Street Pub & Grill out in Katy is hosting a Beer Dinner featuring No Label Brewing on Monday, February 20th. For the low cost of $ 35 per person, you’ll receive a four course meal paired with beers from No Label and even get to try their new Jalapeno Ale. The menu hasn’t been released yet, but you can make reservations by calling the Bakerstreet pub.

All Good Beer

AHA Rally at Saint Arnold

BU Staff — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:30:03 +0000

Saint Arnold Brewing is hosting an American Homebrewers Association rally on Sunday, February 26th from 1pm ~ 3pm. Entrance to the event includes beer samples, brewery tour and a chance to win prices from the AHA and Saint Arnold.

Entrance is free for current AHA members and non-members can gain entrance by joining for a discounted rate at the door. Space is limited and you are asked to RSVP online if you plan to attend.

To learn more about the American Homebrewers Association and what a membership can do for you, see the Membership Benefits on their website.

All Good Beer

A Celebration of Dark Beers at Petrol Station

BU Staff — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:29:59 +0000

In celebration of Stouts and Ports, the Petrol Station is once again hosting a “Once you go black, you never go back” celebration on Saturday, January 28th. So far, they’ve announced on their Facebook page the following beers will be available during the event:

Stone – 15 th anniversary double black ipa
Stone – IRS
Avery – Mephistopheles
Great Divide – Belgian Yeti
Flying Dog – Gonzo Imperial Porter
Rogue – Double Chocolate
Rahr – Barrel-aged Winter Warmer
Buffalo Bayou Brewing co – Imperial Gingerbread Stout

In addition to the above beers (and probably others that haven’t been mentioned yet) there is also a special tapping of various cask-conditioned beers:

2pm – Independence Brewing – Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout
3pm – Saint Arnold – Whiskey-Aged Imperial Stout
4pm – Real Ale – 15th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout
5pm – Clown Shoes – Vampire Slayer

If that’s not enough beer for you, you can also join the special bottle share starting at 1:00pm. However, you need to bring a bottle of a rare dark beer to participate. For everyone else, the party begins at 2:00pm.

The results of the homebrew contest will also be announced during the event. The entries were narrowed down a few weeks ago to the following 7 finalists:

Brian Barran, Matt Foster, Kevin Butler, David Rogers, Lisa Norberg, Kyle Preston / Chris Keller and Allen Schneider.

All Good Beer

Open The Taps Fundraiser at Southern Star Brewing

BU Staff — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:27:53 +0000

Open The Taps (a grassroots organization dedicated to changing Texas beer laws and regulations) is holding their first fundraiser of 2012 on Sunday, February 12th from 2pm ~ 5pm at Southern Star Brewing in Conroe.

Only 100 Tickets are being sold for the event which will be available for purchase to current members of the Open The Tap organization starting on Friday, January 20th. Any remaining tickets will then be released for sale to the general public over the weekend. Tickets are $ 30 each or 2 for $ 50 (when purchased together) which will get you the following:

• A brewery tour & tasting.
• Food from Coreanos Texas Food Truck.
• Music from local band Folk Family Revival.
• The chance to bid on special items from local breweries and businesses.
• 1 raffle ticket (additional raffle tickets will be for sale at the event – $ 2 per ticket or 3 for $ 5).

The proceeds from the event will help fund their mission to bring change to Texas craft beer laws in the 2013 legislative session.

All Good Beer

Independence Brewing Wins National Award

BU Staff — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:28:48 +0000

Independence Brewing of Austin, TX received a 2012 Good Food Award for their Convict Hill Stout at an awards ceremony that took place in San Fransisco last night.

The Good Food Awards, now in its second year, grants awards to outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients in such categories as beer, charcuterie and spirits. The Good Food Awards seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good.

Selected from over 900 entries, Independence was the only Texas brewery in the list of 18 finalist which included well known craft breweries such as Alaskan, Brooklyn, New Belgium and Victory. In order to be eligible for a Good Food Award in the beer category, brewers must meet the following criteria:

• Practice water recycling and other resource conservation

• Support local communities

• Source ingredients locally when possible

• Make an effort to seek out ingredients that are free of synthetic inputs, including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers.

• Do not use any artificial ingredients or GMOs.

• Seek to know their suppliers and customers in order to support and promote sustainability

“Breweries should be a reflection of their community, and Independence Brewing is a reflection of Austin,” said Independence co-founder Amy Cartwright. “With creative tenacity we strive to responsibly produce the absolute best in our field while working with fellow farmers, business owners and non-profits to build a thriving community.”

Congratulations to the crew at Independence Brewing. Convict Hill Stout is available at various locations around town including Spec’s, HEB and Whole Foods.

All Good Beer

January Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

BU Staff — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:27:56 +0000

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of January (sorry, late on posting this and missed the first two already, too busy drinking beer and not posting about it):

18th – Magic Hat frosted glasses

25th – Rahr mugs

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

All Good Beer

Rising Tide – Polaris

BU Staff — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:27:55 +0000

Sitting in the Newark airport, waiting for a delayed flight on a cold and drizzly day, I stared out the window and lamented what I was missing. Rising Tide, one of my favorite Maine breweries was offering a limited release of my favorite beer of theirs after aging it in bourbon barrels. Though I couldn’t think of much else that I’d rather be doing than sipping a satisfying craft beer, I was stuck. I was sure that by the time I returned home from my business trip that there would be none left for me.

Thankfully, because of an awesome local beer blogger named Cecily – be sure check out her awesome Mom’s Malt Barley Blog – a few weeks later I was able to get it in trade (for a bottle of Throwback Fat Alberta, no less).

I opened bottle #33 of 336 of Polaris in my livingroom on a very cold night. The aroma that came out of the pour was inviting. A sweet, burbon, vanilla smell tickled my nose, as did just the right amount of booziness. I also appreciated the layering of nautical/astronomical names – Ursa Minor is a constellation also known as “the big dipper” with two of its stars pointing directly at Polaris, the north star. Pretty cool.

The taste on it is so well balanced it just made me smile. Not a single flaw. It has this delightful warmth, without any alcohol burn and just a sweet vanilla aftertaste. The best part is that the base beer, Ursa Minor, has a wonderfully thick mouthfeel, and for a barrel aged beer it stands up very well. It is rich without being cloying, has depth and the right amount of bitterness. The vanilla is just enough to bring the bourbon to a different, spicier place.

Making the beer even a little more special, proceeds from this special release of Polaris also went to the Autism Society of Maine, which is a great cause. I am a big fan of beer + philanthropy, so I am happy to see local brewers participating in causes they are passionate about in their own local communities.

If you missed this beer, like I almost did, it is rumored to return next fall, so watch out for it, it is worth searching the skies to find it.

The Beer Babe