Dark Beer Tasting at Uprise Bar

Last night, the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts had a dark beer tasting. As you can see from the list below, dark beers can be awfully varied and we barely scratched the surface of possible styles. This was our first tasting in a while. We held the get-together at Uprise for the first time and plan to be back in the near future. Be on the lookout for a holiday tasting and Yankee Swap this December for paying members. Speaking of which, it's not too late to pay dues.

Now, on with the beers...

Mikkeller Black

Shmaltz Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

Avery & Russian River Breweries Collaboration Not Litigation Ale, Batch# 5

AleSmith Brewing Company Wee Heavy

BrewDog Abstrakt

Brooklyn Brewery Local 2

HaandBryggeriet Odin's Tipple HaandBryggeriet

Life and Limb 2

He'Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Grape) 2010

Schlafly Reserve - Imperial Stout (2010)

Atomic Cannon American Barley Wine

Schlafly Reserve - Imperial Stout (2006)

Hantverksbryggeriet Kosacken (Prototyp X)

Casa de Elwess Nuts About Porter

Schlafly Black IPA (Not officially tasted. This beer was on tap and many of us gave it a try.)

CBE Cheese & Beer Pairing

Kudos to 44 Stone for hosting us in their back room for our tasting last night.  It was a really nice place to have it and we were treated so well by staff. I tried to record the pairings on Untappd and others who were there can fill in the gaps. Keep in mind the point of this wasn't to have crazy beer, but to focus on styles that we experimented with different cheese pairings throughout the night.We only did one pairing at a time and discussed each one. Sometimes, different pairings worked better. This worked much better than last time. I had fun, learned things, and really appreciate Dave's help in putting this event on!

Gnomegang: Collaboration between Ommegang and D'Achouffe
paired with Piare cheese

Schlafly's Barleywine (on tap!)
paired with oak smoked cheddar

New Holland's The Poet (Oatmeal Stout)
paired with brie

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (also on tap)
paired with goat cheese

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel
I believe with Gouda

Firestone Walker Double Jack
with cheddar

Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter
Gruyere

Young's Double Chocolate Stout (44 Stone has in cans)
with gouda

Belhaven Wee Heavy
with goat

Firestone Walker Reserve Porter
and porter cheese with Guinness?


(Via)

Columbia Travel Guide

CoMO Travel Guide
This an excerpt from a post I wrote for KC Beer Blog as a guest blogger, and I thought I'd post here as a reference if anyone wants to link back to it.  




This is not an exhaustive list by any means of “The” bars or restaurants, but more of a quick guide to a great weekend. This is not a list for people with kids in tow--I’ll leave that to someone else to do the “family friendly” list. I didn’t go to Mizzou for school and I don’t watch sports, so you won’t find any of that here. I’m simply a person who likes good food and good beer and supporting my local establishments. I know I left many things out, including some fine restaurants that I would consider “special occasion” places, but are not part of my regular haunts. In fact there is such a turnover of restaurants that I can’t even keep track of what’s coming, going, or moving, so you should consult Show-Me Eats for that.

When to hit (or avoid?) Columbia

Right now is a great time to be in Columbia. The students just left, traffic has eased, and you can park in a comfortable distance of where ever you are going. I would avoid all MU football home games like the plague, especially homecoming. Nightmarish.

IMHO, the best time to be here is during True False film festival, the first weekend in March. It is incredibly busy and crowded but there is a fun buzz around downtown where everyone is discussing films, buskers play on the streets, and it feels like our own little Sundance. Warning: This requires advance planning. It is hard to get in the individual movies unless you get a pass, or are a volunteer.

If you are into music, the Summerfest concert series starts on Wednesday nights in June on 9th Street outside the Blue Note. Most of these are free, but there is usually a bigger finale to the series that requires a ticket. In September, the other biggie is the Roots n Blues n BBQ festival throughout downtown. One or two day passes are sold for this weekend festival.

A weekend in CoMo
If you are into art and discovering local artists, try to hit an Artrageous Friday if you can. The downtown galleries, like Artlandish Gallery and Orr Street Studio are all open late. Walk around, look at art, sip on wine and mingle. You never know, there could be a band playing or spontaneous fire spinning.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/artlandish-gallery-columbia

http://www.yelp.com/biz/orr-street-studios-columbia


The natural thing to do after this is head to my local watering hole, Sycamore. It’s just around the corner from the North Village Arts District on Broadway. Excellent beer list (menu is updated online) and great taps (updates on Facebook and Twitter). Reservations are usually not necessary unless it’s Mother’s Day or graduation weekend. I just belly up to the bar because there will inevitably be other Columbia Beer Enthusiasts there. From 5 to 7, ask for their happy hour menu. One beer will be on special and some appetizers will be half price. It’s a great deal. They have a friendly and knowledgeable staff and are kind enough to let the CBE invade their space for our monthly tastings. They even serve beer in the proper glassware--kudos!

Watch for announcements about their weeknight beer dinners. These feature a different brewery each time, and 4 or 5 courses,  each paired with a different beer. Upcoming dinners include Boulevard (June 7) and New Belgium (July 14). Tickets are sold on Brown Paper Tickets about a month in advance, and they sell out very quickly. They always offer something special, like a glass to take home or a special release beer you can’t find elsewhere. Also, it’s a good chance to meet (i.e. nag) your local brewery rep.

Recommended: Parmesan fries with homemade ketchup, gnocchi, or pork belly sliders from the happy hour menu

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sycamore-columbia

Then, walk next door and check out Cool Stuff. It’s just a crazy store beyond description. They have jewelry, gag gifts, gadgets, games, oh, and homebrewing supplies in the back. Ran out of sanetizer? Broke a thermometer? Never fear. They have it.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cool-stuff-columbia

It’s worth walking a couple blocks down 9th Street to Bluestem that supports local artists in Missouri and the surrounding states. This is a great place to find unique gifts for people that are hard to shop for.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bluestem-missouri-crafts-columbia

Then, be sure to leave room for homemade ice cream at Sparky’s. They have interesting flavors and also alcoholic ice cream “floats” for the adults.

Recommended: Grasshopper float or Les Bourgeois wine & chocolate flavored ice cream

http://www.yelp.com/biz/sparkys-homemade-ice-cream-columbia

Depending on their schedule, you shouldn’t miss The Blue Note and/or Mojos for live music. The Blue Note is a local landmark that’s been around for 25 + years. I’ve been going to see shows of all kinds there since college. Not only do they get pretty big names, but you could also catch a local showcase for cheap, a dance party, or a burlesque show. The smaller stepsister of the Blue Note is Mojo’s, which focuses more on local and indie bands. They have an outdoor patio with happy hour specials. Niether place is really a “beer bar,” but it’s usually possible to find something you like in the line-up. The Blue Note has recently been serving Ranger IPA on tap and Mojo’s will have Lagunitas IPA, for example.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-blue-note-columbia

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mojos-columbia

So, it’s not time to call it an evening yet, but you want something more low-key and quiet after your ear drums burst at the show. The Vault, located below the Tiger Hotel, is Columbia’s “speakeasy.” The bartender makes really excellent cocktails from scratch from recipes he develops. Fresh fruit, infused simple syrups, homemade sangria...it’s all delicious. Even I need a switch from beer sometimes, and you can’t go wrong here. There’s not a huge lineup of beer here, but what they do have is usually pretty cheap, like a $2 draft special. Follow them on Facebook to get the secret phrase for discounts on your drinks.

Recommended: Fancy Pants, Sangria

http://www.yelp.com/biz/vault-columbia

Now, it’s Saturday and you’re ready for a mellow afternoon. The best way to get going is at Ragtag. The Uprise Bakery is inside (as well as a full bar), so  you can get coffee, pastries, soups and sandwiches to eat there or take in with you to the movie. Ragtag is another local landmark known for showing indie, foreign and documentary films and is the home base for the True False festival. You can even buy your tickets online so you don’t need to rush over early. Take your time and play a game of Scrabble.

Should you want to begin drinking, this is another place with a fine beer selection. They have regular bottled and canned beers and taps are listed on a chalkboard. For example, during the Stone release party, the Uprise bar was one of the stops and had Double Bastard on tap. There will also be special beer releases or cask tappings, but you have to follow them on Twitter to be in the know. Or join the CBE.

In June, they have a new weekly “Homebrewed” film series linking independent filmmakers and craft beer. Come watch them with us and have a beer!

Recommended: Brie-apple sandwich and a Caldera IPA

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ragtag-cinemacafe-columbia

Flat Branch Pub and Brewery is another Columbia landmark downtown. During the school year and on weekends it can get really crowded. I don’t have the patience to wait an hour for a table, so I scout out a spot at the bar to eat. They have a nice patio, but go at an off time to get a seat. Flat Branch has both regular and seasonal beers they brew on site. Local favorites include Katy Trail Pale Ale and the Green Chilli Beer. Their infamous Pumpkin Ale is usually gone before I can get a pint. It goes on tap around Halloween. They list the rotation on their website and Facebook, and you can take home a growler of your favorite. Their menu has something for everyone, including burgers, salads, pizzas and seasonal items.

Recommended: Oil Change Oatmeal Stout, Green Chili Chicken Fingers or crab cakes with chipotle mayo

http://www.yelp.com/biz/flat-branch-pub-and-brewing-columbia

If you want to do any beer shopping, drive a little bit south of town and you can hit both Arena Liquor (inside a Shell gas station) and Hy-Vee in the same neck of the woods. Head straight down Providence for both. They both offer make your own sixers and have good craft beer selections. All of the Hy-Vee stores in town have good beer selections, FYI.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/arena-liquor-columbia

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hy-vee-food-stores-columbia-2

Two other bars in town that get passed over because they are “far” (10 minutes) from the center of downtown are 1839 Taphouse and 44 Stone. I hadn’t given 1839 Taphouse much of a chance until they were one of the stops during the Stone beer release event. They had several taps of Stone going, PLUS Maharaja. They update their list of 24 taps on Facebook. The Taphouse Ale is their own house beer. I am excited that this will be a new destination for the CBE in June for our monthly tasting out on their patio.

Recommended:  beer dough pizza, which I sampled at the Missouri Beer Festival.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/1839-taphouse-columbia

44 Stone is also in the southeast area of Columbia kind of tucked away in a lot of stripmalls. They are fairly new and describe themselves as a contemporary “gastropub.” They serve traditional British staples like fish and chips, bangers and mash and mushy peas, along with curries and Tikka Masala.

As for liquor, they have a whole chalkboard list of beers and whiskys from England, Scotland and Ireland (and some American choices) I don’t know how often the list on their website is updated, but they post some new specials and additions on Facebook. They also have some meads and ciders currently listed. A new feature is live Celtic music on their patio on the first Thursday of the month. The CBE will also be doing a beer and cheese tasting here in July.

Recommended: 44 Stone Burger with Jameson steak sauce

http://www.yelp.com/biz/44-stone-public-house-columbia

Sunday, if you’re looking for brunch, and possibly some hair of the dog, hit Broadway Brewery.

9:30am - 2pm Start your week off right with a rotating selection of seasonally delicious brunch options, and indulge with a custom cocktail from our Build-a-Bloody Buddy Bar.

Broadway is locally owned and gets most of their ingredients from area farms and the Root Cellar, a community based grocery store right next door. Their focus is integrating local, fresh ingredients into pizzas, sandwiches and salads. They offer their own beer on tap as well as a good menu of bottles and guest taps. They are also a frequent host of CBE tastings and many spontaneous gatherings, since they are steps away from Sycamore. Check Facebook to see what’s on tap or walk by and check out the chalkboard.

Recommended: Broadway’s IPA, pizza by the slice with side salad

http://www.yelp.com/biz/broadway-brewery-columbia

If you have some time to spare as you make your way down I-70, it’s worth a stop in Rocheport (15 minutes from Columbia) to visit Les Bourgeois Winery. Their Bistro serves brunch, lunch and dinner, but if you just want a glass of wine, the A-Frame next door is the place to be. Weather permitting, it is open noon to sunset. Near sunset is the perfect time to be here right on the river listening to live music. Their Rock the Riverboat music series starts May 28 and continues each Saturday through October from 4 to sunset.

Recommended: Jeunette Rouge Red or Solay White and the picnic basket for two (cheese, sausage, crackers and fruit) at the A Frame. Don’t expect much in the way of beer--this is a winery, after all. I think they used to have a wine cooler option and maybe a Boulevard choice.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/les-bourgeois-vineyards-rocheport

If you have another day, Jefferson City is 30 minutes south of Columbia on Highway 63. I admit, I am not as in the know on this city’s offerings , but I do commute there for work. You should go tour the State Capitol and see the Thomas Hart Benton murals and the Missouri State Museum if you’re into history and/or art.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/missouri-state-museum-jefferson-city

Prison Brews is the local brewpub located downtown near the old prison, hence the name. See what’s on tap on their website. I have had lunch here a few times and I sampled the Gone-a-Rye-Pale-Ale at the Missouri Beer Festival. I really need to get down there and try a flight.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/prison-brews-jefferson-city

Recommended: Wood fired Greek pizza. They also have brats made with their own beer.

Also just off of the river bridge exit (Main St.) is a cozy Irish pub called Paddy Malones (or “Pat’s Place,” if you are a real local). Paddy’s is known for their Guinness and burgers and the central location for St. Patrick’s Day activities. They open early for corned beef and cabbage and the parade. No green beer. The website is basically dead, so look for specials on their Facebook page instead. Oddly enough, they were posting about Boulevard Chocolate Ale on tap when everyone else was out in the area.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/paddy-malones-irish-pub-jefferson-city

For beer shopping, the place to go is International Wines on the west side of town. If they don’t have it, and they can get it, they will special order for you. Distribution is on a different schedule than Columbia, so there may be Hopslam there after Columbia is out or you may stumble upon something different.

National Homebrew Day/Missouri Beer Festival

May 7th is National Homebrew Day, and as it turned out, there were a lot of beer-related events going on, all on the same day. I stopped by Phil's, where he was doing a brewing demo with a saison. Phil has a great set up in his garage, plus a nice bar with homebrews always on tap, so it's always a nice place to hang out. He had a rye beer and a pale ale with calypso hops--very refreshing. Alas, I had a beer festival to attend, so I couldn't keep it up.

The first Annual Missouri Beer Festival was sponsored by Missouri Life Magazine.  

Broadway Brewery booth

This was the first year of the Missouri Beer Festival at the Stoney Creek Inn. Unfortunately, it was too gorgeous of a day to be indoors, but with Missouri weather it was a safe choice.  I met Kate there and made our way around the room. Prison Brews was right in the middle, so we started there. They only had two choices: Gone A-Rye Pale Ale and Prison Town Brown. I have eaten lunch there, since I work in Jefferson City, but not had a beer there. I should go there and get the sampler since I wanted to try more. The rye was pretty good, but Phil's tasted like an actual piece of rye bread, so that's hard to beat.

Next was Public House from Rolla. They had a stout and a mild. I admit, mild is not my favorite style, so I'm not the best judge. I like my stouts* a little more robust, too. I really did their tree logo and was tempted to buy a tulip glass from them. But, more power to them for organizing AHA events. I see from their website they are hosting a screening of Beer Wars, which is a cool idea. They aren't a brewpub at this point, just a brewery.

I think my favorite beer of the day was Schlafly's AIPA. Man, this was a delicious beer. Others I sampled were Tallgrass Halcyon Wheat, Tin Mill Amber, Crown Valley Amber, Broadway Brewery's APA, 1839 Taphouse's own Taphouse Ale (and pizza with beer in the crust). Boulevard didn't offer anything different but I still had a Two Jokers and advocated for producing the new hoppy wheat.

There were some stranger elements in the mix, like the Harley Davidson tent with motorcycles and a country whiskey bar that had "Vegas Bombs." As I told everyone, I am way too old to do anything with "bomb" in the title in the middle of the day. Or anytime, actually.

All in all, I'd say it was successful for this first-time event. Hopefully the CBE can work with them next time on having a booth or something.  They could use some help with marketing to the beer geeks. Some suggestions I would make include providing a tasting glass and list of the vendors for note-taking.

 Now off to the final event of the night, a blowout with Hellbender Brewing!

*Update: The Public House guys brought their stout and mild in kegs to Hellbender's party. Getting to take my time and sample the stout again, I really enjoyed it. Hellbender had their Concession Black IPA, pepper beer, cask ale, and Gary from Schlafly brought a sixer of AIPA, and also the Hop Toddy. That was a treat. I think the bottles are limited in the area, but Sycamore has promised a keg waiting in the wings. The honey and lemon really come through. I wanted to let it get warm but I couldn't put it down long enough.

Public House from Rolla

KC Roadtrip/Parkville Microfest

On Saturday, two cars full of members of the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts headed down I-70 towards downtown Kansas City. We had a reservation at 11 for a tour of the Boulevard Brewery. The tour is definitely worthwhile and the newer building is really impressive. We saw the barrel room where many of the Smokestack beers are aged, the fermentation tanks, the filtration system, the packaging room (not running that day), and then the gift shop and tasting room. They have a nice space to rent for meetings and parties with an outdoor patio that overlooks downtown KC. The options at the tasting room were the Singlewide, the stout, porter, Tank 7, pilsner, wheat, pale ale, the amber, and a new hoppy wheat that was delicious. We got a secret sample of a dubbel aged in cedar they are working on, too.

From there, we headed down to Westport and had lunch at the Beer Kitchen. Their beer menu had a lot of big beers and Belgians and I finally just settled on a McCoy's Hog Pound Brown. Most everyone else had New Belgium's Le Terroir. I had the Kobe hamburger with truffle fries, and everything tasted great. I don't think anyone had any complaints. By the time we got out of there and headed to Parkville, I think it was after 2:00.

We heard grumblings from people leaving Microfest that it was already sold out. We got up to the tent and found out it was. I don't think any of us expected that! One member hadn't bought a ticket online, but we got that sorted out and got him in as a guest. We more or less started going down the line of the breweries we hadn't had or weren't familiar with. The lines were long, but the timing worked out so that you drank your sample in line for the next one and were ready to fill up by the time you got up to the next one.

Here is my rundown:
Upstream Brewing (Omaha): I really wanted the Children of the Peppercorn Saison, but it was out and I had the stout instead. I tried someone else's rye, which was very gingery. According to the description, it is based on the cocktail called Horse Feathers, with ginger beer and rye.
Empyrean Brewery (Lincoln): Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stout, a "sessionable" bourbon barrel
Spilker Ales (Cortland, NE): Hopluia was all that they had, but it was good.
Modern Monks (Lincoln): Espresso Porter was too much for most people, but right on for me.
Lucky Bucket (Elkhorn, NE): Had the Lucky Bucket IPA, which was very floral if I remember correctly.
Nebraska Brewing Company (Papillion, NE): Infinite Wit was very citrusy and refreshing.
Stone: Can't get enough, so we stood in the longest line to say hi to Nate. I had the Cali-Belgique.
Broadway Brewery: We're there all the time, so we left it up to others to consume. It seemed to be popular and I've already read positive comments. They are also pouring at next weekend's Missouri Beer Festival in Columbia.

 Blind Tiger's Backpack Beer

Out of Beer! These signs started to crop up as the day went on.

For dinner we hit All Star Pizza in Parkville. This place had a good selection of taps with lots of Stone left. I had Firestone Walker Double Jack. The Thai Pie pizza was good, too. Got some laughs at seeing other folks obviously coming from the Microfest, having trouble using car door handles and walking straight. Luckily none of them were driving. We headed back, with nobody getting drunk, sick, injured, dehydrated, or dropping their tasting glass. Winners!

If I left anything out to recommend, please leave it in the comments. I ran out of time to try everything.

CBE Update: Spring & Summer

Right before the Stone festivities kicked off Saturday night, the CBE officers met up to plan the next few months of events. Below is what we have so far. Suggestions are always welcome.

• The Kansas City/Parkville field trip roster is set, but you are more than welcome to join us this Saturday, April 29. We plan to leave Saturday morning at 8:30 from the Schnuck's parking lot. You'll have to come up with your own transportation at this point, but you can carpool with us to Boulevard where we have a tour scheduled. There's more information concerning the Parkville Microfest here.
• National Homebrew Day is Saturday, May 7. Several folks are planning to host demos and/or brewing sessions on this day. An official event will be has been posted on Facebook, but if anyone is interested in participating or hosting a brew event on the 7th, leave a comment here or on the Facebook group.
• After the brewing is done, Hellbender is planning to host its latest party. Stay tuned to their blog and/or Facebook page for details and start times. Typically, the boys at Hellbender limit their party to friends and CBE members, but if you're new, befriend them now and sneak in.
• On a Monday in May, we will hold a Rye/Black IPA tasting at Sycamore. So, round up your favorite rye beers and/or Cascadian Dark Ales/Black IPA's for this official CBE tasting. All regular fees apply. $30 will get you a year's membership. $5 will get you in if you bring beer, $10 without beer.
• In June, we're looking at cheese and beer pairing at a location to be determined. Unlike the last time, at this tasting we will be asking for folks to bring cheese. The CBE will purchase 4-5 styles of beer for the pairing. There will be no membership fees due at this event. More details to come.
• The official CBE event for June will be a "Wild Night" hosted by the Elwess household. We will allow folks to decide just what "wild" means. Does it have to do with fermentation? Strange ingredients? High ABV? You decide.
• July (which is a long way off) will feature two events. There will be the annual picnic which is an open event for anyone interested in meeting other beer nerds and homebrewers. We only ask that folks bring some beer to share and a covered dish. A date and location will be announced as soon as we have more information to share.
• The other July event will be a West Coast tasting. So, any beer brewed in California, Oregon, Washington, or Alaska is welcomed. This will be an official CBE tasting where all applicable fees apply.
• Last, but certainly not least, we are planning to bring back the Members Only Tasting. This was a popular event last year and we don't want to not have one again this year. The Members Only tasting will happen in August. Before we can plan any further, there will be a survey put out that will help us identify the beers you'd like to try. Again, this tasting will have the applicable fees attached.

So, that's one official CBE tasting a month for the next four that you should attend. Also, feel free to join us for any of the other events or invite non-members so that we may infect them with our "illness." Watch the Facebook page, the website, and this blog for details on all the events described above.

Blind Belgian Tasting

 The Columbia Beer Enthusiasts had a blind Belgian tasting today at Phil's house. The finally tally is:

The winner: Urthel Samaranth Quad (the only genuine Belgian in the bunch)
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1339/15274

2nd Place: Choc Dubbel (Oklahoma)
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4707/45566

3rd Place: Trippel (John Cannon's homebrew)

4th: Bruery Saison Rue (California)
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/42434

5th: Dubbel (David Bowen's homebrew)

6th: Old Ale (Phil Fuemmeler's homebrew)

7th: Bruery Orchard White Witbier (California) 
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16866/42433
8th: Trippel (brewed with British yeast) (John Cannon homebrew)

Thanks to Phil who hosted and created the scorecards to help us navigate our way through the Belgians. We scored each one on bouquet/aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression. Just for fun, we also guessed whether each was really made in Belgium or not. The only was that was from Belgium ranked number one, the quad.

CBE mid-April Update

Sorry about the lag in posts, but there are some things to keep you up-to-date on...

Next week is Stone Week here in the Show-Me state. There are set to be events all over to welcome Stone to Missouri. The statewide details are here. Sycamore and Uprise Bar are set to host two events on Saturday, April 23rd. You can find the full list at Stone's site. Details for Columbia's events are below.

Sycamore 5pm-7pm

• Stone Pale Ale
• Arrogant Bastard Ale
• OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale
• Stone Ruination IPA
• Stone Sublimley Self-Righteous Ale
• 2010 Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Uprise Bar 7:30pm-9:30pm

• Stone Smoked Porter
• Stone Cali-Belgique IPA
• 2010 Double Bastard Ale

The sign up for the April 30th field trip to Kansas City and the Parkville Microfest is still up. Transportation is still being figured out, depending on the final number of people who sign up. As of now, cost includes $25 for transportation, $20 to get in to the festival, and whatever you spend on lunch.

Finally, there is a Belgian vs. Non-Belgian tasting this Saturday. Folks are asked to bring a Belgian or Belgian-style beer wrapped in a paper bag. It is a blind tasting where participants will see if they can guess which is which. Details are on Facebook.

Wearin' O' the Beer

The smell of corned beef and cabbage...the sight of puked up neon green beer in the streets...What do these things have in common? Neither is Irish, actually.

I experienced one St. Patrick's Day while I was in Ireland for a semester, and the holiday is very simple: good Guinness, good music, good craic. That's it. Nothing is dyed green. There was supposed to be a big parade, but I was there during the big foot and mouth disease epidemic of 2001 and everything was canceled so the rural farmers wouldn't bring it into Galway. Wipe your feet, stay in the bars. And so we did. It was grand.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be one big gathering place for traditional music and people who don't want to drink green beer from Das Boot. Here are the events I have found going on in the area. Since St. Pat's Day is during the week, the events span both the weekend before and the weekend after. Some of the concerts are from The Central Missouri Celtic Arts website, so you can find links to the artists there.

Saturday March 12:
Jefferson City Irish Parade, 2:00
The headquarters is Paddy Malone's pub, a cozy pub just across the bridge.
The pub opens at noon. Irish Stew, Bacon & Cabbage served for lunch along with our regular menu items. All are welcome to join the parade or watch along the way. Live music with drinking songs and ballads after the parade.

Leprechaun-archy 6:30 til ?

If you participated in Santacon you know what this is all about...
One part flash mob, one part pub crawl, & eight parts debauchery you will likely forget before this train-wreck comes completely off the tracks! The order and location of the pubs will be posted on the Facebook page, so you can join in at your leisure. Oh, and it's FREE. Pace yourself.

Wednesday March 16th, 7:30PM
Concert: The Mairtin de Cogain Project
Songs and stories from County Cork, with award winning singer/songwriter/storyteller, Mairtin de Cogain of Carrigaline, County Cork! at Scene One Theatre, 121 East High Street. Advance tickets available at Paddy Malone's Pub. 700 W. Main St. Jefferson City

March 17, St. Pat's Day
44 Stone Pub: Traditional Irish music session, 6 to 9
No description required...just come on in to 44 Stone for house corned beef, colcannon and other traditional fare with contemporary American insight. We might also serve a few beers and whiskeys....We'll have live music all night as well to play some classic tunes. 44 Stone will have the classiest (but not necessarily the calmest) St Patty's Day in town. See you then.

Hooten Hallers St. Paddy's Day at Blue Fugue, 10:00

Hooten Hallers, Lunar Mansion, Vulvette! Irish Hairpulling Contest! Free Leprechaun Toenails! Double Rainbow Buckets of Gold. Lineup: Vulvette opens, then get ripped by Mansion, tear down the house with Hooten Hallers!

Mojos
Join us and The Three Tree Crew for a St. Patrick's day you wish you could remember!! 4 bands, no cover, and more beers on tap than you can shake a Blarney Stone at! So don your finest green, stretch out your cheers-ing arm, and ramble on down for a night packed with great FREE live music! St. Patty's Day Brew Ha Ha feat. Holyfield (playing a full set of Irish Drinking Songs!!), Sunifyde, A Perfect Fifth, Baboonz - FREE!! / 8:30 pm

Broadway Brewery
Enjoy Traditional Irish Specials paired with craft brews all week long.

Sycamore Restaurant: Schlafly beer dinner is almost sold out, so you may be out of luck. However, after the dinner, there may still be kegs of barrel-aged Imperial Stout, and Irish Extra Stout; and bottles of several vintages of Reserve Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barley Wine.

St. Patrick's Day at Paddy Malone's Pub
Raffle drawings, party favors, etc. etc. Corned Beef and Cabbage beginning at 11am and served until it is gone! Live music beginning at 4pm with the reunion of THE BOW & THE BARDS (Rick Stokes, Allen Tatman, and Tom Schultz). Come raise a toast to Dear auld Ireland!

March 25, 2011, 8 p.m.
Concert with Bruce Molsky
Fiddle, banjo, guitar and voice. Old-Time American and Celtic music.
Location: Unity Center, 1600 W. Broadway

Don't forget in the middle of all this that Firestone Walker beer is making its debut in Columbia at Sycamore! If I missed any events, let me know!