American Craft Beer Week events in CU

May 17-23 is American Craft Beer Week. There is a facebook group for it.

There will be events all over CU during the week. The Champaign Urbana Beer Club will be visiting select bars during the week. Here's the schedule for events; check back often, more events will be added as they are announced.

Full Week events:

• Seven Saints, Founders Blitz, there will be bottles of KBS, Nemesis, Breakfast Stout, Curmudgeon, Backwoods Bastard, Imperial Stout, and Cerise.

• Blind Pig, 25 limited release American craft beers will be on draft throughout the week; $1 off all American craft bottles; Dark Horse Brewery Stout Tour, drink all 5 bottled stouts and earn a logo pint and $5 BP gift certificate.

• Mike n' Molly's Imperial Week, numerous imperial style beers will be tapped (double IPA's, Imperial Stouts, and whatever else is hidden in the cellar)

• Radio Maria Four of the highest rated beers will be tapped: Port Old Viscosity, Port Older Viscosity, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Lost Abbey the Angel's Share
  

• Black Dog Smoke and Ale House Sauces made from American Craft Beers (Monday, New Holland Golden Cap; Tuesday, Two Brother's Ebel Weiss; Wednesday, New Holland Dragon's Milk; Thursday, Two Brother's Cain and Ebel)
  

Wednesday, May 19:

• Black Dog Smoke & Ale House, 3pm, Eric Puffer from Marketplace distribution will be giving a clinic on beer. Beer Clinic

• Crane Alley, 6:30 pm, Champaign Urbana Beer Club Monthly Meeting; East vs. West.

Thursday, May 20:

• Crane Alley, Founders/BrewDog Night, 9pm, Small batch Founders on tap. Bottles of KBS, Backwoods Bastard, Reds Rye, Porter and Dirty Bastard. Also showcasing small batch BrewDog beers. Local rep will be on hand to answer any questions (probably Eric Puffer). Free gifts.

• Seven Saints, Beer Class at Seven Saints, 9:30 pm. I believe the theme might be "America, Fuck Yeah!".

• Sunsinger will host a free tasting featuring the fore runners of American Craft Beer (Anchor, North Coast, Rogue, Sierra Nevada, Capital)

Saturday, May 22

• Friar Tuck tasting will showcase American Craft Beers

Sunday, May 23

• Corkscrew tasting will feature beers from Port Brewing, Southern Tier, Dark Horse, and Founders

A Timeline of Craft Beer; Beer Class at 7 Saints

If you missed it last night (and you probably did) Andy B. instructed a special beer class last night in honor of American Craft Beer Week.

The theme last night was "a timeline of craft beer".

The first beer we had was Anchor Steam, while it's not one of my favorite beers (or breweries) without Anchor, there might not be a craft beer movement in the U.S. Anchor opened in 1896, but Fritz Maytag bought it in 1965.

The next beer we had was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Sierra Nevada opened in 1979.

Bells Oberon. Bells opened in 1983.

Sam Adams Boston Lager. Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) opened in 1985.

Rogue Dead Guy. Rogue opened in 1988.

Left Hand Milk Stout. Left Hand opened in 1994.

Founders Dirty Bastard. Founders opened in 1997.

Three Floyds Dark Lord. Three Floyds opened in 1996. (Ok, so that's out of order, but it was the Coup de grâce. There's really nothing you could do, to drink after the last beers were put out.




What would/could you drink after those five bottles?

(To the tune of "Jesus Loves the Little Children")

Virgil loves the vintage Dark Lord
All the Dark Lord every year

Red, Gold, Gray, Black, and White
They are precious in his sight
Virgil loves the vintage Dark Lord of the world!

Ok, supposedly it's orange and not red. It was awesome. I'm not sure the value of that lineup, but Andy provided the most recent 4, (gold through white) and Noah brought in the Red/Orange. I think the White, Black, and Gray ($125) were all ones that I brought back from the brewery.

There was a distinct difference between all the beers. The white (this year) seemed a bit thinner than the rest, and it's flavors were sharp. The black was very good; thick, creamy. The gray is one of the best vintages of Dark Lord. I've never had the gold before, and by the time we were on that one, my palate was going. The red/orange I had on Dark Lord Day, as Doctor Andy brought a bottle.

Just having those 5 beers would have been a most excellent beer class, but to have them as the kicker on the timeline, made a great evening. We drank them right up to around midnight.

Thanks to Andy for hosting us and providing those 4 bottles. Thanks to Noah for bringing in the fifth.

American Craft Beer Week.

It's American Craft Beer Week (consider yourself proclaimed).

In celebration, the Champaign Urbana Beer Club will be drinking alot, possibly more than normal (yeah, screw those bloomington bastards anyway!). There's an itinerary for the club. Please follow along.

Monday, May 11, Blind Pig.
Tuesday, May 12, Mike and Molly's
Wednesday, May 13, Crane Alley
Thursday, May 14, Seven Saints
Friday, May 15, Radio Maria
Sunday, May 17, Corkscrew (beer tasting)

There's also a Saturday thing going on, but that's a farewell to Dr. Andy :(.

It's American CRAFT beer week, not Crap beer week, so have something crafty, Bud American Ale, is not craft, it's faux-craft. Blue Moon... hmmm, that's a tricky one, I'll say, NOT craft; if there's nothing else, then it's as close to craft as you'll find.

Oh, and Monday is my 38th Birthday, so buy me a drink.