“It is a dark time for the Rebellion.” Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back hit the big screen May 21, 1980. Indeed, 40 years ago today Luke Skywalker interrupted his Jedi Knight training to rescue his motley crew of friends from Dark Vader in the second installment of Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford returned as the most likable gauche trio since Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, and Frank Shannon blasted off in Flash Gordon. The aerial battle against the AT-AT walkers on Hoth, the betrayal in Cloud City, and the penultimate confrontation between Luke Skywalker
Rob Lutz’ beer career began as a keg washer at Amnesia Brewing, the North Portland brewery that opened in May of 2003 on Mississippi Avenue. Amnesia moved to Washougal, Washington, then folded. Lutz went in the opposite direction. In late 2014, he and Dan Malech opened StormBreaker Brewing in Amnesia’s former spot. Their creative beer lineup earned awards. The duo opened a second spot in Portland’s St. John neighborhood, as well as expanded their Mississippi location, adding an axe-throwing platform. Today, Peaks & Pints presents a to-go flight of StormBreaker beer that we call Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: StormBreaker
It’s National Devil’s Food Cake Day! Devil’s food cake is a wholly original American creation and a truly classic confection; the earliest known recipe appeared in The Janesville Gazette in 1905. Devil’s food cake is richer, darker and fluffier than any regular chocolate cake can ever be — it has been called the chocolate version of an angel food cake. And it’s all thanks to the use of cocoa powder and the extra dose of baking soda it calls for. Recipes use hot or boiling water as the primary liquid. While chocolate cake usually calls for melted chocolate, devil’s food cake
Peaks and Pints is open for take-out food, growler fills and beer to-go from our 13-door cooler. Tacoma Quarantine Kit of Takeout Food, Craft Beer and Cider Dear Guests, Peaks & Pints thanks you for supporting us in this unprecedented and confusing time. You’re family to us, and we’re thankful every day you’re a part of our lives. Our best wishes go out to those who have been impacted by COVID-19. We are open with a Tacoma Quarantine Kit of Takeout Food, Craft Beer and Cider. Peaks & Pints has remained opened during the entire self-quarantine
You fancy Oud Beersel Green Walnut! Fancy Pants Sunday: Oud Beersel Green Walnut Brouwerij Oud Beersel dates back to 1882 in the town of Beersel in Flemish Brabant, a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. As the story goes, in 1880, Henri Vandervelden managed the fruit harvest for lambic brewery Brouwerij De Kroon in Uccle, Belgium. His experience at De Kroon gave him the necessary skills to continue on with his own brewery. Vandervelden opened his lambic brewery next door to a village shop with a café next owner by farmer Jeromius
Forty years ago tomorrow, the world changed forever when Mount St. Helens erupted. Tomorrow, the world changes again as Peaks & Pints closes every Monday. Also, tomorrow (where’s Annie when we need her?) is the final day of American Craft Beer Week 2020. That’s all fine and dandy, but today is Sunday, we need a to-go flight (it’s what we do). Let’s combine all these things into a prefunk for the Eruptiversary/final American craft beer focus/day we hang with family (in our underwear on the couch). Welcome to Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Mount St. Sour On The Fly, a
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.16.20 While life has been different for most people these last couple months, one thing that remains the same is our love for craft beer. Peaks & Pints thanks 21st Amendment Brewery, 54-40 Brewing, E9 Brewing, Holy Mountain Brewing, Matchless Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Stoup Brewing, Varietal Beer Co., and Victor-23 Craft Brewery, and all the other breweries and distributors, including the delivery drivers, who help keep our cooler stocked. Cheers! 21st Amendment Brewery TASTY JUICY PALE ALE: For the past several years, 21st Amendment Brewery collaborated with legendary homebrewer Mike “Tasty” McDole
Pale ales originated in the UK in the late 1700s after reliable methods existed to produce pale barley malt, and that meant pale-colored beer. At first, the new pale malt was expensive, so the pale beers were limited to wealthier drinkers. But as pale malt became more affordable, pale-colored ales displaced dark ales in popularity, slowly overtaking porter and stout. Bass Brewery of Burton-upon-Trent, England made pale ales famous, thanks to their local hard water suited for the production of pale ale. This alkaline water not only brings an impression of dryness in the finished beer, but also rounds out
Anyone who’s ever sipped a finely crafted ale around a campfire probably finds some truth in the adage “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Things are not looking good for our great nation’s purveyors of campfire hoppy holy water. To put it mildly. Although many breweries have completely overhauled their sales models in the past few weeks, finding ways to package their beer and sell it to-go from curbs or windows, or via delivery, this is not sustainable over the long term, as revenues for most have been cut in half, by two-thirds
The top-rated beer in the world, according to BeerAdvocate, is the Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout. Peaks & Pints doesn’t carry it. Doesn’t matter the barrel-aged coffee stout is only released about once a year, 300 to 400 bottles at a time, and straight from the brewery in Decorah, Iowa. Toppling Goliath isn’t registered to do business in Washington state. In fact, most of the 250 beers Beer Advocate ranks as best aren’t distributed in our state. BeerAdvocate — an independent community of enthusiasts and professionals dedicated to supporting and promoting better beer, and recently bought by online beer
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.13.20 Howdy Tacoma! We have plenty of tasty brews to get you to the weekend! Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.13.20 includes new and restocks from Fortside Brewing, Loowit Brewing, Mother Earth Brewing, Reuben’s Brews, Stillwater Artisanal, and Wander Brewing. Cheers! Fortside Brewing SUNSHINE DREAMIN: According to Fortside, this hazy IPA has “big juicy aromas of ripe mango, bright citrus, smooth strawberry, and tart kiwi from a profuse bounty of Citra, Galaxy, El Dorado, and Mosaic dry hopping. Rounded out with more Mosaic and Amarillo in the whirlpool, this heady juice
Ecliptic and Ruse Italian-Style Pilsner Virtual Release Party Peaks & Pints has tapped Ecliptic Brewing + Ruse Brewing Italian-Style Pilsner, with cans of the pilsner in our cooler, in support of a very cool (and free!) happy hour (Virtual) Release Party 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14 on Zoom. Grab this Cosmic Collaboration — Ecliptic’s first of 2020 and the first of this series available in 16-ounce cans — and join Ecliptic founder/brewmaster John Harris and Ruse Brewing co-founder/brewer Shaun Kalis live for an evening of beer chatting, leading a tasting of some of their favorites from each brewery, hosting a
This week’s Tree-dimensional Tacoma tree is the cimmaron ash tree at Seventh and St. Helens Avenue near Market Street in downtown Tacoma. Photo credit: Kate Swarner Tree-dimensional Tacoma: Cimmaron Ash “We are getting to the point in the spring when more of the trees have leafed out than not,” says Sarah Low, executive director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation. “This week, I recommend checking out the especially lovely canopy of a particular cimmaron ash at Seventh and St. Helens Avenue near Market Street in downtown Tacoma. Cimmaron ash, known in the horticultural world as Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Tacoma Strong: Wednesday May 13 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a special American Craft Beer Week American Hop El Dorado To-Go Beer Flight. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEER/CIDER Crowler up with Billy B’s Promiscuous Porter on tap at Wet Coast Brewing. View this post on
El Dorado is a baby among some of the other hop varieties. Born and bred in Moxee Valley, Washington, CLS Farms developed El Dorado in 2008 and released it for sale in 2010. Still, there are three reasons why American born El Dorado is pulling serious weight in the craft beer scene. First, it’s all about the aroma in El Dorado — a bold, fruity aroma. Second, despite its strong aroma that elicits notes of citrus, pineapple, mango, apricot, and even Jolly Rancher candy, El Dorado has a remarkably strong alpha acid content, making it a good dual-purpose hop for
Tacoma Strong: Tuesday May 12 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a special American Craft Beer Week Coastal Breweries To-Go Beer Flight. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEER E9 Brewing has released their My Fishing Buddy Dry Hopped Lager for curbside. View this post on Instagram
American Craft Beer Week kicked off yesterday for seven days on kicking Buds, Heinekens, and Stellas aside for something more interesting. The Brewers Association, the national non-profit trade group for small and independent U.S. craft brewers that organizes the week, has been celebrating this annual craft beer focused week since its inception in 2006 when it was recognized by Congress. Hosted by CraftBeer.com, a website published by the Brewers Association, American Craft Beer Week provides an opportunity for beer lovers to connect safely with each other while supporting — and possibly even saving — local microbreweries, taprooms, brewpubs, and regional
This Mother’s Day will feel different for many — whether it’s because we’re separated from Mom by distance or quarantine, or because Mother’s Day traditions (including waiting for hours for a table in a crowded restaurant) are suddenly upended. Then, there are those moms who all they really want is a day off to do whatever they want, nap on the couch, take a hike, grab an socially-distant afternoon beer session with girlfriends. So maybe the best gift you could give Mom is to take the kids out for the day. Then, return to cook her dinner, or do take-out
Peaks and Pints Home Ale-lone 5.10.20 Hello everyone! Welcome to Peaks and Pints Home Ale-lone 5.10.20 — our Beer Parade on self-quarantine. Since public gatherings are still banned we have taken this week’s bartenders’ picks to our homes again. Knock! Knock! Looks like Phaedra is taking Chuckanut Brewery Kolsch hits in her driveway. Hang in there, Phaedra! Knock! Knock! Nicole is also yard drinking, popping open Stoup Brewing’s EMMA LEMMA IPA. Knock! Knock! Looks like Joe is knocking back Ninkasi Brewing’s Prismatic IPAs in a trailer down by the river. Good Lord! Nicole is still pouring. … Knock! Knock!
Tacoma Strong: Saturday May 9 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a special Northwest-style IPA to-go flight. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEER/CIDER Wingman Brewers has release Razma Attack and Spring Ale, both available for curbside until 7 p.m. and delivery until 6 p.m. View this post
Peaks and Pints New Beer In Stock 5.8.20 As we head into Mother’s Day Weekend, Peaks and Pints New Beer In Stock 5.8.20 includes new beer in our cooler from 7 Seas Brewing, Block 15 Brewing, Chuckanut Brewery, Left Hand Brewing, Matchless Brewing and Rogue Ales. Cheers! 7 Seas Brewing HAZY IPA: Formerly known as Willie Maize Haze, it’s brewed with flaked oats and maize for a soft, silky mouthfeel. Loaded with newfangled hops El Dorado, Mosaic, Idaho 7, and Meridian, this hazy IPA sports a big, grainy fresh hop nose, followed by juicy orange, toast, and wheat. 6.2% Block
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has reopened some recreational fishing and hunting in a phased approach following the state’s efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus. All freshwater fisheries opened under permanent rules, as did Puget Sound saltwater fisheries (Marine Areas 5-13), except for halibut, shrimp, and intertidal shellfish. If the rivers and lakes are open, and you’re following the CDC guidelines for social distancing, fishing is a great way to reduce stress and have fun. But, you’ll need some light craft beer to enjoy while waiting for the fish. Stop by our craft beer lodge for Peaks
Tacoma Strong: Thursday May 7 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a special to-go cocktail-inspired beer flight. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEERS 7 Seas Brewing has new branding and packaging. Check it out noon to 6 p.m. in their taprooms. View this post on Instagram
A crossover between the beer and bartending worlds has started emerging in breweries: beers inspired by the flavor profiles and recipes of cocktails. When beer is your job, you don’t necessarily want to go home and drink more beer. So it’s no shocker that on his or her down time, brewers like a stiff cocktail — which has led to craft beers that taste like cocktails; what a vicious, delicious cycle this is. The base is beer (usually, but not always, a strong one), but then the brewer became a bartender, measuring in specific ingredients that seem like novelties until
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.6.20 Peaks & Pints received a can drop from the East Coast today. Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.6.20 includes craft beer from Abomination Brewing, Evil Twin Brewing, Fat Orange Cat, Hoof Hearted, Nightmare and Short Throw Brewing. … Abomination Brewing MIDNIGHT SNACK #2: Brewed with midnight wheat, flaked oats and lactose, then conditioned atop a monstrous amount of cacao nibs and vanilla bean for a thick, super fudge-like chocolate cake imperial dessert stout. 13.2% Evil Twin Brewing MY SMALLTOWN HAS BEEN SO MUCH MORE CHARMING EVER SINCE THEY PUT IN
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.5.20 Today you get to drink plenty of lager, chow down on some Mexican carryout and unfriend every single person who makes a terrible Taco Tuesday joke. If you’re looking for new, non-Mexican-themed beers, Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.5.20 has the goods from Breakside Brewery, Ecliptic Brewing, Hellbent Brewing, Modern Times Beer, Narrows Brewing, and Oskar Blues Brewery. Breakside Brewery DREAM POP IPA: A collaboration with Pinthouse Pizza out of Austin, Texas, this light hazy IPA combines Pinthouse’s house yeast, Breakside’s selected lots of Amarillo and Citra, a sprinkle of
This week’s Tree-dimensional Tacoma tree is the Sequoiadendron giganteum “Pendula” in the Proctor District. Photo credit: Kate Swarner Tree-dimensional Tacoma: Sequoiadendron Giganteum Pendulum “Thanks to Peaks & Pints — specifically Kate Swarner and her dog-walking route — I wouldn’t have known there is a dinosaur tree in the Proctor District,” says Sarah Low, executive director of the Tacoma Tree Foundation. “I didn’t know ancient giant sequoias could look like dinosaurs. The Sequoiadendron giganteum “Pendula” guards Mason Middle School on North Mason between 28th and 29th streets. Unlike its wild parent, this dino will only grow to
Contrary to common assumptions, the 5th of May — Cinco de Mayo — is not Mexico’s day of independence. That’s Sept. 15, the day in 1810 when Mexico declared its independence from Spain. What Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates is the day Mexican Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza and his ragtag army defeated the French Foreign Legion more than 200 years ago at the Battle of Puebla. Viva Zaragoza! That battle ended on May 5, 1862, and Cinco de Mayo is now celebrated on May 5 all throughout Mexico but with added gusto in the state of Puebla, not to mention in
Today is Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day (it’s actually a celebration of the day Mexican forces defeated the invading French army in 1862). While you don’t need either of these pieces of information to enjoy the Mexican-themed beer and cider Peaks & Pints has on tap for growler fills, they do make you feel smarter though, eh? Bring in your growler, or purchase our nifty ones, and enjoy Peaks and Pints Cinco de Mayo To Go-Go: Growlers. Peaks and Pints Cinco de Mayo To Go-Go: Growlers Reverend Nat’s Viva La Pineapple 6% ABV
Tacoma Strong: Monday May 4 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is closed today, for rest and family time. We’ll re-open tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a bunch of Mexican-influenced beer and cider for growler fills and to-go in the cooler. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEERS/WINE Just a reminder: Wingman
Fancy Pants Sunday: Girardin Gueuze 1882 Consider the lambic. It originated more than 500 years ago in the Senne River Valley, south and west of Brussels, Belgium. Lambics are unique in that they are brewed with at least 30 percent unmalted wheat in addition to malted barley, preserved with aged hops, aged in oak barrels, and most differently, are spontaneously fermented. In traditional lambic brewing, the beer is boiled for an extraordinarily long time — usually at least three hours — and then the warm beer is pumped into a broad, shallow vessel called a koelship. The brew is left
Tomorrow is May 4 — which may not mean a lot to a lot of people, but it’s a special date for serious Star Wars fans. May the 4th (as in “May the Force be with you”) is the day on which we celebrate all things Star Wars-related. And what better way to celebrate the date than by drinking space-themed craft beer while watching Star Wars films from your couch. Where in the universe can you find such beer, padawan? Peaks and Pints: The Beer Cooler Awakens. Embrace your inner Jabba (or related Hutt) and stop by our little craft
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.2.20 Don’t let this soggy day stop you from getting the beer you want. Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.2.20 includes new craft beer from Backwoods Brewing, Narrows Brewing, Single Hill Brewing and Unsung Brewing. Cheers! Backwoods Brewing HAZY NELSON: Backwoods Brewing’s newest creation is an ode to another captivating presence of braided peace and song; he croons a melody of story like a shotgun into stardust. They call him Nelson. He is always on Backwoods’ mind. Hazy Nelson was released on 4/20, of course, with Nelson Sauvin and Southern Cross
Tacoma Strong: Saturday May 2 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is open today 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a special to-go flight of positive-thinking beers. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEERS/WINE Sig Brewing now has a crowler machine so you can enjoy the Tacoma brewery’s new Tacoma Tafelbier. View this post on Instagram
We woke up to rain in Tacoma’s Proctor District this morning, finishing off week seven of gloved-up social distancing, excessive cleaning and a takeout business model. While it may currently feel like we are living in a dystopian novel, for our own sanity, we will continue to serve the community and to work hard to find the bright side to this experience, which we do believe actually exists. In terms of our daily to-go beer flight on a rainy day, we came up with Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Positivity On The Fly. Cheers and be well! Peaks and Pints
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.1.20 Gov. Jay Inslee announced today he will extend the state’s stay-at-home order, which was set to expire Monday, through May 31. This pandemic has brought out so many feelings across the board and we can appreciate them all. Let’s all take a collective breath, say something positive about the day, and check out Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 5.1.20. … Boulevard Brewing RYE ON RYE WHISKEY BARREL AGED WITH MAPLE: Templeton Rye 4 Whiskey barrels were filled with Vermont maple syrup for two months, then re-filled with whiskey to create
If meat is the primary culprit in the 40-day struggle against desires of the flesh, sugar’s not far behind. Today is National Chocolate Parfait Day. Yes, you heard right: chocolate on May Day. Parfait literally means “perfect” in French! There are a couple of ways to make parfaits. The traditional French-style uses sugar syrup, eggs and cream. The American style layers parfait cream, ice cream and/or flavored gelatin in a tall, clear glass topped with whipped cream, fruit and/or liqueurs. Brewers add chocolate and creaminess to their craft beer. The parfait has recently taken healthy turn using yogurt layered with nuts and fresh fruits,
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 4.30.20 A six-pack worth of new beers arrived today. Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 4.30.20 includes craft beer by Little Beast Brewing, Matchless Brewing, Top Rung Brewing, and Urban Family Brewing. Little Beast Brewing SYLVESTRIS: Gose made with Oregon Pinot Noir grapes, Bitterman Salt. Co.’s Signature Fluer de Sel, and coriander. 5.5% TREASURE HUNTER: Sour session IPA dry hopped with El Dorado and Simcoe hops so the lemony acidity mingles nicely with the flavors of pineapple and stone fruit. 4.7% Matchless Brewing HE HATES THESE CANS: This hazy IPA is brewed
Tacoma Strong: Thursday April 30 2020 2 Beers, 5 Love Locals, and 3 Things To Do Peaks and Pints is open today 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for to-go sales from our 13-door craft cooler, growler fills, take-out food and a special to-go maibock beer flight. In addition, we’d like to give a few more shout-outs to awesome people offering help and relief during the self-quarantining and sheltering in place. Be well everyone! 2 TO-GO BEERS 7 Seas Brewing’s Beer Drive-Thru runs 2-6 p.m. at the Tacoma facility off South 23rd Street in Tacoma’s Historic Brewery District. View this
It’s maibock drinking season, at least according to the Germans. Since 1614, the first kegs are tapped at Munich’s Hofbräuhaus during the last week of April (obviously not this year) as they bid auf wiedersehen to winter and welcome the warming days of spring with a lager strong enough to withstand cooler nights but aromatic enough to match the flowering trees and budding plants outside. Maibocks (mai-, pronounced “my,” is German for May), like other bocks (stout lagers) are malt-forward, full-bodied beers with a stronger alcohol content (6.3 to 8.1 percent). But, unlike their darker brothers the dopplebock, maibocks highlight
Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 4.29.20 Peaks and Pints New Beers In Stock 4.29.20 includes goods from American Solera, Brouwerij Kees, Decadent Ales, Dugges, Stillwater, Evil Twin, Short Throw, Skookum Brewery, and Varietal Beer. American Solera PALS PALE: The hop recipe rotates in the Pals pale ale series. Peaks & Pints scored the version that is generously dry hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo hops for all that orange mango goodness. 5.6% Brouwerij Kees IMPERIAL STOUT 1850: Russian imperial stout with flavors of molasses, cocoa, brown sugar, plus hints of caramel and toffee. 12.4% Decadent Ales STRAWBERRY SORBET SOUR: