St Pat's Day a Busy One!

A St Patrick's Day to remember.... started at Oskar Blues Brewery North Carolina where I was allowed to participate in the morning's quality control tasting and later, after a quintessential Irish lunch at Jack of the Woods, a first-time visit to Hi-Wire Brewing where Cynthia played a most gracious host(ess). More details to follow tomorrow, I'm too worn out!!

Busy, Busy Beer Day

The Greenville Craft Beer community is keeping me busy these days. Tonight was an Abita Beer tasting at the Greenville Growler Station so I had to join in, being a big fan of their brews. Beth Usry, Abita Market Mgr. for the Carolinas, did the pouring to a pleased crowd.
With perhaps an eye toward Summer, one offering was their Strawberry Harvest Lager. A unique experience because this is the first time this popular beer has been available in kegs; previously bottles only. Made with LA locally grown strawberries, the taste is fruity but not overly sweet... a good balance with the Vanguard hops. Definitely a Summer sipper at only 4.2% ABV.
Turbodog was also offered and was as good as ever. Any fan of brown ales should know about this one. Thanks to Beth for an enlightening evening.

And thanks for the mardi gras beads!

Beth Usry, Abita Market Manager for the Carolinas made lots of fans this evening.

Visit Community Tap, Meet Friends

 Went down to The Community Tap last Sunday to get my growler of Dirt Wolf refilled
(somehow it was suddenly empty!) and was very pleasantly surprised to see my friend and frequent photo assistant, Catherine Walker, at the check out stat

 She is not only a Cicerone Certified Server for beer, but also has been a student of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone's wine courses in Napa Valley. My point? This lady knows plenty about beer and can also expertly direct you to a wine from their cellar that will curl your toes with goodness! I sometimes forget, in my haste to get to the beer taps, that the Tap has a large selection of good wines. And, as everyone knows, "it takes a lot of beer to make good wine." Forget who said that. Orson Welles? Me?

Collaborative Ale Will Kick Off Quest's Concert Series

Just back from a visit to Quest Brewing Company where Spike Buckowski, Brewmaster from Terrapin Beer Co. joined with Don Richardson, Quest's Brewmaster, to come up with what sounds like an amazing collaboration: an Imperial Brown Ale with blueberries, called ToBe the Turtle (I don't know, don't ask) which will be released April 3, a Thursday, to kickoff the Quest Thursday night concerts for 2014. Looking forward to that, many pleasant evenings were spent last year at this event. Some photos to peruse while we wait:

Venerable mash tun.

Something going on down there!!

Don and Spike graciously take a minute out from the transfer process of their collaborative brew.

Kate Townsend is pleased that Spike Buckowski, Terrapin Beer Co. Brewmaster, came to visit.

Andrew demonstrating what is clearly a hands-on operation for labeling.

Peter putting something into gear (or so it seems to this untrained eye).

Wait till April 3, this site will be jumping!!!

 Cheers!!

Copyright, What Copyright?

Holy copyright infringement!! Cannot attest to the veracity of this, but if it's true, I want a shirt!!!

Clever Beer Names de Riguer These Days

These days it seems like you gotta have  a clever name for your brew, the bigger the pun the better. Below is a small list of some good ones, many of which I have tried. They left out Ass Kisser, the one in the photo above.

Clever folks, these brewers. Cheers!

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2014/mar/05/15-hilariously-named-beers-untapped-fort-worth/?refscroll=3800

There in Oakland, Beer Style

It's killing me to miss this one. Drake's Brewing is just down the road a piece, Triple Rock Brewery is only a few blocks East toward the Berkeley hills, and Pyramid Brewing is due north a couple miles. Gonna be some great craft beer and and "only in the Bay Area" type bacon creations, to be sure. In the new Oakland, there is a "there there."



http://drinkdrakes.com/events/oakland-bacon-and-beer-festival/?age-verified=ba0a3f75f7

Someone gets to go, please check back with me!

Cheers.

Oscar NIght - Bring on the Beer

Beer Oscar bingo: Each time someone says they're "honored to be here" I take a sip.
Gonna need more growlers at this rate (burp!).