Congratulations Naomi!

I am so pleased and proud to announce that one of the bartenders at the Duck has received a MAJOR AWARD!!!  The lovely and talented Naomi has a piece that has been selected to compete in the National League of Innovations Art Competition.  She was selected out of entries from all the Seattle Community Colleges and this honor will see her earning a Certificate of National Merit and we will see her work photographed in the League Student Art publication.  Wonderful!

When I get a photo of the piece I will post it.  In the meantime, here are some examples of some of her other work.  Enjoy!

New Belgium La Folie Sour

Example of Gleek Muscles Fully Engaged!

We just tapped a keg of New Belgium's La Folie sour brown beer which is brewed in the tradition of the Oud Bruin Flander's style of Belgian brewing.  

This is what they say:

La Folie Wood-Aged Biere, is our original wood-conditioned beer, resting in French Oak barrels between one and three years before being bottled. Peter Bouckaert, came to us from Rodenbach home of the fabled sour red. Our La Folie emulates the spontaneous fermentation beers of Peter s beloved Flanders with sour apple notes, a dry effervescence, and earthy undertones. 

I have been sitting on this keg for a couple of months and I have to say that one of the great things about craft breweries is that they are able to tweak and change each batch of beer from year to year or even from batch to batch, so that the beer is ever evolving.  This keg seems to have punched up the sour factor a bit, with less dark fruit presence and less oakiness that I have noticed in this beer in the past.  It is rich and complex as always, with that sour green apple element that always get's you right in the gleek muscles.  Nice.

If you like this beer be sure to check out our 750ml bottles of Rodenbach and Rodenbach Vintage.  They are a fine examples of the Belgian Sour and where New Belgium got their collaborative brewer.

Cheers,

Jackie

Ommegang Game of Thrones Beer

Winter is coming...

Actually Spring is here and it is a great time of year to roll out the newest beer from Brewery Ommegang, The Iron Throne, which is a Belgian-Style Blonde Ale. I like to call it Lannister Blonde, although one of the regulars at the bar complained, rightfully so, that if someone was going to make a blonde ale for the hugely successful HBO series Game of Thrones, it should be made after the dazzlingly beautiful Daenerys Targaryen, mother of dragons and  possessor of the pale blue eyes and even paler flaxen locks.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that she has dragons???  

Now THAT'S my kind of blonde!  Whoopee!!!  What were the guys at Ommegang thinking to pass this up?

This is exactly what they were thinking, right from one of the Brew Masters, Phil Leinhart, at Brewery Ommegang:

“No one enjoys their job more than I do -- producing and developing new brews to delight lovers of fine beer, add to that the opportunity to collaborate on a beer based on the cultural phenomenon of Game of Thrones and exploring ways to make the beer truly reflect aspects from the show. It made us approach development in a completely new way and I think the first edition Iron Throne reveals that. With a Lannister currently on the throne, it made sense to do a delicate, but piercing Golden Blonde Ale with Noble hops. Iron Throne is certainly fair in color and soft in appearance, yet it still possesses a complexity and bite to be on guard for.” 

Alright, that makes sense... although I wouldn't have expected much less from such a world class brewery as Ommegang.  As much as I despise Geoffery Lannister, I love this beer. 

Come down, wipe the horseshit off your boots, try not to bleed on the bar and have a glorious pint... Quick, because the bottom of the keg is coming...  it's coming...

Huzzah!
Jackie

Fremont's Beer Week Beer

Fremont Brewing has handily crafted the 5th Annual Seattle Beer Week Beer.  This is an organic, hoppy, sessionable pale ale suited to downing a can or 4.  Fremont was smart in it's selection of brewing an easy drinking can of tasty goodness that will compliment most of the other beer week events that are happening without ruining your palate or getting you too loaded.  It's delicious and it would be nice to see it marketed throughout the warm summer months.

Seattle Beer Week is May 9th through the 19th this year.  We will have events on Monday the 13th and Thursday the 16th.  Stay tuned for more info.

Cheers!
Jackie

Proposed tax increases for all Craft Breweries!!!

Washington Craft Beer Drinkers! Please click or cut and paste this link to find out more about Jay Inslee's Proposed 'Tax Extension and Expansion' of small craft breweries. THIS WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON ALL OF YOU!!!!!

http://www.washingtonbeerblog.com/proposed-beer-tax-facts-opinions/

Let's keep the craft brewing industry alive and thriving in Washington!

Yummy new beers!

4/9/13

pFriem American IPA:
pFriem is a newer brewery just established in Hood River in 2012 and is already making a name for itself in the highly competitive Oregon market.  Available for the first time in Washington pFreim's lineup leans toward the Belgian Styles,  with a nod to the ubiquitous regional favorite American IPA. Here's what the brewery has to say about that:
 When the first Pale Ales were sailed around the Cape to arrive in India in the early 18th century, outcries of “Zounds! Jolly good! and Huzzah!” were heard across the East Indian subcontinent. Similar exclamations are to be expected when sniffing the piney aroma and tasting the big hops, huge citrus and candy-like malt of Pfriem’s own IPA. Drink up, Guv’nor.
7.2% 65 IBUs
This IPA is just lovely.  Citrusy, refreshing, goes down smooth and easy with just enough bite to leave you wanting another glass. 

The Lost Abbey-San Marcos CA
Serpent's Stout Imperial Stout (11%)

Pours dark and thick, with a creamy mocha-colored head and aromas of roasted malts, dark chocolate and french roast coffee.
The mouthfeel is full, smooth and round on the tongue. The taste is rich with deep roasted malts, cocoa, coffee and a touch of vanilla balanced perfectly against the alcohol.  This beer is balanced, balanced, balanced.  The ABV is so well hidden you should stand up and check YOUR balance before you decide on having another.

Pike Old Bawdy Barleywine
Everything that you'd expect from one of the classic Seattle Breweries.  A solid American barleywine that pours a beautiful burnt orange color (like our couch in the seventies) with IBU's clocking in around 90, a dried fruit, malted front with a nicely bittered finish.  ABV hovers around 10%.  Although the malts and hops change year to year, Pike always delivers a winner and this year is no exception.

Big Time Powerfinger Rye Pale Ale
I love having Big Time in our line-up!  Our patrons will be seeing more of them in the future and I could not be more pleased.  
This is what the brewery says:
Lookout Mama, this Gold Medal winner in the specialty beer category at the 1996 GABF is a popular brew among the rotating taps at Big Time.  A light in color Rye ale with 18% rye malt which lends a mild spiciness.  Galina hops were used to bitter this ale, and Liberty hops are featured at the end of the boil.  OG 15.6 Plato (1.063), 6.8% alcohol by volume.
That being said I have to give a shout out to Big Time for their Scarlet Fire IPA.  One of my all time favorites and has been for years.  Look for it in the line-up, soon soon soon.  

Cheers!  
Jackie