MLB Beer one-upmanship?

I've been proud of the selection of local craft beer readily available at Citizens Bank Park for quite a while. (It's not just me: check out #5 here.) But it looks like the O's are one-upping us: Friday night home games will now have cask ale from Flying Dog in Camden Yards, beginning April 27. Excerpts from the press release:

Flying Dog is available at 20 locations in the park, including the Roof Deck bar and a Flying Dog storefront location that will offer beer pairings with locally-inspired foods, like Old Bay corn dogs. The chefs at Camden Yards will also use Flying Dog beer as an ingredient in some of this season’s food pairings. “Our ‘Firkin Fridays’ will highlight the growing popularity of not only craft beer, but also real ale,” [brewery sales VP Brian] Savage said, “which is a great fit for America’s pastime.”

Well, hell, Philly, we gotta step to this! Philly Brewing, Yards, Flying Fish, Victory? Who's gonna meet this challenge?!

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....

But Casey Hard is even more insane

Max's on Broadway debuts their new 102 tap draft system tomorrow, and, well...Capone's is cool and all, but this is just nuts:

Abita Purple Haze	Abita Select Weizenbock	Aecht Schlenkerla Lentbier
Allagash Confluence	Allagash White	Amager Imperial Stout
Avery Maharaja	Bear Republic Nor Cal	Bear Republic Rebellion
BFM Abbaye De Saint Bon Chien 2007	Troll Stella Natalia	Blue Moon
Boddingtons	Brewers Art Resurrection	Brooklyn Dark Matter
Contreras Valeir Divers	De Hoevebrouwers Toria	De Hoevebrouwers Toria Triple
Del Borgo Genziana	Delirium Tremens	Dogfish Head 60 Minute
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron	Dogfish Head Midas Touch	Dupont Biere De Miel
Duvel Green	Emelisse Barleywine	Emelisse Espresso Stout
Emelisse Rauchbier	Evolution Sprung	Flying Dog Double Dog(Nitro)
Flying Dog Raging Bitch	Fransizkaner Hefeweizen	Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse
Fruili Strawberry	Great Divide Oak Aged Espresso Yeti	Guinness
Haandbryggeriet Nissefar	Heavy Seas Letter of Marque	Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
Het Alternatief Ambetanterik	Het Alternatief Bitter Truth	Het Alternatief Hik Blonde
Hitachino Espresso Stout	Hitachino XH	Hoegaarden Wit
Hopfenstark Lou Lou Porter	Hopfenstark Ostalgia Blonde	Hopfenstark Post Colonial IPA
Hopfenstark Saison 16	Hopfenstark Saison 55	Italiano Tipo Pils
JW Lees Harvest Ale	Le Trou Diable La Buteuse	Le Trou Diable La Chose
Le Trou Diable La Grivoise	Le Trou Diable L' Imperatrice	Le Trou Diable Weizgripp
Leipziger Gose	Lindemans Framboise	Magic Hat #9
Malhuer 10	Malhuer 12	Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout
Mikkeller Black	Mikkeller Single Hop Amarillo	Mikkeller Single Hop Cascade
Mikkeller Single Hop Chinook	Mikkeller Single Hop East Kent Golding	Mikkeller Single Hop Nelson Sauvin
Mikkeller Single Hop Nugget	Mikkeller Single Hop Simcoe	Mikkeller Single Hop Tomohawk
Mikkeller Single Hop Warrior	Olivers Bishop Breakfast Stout (Nitro)	Olivers Strongman
Olivers Hot Monkey Love	Ommegang Rare Vos	Ommegang Three Philosophers
Pausa Cafe Chicca	RJ Rockers Fish Paralyzer	Sam Adams Boston Lager
Sam Adams Summer Ale	Schnieder Brooklyner Hopfen	Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sint Canarus Potteloereke	Southern Tier Jah Va	Stella Artois
Stone Sublimely Self Righteous	The Bruery Rogbrod	The Bruery Saison De Lente
Victory Hop Devil	Victory Prima Pils	Weyerbacher Quad
Woodchuck Amber	Yuengling Lager
CASKS
De Regenboog Catherine The Great	Alvinne Podge	Stillwater Stateside Sasion-dry Hopped in French Oak
Olivers Cherry Blosom	Victory Uncle Teddys Bitter

See all those Mikellers? But the best part? The head beer guy at Max's, Casey Hard, is an insane gearhead when it comes to draft systems. So this stuff is not just great, it's served great. Whew. I'm really kind of sorry I'm headed to Chicago tomorrow, because it sure looks like Baltimore is the place to be.

Should Maryland raise its beer tax?

I think you know how I feel about that question. But the Baltimore Sun wants to know what people think about the idea and has a no-registration-needed poll here. Go vote!

Max's Belgian Fest

If you've never been to the Belgian Fest at Max's Taphouse in Baltimore, you really should consider it. It's this weekend. Here are many (draft) reasons to go:

Abbaye Des Rocs Blonde
Allagash Fedelte
Alvinne Bathazaar
Alvinne Extra
Alvinne Gaspar
Alvinne Kerasus
Alvinne Melchior
Alvinne Podge
Bavik Petrus Winter
Bel Pils
Benelux Archangel Ale
Brewers Art casks (TBA)
Cantillon Fou Foune
Cantillon Iris
Chimay Cinq Cents
Chouffe N' Ice 2007
De Dolle Dulle Teve
De Dolle Stille Nacht 2007
De Dolle Stille Nacht 2008
De Glazen Toren Canaster
De Glazen Toren Jan De Lichte
De Glazen Toren Ondineke
De Glazen Toren Saison De Epre Mere
De Glazen Toren Special Eindejaar
De Koninck 175th Anniversary Ale
De Proef La Grande Blanche
De Proef Les Deux Brasseurs
De Ranke Guldenberg
De Regenboog BBBourgondier
De Regenboog Catherine The Great
De Regenboog Guido
De Regenboog Plus
De Regenboog T ' Smisje Dubbel
De Regenboog T' Smisje Calva Reserve
De Regenboog T' Smisje Grand Reserve
De Regenboog T' Smisje Kerst
De Regenboog Vuuve
De Regenboog Wostijnte
Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux
Dupont Avril
Duvel Draft(Green)
Ellezolloise Quintine Blonde
Fantome De Noel
Geants Goliath
Geants Saison Vosin
Hanssens Old Kriek (Cask)
Hanssens Young Lambic (Cask)
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvee De Keizer Blauw
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Cuvee De Keizer Rood
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor
Het Anker Gouden Carolus Noel
Huyghe Delirium Nocturnum
Huyghe Delirium Noel
Huyghe Delirium Tremens
La Rulles Cuvee Meilleurs Voeux
La Rulles Estivale
La Rulles Triple
Lefebvre Barbar
Lefebvre Barbar Winterbok
Lefebvre Floreffe Triple
Leifmans Kriek
Leifmans Oud Bruin
Lindemans Framboise
Mardesous 6
Ommegang Special
Ommegang Wes' Triple
Point Bruges
Silly Pink Killer
Slaapmutske Triple Night Cap
St Bernardus Christmas
St Feuillien Brune
St Feuillien Cuvee De Noel
St Feuillien Printemps
Strubbe Itchgems Grand Cru
Strubbe Itchgems Pils
Strubbe Keyte Double Triple
Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Rouge
Van Steenberge Kloekke Roeland
Witkap Pater Dubbel

...and that's just the first round. Oh, and there are about 175 Belgians in bottle, too. So...this weekend, Friday to Sunday. If I could, I'd go, believe me.

More Mid-Atlantic Holy Crapping: Wharf Rat Really Sold This Time

Jeez, will things ever calm down in the mid-Atlantic?

After years of rumors -- "Yes, it's always for sale for the right price; no, I'm not selling," Bill Oliver always said -- The Wharf Rat finally has been sold, as reported in Rob Kasper's Baltimore Sun blog. Here's the guts of it:

The Wharf Rat, the restaurant and brewery at 206 W. Pratt St. that has served as a fountainhead of English ales in Baltimore, has new owners. Donald Kelly, who has operated bars in Connecticut and Justin Dvorkin, a brewer at Fordham Brewing, bought the business from Bill Oliver on Tuesday. The price was not disclosed.
In a brief telephone interview Wednesday, Kelly said he and his partner do not anticipate making substantial changes to the restaurant and brewing operation. "We like the concept; we bought it for the brewery," said Kelly.
Steve Jones, the current Wharf Rat brewer, will continue making the establishment's beers, called Oliver Ales, Kelly said. (Whew!)
Oliver will retain ownership of the Fells Point pub also named the Wharf Rat.

Cool. Dodged that bullet. Bill Oliver gets his money out -- I'm sure, the place does well -- and we get to keep drinking Steve Jones's great beers. No problems here, keep drinking.

(Just a note, folks: Rob Kasper does a hell of a job in Charm City. Oughta read that blog.)