Giving your sweetheart a box of assorted chocolates for Valentine's Day is a great way to say "I really don't know all that much about you." A fine beer, on the other hand, is a bold move all but guaranteed to impress. And if it's not appreciated? Well, better to have learned that he or she isn't a beer lover before the relationship gets too serious.
Deep Ellum Brewing Company is offering a very limited run of hand-bottled Cherry Chocolate Double Brown Stout, a sexed-up version of the brewery's already-alluring Baltic porter, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Bolsa Mercado. According to SideDish, there'll be 300 bottles and when they're gone, they're gone. Owner John Reardon adds in the comments section that each 22-ounce bottle will probably retail at $14.99 (!) and that the batch is made with Patric Chocolate cocoa nibs and cherry puree from Oregon.
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. is marking the second anniversary of the snow-caused roof collapse this weekend at its brewery tour, featuring the Snowmaggedon oatmeal stout and a Habitat for Humanity. The deets:
Runners sign in at 10:45 a.m. and the social run kicks off at 11:00 a.m. The run itself is free; however for only $10, entrants receive a brewery tour, complimentary beer, food and a keepsake Rahr pint glass. For $30, participants receive the same plus early registration for the 3rd annual Rahr Oktoberfest 5K, which will be held in the fall.
For non-runners, doors for the regular tour and tasting open at 1:00 p.m. and a $7 entrance fee covers a tour of the brewery and a Rahr & Sons pint glass with three complimentary beer tastings. Local musician Christa Russell will play and food from The Bacon Wagon and Zombie's Food Truck will be available for purchase.
At 2:30 p.m., the brewery team will present a check donating the proceeds from last year's Rahr Oktoberfest 5K to the Trinity Habitat for Humanity of Texas. The $6,500 raised will support the organization's "Preserve a Home" program, which transforms homes in need of repair.
Tour guests will also have the exciting opportunity to sample Snowmageddon, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout crafted to commemorate the Great Roof Collapse. The brew, a medium-bodied beer featuring the subtle sweetness of oats, was a hit when it was introduced at last year's anniversary celebration.
Ginger Man locations will do their annual chocolate and beer pairing event this weekend. Dallas' spot will offer Dude, Sweet Chocolate offerings paired with 10 different beers 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $35 in advance, $40 on the day of. It's a five round competition of sorts, with two beers going against each other in each. Head Sweet Dude-ette Katherine Clapner tried all 10 and picked the pairings. Round 1: Brooklyn The Companion versus Spaten Franziskaner Hefeweizen. Round 2: Lindemann's Framboise versus Bourgogne des Flanders. Round 3: Green Flash West Coast IPA versus Boulevard Single Wide IPA. Round 4: (512) Cascabel Stout versus Boulevard Chocolate Ale. Round 5: Ommegang Seduction versus Ommegang Three Philosophers.
And while normally we don't advise going out for dinner on Valentine's Day, there are a couple events on Tuesday that sound like they'd appeal to beer lovers. Holy Grail Pub in Plano has a $65-per-person beer dinner that night. Ommegang Seduction, DEBC Double Brown Stout, Maredsous 8, O'Hare's Irish Stout and Ommegang Aphrodite will be paired with orange-glazed duck breast, fried bananas with stout ice cream and more. Back in Dallas, The Common Table has a $69 "Valentines Rocks" four-course dinner for two with your choice of a select beer (or wine) bottle; those not so inclined can opt for "Valentines Sucks," 5 p.m. tappings of some appropriately bitter IPAs including Avery Dugana, Moylan's Hopsickle, Deschutes Hop Henge and more. (I had the "experimental IPA" Hop Henge the other night, by the way. It's a really good mix of earthy, herbal and citrus hops, very well balanced and not as puckering as the 95 IBUs would suggest. Not sure what the "experiment" was, but it's a fine beer.)