Saturday, October 30, 2010

Austin Beer Week: Final Day

Last call, folks: If you want to partake in any Austin Beer Week events, better do it now, because it ends tonight. Schedule below. Also, not listed: Today is the Austin leg of New Belgium's Tour de Fat.

11:00 am
Alamo S. Lamar Badass Beers
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

11:00 am
Beer & Chocolate: Together at Last!
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

11:30 am
Ultimate Brewery & Brewpub Tour
@ Multiple Venues

12:00 pm
Saint Arnold Christmas Ale Tasting
@ Central Market Westgate

3:00 pm
Beer Pong Championship, featuring Franconia Falling Bock in Wooden Cask!
@ HomeField Grill

3:30 pm
Stash-o-Lantern Contest with Independence Brewing
@ Dog & Duck Pub

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

5:00 pm
Texas Craft Brewers Guild - Membership Sign Up
@ The HighBall

5:00 pm
Real Ale Crew & Brew featuring Rare Barrel-Aged Brews
@ The Ginger Man

5:00 pm
ABW’s Last Call -- 1st Round
@ The HighBall

7:00 pm
(512) Cask Night
@ Red’s Porch

7:30 pm
ABW’s Last Call -- Final Round
@ The HighBall

Friday, October 29, 2010

Austin Beer Week, Day 7

Whoops, almost forgot to print today's Austin Beer Week schedule. See below.

Went to Billy's on Burnet last night for a delicious glass of a cask-version (512) Bruin. Yet again, (512) took a beer that didn't impress me much in its original incarnation, but became outstanding when they tinkered with it. I had the same experience with their One – the first version, for last year's one-year anniversary, was unspectacular, but the One.2 (aged in oak, I think?) blew me away at this year's Flying Saucer Fall Beer Fest.

Unfortunately, the Bruin was soured by the performance of the Texas Rangers in the World Series, but that's not the brewer's fault.

Today's lineup (sorry I'm late on some of these):

11:00 am
Alamo S. Lamar Badass Beers
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

3:00 pm
Craft Cheese Meets Craft Beer: Independence Tasting with Antonelli’s Cheese
@ The Ginger Man

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour + NXNW Keg Raffle (4-7)
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

4:00 pm
Deschutes Brewery’s All-Nighter ABW Specials
@ Icenhauer’s

5:00 pm
(512) Brewing Meet & Greet with Brewer/Owner Kevin Brand
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Live Oak Oaktoberfest Cask Night + Meet & Greet
@ Red’s Porch

5:00 pm
Independence Convict Hill Cask Tapping
@ The Ginger Man

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

5:00 pm
Downtown Beer Social: Breckenridge Vanilla Porter!
@ Whole Foods Market - 6th St. & Lamar

5:30 pm
(512) Meet & Greet + Pint Night
@ Clive Bar

6:00 pm
Real Ale Lost Gold IPA Cask - Opal’s on 6th ONLY
@ Opal Divine’s

6:00 pm
Real Ale Meet & Greet
@ Doc’s Motorworks

6:00 pm
Irrational Prix Fixe Beer Dinner
@ Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery

6:30 pm
Real Ale Phoenixx Double ESB Cask Tapping
@ Billy’s on Burnet

7:00 pm
Hoppy Halloween! Hoppy Beer Dinner & Movie
@ HomeField Grill

7:00 pm
Hop School IPA Brewpub Bus Tour & Palate Pop Quiz
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Austin Beer Week, Day 6


Lots of good stuff on today's schedule:

4:00 pm
Alamo S. Lamar Badass Beers
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

4:00 pm
Hop School Collaboration IPA - Draught House Edition
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour (4-7) + ABW Pint Glass, One Mug Club, NXNW Keg Raffle (4-8:30)
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

5:00 pm
New Brewers Meet & Greet
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Downtown Beer Social: North Coast Scrimshaw!
@ Whole Foods Market - 6th St. & Lamar

5:00 pm
Brooklyn Beer Co. Sampling
@ The Ginger Man

5:00 pm
Independence Brewing Convict Hill Stout Cask Night
@ Red’s Porch

6:00 pm
Tilburg’s Dutch Brown Ale Glass Night
@ The Tavern

6:00 pm
Thirsty Planet Pint Night featuring Thirsty Goat, Buckethead IPA & Thirsty Planet Brewers
@ The Tavern

6:00 pm
Real Ale Coffee Porter Tapping w. Crew
@ Black Sheep Lodge

6:00 pm
Acoustic Night at the Jester King Beer Hall
@ Jester King Craft Brewing

6:00 pm
Beer Flavor Analysis - A Blind Tasting
@ Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery

6:30 pm
Dogfish Head Bitches Brew Tapping
@ The Ginger Man

7:00 pm
Texas Craft Brewers Guild - Membership Sign Up
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

7:00 pm
North Coast Brewers Dinner
@ Zax Restaurant

7:00 pm
Real Ale Coffee Porter Release & ESB Cask Tapping -- Just Added: Brewhouse Brown Cask!
@ Alamo Drafthouse (Lake Creek)

7:00 pm
(512) Brewing Special Cask Tasting featuring (512) Brewers & BeerTownAustin
@ Billy’s on Burnet

7:30 pm
Cask Tapping Dynamic Duo
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

Craft Beer Hits a Home Run at World Series

I'd love to be taken out to the ballgame: You don't have to settle for crap beer at the World Series. Click here to read about the choices available at the two stadiums, including Rahr and St. Arnold in Arlington.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

More Austin Beer Week Stuff

See my previous post for today's Austin Beer Week schedule. I'm adding this extra post because the organizers especially wanted you to know about this event on Saturday at the HighBall.

Austin Beer Week, Day 5

Don't look for me at any Austin Beer Week stuff tonight — I have a little too much month at the end of the money, so I'm gonna hole up at the house with a six-pack of Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug and focus all my psychic energy on pushing the Texas Rangers to a win in game one of the World Series.

That means I need you to step up and cover for me. There's a lot of good beer out there waiting for your liver. Go get it.

Below is tonight's ABW schedule. If I were going out, I'd have to pick that double feature of Strange Brew and Beerfest at Uncle Billy's. Two of the silliest movies ever made.

3:00 pm
Local Pints Day (starts at 3 pm) Meets BEER WARS Movie Night (7:30 pm)
@ Red’s Porch

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

4:00 pm
Alamo S. Lamar Badass Beers
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour (4-7) + ABW Pint Glass, One Mug Club, NXNW Keg Raffle (4-8:30)
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

4:30 pm
Texas Craft Brewers Guild - Membership Sign Up
@ Red’s Porch

5:00 pm
Buy the Beer, Keep the Glass, featuring Chimay White
@ HomeField Grill

5:00 pm
Downtown Beer Social: Victory Lager!
@ Whole Foods Market - 6th St. & Lamar

5:00 pm
Real Ale Pint Night
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Real Ale Barrel-Aged Devil’s Share & ESB Cask Tapping
@ Red’s Porch

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

5:00 pm
Austin Brewers Pint Glass Night
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Rare Crispin Barrel-Aged Cider Tapping - Draught House Edition, Part 2
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

6:00 pm
Two for Texas Wednesday Raffle - All Locations
@ Opal Divine’s

6:00 pm
5-Course Feast of Beers featuring Independence Brewing
@ McCormick & Schmick’s

6:00 pm
Devil’s Backbone Tapping with Real Ale - All Locations
@ Opal Divine’s

6:00 pm
Flensburger Glass Night (Dunkel & Pilsener)
@ The Tavern

6:00 pm
Real Ale Brewing Night with Devil’s Share & Cask Releases + Glass Giveaways
@ Flying Saucer

6:30 pm
Taste of Americana 5-Course Beer Dinner
@ Whole Foods Market - 6th St. & Lamar

7:00 pm
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS German Feast featuring Live Oak Brewing
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

7:00 pm
The Onion Society For Beer Enjoyment
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

8:00 pm
Sierra Nevada Estate Ale Tasting & Trivia Night
@ The Ginger Man

8:30 pm
STRANGE BREW and BEERFEST Double Feature
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Austin Beer Week, Day 4

Okay, I did make it to NXNW last night after all. Damn, their cask-conditioned IPA was awesome, not that it surprised me in the least. And they had a raffle, and I won not one, not two, but THREE Austin Beer Week pint glasses (see photo). Ha! Suck it! I'm awesome.

Below is Tuesday's ABW schedule. Don't look for me — Tuesday is my poker night. I'll be hoping my lucky streak continues into my cards, and I'll be enjoying my growler full of NXNW IPA (not the cask version, sadly, but I'm sure still great).

(But oh, DAMN I wish I could attend that Divine Reserve vertical tasting.)

4:00 pm
Alamo S. Lamar Badass Beers
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour (4-7) + ABW Pint Glass, One Mug Club Raffle (4-8:30)
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

5:00 pm
Jester King Meet & Greet with Brewer/Owner Jeff Stuffings
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Beer Flight & Tasting Menu
@ Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

5:00 pm
Downtown Beer Social: Real Ale Oktoberfest!
@ Whole Foods Market - 6th St. & Lamar

5:00 pm
Pint Night with (512) Brewery
@ Red’s Porch

6:00 pm
Tapping Barrel-Aged Devil’s Share with Real Ale
@ Zax Restaurant

6:00 pm
Independence Cask Night at Opal Divine’s Marina
@ Opal Divine’s

6:00 pm
Beer + Wine + Conversation with Real Ale & Antonelli’s Cheese
@ FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar

7:00 pm Sold Out
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve Vertical Tasting #1-9 with Owner/Brewer Brock Wagner
@ The Ginger Man

7:30 pm
Name That Beer Trivia
@ HomeField Grill

8:00 pm
(512) Brewing Meet & Greet
@ Doc’s Backyard Bar & Grill

Monday, October 25, 2010

Twitter Contest for ABW

Hey gang, Independence has a fun Twitter-based contest going on for their Sixth Anniversary and Austin Beer Week. Here's what they told me:
It's a twitter based contest challenging people to describe beer in 6 words. Contestant follow us on @indybrewing and tweet their 6 word entry with the #indy6words tag. Entries must be received before the end of Austin Beer Week, 12 am October 30th. Entries will be judged by Independence Brewing staff, and contest winner will be awarded a VIP private beer tasting for up to 10 people at Independence Brewing.

Austin Beer Week, Day 3

This Austin Beer Week thing is going pretty awesome, in my opinion. The Beer Olympics at the Draught House yesterday was hilarious, and the Craft Austin vs. Beertown Austin bicycle pub crawl was a blast. Met a lot of nice people, drank a lot of good beer. Photos and videos to come.

I might make it out to the NXNW event tonight, but I may be using up all my night-out credits with the family, so perhaps not. Don't want my kids telling their teachers, "Oh, I never see my daddy, he's always at a bar."

Here's today's schedule:

4:00 pm
Alamo S. Lamar Badass Beers
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour (4-7) + ABW Pint Glass, One Mug Club, NXNW Keg Raffle (4-8:30)
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

5:00 pm
Downtown Beer Social: New Belgium Hoptober!
@ Whole Foods Market - 6th St. & Lamar

5:00 pm
Black Star Brewery Tour
@ Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye & Cheese Pairing
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Beer & Cheese Tasting for Minglers (Unmoderated)
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

5:00 pm
Ticket Raffle for 10/30 Ultimate Brewery & Brewpub Tour
@ Red’s Porch

6:00 pm
Victory Brewery Logo Pints & Flights
@ The Ginger Man

6:00 pm
Coffee Porter Tapping with Real Ale - All Locations
@ Opal Divine’s

6:30 pm
Texas Craft Brewers Guild - Membership Sign Up
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

6:30 pm
Brewery Tour and Mug Club Mug Specials for All
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

7:00 pm
Local Beer & Local Sausage Tasting
@ Red’s Porch

7:00 pm
Special Cask Tapping with NXNW Brewer Kevin Roark
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

7:00 pm
Beereoke! Featuring Real Ale
@ HomeField Grill

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Austin Beer Week, Day 2

As expected, I had a blast at the Draught House's 42nd Anniversary Party yesterday, one of the events that kicked off Austin Beer Week. Four casks going at any given time — it was heaven. Most impressive: Green Flash's Imperial Red. I have no idea what this beer tastes like regularly — and I'm normally not that big a fan of reds — but the cask treatment made it divinely hoppy and smooth. Southern Star's cask version of their Bombshell Blonde, flavored with honey, jasmine, and something else I can't remember now, was also a winner.

Today, I'll definitely have to join at least some of the bicycling pub crawl being thrown by my beer-blogging colleagues, Craft Austin and Beertown Austin (click on poster at right or link below.) It combines two of my favorite things in the whole world — bicycling and beer — and it's all in my neighborhood. Can't beat that.

Here's today's schedule:

11:00 am
Alamo Mighty Pint WEEK, Roulette Style!
@ Alamo Drafthouse (South Lamar)

1:00 pm
Rare Crispin Barrel-Aged Cider Tapping - Draught House Edition, Part 1
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

1:00 pm
Rare Crispin Barrel-Aged Cider Tapping - Ginger Man Edition
@ The Ginger Man

2:00 pm
1st Annual Beer Olympics & ABW Kick-Off Party
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

2:00 pm
MisoHungry and Austin Women’s Beer League Host Beer & Dessert Pairings
@ The Ginger Man

2:00 pm
The BeerTownAustin vs. Craft Austin Ultimate Fanboy Bike Pub Crawl Throwdown 2010
@ Multiple Venues

4:00 pm
Hop School Collaboration IPA - Lovejoy’s Edition
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

4:00 pm
ABW Happy Hour
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

4:00 pm
Special House Brews + Collaboration IPA on Cask All Week
@ Lovejoy’s Tap Room and Brewery

4:00 pm
Hop School Collaboration IPA - NXNW Edition
@ North By Northwest Restaurant and Brewery

4:00 pm
Sam Adams Pint WEEK
@ The Ranch

4:00 pm
Sam Adams Boston Lager Pint WEEK
@ Posse East

4:00 pm
Hop School Collaboration IPA - Uncle Billy’s Edition
@ Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que

5:00 pm
Independence Beer & Appetizer Pairings
@ Parkside

7:00 pm
Local Beer & Local Cheese Tasting
@ Red’s Porch

7:00 pm
Beer Before Breakfast, a Moderated Beer Dinner featuring Real Ale Coffee Porter
@ HomeField Grill

TBD
Real Ale Barrel-Aged Devil’s Share Tapping with Real Ale in the House
@ The Dig Pub

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Austin Beer Week, Day 1

Okay, beer geeks, let the orgy begin: today through next Saturday is the poorly publicized Austin Beer Week (seriously, if you want your event to get covered, you need to call or e-mail the media, not count on us to discover it via Twitter). But fortunately, I did spot it, so I'll try to help people stay abreast of events. If I make it to anything today, it will probably be for a little bit of the Draught House's 42nd anniversary party. The 41st last year was a blast. Tons of rare beers, including at least four casks flowing at any given time (see photo from last year). Here's today's schedule, go to the website for more details:

1:00 pm
Draught House 42nd Anniversary Party
@ Draught House Pub and Brewery

4:00 pm
Oktoberfest
@ The Ginger Man

4:00 pm
Independence Brewing 6th Anniversary Party
@ Independence Brewing

TBD
Saint Arnold Austin Scavenger Hunt Video Pub Crawl II
@ Multiple Venues

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Worst Beers In the World

Wow, Tequiza missed the list by .01: http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/TheWorstBeers.asp

Flip-Flopper

An interesting thing about doing this blog is that I can look back at opinions on certain beers, especially seasonals, and see if my tastes (or maybe the flavor of the beer?) have changed. I just stumbled across this roundup of Oktoberfest beers from last year, wherein I described Real Ale Oktoberfest as "shockingly disappointing" and "very mediocre." Funny, I thought the beer debuted this fall, and I forgot I had tried it before. And now, my opinion could not be more different — I've had a lot of it this year, and love it. I wonder why? Anyone else have taste turnarounds like this?

(Image shamelessly stolen from Craft Austin.)

Quick Review: Magic Hat Odd Notion Fall '10

Bleagh. Definitely not what I was hoping for this evening. It took me a while to pinpoint the flavor, but I finally figured it out: bubblegum. Which I don't mind if I'm drinking a Big Red (that's a brand of soda pop that my non-Southern readers might not be familiar with), but not what I want in a beer. It's growing on me slightly as I get deeper into the glass, so I'll give it a low 'C.' I'll need to follow this up with a hop bomb to get some satisfaction tonight.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Quick Review: Magic Hat hI.P.A.

Finally, a Magic Hat that really impresses me. This Vermont brewery keeps sending me beers to review, and I keep feeling sort of bad about it, because they've consistently underwhelmed me. But the Magic Hat hI.P.A. (high-PA) is very solid hopfest that compares favorably with other examples in this style. It pours out a clear gold, surprisingly considered so often I see this style unfiltered. It's part of a series of seasonal IPAs Magic Hat is releasing (see my review of Blind Faith from the summer). A bright, flowery hop taste, with a wonderful, lingering bitterness on the tongue after the swallow. I'll give it an 'A.'

Friday, October 15, 2010

Goober And The Peas - Hot Women Cold Beer

My theme song, from one of the coolest bands ever:

Thursday, October 14, 2010

So Much Beer, So Little Time

Wow, tons of events coming up here in the Austin area, and I can't keep pace with it all. I only have one liver, and not enough hours in the day. Let's do a little run-down, and no doubt I'm missing something here:
  • North by Northwest Oktoberfest, Oct. 16-17: A big favorite for my family, I'll probably hit both days of this just because it's so kid-friendly. Oompah bands, German food, German-style brews, bouncy houses and facepainting for the kids, and cute waitresses in dirndls. That's really all I need in this life.
  • Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival, Oct. 16: Apparently those chuckleheads at the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission have been screwing with the Flying Saucer and have forced them to modify the setup they originally had planned, but it all sounds too complicated to summarize here. Bottom line, there is still a beerfest, it's happening noon-10pm, and there will be 50 different beers from 30 different breweries.
  • Austin Beer Week, Oct. 23-30: An absolutely crazy assortment of activities, too many to list here, spread out all over the city. I won't even try. Just go check out their calendar. At a minimum, I'll definitely try to hit the Draught House's 42nd Anniversary Party on the 23rd, and no doubt I'll go to Black Star Co-op's brewery tour since it's in my neighborhood. The double feature of Strange Brew and Beerfest at Uncle Billy's Brew & Que on the 27th sounds pretty awesome, too. (Note: I really, really wish the people promoting this would have made an outreach to me. I mentioned in my "Beer Flights" column in the Chronicle that it was coming up, but I had no idea of the scope of it until just now. With earlier outreach, I could have done a bang-up feature on it in the Chronicle and really given it good publicity.)

Friday, October 08, 2010

Tour de Fat coming to Austin

This is really more about bicycling than beer, but hey, I love both:

New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
Wraps up in Austin on October 30

Come ride, dance and experience the ultimate freedom: trading your car for a bike!

Ft. Collins, CO, October 8, 2010 –Clip a card in your spokes and wear your Halloween costume all weekend long…Tour de Fat is back! New Belgium Brewing’s traveling celebration of all things bicycle rolls through 13 cities this year, raising money and sharing bike love. The Tour de Fat finale is once again in Austin, coming to Fiesta Gardens on October 30.

For the fourth year in a row, Tour de Fat is looking for volunteers to accept the swapper challenge. One volunteer in each city will give up their car and receive a hand-built Black Sheep (http://www.blacksheepbikes.com/) commuter bike. The volunteer is chosen after submitting a video or essay describing their desire to live sans-car for a year. To submit an application, log on to http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat.

“The car-for-bike swap is the pinnacle of the day, illustrating one person’s true belief in all that a bicycle can offer,” said Bryan Simpson, spokesman for New Belgium. “Bikes represent freedom, fun and fitness while helping the environment. It’s a way of life that we live and share at New Belgium.”

Tour de Fat is free to participants, but beer and merchandise proceeds from the Austin stop will go to Yellow Bike Project (http://www.austinyellowbike.org/), Austin Cycling Association (http://www.austincycling.org/index.html) and Austin Ridge Riders (http://www.austinridgeriders.com/). Since its inception 11 years ago, the philanthropic cycling circus has raised more than $1 million on behalf of non-profit organizations.

“A sure sign of fall is the Tour de Fat — a great, traveling party dedicated to bikes and to the people who love bikes,” said ACA President Gilbert Martinez. “Not only is it a great party, but support from the Tour de Fat will help us continue to provide bike safety education to cyclists in Central Texas.”

“At the Yellow Bike Project, we have a huge soft spot for volunteers and donation, so of course we get all googly when the Tour de Fat comes through,” added Pete Dahlberg, Community Coordinator for Austin's Yellow Bike Project. “Over 100 volunteers crop up to make the party happen, and then New Belgium donates the proceeds to local bike non-profits. In between, there's a lot of great variety acts, weird bikes to ride and really good beer.”

“We are very excited to have Tour de Fat return to Austin for the fourth fabulous year!” exclaimed Judi Ronkartz, president of The Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club. “It is an event not to be missed, especially this year on the eve of Halloween. New Belgium’s generosity helps fund all of our Programs which include regular group rides, the Mountain Bike Patrol, Kid Trips and Trail Building and Maintenance projects.”

What: New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
When: Saturday, October 30, 2010
Where: Austin’s Fiesta Gardens

Tentative Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Bike Parade Registration
10:00 a.m. Bike Parade Launch
11:00 a.m. Performances Begin
12:20 p.m. The SLOW RIDE
1:30 p.m. The Great Bike Story Contest for New Belgium Cruiser Bike
2:35 p.m. Car-for-Bike Trade Celebration
3:50 p.m. Faux Finale
3:55 p.m. Faux-Real Finale
4:00 p.m. Curtain Closes

Acts:
Yard Dogs Road Show (http://www.yarddogsroadshow.com/)
The Dovekins (http://www.myspace.com/dovekins)
A Honeymoon Cabaret (http://www.daredevilchicken.com/honeymoon.html)
YoYo Squared
Americaine: Stupide

Benefitting:
Yellow Bike Project, Austin Cycling Association and Austin Ridge Riders

Sustainable Support:
Keep Austin Beautiful (http://www.keepaustinbeautiful.org/)

Why Tour de Fat is a Must-Attend Event:

  • Tour de Fat encourages everyone to embrace their inner-cyclist and ride the streets as a cohesive carnival of creativity. Each show begins with a costumed bike parade that stops traffic and turns heads along the way. (Costumes are highly encouraged!)
  • Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible and composts and recycles waste from each tour stop. The waste diversion rate for 2009 was 94 percent.
  • Tour de Fat is free to participants, but beer and merchandise proceeds go to local cycling non-profits. Since its inception, Tour de Fat events have raised more than $1.25 million for philanthropy.
  • All musical acts perform on a solar-powered stage with decorations made from recycled materials, trucks and transport use biofuel sourced from recycled waste oils, and all vendors operate off the grid.
  • This is a pro-bike celebration, not an anti-car rally…non-cyclists are more than welcome to join the festivities.

See http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat for the Tour de Fat credo, schedules, videos and to submit your entry to swap your gas guzzler for a shiny new bicycle. Also visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Belgium-Tour-de-Fat/10150099069050417?ref=ts.


Tour de Fat 2010 schedule:
June 26 – Chicago, Palmer Square Park
July 3 – Milwaukee, Humboldt Park
July 10 – Minneapolis, Loring Park
July 31 – Seattle, Gas Works Park
August 14 – Portland, Waterfront Park
August 21 – Boise, Anne Morrison Park
September 4 – Fort Collins, Mothership
September 11 – Denver, City Park
September 25 – San Francisco, Lindley Meadow in Golden Gate Park
October 2 – San Diego, Balboa Park
October 9 – Tempe, Tempe Town Park
October 23 – Los Angeles, L.A. Historic Park
October 30 – Austin, Fiesta Gardens

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces eight year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Beer for ACL Fest Weekend

Are you an unrepentant beer snob coming to town for the Austin City Limits Festival? Sadly, your choices for craft beer on the festival grounds will be pretty limited, so follow this link for my recommendations on where to get the good stuff fairly close to Zilker Park (most notably, Uncle Billy's Brew & Que, a short walk away).

(photo is copyright John Anderson; do NOT reprint without his permission.)

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Two Sierra Nevada Mini-Reviews

Tumbler: Sierra Nevada's fall seasonal. Meh. Just further reinforced the fact that brown ale is my least favorite style. I much prefer the Oktoberfest brews coming out from other breweries right now.

Kellerweis: Yum! I'm really disappointed I didn't discover this hefeweizen early in the summer instead of just last week, but thankfully, it's not a seasonal, so I can keep getting it. Delicious notes of banana and cloves. Be sure to drink in a glass instead of the bottle, so you can swirl the yeast into it.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Meet the New Brewers

This Saturday, Austin Homebrew Supply wants you to meet several of the new brewers that either recently started or plan to go into business soon in Austin and Central Texas. As you may remember, I wrote profiles of several of these folks back in June in The Austin Chronicle. AHS is located at 9129 Metric Blvd.

Here's the schedule:
"Meet Austin's Newest Brewers" and Lisa White, VP of White Labs

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 9th. Representatives from 6 new Austin breweries and the VP of White Labs will be hanging out and fielding questions throughout the day.

11am-Noon: Hops and Grain
Noon-1pm: Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery
1pm-2pm: South Austin Brewing Company
2pm-3pm: Jester King Brewing Company
3pm-4pm: Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling
4pm-5pm: Circle Brewing Company
5pm-6pm: Lisa White, VP of White Labs

Monday, October 04, 2010

Texas Winners at GABF

Congratulations to Texas' winners (three by Saint Arnold!) at the Great American Beer Festival:

German-Style Kölsch (46 Entries)

GOLD

Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer
Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Houston, TX


Ordinary or Special Bitter (47 Entries)

GOLD

Rio Blanco Pale Ale
Real Ale Brewing Co.
Blanco, TX


Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter (42 Entries)

SILVER

Saint Arnold Elissa IPA
Saint Arnold Brewing Co.

Houston, TX


Scottish-Style Ale (22 Entries)

SILVER

Saint Arnold Oktoberfest
Saint Arnold Brewing Co.

Houston, TX


Munich-Style Helles (42 Entries)

Bronze

Cowboy Lager
The Covey Restaurant & Brewery*
Fort Worth, TX


* Almost immediately after winning this award, the Covey closed down!

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Magic Hat Hex

Time for a beer review. Up today: Hex, Magic Hat's fall seasonal.

First impression, a rather candy-ish smell. That was verified by the taste.There's some weird candy taste in there, like licorice or something. Not good for this reviewer, as I don't like licorice. But it's not overpowering. Definitely heavy on the malt, and this was a good day for it – a cool front finally made things feel like fall down here in Texas.

Overall: A solid, if unspectacular, Oktoberfest beer. I'd give it a low B.