Events

--- "Waynestock", celebrating Mahaffey's owner Wayne Mahaffey, goes off Saturday September 19th. More details when we get them.

--- Max's will host a one day Ciderfest this Tuesday July 28th at 6 PM. See the YFGF lnk for whats available. I missed last week's Christmas in July which per reports was a great success.

--- Reminder, Baltimore Beer Week will be from October 8th-18th. See website, twitter account for more info but the basics:

Opening tap event aboard the USS Constellation (cool!), Maryland Oktoberfest and The Chesapeake Real Ale Festival.

--- The Bowie Baysox have been hosting several beer dinner events this season. Their 4th such event will be on Thursday August 13th from 6-9 PM. It will be called "OctoBEERfest", sponsored by Spaten. For $41 ($27 without beverages) you get access for two hours to an all you can eat buffet, a three-hours all you can drink event, a ticket to the game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and free parking "from the ease and comfort of a luxury suite".

The dinner will include salad, assorted hors d'oeuvres, german style sausage and apple bake, grilled pork loin with mushroom bier sauce, cheese pasta with spinach and nutmeg, braised cabbage, roasted summer vegetables, and german chocolate brownies and strawberries.

On tap will be draft Spaten Oktoberfest, Spaten Munich Dunkel, Spaten Optimator, Franziskaner Dunkel Weiss and Spaten Lager.

Tickets must be purchased by 3 PM on August 11th.

Also, their fourth and final beer event will be on September third, more details as they arrive.

--- The next available tours at Clipper City will be at 1 and 230 PM on August 8th, 15th and 22nd, reservations recommended.

--- The excellent SoYeahDood has pieced together a Baltimore based homebrew club of sorts, looks kind of cool, its called "Baltibrew". Their next meetup is at 630 PM on

--- Looney's North is running its annual "kiss-a-pig" competition, purchase a pig for $1 which goes to support youth development programs with the Boys & Girls Clubs in Harford County. Pigs can be purchased now through August 20th, where the kissing occurs during the Ironbirds' game at Ripken Stadium.

--- Looks like we missed Belgian Independence Day last week. Bummer, a nod in the direction of the Belgian people and particularly their master brewers that keep us beer nerds inspired.

--- The Society for the Preservation of Beer from Wood (SPBW) is having its annual bus trip on Saturday August 8th. They'll leave the Timonium Fairgrounds park-n-ride at 930 AM before heading to Stoudts, Victory and Sly Fox. Price is $30 for the ride on the luxury coach with a small buffet on the last leg at Sly Fox. Open to all.

They'll also host a crab feast at Goddard Space Flight Center Rec Center on Saturday September 19th. It includes all you can eat steamed crabs, BBQ chicken, pulled pork, burgers, dogs, coleslaw, desserts, cask ale, sodas, water, with games for adults and kids. Price is $35 for adults, $10 for 7-13 year old kids, free for those six and under. Bring homebrewed beer (they'll take care of the ice), a mallet or crab picking knife and yourself. Advance tickets only. See the website for specifics and important ticket and arrival info.

--- There will be a five-day inaugural "DC Beer Week" starting August 16th through the 20th involving more than a dozen breweries and 25 restaurants.

More Updates

This is what happens when I skip town for a bit ... backlog.

The 2nd Chance Saloon, newly opened in Columbia, is now blogging. Or, we hope they're blogging, its just one entry right now from January 7th.

Hair O' The Dog Wine & Spirits in far out Easton, Maryland, also has its own interesting blog. Not being a born/bred Marylandian (sp?) I don't have much affinity for parts beyond the Chesapeake and they're a bit of a hike but its still Maryland and well, they care about good beer so they'll soon be merrily indexed here.

And just so we're clear, Maryland is up there with two-piece Michigan among the oddest shaped states in the union. Any other favorite oddly shaped states worth mention?

So Yeah Dood has finally launched. Interesting, informative and thoughtful beer blog, it is.

File this under muddled and confusing: Wharf Rat is sold, but stays open, the original Fells Point property stays in the hands of the old owner, the newer property on Pratt Street stays open with the new owners. Except there was a rumor it closed and Beer Advocate noting it as "closed" added to the confusion. But now it really is closed starting January 30th, for renovation you see.

Got all that?

Beer In Baltimore's on top of things though, so keep track of all that, over there.

Blob's Park has officially opened. Here's the dates/times (and entertainment schedule):

Friday & Saturday doors open 630 PM, music from 8 PM to midnight, closes at 1 AM
Sunday doors open at 2 PM, music from 4-8 PM, closes at 10 PM

Mark your calendars, the first week of February is "IPA Week" at The Judge's Bench in downtown Ellicott City. I haven't been there in a while (or Ellicott Mills Brewing), should make my way over especially since its so close. Its a nice place, if a bit tiny, with really easy parking and 17 above average taps and a well-organized bottle list. They also do some take-home beers, kind of cool.

Greg from the Food, Wine Beer & Culture website continues to do some excellent beer exploration, hitting up Flying Dog and Brewer's Alley in Frederick, Red Brick Station in White Marsh which I need to visit at some point, Kooper's in Fells Point, and Red Star in Fells Point.

Its an interesting and versatile blog he's put together discussing home brewing, dining, cooking, wine and the like.

And this, from my friend Dan in California who passed this along -- Coors celebrates the 50th anniversary of their introducing the brewing industry and the world to the aluminum can. Environmentally friendly, replacing the old -- now collectable -- tin cans. The can is making a comeback in craft brewing, and I support the movement.

Its more portable than bottles, does a much better job of protecting the beer and its flavors from light, no longer imparts odd flavors, and can be reused and cheaply. Botters are more aesthetically pleasing and easier to display and collect and don't give off that cheap look aluminum cans do, but they're not as good for the beer.

Thanks Dan.

And finally, I'll have a discussion about downtown Ellicott City's Diamondback Tavern in an upcoming entry. They sent a nice email along which I need to respond to (as well as Dan's, actually), but I'll tease with this:

$2 tap beer, all their tap beers, all day Sunday at Diamondback. Not bad, hm?