Mahaffey's Waynestock and Other Items

This Saturday (9/19/2009) is 'Waynestock' at Mahaffey's in Canton.

The hall has been rented, the orchestra engaged. Now it's time to see if you can dance.

Baltimore Beer Week in less than a month. Sign up for that badass Flying Dog brewery tour today!!!!!!!! Just E-Mail me back. The best $20 ever spent. Tru dat.

Sunday football.

The Oktoberfest beers keep coming and we are already moving into bigger and darker stuff. I will be getting one more keg of Lancaster because a panel of experts (plus me) named it the best domestic Oktoberfest offering this year.

Speaking of accolades, did you see the City Paper this morning? Mahaffey's was named as having the Best Restaurant Beer List! I've always loved the City Paper. Very astute publication.

Later this week, we will be putting on Sierra Nevada Chico Estate Harvest. This one was made with hops out of their back yard! They swore it would never leave CA, but here 'tis. Don't miss out. Also coming on tap this weekend is Stone Vetical Epic 09/09/09. Both very limited offerings!!!!!!!!!

Update: Here's some more info on the Flying Dog tour thing -- For $20, you get a Flying Dog pint at Mahaffey's (featuring a vintage keg of last year's Snow Goose), a bus trip to the FD brewery, beer on the bus and back, a complimentary pint glass, a VIP brewery tour and unlimited samples and snacks in their tasting room. WOW! Doors open at 2PM and the bus will leave at 3 arriving back at 8 or so. Please E-Mail me for reservations.

Wednesday Items

-- Dogfish Head pint night/blowout at Frisco Grille tonight. Free featured pint glass with purchase of featured beer after 7 PM but he beers are already on tap if you want to sneak in early. Be sure to keep tabs on my @MDbeerspotter twitter feed for news on events like this in advance.

-- And from Mahaffey's:

As far as beer news is, we are in full swing of Oktoberfest lagers. We are going to blow away our previous record. I'm thinking about offering an Oktoberfest beer flight. Any thoughts? We'll be a little less hoppy than usual for awhile. Bear with us. Seasonality is a double-edged sword. A few new breweries making it to the beer selection in these coming weeks. Lots of new stuff.

Tonight's bomber is actually a 750 ml bottle. Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu, a honey grape concoction made from an ancient Chinese recipe. At $15, it is a rediculous steal. 12 bottles only.

Loads of fun things planned for Waynestock 9/19. Promises to be better than ever.

Editor's note -- That Jiahu is GREAT, I had some at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, its like a honey/melon white wine, very different for a beer.

Miscellaneous

-- Yours For Good Fermentables takes American Craft Beer Week a step further asking us to support LOCAL beer. Sounds good to me.

-- A rare picture of Mahaffey's upstairs bar. I've yet to trek up there, worth the visit?

-- Beer in Baltimore has details on tonight's cask event at Max's. Also, a first day report from Max's great American Craft Beer Week event. Another excited report from BeerInBaltimore.com.

Mahaffey's Latest

Bomber tonight is Arcadia Sky High Rye, 6% rye American Pale for $8 "try this with 30 cent chili teryaki wings!"

Also, on Thursdays starting this week they are opening the kitchen at 3 PM and will be featuring a pound of mussels, 1/2 pound shrimp, calamari and three crabcake sliders for just $5/each. They have a great kitchen so be sure to take advantage of that.

Another Mahaffey's Post

From YoursForGoodFermentables' Twitter: commentary on the great Mahaffey's (owner Wayne is a true original) from 2007. Baltimore is blessed to have Mahaffey's.

Midnight Sun on Mahaffey's

Guest post about Mahaffey's at Midnight Sun from local Belgian beer specialist/traveler/writer/author Chuck Cook.

I foolishly haven't taken advantage of that $4.25 happy hour deal with three 10-oz pours.

Miscellaneous

-- Tonight's bomber at Mahaffey's is Southern Tier Uber Sun, an 8% imperial wheat beer. Throw in 30 cent wings and new bottles tomorrow. They'll also run $3 Mexican beers until they run out, "please forgive the Dos XX on tap".

-- Looney's Pub (Maple Lawn) is having a charity event tonight from 4-10 PM for Avon Walk For Breast Cancer. A portion of sales go directly to the Avon Walk Team. The team will also sell wristbands that get people extended happy hour prices.

Real Time

Hambleton Nightmare English Porter on cask at Mahaffeys, yum. Look at that head.

Real Time

Mahaffeys, Legacy Dear Abbey and some shrimp po boys

Miscellaneous

-- Tonight (Tuesday) is Max's weekly Beer Social night starting at 6 PM. This week they'll feature a cask from York Brewery (England) called Oakham Attila at 4.3% ABV. New drafts this week can be found at the bottom of this post.

Future Beer Social events include:

April 21st Dieu Du Ciel Equinoxe Du Printemps (maple scotch ale) and Dieu Du Ciel Solstice D Hiver (barleywine)

April 28th De Hoevebrowers, a "new little brewery in East Flanders Belgium", featuring Toria (blonde) and Kekelaring (brown ale).

-- The Brewer's Art now has the much-anticipated Charm City Sour Cherry on tap as well as the Green Peppercorn Tripel. I thought the Sour Cherry wasn't as good as last year but I'll be back to try it again soon. The Green Peppercorn Tripel, on the other hand, was spectacular, vastly superior to their bottled version and absolutely lively and delicious. Do not miss either.

-- Wednesday is Stoudt's meet the brewery night at The Judges Bench from 7-9 PM.

-- Wednesday is also pint night featuring Virginia's Starr Hill brewing (with brewmaster Mark Thompson) at Frisco Grille.

-- Thursday is beer bottle night at Mahaffey's, $3 for most 12 oz bottles. Their bomber this week is Avery's Collaboration Not Litigation. Oddly, they'll be featuring a mead on tap this week. Finally, on Saturday will be Mahaffey's anniversary party, with a free catered buffet from 7-9 PM.

-- Thursday night at 8 PM is the nationwide one night only theatre event called Beer Wars. It is only being show in six Maryland theatres, I'll be at the Snowden Square one. Be sure to check it out, tickets are $15 and there's a hosted panel afterwards with several major brewers broadcast live from Hollywood. The movie's theme is about the ongoing battle between craft brewers and the major breweries while obviously providing some more general content about the brewers, the industry and whatnot.

-- Local Clipper City Brewing Co. just released its beloved Belgian-style saison ale, "Red Sky At Night". I'll have to pick up some bottles before its all gone. Anyone know if they plan to put it on tap?

-- American Craft Beer Week will be May 11-17 this year. This is an awesome nationwide event with local flavor.

Some of the goings-on:

May 11th-17th: Max's Craft Beer Week, weeklong selection of GREAT taps, approximately 80 throughout the week. More info as it comes in but there's a preliminary list at the bottom of this email. Do not miss this.

May 11th: Clipper City taps several firkins at Max's including Loose Cannon (great!), Peg Leg and Red Sky at Night

May 16th: Clipper City's Real Ale & BBQ Fest at Clipper City noon-4 PM, $49/ticket

-- Clipper City is hosting a home brew competition. Anything goes, so long as the beer is above 7% ABV in keeping with their Heavy Seas line, and they'll favor those which are big and assertive. Entries must be submitted between June 8th and June 19th, winner announced July 3rd.

-- Clipper City is also having a beer dinner at Sotto Sopro in Mt. Vernon on April 30th. On May 7th they'll have a beer dinner at The Melting Pot in Gaithersburg. On May 11th they'll be part of a Meet The Brewery event at Max's. On May 23rd they'll participate in the Kayak, Tunes and Brews event at the Wisp Ski Resort in western Maryland. And on May 30th they'll be at the Maryland Brewer's Spring Fest.

-- Reminder, City Paper's Brew Fest is April 25th in Fells Point.

-- The Brewer's Association just released its annual top 50 craft breweries list (by sales) and Maryland's own Flying Dog checks in at No. 30. Congratulations to Flying Dog! They also check in at No. 41 overall in the United States once you factor in the mega breweries.

-- Max's new drafts this week are: Abita Purple Haze, Allagash Black, Allagash Curieux, Cazeau Tournay Black, Cazeau Tournay Blonde, Contreras Valeir Blonde, Contreras Valeir Divers, Dogfish Head Black & Blue, Dogfish Head 60 Minute, Dogfish Head Midas Touch, Dominion Spring Buck, Ommegang Rouge, Peroni, Redstone Black Raspberry Nectar, Redstone Sunshine Nectar, Rogue Dead Guy, Southern Tier 422, Southern Tier Unearthly, Southern Tier Uber Sun, Stone Pale Ale, Stone Russian Imperial Stout, Whitemarsh Station Bitter

-- Max's anticipated drafts for Craft Beer Week: Allagash Four, Allagash Interlude, Allagash Black, Allagash Dry Hopped Barrel Aged Mussette, Avery Collaboration Not Litigation, Avery Maharajah, Cape Ann Eclipse, Cape Ann Green Horn Double IPA, Cape Ann Tea Party, Dogfish Head 120 Minute, World Wide Stout, Black & Blue, Red & White, Fort, Midas Touch, Burton Baton and Palo Santo Marron, Ommegang Rouge, Redstone Nectar of the Hops, Southern Tier Chocolate, Southern Tier Gemeni, Southern Tier Jah Va, Southern Tier Oaked Unearthly, Troegs Mad Elf, Uinta Barleywine, Victory Abbey 8, Victory Rauchbier Porter and casks of Magic Hat #9, Magic Hat Old Ale, Magic Hat Bob's First Ale, Heavy Seas Red Sky w/spices, Heavy Seas Peg Leg w/oak chips.

-- I'll be back with another miscellaneous email soon, but wanted to get these items out tonight.

Mahaffey's Goings On

As noted on the April calendar below, Mahaffey's is having its anniversary party on Saturday April 18th, with a free catered buffet. Thanks to solid business from customers, there are now new windows, giving the place "a whole new airy feel" among other improvements.

They'll open at 2 PM this coming Monday to mark Opening Day for the Orioles.

Tonight's bomber is Abita Abbey Ale (interesting), at 8% they'll charge ... $8.

And one of Wayne's favorites, Avery Maharaja (a DIPA), will probably be on starting tonight.

(Information via the weekly email)

Items

From the excellent Live In Howard County Blog:

The Pine Orchard Wine liquor store is offering an unusual sale today and tomorrow, March 24 and 25. All wine, beer and liquor in the shop will be sold at $1.00 over cost. It's a great excuse to stock up. Cash, checks, or debit cards only for this sale...no credit cards. Pine Orchard Wine is located on Rt. 40 just west of Centennial and Bethany Lane.

And via email, Mahaffey's Wednesday bomber this week is Abita's Andygator, a "helles doublebock". Interesting.

And they just put a Heavy Seas (Clipper City) Peg Leg Stout w/coffee on cask, one time deal type thing so hop on down to Canton if that sounds interesting.

Miscellaneous

I didn't realize this: Baltimore city has Sunday limitations on beer/alcohol sales?

For the next few Sundays, beer, wine and liquor stores will be open for business! I'm not sure how long they will be, or if many people know this. The Wine Source was dead today, and they're only doing this one more Sunday and that's it. And you probably don't even care if you live in Howard County where you can buy this stuff on Sundays anyway. But for those of us in town, it's a nice, if brief, change.

Blue laws strike again.

I was just about to write on this and it looks like the Sun has taken notice as well: Blob's Park getting nearer to its opening. At its website there is the following note:

Check this website next Wednesday (12/24/2008) to find out if we'll be open for New Year's Eve. I'm working at a fever pitch doing everything in my power to make this happen, but it's still not certain at this point. Thanks for your patience.

The Baltimore Sun reviews Canton's Hudson Street Stackhouse and notes the following:

Belgian and German labels dominate an impressively curated beer list

Looking at the picture in the article there are some decent taps with Hoegaarden, a Troegs handle, looks like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, a Boddingtons Pub Ale, Guinness, what looks like a Leffe and a few others. It has potential.

Charles "Chuck" Cook, a Maryland native and esteemed beer writer writes Belgian Beer and Travel and it is now linked here at Baltimore Beer Guy. His most recent entry is about a trip to Belgium to observe the Lambic breweries and blenderies. How exciting!

Heroes Pub, not sure its been mentioned or linked on here. Its near Annapolis, claims to have 48 taps. Anyone been there/can vouch for it? I'll add it to the maps and lists soon and hopefully visit at some point.

The venerable Brickskeller in Washington D.C. just cobbled together a ridiculous amount of winter beers (140+ bottles), hurry down to them in Dupont Circle to enjoy a few, the list is way too long to post on here but there's a post in Beer Advocate's Mid-Atlantic forum documenting a good number of the offerings while they last.

Columbia's great bottle shop The Perfect Pour is doing a broadly defined "Holiday Favorites" tasting Saturday from 3-7 PM. Be sure to swing by.

Mahaffey's in Canton notes that they will open late on Christmas eve and at 6 PM on Christmas Day.

This is a little late but DuClaw's Venom Pale Ale is back for a limited time, they started pouring at all locations on Wednesday until whenever its gone.

At Victoria Gastro Pub there will be a few special events for Beer Club members only. Be sure to sign up and ask as I don't want to give everything away but Monday night they'll have something neat going on from 6-8 PM and then they'll open some very rare bottles on New Year's Eve if you join Victoria's (pricey) New Years Eve party.

This may also be a bit old but hopefully ongoing, reduced price Heavy Seas t-shirts ($9.99) and pint glasses ($1.99) at Clipper City while supplies last.

Todd Conner's in Fell's Point is offering $1.50 Natty Boh's anytime it snows in Fells Point. Quite the hook.

HomeBrewBeer.net did the Flying Dog tasting room thing which reminds me I need to get back there hopefully soon, its a great time. Oh, and Clipper City, a tour I have yet to take.

"Belgian Beer" tag on Flickr. Awesome.

This has potential.

Mahaffey's Gets Stoned

One more update, just got an addendum email from them.

Now, here's the let down: It's all about beer. We are putting on a plethora of Stone products from Escondido, CA. including the first-time-to-Maryland Levitation. This is the smallest beer the brewery makes at 4.4%. Although small on ABV, it is big on flavor. It's a very well balanced American amber with a nice hop presence.

Also, all pints of Stone brews will be $3.50 all weekend.

So come on in and get Stoned with us. Is it 4:20 yet?

Wayne

So there you go. Check out Mahaffey's website here, their online beer list here, and locate them and other great beer bars with Baltimore Beer Guy's custom Downtown Baltimore Beer Map along with other useful custom beer maps on the menu at right.

Food As a Lure to Good Beer In Fells Point and Canton

Stumbled across this article at (Baltimore) Metromix.com about "dinner specials to keep you and your wallet full" in Canton and Fells Point. And look, they mention a ton of beer places.

Notable:

The Waterfront Hotel, a place I haven't tried but rumored to have some decent taps (between Max's and Slainte), has 12 entrees for $12 on Tuesday nights.

Slainte, a favorite of mine although the beer is moderately good with mostly English/Irish options, has an $8 pot pie night on Wednesdays with all kinds of varieties from shrimp creole, beef, Guinness, etc. Pot pie is a great winter food so no complaints here.

Mahaffey's, which has great beer options, does a "Thursday Gastronomique" with all kinds of interesting upscale food options for $13.95 or less. Its a small kitchen but I've spoken with one of the chefs before, they're quite capable with a surprisingly good menu.

On Friday, Todd Conner's offers a $5 big burger complete wit homemade herb potato chips and the burger on a mini focaccia roll. I really gotta try this place at some point and they seem to have about five taps including a Dogfish Head the last time I poked my head in.

Similarly, I'm really interested in trying Jack's Bistro at the far end of Canton. They offer $12 entress on Sunday if you dine at the bar. They offer a meat entree, a seafood entree, and a vegetarian entree. Plus, two happy hours and an impressive beer list on tap and in bottles, at $2 off from 5-7 PM and 11 PM- 1 AM.

Finally, be sure to enjoy planning any such trips to these places with Baltimore Beer Guy's custom Downtown Baltimore Beer Map, located on the menu at right as well as other useful beer maps.

Mahaffeys Update

I'm on their email list so occasionally I'll post some news from those emails.

For example, on tap for the first time is Dogfish Head's Worldwide Stout. I've had that sucker, it's pure alcohol, but they say it won't last so if you dig the WWS, head down there. Mad Elf is done for the season, although he's saved a keg for "Christmas in June".

Tonight's bomber is Southern Tier Choklat, one of Summer of Beer Steve's favorites. Their "Old School Beer" featured tomorrow will be Colt 45.

On Sunday they open at 3 PM --- "Go Ravens".

For the uninitiated, Mahaffey's is a corner pub in Canton with a great beer rep. As a bonus they actually post the beer list online so there's no guessing when you arrive. As we all know, Baltimore Beer Guy appreciates such establishments.

And whats not to love about a place carrying DuPont's Avec Les Bons Vouex, Allagash's Grand Cru and Southern Tier's Krampus?

Cluster of Events This Weekend

Max's First Annual Germanfest

If you've been to their Belgian Beer Fest you know the drill. This thing will run from Friday to Sunday, with an unbelievable number of German beers.

Mahaffey's 7th Annual Block Party

In Canton, I assume (this is listed in Mid-Atlantic Brewing News). "With bands, craft beer, & food. (410)276-9899

10th Annual Capital City Invitational Beer Festival

Held in Harrisburg, PA, featuring samples from 20+ breweries in PA, Md., Delaware and New York. Three sessions, tickets $30-$35 (designated drivers $15)