Beer Notes

-- This Thursday at Frisco Grille: Stillwater Artisan Ale's Stateside Saison on firkin.

-- On cask this Thursday at Max's: Flying Dog Doggie Style pale ale, Olivers 3 Spires, Lagunitas IPA, Arcadia Nut Brown, Wintercoat Mols. Things get official around 6 PM.

-- On cask at Metropolitan Coffeehouse, Pratt Street Ale House's Three Spires and White Marsh Brewing's Charlotte's West Coast Amber Ale. Both will be available upstairs for $3 a pint. SPBW will also be meeting there tonight.

-- Stoudt's will be the featured brewery this Monday at Victoria Gastro Pub. Eddie Stoudt will be on hand with Stoudt's Kolsch, Gold, Scarlet Lady ESB and Winter Ale on tap.

The following Monday, Flying Dog and super rep Matt Crow check in. Matt will present seven Flying Dog beers on draft and there will be a special appearance from brewer (Sr. VP of Brewing) Matt Brophy!

On tap: the amazing firkin of the Doggie Style pale ale (I hear the last few bars to get these firkins have been thrilled with the product), Gonzo Imperial Porter (on nitro), Garde Dog Biere de Garde (enjoy it now, it's just about out of season), In Heat Wheat just in time for the warm weather, Double Dog double pale ale, Victoria Gastro Pub staple Raging Bitch Belgian IPA aaaaaaanddddd the recently retired Kerberos Tripel which is absolutely delicious in its own right.

Also: a VGP review from Brewnotes.

-- In other Flying Dog news, the state of New Hampshire has foolishly rejected the distribution and sale of their 20th Anniversary Raging Bitch Belgian IPA. For the anti-censorship activists reading this out there, have at it!

And if it isn't already abundantly clear, Raging Bitch is one of *the* big beers in America this year, soaring through production so as to be made available for enjoyment by its adoring public.

More good news: Flying Dog's In-Heat Wheat will be available on draft at Nationals' Park to help drown the Capitol's sorrow in having one of the sorriest organizations in all of baseball.

-- Thursday is 'brew day' for Pratt Street Ale House's upcoming Cherry Blossom Ale. Not sure when the official launch date is, but super brewer Stephen Jones is teasing something called a "Chocolate Covered Cherry" with the Cherry Blossom Ale blended with the Bishop's Breakfast. He's set aside a sixtel of the Bishop's Indulgence to be put on nitro for the Chocolate Covered Cherry at the launch.

Be on the lookout for PSAH casks of Best Bitter and Bishop's Breakfast (oatmeal stout w/vanilla) at ChurchKey and Frisco Grille.

On tap: PSAH's Mocha Java Porter. Yum.

Meanwhile, PSAH's DC successes continue with an upcoming beer dinner with CommonWealth Gastropub on Tuesday, March 23rd. The menu.

If you're searching for an excuse to head down to PSAH, Tuesday nights are Cask Appreciation Night with $3 cask pints from 5 PM until close. Parking is a hassle but I've located a reasonably affordable garage a few blocks away at Pratt and Light Streets for $5 I believe after 5 PM.

-- Mahaffey's will feature Irish food specials on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday. They'll open at 9 AM on Wednesday with $1.50 Guinness pints with a price increase as the day goes on. Oddly, they'll have a doorman checking ID's on those days (don't give him a hard time, says Wayne).

April activities: Heavy Seas Letter of Marque release, Pints & Pancakes breakfast (something like this), Opening Day, Allagash Night (April 21st, we assume?), the 8th Anniversary party and Mahaffey's 'National IPA Month' celebration all month.

-- Its Thursday, which means discounted Belgian beers at Kooper's Tavern in Fells Point.

-- Brewers Art's latest entry in their Zodiac Pale Ale series is out, called Pisces 2 made with Slovenian Celeia hops. Sounds very, very interesting! I've also seen the Sublimation in at least one spot around town (Hamilton Tavern).

-- Now on tap at the elegant and esteemed Woodberry Kitchen: Flying Dog Imperial Gonzo Porter, Smuttynose Robust Porter, Evolution ESB, Victory All Malt Limited Lager, Brooklyn Pilsner, Allagash Belgium White ...as always, Anchor Steam. Be sure to check out their revamped website, pretty cool. Man I need to get back over there soon (and check out Alonso's nearby).

-- DuClaw has released its Celtic Fury Irish Stout this week, in events for both yesterday and today. Look through DuClaw's release calendar I see some beers I haven't heard of set for release, looks to be an exciting year. I wonder what Valkyr and Pax Nemesis are?

-- Heavy Seas Real Ale & BBQ Fest, focusing heavily on cask beer, will be held Saturday April 2nd from noon to 4 PM. Tickets are $49. For the first time ever they'll offer their Loose Cannon in wood casks. Something called 'Little DIPA' and eight other real ales will be available.

Also, the Heavy Seas Letter of Marque release party (via Beer In Baltimore/Alexander Mitchell) will be 5-7 PM on Thursday April 1st outside of Mahaffey's as part of a block party. The LoM winner this year is a Hop Rye Porter. That is going to be a busy day going up against the next Flying Dog Bitch Session (with debut of special one-off secret beer and two firkins at Frisco Grille).

-- Ruddy Duck's first 'Irish Stout' is now on tap.

-- Now on tap at Gilly's: Flying Dog Garde Dog, Sierra Nevada Glissade, Dogfish Head Chicory Stout and Newcastle.

-- For those seeking out bottles of Stillwater's debut release, Stateside Saison, Honeygo Wines reports the arrival of two cases of the good stuff. It won't last long.

-- Oh my: Privateer Day 2010 is almost here, surely a signal we're nearing perfect Fells Point on a warm day weather. The pirate madness will be on Friday April 9th and Saturday April 10th.

-- One of my favorite warm, sunny day places in Baltimore is Blue Hill Tavern with its big windows and neat patio over at Brewer's Hill/Canton. They've just added a new happy hour from Monday-Friday (4-7 PM) and Sunday all day with $3 bottles and $4 drafts. They occasionally have something interesting from Magic Hat and a few other good beers.

-- Birch & Barley's Greg Engert has been named one of the Sommeliers of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine. Its nice to see beer sommeliers, as tacky as the title is, getting recognition alongside wine.

-- Whodat?