MLP #25

. . . with Pete Cabrera of Rogue Ales

Circle Brewing Shaping Up

The floors are done and equipment has arrived. Things are starting to shape up over at Circle Brewing. As always, follow their progress here.

The race is on. Who will be the next Austin brewery open for business?

Brewtopia @ Central Market - Sept. 22 — Oct 5.

I'll tell you one thing, Central Market does not make it easy to find info on their website. You really have to explore. So instead of me trying to lay it all out for you, just pick your local CM and let your mouse do the work.

Main Event Page

North Lamar Event Info

Westgate Event Info

Here is an example of one of the events, this one on September 25 at North Lamar:

THE REAL ALE GASTRO PUB
		Brad Farbstein, Owner, Real Ale & the CM Cooking School Staff Real Ale Brewing Co. was founded in 1996 in the small Hill Country town of Blanco. In 1998, Brad Farbstein bought the small family owned brewery, which has seen a meteoric rise in production. Enjoy sampling his brews while our Cooking School staff creates dishes that will perfectly pair with them. Menu includes: FULL MOON PALE RYE ALE, an assertive American amber ale will be complemented by Hoosier Chicken with Potato Chip Crust; FIREMAN #4 BLONDE ALE, refreshing blonde ale that stands up to the Texas heat will be served with Mixed Green Salad with Sichuan Peppercorns; OKTOBERFEST, brewed using traditional Bavarian methods and the highest quality German malt, hops and yeast. Well balanced and satisfying, this lager should be complemented by the earthy richness of Hummus & Toasted Pita Bread; BREWHOUSE BROWN, rich and roasty with a dry finish, this delicious dark ale with be paired with Wild Mushroom Struedel; and RIO BLANCO PALE ALE, a uniquely Texas version of an English-style pale ale, has a crisp finish and a delicate aroma that should be complemented by Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Smoky Tomato Sauce.

St. Arnold's Tasting with Brock Wagner @ Alamo Lake Creek

The title says it all I guess. This is the menu:

1st Course - See-Food
St. Arnolds Lawnmower : New England Clam Chowder.
St. Arnolds Texas Wheat: Kristalweizen Mussels with coriander and shallots

2nd Course - Taco Party
St. Arnolds Amber: Amber marinated flat iron steak with roasted poblano peppers and cotija cheese
St. Arnolds Elissa IPA: Achiote and Orange marinated chicken w/ Habenero cream sauce..
St. Arnolds Oktoberfest: Braised pork w/ mango and red cabbage

3rd Course - Dessert
St. Arnolds Brown Ale: Pear Fritters and Marzipan ice cream with almonds and St. Arnolds Brown ale Wort Reduction.

h/t: Liquid Austin

(512) TWO "Review"

I was playing Words With Friends last night and an oppenent slayed me with the word TWO. Wow, what a doozy. Sure it was a shitty word, but it served a purpose. It reminded me that I had not mentioned my impressions of (512) TWO, (512) Brewing's 2nd anniversary beer (duh). And I know you've all been waiting anxiously for a full report. Surely.

I did not go to the party at the brewery. I did have TWO at the Draught House the same evening as the party though. So I sort of partied with everyone. In spirit, let's say. Instead of writing the whole "aroma is hoppy, flavor is hoppy, overall pretty hoppy" review, I thought I'd just let you know how I thought TWO stands up to a few popular DIPAs out there. Lazy? Maybe. Here you go:

TWO v. Hercules - Herc wins. It's my favorite.
TWO v. Maharaja - TWO wins. I don't get the devotion to Maharaja.
TWO v. Pliney - Tie. I know, I know. I've only had Pliney a couple of times. Not really know how fresh it was. Plus, it is hard to get pas the hype of this beer. I try, I try, but that green label and red dot just gets one excited.
TWO v. Ruination - I prefer TWO.
TWO v. 90 Minute IPA - Tie.
TWO v. Hopslam - Tie. Similar to the Pliney situation.
TWO v. Racer X - Racer X wins. I love that beer, maybe more than Hercules. NOOOOOO.
TWO v. Hop Stoopid - TWO by a hair.

So, as you can see, TWO faired very well against some heavy hitters. And you can take that to the bank. My palate is as good as gold.

No Bitches Brew BOTTLES in Texas, Bummer!

***Update: Thanks to my commenters. Apparently we will be getting Bitches Brew kegs. I should have been more specific and said we are not getting bottles. Yeah, that's it.

After Sam first announcing, IN TEXAS, the release of new beer to honor the 40th anniversary of the original release of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, we find out today the brew will not be available here:

Dogfish's Bitches Brew was released in 750ml bottles on 8/31/2010 to Dogfish wholesalers in the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN. MA, MD. ME, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, WA, and WI.

Lame.

MLP #24

With Jim Kenny of Green Flash.