I met with girl drinkers Marla, Melissa and my sis Tracy for a night of comedy and cheesy appetizers. And drinks. Of course there were drinks. We were all geared up to see the partly-cloudy comic with a side of soapbox, David Cross. Unfortunately, we had no idea what time…
Brooklyn Beer brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s visit to Whole Foods yesterday afternoon was first and foremost a cooking demonstration with beer pairing suggestions. But as Oliver described how the flavors of each brew complemented each course, he kept returning to a central thesis: When it comes to food pairings, beer is…
The day I have been waiting for since I bought my starter kit back in August finally arrived yesterday, as Lady Hophead and I popped open our first couple of “H.M.N.I.” home-brewed beers. (The initials, incidentally, stand for “Hi My Name Is,” for the name-tag stickers we’ll probably use to…
As it is now officially Rocktober, Oktoberfest beers are replacing summer brews on store aisles, bar coolers and tap walls. Apparently, though, not all brewers have the traditional Oktoberfest German Marzen-style amber lager in mind for this month. New Belgium, best known for Fat Tire, has introduced a new golden…
You may not be in Dublin, New York City, Kuala Lumpur or any of the other cities holding official Arthur’s Day celebrations today. But that doesn’t mean you have to feel left out of the party.Not to be confused with the annual Great Guinness Toast every February 13, which is…
So this week our Best of Dallas issue hits the stand. Last night the staff of your Dallas Observer got together at Trees for a little celebratory shindig, wherein we imbibed, ate, listened to live music and watched tasseled titties. What? Yeah. There were burlesque dancers. Seeing as how this…
Vermont brewing company Magic Hat has a fall sampler that is making its way to Texas beer stores, which according to the company marks the arrival of the brewer’s full line of beers in the state. Magic Hat is best known for its apricot-infused #9 (which got a nice little…
Eins, zwei, drei, g’suffa! (One, two, three, drink up!)–Bavarian toastThe beginning of Oktoberfest 2009 in Munich is still more than a week away, but the celebrations are already cranking up locally. Just as you can already find Halloween costumes and decorations at some stores, German and German-inspired Oktoberfest beers are…
What? You sick of all the Mad Men talk? About what a great show it is? Chances are that’s only because you haven’t watched it. Get on the scene, hoss, and catch the eff up! A few weeks ago (I took a week off; I know you’ve missed me), Jon…
The importance of serving wine and spirits in the correct style of glass is pretty well established. Order a Cognac at even the most laid-back of bars and it’s unlikely that the bartender will pour it into a shot glass. Beer, on the other hand, rarely gets the same respect…
A liter a day keeps the doctor away. –Old German proverb (at least according to the Bavarian Grill’s Stein Hour menu)Along with a handful of other local eateries, the Bavarian Grill in Plano is in the running for GermanDeli.com’s designation as The Best German Restaurant in America. Kuby’s may have…
This week, Sigel’s announced that it is taking early orders for a dozen 6-liter bottles of Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde golden ale. Catch is, these collector’s items come at the eyebrow-raising (or unibrow-raising) price of $219.99 a bottle. And that’s a discount: the “regular price,” according to Sigel’s, is…
Recently, I moved my ass out of a beloved one-bedroom apartment that I often forgave for its thin walls (and even thinner ceilings) and communal air ducts due to the low rent and friendly manager. I am now shacking up with the boy. In a house. We can’t hear people…
There’s something enticing and romantic about the idea of making one’s own beer right at home. Along with home wine making (yechh!) and the few in Kentucky–and elsewhere–who manage home spirits, it’s the last frontier of legal DIY intoxicants.Set up a meth lab in your trailer and … well, you’re…
May a grand Constellation be formed by a union of American virtues. –Revolution-era toast, per Richard J. Hooker’s “The American Revolution Seen Through A Wine Glass” (though we like to think that beer mugs were hoisted to these words as well).Two British ales recently proved to be real head-scratchers for…
Two weeks back in this column, Oskar Blue made a pretty convincing case that high-quality beer need not be kegged or bottled to taste great. In fact, as commenter Paul Hightower pointed out, you can find a Texas example of high-quality craft beer that comes in cans. And no, that’s…
A couple of weeks ago the Dallas Observer and its readers bid farewell to Alexa Schirtzinger, aka Veggie Girl. She was heading out to travel in South America and have fantastic adventures, and we just had to send her off with an after work bon voyage. Veggie Girl and Girl…
When you think about brewing hot spots, what come to mind? Some obvious international destinations include Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Czech Republic. As for the U.S., craft breweries are everywhere, but we think of the West Coast–especially Portland and Seattle. There’s always (for better or for worse) St. Louis…
First of all, I realize some people don’t like karaoke, that it ain’t their thing and they’d prefer to sit there and just watch the fun. That’s cool. But just trust that at Family Karaoke — where parties of up to 25 can reserve private sound-proofed rooms with wait-service who…
Last year, Oskar Blues added five 100-gallon tanks and increased its brewing by more 64 percent over 2007 in order to keep up with increased demand. That the Lyons, Colorado, brewery experienced such a rapid growth probably wouldn’t surprise anyone who has tasted its excellent flagship beer, Dale’s Pale Ale,…
Last week’s Hophead featured the Kansas City brewery Boulevard’s Saison, part of the company’s Smokestack series. Though not a life-changing beer, the Saison was impressive enough to warrant further investigation into the Smokestack series. A recent night at home with pizza seemed a perfect opportunity to pop the cork on…
Seems like any one of the nights we do a Girl Drink Drunk would be a “girls’ night out” but this one was officially a “Girls’ Night Out.” Like, I got an invitation. People RSVPed. There were boys around once we arrived, but hey, we were at a public bar…
