Baltimore Beer Week Friday(Day 2) & Saturday(Day 3) Quick Review

Well, day 2 of Baltimore Beer Week 2010 started off for me with a mild head ache that i really couldn't shake until i had my first beer of the day.
That first beer was at a small craft beer & sports bar in the heart of Brewer's Hill...Elliotts Pour House

It's a cozy, sports friendly bar with a number of TV's, pool table, ping pong table, a digital jukebox, and a 20 Craft Beers tower that was salvaged from the old Crabby Dicks in Fells Point. Selection was good...anything from Abita - Purple Haze, SmuttyNose - Old Brown Dog, to Northcoast - Schrimshaw Pilsner & Boulder Brewing - Sweaty Betty. I had a Blue Point Brewing - Hoptical Illusion, and one of my fav's Evolution Primal Pale Ale. The crowd for the BBW2010 was a little thin, but that could have been because the few events they have scheduled start after this weekend. One specific event I know of is a version of the sweet 16 tournament, but with beers. They have carefully thought out the bracketing and have every beer on tap for you to taste and vote on, narrowing down the field til they get a champion. This event starts on Wednesday October 13th, right after happy hour at 7pm.

Overall, Mike the bartender was knowledgable of what he served and was very friendly and personable. If you want a good Craft Beer bar that feels like a neighborhood sports bar, without elbow to elbow crowding, this is a good choice. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Second on the night was an ol' standard, Max's Taphouse, in Fells point...If you don't know about Max's, you've been under a rock for 20 years...This is, and I don't exaggerate, one of the best Beer Bars in the country, and simply the best in the region.
We sat down, at the surprisingly open end of the bar. It was Evolution Craft Brewery Big Ass Draft Night...32oz drafts for $6...It included Menangerie #3 which is a RE-diculous brew. I got my father a Brooklyn lager, a good intro beer for a craft beer newbie. I had a Victory Brewing - Hop Devil, I know, not that unique but was in the mood. We also had a plate of Grrek nachos, which were okay, and a set Guinness wings that were, dare i say it again RE-diculous. My only complaint that night was the bartender(won't say his name), was a ASS. Yes it was crowded, so a girl trying to get any bartenders attention was having trouble. After a few minutes i raised my hand to get our bartenders attention, and did...When he got to her, he started to correct me for assisting her stating "I would have seen her, I don't need your help"...Arrogance is ugly, and this guy was the elephant man. Just because you work for a great bar, don't act like an ass to your customers.

On the third day was the annual Das Best Oktoberfest with the usual corral of Beer-Bellys, Maryland Micro-brews and contest of craziness. There was a little bit of eveything for everyone. Spices, cheese non-profits and even a electrolosys company was there promoting or selling there wares. A few breweries you might not see or get to that often, because of the location of size. Franklin's Brewery, Barley and Hops Brewpub, & Johanssons Dining House & Brewery were some of the unique small breweries that were nice to get a few sips from. VIP hour was calm and friendly, but after noon it got crazy..Most of the breweries had the regular brews on tap, with some carrying new or unique beers offering sometimes for the first time this year. I had many beers, and all in all the fest was great for quality. My favorites were is this order:

1. Oliver Ales - High Tea
2. Heavy Seas - Winter Storm Cask
3. Barley and Hops - DIPA Double Deuce

Finally, I went to the grand opening of Alonso's restaurant, upstairs bar "Alonsoville". Steve, did a hell of a job turning an empty cavern of an arean into a beautiful bar, with a marble bar-top, exposed brick, hardwood floors, LCD tv's galore, and a Projector system for wathing the Ravens games. It was Evolution Craft Brewing night and the Owner Tom, Brewer Geoff, and Toms brother Bo were there to chat with fans of the brewery. I bumped into a few fellow beer dudes while there and met a few more. I had the Haymaker(conditioned in cask) and it was yummy. They also had Jacques Au Lantern pumpkin ale flowing through a real pumpkin into your glass. All in all so far so good this Baltimore Beer Week 2010, 8 more days to go.