Summer is just about upon us, and with it lighter session beers, wheats and wits. And while those can be complex, satisfying brews, it's still nice to take the occasional break from them for richer (and more alcoholic) choices. Or maybe that's just my too-tolerant liver talking.
A few events on the horizon should be just the ticket for those bored with the lawnmower beers most of us reach for following a hard day of working outside, or even after bursting into a drenching sweat on the walk from the driveway to the door.
First up is Holy Grail Pub's Smoke Out this weekend. I'm guessing someone there actually did smoke out before coming up with one of the featured barbecue offerings: bacon-injected brisket. I'm also curious what the BBQ Snob thinks of this. "New and favorite beers" including Real Ale Mysterium Verum Devil's Share will complement the meats. A couple weeks later, beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday the 12th, Holy Grail has the Dog Days of Summer featuring Dogfish Head's Black and Blue, Festina Peche, Burton Baton and Midas Touch.
Next week's Brewsday Tuesday at The Common Table highlights Peticolas Brewing Company, with the debut of Golden Opportunity, which Michael Peticolas told me back in January will split the difference between a golden ale and a kolsch, along with the previously available Velvet Hammer, Great Scot! and Royal Scandal. The next day, the Table taps 2010 Avery Reverend and 2010 Avery Salvation, and Saturday, June 9, begins the restaurant's second anniversary party with a complete Lone Star State (but not Lone Star beer, as far as I can tell) tap and stage takeover with 15 Texas breweries, three casks and four music acts (J. Charles and the Train Robbers at 1 p.m., Boxcar Bandits at 3, David Wax Museum at 10 and Joe Pug at 11).
And 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday the 16th is Flying Saucer on the Lake's Third Annual Spring BeerFeast. (If "third annual" is right, that is -- did they call it BeerFeast or Beer Fest in past years? I'm not concerned enough to Google it.) Saucer fests/feasts always feature a big variety and include some rare and/or aged brewskis, and this one is no different with 25 breweries and 60 beers along with the following rarities: Brew Vertical Jewbilation; Rahr & Sons Bourbon Barrel Winter Warmer; Real Ale Kraken; a Stone Brewing Co. collaboration to be announced, a year-old Boulevard Brewing Co. Saison Brett; and Jester King Whiskey (that's all the release says; I'd guess it's whiskey-barrel-aged Commercial Suicide or Rodeo, unless the Austin brewery has secretly been distilling all along).
Special tappings will be announced throughout the day on Twitter, so keep your phone charged. Also, because Dallas County regulations now require any gathering of 25 people or more to include food trucks, wheeled meals will be available as well. Tickets are $30 through June 15 and $40 the day of, though there are special offers available. Buy this weekend and you'll get a $5 Saucer gift card, or get tickets for $25 each with the purchase of 10 or more through June 14 at this site, and you can take advantage of both offers at once.
Complete list as of today:
Alaskan Amber
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
Coney Island Hop Manna
Deep Ellum Farmhouse Wit
Deep Ellum IPA
Delirium Noel
Deschutes Twilight
Green Flash/Founders Collaboration
Hops and Grain New Zealand IPA
Jester King/Mikkeller Drink'n in the Sunbelt
Lagunitas Sucks Holiday
Leinenkugel Big Eddy Scotch Ale
Maui Sweet Onion Mild
New Belgium Cocoa Mole
New Belgium Tart Lychee
Oskar Blues Deviant Dales
Peticolas Golden Opportunity
Peticolas Velvet Hammer
Pyramid Apricot
Ranger Creek SA IPA
Ranger Creek Strawberry Milk Stout
Rodenboch Grand Cru
Shiner Ruby Red Bird
Silly Noel
St. Bernardus Tripel
St. Fuellin Special
Stone DDH IPA
Thirsty Planet / Franklin BBQ Smoked Porter
Victory Summer Love
Anchor Steam
Avery Hog Heaven
Avery Salvation
Boulevard Dark Truth
Boulevard Sixth Glass
Breckenridge Lucky U
Breckenridge Summerbright
Brewdog Dogma
Brewdog Punk IPA
Brooklyn Local One
Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp
Coney Island Albino Python
Cuvee des Jacobins
Foxtrot Pear
Full Sail Bourbon Porter
Green Flash Rayon Vert
Hops and Grains Alt
Jester King Wytchmaker Rye
Left Hand Juju Ginger
Moylans Kilt Lifter
Oskar Blues Old Chub
Palm
Popperings Hommel
Redstone Juniperberry
Ska Decadent
Ska Mexi Logger
Stone Smoked Porter
Wasatch Winter
Woodchuck Farmhouse Original Cider