This weekend, Hale’s Palladium hosts the Washington Beer Commission’s 3rd annual Winter

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, November 28, 2007

This weekend, Hale’s Palladium hosts the Washington Beer Commission’s 3rd annual Winter Beer Festival. The line up is fantastic, and you owe it to yourself to take the bus and try as many of the three dozen wallop-packing brews as you can. Here’s my hit list of 5 beers that are not to be missed:Georgetown Brewing Company’s 9LB Porter: A bittersweet beer loaded with chocolate malt–available for $5 per growler at the brewery, it’s been my happy hour killer.Schooner Exact Hoppy Holiday Winter Ale: If you haven’t tasted any of their beer yet, you’re not trying hard enough. This beer will make limited appearances around town (Beveridge, Brouwer’s), so don’t skip a chance to try it this weekend.Big Time Brewing Damned Spot Strong Scottish Ale: A new recipe from Big Time, this brew plays hide-n-seek with the alcohol. It hides, until you stand up and it finds you. Big Time has a knack for the strong ales, and I need something to get me out of my Old Rip (their oatmeal stout) winter rut.Pike Brewing’s Auld Acquaintance: This one’s brought to you by Mrs. Finkel, a toasty amber that has notes of graham and orange. Dynamite with my leftover brussel sprout tagliatelle with walnuts, it’s a finely balanced cold weather ale.Boundary Bay Cabin Fever: Just enjoyed this beer on engine with a burger on Monday, one of my favorite local winter warmers. The flavor of this beer reminds me of younger tawny ports that still have some fruit character. Not that I’d call it fruity, this beer has a few brighter notes than most mega-malt warmers.3rd Annual Winter Beer FestivalHale’s Palladium (round back of the pub)4301 Leary Way NW, $23 adv/$25 doorFriday 5-10pm, Saturday 1-10pmGO HERE to buy tix and GO HERE for more info