6-Pack of Things To Do: Monday August 3 2020 There are six things you can do in the South Sound today, a couple without even leaving your couch. Welcome to 6-Pack of Things To Do: Monday August 3 2020! MOVIE: Four young orphans — Hikari, Ikuko, Ishi, and Takemura — meet cute at the crematorium. They just watched their parents turned to dust. With no family, no future, no dreams, and no way to move forward, the young teens decide that the first level of this new existence involves salvaging a gaming console, an old electric bass, and a charred
Major League Baseball is finally back. Though the season has been condensed to a slim 60 games, teams will be staying within their regions for both home and away games, and there aren’t sentient fans in the stands (those cardboard cutouts are trippy though, aren’t they?), we’re just glad to have pro ball back at all this year. The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics close out their four-game series at T-Mobile Park in a head-to-head showdown tonight. Right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas is expected to get the start for the A’s in a dual against Mariners lefty Justus Sheffield. Since Peaks
Peaks and Pints Instagram Outsider: Alien Cake, Porch Drops, Beer Hug From Batsquatch paddlers to large men with li’l dinghies, mustard beer to dogs with beer, Peaks and Pints Instagram Outsider returns today with a photo essay of our favorite Instagram posts from the past week. Be sure to keep tagging us @peaksandpints for your chance to be featured. And, please, wash your damn hands; wear your damn mask. (Over your mouth and nose. And stay away from people.) Until we meet back here again next week, cheers to you! View this post on Instagram Congratulations to our
All over the world, beer lovers agree that if it’s made in Bavaria, it’s the real deal. It is, after all, home to the first brewery on record, way back in 800 A.D., as well as the ultimate of beer festivals — Oktoberfest. About 25 kilometers from the Oktoberfest grounds in Munich, lays a little town called Aying, home to the beloved Ayinger Brewery (Brauerei Aying). This 135-year-old brewery has a deep family history, and remained almost completely unchanged until a new, updated brewery was built in 1999 in order to keep up with the growing market. Again and again
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 8.1.20 Welcome to August! The Pierce County COVID cases are still too high. Therefore, Peaks & Pints will remain a take-out restaurant and to-go craft beer bar and bottle shop operation. Here a six new arrivals to the Peaks & Pints cooler. Cheers! Ayinger OKTOBER FEST- MARZEN: Bavarians have been celebrating the harvest with beer festivals since before the 1400s. Märzen is brewed in March to be ready for the Oktoberfest beer festival in late summer/early fall. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen is the top rated Oktober Fest bier. 5.8% Dirty Couch Brewing INFLECTION: Dirty
In 1994, Tomas and April Sluiter left their bakery jobs in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and hit the road. They traveled extensively. Then, in the summer of 2000, they discovered Portland, Oregon. Thomas took an assistant brewer job at the Old Market Pub in Southwest Portland. Within two weeks of his hire, the head brewer quit and Tomas was thrown into that role. He dismantled the old, tired brewing system and refurbished a 15-barrel system. In January 2017, seven years after Tomas left Old Market and almost two years after attempting to open his brewery in Portland’s Goose Hollow neighborhood, he
Peaks and Pints New Beer In Stock 7.31.20 Here is a six-pack of new arrivals to the Peaks & Pints cooler. Peaks and Pints New Beer In Stock 7.31.20 includes tasty craft from Airways, Bale Breaker, Breakside, Reuben’s, and Wayfinder. Cheers! Airways Brewing OTTO PILOT: Otto Pilot is a hazy IPA brewed with loads of flaked grains, and generously hopped with Citra, Sultana, and Cascade. Airways Brewing intended to brew it with Morgan Herzog, founder of West Seattle’s Beer Junction, but sadly he passed earlier this year. Morgan’s wife, Allison, gave her blessing to brew it anyway, and since it’s
6-Pack of Things To Do: Friday, July 31 2020 Happy Friday! Some traditions can’t be stopped by a pandemic … but they can certainly be transformed. Today, organizations young and old will be on the scene both physically and virtually. You can party along with them at home … or out on the streets, even while wearing a Santa hat. Enjoy today’s 6-Pack of Things To Do! ANIMALS: The capture, killing, dismemberment, smuggling and sale of wild animals have major negative impacts on life on Earth — impacts that extend far beyond cruelty to individual animals or the extinction of
Ruse Brewing looked like a mirage yesterday. The blue-ish building shimmered in the 91-degree heat. Once we saw the long to-go beer line we knew, indeed, it was Ruse. Shaun Kalis and Devin Benware has a more crystal clear vision of their Ruse. In fact, the duo began brewing their Ruse beers on a big system before Ruse was a thing. When not brewing for Tomas Sluiter at Culmination Brewing, whom they originally worked under at the Old Market Pub & Brewery in Multnomah Village, they used Tom’s tanks to make their Ruse beer. (That’s six Ruse references so far
6-Pack of Things To Do: Thursday July 30 This year, the best kind of summer experience is an unstructured one, whether it’s blocking out a day for a hike at Mt. Rainier, shaking your head on a giant rock along the Ruston Way waterfront or sitting down with a good book. Peaks and Pints has managed to discover six other things to do today in our 6-Pack of Things To Do: Thursday July 30. MUSIC: Forest Beutel and Kevin Shintaku have been entertaining the South Sound, frankly the whole world, since the pandemic hit. The longtime bandmates — Beutel plays
As comedian Steven Wright once said, “24 hours in a day … 24 beers in a case … coincidence?” Peaks & Pints thinks not. There are also seven days in a week and seven summer weather craft beer styles. Coincidence? Peaks & Pints thinks not. Our current hot weather streaks calls for a craft beer with impactful flavor and a light, refreshing finish. While there’s a plethora of brew styles out there, some are a little more enjoyable when the sun is beating down relentlessly. Today’s to-go beer flight, Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Hot Weather Beer On the Fly,
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 7.29.20 The Peaks and Pints cooler received new beers from Baerlic Brewing, E9 Brewing, Fort George Brewery, Little Beast Brewing, Payette Brewing, Revision Brewing, and Worthy Brewing. … Baerlic Brewing CHILL HELLES LAGER: With a delicate balance of rich malt flavor and spicy and floral hops, this helles lager is fermented slow and low and conditioned for 5 weeks for maximum crispness. 4.5% E9 Brewing DIE UNTIL DEATH: E9 Brewing hosted Holy Mountain and Freigeist Bierkultur from Stolberg, Germany to brew this Belgian malts and wheat based, barrel-aged spice saison. It was fermented
6-Pack of Things To Do: Wednesday July 29 2020 With endless days and long, masked nights, a 2020 South Sound summer has a limited number of activities. Peaks & Pints chosen some of the ones we think you really ought to try in our 6-Pack of Things To Do. Cheers! MUSIC: Rod Cook performs at the Old Town Summer Concert Series virtually tonight. He’s a well-respected guitarist known for his stylistic versatility and soulful, melodic playing. A mainstay with folk/funk, Americana artist Laura Love in the 1990s, Cook began the guitar at the age of 9. Cook has backed up
While the New England-style, or hazy, IPA is the most sought after beer style, it’s cousin, the juicy IPA, is gaining momentum as a close second choice. Why? Well, it’s all about the fruit. The term “juicy” refers to the aroma and taste of the beer — meaning it’s reminiscent of fruit juice, typically citrus or stone fruit. These flavors and aromas are primarily driven from fruit-forward hops such as Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, Amarillo, and El Dorado. These hops are added later in the boil and at whirlpool to maintain the aroma, as well as dry hopped in copious amounts.
6-Pack of Things To Do: Tuesday July 28 2020 To make the most of the summer season during a pandemic, Peaks & Pints offers a 6-Pack of Things To Do Monday-Saturday. We’re going to have fun! STADIUM DISTRICT: First, buy a book online at kingsbookstore.com. Next, order a Cheesy Brit at doylespublichouse.com. Then, head to Second and St. Helens in Tacoma’s Stadium District to pick both orders up. Walk over to Wright Park, spread a blanket, wolf down the smoked brisket, smoked turkey, smoked ham, Swiss, cheddar, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and mustard mayo on a hoagie roll while reading your new
In October 2008, Brian Ewing launched 12 Percent Imports selling imported beer to New York out of his Toyota Prius. The first beer he imported was Gaverhopke Extra, a 12 percent Belgian ale, thus the name of his distributing company. Ewing began distributing an unusually heavy roster of gypsy brewers and contract brewed beer such as American Solera from Tulsa and Fat Orange Cat Brew Co. from East Hampton, Connecticut. He eventually partnered with Alex Blank to form 12 Percent Beer Project, a contract brewing facility on State Street in North Haven, Connecticut. Many of Ewing and Blank artisan brewery
6-Pack of Things To Do: Monday July 27 2020 Ignoring the construction-related traffic snarls, mosquitoes, and constant reminders a pandemic is messing with our good life: Summer in the South Sound is objectively the greatest. And your pals at Peaks & Pints are here to help maximize it! CHUTES AND LADDERS: It has sold millions of copies, is perhaps the greatest novel in the science-fiction canon, and Star Wars wouldn’t have existed without it. Tacoma-born Frank Herbert’s politically relevant fantasy novel Dune is the inspiration behind Metro Parks’ Dune Peninsula — an 11-acre park between Ruston way and Point Defiance
On the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula is an extension of land called the Quimper Peninsula, named after Manuel Quimper, a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. The narrow peninsula became the home of Port Townsend, Chimacum, Glen Cove and Fort Worden, just to name a few highlights. Today, Quimper Peninsula is home to some of the best cideries in Washington state, including Finnriver Farm & Cidery. In addition to growing a certified-organic heirloom-variety orchard on their historic 50-acre farm, Finnriver co-owners Keith and Crystie Kisler, co-owner Eric Jorgensen, head cidermaker Andrew Byers and crew run
You fancy Alpenfire Smoke Barrel Aged Reserve. Fancy Pants Sunday: Alpenfire Smoke Barrel Aged Reserve At age 19, Nancy and Steve “Bear” Bishop would go on dates to Canada. They fell in love with cider. After making cider as hobbyists for many years, in 2001 they took a trip to the cider making regions of Spain, France, and England to observe commercial operations. When they returned home, Steve and Nancy took a class at WSU from an English cider master, and ordered 900 French and English cider trees, which started their journey into commercial cider making
Peaks and Pints Instagram Outsider: Neowise, Nut Farm, Chippo From mountaintops to lakesides, from sunrise to dusk, Peaks and Pints Instagram Outsider returns today with a photo essay of our favorite Instagram posts from the past week. If you’ve seen our Instgram Outsider, you won’t be surprised to see beer and cider shots in the mix. And for those who love seeing fruit added to beer, we have plenty of those posts too. Grab a craft beer or cider, turn on your fan, kick up your feet and start scrolling through our gallery below. Be sure to keep tagging us
Today, July 26, is National Coffee Milkshake Day! Yes, you read that right. We’re not making this up. We couldn’t have asked for a more OG-friendly national food day — nor a better excuse to enjoy a tall, icy glass of creamy, coffee-flavored goodness. Yes, unless you’re living in one of the northernmost areas of the world or in the Southern Hemisphere, you’re probably cursing the summer heat at this point. The first thing you might think to do is crack open a classic lawnmower beer and sip away, but Peaks and Pints suggests something a bit more filling —
6-Pack of Things To Do: Saturday July 25 2020 Love hiking the trails in Pierce County? Join the club. Today is Pierce County Trails Day, and the major focus of our 6-Pack on this Saturday. Don a mask and celebrate the beauty. OUTDOORS: Pierce County Trails Day is an annual day for trail users to connect and celebrate community trails and parks in cities and communities across Pierce County. More than 20 in-person and do-it-yourself events and activities are happening across the county for all ages and abilities, including walking, biking, and running to the booths and activities along the
South Sounders tend to get creative in the helter swelter. Besides crafting explicit fantasies about sitting on a block of ice or getting clocked by an exploding fire hydrant, the stuff soft-drink commercials are made of, our survival in the summer heat includes many cooling down alternatives. A quick survey of the supermarket beverage section reveals how many hybrids have evolved. Want water? You can pick flavored, sparkling, calorie-free, vitamin-packed — you name it. And then there are hard seltzers, hard iced coffees, hard kombucha, and the immortal Slurpee, hangover cure to the gods. But for today’s Peaks and Pints
6-Pack of Things To Do Today: Friday July 24 2020 Summers in the South Sound typically seem to end as soon as they begin. This year, summer was over before it even commenced. Yesterday, Gov. Jay Inslee extended the ban on large gatherings through the summer in an effort to curb the COVID cases spike in the state. Street fairs and carnivals, canceled. Beer festivals, gone. Outdoor concerts, no more. But we have news for you: There are at least six things you can still do in the South Sound every day during these sunny dark times. Peaks & Pints
Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops belong together — if for no other reason than they were bred by the same person, Jason Perrault. A fourth-generation hop grower, Perrault started his education at Washington State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics, followed by a Master of Science in Plant Breeding and Genetics. In the early 2000s, he birthed Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe as the general manager of Perrault Farms, where he is the CEO today. Perrault went on to be the CEO of Yakima Chief Ranches where he continues to develop new hop varieties. Back
6-Pack of Things To Do: Thursday July 23 2020 Given that we’re living through a pandemic worthy of the scariest sci-fi film, you probably want to continue staying indoors. Today’s 6-Pack of Things To Do leans heavy on virtual fun. But maybe you’re feeling trapped inside, or bemoaning the loss of summer vacation, or losing your mind because your kids won’t stop whining about wanting to do something. If so, the Broadway Farmers’ Market is a thing. Cheers! PODCAST: At food banks and distribution programs across Pierce County there has been a significant increase of people in need, as unemployment
There are many metrics by which we can measure the brewing explosion that has taken place in the Eastern Washington over the past half-decade. We can talk about the number of new breweries, or the emergence of growler stations and beer bars. If we want to get really technical, we can tally the amount of barrels brewed and even track how many of those are traveling to other markets, serving as liquid evangelists for a craft beer scene that’s turning heads in the Northwest. But perhaps an easier, more visible metric would be to taste the delicious new IPAs coming
This week’s Tree-dimensional Tacoma tree is a duo of a copper beech and giant sequoia on North 10th Street behind Annie Wright. Photo credit: Kate Swarner Tree-dimensional Tacoma: Copper Beech and Giant Sequoia I was told (through the hop vine shall we say) about a cool tree on North 10th Street owned by a prominent Tacoma restaurateur,” says Sarah Low, executive director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation. “And, just like the restaurateur’s contribution to Tacoma, I found several awesome ones. The two trees that caught my attention were a giant sequoia tree and a copper beech.
6-Pack of Things To Do: Wednesday July 22 2020 It’s summer in the South Sound! The sunny skies, the days that seem to go on forever. But how to celebrate? The area isn’t full of options this year. You just gotta know where to look, what to do — and just as importantly, what not to do. For instance, don’t forget your mask. Your mission, should you, ahem, choose to accept it, is to have the perfect summer Wednesday during a pandemic. The whole day stretches before you. BICYCLES: 2nd Cycle exists to educate, support, and advocate for Tacoma cyclists.
Ohio native and UNSUNG Brewing founder Mike Crea — who is certified by the Cicerone Program and earned a diploma in brewing technology from the Siebel Institute in Chicago — brews small batches of craft beer in Tustin, California, but sells a majority of them up north from a modernized century old marmalade factory in Anaheim, the sudsiest town in Orange County. Founded in 2015, comic book fan Crea drinks West Coast IPAs while watching superhero movies, but he and the crew brews all styles. Today, Peaks and Pints presents a to-go flight of UNSUNG beers that we call Peaks
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 7.21.20 Oh, like you really need to be at that meeting. Peaks & Pints New Beers In Stock 7.21.20 screams play hooky today. Here are some new arrivals to our cooler from Everybody’s Brewing, Mother Earth Brewing, Oakshire Brewing, Reuben’s Brews, and Urban Family Brewing. Everybody’s Brewing FERTILE GROUND NW IPA: A collaboration with Yakima Chief Ranches experimental hop breeding program’s Hop HBC 692 for bold tangerine flavors and a refreshing lemon citrus bite. 6.5% PETRICHOR: Clean and refreshing helles lager brewed with German noble hops for a subtle sweetness reminiscent of warm
Six things to do in Tacoma and Puyallup on Tuesday, July 21 2020 6-Pack of Things To Do: Tuesday July 21 2020 Back in March, South Sounders were looking forward to a summer of warm weather and a wealth of seasonal events. Then the coronavirus pandemic shook up the entertainment industry, moving everything from art shows to wine dinners online. But there are at least six things to enjoy every day in the South Sound … all while observing new safety protocols, of course. Enjoy this 6-Pack of Things To Do: July 21 2020 … and
Today isn’t just Tuesday. It’s Belgian National Day. That’s right — as if anyone ever needs another reason to tip back a delicious brew (responsibly, of course), today sounds like an outstanding day to unwind after work without the slightest bit of guilt. Yes, today is Belgium’s National Day — a celebration that dates back 186 years, to July 21 1831, and the happy moment when Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg swore allegiance to the Belgian constitution, and became the first king of a newly forged European country. In Belgium, the anniversary will be marked with wild scenes and general merriment —
Local Suds: Triceratops Little Critics As far as Peaks & Pints is concerned, Rob Horn can do as he wishes. If he wants to sour his most popular lager on cherries then barrel age it in whiskey barrels then more power to him. After all, he had the power to leave New Jersey to become a firefighter at Joint Base Lewis-McChord . He had the power to raise three children. In 2014, he had the power to convince his wife, Kelly, to take his homebrewer skills pro and open Triceratops Brewing named after his three kids (three Horns). He had
The origins of Belgian styles are rooted in classic partigyle brewing, which means running additional water through the mash to collect a second beer with the remaining sugar. This old technique was abandoned for the newer style in which brewers sparge, which means rinsing the sugar from the malt by spraying hot water over the top of the mash in the lauter tun, which is essentially a giant strainer. It was common for Belgian monks to use the same malt for three distinct mashes. They would mix the grist with water and make a first mash. This would then be
New StormBreaker Brewing can drop! Stormbreaker Brewing Hops, Froots and Breaks Tacoma In late 2014, Rob Lutz and Dan Malech opened StormBreaker Brewing in Amnesia Brewing’s former spot in North Portland. Peaks & Pints feels fortunate to offer their rotation of creative, award-winning craft beers. Here’s their new can drop. … HOP IT DON’T DROP IT: StormBreaker collaborated with iLikeitNerdy on this creamy hazy IPA with aromas of tropical fruit, grapefruit, and hints of pear. It’s on the light side with a bitter finish. 6.2% SCREENBREAKER: Portland chicken and waffle aficionado restaurant Screen Door collaborated on
Peaks and Pints Instagram Outsider: Mermaids, Beer Yoga, Tree Wedgies The past seven days make for an excellent case study in the murkiness of time experienced on a human scale, why we talk about craft beer, cider and restaurants, how time will – and does – roll on, and what it looks like for that to manifest in institutions. … When really, people are what are most important. That much was (is) never in doubt. Hopefully Peaks and Pints Instagram Outsider will offer you a moment of reprieve. Be sure to keep tagging us @peaksandpints for your chance to be
Of the many thousands of beers produced around the world, only 14 can use the name “Trappist.” Six of them are made in Belgium, one in the United States, two in the Netherlands, and one each in Austrai, England, France, Italy, Spain and the United States. These beers are all brewed with three criteria in order to earn the name and mark “Trappist”: The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision; The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery, and it should witness to the
Every July 18, locals in Brussels take to the streets for the “Day of Beer,” a raucous parade in honor of their beloved national beverage and Arnold. No, not Schwarzenegger, Palmer or Matsuo “Arnold” Takahashi, but rather Saint Arnold of Metz, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church and the patron saint of Brewers, as well as Arnold (Arnoul) of Soissons or Arnold or Arnulf of Oudenburg (ca 1040–1087), the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers. We honor the Arnolds with three beers from Belgium’s Brouwerij St. Bernard in today’s to-go beer flight, Peaks and Pints Belgian Beerloo 2020:
Evil Twin Brewing’s Some People Are Immune To Good Banana Stout arrived at Peaks & Pints this week. So, let’s go bananas with a banana to-go beer flight today! Yes, of courser, hefeweizens have their say in this beer flight as the top-fermenting Bavarian yeast Torulaspora delbrueckii, which German brewers refers to as the “proper” hefeweizen yeast, produces phenols and esters that impart banana flavors. WLP300 yeast is also used in the production of traditional, authentic hefeweizen. It produces a high level of isoamyl acetate, giving the resulting beer notes of banana. We also threw in said stout and, duh,
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 7.16.20 Here are a few of the many tasty treats that arrived this week! Which ones are you excited about? Abomination Brewing Fruit of the Woods Pie sour? Hoof Hearted Mom Jeans imperial milk stout? Terminal Gravity in the mo-fo house?! Cheers! Abomination Brewing FRUIT OF THE WOODS PIE: Sour ale collaboration with Hoax Brewing and Front Porch Brewing with blackberries, raspberries, apples, strawberries, rhubarb, lemon, and vanilla beans. 7.2% American Solera PALATE JACK: Single Sabro hop Palate Jack IPA is bursting with tropical aroma and flavor — so much pineapple and coconut
HBC 438 was an experimental hop variety originating from the open pollination of YCR 123, a cultivar derived from the subspecies neomexicanus. It is the sister to the well-known experimental HBC 472 and exhibits many of the same characteristics including a unique coconut aroma. In 2018, the Hop Breeding Company renamed HBC 438 “Sabro” and released it to the public. With a multifaceted bouquet and high level of aromatic oils (particularly myrcene), Sabro excels in finishing and dry hop additions providing aromas of fruit and citrus, particularly tangerine, coconut, tropical and stone fruits with undertones of cedar and mint. The
This week’s Tree-dimensional Tacoma tree is the cedar of Lebanon five blocks north of the University of Puget Sound. Photo credit: Kate Swarner Tree-dimensional Tacoma: Cedar of Lebanon “Every time I drive past Lawrence Street on North 21st Street, just uphill on the right, a particular tree that takes my breath away: cedar of Lebanon, Cedrus libani,” says Sarah Low, executive director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation. “Cedars of Lebanon look similar, and are closely related to, deodar cedars. I had assumed this North End Tacoma tree was a deodar cedar but upon closer examination I
Today, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Peaks and Pints will host Shaken But Not Shaken. We guarantee no live televised sports, no in-house dining or drinking, no half-price buffalo wings, no shots, no hugging, and no mock turtleneck-wearing himbos bathed in Old Spice. Instead, the Shaken But Not Shaken offers a to-go flight of delicious, cocktail-inspired craft beer. If that’s not enough, the beerkeeps at Peaks & Pints have loaded up the jukebox with cocktail-themed songs for you to enjoy for no more than 12 minutes. Stop by our craft beer lodge in Tacoma’s Proctor District for Peaks and
