It seems like every other day, I'm reading that Tom Douglas is doing something even more amazing and inventive--and it's not just limited to his SLU mini-empire. Now, the curly-headed-chef-to-the-stars has infiltrated the Seattle beer community, and he seems to be doing a bang-up job of it. more ›

If I were to tell you, "Hey, grab my growler and go get me a $5 fill of Stone's Levitation from the 7-11 down the street", you'd think I was joking. And I would be, but I wouldn't be too far off. No hoax: convenience stores are popping up all around town, and they're not just selling Slim Jims and Slurpees anymore. They're selling beer. more ›

Ask any veteran taster, be it in beer or wine, and they will tell you to never let your evaluation be colored by a preexisting notion of a particular archetype of a style. You should judge each beverage on its own merits without holding it up to a specific model. However, I will admit that I find this very hard to do in reality. Just as I tend to evaluate a Saison with Saison Dupont in the back of my head, I have a notion that Hop in the Dark is everything I am looking for in a Cascadian Dark Ale, and it is one that I tend to measure others against. more ›

Many of you remember the difficulty with Black Butte XXII. Remember how Deschutes (wisely) chose not to bottle it due to problems with the mouth feel and body of the finished beer? They felt it wouldn’t bottle well, and chose to only serve it on draft in their brewpubs. For those of us that ventured in to their brewpub, and got to taste it, surely we wouldn’t say it was bad. It was good, albeit a bit flawed. Well, meet the new and improved version, Black Butte XXIII. This beer is an absolute beast, so let the gushing of praise begin… more ›

Lately a strange phenomenon has been taking place, in which a big, bright ball of light has begun to peek through the clouds. I believe they used to call it, the SUN, and the time of year when it comes out was called “Summer”. Ok, jokes aside, summer is coming soon, though it hardly seems like it given the cool, overcast days that have been prevailing this spring. In the spirit of looking forward to a positive future, I wanted to take a look at some of the summer seasonals that are being introduced for your cook out and beach going enjoyment. more ›

I love sour beers. I particularly love the style know as Flemish Red Ale. For some of you, the idea of an acidic or “sour” beer is something entirely new. Some people, like me, regard it as an old favorite. more ›

CHANNELING NIRVANA, ONLY BETTER: Yeah, we said it, but as Kurt Cobain once noted about the Vaselines, "They are my most favorite songwriters in the whole world." So much so, that he named his daughter Frances Bean after lead singer Frances McKee. We agree and think it's totally awesome that they're in town playing on a Tuesday for only $20. A hugely famous band that doesn't come to town very often, fairly affordable, plenty of tickets left, and on a Tuesday. We are practically pinching ourselves, and can't wait to hear old favorites such as "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" and "You Think You're a Man," among others. The last time Seattle got a chance to see them was at Sub Pop Records' 20th Anniversary, and we are loving that this time around it will be in the city, with hopefully a smaller crowd. more ›

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