There are four major ingredients that go into making beer: water, malt, yeast and hops.  If that final ingredient is the one you can’t quite wrap your head around, then maybe you need to make it out to the International Tap House next Wednesday, March 3rd starting at 7PM.

Mikkeller out of Denmark has produced a series of IPAs where each recipe is identical except it features only a single type of hop.  What this allows you to do is see what kind of flavors and aromas that each type of hop can provide to a beer. Each sample of beer will be $3 for a 5oz sample.  Here’s a list of ten beers that will be available for tasting:

• Amarillo Single Hop IPA
• Cascade Single Hop IPA
• Nelson Sauvin Single Hop IPA
• Nugget Single Hop IPA
• Simcoe Single Hop IPA
• Tomahawk Single Hop IPA
• Warrior Single Hop IPA
• Centennial Single Hop IPA
• Chinook Single Hop IPA
• East Kent Golding Single Hop IPA

Thanks to Brent in the forums, he’s provided a few other tidbits about this event including the fact that prizes will be given away like iTAP gift certificates, Mikkeller products, and  Hops Direct will be giving away 5lbs of hops!  Also, Brent believes that iTAP will be the only place in the world that is serving all ten of these beers on draught at the same time.

So basically, this is kind of a big deal.  I’d bet this is one of those deals that you may never see come back around again. If I were you, I’d probably head out to iTAP next Wednesday and check this out.

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

Love drives people crazy.  I can think of at least three love songs off the top of my head that have the word “crazy” in the title.  You want proof that love makes people do crazy things?  Here it is:

All this Valentine’s Day weekend at the International Tap House, they’ll be serving the Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck St. Louis Framboise for 50 cents a glass.  I know how much this keg costs, and let me tell you, it’s crazy.

If a Framboise isn’t your thing, they’ll also be serving the Left Hand Milk Stout for $4 a pint.  Sounds like the perfect accompaniment to the St. Louis Framboise.

If you love these beers, you would be crazy not to visit iTAP this weekend.

This Saturday, February 6th, is the official birthday party for the International Tap House.  To thank STL Hops for helping this past year, the let us pick 35 tap handles to be served on Saturday.

A couple of notes before I present the list.  One, we didn’t quite fill up the 35 tap handles.  That’s to be expected though.  People asked for a lot, but some of the stuff they asked for just wasn’t available at the time.  Brad promises to fill out the rest with some cool stuff.

Two, I don’t think anyone would be upset with this list though, it’s pretty awesome.  Three, one of the most requested beers for draught was Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and while they couldn’t get it in time for this party, they are bringing in a keg of this for a future party.  So stay tuned for that info.

Without further ado, here’s the list:

• Boulevard Orval Collaboration
• Rogue John John
• Rogue Imperial Porter
• Schlafly C-1
• Bourbon County Stout
• Bell’s Two Hearted
• Chimay Tripel
• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine
• Pilgrims Dole
• Hop Rod Rye
• Lagunitas IPA
• Duchesse
• Avery Czar
• Hopslam
• Founders Dirty Bastard
• So Tier Choklat
• Old Rasputin
• So Tier Iniquity
• Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast
• Odell IPA
• Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti
• New Belgium Ranger
• New Belgium Dark Heather Saison
• Founders Breakfast
• O’Fallon Whiskey Barrel Smoked Porter
• Boulevard Tank 7
• Boulevard Single Wide

I know there are a lot of events happening this weeked, and I understand that not everyone can make it to every event.  But if you can make it out, I know Brad and Sean would be excited to see you.  Also, everyone needs to be careful this weekend.  Don’t drive if you shouldn’t be.

Are you ready for some football? How about some cask beer?  Well, this Sunday at the International Tap House you get both.

As part of their week-long anniversary celebration, iTap will be hosting a Super Bowl Sunday Chili Cook-Off, on Sunday February 7th. Bring in your best chili recipe and maybe you’ll win a gift certificate to iTap!

“But Mike, didn’t you say something about a cask?”  Ah, yes.  This event will also mark the first time (according to MoBev’s Derek Bean) a firkin of O’Fallon Brewery’s house ale Irish Red has ever been available. (I hear it’s been dry-hopped with Chinook.)  This cask will be available starting at 5PM.

Football.  Chili.  Cask Beer.  Sounds like a hell of a way to spend a Sunday.  (Also look out for the draught list for Saturday’s STL Hops Select Party later this afternoon.)

The International Tap House celebrates it’s first anniversary all next week by throwing a series of events. Take a look at this line-up:

Monday

• 1/2 off 1/2 of the taps

Tuesday

• Chimay and Schlafly keep the glass night…

Wednesday

• Homebrew Bash – Bring your best brew in one container and share it with the masses

Thursday

• Passport Member Appreciation Party –
• New Belgium Ranger IPA:  iTAP will be the first in St. Louis to have this beer on Draught
• $1 off everything and a free T-shirt for Passport Members

Friday

• $3.65 select draughts all day long

Saturday

• STL Hops Select Party – 35 of our drafts picked by the STL Hops blog members. We’ve been securing some excellent draught beers for this event. There is a really good chance that Hopslam will be on draught once again.  With help from Mike from STL Hops the crew from Schlafly is also setting us up with a very special keg…
• Free food 4-7pm,
• Live Music 8-Midnight,
• We’ll also have a birthday cake and we are going to break open the Big 1.6 Gallon Bottle of Val Dieu Grand Cru!

Sunday

• Superbowl Chili cook off – Cook it and have the customers pick the best. Winner gets an iTAP gift certificate! The cook off will start at 5pm…where else would you rather spend Superbowl Sunday? We are also getting a cask of O’Fallon Irish Red.

You may be wondering what 35 taps will be available for the STL Hops Select Party. Well, I’ve been told they’re still working on the final list and I should have it available soon. You better clear your calendar next week because this looks like a great time. Happy birthday iTap!

So, I’m pleased to announce that the winner to pick five draught beers of his choice to be served at the STL Hops iTAP Draft Party is Troy Meyer! Congrats to Troy and thank you everyone for entering. Once again, if you didn’t win, don’t be too upset, I’m going to have a few more things to give away in the next few weeks.

I once again want to thank Brad and Sean from International Tap House for putting on this event and giving everyone the opportunity to own their own bar for a night.