Let's Shout "Hey" for Stout Day

 Actually, shout "YAY!" for Stout Day.  Last Friday, November 4th, I helped the Reluctant Fisherman host a Stout Day.  The Reluctant Fisherman is my favorite local watering hole in my town, Cordova, AK.  I have written about the bar manager Adam's love for finding new beers for his patrons in these posts, check them out:

The Reluctant Fisherman + Fish On! IPA = Happy Jessyka

Alaskan's Rough Draft Series 

Rotating Tap At The Reluctant

When I heard about Stout Day coming, it wasn't hard to get Adam on board for an event.  Starting with the stouts he already had in the cooler, Alaskan Brewing's Perseverance Ale and Denali Brewing's Chuli Stout, we decided there needed to be a third to obey the golden rule.  Adam did some investigating and came up with Kassik Brewery's Roughneck Stout. We ended up with three great Alaskan stouts that offered quite a bit of variety even though they belong to the same style group.

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

The stouts came in pitchers and pints, of course, but Adam also put together a taster tray of all three options that I saw at many tables.

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

There was a prize drawing, every stout purchase earned you a ticket!  We raffled off a LTAB shirt, a Reluctant tee, some Alaskan sifter glasses, and a lovely tee from Denali Brewing Company that they sent to us as soon as they heard we were featuring the Chuli Stout at the event.

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

Overall it was quite a success!  Everyone at the event got excited about trying and comparing the different stouts offered.  Many enjoyed the event for the sake of celebrating beer, which put a smile on my face!

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

Jonah and I had a wonderful, snowy walk home talking about all the fun we had.  I hope we can do it again!

Stout Day: Almost Here!

Stout Day!

Technically (according to stoutday.com), Stout Day is November 3rd, so crack one open and toast to that delicious, dark brew that keeps us warm on cold winter days.  

If you happen to be in Cordova this Friday, November 4th, come to the Reluctant Fisherman!  I am helping Adam with a Stout Day celebration for the town.  Here's the line-up + 3 facts:

Denali Brewing Company's Chuli Stout.

1. Is a dry Irish stout with coffee-like flavors.

2. Was named after the Chulitna River, one of the 3 rivers in the Talkeetna area.

3. Won Best Ale in Alaska at the 2011 Alaska State Fair Microbrew Invitational.

Alaskan Brewing Company's Perseverance Ale

1. Is a Russian Imperial stout.

2. Was brewed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the brewery.

3. Uses fireweed honey from Delta Junction for delicate sweetening.

Kassik's Roughneck Stout

1. Is an Oatmeal Stout.

2. Was brewed as a tribute to the oil industry workers.
3. The brewery is located in the woods of Nikiski, next to the home of the brewer.





Hint: these facts might come in handy.
See you tomorrow!

Perseverance Ale

Jonah came back from his trip to Juneau with some goodies, beer and yarn (he knows how to keep his wife happy).  When our friends Shelly and Heath invited us to dinner, Jonah suggested we bring over the Perseverance Ale by Alaskan Brewing Company.  The more people in on the tasting, the better I say!  

The Alaskan Perseverance Ale is a Russian Imperial Stout (holy cow!) that was brewed to mark the 25th anniversary of the brewery.  It is part of ABC's Pilot Series; therefore it is only served in select bars and bottled in 22oz bombers with a small distribution.  The beer was as big and bold as I expected it to be, but didn't have an overwhelming alcohol presence.  Perseverance was thick and sweet, like molasses Shelly pointed out, but kept a dry, clean taste.  The aftertaste was rich and the sweet flavors lingered then moved on, not overstaying their welcome.  It was a great beer, especially on it's own.  When I finished my glass after starting in on the sushi, the flavor pronounced was licorice!  

When tasting this beer, I used my new book The Beer Journal by Chris Wright.  It was pretty handy with the single tasting (although I did tear a sheet out so I wouldn't have to carry the whole thing).  We'll see how it works with multiple tastings when I take it to Portland in a couple weeks.