Seattle/Portland Int'l Beerfest

Anyone been to this previously or going this year?

Seattle July 4-6
Portland July 18-20

http://www.seattlebeerfest.com/

I'm considering going to the one in Portland. I've got so much frickin vacation time and this should be a relatively cheap trip. Budget beer tourism!

I'm putting the Seattle one on the calendar for sure (next step, convince SWMBO that I need to go). Seattle center is perfect, within stumbling distance to the ferry for me.

I've been to the Portland one several times. Take a week and drive up. It's two days, but there are many good places to visit on the way. Weed is about half way & Mt. Shasta brewing has some good beers.

I'll be there - saw DFH is going to be there. I hope they bring a Randall.

Once we get an idea of how many of us are heading to Seattle we should coordinate the dates so we can all get drunk and TP the Space Needle

I may go to the Seattle event rather than the Portland. I'm going to have to go up there for work, probably about that time -- which would mean that I could get my transportation up there paid for.

I'm in for TPing the needle as long as we use recycled paper. I'll bring the jetpacks.

I'll probably go on either the 5th or 6th of July. Most likely the 5th.

I'll be on vacation in Seattle during beerfest, and my hotel is stumbling distance from Seattle Center. A coincidence, although my SWMBO thinks I planned it.

Any Seattle HBT'ers want to meet up for a beer? PM me if you're up for it.

BrianP said:

I'll be on vacation in Seattle during beerfest, and my hotel is stumbling distance from Seattle Center. A coincidence, although my SWMBO thinks I planned it.

Any Seattle HBT'ers want to meet up for a beer? PM me if you're up for it.

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I'll be going to the Beerfest on Saturday, we'll see what works out. (Sorry, not a PM). I'm hoping we get a few of us together at the same time I'm tired of all the east coast and midwest guys with their fancy shin-digs, and we can't get people together in one of the biggest beer regions in the country.

Seriously, looking forward to meeting any HBT'ers that make it up here.

I'll be there!

I'll be there the 4th. Unfortunately I fly out the 5th.

I'll PM you Brian. I can meet up with you on the 4th.

I just stumbled across this. I will be getting into SeaTac Saturday afternoon the 5th. I am going to try and make Beerfest my first stop. I had no idea it was going on when I planned this trip to visit Mom & Dad. I grew up about 3 blocks from the Mural Ampitheater where the event is held. My brother and I used to fly control line model airplanes on the lawn right there in the ampitheater many, many years ago. Hope to meet up with any of you who will be there!

You're like me - I had no idea until I saw Zymurgy this month.

Any other HBT'ers in the greater Seattle area planning on attending?

BrianP said:

You're like me - I had no idea until I saw Zymurgy this month.

Any other HBT'ers in the greater Seattle area planning on attending?

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I'm gonna make it! Have to spend next week in Washington for work (Renton and Mt Vernon), so I'm going to push my return flight to Monday and stay in Seattle on my own dime so I can attend. Hoping to meet up with some HBT folks and raise a glass or two.

I will be staying at a hotel a few blocks away from the event, arriving there Thursday afternoon and staying through Sunday. Let's try and coordinate and inebriate to celebrate the 4th.

Originally posted by BakerStreetBeers
I'm gonna make it! Have to spend next week in Washington for work (Renton and Mt Vernon)

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When in Renton, be sure and check out the Dog & Pony Alehouse and checkout Skagit River Brewing Company while in Mt. Vernon.

I'll see you at the fest!

Brewtopia said:

When in Renton, be sure and check out the Dog & Pony Alehouse and checkout Skagit River Brewing Company while in Mt. Vernon.

I'll see you at the fest!

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Looking forward to it. Google pointed me to the Dog and Pony before my last trip but didn't get the chance to go . . . maybe this time.

Skagit's Monday $2 pint night is on the itinerary . I'm hoping they'll have busted out the Bourbon barrel aged beer that was listed as upcoming on the menu when I was there a month ago.

Had a great time yesterday at the Seattle International Beer Fest. Met up with BrianP and BakerStreetBeers. McKBrew comes into town today for the event.

Here are a few pics from yesterday

Another Big Lebrewski


(From L to R) Brewtopia, BrianP, BakerStreetBeers


Fireworks! (The camera is not out of focus, this is actually how the world looked by this point in the evening.) Brewtopia & BakerStreetBeers

I saw the Big Lebrewski bottle guy at the WA Brewers Fest, there were a few other guys wandering around with similar bottles.

BrianP: Nice Zukey Lake Tavern shirt. Haven't seen one of those since I moved from Michigan!

BrianP has left and is heading back home to Michigan. McKBrew arrives for today's festivities.

(From L to R) BakerStreetBeers, Brewtopia, McKBrew


Having a great time


McKBrew had to head back home but BakerStreetBeers and I head back to the Naked City Sky Lounge for some Grapes of Wrath


Enjoying GOW next to the barrel from which it sprang

Don I can't tell if you're trying to look perjorative and snooty, or you're about 3 sheets to the wind!

I had a great time sampling beers with BakerStreetBeers, Brewtopia, and Brewtopia's SWMBO.

The beer selection was fantastic. I got to try some beers that I never see locally, among them:
Trumer Pils
Port Brewing Wipeout IPA
Allagash Black
Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pils
Rouge Batch 10,000
Flyer's Brewery Sick Duck & Belgian Special Project
Lagunitas Gnarleywine
Boon Geuze
and lastly
New Belgium La Folie (whoa, was that sour)

Many thanks to Don and Jay for the recommendations. I enjoyed hanging out with you guys and wish I could have stayed for day #2.

Finally have a few minutes to post my recap.

First of all, huge thanks to Don and Jan (Brewtopia and SWMBO) for their incredible hospitality. In addition spending 12+ hours of Beer Fest time with them, I was also shown some other great spots: Jabu's, McMenamin's, Elysian, Stumbling Monk, Taco Gringos and the Naked City Sky Lounge.

It was also very cool to get to meet BrianP and McKBrew and spend some time drinking and talking beer with them.

BrianP's list includes some of the best beers (that I remember) from the festival. I would also add:

JW Lee's Harvest aged in wet lagavulin barrel (BrianP wasn't there for this one as they poured it on Saturday -- most impressive beer line I've ever seen). The beer was insane. Basically tasted like lagavulin if lagavulin was only 25 proof.

Full Sail Imperial Ported (Bourbon barrel aged)
Port Brewing Hop-15
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza (BrianP's recommendation, thanks!)
Eckt Kriekenbier
Poperings Hommel
St. Bernardus Wit


Haven't looked through my pics yet. If there are any good ones I will put them up here.

It was so great to meet everyone and I'm definitely looking forward to coming up for the Naked City opening.

Here are the beers I tried. For some reason, I didn't think I had that many, guess that explains why I felt the way I did. The festival was great, and the fact that many beers were only 1-2 tickets, even for some of the premium stuff made it worthwhile.

Rogue Batch 10K
Harviestoun Ola Dubh (Cask)
Port/Lost Abbey Hop-15 (one of the best IPA's I've had, ever).
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
New Belgium La Folie (Sour as hell, but still good).
Shelton Broers Mikkeller Black (a 6 ticket, 17.5% Imperial Stout, that was mindblowing).
Rogue Old Crustacean (vintage 2006)
Full Sail Prodigal Sun IPA
Flyer's Sick Duck (RIS)
Mountain Meadows Agave Mead.

Due to family issues, I wasn't able to make it to Beerfest until later in the afternoon Sunday. It was still a lot of fun. By then, a number of the popular taps had run dry. Here's a list of (what I remember anyway) what I tried:

Deschutes Hophenge, wonderfully balanced DIPA
Spaten Ur-Marzen, Oktoberfest beer, I could drink a lot of this
Spaten Helles Bock, I want to learn to make this style!
Port Brewing Hop-15, Nice DIPA, but not the balance of the Hophenge
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, not an everyday beer by my tastes, but tasty
La Divine Belgian Strong Ale, still looking for that Belgian that makes me want to try more
Rochefort 8, see La Divine

A fun time, just wished I'd gotten there a day earlier. They were out of tee shirts too.

raceskier said:

Due to family issues, I wasn't able to make it to Beerfest until later in the afternoon Sunday. It was still a lot of fun. By then, a number of the popular taps had run dry. Here's a list of (what I remember anyway) what I tried:

Deschutes Hophenge, wonderfully balanced DIPA
Spaten Ur-Marzen, Oktoberfest beer, I could drink a lot of this
Spaten Helles Bock, I want to learn to make this style!
Port Brewing Hop-15, Nice DIPA, but not the balance of the Hophenge
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, not an everyday beer by my tastes, but tasty
La Divine Belgian Strong Ale, still looking for that Belgian that makes me want to try more
Rochefort 8, see La Divine

A fun time, just wished I'd gotten there a day earlier. They were out of tee shirts too.

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Sorry we missed you raceskier. I like the hophenge, too, but didn't have any while I was there since I can buy it locally. I also think that the Lagunitas Hop Stoopid is pretty good.

I liked your comment about Belgian Beers. Like I told BrianP on Friday, I feel that Belgian beers are like Radiohead -- people who's opinions I respect make me feel like I should like them, but I have a hard time getting there. I'm starting to catch on a bit with extensive sampling. Consider picking up some Ommegang, or Russian River -- slightly Americanized versions.

Sorry to hear they'd run out of a lot of beers. I heard that they were trying to "pace" some of the popular ones, rationing them across the three days, but maybe they experienced a lack of discipline.

Cheers, and hope to catch you at the next fest.

We went to this yesterday. I was amazed at how many young people I saw there. And no, I don't mean people 'my age' I mean like college kids. I know PSU is relatively close by, but stilll... I thought it was cool. It really shows how much of a beer culture we have here. I got to sample all kinds of barleywines and krieks. I now want to make a kriek.

Yesterday was the last day, and DFH and Stone were gone. We got screwed! I paid $10 for a glass, and I got a craptastic plastic one instead of the glass ones you guys got. *grumble*