Howard County Beer Roundup

-- Scan to the bottom to find Frisco Grille's calendar of events for this month. Featured pint nights include Pratt Street Ale House/Oliver Breweries on Wednesday the 13th (perhaps even a visit from brewmaster Stephen Jones!), He'Brew on the 20th and Dogfish Head on the 27th.

One change: this Wednesday (the 6th) will be a Flying Dog pint night, starting at 7 PM per usual (more exciting details in an upcoming post). Also, Firkin Thursdays as usual, starting at 4 PM.

This Thursday's firkin will be the always excellent Flying Dog's Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale.

And, if you haven't already, bookmark and regularly visit Frisco Grille's handy beer page, which lists up to the minute what is available on tap as well as their bottled beer list and what's "on deck" to be added to the taps whenever.

-- On January 31st T-Bonz in Ellicott City is hosting a 'Pints and Pancakes' breakfast from 10 to 2. The $5 entry fee nets you a free pancake breakfast which will also featured breakfast style beers and drinks. I have it on good authority a very special one-off beer from a local brewery will be one of the *breakfast* themed beers featured. Also, music from the Grilled Lincolns.

Side note on T-Bonz, I only discovered they were a beer place by stopping by for the food. Lo and behold its actually a legit craft beer bar as well, with around 10 taps and an interesting collection of bottles and seasonal themed offerings. Nobody talks about them but seriously they're probably the best (craft beer) thing going in Howard County after the Holy Trinity that is Frisco Grille/The Judges Bench/Victoria Gastro Pub.

-- The Columbia Mall's Champps will play host to a Heavy Seas Pint Night on Thursday January 7th from 5-8 PM. Has their beer menu changed lately? It was mostly the usual corporate stuff last time I was in there (a long time ago, mind you). Hmm ...

-- A branch of the Union Jacks pub group is apparently opening in Howard County (I think HowChow mentioned that a while back?), hopefully their beer list, however British, trends slightly crafty as well (Pratt Street Ale House offerings, anyone?).

-- And last but not least, Victoria Gastro Pub. Beer man Alex provided me a wealth of items to discuss yesterday so here goes:

This coming Monday (January 11th) is Ommegang night with their beer club. 'Mr. Ommegang' as Alex calls him will be in person, along with the Abbey Ale, Chocolate Indulgence, Hennepin and 3 Philosophers.

On Tuesday (January 12th) is their St. Bernardus beer dinner with a big line of St. Bernardus offerings (6,8,12) on tap including the rare (on tap) wit. Actually, the wit is on tap right now. If you're curious I'd advise scooting on down there pronto. I think Alex said they only have about two sixtels of each beer so between the dinner and general customer use those should go pretty fast.

Victoria's February beer dinner (Wednesday February 10th) will feature the Allagash brewery, featuring Fluxus '09, Interlude, Hugh Malone, Victor and the black.

Something I'm really looking forward to: an Abita themed night on Fat Tuesday, February 16th. Their chef will be cooking up crawfish (!) and several Abita beers from Louisiana will be available on tap including Andy Gator, Turbo Dog, Bock, Purple Haze and Jockamo.

Sometime towards the end of January they'll put on Unibroue's hard-to-find Trois Pistoles. This beer is released in exceedingly limited quantities to good beer bars.

Also lined up for beer dinners: Rogue in April, Trappist beers in May, Samuel Smith in June, Southern Tier in July and a Scottish beer dinner in August (think Brew Dog, Tracquair, Orkney) plus probably some opening and closing scotch from one of the Glen's.

A selection of beers "on deck" at Victoria: Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout and Fort, Jacobin Cuvee Rouge, Smuttynose Robust Porter, Avery The Czar, one sixtel each of Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada's Life & Limb and Limb & Life, Avery's Dugana, their last three 1/2 kegs of Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous Ale, Southern Tier's Choklat, Piraat and Brewers Art's Green Peppercorn Tripel and Cerberus (!).