Were you aware that St. Louis Brewery brews over 40 different styles of beer? That’s a hell of a lot of styles, in fact I’d guess that Schlafly is one of the few breweries in the nation that tackles that many different styles in a single year. Why do I bring this up? Well, the 2008 Schlafly Hop in the City is upon us again and with it brings the opportunity to taste every single style of beer Schlafly produces.

This year’s festival not only offers live music and food, but also this year’s special festival beer Kellerbier, and unfiltered, cloudy lager. Here are the details for Hop in the City, direct from Schlafly’s website:

HOP IN THE CITY 2008
Saturday, September 13 - Noon-5:00 p.m.
The Schlafly Tap Room

TICKETS $30 adv/$35 doe/$25 adv for SIP Club Members (see Schlafly Website for Info).
ONLINE ticket sales available HERE until Monday, September 8th.

You know when you walk into a festival and see an entire tent that’s devoted to “Real Ale” that you’re in for a good time. The Great Taste of the Midwest is held annually in Madison, WI. It’s put on by the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild, the local homebrew club. The festival is the second longest running beer festival in the US and it’s now in it’s 22nd year. Over 100 Brewers attended from all over the Midwest bringing over 400 different beers to sample.

This was by far the most fun beer festival I’ve ever attended. The people, the setting, the brewers, and the weather just added up to be an almost perfect beer experience. I think Drew Huerter put it best when he said to me, “You know those Miller Lite beer heaven commercials? They’ve got it all wrong, this is beer heaven.” I’m posting about 70 photos that will hopefully help to help to explain just how awesome this event is. Also, if you’re interested in the beers available at the event, here’s the PDF of the official program.

I just want to thank Stephen and Sara Hale and the St. Louis Brewery for allowing me to tag a long and expose me to such a fantastic event. Now on to the photos:

[Show as slideshow]

For you lucky people who may be attending the Great Taste of the Midwest this Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, Sales Manager Derrick Bean has put on an event just for you:

Just wanted to let you all know, for those of you heading up to Madison this weekend for The Great Taste of the Midwest Beer Festival, our local distributor has set up an O’Fallon bar promotion on Friday, August 8 from 6:30-8:30 at The Missouri Tavern in Waunakee, Wisconsin (about a 20 minute drive northwest from the festival site)! We can enjoy $2.75 bottles of Wheach, and possibly other O’Fallon beers as well while we’re there.

And, since this is a 20 minute drive from Madison, please make arrangements for a sober driver if you are attending.

For those of you in Madison this weekend and are interested in attending the address is 7071 Kickaboo Rd. (Hwy. 12) in Waunakee, WI.  Sounds like a lot of fun.

I wish I was the first person to point this out, but it is a pretty funny coincidence that the same week that a Belgian brewing conglomerate buys Anheuser-Busch is also host to a Belgian beer festival at the Schlafly Tap Room.  If you’ve never had some of Schlafly’s Belgian offerings, this weekend gives you the perfect opportunity to try them.  Brennan Green sent me over a list of some of the treats Schlafly has in store for this weekend:

• Grand Cru: 9% abv and made with four different belgian yeast strains and left to age in tank for over four months
• Witbier: brewed with locally grown Alhambra unmalted wheat (harvested on July 8th) as well as lots of coriander and orange peel
• ‘07 Tripel
• Biere De Garde
• Casks of Grand Cru and Biere de Garde

He also let me know that just for this festival they’ll be serving their new Barrel aged Grand Cru, They aged this beer for two and a half months in the bourbon barrels previously used for the Imperial Stout.  Oh, I hear there will be some mussels too.  This “festival” runs on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19th from 5:00 p.m.-Midnight  both days.  There is no cost for the event, just show up and buy some mussels and beer!

If you’re not all festivaled (yes, I did just make up a word) out yet then Saturday, June 28th is your next chance to get yourself a sampler glass and enjoy some Missouri beer.  Westport Plaza is hosting a Beer and Brat Festival from Noon-6PM next Saturday to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   Here is a list of the breweries who are attending:

• Schlafly
• Buffalo Brewing
• Anheuser-Busch
• Alandale
• Boulevard
• Griesedieck
• Gruhlke
• Ray Hill

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 dollars at the door.  Not too many things go better together than beer and brats.

All of the bands that showed up to the 2008 Microfest should have played Buster Poindexter’s tune “Hot, Hot, Hot” on a loop just to remind you that the sun was no one’s bitch today. It was a lively event, but the hour I showed up I developed a slight sunburn. No fun. Also, what’s the point of getting a 6oz VIP tasting glass if you’re still only going to fill it up 1oz? I’m sure it has something to do with liquor laws, but it just seemed silly. Anyway, here are some of the photos:

As I’m sure most of you are aware of the upcoming St. Louis Microfest being held on June 6th and 7th, I’m just going to get straight to the meat and give you the tentative beer list for both nights of the event:

Friday:

Bottles

Belhaven Scottish Ale
Duvel Belgian Beer
Lindeman’s Framboise
Lindeman’s Pomme
Moretti Lager
Newcastle Brown Ale
Orval Trappist
Paulander Hefe-Weizen
Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Singha
Strongbow Cider
Warsteiner Pilsner
Warsteiner Dunkel
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Peroni Pilsner
Negra Modelo
Tsing Tao
Sapporo
Estrella Damm
Tooheys
Barons Black Wattle
Sol
Tona

Draught

Stella Artois
Smithwick
Harp
Guinness
Beamish Irish

Read the rest…

Are you the procrastinating type? Were you planning on waiting until the last minute to buy your tickets to the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival? Well today is your lucky day, I’m giving away two passes to the Saturday Afternoon session of the Heritage Festival. This $60 value will allow you to partake in one of the best beer festivals in the area. All you need to do is email contest@stlhops.com with your favorite St. Louis brewery and your favorite beer from said brewery.

I want to thank Dan Kopman from Schlafly Beers and Jay Cunningham from Anheuser-Busch for providing the tickets to this event. This contest will end on May 5th at 9AM CDT when I will pick a winner at random. If you don’t win this one, don’t worry I will be holding more contests like this in the future, so you’ll have another chance then. Good luck!

As I mentioned last week, I wasn’t able to attend the Wine and Cheese Place 2008 Beerfest because I was in Munster, IN attending Three Floyds Dark Lord Day (photos and thoughts tomorrow). But thankfully Paul took plenty of pictures for those of us who couldn’t attend. Looks like it was a lot of fun tasting and discussing beers with a bunch of other enthusiasts.

You can find more photos of the event here. Paul promised we’ll see a 2009 Beerfest and he also promised not to make it on Dark Lord Day next year. That’s a win-win for everyone.

The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton will be holding their Second Annual Beerfest tomorrow. In anticipation for the event, Paul Hayden sent over the preliminary beer list. This festival will be featuring over 100 beers to taste (including some not on the list!) Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to attend, so if someone wants to take some pictures, I’d appreciate it.

Bells Expedition Stout
Bells Porter
Fullers Vintage Ale 2007
Fischer Amber
Murphys Irish Stout
Konig Ludwig Weiss
Rogue Chipolte Ale
Orval Trappist
Flying Dog Double Dog
Grimbergen Dubbel
Grimbergen Blonde
Rochefort “8″
Rochefort “10″
Odell’s Imperial Stout
Abita Turbodog
Belhavens Twisted Thistle IPA
Fuller’s ESB
Lindemans Pomme

OMMEGANG:
Witte
Hennepin Saison
Rare VOS
Three Philosphers

Avery:
Collaboration not Litigation
The Reverend
Hog Heaven
Salvation
Samael’s Oak Aged
Czar Imperial Stout
Twelve Saison Ale

Chimay “Red” Premiere
Chimay Cinq Cents
Chimay “Blue” Grand Reserve Toohey’s New
Barons ESB
Barons Black Wattle
Carlsberg Elephant
Estrella Damm 79

Great Divide:
Old Ruffian Barley Wine
Denver Pale Ale DPA

Left Hand:
Milk Stout
Polestar Pilsner
Deep Cover Brown
Juju Ginger
Southern Tier
Imperial Hoppe
Imperial Red Ale Big Red
Belgian Style Tripel
Imperial Uber Sun
Imperial IPA Un*earthly

Delirium Tremens
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauch Wheat
Arcadia Hopmouth
Arcadia Whitsun
Brasserie de Roc Blanche Dubel
De Proef La Grande Blanche
Gouden Carolus 2007
PranQster
Fort Collins Major Tom’s Wheat
St. Feuillen Triple
Blanche de Namur
Kasteel Rouge
Brigand
Klaster Czech
Kapuziner Schwarz Weizen
Monschoff Kellerbrau
Moosbacher Schwarz Weiss
Dorothy Goodbody Our Glass
North Coast Le Merle Saison
Hitachino Weizen
Sinebrychoff Porter
J.W. Lees Moonraker
St. Bernardus Prior 8

O’Fallon Table:
Wheach
Smoked Porter
Oak Aged-Buffalo Trace
Oak Aged Pappy Van Winkle 23
5-Day IPA

Boulevard Smokestack Series:
The Sixth Glass Long Strange Tripel
Double Wide India Pale Ale
Saison Bottle Conditioned

Stag Beer
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Lone Star
Old Style

Grey Eagle Table:
Shocktop
Ray Hill’s Pilsner
Hoegaarden
Land Shark Lager
Goose Island IPA