Capt Keith's Beer Blog

Today is the second annual Stout Day, (or Tempranillo Day, for the oenophile) and people all over the country have their smart phone in one hand and their pint glass in the other.  Just like IPA Day, Stout Day is a social media driven beer holiday and is focused on not only drinking a stout, but celebrating the stout and spreading its good word.  We have teamed up with Untappd to produce a special badge for those that use their great beer tracking app.  All you have to do is check into the Saucer and a Stout Beer and the badge is yours.  Our Saucers and Moth are all celebrating in different ways, and some are taking it to the next level by celebrating Stout Week and even Stout Month.  Check in with your local spot, everyone has great things planned.

Many people are getting fed up with these “National” holidays (eg. Talk Like a Pirate Day, National Cheeseburger Day, and plenty other even more rediculous made up holidays) but since our little Craft Beer thing represents barely over 5% of the national market, it is up to us to spread the word and get “Lite” Beer drinkers to drop their Macro products and pick up a craft beer.  The stout and the IPA are two of the most misunderstood styles, so to me it makes sense for these two styles to be the first to earn their own day.  How many times have you heard someone say “I don’t like dark beers” only to find out they have never even tried one?  So many people are too quick to judge books by their cover and don’t understand the versatility the stout can have.  Watching someones eyes light up the first time they sip a Milk Stout sweetened with unfermentable lactose, or even a thick and chewy Imperial Stout, perhaps aged in bourbon barrels or on a bed of cocoa nibs never gets old to me. That’s half the fun of craft beer.  Sharing our knowledge and understanding of this craft along with a couple ounces of our favorite beer we might have smuggled back from a vacation wrapped in a sweater we took to the beach simply for the padding.  There are so many people out there who do not understand what we hold so dear, and in some cases take for granted.

Remember, today is not only about the stout (or generating web traffic for the various websites built around capitalizing on this opportunity, most of which I think are spreading the good word for the greater cause) but is also about sharing.  Invite someone from your office who doesn’t drink good beer to your favorite beer joint for Happy Hour today.  Spread the word through your social media outlets that you live the good life and enjoy beer made by hands and not machines.  Proudly exclaim what you’re drinking, who your drinking it with, and where. Open the door for another to become as enlightened as you are.  Help those who are drinking rice/corn beer loaded with chemicals to find out there is more out there.  And as always, tip your server well for letting you have all the fun.

We had a blast with our Summer Beer FEAST out on Lake Ray Hubbard, but now it is time to gear up for our Fall Festivals and this year we are adding one to the list.

Tickets are on sale now: Click the link below to buy your tickets today.

• Nashville – September 22nd. (This will be our 3rd annual festival here and we are doubling the beer offering)
• Austin – September 29th
• Fort Worth – October 13th  

Each of our festivals will have at least 60 brews to choose from and at the Nashville fest you will be allowed unlimited sampling from 1-6pm.    There are still a few VIP tickets remaining for the Nashville fest that include:

• Early admission by one hour
• A sweet BeerFEAST T shirt
• VIP brew caddy taster glass lanyard
• One food voucher for any one of the available food trucks
• Most importantly you will have access to the VIP only line for early access to the rare tappings.

Unfortunately we have to play by a different rule book at our Festivals in Texas since State Law prohibits us from giving more than 24 ozs of beer for one price. We will be selling additional tasting cards for (12) two ounce samples for only $6 inside the Fest, to allow you to sample even more of our delicious offerings at a reduced price. We’ve been collecting these brews for some time now and are looking forward to sharing them with you. Spread the good word. Space will be limited.

Sugar Land will also be joining in on the fun with their inaugural festival on October 27th, but their tickets are not on sale quite yet.  Keep an eye on their Twitter account @SaucerSugarLand for updates on VIP and General Admission ticket releases within the next two weeks.  And as always, the Twitter savvy can follow me @Schlabs, or my right hand man @SaucerSam as well as @SaucerFeast for a peak behind the scenes.

Last year we had some great success with a few #IPAday celebrations and this year we are getting behind it full force.  Every Saucer will be having some really great, and unique, IPA day experiences.  Tons of special tappings, casks, and of course discounts on India Pale Ales on draught and in bottle.  Come out and see us today and help celebrate the India Pale Ale.

We are also teaming up with Untappd, a web based social beer app that helps you track and share your beers with your friends.  Last year the Austin Flying Saucer had the most Untappd IPA Check Ins of any #IPAday celebration in the world and this year we want to fill up the top ten with Flying Saucers!  If you use Untappd, help us accomplish our goals by checking in a getting a special “IPADay: Saucer Style” badge as well as your IPA Day 2012 badge.

Beerknurds – mark your calendars. The crew at the Forth Worth  Saucer is almost ready to  fill your glass again. We have a cold draught system and the plates are hung. BUT, we still have some finishing touches left before the triumphant return of our original Saucer.  It won’t be exactly the same (we will all miss the old Land and Title building), but there will definitely be some big improvements!   We will have more seating capacity and an enhanced food menu. We also have a dedicated cellar to stockpile some rare jewels. This obviously wont make an immediate impact but will allow us to save some great beers for the 20th anniversary (three years from now) and of course give you a stellar line up for our annual BeerFEAST during TX OU weekend.

Soon this patio will be brimming with craft brews!

If everything goes according to plan we could be open THIS WEEKEND!  We have an excited crew of Beer Goddesses and Beertenders ready to get back in action and serve up some pints from our brand new beer system.  For those that value the subtleties of craft beer there really is nothing like a pint from a brand new draught line.  At the other Saucers we often cut and rerun fresh lines every year or two, but every single line on our 80 taps will be brand spanking new.  Staff training and refreshers are going on now and we have had the opportunity to put together quite a crew of seasoned Saucer and 8.0 vets as well as importing some new additions from other areas of Texas and the craft world.

As you can see we have plenty to do but it already looks like home

We look forward to opening our doors to our loyal Beer Knurds and former 8.0 regulars.  Keep an eye on my twitter @Schlabs and the local @FlyingSaucerFW or my right hand man @SaucerSam for details on the goings on in our world.

As most of you know, we are moving our FW Saucer across the street very soon. Due to the new construction of two parks in Sundance Square our 4th street building would have been closed for over 18 months. No one can go that long without craft beer downtown. So, we’ve decided to move it across the street and keep that old building for another project when the park project is done. Look for the new joint to open in early July. Beerknurds, keep an eye on your e-mail for more details.

We’ve been there since June of 1995 and this year marks 17 years of some pretty great beers. We’ve made lots of friends and we look forward to hosting some pretty special beer events in the new beergarden.

Father’s day will be our last day in the original space. So – bring your dad in for one last pint. I hope to see you there.

Capt

The Original Flying Saucer is located at 111 E 4th Street in Sundance Square in Fort Worth. We opened this location as our first little beer joint in June of 1995 – Seventeen years ago when Craft beer in Texas was just beginning to grow a following.

While writing the first Flypaper (beer menu) I remember thinking we would need to encourage our customers to try all the unique and foreign beers otherwise they may just stick to what they know (I had a hard time pronouncing half of them). From that thought, the UFO club was born. Back then we used a big chief tablet and an abacus to keep score (we used fax machines and prodigy back then too) Robert Wynne is the epitome of a diehard Fort Worth Beerknurd AND he has a card from every single location.

There have been a lot of fond memories over the years. Visits from Michael Jackson, John Young, John Maier, Garrett Oliver, Sam Calagione, Adam Avery, Todd Usry, Rob Tod, Stephen Beaumont and the list goes on. We’ve had Festivals since 1995 and this year will be no different because we are moving across the street to 111 E 3rd Street. Our new Beer Garden will be spectacular with trees, stage and plenty of space for fun events and unique beer experiences. We will surely miss the old Land and Title Building but you will not have to go far to find the good beer.

I hope you come see us for one last visit in the Original Flying Saucer this week! Here’s to all the good times had there and more to come in our new joint next door.

Wednesday – One last Brewery Night featuring Victory Summer Love

Thursday HH – we are having pints with the old crew – yes Vicki said she’d come too. See you there at 6 PM

Friday and Saturday Night – Rare Beer Tappings Both Days

Sunday – Bring your Dad the the Saucer one last time for a Father’s Day pint during Texas Brewery Sunday. Over 15 TX beers, meet some brewers & enjoy local beers. 

Capt Keith

Our top Beerknurds descend upon the mecca of all beer festivals again this year. This time of year, Denver is overflowing with great brews and special events. Robert Wynne – plate holder in every single Flying Saucer on the planet, pictured here with Frank “the Tank” Sullivan from San Antonio. Frank has THIRTY FRIKIN SEVEN in San Antonio – dude loves beer.LAKFS Brewdog Tactical Nuclear. Frank is on the left….

Every year, Marc and his gang of beer loving Beerknurds host a Fall Beer Fe(a)st and its always on the same weekend – TX/ OU Weekend. This gives folks an opportunity to avoid the roudy crowds in big D and drink some excellent craft-brews in Fort Worth’s Sundance Square.

This year, we are making it BIGGER since we were tight on space last year. There will be SEVEN beer TASTING TENTS:

East Coast Brews: Alagash Odyssey, Ommegang’s New Belgian Pale Ale, ’07 Brooklyn Chocolate Stout and more…..

West Coast Brews: Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Lagunitas Little Sumpin WILD, Deschute’s Inversion IPA among others…

Texas Tent: Real Ale, 512, Rahr, Southern Star, Saint Anrnold

Sierra Nevada (they have their own with the 30th Anniversary series Marc saved!)

Captain’s Pics: Fine beers from Ska, Avery, Breckenridge, Left Hand & Allagash

World Beer: Urthel, Achouffe, Ayinger & Spaten draft beers.

Demon Tent – Thanks to the boys at Avery Brewing Company. Ever sampled the Demon’s on tap in one setting? Soon, you will be able to answer with a smiling YES.

Saturday October 2nd – just behind the Flying Saucer at 111 East 4th Street – Fort Worth

20 BUCKS gets you a 10 Beer Tasting Card (4 oz per taster)

Noon – 10 PM with live music on the Saucer patio

I hope I see you out there – yee haw!

Today GABF kicks off in Denver.  This fest has come along way since its inception in 1982 in Boulder with only 22 breweries representing a mere 40 beers.  (reminds me of our upcoming Austin Beer Festival 10/16) Ten years later 7,000 fans of craft beer descended upon the Denver Merchandise Mart with 150 breweries and 500 beers.  Over the next few days an expected 49,000 people will be able to sample from 455 breweries.

Look for this big blue bear peering into the window and you will know you’re there. Also look for Sam Wynne – he’s my Flying Saucer Ambassador. 

Look for Sam Wynne (photo taken in Bruges enjoying some Moule Frites & Westmalle Tripel)

This year Flying Saucer began a new reward program for our faithful BeerKnurds who make multiple trips around the Ring of Honor and we are sending 19 of them with 10 plates or more (and a friend) to Denver to choose from over 2,200 beers at the festival, the largest selection of American Craft Beer ever assembled.  Sam Wynne, my assistant Beer Guru and Certified Cicerone, will be traveling with BeerKnurds from Fort Worth, Raleigh, Memphis, Charlotte, Addison, Columbia and his home store Austin while they attend the king of beer festivals.

Not only can you visit massive beer festival, but Denver Beer Week has a host of special events that began September 10th and will continue to continue until Sunday the 19th. Why can’t all beer weeks last 10 days?  There is an open house at Great Divide and Sam also set up a brewery tour at the Avery Brewery in Boulder on Friday to warm up for the fest that night. On Saturday Breckenridge Brewery’s Blake Street location opens their doors for their famous Brewers Breakfast that is always a blast.  It will be a fun filled weekend for all 40 of these faithful BeerKnurds , and I look forward to hearing their stories. (SAM – take pictures!!)

I raise my glass to Charlie Papazian, creator of GABF,  and to all those who have paved the way for the advancement of craft beer. Every day, those of you who chose to drink better beer help us carry the torch for the craft beer movement and for that – I thank you.

This is our 4th year in a row to host the Fort Worth Beer Festival. Each year the crowd has grown in size and last year was the biggest yet. If you have not attended this annual event, let me explain how it will work.

You do not have to pay to get in the event.

You pay for a Tasting Card so that you can sample 10 of the 25 beers we are featuring. The cards identify which beers are in the various tents. Each time you try a beer, we will pour 4 oz and then punch your card. For a $5 bump in price, you can sample from the UR Not Worthy Tent. That was Marc’s idea – to include a grouping of beers that are very rare on draft and that he has been saving for all of you! In this tent, you’ll find beers like Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Avery Beast Grand Cru and some Vintage North Coast Old Stock.

If you find a beer you like, you can buy a full pour with tickets or 4 punches of your tasting card.

A big tent will be set up with tables and chairs to take a load off or just sit and eat some killer beer food. We’ll fire up the Brat and Pretzel tent just before 2 PM. Expect beer brats and German pretzels with spicy mustard and seasoned kraut. Perfect fall beer food for an outdoor event.

As the doors open, we will tap the bung on some Real Ale Oktoberfest. We have a limited supply so get there early. Also, I will be on hand to tap the first keg of Sierra Nevada Edge of Darkness from my beer camp. Come see us and let’s raise a glass to some great weather with friends and the best beer selection ever presented at an outdoor venue in the history of Fort Worth, Texas.