Elysian Brewing Great Pumpkin Beer Festival

What better way to celebrate the fall season and end our ULTIMATE Beer Weekend Extravaganza than by attending the highly anticipated Pumpkin Beer Festival put on by local Elysian Brewing? No better way! Plus, after Saturday my beer belly was in full bloom, so why not add to the inevitible growth? (I will do something about it THIS week, seriously.)



So what is this beer festival all about, anyway? Dressing up festively (oh yes we did!) to celebrate beer and try crazy-unique seasonal concoctions!
For those of us who are nuts about pumpkin (ME!), this festival offered around 50 different pumpkin brews: from Porters and Stouts, to Malt Liquor and ciders or Hefeweizens, this place had it all! Our entry fee included six tasting tickets, but Eric and I got away with seven since a few stations didn't seem to be interested in taking our tickets. SCORE!



My number one choice from the day was Russian River's Sour Pumpkin 2010. "100% Brett fermented, barrel aged sour pumpkin ale." I tried my first sour ale at Kiss Cafe, Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour, and sours have since become my personal preference. I sampled a total of four sour pumpkin ales at the festival, but Russian River's blew the others out of the water. However, I must give credit to Jolly Pumpkin's La Parcela 2008, as it was also fab.

Runner up is definitely Iron Hill's Ichabod Imperial Belgian Pumpkin Ale. "This extra strong spicy Belgian is filled with flavors of harvest including clove, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg with hints of roasted pumpkin and caramel." Eric loved this one, too.



Due to the massive crowd of people trying to push and shove their way to the center of the grounds, the highlight of the festival seemed to be the tapping of the "Great Pumpkin" itself. This huge pumpkin was filled with still-fermenting beer, sealed with wax from candles and allowed to condition until the tapping at 4:00pm on each day of the festival. Our pumpkin was filled with the sweet and cinnamony Dark o' the Moon and everyone gathered around and waited for a taste from the coveted squash.

Overall, MY punkin and I thoroughly enjoyed the festivities and brewskies.
Basically, this sums it all up:


I need to detox. And diet.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

I'm so excited to recall mine and Eric's ULTIMATE Beer Weekend Extravaganza!

First, let me preface.
About a year ago, when Eric and I first moved to our new apartment in Ballard, my parents came up to help move us in. After an afternoon of moving and hauling, we went exploring down the street for a tasty lunch spot. We first wandered upon Portage Bay Cafe, but since they were only offering breakfast at the time, we decided to pass and that's when Kiss Cafe Beer & Wine Bar fell into our laps.
It was love at first sight. This adorable little cafe, with only about 9-10 small tables, and a long bar with high stools, boasts a large beer cooler, (with 99 constantly rotating microbrews and a wide variety of other beers and ciders) a great espresso area with lovely coffee AND a menu loaded with salads, sandwiches and wraps and soups (aka. all I really need in life).
This cafe is the absolute perfect spot to have right down the street. That first day we were there, Eric and I talked about how we wanted this place to become "our place." You know, that place. . . the one that you walk into and the owners go "Heeyyy Laura! Heyyy Eric! Welcome back! What beer can we get ya today? Oh, and would you like your usual sandwich/soup combo, Laura? We're on it! We love you!" That was our (my?) goal.
After numerous times of going there to eat our way through their menu and enjoy many of the Pacific Northwest's microbrews they offer, we discovered that Kiss Cafe is the home of the "Ballard Drinking Team." On January 29, 2011 Eric and I set out to become official members.....AND ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2011 (after 5 beers - don't worry, I drank these over the course of six hours) WE FINISHED OUR LISTS! WE DID IT, WE REALLY DID IT!!
Eric is member #154 and I am #155 and proud of it, ya'll! When we finished they rang a cowbell and announced to everyone their newest members and made us feel like rockstars. Then they bought us ANOTHER BEER. Holy microbrews! I held up like a champ, for reals.




The challenge/rules: to drink 99 DIFFERENT beers in one year. One of those beers must be a Rainier Tallboy (hahaha!) and one must be a hard cider.
Sidenote: When I drank my Rainier, I was given the can in a beer cozy. It was totes one of my favorite moments.

Each time we finished a beer, we got signed off by an employee. AAND when we completed the list, we became members of their exclusive drinking team! This now entitles us to our very own, personalized beer glass kept at the cafe, discounts on beer, and really fun member events. Our first member event is going to be their Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest, which includes seasonal beer and food and fun!

Eric and I started off on a strong note - we were gung-ho and determined with a capital "D." When I would tell myself we only needed to finish 99 beers, it didn't seem like THAT much. Ain't no thang but a chicken wang? UMMM YEAH RIGHT. I thought this challenge would never end! I'm not saying I didn't love every moment, but holy shit, toward the finish line (like the 70 beer marker), I just wanted more than anything to be D-O-N-E. Well, now I am!
I'm amazing, I know! Thanks.

PS. Remember when I said bring me pumpkin anything and we'll be best friends? Well, (since I'm now a beer snob and everything) bring me a light domestic beer and I'll throw it at your head and laugh at your injuries. Whoa. Too much? Sorry, I'm kidding. (Kinda.)


CHEEEEEEEEEERS!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

I love/adore/go completely crazy over fall. It's my absolute favorite season. I love the holidays, the colors, the smells, the flavors, the crisp air, the cozy days and nights. Fall is gorgeous and tastes amazing.
I just bought Eric and I tickets the Elysian Brewing's 7th Annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in Seattle. I am SO stoked! Pumpkin beers (some of them actually brewed INSIDE of a pumpkin), local food trucks (major YUM!), adorable souvenir pumpkin glasses, and everyone dresses in pumpkin attire! I need to go find something orange, stat!




(Photos courtesy of Beer Festival website - Elysian Brewing)

On another exciting fall note, my two favorite cupcake places in Seattle have some fantastic-sounding flavors of the month I can't wait to try. Trophy Cupcakes: "We're celebrating Washington's Apple Harvest and National Caramel Month with our newest seasonal flavor, Caramel Apple! The cake boasts local, organic granny smith apples and warm fall spices topped with housemade caramel infused buttercream, toasted pecans, and a drizzle more of homemade caramel." I'm kind of freaking out that sounds so amazing.
I'm sitting on the couch right now all bundled up in a blanket, drinking hot spiced tea and thinking about gorging on the PUMPKIN PIE BARS that I just pulled out of the oven. Does it get any more fall than that? Oh, did I mention a pumpkin spice candle is burning on the coffee table in front of me? Told you I'm obsessed.
Back to pumpkin pie bars.
Um, yummy heaven, right?
Growing up, pumpkin desserts, especially pumpkin pie, never really appealed to me. I think it's because I have vivid memories of my mother baking a pumpkin pie every year for Thanksgiving, taking big bites and chewing a few times, and then before swallowing, she'd show me her lovely colored mouthful of chewed up pumpkin pie and say, "Look! Baby poop!" Yup...
Well, I believe enough time has passed now for me to get over that trauma, because I can never wait until pumpkin season arrives. Bring me a pumpkin dessert and we'll be best friends for life. Thank you.
This recipe is, once again, from my homegirl Joy the Baker..and she's done it again. Total success. AND! I used my new and beautiful standup mixer! Double success!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

1-1/3 cups flour (I use unbleached all purpose white flour)
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided (organic, brown granulated sugar)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine (unsalted)
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (I used fat free)
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pure pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)

HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.

RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla, bourbon, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

BAKE 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.