Paul Hightower at Dallas Craft Beer Examiner has a good round-up of the month's beer events on his January Craft Beer Calendar, and Brian Brown of Plano Craft Beer Examiner has a more thorough run-down of the week's area beer events. Both of them mention something I've had penciled on my calendar since receiving the January Ginger Man newsletter: Jim Koch, founder of the Boston Beer Co., will be at the Ginger Man in Dallas 4-7 p.m. Friday for a launch party for Samuel Adams Noble Pils.
"He's in town to visit one of his distributors, but he wanted to visit a good bar in Dallas, so he picked us," says Ginger Man general manager Dana Johnson.
According to Johnson, Ginger Man will be the first in Dallas to offer the Noble Pils. Also, the bar will next month offer selections from the brewery's Brewmaster's Collection on a rotater tap.
The visit will be an informal chance to visit with Koch and talk about beer. I can think of one topic that might make for an interesting conversation -- the decision by the Brewers Association to revise the definition of "craft brewer," tripling the production cap under which a brewery can still fit the definition just as the Boston Beer Co, was about to surpass the previous 2-million-barrel limit.
Tonight's Brewsday Tuesday tapping at The Common Table features Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10, an ale brewed with three different grapes and chamomile.
With the Vertical Epic series, Stone has released a special new beer every 13 months or so since February 2, 2002 (02-02-02), with the intention that they ideally be cellared and enjoyed on December 12, 2012. Not everyone can wait that long, though -- I tried the 09-09-09 at the Ginger Man right after it came out and quite enjoyed it, fresh or not.
(And in other Common Table news, Salim Nourallah and Chris Holt will both play at the bar in a free show around 10 p.m. Thursday.)
