Tie dye, LSD, free love, peace protests, music and meditation. Five decades ago, San Francisco became the center of counterculture, and Peaks and Pints celebrates the Summer of Love with a special beer flight today. Breweries brewed special craft beers inspired by their favorite songs from the late 60s and we’re pouring them from our Western red cedar tap log while our jukebox pumps out what was heard squealing out windows from Hashbury lofts and bouncing out of radios in Carnaby Street clothing shops back during that special bohemian summer. So enjoy of Craft Beer Crosscut 8.13.17: A Flight of Summer
Tie dye, LSD, free love, peace protests, music and meditation. Five decades ago, San Francisco became the center of counterculture, and Peaks and Pints will celebrate the Summer of Love with Tacoma breweries from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today. Tacoma breweries brewed special craft beers inspired by their favorite hippie songs of 1967 and we’re pouring them from our Western red cedar tap log while our jukebox pumps out what was heard squealing out windows from Hashbury lofts and bouncing out of radios in Carnaby Street clothing shops back during that special bohemian summer. Narrows Brewing Company offers their hazy
TACOMA PREFUNK FRIDAY, AUG. 11 2017: Cans For A Cause Party and Tacoma Beer Week events PREFUNK: Tacoma Beer Week continues, and what better way to celebrate than by helping others. With cans. It may be warm and sunny outside, but people are still starving right in our neighborhoods. For the past week, Peaks and Pints, 7 Seas Brewing, Silver City Brewery, No-Li Brewhouse, Bale Breaker Brewing Co., Fish Tale Ales and Iron Horse Brewery host Tacoma Beer Week 2017 Cans For A Cause hosted a canned food drive in support of the Tacoma Rescue Mission. At 5 p.m. Peaks
So what makes a dark beer dark? It all comes down to the malts. Though all beer relies on malts (cereal grains that have been allowed to germinate, then dried to halt the germination process), dark beers are unique in their use of black and dark malts. These grains are heavily roasted to achieve the characteristic color as well as the caramelized, toasty flavors we love. The blanket term “dark beer” encompasses everything from classic styles like schwarzbier (a dark German lager) to the relatively new and trendy black IPAs. The most familiar dark beers, however, are generally billed as
TACOMA PREFUNK THURSDAY, AUG. 10 2017: Firestone Walker S’mores Day and Tacoma Beer Week events PREFUNK: Peaks and Pints would be hard-pressed to think of a more deservedly decorated outfit to host during Tacoma Beer Week … on National S’mores Day! In addition to our house s’mores dessert jars from Tacoma baker Auntie B’s, we’ll sip decadent Firestone Walker Brewing Co. treats such as Nitro Merlin Milk Stout, 100 percent bourbon barrel aged Velvet Merkin imperial oatmeal stout, Sucaba barleywine, Stickee Monkey strong ale, Bravo barrel aged imperial brown ale, plus Leo v. Ursus: Adversus imperial IPA and other craft
Welcome back to another edition of Craft Beer Crosscut. Peaks and Pints’ carefully calibrated algorithms constantly collect data to produce the best daily craft beer flights. Today, we don’t need no stickin’ algorithms. It’s National S’mores Day. Today’s beer flight writes itself, as they say. How much do you love the marshmallow, chocolate, graham combo? Bet if we throw in beer, it’ll make it more dear. Indeed, s’mores are a simple backyard pleasure (unless you live in the core of the sun like our summer with burn bans galore) so we’re pleased to have another excuse to get our marshmallow
Do you enjoy craft beer and craziness? Peaks and Pints hosts both when the craft breweries and cidery of Thurston County invade at 6 p.m. tonight. TACOMA PREFUNK WEDNESDAY, AUG. 9 2017: Thurston County Craft Beer Tap Takeover and Tacoma Beer Week events PREFUNK: Thurston County’s beer roots run as deep as its famous artesian wells. In 1896 successful Montana brewer Leopold Schmidt opened the Capital Brewery after discovering the famous artesian water was ideal for brewing beer. Originally housed in a stackhouse in Tumwater, and eventually renamed Olympia Brewery, it was a significant player in
University of Washington-Tacoma will launch a new series of certificate programs that reflect the growth of the craft beer industry in the South Puget Sound region, including Tacoma’s burgeoning Brewery District. MORNING FOAM FOR WEDNESDAY, AUG. 9 2017: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the bottom suspicious vehicle. … The University of Washington — Tacoma launches a Craft Beer Certificate Programs starting this fall. UW Tacoma, which just happens to be located in downtown Tacoma’s historic and recently reborn Brewery District, will offer a practical, hands-on approach to
The popularity of craft beer is rising more swiftly than ever, with more than 5,000 breweries across the United States. Thurston County, the original home of the Olympia Brewery, has embraced the trend wholeheartedly. Thurston County’s beer roots run as deep as its famous artesian wells. In 1896 successful Montana brewer Leopold Schmidt opened the Capital Brewery after discovering the famous artesian water was ideal for brewing beer. Originally housed in a stackhouse in Tumwater, and eventually renamed Olympia Brewery, it was a significant player in the region’s sudsy brew movement. The brewery slogged through Prohibition during the early 20th
TACOMA PREFUNK TUESDAY, AUG. 8 2017: Everybody’s Brewing’s Cot Damn and Tacoma Beer Week PREFUNK: Kettled versus aged. The former is a trendy way to make sour-tasting beer. It is much quicker, doesn’t require any special equipment and is less expensive to make. The latter is an age-old tradition that involves careful production, long periods of fermentation and use of bacteria or wild yeast that if left unchecked can contaminate other beers. With kettle souring, bacteria is added to the raw wort, or unfermented beer. Brewers boil the wort to kill off the bacteria after it has reached the desired
Tettnang, a noble hop, is known for its all-purpose hop versatility, great for its aromatic and bittering properties. Grown in the Tettnanger region in Bavaria, near Bodensee, near the southern border of Germany, as a land-race hop, it is prized in the German-style lager and pilsner tradition. It is also grown in the US, and Swiss where controversy brews about the legitimacy of their Tettnang hops. Many believe they are spawned from Fuggle hops since “Tettnanger” cultivation is traditional in Switzerland, it is most likely that the Swiss Tettnangers were never Tettnang Tettnanger’s to start with. US growers, in recent
Craft beer has a number. TACOMA PREFUNK MONDAY, AUG. 7 2017: Peaks and Pints Hopnificent 7 and Tacoma Beer Week PREFUNK: The Hopnificent Seven, a remake of the classic 1960 Western (itself a remake of the 1954 Japanese film The Seven Samurai ) comes with an all-star cast, a wide-ranging arsenal of hops and some funny lines. Directed by Mike Bosold, an award-wining shorts storyteller, it’s a tale of primary hop additions and dry-hopping during Tacoma Beer Week. When roughians invade the mountain-themed Peaks and Pints bottle shop, taproom and restaurant of Basecamp Proctor, leaving just
Enjoy craft beer and cider from the Columbia River Gorge area before catching Dunkirk at The Grand Cinema. TACOMA PREFUNK SUNDAY, AUG. 6 2017: Tacoma Beer Week Launch Party and Dunkirk PREFUNK: Tacoma Beer Week officially launches today and continues through Aug. 12. In all, more than 40 events are happening at 15 venues. Peaks and Pints hosts a Tacoma Beer Week launch party with the craft breweries and cideries of the Columbia River Gorge. Brewers and representatives from Walking Man Brewing, Backwoods Brewing, Everybody’s Brewing, pFriem Family Brewers, Jester & Judge Hard Cider, Double Mountain
Sometimes it’s hard to think of Tacoma as an urban environment. Deer graze on North End flowerbeds at night. Rabbits hop across the pavement. Point Defiance Park is a large urban park in the United States. It’s nice existing so close to Mama Nature, but living in this city — surrounded by concrete, neon, strip malls and construction — you still want a little more Great Outdoors. If you’re looking for a little dirt, bug and tree action, but still want to dine and shop well, the Columbia River Gorge/Hood River is three hours away. Beginning approximately 15,000 years ago,
Drop by Peaks and Pints this afternoon, tie dye a shirt with The Grand Cinema, then enjoy a craft beer and cider. Cheers! TACOMA POSTFUNK SATURDAY, AUG. 5 2017: Proctor Arts Fest and Brew Five Three After Party POSTFUNK: Peaks and Pints sets aside our Daily Prefunk entertainment suggestions for a special Postfunk today. Two Beers Brewing Co., Seattle Cider Company and Peaks and Pints are throwing an “After Party” immediately following the Proctor Arts Festival and Brew Five Three: Tacoma’s Beer & Blues Festival at 7 p.m. Doesn’t a Two Beers Wonderland Trail IPA with
Peaks and Pints will celebrate Tacoma Beer Week with the craft breweries and cidery from the Columbia River Gorge at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6. MORNING FOAM FOR SATURDAY, AUG. 5 2017: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the computer craft beer program. … Brew Five Three, the annual beer and blues festival, starts at 1 p.m. today, and it’ll have seven hours of live music, 39 breweries and cideries offering small tastes, and seven food trucks at a block party that sets up on Broadway between
You know the story. In 2005, Joel VandenBrink found himself in a disagreement with a friend, so they headed to a local pub to talk it through. After the second pint disappeared, the two friends had an honest conversation. Before that second pint, VandenBrink was putting his engineering degree from Grand Valley State University to use at the Johnson Controls plant in Holland, when he wasn’t exploring the great outdoors. The outdoorsman eventually moved to the great Seattle outdoors, epic solo hikes and, eventually that second pint of beer. After a homebrew starter kit and an inspirational tour of New
One thing any visitor or new resident to the South Sound should know: People still love to bitch about the summers here. So not only are you coping with the heat (underwear sticking to you, wrestling with those windshield sun shades, the electric bill in general), you’re coping with people complaining endlessly about the heat. If you’re a native, you know this summer is extraordinarily hot. Cars smell like suntan lotion even with no one inside. Priests are asked to put in a good word for air conditioners. Trips to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium are a carnival of sticky
There is something you should know about beer: There is a holiday for virtually everything about beer that is celebrated somewhere, somehow, including today’s IPA Day, which gives glory to hops, bittering units and IPAs. Founded in 2011, IPA Day is a global celebration of craft beer. It is a universal movement that was created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers and brewers worldwide. IPA Day was originally developed as a social media-based holiday, but has since expanded into a worldwide party, boasting hundreds of IPA-themed events, celebrations and Peaks and Pints craft beer flight. India Pale
Suffering from insomnia is no fun, and just the thought alone of trying to fall asleep can make you anxious. But help in the form of hops could be an answer. Hops are a known sedative, and some research suggests that when the extract from hops is combined with the valerian root extract at bedtime, it can assist in helping people fall asleep faster. Peaks and Pints doesn’t have a lot of valerian root lying around but we do know several craft beers with hop extract helps us fall asleep. Many craft brewers brew with hop extract. Hop extract is
TACOMA PREFUNK TUESDAY, AUG. 1 2017: E9 Frambuesa Moka and blues jam PREFUNK: When people discuss sour beers, rarely do they discuss it in terms of dark beers. Dark sour beers are on the periphery right now but they are coming and were on display. E9 Brewery’s Frambuesa Moka is everything one could hope for in a sour stout — it’s acidic on the first sip as one would expect from a sour beer, but it is also extremely creamy, smooth and toasty like a stout should be. It’s a great marriage of these two very distinct styles and its
The World Beer Awards is a prestigious competition for beer globally. The annual tasting selects, awards and promotes the “World’s Best Beers” to consumers and the trade. The annual competition features thousands of beers from around the world, with regional heats of blind tastings taking place in various countries in Europe, Asia and The Americas, followed by a final tasting of style winners from each region to select the World’s Best. The 2017 World Beer Awards is closing in on the final round of judging where the best beer in each style from the first two rounds are then tasted against each
Tacoma Beer Week begins Sunday, Aug. 6, kicking off a six-day celebration of craft beer. While the countywide festival is organized by Zoe Brackney, who founded Tacoma Beer Week four years ago, most of the events associated with the celebration are operated independently, produced by local bottle shops, bars, breweries and restaurants. These include beer-pairing dinners, tasting parties, special beer releases and tap takeovers. Peaks and Pints, the craft beer and cider bottle shop, taproom and restaurant that opened Nov. 1, 2016 in Tacoma’s Proctor District, celebrates its first official Tacoma Beer Week with a packed week of events. “We
Singer/songwriter Kristen Marlo joins guitarist Jeff Ross at Odd Otter brewing tonight. TACOMA PREFUNK MONDAY, JULY 31 2017: Holy Mountain Helmsman and variations PREFUNK: Holy Mountain Brewing Co. does wonderful things with malt in its Seattle brewhouse, despite the brand’s fame with IPAs, sours and saisons. Its easy drinking mild English mild clocks in at 3.7% ABV, which is lovely on a day like today. English mild ales are easy drinking and slightly malt-forward in both aroma and flavor. “Mild” often refers to the relative lack of hop bitterness. Drop by Peaks and Pints for Holy
Who doesn’t remember waking up on Saturday mornings, parking a big yellow beanbag in front of the tube, and settling in for a round of Saturday morning cartoons? And if you’re anything like Peaks and Pints, we had one Saturday morning staple: an overflowing bowl of Shredded Wheat with milk sloshing over the sides (thanks, Mom!). Yes, we were Shreddheads. Oh, how we wish we were Lucky Charmers holding our spoons overhand-style and make slurping noises as we ate desiccated marshmallows. Nope. On July 31, 1893, Denver, Colorado salesman Henry Perky said “to hell with selling railroad cars” and patented
TACOMA PREFUNK SUNDAY, JULY 30 2017: Fort George Sucker Punch and world music PREFUNK: Kettle souring involves cooking the grist, but then allowing it to cool in the brew kettle where lactobacillus, bacteria found in foods such as yogurt, cheese and sauerkraut, is introduced. After one to two days, the mash becomes sour and then the brewing process is restarted with enough heat to kill the bacteria, but leave a distinctive acidic tartness. Fort George Brewery perfected the process with its Sucker Punch Kettle Sour. It’s a thirst quenching sour with an in-your-face lemon-lime zestiness. Made with non-intrusive hops and
Craft brewers love to experiment. Whether they’re home brewers or work at a major craft brewery, creativity is really at the heart of this industry. Brewers are always willing to push the envelope with styles of beer as well as ingredients. Purists will tell you that adding things like vanilla, chocolate or chili peppers to beer is unnecessary and in some cases, offensive, but others embrace the experimental nature of brewing and have fun with figuring out different ways to create their favorite beverage. Maybe a craft brewer identifies the flavor bridge exists between earthy and citrus-forward hops as well
TACOMA PREFUNK SATURDAY, JULY 29 2017: Ninkasi Ground Control and free pinball PREFUNK: Consider space. Albert became the first monkey in space June 11, 1948, when NASA sent a V2 rocket carrying him up 83 miles. Laika the dog became the first Earth-born creature to orbit the Earth when the Russians sent her into space atop a Sputnik rocket on Nov. 3, 1957. Countless astronauts have since ventured into space, traveling as far as the moon. So is it surprising that Eugene beer maker Ninkasi Brewing decided to launch several vials of yeast into space aboard a rocket and then
What does The Catcher in the Rye catch? Is this a baseball thing? Or is it a rye thing? What is rye, anyway? We mean, we know it’s food because they put it in rye bread, but can you eat it on its own? Rye is used to make some of the world’s driest, spiciest whiskeys. It’s also used to brew craft beer. That’s rye-t. Rye has been a part of the brewer’s tool kit since at least the Middle Ages. Bavarian Germans have been making roggenbier — a style similar to the German wheat beer, but made with rye
TACOMA PREFUNK FRIDAY, JULY 28 2017: Iron Goat Brewing and Dave Made A Maze PREFUNK: A year after moving into their new digs in downtown Spokane Iron Goat Brewing Co. now distributes in Tacoma, including Peaks and Pints in Tacoma’s Proctor District. Owned by couples Greg and Heather Brandt and Paul Edminster and Sheila Evans, the increased production capacity allows for more consistent distribution of both bottled and draft beers in the local market and the recent expansion into Western Washington. The Impaler, an imperial India pale ale and its kid brother Head Butt IPA, both receive a biscuity character
Steve Luke of Cloudburst and Brad Benson of Stoup Brewing collaborated at the first Washington Beer Collaboration Fest. Photo by Pappi Swarner MORNING FOAM FOR FRIDAY, JULY 28 2017: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the pealouts. … For the second year in a row, the Washington Beer Commission collaborates with the states craft breweries that collaborated on 28 special beers. The beers will be pouring at the Washington Beer Collaboration Fest Aug. 19 at the South Lake Union Discovery Center. Don’t believe the hype. Millennials aren’t
Does everything have a national day? A few days ago it was National Hot Dog Day. And apparently tomorrow is National Chicken Wing Day. A better question is: Is everyday a National Day for something? Yes, yes it is. Today, in fact, is National Milk Chocolate Day. How could we ignore National Milk Chocolate Day? Oh, what a day! What a day! What a day! Milk chocolate, you see, is the way chocolate should be eaten. Dark (or real) chocolate is disgusting and bitter and gross on the tongue. It is also pretentious and stupid. People who enjoy high-percentage cocoas
TACOMA PREFUNK THURSDAY, JULY 27 2017: Narrows Brewing Lodge Meeting and Baby Groot PREFUNK: Craft-beer drinkers have never had more options for enjoying their favorite beverage. You can head out and hit any of the dozens of craft breweries in the South Sound now has to offer. On the other hand, sometimes all you want to do is sip a delicious craft beer while becoming lost in a beautiful view. At Narrows Brewing Co., you can do both. Founded in July 2013 by a group of friends, Narrows Brewing Co. is a 15-barrel brewhouse built on wood pilings next to
Opposing forces. Dictionaries define the term as to fight against, counter, or resist strongly. In military terms, opposing forces (abbreviated OPFOR, used in the United States and Australia) or enemy force (used in Canada) is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios. Beer can best be described as two opposing forces looking for some level of balance. On one side you have malt, which is generally malted barley, that adds sugars for fermentation and overall body and sweetness to the beer and on the other side you have hops, which add bitterness to
TACOMA PREFUNK WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 2017: Iron Horse Hopping Hands El Dorado and the Urban Pioneers PREFUNK: Independent craft breweries in the United States often contribute to military causes. Some of the breweries have taken their support one step further with beneficial campaigns, such as Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg, Washington. Iron Horse Brewery launched the Hopping Hands Project in May; a four-month, single hop IPA release with proceeds benefiting the Veterans Conservation Corps, a department of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. The VCC provides opportunities for veterans to connect with nature in their own way while restoring
While beer has traditionally been made from just four simple ingredients — hops, barley, water and yeast — the addition of other ingredients can yield brews that are refreshing and unique. Fruit is one of the most common extra ingredients added to beer. While berries such as blueberries and raspberries are the most popular fruit additions, beer can also benefit marvelously from the addition of citrus, including lemon. Using lemon in beer is nothing new, but, perhaps because it is labor intensive and costly to add fresh citrus zest to a beer, it is still rare. The most straightforward way
If we had to put flavors to John Denver’s “Calypso” our basket would be full of tropical fruits. When hop grower Hopsteiner hears “Calypso” they envision hints of pear and apple, lemon, lime and notes of earthly tea. “Calypso” popped into their heads when they discovered a diploid aroma-type hop, originating from a cross between Hopsteiner breeding female 98005 and a Hopsteiner male derived from Nugget and USDA 19058 male. Despite its aroma-focused origins, the Yakima Valley bred, dual-purpose diploid hop Calypso boasts a high alpha acid percentage. Calypso hops have a unique aroma and flavor that covers a wide
TACOMA PREFUNK TUESDAY, JULY 25 2017: Great Divide Nadia Kali and Cate Blanchett PREFUNK: Peaks and Pints pours Great Divide’s seasonal Tank Farm series Nadia Kali from our Western red cedar tap log today. Its name is homage to the countries where hibiscus is grown. The pink-hued saison brewed with hibiscus, ginger root and lemon peel sports a juicy, fruity aroma. It tastes like a saison with ginger. And it tastes good. Peaks and Pints, Tacoma 2:05 & 6:40 P.M. MANIFESTO: Cate Blanchett puts on more than a dozen disguises, then stands in front of art-writer-director Julian Rosefeldt’s camera loudly
Lorin Walker Madsen performs at Peaks and Pints tonight. TACOMA PREFUNK MONDAY, JULY 24 2017: Lorin Walker Madsen and The Big Sick PREFUNK: Lorin Walker Madsen, a trailer park troubadour from Salt Lake City, knocks out grimy country-punk drinking ditties like some orphaned child of Hank III and the Devil Makes Three. Blending a road-tough attitude into his own brand of high desert honky punk — gritty vocals and honest lyrics laid over his take on traditional and red dirt country music — Madsen and his kick drum and guitar will perform during for a Peaks
Do you feel a chill in the air? Jack Frost nipping at your nose? Hard to imagine on 81-plus degree days in the middle of summer, but Peaks and Pints will be celebrating the holiday season all day by pouring a five-beer flight of winter-ish craft beers. Warm snaps in the weather make for fine opportunities to sip bold winter beers, bursting with spices, roasted malts, and complex flavors. Take a break from those lighter brews and sip the bold, rich porters, stouts and winter warmers that are typically enjoyed during the colder months. Christmas is five months away, y’all.
TACOMA PREFUNK: FRIDAY, JULY 21 2017: Carnivale de Belgian Beerloo and Ben Harper PREFUNK: Today is Belgian 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 celebration, Peaks and Pints hosts Carnivale de Belgian Beerloo, a Belgian beer tap takeover with Merchant du Vin Artisanal Imports, Total Beverage Solutions, Radeberger Gruppe and the Gritty City Sirens Burlesque Troupe at 6 p.m. Peaks and Pints will do our very best
Today isn’t just Friday. 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 —
TACOMA PREFUNK THURSDAY, JULY 20 2017: Slaughter County Brewing and Lynyrd Skynyrd PREFUNK: Homebrewer Scott Kirvin spent 30 years honing his craft before opening the pirate-themed Slaughter County Brewing Co. in 2012. He brews his craft beers with a beautiful view of Sinclair Inlet, which separates his Port Orchard brewhouse from Bremerton. Peaks and Pints will pour four Slaughter County craft beers at 6 p.m. Kirvin will walk onto our 1940’s fir plank floor with his Gorst Pilsner Style Ale with German ale yeast, Midwest style Ol’ One Eye IPA, Luna Negra Blackberry Wit and Bondsmans Bitter ESB with Maris
Think of the last time you were at the Washington Brewers Festival: How many hop-related hats, logos, shirts and tattoos did you see? Now, how many Munich malt logos? It can feel like craft beer drinkers give barley short shrift, which kind of makes sense since our proximity to the hop farms creates a special level of affection for the green cones. But, barley has been used to brew beer for 10,000 years. Munich malts hold a special place in the brewer’s repertoire of raw materials. Offering both color and flavor benefits typically associated with specialty malts plus diastatic power
