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.

Hey – it is HOT outside. Beat this heat with our air-conditioned beer joint in Addison. Flying Saucer is hosting its 2nd annual BeerBQ this Sunday the 29th.

We’re opening up our cellar and releasing some beautiful beers.

1PM – 512 Double Whiskey Pecan Porter

   Boulevard Harvest Dance Wheat Wine

2PM – Dogfish Head Red and White

                Dogfish Head Black and Blue – click to see this video. Very nice seasonal from DFH

3PM – Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA Bottles

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

4PM – Brooklyn Black Ops

                Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet 1.5

5PM – North Coast Old Stock

                North Coast Old Rasputin XIV bottles

6PM       St. Arnolds Bitter Belgian Cask

Left Hand Widdershins

Food specials: BBQ Nachos, Sausage Plate, Pulled Pork Sandwiches and sides of Cotswold Mac n Cheese and Loaded Potato Salad. Also we’ll have some Cobblers for dessert.

Festival Season is upon us once again, and we are kicking things off at the Lake on June 16th.  Early bird tickets are still available for $25, but in a mere 36 hours they will go up to $30 until June 14th, then $40 day of the fest.  With Fathers day on June 17th shopping is a no brainer this year, you know your Dad would love a day out on Lake Ray Hubbard with a beer in his hand.  Our GM at the Lake Daniel Parks has been stashing gems in his cooler and my right hand man Sam Wynne is pulling up the newest breweries from Austin including Rogness, Jester King, Hops and Grain, Adelberts and more.  Buy your tickets early at  www.beerfeast2012.com because we put a cap on ticket sales this year, so we might sell out!  A few of the exciting beers that will be tapped include: One-year old Saison-Brett from Boulevard Brewing Co., Lagunitas Brewing Sucks Holiday Ale, Real Ale Brewing’s Kraken (French Oak Aged Sisyphus), Rahr & Sons Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer and Maui Brewing’s Onion Mild.

Follow @SaucerFeast on Twitter for all the latest updates.  

Its hard to believe it has been four years since we drilled through the penny wall and opened the doors at our location in the Power and Light District of Kansas City, MO.  Matt Gardner and his gang of Brew Barons and Beer Goddesses have put together a strong day of rare beer tappings every hour on the hour from noon till 9pm on Sunday May 6th.  While I cannot speak to the times these kegs will be tapped, I do know a few of the gems.

Boulevard Saison Noir (Unrated, have you tried it yet?  Didn’t think so.)

Boulevard Chocolate Ale (Ratebeer.com 96/98)

Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans (Ratebeer.com 98/99)

Bell's Batch 9000: Brewed once, released January 2010 (Ratebeer.com 98 overall)

Founders Backwoods Bastard: Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale (Ratebeer.com 99/100)

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break: Imperial Porter with Vanilla, Coffee and Almonds (Ratebeer.com 98 overall)

Evil Twin Ron & The Beast Ryan: Brettanomyces finished Saison (Ratebeer.com 97 overall)

Green Flash 30th Street Pale Ale: An IPA by most standards (Ratebeer.com 95/98)

In addition to cracking into all these hard to find and world class kegs each guest will receive a free raffle ticket upon entry for an all day raffle featuring beer themed prizes from the Saucer and many of your favorite breweries.  Its going to be a great day, go check it out of you are in the neighborhood.  You won’t regret it.

How time flies when you work with people like Matt Gardner! He and his team have been working hard to bring you the best beers in KC, MO for THREE years now.

Come help us celebrate with a Cellar Release event on Sunday May 1st. We hope to see you there.

Matt does it again in KC. He is bringing you the best the market can offer up in the form of liquid gold. This Monday – January 18th he will tap the bung on a Cask of Hopslam.

Hopslam is a seasonal, high-gravity American Double/Imperial IPA from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Mich., and is only available from Jan. 7 through February each year.

The casks will be tapped starting at 7 p.m. Tell your friends, write your momma and bring the kids if you must. Don’t miss this rare chance to taste this “biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale.”

It is that time of year if you are near Columbia, South Carolina.

Our friends at All About Beer Magazine are hosting the 2nd Annual World Beer Festival at the convention center just around the corner from the Flying Saucer. I attended last year and there were many world class beers available and all of the usual suspects. Belgian ales are plentiful, local craft breweries are eager to give you a taste of their love for the art and many of the major craft players will be on hand to taste you on their special line up.

Smuttynose was a favorite of mine last year – look for Kevin Love when  you hit their booth – he is knowledgeable and passionate about his beers. The Smuttynose IPA was a fantastic example of the style and I recommend it. Look forward to trying a Barleywine this year. Hope they bring one.

Attend one of the beer lectures if you get the chance. Greg Glaser’s presentation is very well done and extremely informative and they pass out beer for you to taste as you go along. There should be several opportunities and I thoroughly enjoyed them last year.

The Flying Saucer will have a booth set up with merchandise and some of the folks from our local chapter. Ted from Austin will be on hand as well as Jeff from Raleigh. The Saucer is hosting a Brewers Dinner with beers on Friday night which could be an opportunity to talk beer with those who make it. Come by the Saucer after your session to warm up and have a killer beer with us. See you there!

3 Amigos Drinking Rogue Ale with Jim

This holiday season, we have a special glass for you. A little Yule Fuel to kick start the holiday spirit. So, bring your gang – and get to your favorite Saucer early because this glass is a good one & will surely go quick. Check it out……..

Now for the really good part. Greg Koch from Stone turned loose of some of his vintage Imperial Russian Stout for every Saucer (Little Rock and KC excluded – sorry dudes).

You will have the rare opportunity to try this 2007 vintage IRS.  Get off work early and run, don’t walk to the Saucer to get this glass and this beer! I hope to see you there.

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.