This weekend I paid a visit to Oktoberfest in Fremont. There were a lot of great beers to choose from and they did a good job keeping order in the beer pouring booths. It was clear which line lead to which beer, and the pouring staff were courteous and many were knowledgeable about the beers they were serving.  The weather was perfect for brewfesting and, when the sun went down, mood lighting illuminated the streets of Fremont and enabled the festival to keep rolling along.

My main complaint (which is the same from prior years) is the tiny size of the beer tasting mugs. The small cup size forces you to spend most of your time in lines. This is frustrating since there are other forms of entertainment (contests and bands), but you must sip your 4 ounce beverage slowly if you choose to take in a band and enjoy a beer simultaneously. Brewfests that serve in 14 ounce cups (with a 4 ounce fill line) are much more conducive to entertainment acts because you can enjoy tastes (1 token each) until you wish to enjoy other festivities, then fill your mug and hang out for a while (usually 4 tokens for a full fill).

All in all, it was a great event and I didn’t even catch the Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving this year. It has come a very long way since my scathing review of 2007 (even though the price for entry has actually increased since then).  Did you miss Fremont Oktoberfest this year? Check out the video below for a taste.

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Fast Company recently sat down with Jim Koch to discuss the proper way to enjoy a beer (specifically a Samual Adams).   Take note of the glass he is using.  A couple of years ago, Samual Adams designed and released the glass after researching the “best” glass design for showcasing the aroma and flavor Samual Adams Boston Lager.  They are available for purchase from Samual Adam’s eStore.

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On Saturday, the CrapMonkey Podcast hosted Seattle BrewMuster at Gallagher’s in Edmonds and the turn-out was great. There were four batches brewed by a total of sixteen brewers who encompassed all skill levels.  Some had tried their hand at brewing before, and others didn’t even drink beer but wanted to try out the brewing experience.  In addition to brewing, the attendees also engaged in fun conversation and enjoyed the tasty beers that Gallagher’s keeps on tap.  There were also occasional raffle drawings for prizes ranging from beers to glassware. 

Brewers will meet in a few weeks to enjoy and bottle their beers and the brews will be judged and awarded later this summer via a BrewMuster webcast (check back at CrapMonkey or BrewMuster for details).   Photos from the event are available on Flickr.  Thanks to all who attended and to the folks at Gallagher’s for helping us out.  I hope to see you at the next Seattle BrewMuster.

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Last night I checked out Kiss Cafe in Ballard for the first time and was really impressed.  It had a nice atmosphere, friendly people, and an awesome beer selection (bottles and cans only).  They also have an innovative offering called the “99 Bottles of Beer Club.”  View the video below to find out more!

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Categories: Music, beer
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It’s nice to see Greenwood, a northern suburb of Seattle, starting to come alive with interesting places to imbibe.  The most recent addition is Pillager’s Pub, located at 8551 Greenwood Avenue.  The pub is actually a showcase for Seattle’s Three Skulls Ales brewery (which is an offshoot of Baron Brewing), though there is no onsite brewing at Pillagers.  As the name implies, the pub is pirate themed.  This theme is consistent with the beers brewed by Three Skulls Ales which include Black Bonney Porter, Pillager’s Pale, and Cutthroat Red.   It certainly makes sense to keep the brand in sync, but I am not a big fan of pirate themes and we already have the Maritime Jolly Roger just a stones throw away in Ballard.  Still, owner Jeff Smiley is a huge fan of pirates – so at least it’s derived out of personal passion and not a random marketing ploy.

Upon entering the pub, it feels a bit like entering the Tully’s that previously occupied the space.  One obvious difference is the large pirate ship battle mural that takes up the entire West wall.  It’s beautifully done and I found myself looking it over for much of my visit.  Additionally, large wood tables and matching benches line the windows and seem to encourage decent sized groups (many of the tables could seat at least six).  Still, some additional work needs to be done to really make the place feel like its own.  They were only on their second day in operation when I visited, and I sense that work is still being done.   I had a Black Bonney Porter and was quite pleased.  I also tried the Pirate Wings (traditional buffalo wings with blue cheese ) and they were a fine accompaniment.

Just south and across the Street from Pillagers Pub is Naked City Taphouse.  After my porter and wings, I shuffled over to see how Naked City was doing now that they’ve been open for a couple months.  I was  impressed with the atmosphere, the people and the beer selection.  I had originally gone to Naked City on their opening night, and it was clear they still had a few kinks to work out.  I’m happy to say they seem to have worked them out.  The menu is a bit more interesting and the atmosphere is comfortable and inviting (dimming the lights a bit made a big difference).   I had their olive tray and a beer and both were tasty.  I’m also interested to try their Pickled Hops Shoots when those are in season later in the year.  One final note: they will fill growlers with most of the beers they have on tap (though they don’t sell growlers, so you’ll have to bring your own from home).

In summary, promising establishments are opening up in Greenwood that make it a great destination for getting quality beers with neighbors and friends.   This is nice to see and I look forward to spending more time at both Pillager’s Pub and the Naked City Taphouse.  I’d also like to make it into Gainsbourg soon.  Gainsbourg is a recently opened French style lounge on the same block providing, in their own words: “unique cocktails, wonderful wines, a broad beer list and obscenely affordable French-inspired small plates.” Old standby’s like Baranof, Crosswalk, and Pig ‘n Whistle are also close by for those who want to “crawl” the neighborhood.

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The Bigwood Festival is happening now at Brouwers Cafe in Fremont.  Over 40 beers that have been conditioned in wood make this festival a must attend event.  The beers were rolled out Thursday night and will continue until supplies run out – so get there sooner than later.

Also, don’t forget, the Washington Winter Beer Festival starts tonight at Hales Brewery.  Given that Hale’s is only a stone’s throw from Brouwers, this could be the night to stumble through Fremont and check them both out.  By the way, if you are a member of WABL (Washington Beer Lovers), you get a special head start on Winterfest – exclusive WABL hour starts at 4pm.  Tis the season to enjoy quality beer.

Categories: Uncategorized, beer
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After a long day of Black Friday shopping, it’s easy to get discouraged over those who remain on your shopping list.  Fortunately, Crapmonkey is here to help you get the perfect gift for beer lovers on your list.  These gift selections span price points ranging from stocking stuffers to deal closers.  Cheers!

Books, Magazines, Newspapers (Under $20): Beer publications are always fun for beer lovers and Crapmonkey has a few favorites to suggest:
Books:

• The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food
• Ultimate Beer
• Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide
• Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass

Magazines and Newspapers:

• Brewing News (Subscribe to your regional paper or to all 7 available regions).
• BeerAdvocate Magazine
• All About Beer Magazine

American Beer – The Movie (Under $20): In June of 2002, five friends left New York City by minivan and set out across the United States to visit 38 breweries in 40 days.  This low budget film is a fun, light hearted look at the American brewing industry.

Bottle Openers:

• The Ring Thing ($8): A ring that doubles as a bottle opener.
• The Beer Clip ($15): A Money Clip (customized with initials) that doubles as a bottle opener.
• Belt Buckles (Under $25): that double as bottle openers
• USB Flash Drives ($19): that double as bottle openers
• Wobble Bobble ($7): A Wobble Bottle Opener

The Beer Pager ($30): Do you have problems with loosing your beer at parties?  This drink cozy keeps your beer cool and can also be paged via a remote control after you’ve forgotten where you set it down.

USB Beverage Cooler ($27): This handy USB powered coaster keeps your beer cool while you blog.

The SwirlyGig Gift Set ($22): The SwirlyGig is a must-have product for any beer loving musician, performer, or podcaster.  The swirlygig attaches to mic stands, drum kits, and many other things to provide an instant place to set your drink.  This gift set comes with a SwirlyGig, a pint glass, a temporary tattoo and a guitar pick.  Very cool and original.

A Black & Tan Turtle ($10): A Black and Tan is a tasty layered drink that is fun to serve at parties.  Make sure your black and Tans come out right by enlisting the help of the Turtle.  Pour the stout over the turtles back to ensure a perfect top layer of stout.

Beer Tap Handle Display Stand ($16): If your beer lover has a kegarator, chances are they also have a drawer full of tap handles.  This stand allows your beer lover to proudly display their favorites (or, include a tap handle from their local brewery to get the collection started).

The Beer Belt ($17): Don’t be caught without a beer nearby.  This belt holds a six pack of bottles at your waist.  If you want to feel more like a beer sporting rambo, you might try the beerdolier – which straps beer cans across your chest.

Beer Games (Under $25): Brew-opoly, a beer lovers spin on Monopoly, and BrewMaster, the Craft Beer Game, are good choices in the board game department.

Beer Tasting and Hops Appreciation Kit ($40): Learn to be a beer snob!

Memberships to Beer Organizations: Many states have local organizations that are dedicated to the pursuit of good beer.  WABL is one that you can find in Washington State that boasts some great membership events and sign-up swag.  Especially useful is their monthly Newsletter.  Don’t have a local organization that you know about?  Henry, a real beer lover, has done a great job compiling a list on his blog.

Beer: This is a bit of an obvious choice, but beer is a great gift for beer lovers.  That said, despite what you’ve seen on television, you’ll want to do better than picking up a six pack of Bud.   Here are some suggestions:

• YouGotBeer.com: Not very sentimental, but this site makes it easy to send someone a beer.
• Growlers: Go to a local brewery and pick up a growler or two of your recipient’s favorite styles.  Not sure where to find a brewery?  Beertown.org has an excellent brewery locator tool.
• Party Pig (Under $80): This is two gifts in one – purchase a “Party Pig” and have it filled up by a local brewery.  The Party Pig is like a large growler designed to sit in the fridge and be used again and again.
• Beer Gift Basket: Go to a local beer store and create a gift basket out of whatever beers strike your fancy.  If you aren’t confident in your choices, beer store clerks usually love to jump in and help.  If you’re in the Seattle area – here are some great stores to check out from Federal Way to Northgate: 99 Bottles, Full Throttle Bottles, Bottleworks, Big Star Beer Market, Malt & Vine. If you’re not feeling that inspired, you can turn-key the beer gift giving with a pre-made beer gift basket from beergifts.com.
• Beer of the Month Club ($21 to $65 per month): These clubs ship unique beers to your door on a monthly bases and can usually be purchased for terms of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

The Keg-A-Que ($80 to $400): Perfect for the tailgating beer enthusiast on your list – these unique BBQ’s look like they were crafted from real kegs.

Home Brewing Kit: Nothing gives you an appreciation for beer like brewing your own.  Home brewing is fun and can be done in the kitchen.  Most brew stores create starter kits that are quite affordable.  Note: you usually need a stainless steel pot (at least 5 gallons) in addition to what comes in the kit.

Beer Experiences ($20 to $200): There are lots of ways to have fun in the beer culture.  Certainly, picking up tickets to an upcoming local brewfest is both entertaining and unique.   Check out the festival calendar at BeerAdvocate to see if there are any coming up in your area.  Additionally, some cities are lucky enough to have breweries that put you in the brewers seat.  In the Seattle area, Gallaghers Where-U-Brew provides an awesome experience of brewing your own beer with skilled brewmasters and professional equipment.  This type of experience makes for a very fun outing and works well as a gift certificate.

Breathalyzer ($80 to $200): Given all of these gift options, it’s likely your gift recipient may find they’ve had one too many.  Make sure they know when to call a cab with these portable breathalyzers.  (Warning: Know your recipient well – some may take offense to this gift depending on how your intentions are interpreted).

CrapMonkey Logo Merchandise: Let your beer lover know where you got these excellent gift ideas with some CrapMonkey swag.

Hopefully this list serves you well.  Is there something I forgot?  Feel free to add your additions or opinions into the comments!

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It’s amazing how fast the time goes.  In this episode, we listen to a brief audio clip from the last sunny day of the season when Wendy and I attended the Oyster Run in Anacortes (photos available here).  Winter’s not all bad though, the 4th Annual Winter Brewfest is at Hales Ales on December 5th and 6th.  Starting to compile your Christmas list?  Perhaps the beer lovers on your list might like this remote control beer cooler.  Or, perhaps you’d rather get creative and make your own portable kegerator.

I’m extremely pleased to note that Redhook has released their Double Black Stout for a limited time (production of the beer was halted in 2000).  This was my favorite beer back in the late 90s when it was brewed with Starbucks coffee, and it’s still quite delicious today – though I don’t know what coffee they use now.

Lately I’ve been using a new service call ChaCha.  This service is a great way to get information on the fly – just text 242242 with any question, and they will text you back an answer.

The website of the day is Truemers and the Song of the day is Evelee, by Darren Lucas.  Today’s episode closes on Something New by John Francis.  Click the Arrow below to listen to the episode.

 

 The CrapMonkey Podcast Episode #131 [26:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Categories: Podcast, beer
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Day one of the Oregon Brewers Festival has come and gone.  We didn’t get into Oregon until late on Thursday afternoon so I was unable to attend the Brewers Dinner on Wednesday night or the Widmer Brunch on Thursday morning (that is followed by a ”parade” of beer brewers and lovers that kicks off the festival).  We did make it into the brewfest as the sun was beginning to set and I started in the IPA section.  Ninkasi Brewing Company, Laurelwood Brewing, Terminal Gravity, Amnesia Brewing, and Hazel Dell all had IPAs pouring (listed in the order of my preference from favorite to least favorite).  Surly Brewing Company is presenting Coffee Bender – a coffee flavor American Brown.  It’s very good and appeals to my love of coffee – but it is a very special release and they steep only 20 gallons at a time, so don’t expect to find this on the super market shelves.  

Beerfest: As I’ve mentioned before, Oregon does brewfests right.  There is no cover charge, just purchase a mug and some pogs and you’re good to go.  Mugs are $5 and pogs are $1.  A pog is worth a taste, 4 pogs will fill your mug.  The show special includes 2 mugs, a program, a festival pen (for taking notes) and 37 pogs for $50.  In the early days of the festival, it’s easy to taste and taste again, in the later part of the festival, I anticipate the lines will grow long and brew-festers will choose to fill their mugs to avoid waiting in line more often than necessary.  You might also want to load up on pogs before the festival gets crowded as last year the lines got extremely long for purchasing pogs (in fact, I had a friend who bought $100 worth of pogs and sold them at the back of the line for $150.  

Beer Buzz: Each year at the festival, a “Buzz Beer” is born.  This is the beer that everyone is talking about, and inevitably, runs out before the festival comes to an end.  I wasn’t able to determine just which beer had the buzz this year,  but one prediction pointed to Quilter’s Irish Death by Iron Horse Brewery.

Beer Gear: I wasn’t overly impressed with the brewfest merchandise this year, but you’re bound to find something that fits your style if you look hard enough.  That said, Beer Northwest Magazine has a booth at the festival and is offering a year’s subscription for only $10 (4 issues).  This is a great deal for a good Northwest brew magazine. 

The brewfest runs through the weekend (July 24 through July 27) and the weather is as perfect as Rogue beer is balanced.  If you are in the Portland area or are able to get here; the Oregon Brewfest is the place to be this weekend.  Otherwise, the CrapMonkey video from last year’s festival is located here and I will continue to update my Flickr Brewfest Set through the weekend.

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