FRIDAY JULY 29 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … American Killers + Pike Brewing Co. = one foot in the ’80s Rhythm & Rye + 7 Seas Brewing = Mts. & Tunnels & Seas ROCK OUT American Killers is made up of three complete badasses who perform like lunatics: hair flying, bodies thrashing, vocal chords straining, fuzz exploding. The Sacramento rockers are back at The Valley with relentless, bone-shaking riffs and melodies with an appreciation for ’80s rock, but with a strong gusto of fresh energy. Catch them with Fair Lady and guests at 8 p.m. PREFUNK: Since
Pick up a copy of the Weekly Volcano and check out the 2016 Best of Tacoma issue, which names Wingman Brewers “Best Microbrewery” in Pierce County. MORNING FOAM FOR FRIDAY, JULY 29 2016: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news … Beginning Monday and continuing through Saturday, more than 30 beer-themed events will be held at 15 Tacoma venues for the third Tacoma Beer Week, an annual ode to all things beer. News Tribune food and beverage columnist Sue Kidd highlights five TBW events happening next week. Wingman Brewers was named “Best Microbrewery” in the Weekly
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, A tale of a Bainbridge Isle Brewing blitz That started from downtown Tacoma Inside the enormous Swiss. The mate was a mighty selling Beerman, The Swiss captain tall and sure. Twenty-five passengers drank ale last night For a three hour beer and food tour, a three hour tour. The weather started getting warm, Wild greens topped with sliced pears salad was tossed, If not for the steerage of the Swiss servers The Kommuter Kolsch would lose its perfect-frost, the Kommuter Kolsch would lose its prefect-frost. The dinner was grounded around beers
THURSDAY, JULY 28 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … KPLU Jazz + Silver City Bourbon Barrel Aged Giant Made of Shadows = aged beautifully Brews and News + Spire Mountain new cider = salmon with a little lime Thunders of Wrath + Freigeist beers = Pimrock and roll Gothic Dance Party + Oly Taproom = bats and Pelicans Jazz Under The Stars + BrewDad’s of Bonney Lake = Big Dipper and IPA KPLU JAZZ KPLU is kicking off a series of free summer and fall events to thank listeners for helping make 88.5 their newly-independent community station. The
Cartoonist’s League of Absurd Washingtonians presents a rousing game of “Win, Lose or CLAW (Against Humanity) at King’s Books tonight. WEDNESDAY, JULY 27 2016: South Sound events + craft beers … CLAW games + Rodenbach = surreal Open Mic + Bainbridge Island Brewing dinner = musical and cinnamon twists Wine and blues + New Belgium beers = fruity bouquets Bonus: El Tufo Spanish wines WIN, LOSE OR CLAW Cards Against Humanity is arguably the best game in the history of ever. It puts Monopoly, Candyland and even Scrabble to shame. A crass, pop-culture-inspired laugh riot, it’s
Run four miles, brtween four breweries, while drinking a beer at each. Photo courtesy of Facebook MORNING FOAM FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 27: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news … Sept. 26, runners and beer enthusiasts alike will be hitting the streets of Poulsbo for the Poulsbo Beer Run. The description of the run is simple: four miles, four breweries, with a beer at each. Upon signing up and paying their entrance fee, runners begin at their home brewery, enjoying a beer, before running the mile to the next brewery and so on. All this while
TUESDAY, JULY 26 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Bob Nelson Q&A + Fat Tire variants = Live Tacoma Co-op + South Sound Craft Crawl = rally THE CONFIRMATION Bob Nelson was part of the famed local comedy show Almost Live which made fun of the city of Kent a lot. Nelson lived in Kent. And now, almost 16 years later after that show’s demise, Nelson is almost famous, no he is famous, after his Oscar-nominated screenplay turned into an Alexander Payne movie called “Nebraska,” starring Bruce Dern. Now Nelson has directed a light drama, The Confirmation, about
MONDAY, JULY 25 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … California musicians + Divin’ Dipa IPA = diving into emotions 7 Seas Trivia + The Copper Door vinyl = community CRYNG UP THE COAST TOUR Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Jake Tittle and Orange County pianist Jerika Hayes are crying up the coast — at least that’s what they have called their West Coast tour. With a quivering voice and a gentle guitar Tittle approaches songwriting in a deeply personal and existential way. Accompanied by folk-rock and quasi-bluegrass arrangements, Tittle sings of family, friends and spiritual skepticism in a manner
Floating Bridge Brewing is now open in Seattle’s University District. Photo courtesy of Facebook MORNING FOAM FOR MONDAY, JULY 25: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the bottom funny. … Somewhere inside Poncha Springs, Colorado’s, Elevation Brewing, there’s a man they call “Christ.” (No, not that one, of course). In the halls of the shiny new building of Boulder’s Avery Brewing, a man is answering to the name “Meaty Bro.” These are a small sliver of some of the epic employee nicknames floating around your favorite breweries
With a demographic ranging from young folks looking for delicious craft beer on the water and reggae fans to Curtis High School grads celebrating their 20th reunion and proud friends raising glasses to the Tacoma brewery ownership and staff, the Narrows Brewing Company Reggae and Rock On The Water third anniversary bash was a gas, gas, gas. Peaks and Pints arrived just as Dave Hannon was rocking the joint, and by joint we mean Narrows Brewing’s facility and neighboring Narrows Marina, which the party overflowed into its boat storage facility and deck. Reggae bands Valley Green joined brothers Joe and
Whether you’ve been on Instagram since its beginnings in 2010 or you’re an Instagram neophyte, you know keeping up on important photos can be overwhelming. If you follow everything and everyone you find interesting, you can end up with hundreds and hundreds of Instagram posts showing up in your feed on a daily basis. Don’t despair. Peaks and Pints shares important and pointless IG posts from craft breweries’ IG accounts every Sunday so you may catch up on hiking beers and the latest action along the production line. This week, The Copper Door brews, McMenamins introduces cans, Wingman wins a
SUNDAY, JULY 24 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Back To Beale Street + Rodenbach Grand Cru = a blend of young and old Doyle’s Public House + Pint Defiance = cribbage and cans BACK TO BEALE STREET BLUES COMPETITION Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee is rich with history. From the early 1900s through the 1940s, it was swinging — every club and restaurant was filled with solemn saxophone, upbeat piano, gritty, soulful voices and even the occasional jug band. Jazz artists were fusing with blues legends like B.B. King, Muddy Water and Louis Armstrong to help birth
SATURDAY, JULY 23 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … The Avett Brothers + Rainier Growlers = Christmas present Jazzbones + Narrows Brewing Anniversary Party = Stars The Forgotten 45’s + craft beer = Cascadia Homebrew THE AVETT BROTHERS Summer festival favorites the Avett Brothers hail from Concord, N.C., and deal in a populist sort of country-tinged folk-rock that somehow attracts hippies, hipsters and frat boys alike. The Avetts could be the last of the purveyors of great album-oriented rock. They tell stories about what it means to be Southern, to be American, to be alive. Catch the Avett
Down North performs at Rhythm & Rye tonight. Photo courtesy of Facebook FRIDAY, JULY 22 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Halcion Halo + Ecliptic brewing = Parade of goodness Down North + Christmas in July = North Pole Good Vibes Trio + cask IPA = unfiltered good vibes The Grand Cinema + STINK Cheese + Meat = Absolutely Fabulous HALCION HALO Rocking Tacoma since 2013, Halcion Halo will bust down The Valley’s door tonight with a truckload of their new CD, Joke Parade. No joke, and either is the new release. The project
Tacoma Beer Week 2016 IPA brew day at Wingman Brewers: From left, Travis Guterson, 7 Seas Brewing; Jeff Carlson, Harmon Brewing Company, Mike Dempster, Wingman Brewers (kneeling), James Dutton, Odd Otter Brewing Co.; Bethany Carlsen, Pacific Brewing & Malting Co.; Greer Hubbard, Odd Otter Brewing Co.; Daniel Heath, Wingman Brewers (top). Courtesy phto Tacoma Beer Week, six jam-packed days of local craft beer love (Aug. 1-6), is among the few citywide beer celebrations to get its own official brew. The inaugural Tacoma Beer Week in 2014 saw seven-ish Tacoma breweries collaborate on the Tacoma Neo Noir,
The Museum of Glass’ courtyard will be on fire tonight. THURSDAY, JULY 21 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Jazz outdoors + Benedict Cucumberbatch = Jazzhands Picnicpants Indie pop + Two Beers = pouring two out Night Blow + Uinta Brewing = blow and flow JAZZ UNDER THE STARS Pacific Lutheran University, home to the stellar jazz and NPR station KPLU (yay!), takes the rhythms to the outside hosting Jazz Under The Stars — an outdoor concert series in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center Amphitheater. The shows are free, and so is the
Jeff Stokes, Three Magnets Brewing Co. / photo credit Pappi Swarner Evergreen State College alumni and Darby’s Café owners Nathan and Sara Reilly opened Three Magnets Brewing Co. in downtown Olympia in November 2014, but longtime home brewers Pat Jansen and Jeff Stokes brewed their first Three Magnets batches on the 15-barrel system several months early in July. Head brewer/local sourcing liaison Jansen and assistant brewers/taproom manager Stokes hit the ground running when the brewery opened in the late fall with several recipes dialed in. Together, they brewed a wide range of craft beers — Jansen’s
WEDNESDAY, JULY 201 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Monty Python + Firestone Walker = coconuts and rhinos Comedy Open Mic + Stone IPAs = Ruination Wine and blues + The Bruery = Mischief Pumphouse + New Belgium = Fat Wild MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL QUOTE-ALONG Few realizations resonate for the lifelong Python-head quite like the first time you overhear complete strangers incessantly quoting and requoting the Knights of Ni sequence. Talk about a moment of clarity. If you’re the kind of person who likes to put on your best bad British accent and throw our
Ruse Brewing Multibeast is a saison conditioned on oak with this special yeast culture Brett Urban W15 for nine months. Photo courtesy of newschoolbeer.com MORNING FOAM FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 20: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the bottom gunk. … Dubbed the “downtown Tacoma block party,” the 4th Annual Brew Five Three festival returns on Saturday, Aug. 13. The event features beer from more than 30 breweries and cideries, a great lineup of blues music, food trucks, and more, all on the streets of downtown Tacoma. Sip
A year ago Ken Thoburn’s vision came true. The Wingman Brewers co-owner and head brewer launched the South Sound Craft Crawl, a beer trail program involving a map, his fellow South Sound breweries and a growler reward for visiting all 15. With the help of JayRay advertising agency, and the Travel Tacoma + Pierce County and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor and Convention Bureau promotion experts, the South Sound Craft Crawl was a success, bring folks from outlying areas to visit 15 breweries in the area. Wingman Brewers is one of 21 participating venues on the South Sound Craft
B Sharp Coffee House hosts Creative Colloquy tonight. Photo courtesy of Facebook MONDAY, JULY 18 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Creative Colloquy + 99 Bottles = write and flight Tacoma Rainiers + Doyle’s Public House = what’s old is new CREATIVE COLLOQUY Since 2014, writer Jackie Casella has mined Tacoma’s rich literary talents and fostered relationships built upon mutual admiration of the written word. Her Creative Colloquy is a monthly celebration of the written word where brilliant South Sound writers tell stories such as a supernatural phenomena in Oklahoma, modern-day Gatsby tales in
MORNING FOAM FOR MONDAY, JULY 18 2016: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news … The Tides Tavern recently introduced an exclusive new beer called Healthy Bay Hef, with the goal of creating not only a refreshing and great-tasting beer, but also to support and engage in clean water efforts in the community. Green Flash Brewing Co. announced plans for their 2016 “Treasure Chest” program, the craft brewery’s sixth annual beer release and event series to raise funds for breast cancer charities. Bright pink bottles of Treasure Chest beer (22oz) will be available at retailers from coast to coast featuring
Whether you’ve been on Instagram since its beginnings in 2010 or you’re an Instagram neophyte, you know keeping up on important photos can be overwhelming. If you follow everything and everyone you find interesting, you can end up with hundreds and hundreds of Instagram posts showing up in your feed on a daily basis. Don’t despair. Peaks and Pints shares important and pointless IG posts from craft breweries’ IG accounts every Sunday so you may catch up on brewery anniversaries and the latest action along the production line. This week, Silver City rep Jordan paints, Sluggo Brewing joins Instagram, breweries
SATURDAY, JULY 16 2016: South Sound events + craft beer China Davis + Bremerton Summer Brewfest = Peninsula represent Brass Monkeys + Christmas in July = Ho ho, yo CHINA DAVIS Twenty years ago Gig Harbor raised brothers Ben and Ted Fuller took their love for U2, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground, John Lennon, Woody Guthrie, The Doors, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, The Alarm and The Moberlys and created original music in several bands, most notably China Davis. Songwriter Ben has been working on new material for the past year, dissecting and rebuilding note by note. At 9 p.m. in The
Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 175 To my unborn Sierra Nevada Beer Camp #175 Chicocabra Imperial Stout, To the most awe-inspiring creation ever made, I don’t think anyone is able to understand the love I have for you; I don’t even think I fully understand it myself. It has never quite made sense to me how anyone could love someone so much, without having ever met them, but from the moment I first heard your bubbling wort, my heart was filled with an abundance of that exact kind of love. There are a lot of scary things
Forest Beutel will perform at Rhythm & Rye tonight. FRIDAY, JULY 15 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … BLUES IN PROCTOR Paul Green plays the blues the way they’re meant to be played; shuffles in G and slow burning blues without the designer makeover. As a harp player, Green is one of the best in the state, and his vocals are as hip as the Pink Panther. Not one to rest on his laurels, the New Jersey transplant has a weekend gig with Mark Riley at G. Donnalson’s in Tacoma’s Proctor neighborhood. Guitarist Riley
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Book signing + Top Rung Brewing = times have changed Battle of the Bands + Puyallup River Brewing = chill, yo Open Mic Night + Pint Defiance = psalm and pFriem OLYMPIA MUSIC 1993-95 Let’s talk about Olympia. Olympia is a place where artists gather. There are galleries, and house parties and record stores. A dude who presses vinyl lives there. So does a dude who makes stickers and a woman who books a venue. And there were many bands. Because there’s an infrastructure that supports getting stuff done,
MORNING FOAM FOR JULY 13 2016: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the bottom gunk. … The Beer Fest of Destiny is a local-themed, Tacoma Beer Week festival featuring beers and more from Tacoma-area producers at Wingman Brewers Aug. 6. For the 35th year in a row, beer lovers will gather in Colorado from Oct. 6-8 for the Great American Beer Festival. GABF is the premier beer festival and competition in the U.S. and the largest showcase of American breweries. Tickets will be available for purchase to the general public online
TUESDAY, JULY 12 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … The Grand Cinema + Local Boys Tap Room = VIVA craft beer! The Oly Taproom + Three Magnets Brewing = Viva Olympia! VIVA FILM In the past year, actor Hector Medina has starred in two of Cuba’s biggest international coproductions. He played Yunisleidi, the transgender love interest in the controversial El Rey de la Habana. And now he stars as Jesús in Viva, which screens at 1:45 and 6:45 p.m. in The Grand Cinema as part of the Tacoma Pride Festival. Jesus is a hairdresser for a troupe of
BikeroBrew tour takes cyclists along the Prairie Line Trail in downtown Tacoma. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner A Saturday, July 2 afternoon bike excursion hosted by BikeroBrew offered participants a chance to explore downtown Tacoma breweries — and one distillery — while atop two wheels. With near-perfect weather and little traffic, the bicycling and beer tasting tour was a pleasant, fun experience. And, it’s rolling again this Saturday, Aug. 16. The afternoon kicked off at Old Soldier Distillery, where tour leader and BikeroBrew co-founder Christopher Stanis gave a brief description of the tour as well as went
MORNING FOAM FOR MONDAY, JULY 11 2016: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news, from the fluffy head all the way to the bottom gunk. … The craft-beer industry is running out of hop names. How craft brewers advance science, and make better beer. Author and Cicerone Julia Herz shares 16 of her favorite pairing resources to help you navigate the world of craft beer and food. Great Divide Brewing has released its summer seasonals that includes Hoss Oktoberfest Lager, Oatmeal Yeti, Nadia Kali and its 22nd Anniversary Dark American Sour Ale. Destihl Brewery, of Bloomington, Illinois announced it is
Whether you’ve been on Instagram since its beginnings in 2010 or you’re an Instagram neophyte, you know keeping up on important photos can be overwhelming. If you follow everything and everyone you find interesting, you can end up with hundreds and hundreds of Instagram posts showing up in your feed on a daily basis. Don’t despair. Peaks and Pints shares important and pointless IG posts from craft breweries’ IG accounts every Sunday so you may catch up on craft beer store openings and the latest action along the production line. July 4-10, 2016, Silver City Brewmaster Don “Big Daddy” Spencer
Mirrorgloss performs at Art on the Ave today. Photo courtesy of Facebook SUNDAY, JULY 10 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Art on the Ave + Pint Defiance = Sunday Sampler Rhythm & Rye + Three Magnets Brewing = Funk Sunday ART ON THE AVE Tacoma’s Art on the Ave really underscores how, at our cores, we are really just animals on the hunt for our next place of gratification for all our cravings, hungers (hand-held cuisine from restaurants), hobbies (street art team Game Not Fame, 100th Monkey, Goodwill Challenge, 150 vendors), thrills (inflatables,
“There is an ancient Celtic axiom that says good people drink good beer. Which is true, then as now. Just look around you in any public barroom and you will quickly see: bad people drink bad beer. Think about it.” — Hunter S Thompson How lucky we are to have 7 Seas Brewing to keep us from becoming one of Dr. Gonzo’s “bad people.” Although good beer is certainly a subjective passion, Thompson may have been on to something: Whether you’re a taproom snob or a casual appreciator of well-crafted local libations, 7 Seas Brewing’s community is strong, friendly and
SATURDAY, JULY 9 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … The Mix Block Party + 7 Seas Brewing Bash = all day party Lobsana + Northwest Brewing Bash = kaleidoscope of fun Loving Mary + Puyallup River Brewing = Total good times THE MIX BLOCK PARTY As you probably know it’s Tacoma Pride Festival week in Tacoma. The annual celebration honors the LGBTQA population of Pierce County with cultural events and educational opportunities. One of our favorite Tacoma Pride events is the Block Party held outside The Mix, which is always a gathering for hordes of LGBT people aiming
FRIDAY, JULY 8 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Straight Outta Oz + Stone RuinTen IPA = Operation Bucket of Water Kenny Rogers + South Sound Craft Crawl = you picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel STRAIGHT OUTTA OZ For over a century, L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has proven to be one of the most strangely malleable stories in all of American literature. Broadway actor Todrick Hall is the latest to find pieces of his own autobiography in the tale of a murderous farm girl and her imaginary friends. It’s too
Bremerton Summer Brewfest will be July 15-16 along Bremerton’s waterfront. MORNING FOAM FOR FRIDAY JULY 8 2016: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news … The 6th annual Bremerton Summer Brewfest will expand to two days (July 15-16) on the waterfront this year, just a short walk from the Seattle – Bremerton ferry. This event features 30+ Washington breweries pouring more than 100 craft beers. With the Major League Baseball season about at the halfway point, Seattle’s Pike Brewing releases its latest seasonal Pike No. 4 Session IPA. Brewed and named to honor baseball great’s Lou
Dorado performs at The Swiss tonight. Photo courtesy of Facebook THURSDAY, JULY 7 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … DJ Fir$t Lady + small Washington breweries = fresh beats Dorado + The Giant Made of Shadows = complex beats SUMMER HEAT DANCE PARTY The Brotherhood Lounge hosts “Summer Heat Dance Party” with DJ Fir$t Lady spinning her favorite old school hip-hop, plus other eclectic and funky dance tunes, beginning ta 9 p.m. Twenty-five percent drink sales from 9 p.m. to midnight goes to Interfaith Shelter. PREFUNK: This week, Northwest Beerwerks turns its attention to
7 Seas Brewing celebrates seven years with a party July 9. While 7 Seas Brewing has been in existence since 2008, a fire in January 2009 at the original downtown Gig Harbor address meant Puget Sound natives Travis Guterson and Mike Runion had to relocate their brewery. Popularity and growth forced them to move again to their current and much larger location back in downtown Gig Harbor. 7 Seas Brewing Co. now occupies the 11,000 sq. ft. former QFC grocery store with an 8,600 sq. ft. production facility and 2,400 sq. ft. taproom with long tables
Italian rock band Heavy Wood will perform at The Valley tonight. Photo courtesy of Facebook WEDNESDAY, JULY 6 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Heavy Wood + BrewDad’s of Bonney Lake = The Good, The Dad’s and The Snugly Tacoma Comedy Club + Georgetown Brewing = Laughs and drafts D’Vonne Lewis + Stone Brewing = powerful SPAGHETTI ROCK Italian rock band Heavy Wood incorporates elements of 1970s classic blues-rock rhythms as well as fast country tunes that chug along like something off an early Old 97’s album. They throw in feisty fingerpicking and old-world
Flat12 Bierwerks’ cold-fermented Kölsch is one of the better cucumber beers. MORNING FOAM FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 6 2016: A seven-taster flight of craft beer news … Ex Novo Brewing — the first nonprofit brewery in Portland and for that matter, the entire country — celebrates it second anniversary with a block party Saturday, July 9. Expect special beers pouring throughout the day, a photo booth, cake, special food menu, outdoor games, giveaways and anniversary beer Duo, a Barrel Aged Peach Lambic. Because Clackamas County’s beer scene has grown grow steadily (especially in Oregon City) over the
Tacoma Beer Week 2015 included a Wheel of Fortune like game at The Ale House. Photo credit: Pappi Swarner Tacoma Beer Week, the six-day showcase of craft breweries and their beers, is a great way to experience Tacoma’s bubbling beer culture. Founded by Zoe Brackney, the third annual edition of Tacoma Beer Week official starts Monday, Aug. 1. Whether you’re making your first visit to a local brewery tasting room, heading out on a craft beer special event or exploring how beer and food interact, Tacoma Beer Week will be the perfect time to dive into
Mister Blackwatch performs at Treos in Old Town Tacoma tonight. Photo courtesy of Mister Blackwatch’s youngest fan Lucy. TUESDAY, JULY 5 2016: South Sound events + craft beer … Mister Blackwatch + The Copper Door = magical flight Dough film + 99 Bottles = high flight MISTER BLACKWATCH In 2012, Tacoma musician, producer and actor Doug Mackey got the band back together — the band being Mister Blackwatch, which was born, lo, many years ago when Mackey, Nick Huff and Joe Wood had issues with cows, kites, a monster, a snake, a robot, bongos and “Orange,”
Local DJs will spin at The Swiss tonight in remembrance of their fellow DJ, Darrin Hugh Maitland-Nemec. SUNDAY, JULY 3 2016: South Sound events + craft beer Remember DJ Darrin + Coxswain Stout = pouring one out Foam Fest 13 + Sunday Sampler = Euro Party SPINNIN’ IN THE SKY Darrin Hugh Maitland-Nemec, 40, has left this world and his fellow DJ friends are celebrating his life at “Horizon: A Celebration of Life for Darrin Nemec” in The Swiss. DJ Darrin was a lover of all music, skater of boards, spinner of vinyl and a blower
