Belgian Beer Week at the Saucer on the Lake

Yes, yes, yes, we all have heard how wonderful it is to have a plethora of craft brewers all over the Metroplex.  Look, we're old friends here, aren't we? So let's be honest with each other, shall we?  Most of them aren't really very good, are they?  But do you know who makes great beer? The Belgians. The beer produced in Belgium is still head and shoulders above most of what is being produced here.  There, I said what many of us have been thinking, but are hesitant to say aloud.
Belgium's Independence Day is on July 21, and many of us TRUE craft beer lovers celebrate a country that most of us have not visited (yes, we have, several times, thank you) with a week of toasts and celebration.
For those of you on the east side of Dallas you can find specials celebrating Belgium beer week at the Flying Saucer on the Lake.  Here is their press release imparting all the info that you need to know.

Flying Saucer on The Lake is celebrating Belgian Beer Week the right way by releasing rare brews each day from Saturday, July 15 through Friday, July 21. 

Saturday, July 15: Dry Hopped Saison Dupont, New Belgium French Oak Saison, Boulevard Saison Brett and Dogfish Head Saison Du Buff

Sunday, July 16: Southern Tier Belgian Sleeper and Funkwerks Blueberry Provincial 

Monday, July 17: $3 Celis White all day

Tuesday, July 18: We're celebrating Christmas in July with Delirium Noel and St. Bernardus Christmas Ale.

Wednesday, July 19: Duvel Single

Thursday, July 20: De Ranke XXX and De la Senne Taras Boulba 

Friday, July 21: We're celebrating Belgian National Day with Chimay Red, White and Blue on draft.

Craft Brewers vs. Corporate Beer

While we know that the large corporate beer companies are buying up craft brewers, and we realize that we need to support real craft brewers and not these corporate giants, how do we know which brewery is really craft and which are not? Well, we are happy that you asked. The Brewers Association has created an symbol that small brewers may place on their label to help you identify real craft brewers. The craft beer lover has a right to know when they are purchasing from an independent craft brewer or from big beer and this symbol will help you do exactly that.

Craft brewers who want the seal do not have to be a BA member, but they need to meet criteria. The criteria are:

1. The brewer must fit the BA craft brewer definition:

•Small – Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales).

•Independent – Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

•Traditional – A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

2. The brewer must have an active TTB license to commercially brew beer in the United States.

3. Breweries will sign a licensing agreement that will cover many bases, including if a brewery sells. If they are no longer a craft brewer, they aren’t allowed to license the seal. They’ll have to remove it from future packaging.

We ask that you look for this label, we ask that you support the small brewer. Cheers, Bon