New Belgium Filming at Draught House

Message from Josh at the Draught House:

Hello beer fans,

next Tuesday, 8/30, New Belgium Brewing Company is filming a small piece to promote 1554 Enlightened Belgian Black Ale at our place and ya'll are invited! They will be serving BBQ, have cheese paired from Antonelli's Cheese Shop and an ice cream pairing from Austin Scoops, all free, while they last. Steel Head String Band will be playing until 8pm and we will be giving away New Belgium Globe glasses with each 1554 bought (only $2.75 because it's Pint Night!)

Come on by!

cheers,

Josh

New Belgium Takes Over Draught House Today

Message from Josh over at the Draught House:

The phrase of the moment is "tap takeover" and who are we to resist. This wednesday (the 27th) we will be taken over by New Belgium and be pouring eight of their beers. We are happy to have both Love, the unblended base for La Folie and other sour beers, and Super Cru, their 20th anniversary ale, to serve. In addition, we will be pouring Le Terroir, La Folie, Fat Tire, Mothership Wit, Ranger IPA and Somersault, their new spring seasonal. PLUS, with any beer purchase, a globe glass is FREE.

But that's not all. We will also have cheese samples gratis with some (perhaps all) of the beers. And to top it all off Miss Lauren Salazar, sensory analyst extraordinaire, will grace us with her presence. BE THERE!

In other news, later in the week we will have Ranger Creek port barrel La Bestia Aimable, which should prove to be quite good from what I've heard. And, this Firkin Friday we will tap a cask of Great Divide Expresso Oak Aged Yeti.

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

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.

Fat Tire in cans!

I just got this message from Wheatsville Food Co-op:

New! Fat Tire Amber Ale now in CANS!

If you love New Belgium's Fat Tire (who doesn't?) it is time to rejoice! Fat Tire is now available at Wheatsville in cans. The cans, which are 100% recyclable, feature Fat Tire's original watercolor artwork. And for those beer lovers worried about Fat Tire's taste changing in the can, fear not. "We took a unique can-conditioning approach and its flavor was not compromised in any way," says Brian Simpson, spokesperson for New Belgium. "We ran a series of tests using our friends at Oskar Blues' canning line and there was no flavor differential. In New Belgium's native Colorado, can sales have exceeded expectations as locals embrace the ability to take Fat Tire to places where bottles are not an option. Distributing cans also helps lighten New Belgium's carbon footprint by saving fuel during transport by due to lighter weight loads." Fat Tire cans are available only in 12-packs and Wheatsville's got em' for $15.99. Let us know how you like them!

Sound like this craft-brew-in-cans thing is really taking off. Which is awesome. Now I don't have to settle for crap beer when I go tubing.

Another Black Star Co-op Event

UPDATE: THE OCT. 20 EVENT BELOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED. SEE THE OCT. 17 POST FOR MORE INFO.


Message from your friendly neighborhood cooperative would-be pub and brewery:

Dear Members & Friends of Black Star Co-op,

After taking a break last month, our monthly Beer Social will return on Saturday, October 20th. We'll be back at Kenny Dorham's Backyard from 7-10PM with our usual blend of good times, good beer, and co-operation, and we hope you'll be able to join us.  Tell your friends with a copy of our flier:

http://www.blackstar.coop/news/beer-social-flier

But that's not all for October 20th!  On that same day there are two other beer-related events in Austin that we can't afford to miss.

First, we will be again partnering with Austin Homebrew Supply for their annual Oktoberfest party from 12-6pm. They'll have beer from local breweries and brewpubs, food, live music, and specials on homebrewing equipment. We had a blast helping with this event last year and are looking forward to it once again!

And last but not least, New Belgium's Tour de Fat will also be coming through Austin that afternoon.  The Tour de Fat is an event featuring bicycles and beer, two things we wholeheartedly endorse, and benefits local bicycling organizations.  You can find more information on the Tour de Fat website:

http://www.followyourfolly.com/folly_tour_de_fat.html

It'll be a busy day, and we look forward to seeing you at one or more of these events.  Thanks again for your support.

Sincerely,

Black Star Co-op

Combining my passions, yet again

I love beer. I love bicycles. (And mass transit, and anything else that provides an alternative to our personal pollution machines). So I'm please to learn that New Belgium's "Tour de Fat" is coming to Austin Oct. 20. Check it out. (Thanks to Drinking Beer in Texas for alerting me to it.)