Are you a fan of rye beers? Not everyone is and that’s OK. I can’t recall what the first rye beer I ever had was, but I’ve been a fan of the style for as long as I can remember. Some of my favorites include Rye on Rye from Boulevard, Sah’tea from Dogfish Head and Old Birdbrain from Black Raven Brewing Company.
We may still be in the middle of Winter but I’m already thinking ahead to Spring and so is Black Raven. That’s why they released their Rye Lager just this past Monday the 20th.
For personal reasons, CraftBeerMonger.com is on hiatus until at least the end of November 2019. I will not be publishing any new articles or responding to emails/article comments/social media messages during this time. Thank you to my regular readers for your understanding.
Rest assured, CraftBeerMonger.com is not dead. This is a planed break and I will return by December of this year. So be sure to come back and visit us when December arrives and I will be back to keeping you up to date on all those wonderful Seattle area craft beer events we all enjoy.
When you’re at a local craft brewery or craft beer bar and you find a beer on tap that you really enjoy, the first thing you usually want to know is whether or not they package that beer to go. As I’m sure most of you are aware, there are quite a few craft beers out there that don’t get bottled or canned – especially beers that are one-offs. That means, if you want to take some of that great new craft beer you just discovered home with you, your best bet is to see if the brewery or bar can fill you a growler to go.
Growlers are a great option and, varying opinions notwithstanding, I think they do their job quite well. However, using one means you’d have to already own one and remember to have brought it with you, or else you’ll need to spend a little at the brewery or bar (assuming the bar has some to sell) to purchase one before having it filled.
Harvest season is upon us. For those of us here in the Northwest, that means lots and lots of Fresh Hop Ales – which makes me quite happy. However, the abundance of wonderful Fresh Hop beers we get this time of year can sometimes obscure the start of another great annual beer tradition: Oktoberfest.
I’m a serious hop-head, but when Fall arrives, my palate sometimes needs an occasional break from the hops and starts craving something with more of those rich, toasty and bready malt flavors. I’m referring, of course, to the traditional, German style Märzen/Oktoberfest.
Are you a seasonal craft beer drinker? In other words, do you find that the style(s) of craft beers you crave tend to change with the seasons? If so, you’re not alone. Fall, for example, often makes us crave beers like Ambers, Bocks and Fest-style beers (like Oktoberfest). Winter has many people seeking out thick, strong Stouts and Porters. When Summer arrives though, most people like something a bit lighter on the palate.
Pyramid Brewing Company understands how your tastes can change with the seasons, but they also know that there are craft beer drinkers out there (like myself) who can enjoy any style just about any time of year. That’s why Pyramid’s new Coast Day Dry-Hop Hazy Lager is being released for Summer, but will be available year-round.
Ales tend to dominate the craft beer World. Sure, there are some truly exceptional craft lagers out there but Ales, especially hoppy ones, always seem to take center stage. Even Firestone Walker Brewing Company, who first released Firestone Lager back in the year 2000, has a portfolio dominated by Ales.
Firestone Lager was discontinued back in 2007, mainly due to low demand compared with the plethora of Ales they produce. However, they feel that the craft beer landscape is changing and believe more people are open now to the idea of craft Lagers. So, Firestone Walker is pleased to announce the return of their new and improved version of Firestone Lager.
Living in the South end and working the early hours I do, I don’t get to Ballard as often as I’d like. Thankfully, I can usually find at least some beers from a few of my favorite Ballard area breweries either on tap at some good, local craft beer bars or in bottles or cans.
One of the breweries I try to visit when I do manage to get to Ballard is Lucky Envelope Brewing Company. I enjoy their IPAs and a few of their more unusual offerings. Now, Lucky Envelope is preparing to release five specialty beers in celebration of Chinese New Year – Year of the Earth Dog. Continue reading
Is it really getting to be that time already? Summer, especially in Seattle, always seems so darn short. A couple of weeks ago I was already seeing pumpkin beers appearing on craft beer store shelves and now, here come the Oktoberfest announcements. Don’t get me wrong. I love Fall and the Seasonal craft styles that come along with it, but it’s a bittersweet reminder that the days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer and Summer is starting to fade.
Of course, as I just mentioned, Fall’s arrival also means Oktoberfest biers and Oktoberfest celebrations. The Märzen/Oktoberfest style is probably my favorite style of Lager. Sure, a well made Pilsner is great on a hot Summer day, but I love the more toasty malt flavors of a good Märzen. If you’re also a fan of a good Märzen and other German/European styles (Hefeweizen, Dunkelweizen, Kölsch, Vienna Lager, Roggenbier, etc.) then you’ll want to mark your calendar for September 16th and this year’s Ballard Oktoberfest.
Summer is almost here. It may not officially start until June 21st, but things are warming up out there and we’re starting to see other signs of Summer’s return as well. For example, the return of Lima Loca Mexican Lager from Two Beers Brewing Company (CBM Sponsor).
This Summer-inspired brew returns this year as pat of Two Beers’ new Pub Series and even has a brand new look. It will launch next Tuesday the 2nd with a Taco Tuesday release party from 3 pm – 9 pm at The Woods taproom (the shared taproom for Two Beers Brewing Company and Seattle Cider Company), and will even be available in three limited-edition infusions: Raspberry Lima, Agave Rosemary Lima Shandy and Coconut Lima.
Bend Oregon is a great city for craft beer lovers. Sure, there are plenty of great breweries right here in Seattle but that doesn’t mean we can’t also appreciate the well crafted libations coming from other great breweries throughout the Northwest and across the nation. There are lots of breweries in Bend who are doing it right and one of the oldest and most successful breweries to come out of Bend is Deschutes Brewery.
When I think Deschutes there are plenty of great beers that come to mind. The Abyss and its variants are, of course, always a popular choice as is their well known Black Butte Porter (now at number XXVIII). I’ve enjoyed a great number of Deschutes’ beers over the years including: Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Red Chair Northwest Pale (find this one on Nitro, if you can), Fresh Squeezed IPA, The Dissident and many, many more.
