It’s always a great opportunity to meet the people who help make some of your favorite beers. Well, next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday you’ll be given the opportunity to meet Ron Lindenbusch and Karen Hamilton from Lagunitas Brewing Company.

The big news is that they’re bringing some draught Hop Stoopid along with them.  I’ve been told that each location listed below that offers draught beer will have this beer on draught.

Ron and Karen will be on a whirlwind trip next week and will be visiting the following locations:

Wednesday, February 24th

• Cicero’s Beer School – 5:30PM
• The Stable – ~7PM

Thursday, February 25th

• International Tap House – 7PM to 9PM

Friday, February 26th

• Wine and Cheese Place – 4PM to 6PM
• Growlers Sunset – ~7PM

If you’re still looking around for something to do on New Year’s Eve, I’m sure you’re trying to find a spot where you’ll not only have a great time, but also get some great beer. Here are a couple of different spots around town where you can have your beer and drink it too.

Schlafly Bottleworks:

Enjoy food favorites & specials from local farmers & dessert (dinner hours: 5-10pm). Live music in the Crown Room by The Foggy Memory Boys & The Wayward Mountaineers ($15-9pm) & “Naked Mike” Newman in the Bottleworks Bar (free-9pm). A midnight toast of Black Velvet, a mix of Oatmeal Stout & sparkling wine. $15 cover for the Crown Room includes live music, midnight toast & the tasting glass. No reservations necessary.

Growler’s Pub

Includes an appetizer buffet from 8 p.m.-10 p.m., open bar from 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m., party favors, champagne toast and DJ. Hotel packages available with late check-out, free shuttle and great rates! Cost is $50.

Cicero’s

Cicero’s throws everything in a pot and cooks up a New Year’s Eve that provides a little bit of something for everyone. Live music is served by Machree and the Morley’s, while hypnotists, mind readers and Tarot card readers tell you what the new year holds for you. You also get a magician or two, some comedy and a hard-working DJ rocking the dance floor. And then at midnight, blammo, Champagne toast. All this merriment is reserved for those 21 and older only, please. Cost is $35-$40.

Newstead Tower Public House

Ring in the New Year with Newstead and a Beer Dinner. Newstead is hosting its final beer dinner of 2009 featuring the favorites of 2009! The date of the dinner is December 31st. Reservations for this dinner are being accepted for the entire evening.

The cost of this five course dinner is $55 and reservations are required. You can make reservations by calling 314-535-7771.

Blueberry Hill

40 ‘Tils, Spark Treez, Fufops, Inappropriate Behavior; open bar (draft and rail), party favors & Champagne toast. Starts at 9PM. Price: $35

International Tap House

The International New Year Party – $40 per ticket 7pm-1am
Includes appetizer buffet, live music (C-Box Prophets) and complimentary select draughts from around the Globe. As different time zone around the world celebrate their new year, we will too by featuring their beers on tap (these draught features are included in the price of the ticket).
8-9pm: European Mainland (Belgium and German beers)
9-10pm: British Isles
10-11pm: Eastern Time Zone (New York and Michigan beers)
11-12pm: Central Time Zone (Missouri Beers)
12-1am: Mountain Time Zone (Colorado and Montana beers)

Riddle’s Penultimate Cafe & Wine Bar
Just to let you know Riddles will be having live music performed by the Swirl band from 9:00 – 1:00 on New Years Eve, we will also have Prix Fixe Menu options, and a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight with party favors. Of course, like always, there is never a cover charge at Riddles.

Iron Barley

$65 will get you: Wine/Draft Beer Included, A Fabulous Endless Dinner Buffet, Musical Entertainment by Bob Case, and Hats, Party Favors/ Champagne at Midnight.

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If you’re a restaurant or pub that’s not on the list, drop me an email and I’ll make sure to add you on. If you’re a reader of STL Hops, keep checking back on this post for updated information. Also, if you’re going out, make sure to do it safely and order a cab in advance. We all want to be able to celebrate the next year together.

The weather has cooled considerably over the past few weeks, which must mean that it’s time for a Beer Menu change at Growlers Pub. Let’s take a look at what’s new:

Draught

• Boulevard Porter
• Schlafly Oatmeal Stout
• Founders Red Rye
• Bass
• Tin Mill Sky Scrapper
• Hofbrau Hefe
• Big Sky Moose Drool

Bottle:

• Sierra Nevada Torpedo
• Sierra Nevada Porter
• Maredsous Blonde “6″
• Koning Ludwig Hefe
• Fullers ESB
• Fullers 1845
• Flying Dog Old Scratch
• Berghoff Sundown Dark
• Berghoff Pale Ale
• Bell’s Porter
• Ayinger Ur-Weis
• Tommyknocker Pick Axe
• Tommyknocker Maple
• Tommyknocker Imp Brown
• Southern Tier IPA
• Southern Tier Porter
• Saison Dupont
• Phin & Matts
• New Holland The Poet
• New Holland Sundog
• Moylan’s Kilt Lifter
• Moylan’s Irish Red
• New Holland Mad Hatter
• Lion Stout
• Founders Porter
• Founders Dirty Bastard
• Founders Centenial
• Sam Adams Imperial White
• Monks Café Flemmish
• Gulden Drak
• Big Sky Trout Slayer
• Big Sky Scapegoat
• Big Sky IPA

While the draught list as a whole still leaves a bit to be desired (really guys, do we need 1/6th of your list devoted to some sort of wheat beer?) and the dropping of Single Wide IPA makes me a bit sad. But the addition of Red’s Rye is a fine consolation gift and makes this guy very happy.

I think the place where the largest strides have been made are in the bottle list. There are some damn fine beers from some damn fine breweries on this list. I count five American IPAs that are on the list. For us hopheads, that’s some great news.

Also nice to see some great porters and stouts on the list as well. I’m also happy to see more of a push for American craft breweries. American brewers are brewing some great beers right now and it’s good to see more of them available.

I think there are some great improvements over the last few beer menus. I think there is some work left to be done, but I think this is a fine start at getting back into a craft beer nerd’s heart.

Come get your schnitzel on and help Growlers Pub celebrate this year’s Oktoberfest.  The festivities begin at Noon on September 26th and will end at 5PM.  For $35 ($45 day of) you get to taste 30 different German beers and enjoy a German buffet.

Tickets can be purchased at either Growlers location.  See the flyer below for more details.

Growlers Pub in Creve Couer will be throwing their first outdoor celebration titled Blues, Brews and BBQ on Saturday, August 1st from 12PM-6PM.  Not sure about what beers will be available for the event, but $35 for live music and all you can eat and drink is a pretty sweet deal.

Here are some photos for those of you that didn’t have a chance to attend the Growler’s Beer Dinner featuring Boulevard Beer.  It was a fun time and I’m glad the rain held out.  I hope Growler’s works to do more of these in the future because the back patio was a great spot for the dinner.

Boulevard Beer and Growler’s Pub have teamed up to host a beer dinner on Tuesday, May 12th starting at 6PM.  The cost of the event is $38.11 (excluding tax and tip) and will feature five courses paired with Boulevard Beer.  You’ll also have the chance to meet Boulevard Founder and President John McDonald.

Reservations are required and must be in by May 6th, you can make them by calling 314-984-9009.  I’ve posted the menu below for your perusal.