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99 Bottles weekly newsletter × Monday, April 12, 2010
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| Got Mead?
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Meet the meadmaker, taste the meads
 Sometimes called "Nectar of the Gods," mead is an alcoholic drink that's made from pure ingredients of honey, water, and yeast. Though some refer to mead as "honey wine," no grapes are used in meads, making it a unique drink.Though meads are most popular with Renaissance crowds, they're gaining in popularity and being served alongside pre-dinner fruit platters at parties. Meads have a long history, having been the preferred drink during the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, documented both by Aristotle and Pliny the Elder. Mead was even mentioned in one of the sacred books of Hinduism around 1700-1100 BC. Curious? Come in and try four meads and meet meadmaker Denice Ingalls of Sky River Meadery of Sultan, Wash. We'll be pouring the Sky River dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, and raspberry meads. Event information Saturday, April 17th ... 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. $2.50 per person to sample 4 meads ... 99 Bottles Club memberprice $1 Must be 21+ years with ID to partake |
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| The Weekly Pick
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A pair of India Pale Ales...
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA -
The name means "hard working hops," in
Boontling, and that tells it all. Generous additions of high-alpha Pacific
Northwest hops added during a vigorous boil, plus traditional dry hopping, with
whole hop cones, give this ale a delicious citrus aroma, and an intense hoppy
bite. This IPA is a hop lover's dream and received a Silver Medal from
the 2001 World Beer Championships in the India Pale Ale
category. 7% ABV, 80 IBU
Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA- Several pounds of Centennial & Cascade hops are added to each
barrel with a heavy dry-hop presence to top it off. A blend of crystal, pale and
carastan malts creates an overall biscuity characteristic that is dense and
muscular, building the alcohol base to support the monstrous hop profile. Hop Henge received the honor of World's Best Strong Pale Ale (Imperial IPA) at the 2007 World Beer
Awards, was rated as one of the "World's 50 Best Beers" at the 2006 International
Beer Challenge, and won a Gold Medal in the 2006 World
Beer Championships. Seasonal release. 8.75% ABV, 95 IBU
...and Hop Henge is on sale this week for $4.45 per bomber... reg. $5.39
The Weekly Pick
Wednesday, April 14th
4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Try 2 beers for $1
Must be 21+ years, with ID
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| More beer on the wall
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See what's new and returning at 99 Bottles...
 Alaskan IPA & Pale Ale
Alaskan Brewing is known for smooth, delicious beers...and we have a bunch of 'em. Returning to 99 Bottles is the IPA and Pale Ale. The IPA has a smooth hoppy flavor with light candy and citrus tones. The Pale Ale has a clean, softly malted body with a hint of citrus overtones, followed by a
hop-accented dry, crisp finish.
 Blackened Voodoo &
Dixie Lager
It's been sold out in Washington since Superbowl weekend but, alas, has finally returned! Blackened Voodoo is a 5%-ABV shwarzbier with a sweet and creamy caramel and notes of burnt sugar, dark fruit, and molasses. Dixie Lager is 4.6% ABV, refreshing and light with flavors of toasted biscuits and sweet corn.
Gaffel Kolsch- Sorry, this beer sold out before the newsletter was authored. (Wow, that was fast!) Gaffel Kolsch is expected to return to 99 Bottles on Wednesday, April 21st.
 Left Hand 400-Pound Monkey
Over the years Left Hand Brewing has been asked to
brew a year-round IPA, but have balked at the idea because of the flood of
American IPAs currently on the market. They decided they would make an IPA that was
different from others, that they personally liked to drink, and one that they could put our personal signature on and be proud of...so, in fall 2008 they brewed a single batch IPA and sent it out
to five different markets around the country to test the response, which turned out
to be pretty positive. So, in now 2009, they're back playing again
with a few new test batches ...and here you have it, 400 Pound Monkey. What to expect of its flavor? It's an English-style IPA. Special Release. 7% ABV
 Left Hand Chainsaw Strong Ale
Back from a 2-year absence, Chainsaw kicks off 2010 with a new logo, but still
the same bad-ass beer. It attempts to address an old saying that has plagues
mankind since its inception. Left Hand says, "Many times we've heard "more is not always better."
Invariably the person on the other side of such a statement scowls at the
ramifications. Here at Left Hand we realize that life cannot be reduced to or
understood in absolute terms. Chainsaw is a connoisseur
version of their award-winning Sawtooth Ale, designed to befuddle silly
generalizations about life." Chainsaw opens with toasted malt, toffee and fruit
flavors, and closes with a swirling effect of garden herbs, cardamom, dry port,
and black cherry. 9% ABV
 Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy
A shandy is a lemonade flavored beer-- a European favorite during the warmer months. The light, crisp flavor makes it a great summer refresher. Leinenkugel's carefully brews each batch using wheat, malted barley, and a touch of real Wisconsin honey...then their brewers mix in fresh lemonade and citrus flavors to create an adventurous taste. Pair it with fish, seafood, salad, Mexican dishes and appetizers. Summer Release. 4.2% ABV, 130 calories.
 Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat
This is a refreshing wheaty-citrus ale gives a blast of tangerines to the tastebuds! A perfect thirst-quencher for the warmer weather that's sure to come. Serve it with fish & chips. 5% ABV
 Oud Beersel Oude Kriek
This artisanal product is made from real cherries and Oud
Beersel Lambic from old barrels. The brewer adds 400 grams of cherries to each liter of Lambic, where they're slowly absorbed into the Lambic, developing a fruity
character and a red color. Oude Kriek has no added sugar, no artificial flavorings, and no preservatives. Oude Kriek is a fine traditional ale, with a pleasant sourness of champagne, intensely tart cherry, notes of wood. The beer features sparkly carbonation and a drying finish. Excellent on BeerAdvocate. Platinum medal, "Superlative," 2002 World Beer Championships. 6.5% ABV, now in 25.4-oz bottles, perfect for sharing with a friend.
 Redhook 8-4-1 Expedition Ale
The newest release in Redhook's Limited Series, 8-4-1 Expedition Ale is an American-style strong brown ale developed by eight Redhook brewers
working in four teams of two to create one beer. The ale reflects a compilation
of each team's individual recipes that were then carefully blended into one
distinct beer. 8-4-1 is available for a limited time in 22 ounce bottles. Greg Deuhs, Redbook Brewmaster says,
"8-4-1 Expedition Ale is a great beer. Its combination of brown sugar and
honey, paired with a variety of rich specialty and smoked malts before being
aged for months with oak chips, give it a depth worth sipping next to the fire.
Inspired by eight brewers working in four teams, 8-4-1 offers complex nuances to
the traditional American-Style Strong Brown Ale that I am confident beer
connoisseurs will appreciate." 9.5% ABV, 55 IBU
 Rogue Single Malt Ale
The newest release in the Chatoe Rogue First Growth series is a blonde ale
called Single Malt Ale. Single Malt Ale has a malty aroma and is deep golden in color with a dense creamy head. It has a medium body, with a lush rich maltiness. It's quite a simple recipe, with just four ingredients: Rogue Barley Farm first growth Dare™malts, Rogue Hopyard first growth Revolution Hops, Rogue Pacman Yeast, and free range coastal water. Pair it with seafood and hot & spicy dishes.
 Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Summer Ale is crisp, tangy, and refreshing, with notes of citrus and pepper. Summer Release. 5.3% ABV
 Saku Tume & Saku Porter
Saku Brewery, which dates back to 1820, is the biggest and oldest of
Estonia's seven breweries. Since the end of the 19th century, it
has been among the leading breweries in Estonia. Saku Tume is a 6.7%-ABV doppelbock style beer that features sweet roasty malts, with notes of prunes, dates, cocoa, caramel, and dark sugar. Its finish is bittersweet. Saku Porter is a baltic-style porter that's got flavors of smooth, sweet chocolate and roasty malts, with a long, coffee-like dry finish. Warming alcohol at 7.5% ABV.
 Widmer Brothers' Reserve Prickly Pear Braggot
I was particularly excited to try this beer upon its arrival as it is our first Braggot at 99 Bottles. Braggot is a mead made with malt, according to the BJCP Guidelines. Widmer's Braggot is a strong ale brewed with a blend of honey, red prickly pear
juice, and a variety of pale malts. The addition of Alchemy hops balances
the sweetness while still retaining the natural honey aromas and flavors. The
prickly pear juice adds a unique hue to the beer as well as a subtle herbal,
quenching-like quality in the finish. I found it quite tasty and am looking forward to having it again. Limited Release. 10% ABV, 25 IBU
Wondering what a prickly pear is?
...and more hard cider...
Aspall Cuvée Chevallier
A perfect cider for celebrations...and my new favorite champagne! This hard apple cider is made with champagne yeasts, which produce an effervescent champagne with dry apple and floral yeasty notes. It's dry, but rounded, with a touch of apple acidity. And it's a whopping 11% ABV!
Original Sin Pear Cider
This perry tastes like...juicy pears! Effervescent and semi-dry. Gluten free. 6% ABV
 Wildfire Ciders
The Extra Dry and Semi-Sweet are back! The Wildfire Cidery makes traditional English scrumpy-style ciders. Both varieties of cider are made from vintage French and English apple varieties grown in Port Townsend. 7% ABV
...and more mead too!
 A.M. Dwojniak Mead
with Herbs
Smooth, light, and refined. Silky honey and raspberries. Warming alcohol. Similar to a raspberry liqueur. Dwojniak style mead (1:1 honey to water) with raspberry juice added. Gold medal, X1 Competition of Wines, Meads and Wine Liquors 2002. 16% ABV
Maliniak with Raspberry Juice
aged 6 years in oak barrels
Smooth, light, and refined. Silky honey and raspberries. Warming alcohol. Similar to a raspberry liqueur. Dwojniak style mead (1:1 honey to water) with raspberry juice added. Gold medal, X1 Competition of Wines, Meads and Wine Liquors 2002. 16% ABV
Apis Póltorak Jadwiga
The queen of all meads. Incredible intensity, aroma, and depth of flavor. Thick and sticky. Fine honey liquor with notes of raisins, maple, raspberry, and wild rose. Made from 3:1 proportion of honey and water. Bronze medal, International Mead Festival. 100% rating on RateBeer.com. 16% ABV
More returning beers... Amber Kozlak Grand Imperial Porter - baltic-style porter Bayern Faceplant Weizenbock Corsendonk Brown Abbey Ale Czechvar - Czech pilsner Fish Tale Monkfish Belgian-Style Triple Ale Heather Ales Alba Scots Pine Ale Heather Ales Fraoch Heather Ale Heather Ales Grozet Gooseberry Ale Lezajsk - from Poland New Belgium Lips of Faith Transatlantique Kriek - ale with Polish cherries Obolon Deep Velvet - from Ukraine Obolon Lager - from Ukraine O'Hara's Dry Irish Stout Raccoon Lodge Cascade Blackberry Ale Wells Banana Bread Ale - brewed with free-trade bananas! Zaibo - Euro strong lager from Lithuania Zhiguly Grande - Euro strong lager from Lithuania |
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| Seeking beer clerk
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 Must love beer...
99 Bottles is a family owned & operated retail beer store and is seeking a
part-time employee to assist customers, check-out and package sales, and perform other tasks around the store...
Yep, you heard right...we're looking for a beer clerk. Jake has been accepted to Grad School, which is great news for him, but sad news for us as we've really enjoyed having him as part of the 99 Bottles family. Be sure to stop by and wish Jake great success...he'll be with us thru May 21st.
Our dream employee is planning to stay in the position for at least a year, has an appreciation for beer and is familiar with beer styles, is accurate at checking out and receiving orders, and can fulfill the job requirements (see Job description)...oh, and must be 21+ years to apply. If you know anyone who is looking for part-time and fits the criteria, please forward this info to them...
Job description and ApplicationDeliver completed applications to 99 Bottles. We are aiming to fill the position by early May, so the new person will have time to train and work with Jake.
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| Win a pair of Hop Scotch tickets!
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Help 99 Bottles reach 1,000 facebook fans 99 Bottles is giving the 99 Bottles facebook fan who refers the 1,000th fan AND our 1,000th fan each a pair of green tickets to Hop Scotch Spring Festival. (That's a $40 value just for referring the 1,000th fan and a $40 value for being the 1,000th fan...pretty cool, eh?)
Prefer to buy your tickets? Hop Scotch tickets are available for purchase now at 99 Bottles. Buy tickets in advance and SAVE $5! Yes, that's right...if you get your Hop Scotch tickets in advance (paying cash or with local check payable to "Hop Scotch"), you'll save $5 per ticket. Green tickets are $20 and Gold tickets are $25. Both tickets get you into the beer/wine tasting at the festival and a souvenir cup...the green ticket gets you 5 tasting tokens, the gold ticket gets you 10 tasting tokens. For your convenience, 99 Bottles does accept debit, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or 99 Bottles Gift Card payment for tickets but charges a $1 per ticket fee to cover merchant fees incurred. Over 50 beers will be pouring at the festival; get info at www.hopscotchtasting.com |
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| Beer news & blogs
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In this week's online beer chatter... |
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99 Bottles, best beer store in Western Washington!
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99 Bottles beer store is open 7 days
Monday 12-8PM
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10AM-8PM
Sunday 12-5PM
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