Off topic: Dogfish Head Brewery night at the Alamo Drafthouse

I went to the opening night of the first annual Off-Centered Film Fest this past week and had a tremendous amount of fun. Sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse and the Dogfish Head Brewery—my favorite movie theater and my favorite brewery—this was an evening of beer tasting and funny stories. Dogfish brought twelve beers, several of which aren’t available in Texas. Central Market participated as well; they brought various cheeses that paired well with the beer. Each beer was introduced by Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish; I’d read his first book and he was as funny and honest in person as he was in his writing. The crowd was a lot of fun, and everyone clearly had a great time.

Calagione’s stories about the various beers is what really made the night special. My favorite tale was the one about Immort Ale (brewed with peat-smoked barley, juniper berries, vanilla, and maple syrup and aged in oak). Before it was in production, Sam was very excited about the beer and looking forward to how it would be received by the general public. On debut night at his brewpub, Sam sat at the end of the bar and eagerly awaited the comment cards. At the end of the evening when they were finally collected, he pulled one out of the stack at random and read the first review: “Tastes like trees, but got me fucked up!” Not exactly the reception for which he’d hoped, but a success in his eyes. That story pretty much sums up the entire event; I can’t wait for next year!