Wring out the spare liver and pack it: it’s festival time
Posted by: drfermento in Beer News
It’s festival time. In Alaska, there’s one event that brings us all together: The Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival. Actually, if I can be candid, it sometimes brings TOO much of us together. What was designed as an educational, enlightening event intended to showcase the best of the best in Alaskan and national beers has morphed into one of those big festivals that does a lot for some and turns others off. I don’t want to put a negative spin on the event; I attend every single year. But there are unresolved issues that I hope that some day go away and turn the event back into what the original event organizers visioned that it would be.
For one thing, the event gets very crowded. Any big beer festival might suffer the same plight, but wouldn’t it be better if the crowds were all about great craft beer, learning about new styles and sharing their sentiments with others? Unfortunately, like other big festivals, not everyone shares this objective. I often find myself competing for that next special beer with others that haughtily demand “the strongest beer this booth is serving and pour it big.” There are as many buzz chasers as there are true beer aficionados. Going to the festival knowing this has become an element might or might not help you cope with the experience. There’s no real solution, but I think steps can be taken to ensure the gig is enjoyable for everyone.
First, organizers should be fastidious in making sure that every sample is traded for a ticket. The entry price of $30 buys a festgoer 30 sample tickets. Carefully managed, with scant pours, this should keep the overwhelming buzz factor down, but every year it doesn’t seem to work. I’ve attended the Seattle and Portland International Bierfests rather regularly and the entry price is less, but the price only gets 10 tickets. The beers are priced according to rarity and cost. One sample may cost one ticket, others may cost three or four. And no beer is exchanged without a ticket. Additional tickets are available for purchase at a buck apiece and people buy them. When I stand in line for that next special beer, I’m more likely to encounter someone that’s truly interested in dropping scrip on it than catching a buzz. The conversations in those lines are more about beer.
Another difference is that there is no schwag beer. All of the beer is very good or exclusive. This doesn’t mean anything to a craft beer consumer that wouldn’t waste a ticket on the run of the mill, but it makes a difference overall. I certainly understand that the true cost of our festival is borne by the brewers and distributors that donate their beer, and at least from the distributor’s standpoint, all beers have to be marketed, and to get the most bang for the buck, they want to showcase all of their wares. Again, this is fine and it really doesn’t make a huge difference in the clientele, but focusing on the best of the best would make our festival the best of the best.
Much of this comes from my own agenda which is to make the Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival, THE barley-wine festival of the world. Right now, that title is held by the Toronado Barley Wine Festival in San Francisco, which isn’t really a festival at all. The highlight of that event is the barley wine judging, just as it is here. But after that, crowding into the small Haight-Ashbury pub is daunting at best. Getting a sample of beer there takes true skill and if you’re not there when the place opens, forget about it. Absent is the camaraderie that our event holds; unless you’re with someone you know, you’re a stranger in a strange land. Absent are the brewers that you can easily access at our festival by going booth to booth. And if you think parking sucks in Anchorage, just imagine what it’s like to travel in San Francisco. Sure, public transportation down there is better, easier accessed and runs more frequently and virtually 24 hours a day. No one in their right mind would land at San Francisco International Airport and rent a car to do the city. So, what makes this event the grand one? As best I can tell, the only benchmark is the number of barley wines entered for judging. San Francisco (the Toronodo) always garners more entrants that we do. Much of that has to do with proximity and the ease of getting beers entered. Obviously shipping beer across a couple of states is cheaper than it is across a continent and a half, but it shouldn’t make a difference. Properly marketed, our festival could easily outshadow our “competition’s” if we threw a little effort at it.
This would require a fundamental change in thinking. More on that later. I think you get my drift.
Still, do attend. The event is lively and under one roof, you’ll be able to sample more beer from our local breweries than you could ever sample by going to Humpy’s or Café Amsterdam or any of our other big venues in town. In particular, the Connoisseur’s Session of the festival features special beers that will only be served at the Saturday, January 17, 2-5 pm event and as a bonus, the session is typically less crowded than the Friday or Saturday night sessions. Most importantly, this portion of the fest directly benefits the Brewer’s Guild of Alaska, a little known and little heralded institution of brewers that gather and organize to ensure our local beers get their deserving place in the world.
My advice? Hydrate or die. Eat before you drink. Have a designated driver. Be tolerant of others that don’t respect beer like you do. Thank your volunteer servers, the brewers and the distributors, and the event organizer, Aurora Productions for putting this monumental event on every year.
Here are a couple of teasers that might bait you to the show. This is a non-inclusive list, so expect much more, but for starters, I’ll be chasing:
Deschutes Super Jubel (100 IBU – 11 percent)
Stone Brewing Company’s 2005 and 2007 Old Guardian Barley Wines
Avery Brewing Company’s Uberschwein Barley Wine
Lagunitas’ Old Gnarleywine (84.2 IBU – 9.7 percent)
Baron Brewing Company’s Liberator Dopplebock
Three Skulls Brewing Company Cut Throat Red
Elysian Brewing Company’s The Great Pumpkin
Big Sky Brewing Company’s Old Blue Hair Barley Wine (70 IBU – 6.2 percent)
Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron
Flying Dog’s Horn Dog Barley Wine (44 IBU – 10.5 percent)
Left Hand Brewing Company’s Smoke Jumper Imperial Porter
21st Amendment’s Lower De Boom Barley Wine (95 IBU – 9.7 percent)
Oskar Blues Brewing Company’s Old Chub Scottish Ale (a current Fermento Fave)
Full Sail’s Old Boarhead Barley Wine
Things are moving along admirably with Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s eventual move to a bigger location on the south side of town. Did you happen to catch the coverage of this information on the Channel 2 News the other night? Anyway, the move isn’t slowing things down at the brewery at all. The brewery’s already announced the next fabulous beer series that’s being brewed right now and includes selections from each of nine brewery employees that will throw their flair at something unique and interesting. Although brewing dates, release dates and specifics of each of the brews remains in formulation, here’s a tentative line up:
Brewtality Espresso Black Bier (Jeremiah)
Descent Imperial Abbey Ale (K Dogg)
Anchor Witbier with Brettanomyces (Gabe)
Farwasser Pilsner (Reid)
Big Slick American Barley Wine (Grant)
Rumbah Double Rum Bock (Mark)
Cosmic Black Witbier (Gary)
Because Doubel Dubel (Barb)
Bathtub Gin Tripel (Ben)
Within the typical Midnight Sun whackiness, the names might point to something, but there’s always more to be said. For example, Rumbah will be aged in “prated” rum barrels. Because will be brewed with raisins and Ancho chilies and aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. The Bathtub Gin Tripel will be spiced with juniper berries and “other botanicals.” Descent Imperial Abbey Ale will feature raisins and grains of paradise. Only the brewers know, so we’ll have to wait it out.
Until then, why not plan on attending the Planet Series Beer Dinner at Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse on Wednesday, January 14th at 6 pm. There’s been some confusion about the name of this gig because it’s the gig that’s typically associated with the kick off of the Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival because most of the dignitaries from outside have showed up in town a bit early to race around, tour breweries and get a dose of our inhospitable cold so they can go back and brag to co-workers that they’ve risked almost certain death in search of good suds. I originally coined the event something different, but no matter, this is the same gig and it’s going to be incredible. Here’s another gig where you’d better pack your spare liver and make sure you have a designated driver for the trip home.
Featured will be seven of the nine Planet Series Beers that Midnight Sun’s been releasing throughout 2008. The brewery’s also tossing in Zeus, the draft version of the Planet Series beer Jupiter. Six courses of food will be paired with these beers and for $75 (in advance; this is always a sell-out event: call 276-BEER for your reservation), if you go home hungry or sober, it’s your own damned fault.
Midnight Sun Brewing Company is also part of another great event and another great beer. Specialty Imports is celebrating 30 years of fine and increasingly foamy years of service here in Alaska. Specialty Imports is singularly responsible for bringing us much of the incredible Belgian ales and specialty beers that come and go with huge frequency. In the past year, I can think of no less than 100 different exclusive beers the company’s brought in and trickled out to select locations, keeping me on a virtual beer hunt most days of the week. Rob Weller is your man behind the scenes making these deals, working with the retailers and getting the beer from across the pond and into your mug. I can’t commend Specialty Imports and Rob Weller enough for continuing to provide us with the broadest diversity of beers on the planet. Thanks to these folks and their tireless efforts to keep us interested and often amused, I’ve been able to experience styles I never thought would grace my lips.
Specialty Imports commissioned Midnight Sun Brewing Company to formulate a special 30th Anniversary beer called XXX Anniversary Ale, a double black IPA. I’ve had a couple of dark IPA’s before, but am expecting greatness in this beer. It’ll become available on Friday, January 16th, but not formally released at the brewery. You’ll be able to find the brew in 22 ounce bomber bottles at the liquor stores worthy enough to carry it. Aside from being big and bodacious, I’d expect this brew to become a feature in my vintage collection to see how some aging treats it. But I’ll be buying plenty now because the beer’s brewed to be consumed immediately. Look for this beer at this year’s Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival as well. It should show up on tap around town at various accounts too.
Finally, on January 30th, Midnight Sun will release this year’s Rondy Brew 2009, an American pale ale in 22 ounce bottles and on draft. This is the official Anchorage Fur Rendezvous beer and as far as I’m concerned has breathed some life into what was becoming a pretty lackluster event until last year. This year’s beer label will feature the hottest event on the ticket, the annual Running with the Reindeer event that takes place on March 01, downtown on 4th Avenue. I participated in the inaugural event and intend to be back again this year to risk life and limb again. Why am I mentioning this in my beer blog? Because as far as I’m concerned, it’s a beer event because I make it one. I do a fair amount of pre-loading prior to the run. It takes a lot of liquid courage to run with man and beast alike. Last year this was the biggest-attended event at Rondy and it was quite a hoot. In typical Alaskan-esque fashion, people turned out in costumes of all shape and color, and there were more scantily clad folks in the subzero weather than turn out at any Polar Bear Jump-Off contest in Alaska’s frigid waters. I simply can’t wait!
If you need respite from the gathering festival storm, duck into Café Amsterdam for something special this week. Featured beers include:
Brouwerij St. Bernardus Grotten
Brouwerij St. Bernardus Tripel
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Kasteel
Pike’s XX Stout
North Coast Brewing Company’s Old Stock and Old #38 Stout
Magner’s Cider
Unibrou’s Maudite
Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Jupiter
Leavenworth Brewing Company’s Friesian Pilsner
Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter 2008
Full Sail Brewing Company’s Wreck the Halls
And, waiting in the wings for spare tap handles includes Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Saturn, St. Bernardus Abt 12 (wow!), North Coast Brewing Company’s Old Rasputin, Young’s Chocolate Stout, Meantime Brewing Company’s IPA (a Fermento Fave), and Kodiak Island Brewing Company’s Beyond the Pale.
As always, expect the perfect beer poured into the proper glass at the right temperature by someone who knows what he or she is serving and cares about your experience.
Here’s a treat. Down at the Brown Jug Liquor Store on 88th and Old Seward, Acme beers have showed up for the North Coast Brewing Company in California. Look for Acme California Pale Ale, Acme Blue Star Great American Wheat Beer and Acme California IPA. These come wrapped in glass and are available in six packs.
Last weekend, I finally made the trek to visit the St Elias Brewing Company in Soldotna. I’d flown down on company business and used that platform to chase good beer in a part of the state that’s so close, but so far away. The first thing I have to say about St. Elias is that it’s an incredibly beautiful place. Despite it being 30 below during my visit, the restaurant/pub/brewery, even on approach in the car, was warm and inviting. It’s actually almost out-of-place in a town that I find a bit rag-tag and tattered sometimes. Opening the front door released a bouquet of cooking smells that only an Italian with a big nose like mine could dissect and appreciate. St. Elias is small, but has more character than places four times its size.
There’s lots to explore within the walls of St. Elias, and visually and the décor keeps the eyes moving and delighted. The staff is cordial and accommodating, eager to explain menu items including the eight beers that the brewery struggles to keep on tap despite overwhelming demand. I got to St. Elias right when they opened, so attendance was sparse, despite reports earlier this year that the place was always packed beyond capacity during its operating hours when it first let loose. Maybe the minus 30 degree temperatures had something to do with it, but I wasn’t complaining. I had the bar and the brewer to myself.
I was in attendance with Peninsula demigod William Howell, an instructor at the Kenai Peninsula College where he teaches, among other things, a beer appreciation class. It’s aptly titled The Art and History of Brewing. I’ve been lucky enough to stand on my foamy soapbox as a guest speaker at this class full of energetic, interested students that sense there’s more to beer than the mass produced brands. Howell is well familiar with the offerings and processes at St. Elias, so it was good to get his commentary along side the tutelage of owner/brewer Zach Henry. I have to admit that I was bubbling over myself with praise for the physical setting, but I was eager to dive into the brewery, check it all out, and of course, sample the wares.
We spent the better part of an hour walking through a brewery that I appreciated from the standpoint that the facility’s décor didn’t end at the brewery door. The same brick façade that adorned the rest of the place extended into the brewery and I got a real sense that Zach wanted to feel as at home in the brewery as he did in the rest of his establishment. The brewery is small, but featured in glass which enables people that drive in and approach the establishment to see the operation through the glass. This makes an important statement that I truly appreciate. When I visited, a massive oak barrel was on the floor being “swollen” so that beer could be dispensed to it when it was ready. Zach explained that he’d purchased the barrel down south, but through shipping, it contracted, shrinking the staves and making it a leaky vessel 
indeed. With his gentle pampering, the oak cask was slowly being nurtured back into the thirsty beer container he intended it to be. We explored the malt storage area, grist room, brewery and cold conditioning storage area before “retiring” to the bar to sample the fruits of Zach’s labor of love.
With a brewer/owner’s preoccupance about the place, Zach served up a big sampler tray for me while the esteemed Mr. Howell opted for a pint of his favorite, familiar brew. Through many expected distractions, I wandered through the beers and enjoyed them all. Reminding myself that style isn’t always king in a small, geo-centric brewery with allegiance to a local, emergent palate, I found all of the beers sparkly-clean and free of defect.
I started with the brewery’s Even Keel Kolsch, a wonderfully fruity, crisp, amply carbonated light beer that represented the style aptly. I was surprised at how crystal clear this beer presented itself in the glass and held it to the light for further inspection. I expected a bit more out of the nose, but found this no defect in the easy drinking beer that would find obvious appeal on hot days when the fish on the Peninsula are running big. The Farmer’s Friend turned out to be a rye-based beer with ample spiciness in the flavor, great carbonation, and a smooth, dry finish that begged for another sip. Rye, flaked maize, Belgian malts and noble European hops dice up this beer. Again, I would definitely find appeal in this beer were I to arrive thirsty after a hard day at work or a big catch out on the bay. I sampled Puddle Jumper Pale Ale next. This nice, evenly-balanced, reasonably hopped beer imparted the mild bitterness I’d expect for an American pale ale, and I really appreciated the huge, fresh malt forwardness in the beer in both aroma and flavor. Again, ample carbonation added a nice zest to this beer that just reeked of Alaskan freshness. From there, in deference to the dark and cold that’s too familiar up here at this time of year, I dove into the brewery’s Irish Stout. Great hints of fruit and roasted malt greeted both the nose and palate in this beer. The jet-black, opaque beer danced between what I thought might be an American style stout and almost a foreign stout. I appreciated that it wasn’t over the top in hops and drank easily enough to beg another.
Somewhere along the line I was provided with a sample of the culinary artistry that also defines St. Elias Brewing Company. Everyone around me recommended the Brewhouse, a pizza (one of many) that’s quickly become a local favorite. Garlic oil, mozzarella, provolone, bacon, Italian sausage pepperoni, mushrooms and caramelized onions baited my palate and I ate with abandon, washing it down with a sample of the brewery’s Williwaw IPA, the one beer that had overwhelming aroma in the house, reeking of fresh Pacific Northwest hops, a rock-solid bitterness and a firm malt substructure. In between bites, I sampled a delicious Winter Warmer and finished up with the brewery’s Half Moon Wit, a reasonable stab in the Belgianesque style, replete with coriander and yeast-influenced esters that paired perfectly with the final nibbles at the pizza. I hope they keep this one on at the brewery; it’s got at least one new found friend in Anchorage!
There’s no doubt that St. Elias Brewing is a welcome addition to the Kenai Peninsula. For one thing, it’s the only brewpub down south in this area, so it helps expose undiscovered delight in the paring of good food and good beer in a beautiful atmosphere. I thought I was all done until I had to use “the facilities” in the place where I discovered more of the establishment’s attention to detail in the bathroom’s décor. Yeah , I know it’s strange, but I appreciate a brewing establishment’s extra effort in such a utilitarian place.
Look for St. Elias’s presence at this year’s Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival. Although Zach doesn’t have a barley wine to throw into the mix, he’s attending with some of his other finely produced wares, so take a moment and introduce yourself and plan on visiting next time you find yourself down south on the Peninsula. Maybe Zach’s got some big, bodacious plans for that barrel that he’s preparing in the brewery. Stop in and check it out.
The December/January 2008-2009 Northwest Brewing News’ Reader’s Choice Awards are out in this moth’s edition of the rag. Here’s how things shook our for our great state:
As for the Best Beer by Style category of the competition, readers voted Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s Kodiak Brown Ale as the best brown ale in the Northwest, Glacier Brewhouse’s Glacier Imperial Blonde as the best strong ale, and Glacier’s Big Woody Barleywine took second place in the Barleywine category.
The best Alaska brewpub, according to Northwest Brewing News readers is Glacier Brewhouse and the best Pub/Alehouse is Humpy’s Great Alaska Alehouse with Alaska’s best bartender being none other than Will Miller at Café Amsterdam. Congratulations of all of you honored by the above distinctions.
For the mead lovers in our group, Celestial Meads (600 W. 58 th Ave, Suite B: call 907-250-8362) is hosting another open house. The event is slated for January 10th from noon until 5 pm. As usual, expect a great line up of meads. Featured will be the return of Cyser Does Matter, so bring your growlers for your fill of this great fermented honey product. Snacks will provided and all of Celestial’s products will be available for sampling and sale throughout the event.
Here’s what’s on tap at the Tap Root Café as of Wednesday, January 07:
Midnight Sun Brewing Co.
Sockeye Red IPA
Oosik Amber
Coffee Porter
Kodiak Brown
Sleeping Lady Brewing
Scottish
Golden
Porter
Kassiks Kenai Brew Stop
Beavertail Blonde
Roughneck Stout
Ring of Fire Meadery
Ayinger Celebrator
Scaldis Noel 12.5%
Avery Old Jubilation Ale
Homebrewer’s Alert: The categories for the 2009 Snow Goose Break Up Homebrew Competetion have been announced. This year, plan on entering your best light ales and lagers, wheat ales and Belgian pale ales for competition. As always, the winner of the show will brew his or her beer at the brewery and it’ll be eventually released in the pub for public consumption. For you BJCP Style Nazi’s out there (I’m one), the Light Ales and Lager category includes categories 01, 02, 03. 06 and 07. The Wheat Ale category includes subcategories 15 and 16A and the Belgian Ale Category includes subcategories 16b, 18a, 16c and 16d. This is according to Great Northern Brewers Homebrew Club President Ira Edwards. The competition is scheduled for Saturday, April 18th at the Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewing Company, so start brewing in anticipation. Also, if you’re a beer judge, your palate will be in demand to judge at this event if you’re not entering your own beer.
If you’re up north in the Fairbanks area, Susan Osborne of Gold Hill Imported Beers and Fine Wines is blowing out all of this year’s Christmas beers at heavily discounted prices so get in there for the best selection. She’s also got her allotment of Ring of Fire Meadery’s Alaska Statehood Mead for sale. This one’s brewed with local high-bush cranberries. I got to sample this outstanding stuff during a recent visit to Homer and can’t recommend the beer highly enough. Even the bottle itself is a collector’s item with a beautiful depiction of our glorious state flag waving over field of the cranberries. As I said previously, if I could afford two of these gems, I’d drink one and prominently display the empty in the wall unit in my living room and store the other as a collector’s item full of the mead. Also at Gold Hill is Ring of Fire’s Raspberry with Vanilla Bean Melomel and the Strawberry Rhubarb Meleomel. Get your share while it lasts.
Don’t forget that beers from the Oskar Blues Brewing Company of Lyons, Colorado, are new in town this week. These are fabulous canned beers that I can personally recommend. We’re getting Dale’s Pale Ale, Old Chub Scottish Ale and Gordon, a sort of red ale/IPA hybrid. The brewery makes more styles and more are certain to show up here. My favorite in the bunch is Old Chub Scottish Ale. This eight-percent plus beer is formidable in strength and flavor, but it slides down just too damned easy. Don’t shy away from this stuff just because it’s in cans; expect brewery freshness and complete protection from light and a reduced headspace, all of which help get what the brewer intended closer to your lips. Check these beers out as they show up in six packs in the more discriminating liquor stores.
Here’s the Humpy’s lineup for this week. If this looks a little sparse, it’s purposeful. Master Publican Christoff is holding handles in reserve for the incredible stuff that’s starting to roll in for the Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival. Monitor the list closely and check in frequently at Humpy’s because there will be some amazing stuff pouring over the next couple of weeks and it’ll move quick:
Wheats / Fruits
(Local) Alaskan Dunkelweisen
(Local) Moose’s Tooth Wild Country Raspberry Wheat
Pyramid Apricot
Pyramid Hefeweizen
Lindemans Framboise ####
Golden Ales / Pilseners / California Common
Bavik Premium Pilsner **
(Local) Kodiak Island Liquid Sunshine *
(Local) Midnight Sun Gold Strike Kolsch
Pale Ales / E.S.B.’s (medium hop bitterness) 
(Local) Alaskan Pale Ale
(Local) Moose’s Tooth Polar Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
(Local) Alaskan E.S.B.
India Pale Ales (med - high hop bitterness)
Elysian ‘The Immortal’ I.P.A. (42 IBU)
(Local) Glacier Brewhouse I.P.A. (Cask Condtioned)
(Local) Humpy’s Sockeye Red by Midnight Sun (70 IBU)
(Local) Midnight Sun Cohoho Imperial IPA # (8%) (85 IBU)
(Local) Midnight Sun Obliteration III # (7.6%) (87 IBU)
(Local) Moose’s Tooth Fairweather I.P.A. (64 IBU)
Stone’s Double Bastard Ale # (IBU Unlisted)
Belgian Ales
(Local) Alaskan Witbier Belgian White Wheat Ale
St. Bernardus Grotton Brown ###
Stella Artois **
Unibroue Blanche De Chambly #
Strong Belgian Ales (Alcohol by Volume over 7.5%)
Chimay Cing Cents Triple ##### (8%)
(Local) Midnight Sun Saturn Belgian Fresh Hop IPA # (8%)
Pater Lieven Triple ### (8%) 2002 ed Val-Dieu Triple ### (9%) 2004 ed
Harvest Ales
Ayinger Oktiberfest #
Seasonal
(Local) Alaskan Winter Ale
Avery Old Jubilation Ale # (8%)
Delirium Noel #### (10%)
Deschutes Jubel Ale
Elysian Bifrost Winter Ale (7.5%)
Pyramid Snow Cap
Amber Ales / Bocks / Dopplebocks / Scottish
(Local) Alaskan Amber Ale
(Local) Midnight Sun Oosik Amber
(Local) Kassik’s Caribou Kilt Strong Scotch # (8%)
Mac Tarnahan’s Scottish Ale by Portland Brewing
(Local) Sleeping Lady Espresso Bock
Brown Ales
(Local) Kodiak Island Wingnut Brown *
(Local) Midnight Sun Kodiak Brown Ale
Porters / Stouts
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
(Local) Kassik’s Brew Stop Moose Point Porter
Deschutes Abyss Imperial Stout # (11%) 2006 ed
Guinness Stout *** (on Nitro)
The views expressed on the Dr. Fermento blog site are not necessarily those of the drunks he associates with, but rather the exclusive byproduct of his self-inflicted liver degradation and delusional inebriate lifestyle
Dr Fermento Beer Calendar
01/14/09 Kinley’s Restaurant and Bar Left Hand Brewing Company Beer Dinner 6:30 pm $45pp
01/14/09 The Whale’s Tail (Captain Cook) Merchant du Vin Beer Tasting TBA $60pp
01/14/09 Humpy’s Midnight Sun Planet Series Beer Dinner 6 pm $75
11/16/09 Midnight Sun Brewing Company Specialty Imports XXX Anniversary Ale Release Offsite Offsite
01/16/09 Eagan Center 2009 Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival 3 pm $30
01/17/09 Eagan Center 2009 GABBF Connoisseur’s Session TBD TBD
01/17/09 Eagan Center 2009 Great Alaska Beer and Barley Wine Festival 5 pm $30
01/28/09 SubZero Microlounge Celestial Meads Dinner (Asian/Indian Fusion Cuisine) TBD TBD
01/30/09 Midnight Sun Brewing Company 2009 Rondy Beer Release at the Brewery 6 pm Free
02/06/09 Snow Goose Basement Entries Accepted for 2009 Rondy HB Competition 11 am $2 per entry
02/07/09 Snow Goose Basement 2009 Rondy Homebrew Competition Judging 10 am Free
04/18/09 Snow Goose Basement 2009 Breakup Homebrew Competetion 10 am Free
Entries (RSS)