A few random notes:
- The Phinney Neighborhood Association Beer Taste is coming up this Saturday, from 4pm to 7pm. You can see which breweries will be attending here. I’ll sadly be missing this event for another year…heading to my first Sounders game! By the way, I just noted in my next column for the Northwest Brewing News that Qwest has started serving good beers for Sounders games. Elysian is there with their Golden Boot, as well as offerings from Big Al Brewing and the Issauquah Brewhouse (Rogue). There may be others, but I’m not positive.
- Bring on the hops….the US Hop Acreage Report was released for 2009 (a month ago). You can see the full report here, but the high level summary is:
The USDA National Ag Statistics Survey released its annual June Crop Production Report today, including the 2009 Hop Acreage report. Overall, US acreage strung for harvest in Oregon, Washington and Idaho is forecast at 40,125 acres, 2% less than 2008, but 30% more than 2007. Washington, with 29,908 acres strung for harvest, accounts for 75% of the US total acreage for 2009. Oregon reported 6,185 acres (15% of the total), with Idaho hop growers accounting for the remaining 10% (4,032 acres). Only Idaho increased acreage from a year ago.
- Samuel Smith (which, is imported by local company Merchant du Vin) will soon be releasing a limted-edition strong ale aged in oak barrels. The Yorkshire Stingo will become an annual release every August. You can find more info here.
- Did you know that the Examiner website now has someone writing about Seattle craft beer again? It looks like Helen Pitlick has taken over where Chris Devlin left off quite a while ago. Check it out.
- Two Beers Brewery‘s grand opening party is coming up on July 25th to celebrate their new, bigger location. Congrats to Joel and good luck with your growing business! Check out this video that they put together for the day:
Here’s the list of beers the brewers are bringing to the PNA Summer Beer Taste:
Alpine Brewing – Alpine Weizen-bock
Baron Brewing – Baron Pils, Hop the Plank IPA
Big Al – Watermelon Sour, Belgian IPA
Boulevard Brewing – Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
Deschutes – Green Lakes Amber Ale, Twilight Summer Ale
Diamond Knot – Diamond Knot Blonde
Elysian – AVATAR
New Belgium – Trip II
Fish/Leavenworth/Spire Mountain – Fish Tale Organic Blonde, Wild Salmon Pale Ale, Leavenworth Alt Bier, Spire Mountain Pear Cider
Fremont Brewing – Universale Pale
Hale’s Ales – Hale’s Kolsch, Aftermath Imperial IPA
Georgetown – Manny’s Pale Ale, Superchopp
Gilligan’s – Gilligan’s Chamomile, Dry Hopped Amber Ale
Harmon – Old Clamdigger Barley Wine, VTwin Red
Issaquah – Menage a Frog, White Frog Ale
Maritime Pacific – Triple Dry Hopped Islander Pale Ale, Special Dry Hopped Old Seattle Lager
Pike – Pike IPA, Monks Uncle Tripel Belgian Style Ale
The Ram at Northgate – Barefoot Wit
Snoqualmie Falls – Snoqualmie Summer Beer, Wildcat IPA
Trade Route – Mango Weizen, Ginger Pale Ale, Infidel Lime IPA, Sweet & Sour Ale
Two Beers – Crooked Belgian Style Wit, Immersion Amber