Belles of the Sound

With Bike to Work Month well underway, Redhook Brewery is doing it’s part as host of the 17th annual Haul Ash Redhook Tour De Brew which commemorates the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Over the years, Haul Ash has become a great tradition for local cyclist and Redhook beer enthusiasts alike.

Registration is open now for the Sunday, May 20 ride.

So pull out the padded spandex shorts and your rain slicker (just in case) and register to ride roundtrip from Redhook Brewery in Woodinville to Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood – the birthplace of Redhook – along the scenic Burke-Gilman Trail. Once in Fremont head into downtown to quench your thirst with a cold pint at the midway point at LTD Bar and Grill, or hold onto your drink tickets for the Haul Ash After-Party. The party will be held in the grassy Bowl at the brewery, complete with a BBQ and Redhook beer garden.

The Deets:

DISTANCE 42 miles roundtrip, flat course
EST RIDE TIME 2.5-4.0 hours
PARKING Available at Redhook, neighboring ball fields, and the business parks on Hwy 202 north of Redhook. No parking at Columbia Winery.

On-Site Registration: You can pre-register with no processing fee in the Forecasters Pub. $30 through May 16. $40 on the event day.

Packet Pickup: Wednesday, May 16 from 4pm to 7pm

May 20, 2012

• Registration & Packet Pickup: 8:00 AM
• Riders Depart: 9:00 AM
• After Party: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM

My friends and I and our tiny baby mugs

If you didn’t make it down to Fremont’s Oktoberfest this last weekend, don’t fear. I did and I sampled many tasty adult beverages.

As I was sipping out of my tiny five-ounce beer mug, tasting one beer after another, I realized I was consistently choosing the Oktoberfest selections from most vendors. And then a light bulb turned on – I thought, it would be entertaining to put all the Oktoberfest beers together into one tasting party with no distractions (I know, incredibly genius and original huh?)

Aaaaaand then I thought you might be interested too.

Many of these are available at your local grocery store, and if not, perhaps the challenge of going about town to collect them all could be part of the entertainment.

Here are my recommendations:

#1 Deschutes Oktoberfest

Utilizes German Pilsner and Munich malts, as well as German N. Brewer and Hallertau hops. We tried a very traditional method of acidification in our brew kettle. We used a sour sort strain we received from the Distelhauser Brewery in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany.

#2 Okto Festival Ale (Widmer Brothers)

Loosen your lederhosen. Our full-bodied OKTO Festival Ale is inspired by Bavarian Oktoberfest, and we pay fitting tribute with its distinctive malt flavors, mild floral character and crisp clean finish. Prost! To the land of the Prost. Where to Buy: Marjor grocery retailers

#3 Oktoberfest (Silver City Brewery)

Silver City Oktoberfest is an authentic interpretation of this classic amber lager. Just a few sips of this luscious brew and you are transported to the great beer halls of Bavaria. You will enjoy the rich malty sweetness, and spicy hop character of this popular Silver City seasonal brew. Where to Buy: Numerous locations around the Puget Sound

#4 Samuel Adams Oktoberfest

Samuel Adams® Oktoberfest has a rich, deep reddish amber hue which itself is reflective of the season. Samuel Adams Oktoberfest masterfully blends together five roasts of malt to create a delicious harmony of sweet flavors including caramel and toffee. The malt is complimented by the elegant bitterness imparted by the Bavarian Noble hops.

#5 Tomtoberfest (Georgetown Brewing Co.)

Oktoberfest-style amber lager brewed with 2-row Pilsner, Munich, Caramel and Black Malt. Imported Hallertau Hersbrucker hops and Bavarian lager yeast combine to make this Georgetown brew as German-like as possible. Nutty and malty with a dry, clean finish. ABV 6.3% Designed and brewed by Tom Wearly.

Where to buy: Limited bars, growlers at the brewery

And last (not an Oktoberfest but delicious and festive nonetheless).

#5 Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Amber-colored ale, brewed with a bounty of fall flavors like vine-ripened pumpkin, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Together with a touch of wheat, Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale has a smooth, lightly spiced finish. Pairs well with beef dishes and seasonal soups.

Prost!

Break out the lederhosen boys and girls. Fremont Oktoberfest is upon us. 

Seattle’s Fall tradition will take place this weekend September 23, 24 and 25th in the Center of the Universe, otherwise known as Fremont. The three-day festival features two stages with live music, an all ages Oktoberfest Village, a 5K run and, most importantly, an Oktoberfest beer tasting garden. Advance tickets to the Tasting Garden cost approximately $20-$25 depending on the number of tokens selected, and include a 5 oz. tasting mug. The festival benefits the Fremont Chamber of Commerce with “a portion of the proceeds going toward funding local schools, art groups, community events and promoting Fremont as the “Center of the Universe.”" I’m not sure what they mean by promoting Fremont as the “Center of the Universe,” but it sounds neat. For information about the festival activities, ticket pricing, etc, click here.

I must admit I have never attended Fremont Oktoberfest. I am always out of town and will be again this year, so I need you to go for me. I will wear lederhosen and drink beer vicariously through you. Even you if you don’t actually wear lederhosen, I will picture you as such. Did that just get creepy? I think it did… and I’m okay with it. Happy beer drinking!

P.S.

Anyone else notice I seem to blog about a beer events rather often? Seattle Beer Week, Washington Brewers Festival, now Fremont Oktoberfest. I see a pattern, Seattle. Like your beer much?

My parental unit.

These are my parents. Does my penchant for all things awkward make more sense now? They say this photo was taken at a costume party back in the 80s. I think they’re drunk on vacation who cares when. To-may-to, To-mah-to. The hats are superbly awful either way.

As much as I adore my mother, today’s post is in honor of mi padre and our upcoming Father’s Day plans. My dad is wonderful. Truly the best father a girl could ask for, and I love him times a million.  I love him so much, I’ll even let him wear that ridiculous hat to the 2011 Washington Brewers Festival this Sunday. My sister and I are treating our dad to a day of beer and (hopefully) sunshine to say thanks for all the play house building, apartment moving and boyfriend interrogating he’s done for us over the years.

The Washington Brewers Festival is taking place Friday, June 17th through Sunday, June 19th at St. Edwards Park in Kenmore, Wash. One of the largest beer festivals in the state featuring more than 60 breweries, it is also one of the few family-friendly beer festivals. Root beer garden anyone? For more information on ticket pricing and event times, visit the Washington Beer Commission’s website.

I know I’ll be there! If you see a trio of festival-goers wearing absurd straw hats, say hello. There’s a very good chance it will be me. And if it’s not me, at least you’ll have made a new acquaintance

The Puget Sound Blood Center and its Young Professional Ambassadors (YPA) network are hosting a beer and wine tasting event and fundraiser to raise money and awareness. Taste for Life is taking place on Thursday, June 23 at the Paccar Pavilion, Olympic Sculpture Park.

The ‘taste’ part of Taste for Life will include samplings from these distilleries, wineries, and breweries: Chinook Wines, Effen Vodka, Fremont Brewing Company, Lazy River Vineyard, OS Winery, Pandora Cellars, Red Sky Winery and Widmer Brothers.

And the ‘life’ part comes in when you support the Puget Sound Blood Center with the $35 ticket to the event. The money supports blood research that makes cures possible. (And in case you didn’t know, every person that donates one pint of blood (every eight weeks) saves three lives.) You can register here.

For $5 you can also enter to participate in a wine toss game (throw a ring around the neck of a wine bottle) for a chance to go home with a bottle of wine.

B-double E-double R-U-N. That spells “beer run,” in case you couldn’t figure it out. Not that I think you couldn’t figure it out. It’s just… You know… Whatever, it’s early, I have a cold, I’m sure you understand, happy Tuesday.

Moving on… We are in the midst of the 2011 Seattle Beer Week!! A whole week dedicated to celebrating what Seattle does best (no, I don’t mean rain or recycle): brew delicious beers. The best part about Seattle Beer Week is that it’s 11 days long. You can’t confine our microbrews to a mere seven days of celebration. They deserve 11, damn it, and 11 they will have.

The festivities end Sunday, May 29th, so if you haven’t already partaken in the festivities, be sure to do so soon. What festivities, you ask? Well, I wish I could list them all here, but there are so many I could never do them all justice. However, I have listed a few highlights below, and you can find a full list here.

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I’m the first person to admit that I do not find enjoyment in dining or entertaining in Capitol Hill – I always seem to get myself lost, I have poor luck finding street parking, not to mention I’m never really sure where Capitol Hill begins or ends – which causes me to feel like I’m in this strange euphoria of wine shops, novelty pet stores, eclectic restaurants and a random selection of car dealerships with no way out. BUT, I have found a new love: Bar Ferd’nand.

Photo courtesy of www.ferdinandthebar.com

Bar Ferd’nand is located inside the Melrose Market, a rustic indoor marketplace with barn-like high ceilings, carefully lined with vendors serving enticing eats, from cheeses and sandwiches, to delectable bites from Sitka and Spruce and a graphic display of meats from a full service butchery featuring all local meats and house-made charcutiere. The atmosphere of this building is just charming. The original buildings were once two automotive warehouses built back in the early 1920′s, respectively. Today, the market prides itself on serving some of the best locally-based, sustainable fare in the city.

While dining at Bar Ferd’nand, the people watching is at its best as shoppers and eaters swing in to pick up dinner’s main course from the meat counter, a quick sandwich on the run or a lesson on the perfect wine from Bar Ferd’nand’s wine shop.

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Photos courtesy of hopscotchtasting.com

This weekend, Friday night and Saturday afternoon/evening, the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is throwing the annual Hop Scotch Spring Beer and Scotch Festival at Fremont Studios. Enjoy beer, wine, and scotch tastings. Or attend the Scotch seminar with Master of Whiskey, Breck Taylor. Friday, April 1, 5:00pm-12:00am and Saturday, April 2, 1:00pm-12:00am.

Fremont Studios transforms into a swanky beverage tasting lounge featuring over 80 libations to swirl, sniff and sip. You’ll find everything from premier beers, Scotch, wine and spirit tastings all benefiting the SIFF. (more…)

Two truths and a lie:

• Santas freak me out just about as much as clowns do.
• Over 1,000 Santas will take over Fremont this weekend.
• I saw my dad kissing Santa Claus.

Photo courtesy of the Fremont Universe

Give up? Ok well, I don’t want to start any rumors about my dad so… that’s the lie. But the other two are true. One Santa is bad enough for me, but over a thousand of them? I’m going to have to get myself out of Fremont this weekend.

On Saturday December 18th at Noon,  hundreds of Santa clad Seattlites will meet at the Fremont Troll and eat and drink their way down through the streets of Fremont. You may recall last year, Seattle Santarchy when this breed of holiday cheer worked it’s way through the Capitol Hill neighborhood? Well once again, you could be caught in what is either a surreal experience watching a group of Santas invade bars and have a holly, jolly holiday– or an irritating experience watching a bunch of crazies make asses of themselves in holiday costumes. Either way, I guess it sounds like fun for some people.

Santacon takes place in cities across the country; along with other locations, Saturday brings events in Seattle, Boston, Montreal, Tokyo and Yakima.

The oddity of this event should not shock any Fremonster. In fact, I think this kind of stuff is in our blood – about every six months we either dress up or dress down (Summer Solstice) and parade around like a bunch of fools.

According to the Fremont Universe, the Santas must adhere to three rules that will (apparently?) be enforced:

• Every Santa is referred to as Santa, in the first, second, and third person, singular and plural.
• Have something ready to hand out, even if it’s just candy canes.
• NEVER wash the suit.

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting out!

I’ll be there with bells on!

Photo credit: Seattle Jingle Bell Run website

Usually a figure of speech but literally, this Sunday, December 12, I will be there with bells on. Bells on my tennis shoes that is! At the Seattle Jingle Bell Run/Walk 2010.

Starting at Westlake Center and winding through downtown, this 5K run benefits the Arthritis Foundation makes it’s 26th annual appearance to get runners, walkers, adults, kids and elves in the holiday spirit and raise money for one of the nation’s leading causes of disability. Indiviual and team enteries were encouraged to drum up donations and sponsors for the event. So far $502,803 (as of this morning)  has been raised toward a goal of $750,000! Every single runner counts, in this case.

And it’s not too late to register. While online registration is now closed, you can register on Saturday, December 11 between 10am – 4pm at North Seattle Community College in the College Center building at the Baxter Events Center, or on Sunday starting at 6:45am inside Westlake Center on the third floor.  Registration fee for adults is $30 on Saturday and increases to $40 on Sunday.

The morning is chalk full of fun pre-race events for kids and adults including a photo booth and costume contest. And, of course, for the adults the event concludes at the Widmer Brothers Holiday Cheer (beer) Garden!

Here’s the full schedule:

• 6:45 a.m. – Last Minute Registration & Will Call open
• 7:00 a.m. – On the Edge Images Photo Booth opens
• 8–8:30am – Warm 106.9 Costume Contest judging (Warm 106.9 booth)
• 8:20 a.m. – Children’s 1k Run with the Elves
• 8:30 a.m. – Meet the 2010 Honorees (stage)
• 8:45 a.m. – Last Minute Registration & Will Call close
• 8:50 a.m. – Rudolph Runners race wave (red bibs)
• 9:00 a.m. – Dasher Dashers race wave (green bibs)
• 9:10 a.m. – Santa Striders race wave (white bibs)
• 9:15 a.m. – Widmer Brothers Holiday Cheer Garden opens

For more answers to your questions see the event FAQ here.