FRIDAY, DEC. 2 2016: South Sound events + craft beer …
The Valley + Peaks and Pints = the story of two drummers, two keyboardists and two beers
The Swiss + Pint Defiance = Rabbits and Dragons
UNIQUE SONIC EXPERIENCE
Mixing rock with an electronica bump gives Seattle band Gems a human edge rarely found in modern music. According to pre-show hype, “Two drummers, Adrian Van Batenburg and Jacob Evans, provide the foundation of syncopated interweaving rhythms, while two keyboardists, Gary Palmer and Dan Rapport, build melodic and bass heavy songs around it.” The Seattlites make a trip south to The Valley, performing with Pacific Sunrise Quartet and Retrospecter, beginning at 9 p.m.
PREFUNK: Fremont Brewing Company’s Abominable Winter Ale is now simply called Winter Ale. Yes, Hopworks Urban Brewing had something to do with the name change as the Portland brewery trademarked “Abominable” before the Seattle brewery. It’s cool. The two breweries hugged it out, and agreed to brew a beer together down the road. In the meantime, Fremont’s Winter Ale — a freakin’ delicious winter ale with spicy aroma, dark roasted chocolate malt and rich notes of bourbon, wood and vanilla — is in Peaks and Pints’ cooler ready for you to pop open or take home, beginning at 11 a.m.
BACKYARD FOLK
Though all four members of Rabbit Wilde grew up running around wooded areas of the same small town in the farthest Northwest corner of Washington state, brothers Zach and Nathan didn’t meet Miranda, the third founding member, until they had all ended up in New York City. This kind of backyard folk seasoned by the edge, polish and fervor of big-city inclinations is at the root of their high-energy sound and stage presence. The group revamps classic string band instrumentation with homespun percussion and the unique integration of six-string ukulele and Jillian Walker on cello. With their widely varying influences, three distinct vocal styles and copious amounts of foot-stomping, they demonstrate a sound and presence that’s at once original and familiar, appealing to audiences of all generations and genres. Enjoy a strong hit of folk-rock via this four-piece from Bellingham with locals The Cottonwood Cutups at 9 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant and Pub.
PREFUNK: Just 20 short years ago Jason Spaulding and Brett Vander Kamp were lining up investors to get started on their goal to make beers that were unique to Western Michigan. Eleven years later they were making more than 7,500 U.S. barrels a year at their New Holland Brewing Company. Dragon’s Milk, a year-round staple at the brewery, has long been a favorite of New Holland fans. First brewed in 2001, the stout uses two row, Munich, caramel, crystal, black, chocolate malt, and flaked barley grains along with glacier and nugget hops to achieve its roasted, malt character. It’s also made with Michigan beet sugar and aged for more than 90 days in oak bourbon barrels that give it its signature flavor. You’ll notice it pours a deep dark brown with a caramel-brown colored lacing at Pint Defiance when the bottle shop and taproom serves the beer along with its dragon lady, Dragon’s Milk Reserve Coconut Rum Barrel, beginning at 4 p.m.
