Christmas at Max's in Baltimore

If I posted everytime Max's on Broadway had a great beer event, you'd think this was the Max's blog...but I had to stick this one in. Really makes me wish Baltimore was less than 2.5 hours away; actually, I wish that pretty often. Been too long since I've been there, and this proves it!

MAX' ANNUAL HOLIDAY BEER SOCIAL

 

TOMORROW DEC, 6, 2011 @6PM

 

It is that great time a year again. This Year we think we are putting out one of the best line ups, for the holiday social. So here it is.........

 

ALL ON DRAFT:

Struise Tsjeeses Reserva

10.0% Belgian triple aged 8 Months on Stone Fruits and 6 Months on Oak.(Belgium)

Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva 2005

10.0% Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Aged 24 Months on Oak barrels. The Last 10 Months are aged on Calvados Oak Barrels.(Belgium)

Hebrew 15:15

13.5% Hybrid Barleywine w. Pomegranates, Dates & Grapes(US)

Firestone Walker XV

12.5% Barrel Aged Blended Beer. 76% Barleywine style Beer, 19.0% Stout 5% Imperial IPA(US)

Evil Twin Soft Xmas

10.9% Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla & Sour Cherries(Denmark)

Evil Twin Christmas Eve At a New York City Hotel Room

10.0% Imperial Stout(Denmark)

Van Steenberge La Biere Du Boucanier Christmas

9.5% Belgian Holiday Ale(Belgium)

Emelisse Winterbier

9.0% Quad Style w/ Pils, Munchener & Abbey Malt w/ Candi Sugar(Netherlands)

Mikkeller Ris A La M'Ale 2011

8.0% Dutch Ale Based on a Traditional Dessert.(Denmark)

 

Plus Maybe one More Surprise Beers....

Bruery 2 Turtle Doves

My first beer from The Bruery, the latest "oh my god oh my god oh my god!!!!!" brewery of the geekerie. Small and specialist out of Placentia, California, I admit to wondering why this tiny place's beers are even in the Philly market -- but of course, that's why: it's Philly. 'Nuff said.

Anyway, this was a brewery sample, so after the requisite stalling and chilling and drinking other stuff, I'm getting to it. There's a ring of brown shtuff, like wet tobacco dust, around the bottle-lip when I lever the cap off. Not promising. 2TD pours thick and dark, almost black, and I'm wondering if this is more of The Cult of the Imperial Stout that seems to have taken over the übergeekerie, even more so than DIPA Frenzy.

But it's not that, it's... If a Baltic Porter is a doppelbock gone porter, this is an imperial Belgian stout...if you will, thus successfully combining two frenzy-inducing genres. I don't like it at first -- on the incipient edge of sourness, and the beer's almost too rich, and it doesn't taste like the description -- like "turtles," the choco-caramel-nut candy. Too much fruit for that. Too much, in general, even in a 12% beer.

As it warms, however, some cherry asserts itself, and the beer cleans up. Still big (and I don't get the people who said it hides the alcohol; no 'bad' alcohols, maybe, but clearly a big beer), and still rich, but settling down, getting comfortable with itself. Taken as not just a holiday warmer but as a statement on the lines of Stone's Vertical Epic -- and isn't that a gutsy thing for such a small, young brewery? isnt' it? Or is it? -- it's big enough.

I have another bottle. Gonna make sure more people are around when I open that one.

Christmas Parties You're Invited To

Just got a note from Leigh at Resurrection Ale House about their Christmas celebration:

This Christmas season, Resurrection Ale House will be celebrating what's great about seasonal beer AND spreading the holiday spirit among those in need. Make no plans for Saturday, December 19, except of course to spend the day drinking excellent Christmas and Winter beers. The lineup includes Scaldis Noel, DuPont Avec Les Bons Voeux, SlyFox Christmas Beer, Ridgeway Reindeer Droppings, Troegs Mad Elf, and many more. All day, $1 from every draft beer you drink goes to Share Our Strength, an organization dedicated to making sure that no kid in America grows up hungry.

Good times, good cause. great beers. I know there are more out there: send 'em in!

Black Friday beer dates

I'll be off with my sweetie on Black Friday -- she's never really been the shop-till-you-drop type, just another reason men hate me -- but many guys (and some of you gals) suffer through it.

Well...ya don't have to. Here's some Black Friday beer events I've heard about.

Up in the Lehigh Valley, the Brew Works brewpubs are celebrating with two great-sounding beer releases:

Allentown Brew Works - This Friday we're putting on the very hoppy West End Red. A West Coast Style Red with loads of Chinook and Cascade hops and a toasty malt backbone to it. At 5.8% ABV this is a great addition to our full lineup.
Bethlehem Brew Works - Black Friday we release BLACK FRIDAY, a bourbon barrel-aged Wee Heavy which comes in at a big 7.5%! Rich maltiness, and full-bodied. A solid beer that smooths out with the oaky vanilla nose from the barrel aging.

Out in Pittsburgh, my friends at Bocktown Beer & Grill are starting early -- like the shopping does -- with an 8 AM Eggs & Kegs event and going till noon with special prices and menus (and Bocktown items on sale: you can shop!).

And there's Resurrection Ale House:

As way to say "Thanks" that you'll truly appreciate, on Wednesday November 25, Resurrection Ale House is offering the whole draft list for just $2 from Noon-2pm followed by $4 draft beers from 2pm-2am. (They're closed on Thanksgiving.) We're continuing the warm and fuzzy holiday mood on Friday, November 27, with BRUNCH from Noon-3pm and more $4 draft beers (all day and night). Consider it our version of a Black Friday Sale.

I was surprised to see the Grey Lodge does not have an event planned for Black Friday. They do, however, have a bountiful supply of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale for Wednesday and Thursday nights. (The night before Thanksgiving is traditionally -- surprisingly -- the busiest night in the bar business after New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day.)

Feel free to add more in the comments.

Philadelphia Brewing Holiday Party

There's been a holiday party at the big old brewery in Kensington every year Yards moved in, and now that it's Philadelphia Brewing, the tradition has not changed. Here's the deal:

The festivities will be from 2 o'clock - 5 o'clock on Saturday November 28th. Santa will be here along with Delco Nightingale playing classic Christmas favorites and DJ DNA. We will also be debuting our new Winter Ale! In the spirit of the season we will be asking for donations for Flat Iron Wildcats - $$, cat food, fleece blankets, etc.

Good times, folks.

Pike Auld Acquaintance

The game goes on: still 16-14, though McNabb is ripping off an exciting series of mid-length passes and marching up the field. So time for another beer, something also PNW but completely different: Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday Ale.

Let me get right to the payoff first: I wish more spiced ales were like this. PAA is not overspiced at all, and comes across as a delicious Chrismas cookie. I had something like this New Year's Eve: Cathy and I dropped by Triumph in New Hope where I had a glass of Oatmeal Cookie Stout. Same kind of sweet, gently spicy mouth-fillingness...but where the Triumph OCS was dark and had a hint of chocolate to it, the PAA takes that and somehow slices off the back half of it and bolts an IPA on there...well, at 5%, maybe more like a pale ale.

What's good? The sweetness is not overpowering, the spices -- orange, nutmeg, cinnamon -- are not overwhelming, and the alcohol is not overwhelming. Oh, thank you, Pike: a holiday beer that isn't too heavy, or too spicy, or too strong, or too boring. I'm ready to drink this whole bomber. It's like cookies without the crumbs.

To: You -- From: Shiner

I got a sample sixer of this year's Shiner Holiday Cheer and didn't get a chance to try it right away. Gotta admit: I figgered, ho-hum, another damned spice beer, what's the rush. The retro labeling (the cap, in script: "To: You -- From: Shiner." Very nice) Shiner has been using lately, along with the red and green and cream color scheme, was luring me on, though, and I finally succumbed last night.

I poured it without reading a thing about it, brought it up to my nose, and whoa! There was a strong aroma of ripe peaches, and something else underneath, a kind of cookie-nuttiness and spice. What the hell was this stuff? I took a sip, and the mouth was full of peach -- my second favorite fruit, after pears -- and that cookie thing humming in the background.

What the hell is this beast? I finally got the label and the letter and looked. It's a German-style dunkelweizen, flavored with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. Well, I'll be dipped. As my mom said, it's not something I'd drink all night, but it does make a delicious change of pace. Bet it would be great with duck or goose, too. Cheers, Shiner!

By the way...in case anyone was wondering, I messed with the photo to try to get it to look like the early 1960s snapshots I remember from my parents' photo albums of when my sister and I were growing up. Upped the flash, did a B&W wash on the background, and fuzzed it just a bit. What do you think?