The Lafayette Park Hotel is hosting a Beer Maker’s Dinner on July 31, 2009 at 6:30pm.  The dinner will feature 5 beers from the Russian River Brewing Company paired with 5 courses.  The dinner is $75 per head (which doesn’t cover tax or gratuity).  I anticipate this to be a very popular event, so if you are interested book soon. For reservations, call: (925) 283-7108.

Menu & Pairings:

APPETIZERS
CHEF’S SELECTION
Redemption,  Blonde Ale

FIRST
CARAWAY-DUSTED DAY BOAT SCALLOPS
Beer Braised Red Thumb and Russian Fingerling Potatoes,
Pine Nut Upland Cress Pesto
Blind Pig,  I.P.A.

SECOND
CINNAMON-SEARED DUCK BREAST
Roasted Apple, Barley and Duck Confit Risotto, Sour Cherry Jus
Consecration, Strong Dark Ale

THIRD
SPICE-RUBBED BEEF TRI-TIP
Grilled Asparagus, Fresh Corn Puree
Pliny the Elder,  Double I.P.A.

FOURTH
ARTISAN CHEESES
A selection of Farmstead Cheese from Local, Small-Scale Producers
Temptation, Blonde Ale

A couple of our members won the Sam Adams Longshot competition in 2007 and 2008. Alex & Mike will be pouring their beers at the Walnut Creek (N Main) BevMo on Friday, 4/24 from 4pm to 7pm. Easily walkable from BART.

No droids, no Wookies, and unfortunately no Princess Leia in a white silk robe.

9 of us DOZERS did however have a fun evening out, with dinner and beers at Pyramid followed by the Beer Wars premiere.  The movie detailed Sam Adams, Stone Brewing, and Dogfish head.  It provided some insight into the plight of the craft brewer and exposed some dirty tactics employed by the Big 3 to thwart the little guy.  BMC baching grew a little tiresome, but the contributions from the craft brewer interviews and live session at the end made it a worthy event.

Looking forward to more fun DOZER outings in the future.

Due to lack of interest (ticket sales) the Anderson Valley Bus has been canceled.

DOZERS, a quick correction.  The Boonville Beer Fesitval is May 2, 2009 this year (accidentally reported as May 9th at the February Meeting).  Please adjust your calendars accordingly.

Dick Fox is rescheduling the Beer Bus for the correct weekend.  Tickets are still on sale at B3.

Festival Details

Greetings DOZERS.  I’m disappointed to miss the February meeting, but find myself out of town at a family wedding.  I would like to encourage everyone to look at the committee list for this year, and consider working in one or more areas.  A small effort from a lot folks will help us achieve another great year for the club.

Competition: This committee is split into two parts, external and internal. External will focus on DOZE participation in outside competitions, including keeping members informed of upcoming dates, recording member results, and possibly coordinating packaging parties.

Nor Cal Homebrew Festival: Many folks have lent a hand here in the past, and this year should be no exception. Coordinating volunteers for Hoppy Hour pouring, Hoppy Hour beer selection, campsite reservations, and Saturday pot luck dinner.

Barrel: For folks interested in contributing to or learning about the DOZE barrel project (currently an Imperial Porter aging in a Bourbon barrel).

National Homebrew Conference: Our club efforts are represented by Mike McDole but we’ll need a team of folks to help us find a club theme, coordinate outfits, and make sure our club night booth is rockin’.

Social and Events: Personally, this is my most important area for the club. I’m hoping 2009 will bring many more brewery tours, pub nights, bbq’s, and big brews.

Newsletter: I’d really like to keep the newsletter going. Anyone interested in helping with either content or format and published would be most appreciated.

Website: Anyone with web skills or ideas is encouraged to get involved and beef up our online presence.

Pete’s Brass Rail in Danville is known for a great selection of beers, usually 20+ on tap.  But if you’re a big beer fan the time right for a visit.  I popped in yesterday for a happy hour pint and found the following on tap: Anchor Old Foghorn, Sierra Bigfoot, EJ Phair Bourbon Barrel Aged Shorty’s Revenge, Moylan’s Double Kilt Lifter, Lagunitas Old Gnarlywine, Rubicon Winter Wheat Wine, and Schooner’s Old Diablo.

Check ‘em out (and if you’re looking for a great sammich try the turkey dip!)

Well I’ve found myself at The Trappist twice in five days….go figure.  In addition to their usual obscene offering of worldly goodness, they now have Alagash Four on tap.  This beer is made with four malts, four hops, four sugars, and four yeast strains.  So if you happen to find yourself at The Trappist, I wouldn’t hesitate to order up a Four.

For all you iPhone carrying DOZERS out there, the BJCP Guidelines are now available as an iPhone (iTouch too) application.  These are really handy and formatted very well, in an easy to navigate and easy to read presentation.  Download for free from the Applications module on your iPhone or through iTunes on your computer.  Great stuff.

Hello Dozers, the January newsletter is live.  See the newsletter section on the lower right portion of this page or use this link.

Just a reminder that our January meeting is this Monday the 26th.  See you all there to start off another fun year for DOZE.