The Beer Thread

This is the place I went.

http://mahaffeyspub.com/

$4 for three beers. That's $1.33 a beer. A couple of the beers on their draft list weren't included in the special, but the rest were.

Doesn't Church Key already have competitors? Two Paradiso locations, the Brickskellar, RFD, Rustico, two area Dogfish pubs? Personally, I'd choose any of those over Church Key, based on beer specials, vegetarian options, and affordability of the food.

I wasn't saying to avoid going out to a pub to drink, but merely sugggesting that with Whole Foods a two minute walk away, it's definitely an attractive alternative to an overcrowded, expensive night out at Church Key.

James wrote:
After paying $4 for three 10 oz microbrews at Mahaffey's in Baltimore in Saturday, I don't think I ever want to pay Church Key prices. And I'm not keen on supporting a place that serves veal-neck sausage and fois tots.

I say buy something good at Whole Foods and drink at home!

Mmm, 3-fers at Mahaffeys.  Haven't done that in a while.  I think they have steak-night on Tuesdays too, which is really good as well.

It's in Fells Point, a street up from O'Donnell Street, don't remember the name.  I work with a lot of people from Baltimore (work in Columbia) and when we'd head to B'more after work for drinks we'd usually head there.  The 3-fer selection is a short list, about 15 selections if memory serves, but there's always about 5-6 worth having.

Edit:  Didn't see the above post with link to Mahaffeys, sorry for being redundant, all the necessary info is there.  Also.. in Canton, not Fells Point.

Technically, I think it's in Canton, not Fells Point. But to someone in Columbia (who lives in DC?), it's probably all the same…

Just kiddin!

Thanks, I was going to say that.  ;)
They are next door neighbors though.

Think I've been there a couple times but that was years ago. Had dinner and wine and very much enjoyed it. Guess it's time to think about going back; specifically, on a week night.

James wrote:
Technically, I think it's in Canton, not Fells Point. But to someone in Columbia (who lives in DC?), it's probably all the same…

Just kiddin!

Ha, I know Fells Points, and I know Canton Square, until now not sure I knew Canton as a name for the neighborhood even existed.  Canton Square in a neighborhood called Canton?.. not sure how i didn't pick up on that.  Bah.. it's all Baltimore to me.. nevertheless, I'll know for the next time.

imbecile wrote:

James wrote:
Technically, I think it's in Canton, not Fells Point. But to someone in Columbia (who lives in DC?), it's probably all the same…

Just kiddin!

Ha, I know Fells Points, and I know Canton Square, until now not sure I knew Canton as a name for the neighborhood even existed.  Canton Square in a neighborhood called Canton?.. not sure how i didn't pick up on that.  Bah.. it's all Baltimore to me.. nevertheless, I'll know for the next time.

Double ha. I have no idea what Canton Square is. I just remember Canton as the rundown neighborhood I used to drive down from Charles Village to when I wanted a booty call from my FWB back in the mid-90s. I know, TMI. I hadn't been back there in years before this weekend, was amazed at how much the area has changed. Great new-ish playground in Patterson Park, too.

James wrote:
I just remember Canton as the rundown neighborhood I used to drive down from Charles Village to when I wanted a booty call from my FWB back in the mid-90s.

Re: Church Key….

I've only been there once and experienced the same line-out-the-door and super-crowded bar area, but that was on a Saturday night. I'd hoped it was just a weekend thing and that during the week would be less crowded. I'll probably wait until the newness wears off a little before going back. But, as I wrote on page 5, Aventinus on draft is so mind-blowingly good that I'll find it very hard to resist if I'm in the neighborhood again soon.

i went to a place with friends and all they had on tap was bud.  we got a pitcher of it anyway.  after three glasses of it . . . i said, "it all tastes the same when you're getting drunk."

walkonby wrote:
i went to a place with friends and all they had on tap was bud.  we got a pitcher of it anyway.  after three glasses of it . . . i said, "it all tastes the same when you're getting drunk."

this is very true  ;D

Tried this over the weekend in Chicago. I'm a big fan of stouts but found this to be borderline undrinkable. Judging by the ecstatic reviews on BA and ratebeer I am very much in the minority on this one but happy with my stance.

Just way too much going on with this beer and the whiskey taste was completely completely over the top. I didn't finish it, something I thought I'd never do with a $11 beer.

Thanks for the Bourbon County tip Brennser. I'm sitting in the Chicago burbs right now, heading to the Goose Island brewpub tomorrow. Was planning on one of those, but if they're $11 and undrinkable (I
m wary of the whiskey taste myself), may have to pass.

Did you try any of the other Goose Island or maybe anything by Three Floyds (from the Indiana burbs).

I'm actually excited to go to the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. 16 beers on tap in the store, and you can drink while one while you shop.

James wrote:
I'm actually excited to go to the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. 16 beers on tap in the store, and you can drink while one while you shop.

*swoons*

I've never had a Three Floyds I didn't like

Try the Matilda if they have it at Goose Island

James wrote:
Thanks for the Bourbon County tip Brennser. I'm sitting in the Chicago burbs right now, heading to the Goose Island brewpub tomorrow. Was planning on one of those, but if they're $11 and undrinkable (I
m wary of the whiskey taste myself), may have to pass.

Did you try any of the other Goose Island or maybe anything by Three Floyds (from the Indiana burbs).

I'm actually excited to go to the Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. 16 beers on tap in the store, and you can drink while one while you shop.

Just went on a two day Chicago beer blast.

Lunch at Whole Foods Tuesday. 16 drafts on tap with free samples aplenty, a lounge area and a food court. But the better option was a list of 10 or so regional bottles pured into a glass for $2 a pop. We tried, in order of preference, Founders Red Rye PA, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Three Floyds Robert Bruce, and Bell's Best Brown. The store is the third biggest WF in the world, like Disneyland for foodies. Easy to manage with a toddler.

Dinner was at Goose Island Brewpub in Clybourn. Overpriced and a bit too corporate in atmosphere with not many good eats for vegetarians. But the beer was good. We split the Black Cat Stout and the Pere Jaques dubbel. Both very good. Then for "dessert" we split the Imperial Goose, an old brown ale with the same bourbon tones . at 9% abv, probably more manageable than te Bouron County Stout. Really loved that beer.

Wed night was date night, with toddler home with grandparents. And what more romantic thing to do than to drive from the Chicago southside exurbs to an industrial park in Munster, Indiana and go to the Three Floyds brewpub. Which turned out to be much more geographically accessible for us than northside Chicago. You walk in and Full Metal Jacket is playing on the wall, and Gogol Bordello, Black Sabbath, and the Stooges are playing loudly on the sound system, and you know this place has all of the coolness that the Goose Island pub is lacking. Pizza was good, funnel fries were good, chocolate cake was good, but the beer is the reason you're there. They have their own on tap, as well as an amazing collection of guest taps and bottles. We split five over the course of a couple of hours. My three favorites all turned out the be in the Beer Advocate top 80 . FFF's Dreadnaught IPA, Stone Ruinator IPA, and Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer, all from the tap. Unibroue Terrible' was also from the tap and tasty. The only "miss" for me was the Sinebrychoff Porter, which wasn't horrible. Took home an FFF Alpha Klaus Xmas Porter bomber for the holidays.

Got a 6 pack of Grimbergen Dubbel on sale at WF, so we'll have a couple of those with the Thanksgiving chili today…and maybe take a day off from beer on Friday. Though I may go get some Goose Island specialties to take home.

Perhaps a collection of clueless hipster doofuses could pool together their trust funds…



MILWAUKEE Pabst Brewing Co., owner of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz and other old-line beer brands, is on the sale block again.

Pabst's owner, the Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation, based in Mill Valley, Calif., has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to find a buyer willing to pay around $300 million, according to the New York Post, which cited unnamed sources in a Monday article.

Executives at Pabst, based in suburban Chicago, and foundation officials didn't return phone calls seeking comment.

The sale effort is apparently the result of a deadline imposed by the Internal Revenue Service. Federal tax laws don't allow charitable foundations to own for-profit companies.

The IRS initially gave the foundation until 2005 to sell Pabst. That deadline was extended to 2010 when a buyer couldn't be found, according to a 2008 report by the Chicago Tribune.

Pabst, and its predecessor company, Best Brewing Co., was a Milwaukee mainstay for more than a century when it was acquired in 1985 by Paul Kalmanovitz. He bought other declining breweries, including Pearl and Falstaff, that were losing market share to growing giants Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing. Kalmanovitz died in 1987.

Pabst closed its Milwaukee brewery in 1996 and shuttered its last remaining brewery in 2001 after hiring Miller, now known as MillerCoors LLC, to brew its brands. Pabst in 2006 moved its offices from San Antonio, Texas, to Woodridge, Ill., where it has around 30 employees.

Because Pabst doesn't own breweries, it mainly operates as a marketing company, crafting strategies for selling dozens of brands, which also include Old Milwaukee, Stroh's and Heileman's Old Style.

In recent years, Pabst Blue Ribbon has seen revived sales when it was embraced by drinkers in their 20s, who see it as welcome contrast to heavily marketed beers.

Pabst Brewing also successfully relaunched Schlitz with its original formula from the '60s and announced it was bringing back "kraeusening," a process that uses additional fermentation, for Old Style.

Despite those efforts, Pabst Brewing's sales volume in 2008 dropped by 3.3 percent, to 5.9 million barrels from 6.1 million barrels, according to data compiled by Beer Marketer's Insights.

But that was a smaller drop than Pabst Brewing had seen in previous years. And it came as the company saw a big boost during the fourth quarter of 2008, with a 9 percent increase. That was fueled by a big jump in Pabst Blue Ribbon sales and higher Schlitz sales.

I enjoyed a great Chouffe Houblon at The Big Hunt last night - top beer!

We hit the half price draft happy hour at Birreria in Georgetown last night…

We each had one of these (too good to merely split one):



It's in the Beer Advocate top 100, and now in my top 5. Amazing!



We split one of these:



Not the best Belgian I've ever had, but still very good.



We split one of these:



Very interesting collaboration between Brewdog and Stone. I'd buy it elsewhere if it weren't so outrageously priced.



And finished the night off here (is there a better gelato shop anywhere in DC? I doubt it.)

Sierra Nevada Torpedo-an "extra" IPA

I'm not a huge fan of IPAs, but I've lately been enjoying Dogfish Head's Burton Baton, an oak-aged imperial IPA. Nice balance of hops and flavor.