People should envy me. I envy me.

My Portland buddies Bill and Todd, knowing my love of both beer and Western shirts, got me what might be the most awesome Christmas present ever. Yes, you should be jealous.

Flying Saucer Christmas Party and Coat Drive

(I just noticed that this is my 666th post. Augh!)

Hey Austinites, go be a lush for a good cause:

Flying Saucer
The Triangle, 47th @ Lamar (512) 454- PINT (7468)

Follow Us on Twitter: FlyingSaucerAus
http://www.beerknurd.com

Jester King's First Seasonal

Press release from one of Austin's newest breweries below. Clearly these guys are having fun with their young business. Can't wait to try some!

Press Release: Jester King Set to Release Black Metal Imperial Stout Jester King Craft Brewery
13005 Fitzhugh Road
Austin, TX 78736
(512) 364-7278
jkcb@jesterkingbrewery.com

AUSTIN, TEXAS Jester King Craft Brewery is set to release their first ever seasonal beer – Black Metal Imperial Stout, a.k.a. Suds of Northern Darkness, a.k.a. Iron Sword, a.k.a. El Martillo del Muerte. Black Metal is a cruel and punishing beer fermented by the sheer force of its awesome will. We are pretty sure that Kreator wrote the song “Impossible Brutality” about this beer while drinking it during their Extreme Aggression Tour.

Black Metal is Jester King’s winter seasonal release. Weighing in at about 10% ABV, it’s filled with huge flavors of roast, chocolate, burnt malt and alcohol and carries a hint of leather. We encourage Black Metal to be enjoyed from a snifter at a serving temperature between 57 and 61 degrees Fahrenheit.

Black Metal is currently available only in kegs. It will be available in 750mL bottles later this winter. If you would like to have Black Metal at your establishment, please contact us at the phone number listed above.

Imperial Stout

OG: 1.108
ABV: ~10%
IBU: 60

Malt: Maris Otter, Caramalt, Extra Dark Crystal, Brown Malt, Black Malt, Roasted Barley

Hops: Magnum, East Kent Goldings

Water: Texas Hill Country Aquifer Water

Yeast: Dry English Ale

Black Metal Music played to beer during fermentation.

57-61 °F

Independence Pub Crawl

Another beer event to do this weekend, in addition to the Black Star Co-op Grand Opening (see previous post).

Due to some really stupid TABC laws (is there any other kind?), Independence can't name the actual venues of their pub crawl, so you'll have to figure it out from the hints below:

Time	Sunday, December 12 · 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Location	Campus Area
Created By	Independence Brewing Co.
More Info	Come out and join us as we crawl through campus the Sunday after finals! How to Indy Crawl(and get a sweet limited run pint glass) : We will be at the following spots near the times listed below. Punch cards will be passed out at Cuatro's. We will be punching cards throughout, its your responsibility to get it punched at each location, don't forget! We will be moving as a group according to the following schedule: 1:30PM "spanish four"(1004 W 24th) 2:30PM "biblical brothers" (2313 Rio Grande) 3:30PM "shroomin"(2426 Guadalupe) 5:00PM "holy" "wall" spot(2538 Guadalupe St), Black Brew will be playing a show We will give you a punch card and if you get it punched at each location we will give you a limited run Indy Crawl Pint glass!!! Must be 21 years old to participate. Come out and have a good time with us! PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY!!!! Cabs and Buses are readily available in the Campus area!

Black Star Grand Opening Tomorrow

Damn, I've been so busy I almost forgot to post this.

Yes, Black Star Co-op has actually been open for several weeks now, but tomorrow begins the official celebration. See below.

(EDIT: D'oh! Looks like the html is a little wonky, but you get the idea. And if you don't know, Black Star is at North Lamar and Airport Boulevard here in Austin, inside the Midtown Commons development.)

Yes, it’s finally here! Black Star Co-op invites you to join us this weekend, December 10th-12th, for a weekend full of Grand Opening celebrations!

Friday: Grand Opening Party! 6PM-12AM We’ll kick off the festivities with a big outdoor party on Friday, December 10th from 6PM to midnight. Join us for Grand Opening ceremonies, the first tap of our house beers, and a party into the night. Music by Vanessa Lively, the Ugly Beats, Melogrand, and Brownout! The entire evening will be family friendly with free hot apple cider, face painting, and a bounce house. RSVP to the Facebook Event (and share it with your friends!).

Saturday: Eat Local Week's Texas Craft Brewers Mini-Festival, 2-5PM Come back on Saturday afternoon for the Texas Craft Brewers’ Mini-Festival as party of Edible Austin’s Eat Local Week. The event will run from 2-5PM, and tickets are $15. As with other Eat Local Week events, all proceeds will benefit Urban Roots. Normal service at the brewpub will begin after the festival at 5PM. RSVP to the Facebook Event (and share it with your friends!). Purchase tickets at Frontgate Tickets.

Sunday: Traditional Sunday Roast, Charter Member Portraits, and Group Photo, 12PM Finally, we’ll wrap up the weekend with a traditional Sunday Roast and service starting at 12PM. Charter Member-Owners are invited to have their portraits taken from 12-4PM with a group photo of the membership scheduled for 4PM. RSVP to the Facebook Event (and share it with your friends!).

Vote for Me!

Hey beloved readers,

Apparently I've been nominated for "Best Cocktail/Beverage Blog" in the Austin Bloggers Awards. Hey, screw all that "it's an honor just to be nominated" crap, I want to win! So if you think I'm deserving, and you're sober enough to properly point your mouse at the right button, please follow the link below to vote for me an for other blogs in a huge variety of categories:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KM9SYCX