Worldview of American Craft Beer

CraftBeer.com posted a great article today about world perceptions and views of the American craft brewing scene. Multiple brewers from various parts of Europe were contacted and asked their thoughts about the craft beers currently coming out of the States.

The resulting answers were very positive, highlighting important aspects of the movement, including creativity and the familial relationships between brewers. It's a great read, and very interesting to hear about the impact that American craft brewers are having on the global brewing scene.

Washington Beer Open House

If you haven't already heard, the Washington Beer Commission has organized the Washington Beer Open House. Many local breweries are participating in this event, and you should too. The event will include new or exclusive releases, tasting opportunities, preview tastings...this list goes on. Check out the link for a list of participating breweries and start making your attack plan. The event runs tomorrow from noon until 4:00.

Buy Wine and Help New Zealand Earthquake Relief Efforts

Hard Row to Hoe will be donating $2 for every bottle of wine sold this weekend to the New Zealand Red Cross in an effort to aid in their earthquake relief work. This applies to bottles sold at their winery, as well as through their internet store - you don't even have to brave the snow! Buy some wine for a good cause.

Home Brewing Seminars

Curious about home brewing? Yearning to learn the secrets of this mystical art? King County Library wants to help. They are sponsoring a series of introductory home brewing classes at various library locations throughout April and May.

Class dates and instructor bios are available at the Washington Beer Blog (one of their own contributors is even teaching a couple of the courses). This is a great opportunity to learn the basics, as well as tips from experienced home brewers.

Charles Smith Wine Tasting at Full Throttle Bottles

This evening, Georgetown's Full Throttle Bottles will be hosting a tasting of several Charles Smith wines. Smith is a Washington winemaker who has generated a great deal of buzz over the past couple of years, and was even named Food and Wine Magazine's Winemaker of the Year in 2009.

Samplings will include the Kung Fu Girl Reisling, the Velvet Devil Merlot, the Boom Boom Syrah, the Charles & Charles Red Blend and the Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon.

The tasting will run from 5:00-7:00 this evening, and only costs $3.00. Check it out!