the deacon's pick of the week*

*the beer deacon's pick of the week can be a new brewery, beer, bar, or any saint-blessed thing he wants it to be, so long as it pertains to beer culture in the city. Look for his pick on thursdays, what college kids call "thirsty thursdays," or to cite from the brew hop bible, "and on the fourth day the disciples drinketh...early and often."

In the dull drudgery of another slow Thursday, a hungover Thursday, I'd rather not outthink this week's obvious pick: I forgot about it until the Hairy Beer Monk passed along the tip, but Chelsea Brewing Co.'s annual Cask Ale Festival starts Friday at 12PM and continues til 11PM Sunday. The full details are up on their facebook page, including this wonderful list of sweet sudsy goodness, all available ON CASK:

Blue Point Brewing Company, Patchogue, New York
Oatmeal Stout

BrewDog Brewing Company, UK
Hardcore IPA

Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
Blast

Bull Falls Brewery, Wausau, Wisconsin
Bull Falls Nut Brown Ale
Bull Falls White Water Ale

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Pleasantville New York
TBA

Chelsea Brewing Company, New York, New York
Rye’s Up
Catskill Hop Harvest
1000 Gyle Imperial Mild
Hop Angel IPA
Creme Stout
Sunset Red Ale

Clipper City Brewing Company, Baltimore, Maryland
Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale
Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Corner Brewery, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Jackhammer Old Ale

Dark Horse Brewing Company - Marshall, Michigan
Crooked Tree IPA
One Oatmeal Stout

Highpoint Brewing Company, Butler, New Jersey
Ramstein Octoberfest Lager
Ramstein Classic Hefe-Weizen

Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmont, Colorado
Imperial Stout
Black Jack Porter

Magic Hat Brewing Company, South Burlington, Vermont
Big Stout

Michigan Brewing Company, Webberville, Michigan
High Seas India Pale Ale
Bavarian Dark

Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant, Novato, California
Dragon

Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, Lyons, Colorado
Dale’s
Old Chub
Pearl Street Grille & Brewery, Buffalo, New York
Saber’s Edge
Flamande Rouge (Flemish Sour Red Ale)

Saint Somewhere Brewing Company, Tarpon Springs, Florida
Saison Du Chene
Pays Du Soleil

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, California
ESB

The Livery, Benton Harbor, Michigan
Anniversary Ale (Imperial Brown Rye Ale)

Three Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, Indiana
Alpha King Pale Ale

Troegs Brewing Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Javahead

Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, Pennsylvania
Imperial Pumpkin


It's easy to forget that Chelsea's the last independent brewery operating in Manhattan (I'll forgive their stretch to "New York City," because obviously we got Brooklyn and Six Point operating on my side of the river. Last I checked Brooklyn is part of New York City.).

As for the list itself: devilish, Clipper City and Weyerbacher...those Imperial Pumpkin Ales sound dangerous. What's Brooklyn's Blast? Haven't heard of that before. Similarly, have never tried Magic Hat's Big Stout, and I'll have to get to the Troegs Javahead...whoever first combined good coffee beans with delicious dark stouty goodness deserves a medal, if not Sainthood. Chime in, any beer disciples out there. The Good Lord intends me to man up and find some excuse to skip work Friday. 50/50 I hit this 12PM then, or 12 PM Sunday. About, oh, 35ish I hit both days, 22ish I don't make it into work Monday, and 99% certainty I'll be rubbing my tummy and raising nonsensical toasts to strangers on one or all days.