Big brew festival in Centralia

Plus El Gaucho loves vodka

By Jake de Paul on May 10, 2007

Brewfest

The dream event of every red-blooded South Sound beer-swiller is back: The McMenamins Olympic Club Brewfest returns Saturday with a 20-variety array of suds from 14 breweries, large and small. Though the fest features plenty of sideshows, from Jackstraw and Slow Roller bands, open-pit barbecue and Olympic Club tours, the main attraction is, and always will be, the sampling booths, where you can gab with the brewers over one-ounce tastes of bocks, ales, stouts, pilsners and a multitude of other versions of the hearty drink some call liquid bread. And ladies, if you can manage to find a real person in a crowd overcome by alcohol, you’ll have your pick, for better or worse — so drink up and start trolling!

[Olympic Club, Saturday, May 12, 2 p.m. to midnight, $1 tastes, $3 pints, 112 N. Tower St., Centrailia, 360.736.5164]

Nibbles

Stone’s cellared and non-cellared beer tasting will be held Saturday, May 12, from 3 to 6 p.m. at 99 Bottles, 35002 Pacific Hwy. S., in Federal Way.  For more information, call 253.838.2558. >> Pour At Four launches a new menu May 30.  Discover the details during the free rosé wine tasting May 17 at 5 p.m.  Pour At Four is at 3814 N. 26th St. in Tacoma. >> El Gaucho hosts four different vodka representatives for a night of martinis paired with El Gaucho treats Thursday, May 31, at 5:30 p.m.  The price is $40.  For reservations, call 253.272.0521. >> Speaking of El Gaucho, the Tacoma fine dining spot hosts a Long Shadows Winemaker Dinner Wednesday, June 20, at 6 p.m.  The cost is $85.  Reserve your spot at 253.272.1510.