5th Monthly Beer Tasting: Belgian-Fusion Styles

All right, you all have been asking about it, and I’m sorry I haven’t been able to answer individual emails until now, but here are the details:  

I hold themed beer tastings once a month.  So far, we’ve done a “Beer: 101″ course, a Belgian sour ale tasting, a saison & biere de garde tasting, and an IPA tasting.     

This event will be a tasting of Belgian Fusion styles.  What do I mean by that?  Well, probably the opposite of what you expect.  Lately, Belgian beers have gotten immensely popular in the USA, and a lot of American brewers have started making styles traditionally only brewed in Belgium.  However, at the moment, I’m more interested in the brewing creativity that has even more recetly started flowing in the opposite direction.  We’ll be investigating what happens when Belgian brewers start making American or British beer styles.  We’ll be covering five beers, plus a wild card of your choice. 

• Belgian Scotch Ales
  • Scotch Silly from Brasserie de Sill
• Belgian IPAs (for those keeping track: these are different from the two Belgian IPAs we tried at the IPA tasting)
  • Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel from Brasserie d’Achouffe
  • Hopsinjoor from Gouden Carolus
• Belgian Stouts
  • Troubadour Oscura from Brouwerij De Musketiers
  • De Dolle Extra Export Stout from Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers

Everyone will receive five tastes (one of each of the beers above) plus a glassful of their choice from the Trappist draft list, which has lots of Belgian beers rarely seen on draft around here, plus a few domestic craft brews. 

The tasting will run from 12:00pm – 2:00pm on Sunday, August 24th.  This is a new time for the tastings, which are usually run on Friday or Saturday later in the evening, but it is the time that will work best at the new venue (see below).  It is fine to come late or leave early, but you may miss some of the beers if you do.  It is also fine to stick around as long as you’d like afterwards, though any more beers you order are not part of the tasting.

The tasting will be at The Trappist, in Oakland.  This is a welcome change-up from the previous tastings at my apartment.  Their address is 460 8th Street, Oakland, CA.  Their phone number is (510) 238-8900.  They are between Broadway and Washington Streets, and a very short walk (just 4 short blocks down Broadway) from the 12th Street Oakland City Center BART Station.   

The tasting will cost $25.  The higher cost relative to the past events I’ve run reflects the fact that we’ll be drinking some pretty uncommon imported Belgian beers and that we are are moving on up into a nicer venue (no more sitting on the floor!). 

To secure a ticket, you must pay in advance by PayPal or check.  Once you have emailed me to let me know you’d like to attend, I will email you back ASAP to let you know whether there is still space for you.  If so, please pay for your ticket to confirm your spot.  If I do not receive payment, I will not hold your spot.  If you buy a ticket and then cancel later, I will refund you your money only if I find a replacement attendee to take your spot.  

The tasting is limited to 25 people.  I know I’ve said before that these tastings are capped and then I relented.  This time, it’s serious.  The Trappist cannot accommodate more than 25 of us at once for this tasting, so please RSVP fast if you are interested, since spots will run out quickly. 

You are welcome and encouraged to bring other people as long as you RSVP them.  One of the great things about these events is that often people bring friends, family, significant others, etc., so we all get to meet new people.   

Please RSVP by emailing thethirstyhopster@gmail.com.  Hope to see you there!