Martin House BOOery tour for Halloween

The BOO-ery Tour FAQ This Saturday - Seven Ghostly Guest Breweries,  big name bands and freaky-fabulous food vendors -  we know you were already planning on being here,  but thought you might have some questions. So here goes: What are the extended hours? We’re open from noon  until 5:00 – get here early to beat the crowds What if it rains? The show will go on regardless of weather, the descent of eternal darkness or zombie apocalypse Can I bring the kids? Yes! They get in for free, they can trick or treat at our guest brewers, and we’ve got goodie bags for first 60 little gremlins through the door Costume Contest Rules?  Just wear your best and be on the stage between 3:30 and 4:00 for judging – prize #1 - 2 cases of beer, #2 - T-Shirt, Hat and 5 Tour passes,and #3 - 5 tour passes And the Music? The stage will be outside against the backdrop of our lovely city - bands are MHBC faves Ole G, Shotgun Friday, and Quaker City Nighthawks Special beers? A mega tour needs mega-beers  – you’ll get 4 pints as well as samples from seven guest breweries (Dirty Job, Collective, The Fort, Division, Chimera, Hop Fusion and Braindead) – plus the debut of Martin House’s “Gruesome Graph” Food? Included in your admission is 5 samples from a sweet and savory selection of food trucks (Chez Flo, Tail Feathers, Hook and Ladder, Hummingbird Sweet Shoppe, and Steel City Pops) – just cash in your tickets that we’ll give you at the door - full-size options are also for sale Lines were sorta bad last year. That’s not really a question, but… this year we’ll have more pouring stations, more guest brewers, a full 16oz glass, and we’ll be using the field behind the brewery so lines should not be too intense. Also: if you want to skip the admission line, buy your ticket ahead of time here See You There! Amityville Adam Anne, the Evil Apparition Assassin Asa Chih-chih-chih Ahh-ahh-ahh Chelsea Corpse of Cody Dead Guy Dan Dread-inspiring David Decapitated Dylan The Curse of the Erick Just a Ghost James “Juggler” Vein Cajun Jason Really-Bad-Jet-Lag Josh Murderous Matt Two-headed Monster Mike The Rob-pocalypse The Creature Formerly Known as Shugg And The Undead Army of MHBC Volunteers

Malai Kitchen Celebrates North Texas Beer Week 2015

MALAI KITCHEN CELEBRATES NTX BEER WEEK WITH A POP UP BIA HOI SHOP

Braden and Yasmin Wages bring the vibrant food and drink culture of Hanoi, Vietnam to Dallas on Saturday, November 14 with beer specials and regional street food

WHAT: In celebration of NTX Beer Week, Malai Kitchen will host an event on Saturday, November 14 emulating the vibrant street food scene of Hanoi, Vietnam. Each morning, vendors roll out kegs of freshly brewed bia hoi – the light Vietnamese rice lager that inspired Malai’s in-house beer program – to serve alongside lunch. Patrons crowd around plastic tables and stools to indulge in traditional street food and sip on the beer – traditionally served on the cheap – until the kegs run dry.

To recreate the atmosphere, Braden and Yasmin Wages will open their front patio from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and offer their house-brewed bia hoi for 50 cents per pint. In addition to favorites from the regular menu like Vietnamese meatballs, green papaya salad with candied bacon, and grilled pork satay with a coriander soy glaze, they will offer small plates inspired by their annual trips to the region. Expect:

Grilled Chicken Hearts, $5

Coriander-ginger marinade, sweet chili dipping sauce

5-Spice Pork Ribs, $9

Crispy grilled pork ribs with Hanoi savory seasoning blend

Crispy Eggplant Fritters, $5

Chinese Eggplant sliced and fried, soy dipping sauce

Street Cart Corn, $4

Fresh cut corn, chilies, fish sauce, dried shrimp

Tempura Fried Frog Legs, $8

Four crispy legs, cucumber salad, tamarind glaze

                               

The event starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 11 p.m. (or until the bia hoi runs out). For more information about NTX Beer Week, visit ntxbeerweek.com.

WHEN:                 Saturday, November 14

                                11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

WHERE:               The Patio at Malai Kitchen

                                3699 McKinney Avenue, #319

Dallas, TX 75204

214.599.7857

Big News from Bishop Cider Company

BISHOP CIDER + BEN E. KEITH = A CIDER-DELIVERING MACHINE Starting today, Ben E. Keith Beverages will be delivering our ciders to retailers throughout North Texas. Kegs for now, but bottles won't be far behind.  PRODUCTION FACILITY UPDATE  Equipment started showing up last week and the new  facility is right on schedule! Don't worry- the tasting  room in Bishop Arts will remain open, as this facility  is primarily for increasing production and generally  won't be open to the public. SHINY NEW HANDLES   After many splinters, stained hands, and late night  religious discussions, we have new tap handles! We  are gung-ho about our locally-made cider, so it  seemed hypocritical to hire a Chinese factory for  tap handles, so we made them ourselves. If the  handle looks slightly crooked, the added  uniqueness is just proof that we made it. MEET HIGH & DRY {OUR NEWEST CIDER} High & Dry is our version of an English-style dry cider, but much better because it is made in Texas. It is currently available only on draft and kegs are being distributed starting today. If sweet ciders aren't your thang, give this one a whirl. It's a desert in your mouth. (as opposed to a dessert in your mouth).

Copyright © 2014 Bishop Cider Co., All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 509 N Bishop Ave Ste C, Dallas, TX 75208

Shelton Brothers Beer and Cider Festival 2015

The Snobs love going to beer festivals and indeed, we have attended multitudes of beer festivals from Shanghai to Munich.  But this one was a bit different, a bit odd.  It seems to have been created purely as a celebration of beer geeks. And so off we go to St. Petersburg, Florida to see what all of the chatter is about.

Now of course you and I know that when you organize a beer festival it is all about the money.  Some make their money primarily by tickets sales to attendess.  The festival organizers that wish to have a wide range of brewers represented usually rely on ticket sales for their income.  At this type of festival you usually have an 'open bar' them with unlimited tastings of whatever you wish to taste.

Others make their money from charging the distrubuters to feature the beers that the distributer wishes to push (call it advertising).  You can tell when you are at one of these festivals when your selection is limited to the same basic crap beer that you see at your local sports bar and each beer is paid for as you drink ... think of ticket vouchers.

You also have hybrids like the GABF that makes money from both groups.  They charge each brewery a significant amount of money to enter their beer into the festival and then charge attendees a significant amount to enter the festival.

And then there is the Shelton Brothers Festival.  The Shelton brothers (yes, they exist, and 3 of them own the company) began in Massachusetts as an importer of small batch craft beers and has grown to a distributer of high quality beers and ciders with representation in nearly every state.  They import thousands of labels from every continent, with the exception, of course, of Antarctica.  The list of breweries that they have discovered and represent is quite impressive.  Cantillion (who they discovered), Mikkeller, Nøgne Ø, Siren, Dieu du Ciel, Brewfist, Ridgeway, Westvleteren are among those that beer snobs know and adore.  In the U.S. they distribute Prairie, Cigar City, Jester King, Hill Farmstead, Jolly Pumpkin and other breweries known as up and coming as well as for their quality.

’t Hofbrouwerijke Flower Sour

Saison D’Epeautre  by Brasserie de Blaugies

The beer festival is a moving celebration (it is held in a different city every year) of the breweries and cideries represented by Shelton and let me tell you, it is unbelievable.  Most of the beers and ciders were being served by the brewers themselves, who were all too happy to chat with you about their creations.  Their pride in their products was evident with all that we were able to chat with.  The crowd was much smaller than you would expect with a selection like this, but this made the evening not turn into a drunkfest with the pushing and shoving that you get with the huge, oversold festivals. No drinking team t-shirts ... no pretzel necklaces ... no cheering every time someone dropped a glass ... just serious beer geeks enjoying the evening.

Toccalmatto/Prairie Ales Okie Matilda is a Belgian Pale Ale style beer brewed by Birra Toccalmatto in Fidenza, Italy

The Monarchy Preussen Weisse a Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer by The Monarchy, a brewery in Köln (Cologne), 

Guldenberg by Brouwerij De Ranke

I would love to describe all of the beers that we sampled, but in this instance it would be so very difficult with the quantity of quality beers that were available. We will admit to spending a bit too much time 'sampling' the Westvleteren XII and were dumbfounded that there was no line whatsoever at their station.  We invite you to research and find some of the beers that are shown in photos with the promise to you that the odds of you being disappointed in any of these is remote.

We recommend that you find next year's festival (rumor is that it will be in Boston) and make plans to attend, for it is not often that you will find a festival for geeks, by geeks, that seems to exist purely for the enjoyment of sharing.

Cheers - Bon

Shelton Brothers
P.O. Box 486
Belchertown, MA 01007
http://www.sheltonbrothers.com/

'Tis the Season for Modano (and hocky stuff)!

Hockey season has started once again, and what better way to get in the Hockey mood than having a Dallas Stars Legend name on your tap wall!   There are three ways to do this:  561 or Crazy No. 9 on tap....or our new release of

Mike Modano's 561 on Tap or in a Can   Mike Modano’s 561 Kolsch-style beer is a clean, crisp, yet deceptively complex brew which features a delicate balance between soft malt and a subtle fruity hoppiness. Crafted to commemorate Mike’s record career goals for US-born hockey players, 561 showcases German pilsner malt, noble hops, and a meticulous fermentation regimen. The 561 experience is smooth, crisp and wonderfully refreshing—a lighter beer, without the compromise. 4.7% ABV     ABV: 4.7% IBU: 25 IBUs Grain: Pilsner Malt with a small dose of Wheat Hops: GR Perle and GR Tettnang Availability: Year Round 1/2 BBL Kegs 1/6 BBL Kegs Cans Mike Modano's Crazy No. 9 Mike Modano's Crazy No. 9 is part of our Season of Fear scheduled releases. This very limited (less than 20 BBLs were made) beer takes all the raw ingredients we use for Mike Modano's 561 but is brewed with Crazy Water (from the Crazy Water Company in Mineral Wells, TX) in conjunction with their annual Crazy Water Festival. This gives a new flavor profile to our already popular 561. And if you're wondering why this is a Season of Fear release - you obviously weren't an NHL Goalie in the 1990's.   ABV: 4.7% IBU: 25 IBUs Grain: Pilsner Malt with a small dose of Wheat Hops: GR Perle and GR Tettnang Availability: Seasonal (Season of Fear) 1/2 BBL Kegs 1/2 BBL Kegs

Cloud 9 Charities Mixer on Wednesday, October 7th.

Cloud 9 Charities Mixer Wednesday October 7th 5:30-7:30pm Royal Affairs 140 E Main Lewisville Texas

Cloud 9 Charities For over 15 years Cloud 9 Charities, Inc., a 501(c)(3) has been raising money for local organizations. I'm sure you are contacted by many groups to sponsor events and it is hard to know where to put your charitable dollars. Wednesday, October 7th from 5:30-7:30pm at Royal Affairs, 140 E Main St Lewisville Texas 75057, we invite you to come and discover information while you mingle with the groups that Cloud 9 Charities has donated to and made a difference in their mission.  Refreshments, wine, cocktails and knowledge.   Wednesday is the kickoff off our second Annual Saturday Night Fever with LeFreak event that is  scheduled for November 14, 2015, and our goal is to raise $200,000. Over the years we have raised more than $2 Million for local Charities! Of course, we need sponsors for a successful event. The unique thing about SaturdayNight Fever and Cloud 9 Charities is that we will continue to help multiple charities in need.  . Some of the organizations that have benefited from Cloud 9 Charities over the past 15 years are:   CASA Childrens Advocacy of Denton County Respite Care for Alzheimer's Families Denton County MHMR CCA Metroport Meals on Wheels Reachel's Challenge Special Abilities of North Texas Sue Weaver CAUSE Youth and Family Counseling Communities in Schools The Oasis Individual Families in Need    Click here for more information reguarding sponsorships and tickets Thank you for all you do and we look for ward to making a difference with you Sincerely, Kim Cloud Founder, Cloud 9 Charities Website 214-415-4806

Martin House Brewing Turtle Power!

From our friends at Martin House Brewing

Turtle Tour 2K15: Drinking Beer. Saving Turtles. Being Awesome. Turtle Power is a good beer, but it’s also a beer that does good.  Drink beer and save turtles at any of the upcoming events in October. The Beer: the strong malt body and intense hop presence of this altbier combines swimmingly well with the flavor of blackberries for an excellent autumn treat. The Good: proceeds from the sale of this beer support The Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) who are based right here at the Fort Worth Zoo. The Events: Glass and swag giveaways along with live turtles! Representatives from the TSA will be there to “talk turtle” and answer any questions you might have. More information on each event below is available on our website. First event is tomorrow (Thursday) at our tour and we'll be issuing commemorative Turtle Power glassware! Yours in Turtling, The Martin House Folks and Turtle Survival Alliance TURTLE TOUR 2K15: Thursday, October 1st – Martin House Brewing Company - 6:00 pm Wednesday October 7th - LUCK Dallas - 5:00 pm Tuesday October 13th - Oak St Denton - 5:00 pm Friday October 16th - World of Beer Plano - 5:00 pm Thurs October 8th - Bearded Lady Fort Worth - 6:00 pm Thurs October 22nd - Craft and Growler Dallas - 5:00 pm

Texas Brewery Winners at the GABF

Texas was well represented at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival with several winners statewide. Special kudos go out to our local breweries who brought home bling:

- Rahr and Sons Brewing from Fort Worth brought home 2 (two) dos, that's right, 2 gold medals. The first was for The Regulator in the German Style Dopplebock or Eisbock category and the second for Oktoberfest in the German Style Marzen category.  Superb!













- 903 Brewing from Sherman brought home silver in the aged beer
category with their 2014 Sasquatch.









- Rabbit Hole Brewing from Justin also comes home with a silver medal in the brown ale category with their Rapture Brown Ale.










- Panther Island Brewing also brought home a silver medal with their Allergeez beer in the Herb and Spice Beer Category

- Twin Peaks Brewing in Irving comes home with a bronze for their Barrel Aged Brown Ale inthe
Wood and Barrel Aged category.








We are very proud of our local winners and if you wish to see all of the Texas bling go to:  http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/

As always we invite you to go local and try out the beers from these winners and the rest of our DFW are brewies.

Cheers, Bon

Rabbit Hole Brewing Wins Silver for Rapture Brown Ale

We have been telling you that the Rapture Brown Ale by Rabbit Hole Brewing is a world class brown ale, haven't we?  NOW do you believe us?

Press Release

Justin, TX - September 28, 2015  - Rabbit Hole Brewing claimed a silver medal at the 2015 Great Americn Beer Festival competition.  Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest national beer competition that recognizes the most outstanding beers produced in the United States.  The top three winners in the competition's 92 beer categories were announced September 26 at the GABF awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

"We're absolutely thrilled that our Rapture Brown Ale was recognized at such a high profile and competitive even as the Great American Beer Festival.  Medals at the GABF don't come easily, and winning one certainly carries weight with our customers.  Rabbit Hole hasn't been around all that long and we're certainly hopeful that this will help us connect with the local beer drinkers that may not be familiar with us yet so that they can discover what we have to offer." - Matt Morriss, founder and head brewer at Rabbit Hole Brewing

The 2015 GABF competition winners were selected by an international panel of 242 expert judges from the record number of 6,647 entries, plus 91 Pro-Am entries, received from 1,552 breweries.