Its all gone....

Both the Old Wooly and the Yulefest are no longer with us. For those of you that partook in all things good, consider yourself lucky. It sure was a good year for both these beers.

In other news:

Old rip will return.

Lift Ticket has been brewed, we got our hands on some of the necessary hops and decided we just couldn't make it through a year without this tasty beer.

Sunbreak Blonde ale will be arriving soon as well, just on the heels of the Solstice.

Happy Solstice, it is all up hill from here. Thank you so much to all. We appreciate everyone of you.

Upcoming brews...

We have a few new, and some old brews on the way:

Liberty Hopfest, our single hop pale ale featuring Liberty Hops.

Old Rip Oatmeal Stout, its been brewed and will be returning, it was so good, and we did some experimental, so we may have Breakfast In a Glass again and maybe even a Bourbon Oak aged Stout as well. Stay tuned.

With Malt prices set to rise we have eclipsed the past high Malt Mark, it goes clear to the ceiling now. I'll try to get a picture of the new flood level.

We are currently looking for kitchen help, come on in and apply.

Last Call....

Old Wooly is about to be gone, to return next year. The bottles are all gone, and the draft will be by the end of the week or sooner. If you haven't been in yet, you won't know what you are missing, if you have you will run down for one last snifter or two. Thats all right now. We do have long sleeve t shirts that make great gifts come on down while they last and kill two birds with one stone.

We will be Closed...

We will be closed on:
Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24th
Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25th
New Years Day, Tuesday, January 1st

So we can Enjoy our Holidaze. You should tool.

The Old Wooly is going fast, come in for a snifter or two before it is all gone and the long wait till next year begins.

In other news I forgot to post on the day of it, We turned 19 years old on December 7th. Start planning now for next year when we turn 20 and have a big week long celebration. I hope.

Stout is going fast, looks like we will have to brew another one to keep the masses happy. Tis the season for Dark beer, but then again when isn't it Dark beer season. On some of the hottest days of the year I sell more Porter than Pale Ale, not always, but there are those days.

Thanks again for your patronage and your support, we appreciate it.

Holidaze....

Everything seems to be picking up speed as I get older. I say that with hesitation because as a kid I always overheard my father say things like, " just yesterday you were 3", or "who are you, you don't look like my son, he is much younger," or "enjoy it, it only picks up speed as you get older." Not to say I am old, I am not a big fan of young people, like me only younger, talking about how old they are. Getting carded will never get old to me, I like it, unlike the ungrateful 24 year olds who have trouble showing their ID's because according to them, "they are old." To which I always respond with something like"watch yourself" or "get used to it." Alas it seems like yesterday that we were tasting Old Wooly 2006 and here we are tasting the 2007 and about to head in to the New Year. What are your resolutions? I know it is a bit early, but life has a way of happening and soon the day will be upon us. I am trying to come up with a good one, or two that I can hopefully stick with for awhile, if not the whole year.

Breakfast in a Glass is our Old Rip Oatmeal Stout "dry hopped" with some Stumptown Coffee. It is delicious and we have joked about serving it with a strip of bacon, or a cup of eggs. It has all the essential vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy start to your day. Come in and get it, it won't last long.

The Bulliet Bourbon Old Rip was a hit at the Brouwer's Big Wood Fest, if you got to try it you were lucky we made one keg and it is now gone. Just like the passing of time. We have really experimented with the Old Rip this time around, have you noticed?

What's new: I know that Bill recently brewed a new Hopfest using Liberty Hops, look for that in the not so distant future.

Come in and enjoy it because before you know it, it will be gone. Old Wooly is quiet amazing this year, we are starting to run low on the bottles, and are over halfway through the batch. Come on in and show us some love.

Wooly Mammoth brings snow to Seattle!!!!!!

That's right, its here folks, come on in and get it while you can. It happens every year, The mammoth arriving, on December 1st with it this year we had snow that actually stuck to the ground for awhile.

This year we have new long sleeve shirts with the above logo on the front. I really like them. We also have bottles, but not for long if they keep disappearing out the front door like they have been. This year's Old Wooly is very well balanced and drinkable. I have heard more than one person say, " it was a little sweet last year, this year it is very delicious." I expect to see you all in for a snifter or two real soon. It looks as though winter has finally arrived and in a big way. Come on in for some medicine, we have what ales you.

New Beers....

Sorry for the long lag in updates to this site. It is the Holidaze after all. Suddenly you wake up and realize that things need to get done, then your Internet connection goes down and life takes over. I am sure you all know the feeling. Enough about that.
We have a few new "old" beers on tap:
Yulefest Christmas Ale and Tinderstick a British Style ESB
and some new "new" beers:
Damn Spot, a strong Scottish Ale

All of them are very delicious. The Damn Spot is Chris Borgia's first recipe as the assistant brewer. We all think he did a great job with this one. As you would expect from a Strong Scottish Ale it is a bit higher in alcohol and not very hoppy. There is the hop shortage after all, think malty and warming. Our hats go off to Chris for creating this tasty adult beverage for all of us to enjoy.

In other news: Old Wooly our Barleywine comes out on Saturday December 1st, we expect to see all of you there. We will have bottles and a newly designed long sleeve shirt. All other details are being kept under wraps until Saturday, although a few people have seen the new design or heard about it, we are trying to make it a big surprise. We hope you like it.

The Winter Beerfest is the same weekend and Brouwer's is having their Big Woodfest, where they will showcase 40+ wood aged beers from around the Northwest, on Thursday the 29th. It is also Moustache weekend at Brouwer's so dawn your best stache and head on down. It looks like we are all in for a long weekend, are your livers ready?

There you have it. Welcome to November and December folks. Peace and good cheer.

Halloween 2007

Much to everyone's chagrin I didn't don a dress this halloween as I have in the past.

I decided I would stay a man, a real man, one who consumes too much cheap beer and is all powerful.
Only 4 of us workers managed to get in to the spirit of the day.

We managed to have lots of fun anyways.
Our ex employee Barry came in with the best costume I have seen:

He didn't win any thing for it, but it was amazing, with a working spout and all.

In other news. The Bevridge Place is having their Cask o Rama tonight, sorry for the short notice, but you should head on out there for 20 or so cask IPA's.

The Perfect Storm 2007

In an earlier post I mentioned that malt prices were set to increase. We don't have a silo, we have 50 pound bags of grain, and a very small room in which to store them. Usually we have about 10,000 lbs of grain on hand at any one time. With grain prices increasing sooner than later Bill got one more order in before a very large increase, the problem was going to be fitting it in to the grain room, or more getting it in there. The room has lots of head space, but 50lb grain sack ain't gonna get themselves up there. Bill mentioned that he had a 10,000 lb grain delivery coming on Wednesday morning, and that help would be appreciated in moving it. The night before he worked late in to the evening consolidating the grain that we had on hand. We left late, he was back early and I got there about 15 mins before the grain arrived at noon. Lucky for us the rain came right when the grain did, well not really, added insult to injury so to speak. Lets just say we stacked, and stacked, and then stacked some more.

another view of all the grain and our great stacking job.

Afterwards we figured we could have gotten one more pallet in, that however would have been a logistical nightmare. We now have 20,665 lbs of grain. I wish I had some action shots, but we were too busy throwing bags and climbing around on the piles stacked to the ceiling.
Bill marked the high grain mark, like a flood line. We joked about having armed guards and maybe a guard dog on hand to protect this very valuable resource, don't even get us started about the hops, those are well protected with a series of booby traps and other scary devices.

On a totally different note, Male Escort anyone? It was dropped in our weekly drawing for a free lunch.

Give us a call if you need more info. I can't give out all the information here. I don't think more needs to be said except maybe sorry for the poor photo quality.

Pumpkin beer to arrive soon....

Our Hobgoblin Pumpkin Ale will be on draft soon. We have intentionally waited until now to release this beer, because if we didn't there would be none left for the appropriate time of year. Thanks for waiting you will be rewarded with one hell of a beer.

Meerkat IPA makes an appearance. Amarillo and Simcoe hops abound in this tasty beverage. Come on in, this one won't last long.

WABL turns two and the Elliot Bay Brewing Company is throwing a party at their Burien location, on Sunday the 28th from 3 to 6. Hope to see all you WABL's and who ever else wishes to attend down there. Kevin Sullivan, of Bottlework's fame, designed the Anniversary shirt which means it has to be good. Kevin is one hell of an artist. He does all the Brouwer's signs, in addition to those at Bottlework's. I am sure you have all seen his art at one of these fine locations.

We will be open at 9:30 this Saturday for the Huskies game as they take on Arizona St. Lets hope we play a good game and maybe even get another win. We played the Duck's better than expected, we even managed to score in the 3rd Quarter, something we hadn't done all year. I hope to see you there after the game to celebrate a win.

GABF and some other interesting notes...

This one will be quick.

GABF was quiet an experience, I am still recovering. We did not receive any medals. How this is possible I do not know. Bill makes some of the most amazing beer on the planet. Elysian manged to get 3. Fish Brewing got a gold medal. Look here for a complete listing of all the categories.

Old Rip Oatmeal Stout is now pouring. Come on in for some dark goodness.

The pumpkin beer that everyone has been awaiting should be pouring real soon, I believe that it will be available at Elysian's Pumpkin Beer Festival.

In other news the PI just published this bit of bad news that could soon effect us all.

Lets all cross our fingers that the effect of all this doesn't damage a business and community we all love too much. Gas prices, beer prices, food prices are all on the rise. Lets hope for better production next year. Hops heads hold on to your pallets. We will find a way to make you hoppy.

Look forward to seeing you at the pub for a pint real soon.

a few tidbits

Denver is around the corner. Bill and I will be there to represent all things Big Time. It should be one blur of a time.

Beers On the horizon:

Old Rip had been brewed. Just in time for the drastic change in weather, looks to be a long winter after the summer that wasn't. Expect its arrival in a week or so.

Oktoberfest has been brewed and should be on draft any day.

Our Pumpkin beer, Hopgoblin, will be brewed on Thursday. Look for it on draft around the middle of the month. Also if you are a pumpkin beer enthusiast you should not miss Elysian's Third Pumpkin Beerfest at their Capitol Hill location on the 2oth of October. I wonder if they will attempt the pumpkin cask again. It is always a hoot. Expect them to brew 5 or so different pumpkin beers.

Hop on Pop is now pouring under the name Fresh Powder. Our assistant brewer thought it up, and we agreed what else would a keg of Powderfinger Rye with Fresh hops be called. There is only a quarter barrel of it so if you are interested in tasting this make your way on down soon.

"Here's to Michael Jackson, Cheers"

This just showed up in my inbox and it needs to be passed along. Hope to see you all there.

Here's to Michael Jackson, Cheers
A National Toast to remember English writer,
Michael Jackson and benefit
the Northwest Parkinson Foundation Seattle, WA - September 20, 2007

He has been called "The Bard of Beer, "The Beer Hunter," and even "The True King of Beer!" Michael Jackson, the man who did more than any other to influence the direction of craft beer, here and throughout the world, is dead, though his spirit lives on in every pint we drink. Michael first visited Seattle in 1978. Each time he returned, the beer scene improved significantly thanks to his research, extraordinary writing ability and personality. His books, lectures, videos, appearances, and the beers they inspired, introduced a whole new generation of beer enthusiasts and brewers to classic brewing styles, the culture and taste of beer.

Locally, in just 28 years, we have gone from no local craft breweries to 20 and, nationally from 2 to 1400 microbreweries. The Seattle area ranks among the top nationally for the per capita consumption of craft beers. In Belgium, Michael is responsible for resurrecting a moribund brewing culture; in his own England, where, when he started writing, he witnessed a disproportionate growth in light lager at the expense of the ales that he loved, and then a renaissance of traditional styles; and throughout the world, where the old model of only light lagers being available is hopefully, gone forever.

To commemorate the life of this great man and to raise awareness and money for the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation, the Pike Pub, described by Michael as "A shrine to beer", will join other craft brewers in Seattle and around the nation in a united toast; we'll lift a pint or two in tribute to Michael. "Here's to Michael Jackson, Cheers"

When: Sunday, September 30, 2007

Where: The Pike Pub 1415 1st Avenue - Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 622-6044

Time: 5 pm to 7 pm National Toast at 6 pm Pacific Time Special Beers $4.00 per pint - 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation. A selection of cask condition beers will be offered that would make Michael proud have been donated by:

The Big Time Brewery, Seattle - Bhagwan's Best IPA
Baron Brewing, Seattle - Baron Oktoberfest
The Pike Brewing Co., Seattle- Pike's Old Companion (Pike Place Old Companion was first brewed in 1992 to commemorate Michael's 50th birthday which he celebrated in Seattle.)

In keeping with Michael's love for jazz, music will be provided by The Dave Bush Quartet. Convenient Parking is available for $5.00 at the WaMu - Seattle Art Museum Garage (corner of 1st & Union) -

If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation to The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation in tribute to Michael. A tax deductible donation can be made at their website or by mail to 400 Mercer Street #401, Seattle, WA 98109-4641
Visit the pike website, here.

Here is a site that might be of interest. Lots and Lots of information. To all things Michael.

Sarah's last day.....

Sarah's last day is tomorrow. Her presence will be missed. We are hoping that she has a change of heart and decides to stay. Everyone should keep their fingers crossed, as she is irreplaceable. That would change tomorrow's party from a send off to a celebration of all things Sarah. A thank you of sorts. Who knows maybe we can get her to sing a bit for us.

I have one request of all of you that read this, are you ready, ok. If and when you decide to come in tomorrow PLEASE WEAR PINK. AGAIN, PLEASE WEAR PINK. PINK is Sarah's favorite color, it is mandatory that you WEAR PINK I can not stress this enough. Friday is her day so YOU MUST WEAR PINK.

We have a few things planned and will be pouring something new and different, maybe a couple of different things. Expect whip cream to be involved, what is a send off without someone getting pied, at least once. Who knows remember her favorite color is pink after all.

We would also like to thank all you who went out to the Washington Beer Commission's Oktoberfest out at St Edwards, your patronage of the local festival is greatly appreciated.

Now on to a picture essay.

I had these growing in the front yard:


Some of you are aware that Bill fresh hopped a keg of Scarlet Fire for Brouwer's Hopfest, that got me thinking, " i need to do something with all the hops on the vine in the front yard." I ran the idea by Bill, and finally got to picking some of those glorious hops from the fence. I thought it would be interesting to fresh hop a keg of the Powderfinger Rye. On Tuesday night we finally got around to making it happen.

First step was to purge the keg with CO2. I hope I remember all the right things to say, forgive me if I use the wrong terminology.


Next I filled a hop sack with fresh hops from the yard. There was a picture, but somehow it got deleted so you will have to imagine what that looks like. Maybe later I can add one.

After that I had to remove the rubber bung and stuff the hop sack through the bung hole, making sure not to lose hold of it. I was a bit apprehensive, but all went smoothly, we could have added more.


After that I had to hammer the wood bunk in. It is quite loud and takes a few strikes with a mallet to make sure it will hold.

more hammering, lets call it insurance.


The finished product. After this we went downstairs and filled the keg with beer. We will be serving this some time soon. Stay tuned.


Thanks to all and remember YOU MUST WEAR PINK TOMORROW.

Calling all craft beer lovers

There is a good chance if you have arrived at this site you are in fact a lover of hand crafted ales and lagers. You, yes you, are invited to the Washington Beer Commissions first Oktoberfest, out at St Edwards Park, this Friday from 3-9 and Saturday 1-9. There is a happy hour on Friday from 3-6 where upon entry in to the festival you receive two extra tokens. What Oktoberfest festival would be complete without a commemorative beer glass, that is why WABL members will get a glass mug, not a plastic mug and access to a special Baron Brewing beer. If you are not already a member this would be a great time to join. Looks to be a great time, I expect to see you all there. We will be pouring our Kolsch 45. Click the above link for all the detailed information.

Bill is in the process of putting together another Brown Bombshell so that will be on draft for a short time, this beer is gaining a following. Come on in and try a pint when you come to get your tickets to the Oktoberfest.

Goings on....

We are currently in the process of hiring a new day time bartender. Sarah our long time employee has decided that it was time to move on. She will be missed. Who will sing Madonna now?? Maybe we can get her back for special occasions. Come by in the next two weeks to say goodbye.

The Huskies look to be off to a great season. We are excited about this. This Saturday for the Ohio State game we open early at 10am so that everyone can get 2hours of drinking in before they run off to see us win yet again. Another win would be amazing, if we can continue to hold our own we may get a national ranking.

The Perspective IPA is going fast, your time is limited, and you have been warned.

The Kolsch 45 is on draft. Click here to find out what Wikipedia has to say about this beer style. This beer is going to Denver, come on in and give it a try.

Here's to seeing you at the pub.

Gearing up for Denver....

Some of the Denver Beers have been brewed.
Firecracker Pale Ale

You may remember this beer, it was named after a former employee. Well Bill said it best,
A hoppy, Northwestern interpretation of the style brewed to honor Aurora, one of our long time kitchen employees. Three hop varieties (Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Willamette) and a hefty dose of malts come together into a beer that, like its namesake, is feisty, full-bodied, and not to be messed with. O.G. 14.8, 5.5% ABV.

Perspective IPA

Amarillo and Simcoe hops combined for a very aromatic and intensely hoppy beer. One of the favorites among the local hop heads. Be warned this one does not last long, it is not to be missed. What a great beer name. Its a mood enhancer for sure.

Brown Bombshell

Bill experimented with a coffee brown, each keg is different as he hones in on the exact amount of coffee need. Each one has been very well received, and has a distinct coffee flavor that is not overbearing. Great Balance.

Kolsh 45

A German syle pale ale using special grain, special hops and a special yeast. Kolsch 45 is a crisp and refreshing alternative ale. Light and golden with a rich pilsner malt presence and the delicate flavor of Hallertau hops. OG 1,045 4.2% by vol.

Thanks to all the WABL's that showed up last Monday. The trivia was well received, although most of the answers where well off the mark. You all need to bone up on your Big Time knowledge. Thanks to the one who thought we did 100,000 barrels a year. We would be quite a different place if that were the case.

In other news: In the knock down drag out Rock em Sock em Robots Bill was the victor, beating Mr. Cantwell at his own game in his own house. Way to go. Bill will be getting his satin robe soon. He already has the boots, rubber boots that is.

Elysian VS Big Time

The stage has been set. Next Wednesday night from 5 to 9pm at Elysian Brewing's Tangletown location, The Big Time will square off against the Elysian in a schedule three round bout.
Round 1
Prometheus VS Scarlet Fire

Round 2
Cask Immortal VS Cask Bhagwan's

Round 3, the title match
Cantwell VS Jenkins in a Rock em Sock em Robots duel

I can only imagine how this would all play out........

"Are you ready to rumbleeeeeee!!!" in the typical fight announcer voice.

" In the red corner, weighing in at 140lbs, full of piss and vinegar, with a mild, soft spoken manner, Bill Jenkins "

"In the blue corner......." you get the point.

We hope to see you there.

WABL night at the Big Time

This upcoming Monday night all the WABL's are invited down to the Big Time for a rockin good time. For all WABL's with their passport or t-shirt pints will be $3.50. The draft list should be current although Matt's Red Eye and Yardbird Wheat are almost gone. There will be a keg of Brown Bombshell, a coffee brown ale in addition to a Pale Ale that has been dry hopped with fresh hops that Bill's son Keenan picked from their front yard. There is a possibility that the Powderfinger Rye will be on draft.

Instead of the usual raffle where we pick numbers from a hat we are tossing around the idea of a beer trivia event. Chris, Bill's assistant has been tapped to put this together. He has put together other trivia nights around town so he already has experience. Think of it as earning your prize.

Monday night will be the last night of one of our bartenders, Carlos. He is headed off to Spain to study abroad for a semester, he has promised us he will return. Lets give him a great send off. Hint he will be the red head behind the bar. We have a tradition of pieing people on their last day so you may even get to see him get covered with whipped cream, although usually it happens later in the evening.

For those of you who missed the event at the Latona Pub a few Mondays ago we will try to get Sarah to host the trivia night, maybe we can get her to sing again. Who knows we will have to wait and see. She puts on quite a show, it is not to be missed.

Photo blog of the brewer's night

The night begins.


Danielle shows her hop broach, courtesy of our garden.


Drew was there, wearing his Big Time tie dye shirt. Old school.


Bill talks about the beer in his usual loud, overbearing voice.


We start the raffle. It is straight forward, that is of course until Sarah takes over. That is when the place really got going. Here we are having a bit of fun.


I try to maintain the straight man face, as Sarah brings the house to their knees, she had them all in the palm of her hand. I believe she is in the middle of "Like a Virgin" or "Papa Don't Preach" when this was taken. It was one of the best nights I have had in a long time. Thank you Sarah, thank you Bob, and thank you Bill who without the night would not have even happened.


There you have it thanks to all who made a trip to the Latona to celebrate with us. We appreciate it.

Sarah Stole the show...

Monday night was a night to remember, not only was it our Brewer's night at the Latona Pub, it was the kickoff event for their 20th anniversary. That is not why it will be remembered though. Our very own Sarah put on a show that will be talked about forever, especially by those in attendance. How many of you can say you have heard "Papa Don't Preach" sung in the middle of a raffle? Not many I'd imagine. I laughed until my sides heart and then continued to laugh as she finished up her performance with "Like a Virgin". Sarah is our resident Madonna fan, she celebrates all things Madonna and has a year party where all in attendance must be dressed appropriately. In addition to Sarah, we celebrated all things Bill, he brewed a Double Decade IPA just for the event, we also had a Dry Hopped Version that was well liked. If you weren't there you missed out on a great evening. I think it left Bob speechless. Let's just say I know who to call on when I need an announcer to run the show in the future. Sarah. There are pictures, those of you that took them please send them. I used a friend's camera and will have my pictures shortly. Look for the evidence soon.

Sunbreak Blonde Ale is on draft. Double Decade is available in the pint, the pitcher or even the gallon to go, sorry no retail kegs though.

Coming up soon to a tap near you:
Kolsh 45
Powderfinger Rye

Don't miss out...

This upcoming Monday is our Brewer's night at the Latona Pub, to kick off their 20th anniversary celebration. Come on by, the festivities start at around 8pm. We will have The Double Decade anniversary beer in addition to a few other beers on tap, think IPA. We have a few shirts to raffle off and the evening will be a grand celebration.

New and exciting on draft:
Buster's Brown ale
Double Decade 20th Latona's 20th anniversary ale
Brown Bombshell

Scarlet Fire shirts are in the works. I should be speaking with the artist in the upcoming days, we hope to have shirts in the not too distant future. We struggled with a design for this beer for awhile, it has been around for so long and has a long history, add to it that everyone has their own idea of what the logo/shirt should look like and it makes for some difficult decisions. I do believe the shirt will rock, we are using the same artist that produced the Ave Rat shirt/logo.

The Washington Beer Commission is having and Oktoberfest out at St Edwards Park on Friday September 14th 3-9 and Saturday September 15th 1-9. We will be represented there. Funny that Oktoberfest is always in September, ohhh how the world works.

Have a good weekend. Bottoms up.

Fresh off the press....

The Meerkat IPA was on draft for mere moments it seems. It was a crowd favorite. The Old Sol is gone as well, to return next year at the same time. It is also headed to Denver this year as one of our 6 entries. Speaking of Denver and the Great American Beer Festival, Bill has started to brew some of the beers, like the Brown Bombshell, a coffee Brown Ale. It will use Stumptown coffee, they are opening a coffee shop on Capitol Hill that I have been told will be open around the beginning of September. Let the take over begin. This being the first time experimenting with a coffee brown ale we are infusing it in the keg and trying varying amounts and varieties of coffee. Stop in for a pint and see if you notice the differences. It was on cask to rave reviews all weekend.

We are in the process of ordering new shirts, the inventory got a bit low so we decided it was time. There is also a rumor of a Scarlet Fire shirt in the works.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the summer that we are having and that everyone is ready to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Latona Pub. Next Monday we kick of the anniversary week with our Brewer's night. Come on come all.

Ode to weather..

"The sun did not shine,
It was too wet to play,
So we sat in the bar,
And drank Bhagwan's all day"
Bill Jenkins
For those of you outside of Seattle, it was unseasonably wet and cold over the last couple days for July, reminding me of and East Coast summer, wet and muggy. No worries though summer has returned today, with sunny skies abound.
After a long Thursday that included delivering beer to a few accounts around town and tending bar until closing time, I had the pleasure of mashing in (read lifting lots of milled grain)with Bill. It is hard work, then I filled some kegs. Lets just say it is not as glamorous as people think that it is. They just think its a party all day, I imagine, lets just say it is hard work. We were brewing the beer for the twentieth anniversary at Latona, Double Decade???or we joked around with some other names, Bob's "Barely Legal"? she's not quite twenty one. We had a good laugh. It will be hoppy have no fear. It will be pouring at the Latona on the evening of Monday, August 13th our brewer's night, and the kick off to a week of good times. Come on down, I expect to see you there.

Matt's Red Eye IPA is on draft right now. All Centennial Hops and a descent amount of malt give this beer a dark reddish color. Matt is heading with the family to Hong Kong for two plus years, he will be missed and we are looking forward to his stories upon returning to the states.

We still have Old Sol, while the bottles are almost gone there is a little over two barrels left on draft, and we have plenty of t shirts as well. This beer will age quite well.

Brewer's night

One of the Northwest's greatest beer supporters has been Bob Brenlin, of the Hopvine, Fiddler's and Latona fame. This year the Latona Pub is celebrating their 20th anniversary. They have had a series of Brewer's nights throughout the previous months. Each brewery had brewed, with the help/assistance of the Latona staff, a beer for the evening and the month. Always held on Monday evening usually the 3rd of each month. Well attended, with a raffle, what more reason do you need to get out on a Monday for a few drinks, its the new..... yeah you get the idea. I took some photos of the evening, but then got caught up, well drinking of course, that and the batteries decided to fail.
The Elysian crew brewed up a beer, and Imperial Lager using a new hybrid hop, if I heard everything right, the beer smelled like a lager and finished like an ale. They also had an keg of the Imperial Pumpkin that was fabulous, it was drinking very well.

Bill has a special Double Decade, creation, some have joked that you might serve it with a lighter, I think not. Since the Big Time brewer's night has been moved up a week to the 13th of August. This will kick off the week of the actual 20th year celebration at the Latona, it sounds like the week is full of events every night. A Cask night, a old tymer's reunion, a band, Dave(of Elysian) and Nina(of Waterstreet) will work the bar, sounds like lots of fun, plan accordingly. Enough about others. IF you choose one day make it the Monday night brewer's night. With the date change Bill needs to get brewing, great time for the assistant brewer to be on vacation.

The Ave Rat is a thing of the past, until next year????? The Trombipulator has also come and gone. We do have 3 IPA's on tap, and Matt's Red Eye is on the way, while called a Red IPA it is more a hoppy red ale than IPA. Rumor has it Matt is headed to Japan. We wish him well.

now some pics from the brewer's night:
Bob sets the stage

Bill enters at just the right time

Dick talks beer

Drew ponders world domination...


check out the flickr photo link in the side bar for more photos.

Meet Zack...

Do you like the Ave Rat t-shirts? Do you have one in your wardrobe yet? It is a must. If not there are 3 large shirts left, we may order more, but probably not until next year, and hopefully then they will be a bit different. I like to keep the evolution going. Each year a new shirt. That said if you like the t-shirt design this is your chance to see some more art by Zack the artist. Zach stopped by the brewery last night, to discuss ideas for the upcoming Scarlet Fire shirts that we are thinking about making. In the conversation his flickr account came up and I wanted to link it here. Below is the picture that he suggested I put up on the site.


He titled this one "3 idiots" and it was taken right after they had completed their half month project on the side of Piece of Mind in Fremont. Check out more of his artwork on his flickr account here. It sounds like he has some interesting projects coming up, and that the Work under the Eastlake bridge might get some revamping, all in the interest of the constant evolution and growth that is part of life. The original artist is coming back and wants to add some changes. Thank you Zack for all your time and efforts, we appreciate it.

In other Big Time news. The Meerkat IPA has arrived. Lots Amarillo and Chinook hops combine provide a great drinking beer that can stand up to all the heat we have had. Here is the official description:

Meerkat IPA

Meerkat India Pale Ale Those fabled voyages of the British Empire supplying heavily hopped beer to their troops in India had to travel around the southern tip of Africa, home to the terminally cute meerkat. We paid homage to this often overlooked leg of the journey with this beer; a crisp, citrusy blend of Chinook and Amarillo hops. O.G. 16.0, 6.1% ABV.

Bill has connected again and brewed another fantastic IPA. We now have 3 IPA's on draft," three" you say, "yes" we live in the northwest where hops are close and plentiful and the drink of choice is IPA. That said look for more in the near future.

Not only are the Ave Rat t-shirts almost gone, but the beer itself is a mere puddle in the tank. There is much speculation as to who will get the honor of the last pint. Ben, one of our regulars got the first, and wants to get the last as well. The jockeying and taunting has already begun among a few select regulars. All in good fun. The Trombipulator Belgian Ale and the Nemesis Strong Ale are about to make an exit as well. So if either of those are your favorites the time is right to come in and see us for one last pint or two.

Bill's research for a coffee brown ale continues. Hopefully he will comment on all the going ons in the Brewery real soon. Sarah has been taking a writing class so you may see a post coming from her real soon.

The wait begins

I am sure that your palette has been wet by the Old Sol Wheatwine, and the questions has started to come. In and attempt to quell your curiosity, I just got an update from Bill, the Old Wooly Barleywine is currently being brewed, as in right this moment. It takes two consecutive brews on our little system that would to get the 11 or so barrels of liquid gold. It is then aged for about the next 6 months until its release date, December 1st every year. Last year was a day and night to remember, we had one of our busiest days on record, and no one wanted to leave. All good things come to an end. There you have it, but like with all good things there is a wait. Let your wait begin. I just totally butchered those cliches.

We have lost two beers, the Hopfest came and went and the Dublin Stout has left as well, we have replaced one with Yardbird, our American Wheat beer. Just in time for the heat which I am assured is coming. They are predicting temperatures in the mid to high 90's for the next couple of days. We have a/c and after the length of the winter we all just endured up here, I will take a hot and dry for awhile.

In other news. Sarah is taking a creative writing class, ask her about it she will be surprised. I think the theme is "what my pet did this summer" or from the pet's perspective "what I did this summer"

I just got back from one of my favorite places on the planet, Oakridge, OR. I participated in the 12th annual Cascade Creampuff, a 100 mile mountain bike race. I had the pleasure of trying some local Eugene, OR beer while there. This my second trip down to the Eugene area this year, while I didn't get to meet Jaime of Ninkasi Brewing I did get to taste his Total Domination IPA and quite enjoyed it. Here is a pic that makes this author look a little mad. At this point in the race my girlfriend handed me a Porter that Wade made just for the race, damn it tasted good after 8 plus hours of riding. I just had a few more to go. Gave me some energy when I was really low. I have recovered a bit and am back to work this evening.

Short and sweet...

Here is what the latest is in a nutshell.
For all you Wheat beer and Hefeweizen drinkers: Yardbird our American Wheat beer is just about ready, we just need some tap space and a bit more time and it will be ready.

There is a barrel or so left of the Ave Rat, and a handful of t-shirts left, about 10 shirts to be exact. If you don't have one and want one, you better get in quick to get your hands on this batch. We think that we will do a different shirt next year, but that is a long way away. It just might come back for next year's street fair.

Meerkat IPA was brewed on Tuesday, so that will be on draft in the upcoming weeks, probably mid July.

Old Sol Wheatwine is on draft, and very tasty. We have very nice shirts as well. On that note, the Old Woolly Barely wine will be brewed shortly, we are thinking mid July, to be ready for it's December 1st release date, a party not to be missed.

Bill is readying his list of beers to take to Denver, I don't dare disclose the details just yet. Hint one of the beers will involve Coffee. Only natural coming from Seattle, I'd say. In other Bill news he will have a post here real soon, if I can keep him on course, I assure you it will be worth the wait.

We have been a bit busier than normal for summer, keep on coming down, we like staying busy.
It looks like summer might arrive just after the 4th of July, I can not wait, lets hope it stays for awhile. That is the ticker at the moment, keep it tuned here for the latest and most current brewery news. thanks and good day.....

It's all downhill....

The Solstice has come and gone and now the days start getting shorter. To ease your pain we will have the Old Sol Wheatwine on tap and in 22oz bottles for the next couple of weeks at least. We think it is great, if a bit on the hoppy side, but oh so drinkable. Liquid sunshine, we have the ability to put it in a glass. Lucky for us summer still might come here in the Northwest, that is if our collective karma brings good weather. If not we have enough beer to make you happy without sunshine. After all water is our life blood so really we should just enjoy the rain.

For those of you that don't know me, I'm there most weeknights with my bald head and my attempt at Bill Jenkins inspired facial hair, and I ride my bike everywhere. We just had Old Sol t-shirts made and I wanted to get them to the Brewery without relying on a car. I believe it is much easier and quicker to navigate our urban environment on a bike than in a car. I have raced many cars across town and won. Here it the photo essay of my journey.

My trusty steed.

I arrive at the Destee nation headquarters in Fremont
Chris( in the Lazy Boy shirt) how dare he, and Jamie, the master printer hear my plan and think it might be a bit much. Jamie goes to get a trash bag to protect the shirts.
A big box of shirts, I will have a t shirt pic here real soon.
The shirts, in the garbage bag, in the messenger bag. Thanks to Chrome for making these large bags.
Here I am ready to ride to the Brewery. It wasn't too far so I added a big hill and went through the Wallingford district to make my journey a bit longer and more satisfying. The only thing in focus here is my thumbs.
No action shots or shots at the Brewery I should have gotten one of Bill holding up the shirts in joy, next time, next time. I had just exerted myself and the lack of oxygen didn't allow me to think clearly. Photo essays will get better and better. There you have it, the t shirts made it to the Big Time without the use of a car, all that human power I harness didn't go to waste. Come in for a snifter, a bottle or a shirt. Hope to see you soon.

What a sucess...

The Mother of all Father's day festivals was very well run and attended. Thank you Lisa. Thank you Arlen. WABL had somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 new members sign up just before the event. They did get a really cool larger tasting glass for doing so. I really wanted one, they were pretty damn cool. While my mission was to get lots and lots of pictures it just didn't happen, there was just too much good beer to be had. That and who really wants to see a large crowd of people drinking beer. We have all been there at one time or another. Not always too much to see. I did snap a few pictures of the keg toss and a few of the attendees. I will make an effort to take more pictures at upcoming events.
Bill will be adding to this post real soon, so I won't go on and on about all the good beers what I liked, or didn't. Decade was a big hit, of course, as was the Big Dance Oaked Imperial Ale. More than once people came asking for it by name and say "it was the best, they heard and the wanted to get some before it was gone."
I am in the process of getting a flickr account up and rolling, after running around and getting the Old Sol shirts approved. They are outstanding. With help from the guys at Destee Nation, they really know what they are doing, so flexible, samples etc. If you ever need shirts these are the gentlemen to go to. Old Sol comes out in two days. I am sure I will be seeing you all there.

Awhile back I mentioned that Teri was the inspiration Kevin needed to make the Old Sol, well recently I found out that she is on a cross country journey, a vision quest of sorts, brewing her way across the country. She is documenting it here. It is worth the read, talk about having some fun.

I will leave you with a few pics from the festival, remember when attending a beer festival in the northwest, beards and utilikilts are part of the uniform.

Drew and Arlen MC the Keg toss. I don't know if you can see it but Drew is wearing his Kilt.

The last contestant in his windup for the Keg Toss.

The Trophy

The man himself Kevin Forhan


Like I said, I really didn't take many pics. Next time, next time. Hopefully Bill will grace us with his words real soon. See you Thursday for the Old Sol release.

Coming soon....

It's that time of year again, can you believe it. It is almost the Summer Solstice and you know what that means.... Old Sol Wheatwine, oh and the longest day of the year, they tell me its all downhill from here.

This beer is brewed on the Lunar New Year and aged until its release on the Summer Solstice, which is Thursday June 21st this year. I hope to see you ordering one or more from me. Rumor has it that it is tasting rather hoppy this year. In 2003 it won a gold medal at the GABF in the Other Strong Ale or Lager category. This year Wheatwine's have their own category, we are tossing around the idea of sending it to Denver again.

It was originally brewed in 2002 by Kevin Forhan, the inspiration was provided by Teri of Steelhead fame. This tasty beverage is brewed with 46% Wheat, mostly Simcoe and Amarillo hops with a bit of Warrior hops as well. Here are the specifics for those of you that like to be in the know: OG 23.6 Plato, 1.100SG, 9.75% by vol., 7.75%by wt.

Right now we are in the end stages of tweaking the t-shirt design with our very good friends down at Destee Nation in Fremont. If you ever need t-shirts made these are the guys and gals to go to. I know you will like it. They will be ready for the release date. We will also have 22oz bottles available upon it's release. I hope to share the evening with you all.

Come celebrate Father's day...

Come on out to what I have heard is one of the best festivals, The Mother of all Fathers Day Festival at St Edwards Park in Kenmore. After last years move in to Seattle it is back to where it should be. With Brewers Games like the Keg toss and the cart race what could be a better way to spend the day. Lets all hope for sun. We have tickets available for sale, come in and see us.

We will be bringing the following beers:
The Big Dance Oaked- Imperial Amber
This was a new beer this year. We brewed it for March Madness to rave reviews. I imagine that with some oak flavor it will be a hit, don't miss it.

Decade IPA- What is there to say, for those that know, if you don't you want to have some of this batch, oh the aroma.

Firecracker Northwest Pale- Which is no longer on draft. This beer was a hit at the pub. It is very well balanced, unlike Aurora for who it is named, we still love her though. Here is the official description:

A hoppy, Northwestern interpretation of the style brewed to honor Aurora, one of our long time kitchen employees. Three hop varieties (Cascade, Mt. Hood, and Willamette) and a hefty dose of malts come together into a beer that, like its namesake, is feisty, full-bodied, and not to be messed with. O.G. 14.8, 5.5% ABV.

Trombipulator Belgian Tripel- What is there to say about this beer that has such a following. It was originally brewed to honor our 500th brew. Rumored to be named after a George Clinton album title.

In other news the Mt Rainer Hopfest is in fact on draft now.

Yardbird- an American Wheat beer was recently brewed and will be coming on in the next couple of weeks, just in time for summer.

Check out what the other breweries are bringing here.

Hopfest arriving soon

We brew a Hopfest beer once or twice a year, it is a single hop pale ale. The purpose is to showcase the unique characteristics of the chosen hop. We are about to release the latest addition Mt Rainer Hopfest. A few days ago we had it on cask and I found it to be very balanced beer, with slight hints of citrus. It reminded me that summer was on the way or maybe that it had arrived. Lets face it summer appears to be close at hand here in the Northwest, with temps hitting above 80 a few times. Stop on in for a pint, if the beer isn't enough incentive for you then there is always the a/c.

Mt. Rainier, originally cultivated in Oregon, has a complex parentage, including Hallertau, Galena, Fuggles, and other hops, and exhibits some noble hop characteristics, but is higher in alpha acid (currently 6.2%). The extraordinary aroma is reminiscent of licorice with a hint of citrus. -tastybrew.com

For more on hops check out this.

Hopunion talks about hops here, and here.

Decade arrives

Bill has outdone himself again. Hops, Hops, Hops, oh that aroma. He wanted to have this beer for the Mother of all Father's day Brewfest out at St Edwards Park. We have tickets available for the festival at a discounted rate. Talk about killing two birds with one visit. We started pouring it last night to rave reviews. We will have 22oz bottles available as long as it is on draft. For those of you who don't know it doesn't usually stay around that long, it is a favorite among the regulars. It usually lasts about 3 weeks. Here is the official description:

Our special 10th anniversary beer is the biggest IPA we have had the nerve to make. Almost all Pale malt, with less than one percent each of Carastan and Wheat makes a beer quite pale for its size at 19 plato OG. We added Chinook, Centennial and Cascade hops just about every place and every way we could think of - giving it lots of hop flavor and aroma and enough bitterness to compliment the telltale sweetness of the malt. One patron says "It makes you smile so your mouth's big enough for the beer". 6.25% alcohol by weight 7.8% by volume.

So come on in and put a smile on your face, it works every time.

I will leave you with these words of wisdom written on the back of a coaster: "You don't have to watch Dynasty to have an attitude." Who'da thunk.

Let's all raise a pint

Let's all raise a pint and celebrate all we have to be thankful for. We, here at the Big Time are very thankful that we have such a dedicated staff, who work hard to create great beer and memorable experiences. We are thankful that we are almost 19 years old and still on top of our game. Above is a picture of our lovely brewers hand holding up a delicious pint of Ave Rat Malt Liquor.

Malt liquor conjures up mixed emotions and images for people. Here in the U District it is usually a hooded teenager asking for change. Usually the image includes a paper bag, and for others it brings back memories of the high school years before they had grown up and the bottom line was alcohol content, and that foul tasting malt liquor did the trick. I assure this beer will change your mind about malt liquor, it is crisp, refreshing, and tasty. On a hot day we here at the Big Time couldn't think of a better beer. All of our other beers are ales, so this, being a lager, is the lightest beer in our stable right now. Here is Bill(the brewers) description of his fine creation:

Brewed in celebration of the U-District’s most misunderstood denizen, the
“Ave Rat.” Stylistically, it’s a strong pre-Prohibition West Coast adjunct lager, brewed with Pilsner malt, flaked maize, and Styrian Goldings, which blend together into a rich, golden beer that is smooth, refreshing, and only a little bit edgy. O.G. 16.0, 6.25% ABV

I will leave you with a picture:


Be thankful and smile. Bill is.

What's this all about...

The idea was to find away to add to the Big Time's ability to connect with the community, and a way to enhance the Big Time Internet experience. A place to tell stories, history, and gather information. A place to talk about us in the here and now. It is our idea that this be a work in progress, nothing is set in stone, and we have no other plan than to see what happens and enjoy the experience. It will continue to evolve as we get more acquainted with the techno world. Don't be surprised if one of us see you on a computer and ask a few questions, about how to add this or do you know about that. Feel free to send ideas suggestions and comments. Write and tell us what you would like to hear about and we will do our best to honor those requests. No we won't name a beer after you or give you free beer, lets just say we will take into consideration all reasonable requests and idea's. We will be adding links and keeping things as up to date as humanly possible.

The beer list will be as current as the previous night. We will not set in stone beer release dates, save the Old Sol Wheatwine( June 21st the summer solstice) and the Old Wooly Barleywine (December 1st of every year) . We however will tempt you with tidbits about what has recently been brewed or maybe even ideas of upcoming beers that are being discussed. We will try to be brief but we have a problem with that so don't hold us to it. We will try to have notes from the Brewer every so often, he is a fascinating man with lots to say, he is also busy brewing, delivering in addition being a father. So let the journey begin.