Cleveland Food and Brews-CraftBeer: Cleveland Beer Week 2011 Preview

Hello Cleveland Craft Beer Fans. As you probably already know Cleveland Beer Week kicks off this Friday the 14th and runs until Saturday the 22nd. In the past week, I've spent a large amount of time going over the Cleveland Beer Week line up. My goal was to sort out what I believe to be some of the top events going on around town. Now these are not the only events taking place, but these are the ones that I would personally love to attend! My personal plan for the week is to attend at least 1 event each day from the following list. To see the complete list of 350+ events check out the Cleveland Beer Week event page.

Here are my top picks for Cleveland Beer Week 2011. Cheers!

Friday the 14th

7pm-10pm---Grapes vs Grains at Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Center. This flagship event is the kick off to Cleveland Beer Week and will feature Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery and Marianne Franz of the American Wine School. Oliver and Frantz will discuss a selection of wines and craft beers that they have paired with a multi-course menu created by the Michael Symon Restaurant Group.
7pm to close---Southern Tier Brewery Night at The Brew Kettle. Four hard-to-find Southern Tier kegs will be tapped including PumpKing!
7pm to 9pm---Southern Tier Brewing Company I-90 Pale Ale tapping at area Winking Lizards. This special Pale Ale was made just for Cleveland Beer Week!
7pm to 9pm---Sour Power Day at Lilly Handmade Chocolates. This is a Jolly Pumpkin sour tasting featuring IO Saison, Epic Sour Apple Saison, The Bruery/Cigar City Brewing Marron Acidife & Petrus Aged Pale paired with 4 handmade chocolates.
7pm to 9pm---Stone Brewing Flight Night at Cedar Lee Pub. A collection of Stone brews on tap: Stone Runiation IPA, Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Stone 15th Aniversary Ale

Saturday the 15^th

11:30am to 2:30pm---Lilly’s Chocolate Beer Brunch at Lilly Handmade Chocolates. Four "Dessert For Brunch" courses paired with breakfast-themed beers From Mikkeller, Southern Tier And The Bruery.
12pm to 5pm---Beer and Wine Tasting Extravaganza at Rozi’s Wine House. This event features 50 Beers and 150 wines with a special guest chef on site to provide food!
12pm---Barrel Aged Thirsty Dog Tapping at Lizardville. This tapping will feature Thirsty Dog Cerberus, Siberian Night and 12 Dogs of Christmas all aged in Willet Reserve Bourbon barrels.
4pm to 8pm---North Coast Old Stock Ale tapping at area Winking Lizards
7:30pm to 9:30pm---All Hail the Ale Night Ride with Century Cycles at Winking Lizard in Peninsula. Century Cycles has teamed up with the Winking Lizard for All Hail the Ale 2! Dress up in a beer inspired costume and join us at Century Cycles for a 13 mile bike ride along the Towpath Trail.
8pm to 11pm---Victory Brewing at La Cave du Vin featuring different drafts and firkin’s from Victory.

Sunday the 16^th

10am to 11:30am---Founders is Food at Beer Engine. This is beer breakfast featuring Founder's Brewing. Breakfast Stout, KBS and some other treats will be on tap.
11am to 7pm---Craft Beer Lovers Bus Tour starting at Thirsty Dog Brewing.
1pm to Close---Rare “Mad Jack” tapping at Brew Kettle.
4pm to 8pm---Jolly Pumpkin tapping at area Winking Lizards. They will be tapping La Parcela #1 Pumpkin Ale by Jolly Pumpkin.
4pm to 8pm---Victory Beer at Tremont TapHouse. Victory Brewing Company will be in the house for the Browns-Raiders game. You can also meet John Bair, one of the Brewers of Victory.
6pm to 9pm---Meet the Brewer of Jackie O’s at Rozi’s Wine House. Meet brewer Brad from Jackie O's and taste his beers paired with scrumptious food prepared by a guest chef. $25 includes beer and food.
7pm to 9pm---Meet the Brewer of North Coast Brewing at Beer Engine. Meet Brewer John Bisson and try Bourbon Aged Old Rasputin 12th Anniversary in bottle and Old Stock Ale 2010, Pranqster, Brother Thelonius, Scrimshaw, and Old Rasputin Nitro on draft!
9:45pm to Close---Jackie O’s Special Blended tapping at Beer Engine. Brad will be in the house to help tap his blended creation. The creation is a blend of Brandy Barrel Superfly (Imperial Amber) and Bourbon Barrel Middle Of Nowhere Stout (Oatmeal Stout brewed with local honey and local maple syrup.)

Monday the 17^th

4pm-6pm---Cask Conditioned Firkin tapping of Sierra Nevada Torpedo at Winking Lizard Gateway.
4pm-6pm---Bourbon Barrel Aged Great Lakes Blackout Stout tapping at Winking Lizard Cleveland Hts.
6pm-8pm---Hopping Frog Barrel Aged Beer Tapping at Lizardville. Fred Karm, owner and brewmaster of Hoppin Frog Brewery will be here for our feature of Hoppin Frog's Barrel-Aged beers. Bottles of BA BORIS, Naked Evil Barleywine and BORIS Royale will be available.
6:30pm-8:30pm---Jolly Pumpkin Beer Dinner at Tremont Taphouse. 5 courses by chef Andrew Gorski paired with 5 Jolly Pumpkin beers! $65 per person.
7pm-9pm---Beer Sensory Evaluation Class at Willoughby Brewing Company. Join BJCP National Beer Judge Paul Shick and BJCP Certified Beer Judge and Certified Cicerone Rick Seibt of Willoughby Brewing for an evening of beer sensory evaluation. $20 per person.
7pm-10pm---Victory Tap Takeover at Beer Engine. John Bair, brewer at Victory, will be on hand to answer any questions and share a pint with all of the Victory enthusiasts.

Tuesday the 18^th

11am-Close---Bell’s Eccentric Café On Tour at the Beer Engine. Bell’s Brewery will take over the taps for the day and bring simply an amazing list of their beers!
4pm-6pm---Bourbon Barrel Aged Great Lakes Blackout Stout tapping at the Gateway Winking Lizard.
5pm-10pm---Deagan’s Kitchen Taco Night and Dogfish Ancient Ales. Chef Demitrios Atheneos will be creating a special menu paired with Dogfish Head's very own Ancient Ale's.
5pm-6:30pm---Founder’s is Food at Lilly Handmade Chocolates. Come Meet John Host From Founder's Brewing Co. And Enjoy "Dessert For Dinner"! 4 Courses Paired With 4 Special Founder's Brews...Like Blushing Monk, Devil Dancer And More. $25 per person.
6pm-8pm---Clamebake and Beer Pairing at Chardon Brew Works. Owner/Brewmaster Mike Nedrow will be hosting a 6-course Beer Pairing Clambake and exclusive tapping of The BrewWorks Homegrown Hops IPA. $30 per person.
6pm-Close---Hoppin’ Frog Beer Dinner at AMP150. Meet Fred Karm, brewmaster and owner of Hoppin' Frog, as chef Jeff Jarrett pairs a 5 course meal paired with Hoppin' Frog beers. $60 per person.
6pm-10pm---3 Floyds at the Greenhouse Tavern. The Greenhouse Tavern and 3 Floyds join for a 6-course menu collaboration! An outdoor cocktail hour featuring 6 appetizers will begin at 6pm followed by 6 courses from these killer chefs! $79/person
6pm-Close---Cask Night at Willoughby Brewing Company featuring Hop Jam, Double Dry Hopped Hopnotic, Unspiced Wenceslas and a special cask to be named at the event!!
6:30-8:30---Ladies Night beer and food pairing at Winking Lizard Bedford Hts. Wendy Littlefield from Vanberg & DeWulf, legendary importer of Belgian beers to the US including Saison Dupont, Scaldis, Moinette and more, hosts a "Ladies Night" Beer and Food Pairing Dinner. $30.00 per person
6:30pm-9pm---Fat Head’s Beer Dinner with Great Lakes. The 6 course meal by Chef Dereck Wilson will have specially-selected Great Lakes and Fat Head's beers paired to each course!
7pm-10pm---Bell’s Beer Dinner with Larry Bell at Beer Engine. Join Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell's Brewery for an exceptional beer dinner featuring a 6-course food pairing along with 13 outstanding (some rare and exclusive!) beers. $70 per person.

Wednesday the 19^th

5pm-11pm---Noodlecat Hitachino Beer. This will be a 6 course meal paired with Hitachino beer for $44 per person.

6pm-9pm---Dogfish Beer Dinner at Lolita featuring 60min, Bitches Brew, Hellhound and Punkin. $33 per person.

4pm-6pm---Bourbon Barrel Aged Great Lakes Blackout Stout tapping at Lizardville.

6:30pm-8:30pm---Trappist Ales: Discovering the Monastery Breweries at Winking Lizard Bedford Hts. Learn about the history of the seven Trappist monasteries, brewing and the beers from our very special guests: Jef van Den Steen, partner and brew master of Brewery De Glazen Toren. $40 per person at the Winking Lizard Party Center, includes appetizers, beer samples and a copy of Jef's book Trappist

7pm-10pm---Goose Island Brewmasters Dinner at Fahrenheit. Goose Island Brewmaster Brett Porter will be on hand to host the dinner by Chef Rocco Whalen paired with 6 Goose Island Beers including Matilda, Sofie, Pepe Nero, Fleur, Pere Jacques and special guest Madame Rose. $45 per person.

Thursday the 20^th

4pm-9pm---Goose Island Vintage Ale Invasion at Winking Lizard Independence. Goose Island reps will be on hand and so will beers that have never been on tap in Ohio before! Two great paddles! Gander Paddle: Pere Jazques, Pepe Nero, Scully, Dominique. Goose Paddle: Pick Four - Matilda, Sofie, Fleur, Indira, Lolita.
4pm-Close---Hopapalooze at Tremont TapHouse. Choose from 24 delicious hoppy IPAs and Double IPAs.
4pm-6pm---Bourbon Barrel Aged Great Lakes Blackout Stout tapping at Winking Lizard Bedford.
6pm-8pm---Sierra Nevada Night at Stampers. Along with the already great Sierra Nevada selections at Stampers, they will be tapping a keg of the first edition of the Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Series (Fritz and Ken's Stout) aged on bourbon barrels, as well as 2x4, a dubble/quad blend that has been aged on bourbon barrels.
6pm-9pm---Founders is Food at Lolita. Founders owner Dave Engbers and Lolita chef James Mowcomber as they join forces on a five course dinner paired with Centenial IPA, Cerise, Imperial Stout, Breakfast Stout, Blushing Monk and Harvest Ale.
6:30-8:30pm---Culture Yourself: A premier Beer and Cheese paring at Market Garden Brewery. Join us for a night of obsessive beer and cheese pairings, featuring brews from 12 top breweries and over 30 artisanal, locally produced cheeses. Meet the brewers and cheesemakers themselves and discover your favorite beer and cheese pairings. Tickets are $35/person and include 25 two-ounce beer samples with cheese pairings.
9pm-Close---Founders is Music at Mikes Bar and Grille Featuring Founder's KBS, Old Curmudgeon, Devil Dancer, Breakfast Stout and Harvest Ale.

Friday the 21^st

11am-Close---Stone 15^th Anniversary Ale Tapping at all 3 B-Spots.
5pm-Close---Epic Brewing at Brew Kettle. It will be an epic night at The Brew Kettle as we tap 4 kegs of some of the coolest beers from Epic Brewing that were recently released in Ohio. We will be pouring Brainless on Peaches, Brainless on Cherries, Hopulent and their newest release Apple Saison.
6pm-8pm---Founders and Kokoborrego Cheese Pairing at La Cave du Vin. Local Kokoborrego artisan cheeses and other fabulous cheeses be paired with Founders beers like KBS, Nemesis, Old Curmudgeon & more expertly matched with! $25 per person.
6pm-8pm---Food Truck Fandango. Fahrenheit Shortrib1, Hodge Podge, Dim and Den Sum, Umami Moto and Sweet The Mobile Cupcakery will team up with Sierra Nevada and Columbus Brewing for a food truck and beer pairing! $35 or $50 per person.
6:30pm-9:30pm---Ales on Rails. This featured event will take you on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and treat you with 7 craft brews and food from the Winking Lizard. Advance tickets are required and range from $45-$80 depending on car selection.

Saturday the 22^nd

To finish off Cleveland Beer Week you have the "Granddaddy of them all!"

6pm-10pm—BREWzilla: A Monster of a Beer Tasting.

Brewer’s Circle tickets are $65 in advance ($75 at door, if available) and include expedited VIP entrance, tastes of rare/exclusive brews and food pairings in the Brewer’s Circle Lounge open all evening, 3 oz. tasting glass, 25 tasting tickets, a commemorative t-shirt, access to all General Admission beers/food, and a signed copy of the newly released book "Ohio Breweries" by local author Rick Armon.
General Admission tickets are $40 in advance ($50 at door, if available) and include 3 oz. tasting glass, 25 tasting tickets, and complimentary food by Winking Lizard Tavern.

Brewer's Circle menu (courtesy of Heinen's) and beers:

Soup Station featuring Butternut Squash Soup, Tomato Bisque, Crab and Corn Bisque, Heinen's Chili, Cheese Station. Pretzel Sandwiches. Hot Dips Station featuring Chorizo and Buffalo Dips. A Hand-carved Pork Station.

Bells: Oracle
Buckeye: Aigre Bois d'Erique
Fat Heads: Lucifer's Lunacy Belgo Wheat Wine
Goose Island: Minx
Great Lakes: Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Out Stout
Market Garden: Hop Soup
North Coast: 2006 Old Stock Ale
Ommegang: Barrel Aged Adoration
Samuel Adams: Oak Aged Porter
Sierra Nevada: Torpedo Cask
Smuttynose: 2005 Wheat Wine
Stone: 2006, 2007, 2008 Imperial Stouts
The Brew Kettle: Funk Works Oak Aged Grande Cru
Thirsty Dog: Bourbon Barrel Aged 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale
Victory: Coffee Brown Ale

General Admission menu (courtesy of Winking Lizard) and beers:

Gourmet pretzel roll with beer braised bratwurst patty covered in saurkraut and served with spicy mustard and potato chips. Spicy black bean (vegetarian) burger topped with corn salsa and Chipotle hummus and served with potato chips.

21st Amendment: Brew Free or Die IPA, Back in Black IPA
Abita: Purple Haze, Pecan Harvest
Alltech: Kentucky Light, Bourbon Barrel Ale, Kentucky Ale
Anderson Valley: Mokeef Saison, Brothers David Tripel, Winter Ale, Hop Ottin IPA
Aspall: Dry Cyder
Avery: Joes Premium Pils, Avery White Rascal Belgian Wit
Ayinger: Kirta Beer, Celebrator
Bell's: Amber, Best Brown, Lager of the Lakes, Oarsman, 2010 Expedition Stout
Bockor: Bellegems Bruin
Boulder Beer: Mojo IPA, Hazed and Infused
Breckenridge: Lucky U IPA, Agave Wheat, Vanilla Porter, Avalanche
Brooklyn: IPA, Oktoberfest, Sorachi Ace, Local 2
Bruton: Stoner, Momus, Dieci
Buckeye: Pumpkin Dead, Martian, Cleveland Beer Week 2011, Cleveland IPA
Cellar Rats: Rat Tale Ale, Field Rat Wheat, Pipers IPA
Charles Wells: Bombardier, Banana Bread Beer
Chardon Brew Works: Pride of Geauga Maple Porter, Honey Kolsch
Chimay: Red, White, Blue
Chouffe: Houblon, McChouffe, LaChouffe
Columbus: IPA, Bohdi Double IPA
Cornerstone: 7, Bonnie Dundee, Rocket Cow
Dark Horse: Crooket Tree IPA, Raspberry Ale, Reserve Special Black Bier, Boffo Brown, Scoty Karate Scotch Ale
Dogfish Head: Burton Baton, Namaste
Duvel: Duvel Single
Epic: Brainless Belgian Golden, Hopulent IPA, Galloway Porter, Brainless on Cherries, Brainless on Peaches, Imperial Red, Big Bad Baptist
Erie: Railbender, Specialty
Fat Heads: Head Hunter IPA, Spooky Tooth Imperial Pumpkin
Flying Dog: Raging Bitch, Doggie Style Pale Ale
Forst: Lager, Sixtus
Founders: Centennial IPA, Red's Rye, Porter, Breakfast Stout, Harvest
Franziskaner: Hefe-Weisse
Fruli: Strawberry
Fuller's: 1845, Vintage
Global Beer Network: Witterkerke Winter White, Magma Special Edition Cascade, Cains Bitter, Cains Dark Mild
Goose Island: Demolition, Pepe Nero, Matilda
Gordon Biersch: Czech Pilsner, Marzen
Great Lakes: Edmund Fitzgerald, Commodore Perry, Rye of the Tiger, Cleveland Brown Ale
Green Flash: West Coast IPA, Hop Head Red, Double Stout, Imperial IPA, 30th Street Pale
Griffin Cider Works: Griffin Original English-Style Cider
Harpoon: IPA, Octoberfest
Heavy Seas: Davey Jones Lager, Plank 1, Loose Cannon, Harvest Ale
Hofbrau: Original, Dunkel
Hopf: Weiss Bock, Hell Weiss
Hoppin' Frog: Frogs Hollow Double Pumpkin Ale, Hop Dam Triple IPA, BORIS Oatmeal Imperial Stout, DORIS Double Imperial Stout
Indigo Imp: Blonde Bombshell, Jester, Gatekeeper, Winter Solstice
Ithaca: Apricot Wheat, Excelsior 13, Flower Power, Cold Front
Jolly Pumpkin: Luciernaga, Calabaza Blanca
Kulmbacher: EKU28, Moncshof Schwarzbier, Moncshof Kellerbier, Kulmbacher Pils
Lagerheads: Imperial Coffee Stout, Barnburner Golden German Lager, Tyranny Pale Ale, Oktoberfest
Lagunitas: IPA, Hop Stoopid, Censored, Lil Sumpin Sumpin Ale
Left Hand: Stranger Pale Ale, 400 Pound Monkey, Milk Stout, Fade to Black, 2010 Chainsaw
Liefmanns: Cuvee Brut, Fruitess, Goudenband
Lost Coast: Tangerine Wheat, Indica IPA
Magic Hat: #9, Howl
Market Garden: Market Centennial Extra IPA, Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale, Old School American Lager, Pearl Street Wheat
Maumee Bay:
Mt. Carmel: Amber Ale, Wintertime Ale, Nut Brown Ale
Napa Smith: Lost Dog Amber Ale, Original IPA
New Holland: Dragon's Milk, Poet Oatmeal Stout, El Mole Ocho, Ichabod Pumpkin, Hopivore
North Coast: Old Rasputin, Brother Thelonius, Red Seal, Pranqster
North Peak: Diabolical IPA, Vicious Wheat IPA, Wanderer Session IPA, Siren Amber Ale, Hooligan Hoppy Pumpkin
O'Haras: Irish Stout
Ohio Brewing: Verich Gold, Alt-ernative Amber, O'Hoppy Ale IPA
Ommegang: BPA, 3 Philosophers, Adoration
Penn: Penn Pils, St. Nikolaus Bock
Pyramid: Snow Cap, Haywire
Rivertown: Hop Bomber, Bourbon Barrel Aged Hop Bomber, Lambic
Rochefort: Rochefort 8
Rocky River: Blueberry Ale, Granger City Stout
Rogue: John John Dead Guy Ale, Juniper Pale Ale
Rooster Fish: Nut Brown, Belgian, Hop Warrior
Samuel Adams: Double Pumpkin, Maple Pecan Porter, Harvest Collection Mixed
Samuel Smith: Yorkshire Stingo
Sierra Nevada: Torpedo, 2x4 Belgian Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged Fritz & Ken
Smuttynose: Finest Kind IPA, Homonoclus, Shoals Pale Ale, Old Brown Dog
Southern Tier: Phin and Matts, Creme Brulee, UnEarthly IPA, I-90, Pumpking, 2XIPA
Spaten: Octoberfest
Stone: Belgo Imperial Stout, Double Bastard 2010 Vintage, Arrogant Bastard, Cali Belgique
Tallgrass: Oasis, IPA
The Brew Kettle: White Rajah IPA, Winter Warmer Christmas Ale, Spalt Bomb Pilsner, BBA Jack Hammer Barleywine
Thirsty Dog: Old Druid Bloodhound Saison, 330 Summit IPA, Hoppus Maximus, Cerberus
Three Floyds: Alpha King, Pride and Joy Mild
Tommyknocker: Hop Strike Black IPA, Maple Nut Brown
Troegs: Trogenator Dopplebock, Hopback Amber, Javahead Stout, Perpetual Pale Ale, Mad Elf
Two Brothers: Resistance IPA, French Country Ale, Heavy Handed IPA, Seasonal TBD
Vanberg and DeWulf: Hop Ruiter, Cuvee Des Trolls, Saison Dupont, Peche Mel
Unibroue: La Fin Du Monde, Maudite, Trois Pistoles, Ephemere
Victory: Hop Devil, Golden Monkey, Prima Pils, Headwaters
Weihenstephaner: Korbinian, Vitus
Weyerbacher: Double Simcoe IPA, Autumnfest
Widmer: Nelson Imperial IPA
Willoughby: Moonshadow IPA, Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter, Pumpkinhead Pumpkin Ale, Wenceslas Christmas Ale
Wooden Shoe: Wooden Shoe, Canoe Pale Ale, Lager, Bock, Oktoberfest
Wychwood: Hobgoblin, Holy Grail