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Growlers and Tastings Report: January 27, 2012

● For tonight’s Friday Night Flights at Party Town in Florence, they will be pouring new brews from Full Sail, Newcastle, 2012 return of Three Floyd’s Behemoth Barley Wine AND, the newly available in Kentucky, Green Flash! The cost for the regular tasting is $2 for a full flight of beers and it goes from 6:00 – 7:00 pm.

● On the Growler Station at Party Town in Florence: Against The Grain KY Ryed Chicquen ($10.99), Avery Samael ($32.99), Stone Oaked Arrogant β@$$†μrd ($12.99), Southern Tier Farmer’s Tan ($13.99), Leinenkugel Big Eddy ($10.99), Stone Ruination ($11.99), Against The Grain Freakin’ on ESB ($8.99), Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold ($7.99), New Holland Dragon’s Milk ($12.99), Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter ($7.99), Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale, Three Floyds Gumballhead ($8.99), Widmer Drifter Pale Ale ($9.99), Southern Tier Choklat ($16.99), Southern Tier Krampus ($11.99), Thirsty Dog Barrel Aged Siberian Night ($25.99), Southern Tier Unearthly IPA $12.99 and Woodchuck Amber ($6.99). All prices are for a refill. For a new growler, add $2.00. Quart, pint and new GALLON size growlers are also available.

● On the Growler Station at Party Source in Bellevue: Founders Breakfast Stout ($16.99), Rivertown Dunkel ($11.99), Brooklyn Monster Ale ($10.99), Unibroue Ephemere Cassis ($10.99), Roman Rince Cochon ($26.99), Against the Grain Who Schwarted ($6.99), BBC Queen’s Knickers ($12.99) and North Coast Red Seal ($10.99). All prices are for a refill. For a new growler, add $2.00.

● The now FOUR tap growler station at Market Wines in Findlay Market had Dark Horse “Too Cream” Stout ($14/growler and $5/glass), Founders Centennial IPA ($12/growler and $4/glass), Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine ($15/growler and $5/glass) and Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour ($15/growler and $5/glass). Add $3 if you need to purchase a growler.

● On the Growler Station at One Stop Liquors (10 Donnermeyer Dr., Bellevue, KY), they currently have Rivertown Winter Ale ($12.99), Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale ($10.99) and Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus ($13.99). All prices are for a refill. For a new growler, add $2.99. Also, receive $5 off your 6th refill.

● As of January 13th, Whole Foods Market Cincinnati growler station offerings are Southern Tier Old Man Winter, Anderson Valley 2XIPA, Yuengling Black and Tan, North Peak Dark Angel and Stone IPA. Southern Tier 2X Stout is coming soon. Regular fill prices are $7.49 for the 32 oz growler and $14.99 for the 64 oz growler. They also have Happy Hour pricing on Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00 pm with $4.99 for the 32 oz growler and $9.99 for the 64 oz growler. For a new growler, add $3.99.

● Whole Foods Market growler station offerings (as of January 11th) are Southern Tier Old Man Winter, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Left Hand Milk Stout, North Peak Dubious, Mt. Carmel Squirrel Bite and 21st Amendment Back in Black. Regular fill prices are $7.49 for the 32 oz growler and $14.99 for the 64 oz growler. They also have Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. You can get $2.99 select pints, $1 off 32oz growler fill and $2 off 64oz growler fill. For a new growler, add $3.99.

● As of December 16th, the growler stations at DEP’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Covington had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale ($6.49), Anderson Valley IPA ($6.49), Ommegang Witte ($6.99) and Rogue American Amber ($6.99). The DEP’s in Fort Thomas has Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous ($10.99), Schneider Weiss ($7.99), Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA ($6.99), New Albanian Hoptimus ($8.99), Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale ($5.99) and Left Hand Ju Ju Ginger ($8.99).

● As of December 4th, at the Growler Station at the Liquor Cabinet (1990 N Bend Rd # A Hebron, KY), they have Arcadia Ales London Style Porter, Schlafly Christmas Ale, Schlafly Coffee Stout and Point Cascade Pale Ale. For a new growler, add $2.00.

Posted 27 January 2012 † Carla § Breweries Beyond § Local Beer Stores § Local Breweries § Regional Breweries ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: , , ,

Arnold’s to Host Fundraiser at Bockfest Hall

From the My Life at Arnold’s blog, Ronda Androski announces this year’s Bockfest fundraiser dinner which is set for Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 6:00 PM. You can buy your tickets over at Bockfest.com.

My friends and most of my customers know how dear BockFest is to me. Not only is it financially needed over the cold winter months for all the bars/restaurant from Arnold’s to Main Street to BockFest Hall but it is also good for our city and OTR. We have many events (such as the pretzelfest) before BockFest that leads up to the event. The reason we do this is because it takes a great deal of money to pull this awesome festival off! I do a fundraiser every year where all the proceeds go to help pay for BockFest. This is the 3rd year for Arnold’s to do this. The past 2 years have been done at Arnold’s. This year we have decided to move it to BockFest Hall for something different. Please read below the press release we have sent out for this event. The price of the tickets are $80.00 per person. So, if you have always wanted to drive the bathtub this night will be your chance. The bathtub will be at BockFest Hall and a course will be set up to drive it around.

For immediate release…

In the Spring of 1896, the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewery hosted some of the most prominent Cincinnatians. Guests enjoyed an elegant meal with beer pairings in the unlikely ambiance of the brewery. Cincinnati’s political and social elite enjoyed the experience so much that it became a regular occurrence, and the standard guest list called themselves members of the Beefsteak Club.

Bockfest and Arnold’s are proud to announce the resurrection of this tradition. Instead of steak and Windisch-Muhlhauser, we will be serving slow roasted pig and goat (with apologies to Schnitzel), southern sides of sauces, greens, red beans and rice, yams, potatoes, all paired with Moerlein lagers and ales. Of course, there will be pie, bread pudding, and coffee to end the dinner off. You do not need to hold elected office, wear a bowler hat, or own a monocle to attend, but we do consider the people who join us to help make Bockfest possible to be the finest and most important members of Cincinnati society.

The historic malt room in the new Christian Moerlein Brewery will be transformed into a private dinner club decorated with many of the original works of art associated with Bockfest. Artist Jim Effler will unveil the 20th Bockfest Celebration original oil painting; and Effler and other hosts will discuss the storied, inside history of twenty years of Bockfest. Guests will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the nineteenth century lagering cellars under the brewery and free rides in the famous Arnold’s bathtub. In addition to great food and drink and a signed copy of this year’s Bockfest print, one guest will win free accommodations in a penthouse suite at Garfield Suites for Bockfest 2012, a chance to drive the Arnold’s bathtub in the Bockfest Parade, and a dinner for two at Arnold’s. Come join the people behind Arnold’s, Christian Moerlein and Bockfest and become part of our version of the Beefsteak Club. All proceeds of the event go toward making Bockfest happen. Your support is needed and doing the right thing is almost never this much fun.

Arnold's motorized bathtub

Posted 26 January 2012 † Carla § Bockfest 2012 § Local Breweries § Local Restaurants/Bars/Pubs ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Show the World You’re a Hoperative!

I Believe in Better Beer

A frequent question we get when we wear our Hoperatives apparel to local beer events is whether the items are available for registered Hoperatives to purchase. Well, they are! In fact, you can choose between silk screened or embroidered clothing.

Cafe Press

We recently added a series of “I Believe in Better Beer” items to the Hoperatives Store on Cafe Press. Where the product design allows, it has the graphic you see in the image on the front with our motto “Believers in Better Beer (in Cincinnati and Beyond)” on the back. Not only will it reflect your good taste in both beer and fashion, it’ll help defray some of the costs of running Hoperatives.com (web hosting isn’t cheap). If you’re familiar with Cafe Press, you know they have a jillion things they can put custom logos on. We’ve picked a collection we think shows our stuff off best, but if there’s an item you ‘d like to see that we haven’t chosen, let us know!

Clothing and more from Cafe Press features a silk screened Hoperatives logo and sometimes our tag line or the “I Believe in Better Beer” logo mentioned above. There are many types of t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies and caps. Non-clothing items include tote bag, mugs, steins, mouse pads, journals, aprons and buttons.

http://www.cafepress.com/hoperatives

Lands End

Clothing from Lands End features an embroidered Hoperatives logo (usually on the left side of the chest of the item). Items for women include cardigans, polo shirts (both short sleeve and long sleeve), t-shirts (with two different neck types), broadcloth blouses (both short sleeve and long sleeve) and fleece jackets. Items for men include polo shirts (both short sleeve and long sleeve), t-shirts (with and without a pocket), twill shirts (both short sleeve and long sleeve) and fleece jackets.

http://ces.landsend.com/Hoperatives

Don’t see something you were hoping for? Let us know and we’ll see what we can do!

Cheers and here’s to better beer!

–Carla and Tom

Posted 25 January 2012 † Tom and Carla § Housekeeping ‡ Comments (0) °

Pretzelfest Kicks Off Bockfest Season on January 28th

Pretzelfest is the official kickoff of the Bockfest season. Greg Hardman, President and CEO of Christian Moerlein, will preside over the ceremonial tapping of this season’s Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock. Local bakeries and restaurants will showcase unique pretzel creations. And award-winning blues artist Brian Keith Wallen will provide live entertainment.

In addition to being a great party, Pretzelfest is an important fundraiser. We keep Bockfest local and authentic with the help of people like YOU. Admission includes a sampling of freshly baked pretzels from local restaurants and bakeries, two beer/drink tickets, a Queen City Sausage brat cooked by Mecklenberg Gardens and served on a pretzel bun, and a chance to win a luxury suite at the Garfield Suites during Bockfest weekend. Tickets are $40 and all proceeds help make Bockfest 2012 possible. Space is limited and Pretzelfest 2011 had to turn people away, so reserve your admission today:

Pretzelfest
Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 5PM to 10PM
http://www.bockfest.otrbrewerydistrict.org/Pretzelfest.htm

Pretzelfest

Posted 24 January 2012 † Carla § Bockfest 2012 § Local Breweries ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

This Week in Beer: January 23 – 29, 2012

January 19-26 – IPA Week at Keystone Covington
Since last Thursday, Keystone Covington has been offering on draft some of the world’s finest IPAs (including some newly released ones). They started with Bell’s Two Hearted or Brooklyn Blast and then it’s been Bells Hopslam; Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA and Henry Weinhard’s IPA (Beerfest Ale). See what’s on tap today!

Monday, January 23rd – Beer of the Day Special at Rock Bottom Brewery
Each Monday, Mitch the brew master at Rock Bottom highlights a beer and you can enjoy it for just $3.25 all day.

Tuesday, January 24th at 6:30pm – Beer Dinner at 20 Brix
The theme is “Best Beers of the World”. They will pick five of the great beer producing countries and select the style each country does best. The cost is $45 per person. Call (513) 831-2749 for reservations.

Tuesday, January 24th – Great Divide Espresso Yeti Pint Night at Arthur’s Café
Receive a pint glass with your purchase while they last.

Tuesday, January 24th – Pint Night at Rock Bottom Brewery
Purchase a logo pint glass filled with your favorite Rock Bottom beer for just $5.95, refills are only $3.00 and you keep the glass.

Wednesday, January 25th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm – Bell’s Pint Night at Teller’s of Hyde Park
Beers included are Winter White, Hopslam, 3rd Coast Old Ale and Double Cream Stout. The cost is $15 per person included 4 tasters plus a Bell’s glass to go. Quantities limited so first come first serve

Wednesday, January 25th from 4:00 pm to 2:30 am – Brooklyn Bombers Away at Fries Café
From Facebook:

Join us for a tasting event as we roll out some rare large-format bottles and beautiful drafts. The list of exceptional selections is still in development, but so far we have:
-Brooklyn Black Ops (750 mL) : barrel-aged imperial stout (only 1000 cases annually!)
-Victory Dark Intrigue (750 mL) : barrel-aged Storm King!
-Brooklyn Companion (1/6 barrel) : wheatwine brewed to celebrate Garrett Oliver’s completion of the Oxford Companion to Beer
-Fuller’s ESB (firkin!) : from one of the oldest breweries in England comes the original hoppy session beer
-Ommegang Seduction (750 mL) : a Belgian-style porter brewed with dark chocolate and tart cherries
-Brooklyn Blast (1/2 barrel) : imperial IPA
-Bell’s Hopslam (1/2 barrel) : (does this really need explaining?)
-Smuttynose Wheatwine (22 oz)
-Smuttynose Homunculus (22 oz) : Belgian-style IPA
-Southern Tier Choklat Stout (22 oz)
AND MORE!
Drafts and firkin will be tapped at 4:00pm and be available in 12 and 16 ounce pours.
Bottles will be opened at 6:00pm and be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Bottled offerings will be available as 4 ounce samples or for purchase (for on-site consumption or carry-out, limit one per customer).

Wednesday, January 25th – Pint Night at UC’s Catskeller

Wednesday, January 25th from 5:30 to 8:00 pm – Beer Tasting at Marty’s Hops and Vines

Wednesday, January 25th at 7:00 pm – Monthly Keg Tapping at Hofbräuhaus Newport
This month, it’s the Adulterator (8.0 % Alc. by Volume).

Thursday, January 26th at 4:00-10:00 pm – North Coast Brewing Co. Night at The Lackman
Feature drafts will be: Scrimshaw Pilsner, Red Seal Ale, Pranqster, Le Merle, Brother Thelonious, Old Old Stock 2010 and “a special chance” to taste Old Rasputin XIV.

Thursday, January 26th – Breckenridge Pint Night at Arthur’s Café
Four Breckenridge beers will be featured, take home a pint glass with your first purchase.

Thursday, January 26th at 6:00-10:00 pm – Pint Night Thursdays at Cock & Bull (all three locations)
The beers for this week’s Pint Night Thursdays are: Covington – Peroni, Glendale – TBA, and Hyde Park – TBA.

Thursday, January 26th at 6:00 pm – Firkin Tapping at Rock Bottom Brewery

Friday, January 27th from 4:00-7:00 pm – Flowing Fridays Beer Tasting at Cork ‘N Bottle (Covington and Buttermilk Pike-Crescent Springs)

Friday, January 27th from 6:00-7:00 pm – Friday Night Flights Beer Tasting at Party Town in Florence

Friday, January 27th – Firkin Friday at Cock & Bull Hyde Park

Saturday, January 28th from 5:00-8:00pm – Pretzelfest and Emancipator Tapping
From Facebook:

Local bakeries and restaurants will showcase unique pretzel creations, there will be live music by Brian Keith Wallen, and the first keg of Christian Moerlein Emancipator Doppelbock will be tapped at the Second Annual Pretzelfest. This is the first official event of the Bockfest season, and is an important fundraiser to keep Bockfest a local, authentic, grass-roots event.

Saturday, January 28th from 5:00-8:00pm – Beer Tasting at Ludlow Wines

Sunday, January 29th from 3:30-6:30pm – Craft Beer Portfolio Tasting at Arthur’s Café
This is their first ever portfolio tasting. What happens is that you get 15 beer samples for $25 plus tax. The samples include anything off of their beer list (draft or bottle). You can add on their famous Burger Madness for just $5.00 more. Space is limited so purchase your admission soon.

Posted 23 January 2012 † Carla § Bockfest 2012 § Breweries Beyond § Local Beer Stores § Local Breweries § Local Brewpubs § Local Restaurants/Bars/Pubs § Regional Breweries ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Please excuse this love letter

Carla Gesell-Streeter

The heart of Hoperatives

Today is Carla’s 50th birthday. One of the nice things about being a co-owner of a blog is that you can pretty much post whatever you want when you want. If I had discussed this with Carla first, I’m sure we would have agreed that this wasn’t really beer related.

Which is why I’m glad I didn’t talk to her about this first.

Today is a big day for Carla. Fifty trips around that big ball of gas we call The Sun. You’d think all her experience circling big balls of gas would have convinced her to look elsewhere for a husband, but I’m her lapse in judgment for which I’m most grateful.

I’m making a big deal about this here on Hoperatives because, as the caption says, she is Hoperatives. I write things now and then. Jason and Jared and John and Stephen write things now and then. Carla writes this blog every single day. She works her butt off for this blog. If you read Hoperatives, then you — like me — are better people because Providence put Carla on this planet 50 years ago today.

The last couple of years have been tough for her. It would mean a lot to me if you could thank Carla for all she does in the comments to this post. I’ll never be able to thank her enough for all she’s done for me in the time we’ve been together, but that’s a different thing. If you love Hoperatives, you love Carla. Please tell her so.

Happy birthday, hon. I love you. You’re the best.

Posted 22 January 2012 † Tom § General Comment § Miscellaneous § Opinion ‡ Comments (17) °

Great Crescent Brewery expands into the Greater Cincinnati/N. Kentucky Marketplace

This is very exciting news! You have to try out their coconut porter!

Indiana Craft Brewer Expands

Cincinnati, OH [1/20/12] – Great Crescent Brewery is pleased to announce its expansion into the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky marketplace. The Aurora, Indiana based craft brewer, is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Dan and Lani Valas and was founded in 2008. Great Crescent Brewery handcrafts both ales and lagers in small batches using traditional brewing methods and fresh ingredients. Dan Valas has been brewing for over twenty years. His classic training at the Seibel Institute, as well as his travels throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe have influenced his beer making. Dan’s unique interpretation of classic styles has netted a number of award winning recipes.

Great Crescent’s first offerings into these new markets will include: Aurora Lager, Dark Lager, Blonde Ale, IPA, Coconut Porter, Bourbon’s Barrel Stout as well as their Seasonal and Brewmaster Special Release beers.

A sneak preview of Great Crescent Brewery’s offerings will be at The Cincy Winter Beerfest taking place February 10-11 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Great Crescent Brewery has selected Stagnaro Distributing as their distributor for both the Ohio and Kentucky markets. Dan Valas, Brewmaster and Owner, stated, “Stagnaro Distributing is a perfect fit for us because of their progressive approach and leadership in the craft beer movement.” Full distribution in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky markets begins March 1, 2012. The beer will be available in both draft and their signature 16oz 4 pack cans.

Posted 21 January 2012 † Carla § Local Breweries ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

5B Conference Tentative Schedule

As you can imagine, we are working feverishly trying to launch the inaugural Cincinnati Beer Week and plan the premier 5B: Believers in Better Beer, Bites and Blogging conference at the same time. We’re still tying up some loose ends, but we do have some more information on the schedule to share.

The conference is set to start at 9:00 am with a Coffee and Conversation time before the opening remarks at 9:45 am. The first sessions kick off at 10:00 am and there will be four more session slots (plus time for lunch) after that one. We will wrap up about 4:00 pm so everyone can have some time to get ready to the Cincy Winter Beerfest that night. With your Connoisseur ticket, you will be able to get into the Beerfest at 6:30 pm.

We’ve firmed up more of the sessions. In the Beer Blogging track, there will be a session on the Three Tiered System in Practice (aka why you can’t get Pliny the Elder here), a preview of the soon to open Christian Moerlein Lager House with Greg Hardman (CEO and President of Christian Moerlein) and Richard Dube (Brewmaster of the Lager House), a panel on the brewing of the Cincinnati Beer Week Collaborative Brew with as many of the participating brewers as we can get, a panel of brewers that draws from those in town for the Beerfest and one more panel that is still be finalized.

For the Food Blogging track, we start with a session called “Reviewing Restaurants: Dos and Don’ts” with Anne Mitchell of CityBeat and Julie Niesen of wine me, dine me. Next is a session on “Growing Your Blog via Groups” with Rachel Tayse from Hounds in the Kitchen. Still being finalized are a session on food photography and a possible panel with some of the chefs participating in the Connoisseur portion of the Cincy Winter Beerfest. One other panel will also be added.

In the General Blogging track, there is a session with the title “Your Blog, Versions 2.0: Is it time for a re-design?” that is to be presented by Jenna Lynn Colbaugh of j.l.c. graphic designs & marketing concepts. Next is a session with tips for bloggers on deal with PR agencies from Jeremy Fischer Possible Worldwide. Roger Baylor of NA Confidential & The Potable Curmudgeon plus Brian Griffin of CincinnatiBlog will co-host a panel on political blogging. There will also be a session named “10 Tips for Better Blogging In Under an Hour” from Carla Gesell-Streeter of Hoperatives and Shannan Boyer of Family Friendly Cincinnati. One more session is being firmed up.

For more information on 5B and to begin the application process, go to http://www.hoperatives.com/?page_id=9709 and follow the instructions there.

Cheers and here’s to better beer! (And bites and blogging!)

Carla and Tom

Believers in Better Beer, Bites and Blogging

Posted 20 January 2012 † Carla § 5B § Local Breweries § Regional Breweries ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Arnold’s Announces their Cincinnati Beer Week Events

Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 pm

“A Cincinnati Brew Story” presented by Far-I-Rome Productions, Hudepohl, Little Kings and Burger Beer Week Kickoff Party featuring Cincinnati’s Heritage beers
Arnold’s is kicking it old school with a celebration of Cincinnati’s beers of yore. Far-I-Rome and Hudepohl are presenting a full night of folk/pop music with three bands, The Evans Collective, Billy Otten and The Bostic Family Tent Revival. Arnold’s will be providing 2.00 beer specials all night on Hudy 14k, Hudy Delight, Little Kings and Burger.

Friday, February 3 at 5:00 pm

Arnold’s Bourbon Barrel 1861 Porter Happy Hour Tapping
In honor of beer week Christian Moerlein has remixed a batch of the Arnold’s 1861 Porter. Arnold’s is already the only place that you could get the Porter, but for this special release, Christian Moerlein will be aging the same beer in a bourbon barrel. Live music from The Cincy Brass at 9pm

Saturday, February 4 at 6:00pm

Great Lakes Brewing Company – Dry Hopped, Cask Conditioned Burning River Happy Hour Tapping
Arnold’s will be the only place to get it in town and they have only 1 quarter barrel available. Great Lakes beer reps will also be on hand giving out free swag. L
Cask-conditioned beer, often referred to as ‘real ale’, is brewed from only traditional ingredients and allowed to mature naturally.
The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (known as ‘secondary fermentation’); this process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg (‘brewery-conditioned’) beers.

Monday, February 6 at 6:00 pm

Rivertown Sensory Analysis
Sensory beer analysis course and discussion on starting a craft brewery. Join Brewmaster and CEO and Co-Founder Jason Roeper and Randy Schiltz as they discuss the finer points of craft brewing along with a full line up of Rivertown beers! Ever dreamed of starting a Microbrewery? you dont want to miss this event!

Tuesday, February 7 at 5:00 pm

Bell’s, Blues, and Barbecues
Bell’s beer is offering up not one, but two of its Pub Brews on tap. Arnold’s is the only place in Cincinnati that will have them and the only other place that you can get them in the world is at Bell’s own Brew Pub in Kalamazoo, MI. This release is super limited and there is only 1 quarter barrel of each in town. Bell’s reps will also be in handing out free swag. In addition to that John Redell will be on stage playing live Blues from 7-9 and Arnold’s will be serving an entirely Barbecue themed menu.

Wednesday, February 8 at 5:00 pm

Listermann’s Cask Conditioned Imperial Baltic Porter Happy Hour Tapping
Super limited release from Listermann’s brewed in honor of beer fest. Lightly smoked and fermented in a Bourbon Barrel. Arnold’s is the only place that you can get it before Beerfest and our supply is very limited. Cask-conditioned beer, often referred to as ‘real ale’, is brewed from only traditional ingredients and allowed to mature naturally. The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (known as ‘secondary fermentation’); this process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg (‘brewery-conditioned’) beers.

Thursday, February 9 at 10:30 pm

The Little King’s Sausage Queen Competition
The renowned (and sometimes notorious) Sausage Queen helps lead the Bockfest Parade by carrying a symbolic tray of Bockwurst sausage. The Sausage Queen is Bockfest royalty who is anointed in the least aristocratic manner we could create: a gender-neutral pageant that has multiple preliminary rounds in local bars. Winning contestants receive prizes, but are mostly vying for the honor and prestige of being the 2011 Sausage Queen.
In the weeks leading up to Bockfest, each participating venue will select its Queen contestant for the 2011 finale, held at the Hall during Bockfest.

Posted 20 January 2012 † Carla § Cincinnati Beer Week 2012 § Local Breweries § Local Restaurants/Bars/Pubs § Regional Breweries ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , , , , , ,

Growlers and Tastings Report: January 20, 2012

● For tonight’s Friday Night Flights at Party Town in Florence, they will be pouring a wide range of beers from several different brewers. The cost for the regular tasting is $2 for a full flight of beers and it goes from 6:00 – 7:00 pm.

● On the Growler Station at Party Town in Florence: Against The Grain KY Ryed Chicquen ($10.99), Avery Samael ($32.99), Boulder Old Chicago Black Diamond American Red Ale ($6.99), Southern Tier Farmer’s Tan ($13.99), Founders Centennial ($10.99), Goose Island Pere Jacques ($11.99), Against The Grain Freakin’ on ESB ($8.99), Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold ($7.99), New Holland Dragon’s Milk ($12.99), North Coast Pranqster ($18.99), Rogue Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale, Three Floyds Pride and Joy ($6.99), Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA ($7.99), Southern Tier Choklat ($16.99), Southern Tier Krampus ($11.99), Southern Tier Mokah ($16.99), Southern Tier Unearthly IPA ($12.99) and Woodchuck Amber ($6.99). All prices are for a refill. For a new growler, add $2.00. Quart, pint and new GALLON size growlers are also available.

● Main Street Wine and Spirits will be having a beer tasting tonight from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The beers available are Southern Tier 2x Double Milk Stout, Southern Tier Choklat Stout, Dogfish Head Chicory Stout and Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout. All tastes are fifty cents each.

● On the Growler Station at Party Source in Bellevue: Founders Breakfast Stout ($16.99), Rivertown Dunkel ($11.99), Brooklyn Monster Ale ($10.99), Unibroue Ephemere Cassis ($10.99), Roman Rince Cochon ($26.99), Against the Grain Who Schwarted ($6.99), BBC Queen’s Knickers ($12.99) and North Coast Red Seal ($10.99). All prices are for a refill. For a new growler, add $2.00.

● The now FOUR tap growler station at Market Wines in Findlay Market had Dark Horse “Too Cream” Stout ($14/growler and $5/glass), Founders Centennial IPA ($12/growler and $4/glass), Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine ($15/growler and $5/glass) and Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour ($15/growler and $5/glass). Add $3 if you need to purchase a growler.

● On the Growler Station at One Stop Liquors (10 Donnermeyer Dr., Bellevue, KY), they currently have Rivertown Winter Ale ($12.99), Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale ($10.99) and Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus ($13.99). All prices are for a refill. For a new growler, add $2.99. Also, receive $5 off your 6th refill.

● As of January 13th, Whole Foods Market Cincinnati growler station offerings are Southern Tier Old Man Winter, Anderson Valley 2XIPA, Yuengling Black and Tan, North Peak Dark Angel and Stone IPA. Southern Tier 2X Stout is coming soon. Regular fill prices are $7.49 for the 32 oz growler and $14.99 for the 64 oz growler. They also have Happy Hour pricing on Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00 pm with $4.99 for the 32 oz growler and $9.99 for the 64 oz growler. For a new growler, add $3.99.

● Whole Foods Market growler station offerings (as of January 11th) are Southern Tier Old Man Winter, Breckenridge Christmas Ale, Left Hand Milk Stout, North Peak Dubious, Mt. Carmel Squirrel Bite and 21st Amendment Back in Black. Regular fill prices are $7.49 for the 32 oz growler and $14.99 for the 64 oz growler. They also have Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 2:00 – 5:00 pm. You can get $2.99 select pints, $1 off 32oz growler fill and $2 off 64oz growler fill. For a new growler, add $3.99.

● As of December 16th, the growler stations at DEP’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Covington had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale ($6.49), Anderson Valley IPA ($6.49), Ommegang Witte ($6.99) and Rogue American Amber ($6.99). The DEP’s in Fort Thomas has Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous ($10.99), Schneider Weiss ($7.99), Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA ($6.99), New Albanian Hoptimus ($8.99), Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale ($5.99) and Left Hand Ju Ju Ginger ($8.99).

● As of December 4th, at the Growler Station at the Liquor Cabinet (1990 N Bend Rd # A Hebron, KY), they have Arcadia Ales London Style Porter, Schlafly Christmas Ale, Schlafly Coffee Stout and Point Cascade Pale Ale. For a new growler, add $2.00.

Posted 20 January 2012 † Carla § Breweries Beyond § Local Beer Stores § Local Breweries § Regional Breweries ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,