June 6, 2013

Baltic Porter - This Year's Saison?... All This Jazz... Big Bad Encore... Playoffs... On Tap Now or Soon...

Baltic Porter - This Year's Saison?

As brewers look for more ways to keep consumers intrigued that don't involve extreme innovation (or just extremes), is Baltic Porter the next style to come back into fashion? There seem to be a few more around all of a sudden, with local examples from Harrington's, Emerson's and Garage Project coming to mind.

To test the theory we're making Left Coast Baltic Porter our new release next Tuesday. It goes on tap at 5pm next Tuesday. It's our only keg of this one-off beer.

Here's ratebeer.com's description of the style: The historical remnants of the 19th c. Baltic trade in imperial stouts, Baltic Porters are typically strong, sweet and bottom-fermented. They lack the powerful roast of an imperial stout, but have an intense malt character, and moderate to strong alcohol. Though they are typically lagers, there are a handful of top-fermented examples.

All This Jazz

The 2013 Wellington Jazz Festival kicks off this evening and runs until Saturday. We have live performances in our lounge every evening. Specifically:

• Tonight from 9:30pm, it's drummer Roger Sellers.
• Tomorrow from 10pm, it's chanteuse Tessa Q collaborating with the Nick Granville Trio.
• Finally on Saturday, at the unusually late time of 11pm, it's the James Illingworth Trio.

Big Bad Encore

As promised, we're reprising our incredibly popular tasting of small goods from Big Bad Wolf matched with beers by our tastings dude, Sam. This time it's at the family-friendly time of 3pm on Sunday June 30. Bookings are essential and can be done over the bar or at our web store.

Playoffs

The finals series of the NHL and NBA are both a matter of days away. In fact, a glance at Sky's listings suggests that the first game of the NBA Finals clashes with an NHL Conference Finals match tomorrow afternoon. The thing is we're able and willing to screen these games. Where there's a clash we might have to go with popular demand. If you'd like to watch a game and the TVs are off, feel free to ask our bar staff.

On Tap Now or Soon

• A rare keg of 666's Gabriel Pale Ale snuck onto the taps a couple of days ago.
• The appalling weather on Tuesday and Wednesday meant that there is still some of this week's new release left - it's Bear Republic's Single Hop IPA called Rebellion. The single hop that Bear Republic use in this beer changes, but the kegs we got use Columbus.
• Sticking with the Columbus hop theme, a keg of Mikkeller's Single Hop IPA using Columbus is coming too.
• Left Coast Hop Juice will be back, having given up its spot to Rebellion back on Tuesday.
• If the hop-addicted regular customers come to the party we might get to a keg of Liberty C!tra within the next seven days.
• We've a keg of De Molen's string Belgian ale called Mooi & Meedogenloos. Interesting fact story: Mooi & Meedogenloos means Beautiful & Ruthless and was the Dutch name for the venerable American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.
• For anyone a little traumatised by certain fictional events broadcast on Monday night, there could be some Townshend King's Landing Scotch Ale on tap soon to settle your nerves.