A new endeavor

My apologies to those who came here regularly.

I had to focus more on the writing that I get paid for. However, I have started a new site with some compatriots that has both regional and local relevance.

And yes, I am using my status as the Maryland correspondent for the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News to push the new blog and to land advertising for it.

For those of you who are interested, you can find the new blog here -

http://grainsngrapes.blogspot.com/

For those of you who missed it

A good time was had by all.

If you missed it this year, the festival happens the Saturday before Mother's Day each year. Look for it next year. To see more photos, click here.

Get down with the sickness...

28 Weeks Later starts today, and yes, I have plans to go see it. I will post a review.

It looks hot, humid, and like thundershowers today and tomorrow, so unless you like hot and sticky, finding things to do indoors might be the way to go.

The Shepherdstown Opera House continues with Japanese horror film The Host, and has just begun showing Beatrix Potter bio-pic Miss Potter.

For anyone looking for a little inexpensive sports action, sorry, the Keys are out of town until next weekend. However, up in Hagerstown, the Suns do have a home game tonight.

Also, tomorrow - the annual Maryland Brewer's Springfest over at Harry Grove Stadium.

FREDERICK CELTIC FESTIVAL

Hours: 10am-10pm

Includes - Scottish heavy athletics, International entertainers featuring the Glengarry Bhoys, Bagpipes & Drums, Scottish & Irish dancing, Celtic vendors & food, Scottish Clan tents, children's tent, afternoon tea, free genealogy services, evening concert 7 - 10 p.m. featuring Glengarry Bhoys and Iona.

Urbana Volunteer Fire Department Fairgrounds, 3602 Urbana Pike (Rt 355) .

And for the guys out there - Sunday is Mother's Day...get out and get your mom, wife, mother of your children something to show her you remembered! For those looking for suggestions there will be a Mother's Day high tea held on both Saturday and Sunday at Elk Run Vineyards, a luncheon on the Southern Railroad, and in Harper's Ferry, a river rafting special.

Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you Beer

No, my daughter is not drunk in the picture to the right. That was taken during the meet Santa Claus brunch at Brewer's Alley and she was drinking orange juice. She looks like she's drunk because it was early and she was still a little tired (but she had a blast meeting Santa). Now, speaking of Brewer's Alley...

This weekend will mark the first time that the Maryland Brewer's Spring Fest will be held at Harry Grove Stadium rather than at the Fairgrounds. The move was made in order to allow the event to grow and accommodate more revelers. For tickets or additional information, click here. For you reggae fans out there, local group Jah Works will be playing the event (as they always seem to).

It's a good time, and something you can certainly bring the kids to...just make sure someone is the designated driver.

The festival starts at noon and runs until 8:00 PM. I have gone every year since I have moved to Maryland and enjoyed it every time.

According to the Keys Web site - Advanced tickets are $17 for adults or $20 each at the door and include six tokens for 4 oz. beer samples plus a souvenir mug. Youth (ages 13-20) and designated drivers may enter for $10 each. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets are available at the Keys box office at Harry Grove Stadium, by phone at 301-662-0013, or online.

If yer thinkin' o goin' ta Baltymore this weekend...Aargh...

From Moorea Marketing...

Unfortunately I have to attend a grand opening party for the new Gordon Biersch in Rockville for my gig with the Mid Atlantic Brewing News...otherwise this sounds like a blast...

Embrace Your Inner Pirate

Annual Fells Point Privateer Day and Pyrate Invasion

Baltimore, MD – April 25, 2007 – The third annual Privateer Day and Baltimore Pyrate Invasion will be taking over the streets and taverns of Fells Point in Baltimore on April 28, 2007 brought to you by Fells Point Development Corp. and Clipper City Brewing Company. Privateer Day will feature family-oriented activities and will occur from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in Broadway Square.

Visitors are encouraged to dress as a privateer, pirate, sailor, wench, merchant, homemaker, or whoever they think they would have been 200 years ago to participate in the pirate costume contest beginning at 5:00 p.m. Privateer Day will feature family fun for the young and the young at heart including live music, demonstrations, walking tours, story telling, treasure hunts, face painting, and Pirate Cruises ($15.00) aboard Clipper City Tall Ship at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Hundreds of pirates will invade Fells Point at 4:30 p.m. at Broadway Pier with guns and cannons blazing leading up to a staged sword fight sequence. The official Pyrate Invasion Pub-Crawl ($5.00 registration fee) will occur from 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. featuring drink and food specials at participating bars including Kooper’s Tavern, Slainte, The Admirals Cup, John Steven’s Ltd., Ale Mary’s, Woody’s Rum Shack, Shuckers, Max’s, Lulu’s, Duda’s, Dog House Bar (aboard the Clipper City Tall Ship), Cat’s Eye Pub, Waterfront Hotel, Whistling Oyster, Greene Turtle and Fletcher’s. There will also be a Pyrate Party Cruise later that night (9:00 p.m. - midnight) aboard Clipper City. Tickets are $20.00 or $35.00 including beer & rum punch for the 3-hour cruise.

Be sure to pre-register for the Pub-Crawl and Clipper City Cruises at BaltimorePyrateInvasion.com or ClipperCity.com. Space is limited, so sign up quick! So get your best pirate costume out of your closet and join the invasion if you dare, we guarantee you’ll get hooked!

Shake baby, shake baby 1, 2, 3, 4...

I know that in Towson the Bel-Loc Diner's milk shakes were named Best of Baltimore by the Baltimore City Paper in 2005, but you don't have to travel that far for a pretty damn good shake (and I'm not talking about Ben & Jerry's or Coldstone). For a proper shake that's going to take you back to when you were young, try the shakes served over at Beef n' Buns in Paradise on East Patrick Street. Not only will it remind most anybody over 30 of the shakes they got when young and the old soda fountains could still be found in your local pharmacy (I know they're still out there, but it seems that it's a rarity at this point), but the large tattooed man who took my order knew the proper names of my favorite type of shake - a black and white, also called an old fashioned.

The black and white is a vanilla shake with chocolate syrup and is very refreshing on a hot summer's day. Also, I highly recommend the pulled pork sandwich - it's excellent.

If you're looking for the full lunch counter in a pharmacy experience, head on up to Patterson's Drug Store located at 134 South Queen Street in Martinsburg, WV. They don't necessarily remember the old terms (which I suspect may even be regional), but it is a pure slice of nostalgia for anyone that used to eat at places like this when they were young.

Martinsburg is less than an hour away, is home to Mountaineer Brewing (which is owned by Barley & Hops) which I believe holds tours, and a couple of small shops and restaurants to pass the time in. If you do head up that way, keep in mind that the town is working on revitalization efforts and does not currently offer a whole lot for a day trip, but is within an easy 20 to 25 minute drive to Hagerstown and Shepherdstown.

Coming Attractions...

Eat Drink and Be Merry...

This weekend I'll be going into the field due to my gig as the Maryland columnist for the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News. On Saturday afternoon I will be heading to Timonium to attend the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival. For $20 at the door you get to sample a variety of local and imported beers and a variety of bourbons while grooving to the Kelly Bell Band (until 3:00 PM) and then Mister Wilson comes on at 4:30.

Considering you get to enjoy beer, bourbon, bbq and blues music, I gotta say, it sounds like a helluva time.

I like to ride my bicycle, I like to ride my bike...

Yes, we are getting into that time of year again, but that's not what I'm really talking about. What I am talking about is an event for the hard-core cycling fanatics and the Floyd Landis supporters. According to a story at Lancaster Online, "The Floyd Fairness Fund will hold a 'champion reception' on Saturday at the Ephrata Performing Arts center."

The reception costs $25.00 and you will have a chance to mingle with Landis, according to the story. This Saturday's reception was added after the previously scheduled Sunday event sold out.

Contact Green Mountain Cyclery in Ephrata at (717) 859-2422 for tickets and information on availability.

Would you prefer a red or a white with your jazz?

Frederick Cellars, one of the County's four wineries will be hosting the Kevin Lewis Jazz Quartet on Saturday evening. For a five spot relax and listen to some jazz while soaking in the atmosphere in one of Shab Row's most recent additions and a recent winner of the Governor's Cup Award.

If you have a chance to talk to the owner, Charles Daneri, he's a pretty urbane guy and very committed to the success of the winery. I had a chance to talk to him several times while he was in the process of opening the downtown location - a rarity in the industry as a whole (Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries association told me at the time that he believed there were roughly ten located in urban settings throughout the entire country) wanted to put the winery where the people are. He felt that was a key.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing what else he does to ensure the business grows.

It's Been A Busy Week

Sorry, but the last week has been very busy. I have several things to get up on the blog this week including information about events in Timonium and Lancaster for bourbon/beer/bbq and bicycling enthusiasts respectively, as well as information about a blues performance in downtown Frederick this weekend. More on all later.

I just wanted to mention there will be the occasional week like this where I won't be able to get around to posting as often as I would like - for example, this week I was under deadline for an article I was working on for Wine Business Monthly (sorry, but the paying gigs have got to come first). I don't know when the article will run, but it deals with the impact of a Supreme Court ruling from two years ago on the Maryland and Virginia wine industries.

For anyone that followed my writing while I was at the Gazette, you will be familiar with what I am talking about. For those of you unfamiliar, let me know and I will provide some insight into the issues at hand.

And a fun time was had by all...

I'm not going to go into great detail as I was covering the event for the Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, but the people who didn't show up at the Talley Rec Center on Saturday night for the Frederick Winterfest missed out. However, it's always been my contention that any night that features Blues, brews, and barbecue is a good night.

The evening kicked off with local favorite Flatfoot Sam, featured beer from Wild Goose, Barley and Hops, and Brewer's Alley, as well as food from the Hempen Hill BBQ Bar and Grill out of Hagerstown. Look for the beer information in MABN, but I'll touch very briefly on the bands (enjoyable if you're thing is Blues, classic rock or even a bit of Jazz) and the food.

Hempen Hill offered pulled pork and beef sandwiches, a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, as well as sides such as their own smokehouse macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw (amongst other items). I had a pulled pork sandwich and side of the Mac & Cheese.

While I prefer a "wet-style" barbecue, Hempen Hill makes their pull with a dry-rub, which was decent, though not powerful. As caterers though, they did have barbecue sauces available for those who were dining.

The Mac & Cheese appeared to be topped with smoked Gouda - a nice if surprising addition to a standard.

Keep an eye out for this event next year, it's worth your time. And remember to get a babysitter - it is an over 21 only event.

This Weekend's Big Event in Frederick

Frederick area blog hoppers have probably already seen the listing from the Frederick Winterfest over at Frednet, so I'll keep this short.

The Winterfest is this Saturday at the Talley Rec Center on Bentz Street. Doors open at 5:00 PM, tickets are $20.00 per person and includes two beers or two glasses of wine, and live music. Barley and Hops, Brewers Alley, and Wild Goose/Flying Dog will be represented at the little soiree, and food can be purchased from Hempen Hill BBQ Bar and Grill, a Hagerstown-based pub.

I will be attending the event, covering it for The Mid-Atlantic Brewing News.

For the beauty pageant set, the annual Miss Frederick pageant is taking place this Saturday at Frederick Community College. The event is scheduled for 7:00 PM in the Jack Kussmaul Theater.

Tickets are available by phoning 301-845-4893, or can be purchased at the door. The box office will open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $15 each, which includes a program book.

On a sad note, Jim's Liquors in Antietam Plaza was burned down under what, right now, appear to be a set of murky circumstances. The conflagration took with it a number of other businesses in that resided in the building.

Initial reports are that the incident stemmed from a botched robbery attempt, but friends and family of the would-be robber deny that this was the case, citing a personal relationship with the liquor store owner. Curiously, the liquor store owner, who is supposedly the one who contacted the police in the first place (or whatever employee was working there at the time), has not corroborated this telling. Also, and I will be quite honest about this, when your nickname is "Menace" and you're not a five year old blond haired boy, it seriously puts intentions into question.

My condolences do go out to the family, and I understand the instinct to defend one of your own, but there are things that just don't add up in the family's defense of "Menace."