The Sights of Sound Brewery Brewers Dinner

I've recently discovered the joys of a Belgian Stout. It's essentially the same as a regular stout, but made with belgian yeast, which affects the flavor, giving it a more belgian style taste. No need to thank me for pointing out that obvious little tidbit.

The stout I'm talking about specifically is the Ursus Spelaeus (don't worry, I'm not sure how to pronounce it either) from Sound Brewery. It was the first beer featured at the recent Sound Brewery beer pairing hosted by the Manito Tap House last Sunday (that would be 23rd). Don't fret, I'll get to the food (maybe), but first let me tell you a couple of things about this beer. It's not just a stout. No. It's an imperial stout. And it's not just an imperial stout. It's a belgian style imperial stout. And I'm a redundant ass. Not just a regular redundant ass. No. A total jack ass of a redundant ass. Keep reading. It gets better (maybe).

Wet Hops, We Don't Stop A-Rockin'

I got called a hop picker this last Saturday. I almost took offense. It sounds like some kind of slur, doesn't it? But it's not. So I don't know why I'd waste your time even telling you that short story of mixed emotion. The truth is, I wouldn't have ever taken offense to being called a hop picker. I said that in jest. A bit of a jocular exercise. If one wants to maintain a sharp wit, one must practice at every available opportunity.

Like now. That whole last paragraph can be chalked up to practice, which I obviously need more of.

Last Saturday (that would be the 15th), Iron Goat Brewing held a wet hop picking party, in which local hop growers brought in vines full of hop cones and volunteers volunteered to pick them. We were two such volunteers:

Manito Tap House Birthday Party Weekend pt 2: Math, Humility, and a Barrel-Aged Engagement

This post should have been written a week ago, but I think I've only now just recovered enough from the party to write about it coherently. So let's get right into it.

But first, a recap. If you read part one of the Manito Tap House Birthday Party Weekend saga, you'll remember the preview list of speciality barrel-aged ales I was looking forward to trying at the big Sunday birthday bash, which happened back on the 9th. I regret to tell you I won't be talking about all of them here, even though I tried just about all of the speciality beers. There was a couple I want to focus on, since I had fuller experiences with them.

A Grand Day Out

Last Saturday, we took a trip out to Post Falls, Idaho, which is just a few miles over the border. So it's not too Idaho. The purpose? To visit the legendary Enoteca, a fine wine and beer store I had been hearing so much about in the past month or so. It's off exit 5, on the corner of Seltice Way and Spokane Street.

It's smaller than I expected. But then again, I didn't really know what to expect, beyond the grand delusions planted in my head by half a dozen people. Walking in, it looked like a small speciality wine and beer store. Which is what it is. A small convenience store type place. Wine to the right. The register and a couple shelves of beer on the left. Directly ahead, a row of speciality beer, and behind that a chilled section.

At first, the selection of speciality beer seemed underwhelming. Stuff you might expect from brewery's familiar to the area. But then I started browsing, looking at the bottles between the bottles, and started to grow excited. A lot of great stuff from all over the world. Stuff I've never even heard of, and rare stuff from places I have.

Manito Tap House Birthday Party Weekend pt 1: Firestone Walking

This upcoming Sunday, September the ninth, the Manito Tap House will be celebrating their first birthday. If you couldn't tell by the many mentions thus far in this blog's short history, we here at the Spokane Beer Blog are big fans of the MTH, and are frequent visitors. The first time we went was about two weeks after they opened last year, being drawn in by the amount of beers on tap offered by the gastropub, but found we continued going back for the food as well as the beer selection. We go often. And that's probably an understatement.

The festivities started last Thursday night with a visit from from Firestone Walker Brewing, and a handful of kegs they brought that are rare in these parts of the northwest, and luckily we didn't get there too late to try them all.

A Labor Day Weekend Quickie

On Friday afternoon, this happened:

Lunch at Pig Out In The Park, the annual food and music fest that happens in Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. We never miss it, if only for the great excuse to eat such horrors as the plate of giant fries slathered in cheese, chicken, jalapenos, salsa and a liberal addition of sriracha. We did not visit the beer garden, however, because one of us (it was totally My Indian Companion) had to go back to work. No matter, though. They were only pouring macrobrews and a few selections of craft beer from a local brewery I don't care for too much. I'm not going to name them here, because it's been over three years since I've had any of their beers, and I'd like to give them another shot. I'll cover that in a future post.

So where's the beer then? Don't worry. I'm getting to it. Plus, had you read my introduction, you'd know that beer is just the vehicle for me to talk about me, and all my many adventures. Most of which involve beer.

But first, more food.

Friday Night (de)Lights

See what I did there? Clever title, no? I amuse myself far too easily.

Friday night. Manito Tap House. I'm putting the brevity up front, because there is a lot to go over with this one. Delicious food. A handful of amazing beers. Almost all of which I failed to get pictures of because I was too busy having a great time.

To start, we have to talk about the Yeti. Great Divide Brewing's Espresso Oak Aged Yeti. This is a seasonal version of their Yeti Imperial Stout, and has many brothers. A Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti. A Belgian Style Yeti. So on. The standard Yeti is probably one of my favorite beers, and I like the regular version a bit more than any of the others that I've had (and I'm pretty sure I've had them all), including this Espresso Yeti. Not to say it isn't a damn fine stout. It is most certainly a damn fine stout. A bit thick and heavy for most tastes, I'd imagine, but packs a huge hop wallop. And it's 9.5% ABV. So why are you complaining? Knock that off and just enjoy it, why don't you.