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Great American Beer Fest Medals
The Brewers Association posted the list of medal winners from the Great American Beer Fest, which took place in Denver two weeks ago. 268 medal winners were chosen from a whopping 5,507 beer entries. I’m happy to report that the list had a fair share of local flavor. Capital Brewery, MobCraft Beer, Titletown Brewing, Stillmank Brewing, Stevens Point Brewery, and big boys Miller Brewing and Leinenkugel Brewing all took home medals. Props to Capital for earning a gold medal for its Oktoberfest. Miller Lite (not a misprint) brought home gold in the highly competitive American-Style Lager or Light Lager category, edging out Coors Light and Coors Banquet (which I happen to like much better than Lite, but I’m not a GABF judge). Miller Lite’s win prompted Deadspin’s Will Gordon to write this entertaining (and PG-rated) column.
Breweries You Should Know
Beer-related lists are splattered all over the Internet. (You don’t have to do much searching to find at least a half dozen “best IPAs in America” blog posts and columns.) Draft Magazine is an extremely reliable source when it comes to lists. Draft recently posted a list of 25 Breweries You Should Know. Both coasts were well represented, but sadly no Wisconsin breweries made the cut. The nearest brewery on the list is Chicago standout Pipeworks Brewing.
Dinner Plans
Fall must be the season for beer dinners. Plan your schedule around some of these upcoming events and keep an eye out for more:
Wednesday, Oct. 22: Central Waters beer dinner at Motor Bar & Restaurant (Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W. Canal St.).
Thursday, Oct. 23: Grilled cheese beer dinner at Sprecher Brewery (701 W. Glendale Ave.).
Wednesday, Oct. 29: Milwaukee Brewing Company at c.1880 (1100 S. First St.).
Wednesday, Nov. 5: Anderson Valley Brewing at Tess (2499 N. Bartlett Ave.) and a beer and comfort food dinner at Rumpus Room (1030 N. Water St.).
Barley Pop of the Week
The amount of pumpkin beers available now is mind boggling. One of the most popular is Southern Tier Pumking, which has been around since 2007. If you like pumpkin pie, you’ll love the malty, sweet and spicy flavor of Pumking. But be prepared for its 8.6% ABV.
Quick Taps
More from Will Gordon. An interesting, and Madison-centric, take on Spotted Cow and Wisconsin beers from the perspective of a Badger State outsider.
Thursday night is growler night at Lakefront Brewery (1872 N. Commerce St.). Every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. Lakefront offers half-price growler fills. Refills are just $5 or $7.
The specialty brew during the Friday night fish fry at Lakefront Brewery on Oct. 17 from 4 to 9:30 p.m. is Bridge Burner with Chinook hops.
Events Brewing
Wednesday, Oct. 15: The Milwaukee Beer Society tries brews from the state of Tennessee at Best Place (901 W. Juneau Ave.). Tasting runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and costs just $10.
Thursday, Oct. 16: The taps at Ray’s Growler Gallery (8930 W. North Ave.) are overtaken by brews from Lagunitas, and that’s a good thing. Bring your growler from 5 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16: Summit Brewing brings a firkin to Honeypie Cafe (2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) at 6 p.m. Try some for just $5 a pint.
Friday, Oct. 17: Try beers from Wisconsin Brewing Company including a new IIPA from 4 to 7 p.m. at Discount Liquor Milwaukee (5031 W. Oklahoma Ave.).
Friday, Oct. 17: Several fall seasonals are being sampled at Discount Liquor Waukesha (919 N. Barstow Ave.) from 4 to 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 17: Get into the autumn spirit by tasting Southern Tier Pumking and Warlock Imperial Stout at Erv’s Mug (130 W. Ryan Rd.) from 6 to 8 p.m. You even get a free pumpkin with a purchase of a Warlock.
Saturday, Oct. 18: Horny Goat samples are on hand at Discount Liquor Milwaukee from noon to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18: Wisconsin Brewing heads to Discount Liquor Waukesha from noon to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18: “Imperial beers” are the weekly tasting from 1 to 4 p.m. at Three Cellars (7133 S. 76th St.). Bring a driver.
Saturday, Oct. 18: Road trip? I received an email last week from the Munster (Indiana) Ale Fest and thought I’d pass along the info. It’s a good chance to try beers from Illinois and Indiana breweries that we don’t see up here. And after the fest, you can swing by the nearby Three Floyds brewpub, which alone is worth the trip.
