2011 Winter Beer Festival warms up to Seattle
Check out the best in winter ales at the 2011 Winter Beer Fest at Hale's - December 2nd & 3rd
No matter where you live in the state of Washington, you don't have to travel far to enjoy some of the finest craft brews this state has to offer. Whether you live in Seattle proper, Bremerton, Kenmore, or east of the mountains in Spokane, the Washington Beer Commission won't be far behind showing off some of the best beers the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
And just in time for the holidays the Commission is bringing one of their most popular brew fests back to Seattle - the 2011 Winter Beer Festival. This year's festival takes place at Hale's Palladium in Fremont on Friday, December 2 (5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, December 3 (Noon - 9:00 p.m.).
With more than 30 Washington Breweries on hand this year tapping into 75-plus craft ales of the season you should have no problem coming up with holiday gift ideas for that special beer lover in your life. Once again, this year's beer lineup will include some of the best offerings of stouts, barrel-aged, Belgians and winter lagers to help take the nip off our Seattle wet winters. Add in some chocolate and beer pairings provided by Theo Chocolate and the only thing you'll be left wanting for is a fireplace.
I was recently at a Chef's Collaborative event and Hilliard's Beer (one of the newest entry into the craft brewer's scene in Seattle) was pouring their Amber and Blonde - both exceptional. Brewer Ryan Hilliard assured me that they would be on hand and pouring at this year's Winter Beer Festival so make sure to stop by their table and check them out. A list of other participating breweries can be found here.
Tickets to this year's fest can be had at the door for $25.00 which includes six 5oz. samples and a tasting cup.
For a taste of what to expect, here is a list of 5 beers that went on my Christmas list immediately following last year's fest.
1) French Dude Barrel Aged Beer from Naked City Brewery. Also referred to as Le Dude, this Big Lebrewski is aged in French oak wine barrels and weighs in at a hearty 9% ABV. Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!
2) You got beer in my Peanut Butter. You got Peanut Butter in my beer. That's right, it's the Peanut Butter Imperial Stout from Big Al Brewing. Step aside Reese's. This chocolate flavored stout with just the right hint of peanut butter works great as a Holiday treat.
3) The 2010 Bourbon Barrel la Petite Mort from Black Raven Brewing didn't win the 2010 World Beer Cup silver medal for nothing. This Belgian abbey brown is aged in bourbon barrels and clocks in with an 8.8% ABV.
4) Big Time Brewery in Seattle found a winning combination of sweet and spicy with their Holy Mole Chocolate-Chile Ale. A perfect way to thaw out by the fireplace after a day out in the winter elements.
5) Do you every wonder what becomes of those smashed pumpkins after Halloween. With 250 pounds of burned and vandalized pumpkins Snipes Mountain Brewery in Sunnyside, WA created Pumpkin Death. This American Stout was burned on an open cherry wood flame and relied on the smashed pumpkins themselves. No additional spices were brewed (but pumpkins may have been harmed in the process).
