Baltimore Beer Week and Stillwater Artisanal Ales

Top photo: Brian Strumke at "Belgium Comes to Cooperstown" 2010.
That's Jen of NYC's Blind Tiger on the right.

In just one week, the celebration of all things beery in Charm City begins.

The second edition of Baltimore Beer Week kicks off on Thursday,
October 7 at the Baltimore Musuem of Industry on Key Highway in
Federal Hill.

There are already 325 individual events planned over the course
of the ten day event, which ends Sunday October 17.

"Mr. Baltimore Beer" aka Brad Klipner, the official blogger of BBW,
covers the highlights on his website, here

The full schedule of events is listed the BBW website, here

Lots of fun stuff there. But you know what I specialize in.

The title of this blog says it all. Belgian Beer Specialist.

That means Belgian-style beers too.

Not that I don't like IPA's, palate peeling Double IPA's,
session beers or Prima pils. Cause I do. Just ask around.
Drop a six pack of Two-Hearted Ale or Celebration at my doorstep.
It won't be there for long.

But there's plenty of people writing about those brews.


Photo, above: Brian pulling a sample of a special brettanomyces-
infused, barrel-aged beer at his main brewery in Maryland.

So it's Baltimore Beer Week, and the guy turning everybody's heads
via their taste buds with his world-class Saison-inspired brews is
Mr. Brian Strumke, brewer/president of Stillwater Artisanal Ales.

Brian's been off brewing in Denmark and Belgium lately, but he'll
be back soon. Just in time for Baltimore Beer Week.


Brian in the brewhouse at his main brewery, Dog Brewing in
Westminster, Maryland.

Brian's premier event will be Sunday, October 10, from 10 am
to 3 pm. The locale: the friendly confines of Max's Taphouse,
Maryland's number one beer bar.

As Brian's first commerical brews debuted at Max's Belgian fest
in February, it's only fitting. Max's General Manager, Casey Hard,
has been a big supporter of Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Multiple
events have been held at Max's in the past seven months, with
special and rare Stillwater brews often seen on tap there.

You could say Casey knows a good thing when he sees it.


Photo, above: Casey Hard of Max's Taphouse




Photo, above: Brian putting dry hops in a cask of Cellar Door.

This lineup for the Max's event just in from Brian, today:
(he took a little break from a long brew day at Huisbrouwerij
St. Canarus, so I could get the word out)

of Love & Regret

A Saison Darkly

Stateside Saison

Autumnal

Cellar Door

Channel Crossing V2

Stillwater / Voodoo Jungle des Rue

and, drum roll please....a "Rare Beer 101" bottle release!
This one is "Requisite", which is described as an "Imperialistic" Stout.
Only 75 twelve ounce bottles were produced of this new brew.

Brian also mentioned "various casks" will be on hand.
Yum. It's gonna be a long, enjoyable Sunday....

The rest of the Stillwater calendar of events for BBW is here.

Oh yeah, and yours truly will be showing photos inside Belgium's
lambic and sour brown ale breweries at Max's Sour beer event on
Sunday the 17th, from noon-1 pm. Gunther Bensch of Brouwerij
Montaigu will join me in.

Space is limited, so you have to RSVP Casey to reserve space.



Photo, above: Brian and his sister, Brenda Strumke, at
Birch and Barley, Washington, D.C.