Dozens of reasons to love Twelve Days of Barleywine
Down the Hatch
Published: November 28, 2007
Last Modified: November 29, 2007 at 05:17 AM
The downward slide to winter just began when the social bestiality of post-Thanksgiving shopping sprees gave way to fashion dictated by holiday sweaters adorned with fiber illustrations of snowpeople and delicately trimmed trees.
How I love the season! The clash of selfishness and selflessness, darkness and good cheer, songs of austerity and big, dark fabulous beer!
But nothing captures the spirit of the season quite like the twisted, over-the-top Twelve Days of Barleywine at Glacier Brewhouse. Now in its seventh year, the madcap event beckons adherents to bar stools to taste new barley wines every day Dec. 10 to 21. Twelve days, 26 barley wines and a handful of other barrel-aged, fruit-infused brews.
You may think of this as a learning experience, but it really comes down to giving and getting what you want. As head brewer Kevin Burton said, "This is the time when the tourists are gone and we can find a seat at the bar with locals -- and relax. Why not drink the good stuff?"
And what, exactly, does he mean by "good stuff"? Barley wines, oak-aged stout, cherry bock, Imperial blonde, everything cellared, aged, loved. The cask beer selection proves worthy on boisterousness alone. During the Twelve Days, the crew will pour cask barley wines such as a recent version aged in steel and several others aged for up to a year on oak.
Planning the whole thing takes a good deal of forethought. Since 2001, Burton and the crew have prepared and poured more than 150 beers during the Twelve Days of Barleywine, always thinking of the next year, always putting beer away for later.
Each day's selection offers plenty of depth. Every beer has its own sex appeal, but Burton quite likes the 2006 Big Woody aged five months in Jim Beam barrels and one year in American oak from the Silverado Winery. Look for this one on Dec. 17, the same day the triple barrel Big Woody goes on tap, essentially the same beer as the double barrel but aged five months in Jim Beam barrels, five months in Ukrainian oak and then seven more months in Jim Beam barrels again.
Trying both these beers side by side might illuminate how oak and steel influence flavor, texture, aroma and mouth feel. Or it might only confuse you about which is which and make you wonder whether you left the hamster cage open and how you're going to get home with the gas tank needle riding on empty.
As for my picks for the best days to drop by, I can only go on instinct. I suggest you arrive early if you want to try a particular beer. Each day's selection goes on tap at 11 a.m. -- in time for the lunch rush -- and can run out if you wait too long.
In particular, I'm fond of Dec. 11, when two old-timers go on tap: a 2003 Big Woody aged in steel and another aged in American oak wine barrels. The seventh day, Dec. 16, also looks outstanding since the award-winning 2006 Russian Imperial Stout aged in Ukrainian oak goes on tap. This beer won the gold medal and People's Choice award at the 2006 Bistro Barrel Aged Beer Festival in Hayward, Calif. Look for the 2006 Big Woody aged in American oak, too.
Brewhouse brewers consistently win accolades working with wood. Last month, they won gold medals at two oak-aged beer festivals, including a first place finish for Beam Bock at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beer in Chicago, and another for oak-aged Imperial stout at the West Coast Oak Aged Beer Festival in Hayward, Calif.
Clearly the Twelve Days puts the brewery in its element, so head over after checking the full list of beers online at www.glacierbrew house.com or just drop by the Brewhouse and take your chances.
Believe me, every holiday sweater looks better and feels cozier when paired with a wee bit of barley wine.
? Find Daily News reporter Dawnell Smith at adn.com/contact/dsmith or call 257-4587.
Glacier Brewhouse
Location: 737 W. Fifth Ave.
Hours: Lunch: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; Dinner: 4 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Phone: 274-BREW
Web: www.glacierbrewhouse. com More food and drink
Glacier Brewhouse will hold a five-course feast paired with vintage barley wines and other festive beers at 6 p.m. Thursday. Dubbed as "the mother of all beer dinners," the meal includes everything from the most recent oak-aged Big Woody Barleywine paired with wild boar sausage to a mystery beer pulled from the vault paired with poached lamb, not to mention dessert and other whimsical treats. The event costs $70 per person, gratuity included. Call 274-BREW for reservations.
