Hopslammed
Hopslam, a sought-after winter seasonal from Bell’s Brewery, is creeping into bars around town (my reliable beer source Casey claims to have had a tap at Benno’s, 7413 W. Greenfield Ave., just last week).
How popular is Hopslam? Rumpus Room tapped a cask on Jan. 13 and ran out in 37 minutes. Yikes. I saw six packs listed on eBay for up to 30 bucks, which, although silly, is a good illustration of the hype.
The double IPA by Bell’s (I’ve said it plenty of times, but these guys don’t mess around when it comes to making good beer) achieves a perfect score of 100 on RateBeer.com and 99 on BeerAdvocate.com.
I was told by the friendly folks at Ray’s Wine & Spirits (8930 W. North Ave.) and Wine Cellar of Wisconsin (12910 W. Bluemound Rd.) that they hope to have it on liquor store shelves by early or mid-February. But don’t expect it to last long.
If you want to taste Hopslam, you don’t have to bribe a Bell’s distributor, or drive to the brewery in Kalamazoo. Here are a two places to find the tasty suds this week:
–Nomad World Pub (1401 E. Brady St.) has a Hopslam tasting this Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m.
-Hopslam arrives at Burnhearts (2599 S. Logan Ave.) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2. Burnhearts managed to one-up the standard Hopslam tasting by scoring a barrel of Bell’s Black Note Stout, a bourbon barrel-aged standout that is available for a limited time and only on draft. If you’re a Bell’s fan in Milwaukee (or anywhere within driving distance), Bay View is where you need to be on Thursday.
Quick Taps
If I were a gambling man, I’d bet a case of Sam Adams Boston Lah-gah that the Patriots win the Super Bowl. But moving on…
Barley Pop of the Week
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an old friend. I may not hang out with it all of the time, but when I do, the reliable hoppy beer and I pick up right where we left off. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is also a craft beer icon. The first batch was brewed way back in 1980 (well before the surge in the popularity of craft brews). Last Wednesday, Sierra Nevada Brewing announced that it’s opening a production site in North Carolina (expanding from the original location in Chico, Calif.). I’m glad that my old friend is doing well.
Events Brewing
The third annual Fond du Lac Brewfest takes place at the Fond du Lac County Expo Center from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. More than 20 Wisconsin breweries will be sampling hundreds of beers. If you make the trip from Milwaukee, make sure you don’t have to drive back.
The Bomb Shelter (1517 S. Second St.) hosts a unique pairing of beer and chocolate (you heard right) on Wednesday night. For just $20, you can sample five beers, like Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Cream Stout and New Glarus Chocolate Abbey, alongside chocolate chosen by Atomic Chocolate Company. Space is limited, so call 414-384-2662 to get your ticket. Sweet indeed.
The first of five Best of Milwaukee Beer Dinners takes place on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. at Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub (222 E. Erie St.). This is an amazing chance to see what happens when five of Wisconsin’s best chefs create a course paired with a regional craft brewery. For example, the creation of chef Minerva Benzonan of Tess will be paired with Bell’s Hopslam. (Notice a theme this week?) Call 414-727-9300 to purchase a $95 ticket.
