Beer Bloke: International Stout Day (Nov. 3)

The weather is finally breaking here in Arizona, and it’s time to turn attention to those two favorite of all winter beer styles, imperial stouts and porters. Still just a bit too hot to embrace the big-boy imperials, you say?  Have no fear: International Stout Day is on Thursday, Nov. 3.  The weather should be perfect.

This will be the first year for Stout Day celebrations in the Phoenix area. I don’t know how many of you made it out to one of the National IPA Day parties in the East Valley, but it was a raging success. Days like these are special because they signal a changing of the seasons, a new start and a great excuse to step out and try something new.

International Stout Day is just that opportunity. Two East Valley celebrations of note are at Whole Foods Chandler and Trophy’s Steakhouse in Queen Creek.

With 17 imperial stouts, porters and winter seasonals on tap that day, Whole Foods Chandler not only has a massive selection but has gone through the painstaking process of resting many of these beers at cellar temperatures for up to one year!

The draft list at Whole Foods:

• Deschutes Black Butte XXIII
• Port Older Viscosity
• Port Santa’s Little Helper
• Lost Abbey Angel’s Share (Brandy Barrel)
• Lost Abbey Serpent’s Stout (Blend with Angel’s Share to get Deliverance, make sure to ask for it by name!)
• Stone Chocolate Cherry Stout
• Stone Imperial Russian Stout
• Green Flash Double Stout
• Full Sail Black Gold Imperial
• North Coast (Nitro) Old Rasputin
• Alaskan Perseverance
• Sonoran Inebriator (Cask)
• Avery Czar Russian Style Imperial
• Great Divide Belgo Yeti
• Sierra/Dogfish Life & Limb
• Firestone/Nectar Black Xantas
• Four Peaks Oatmeal Stout

Whole Foods will feature all of these beers for $5 a glass from 4 p.m. to close and has great pizza, smoked wings, sushi and Chinese food for those in need of nosh.

Meanwhile, Brett Dettler at Trophy’s has been preparing for this event for months and features quite an impressive list of beer on tap as well:

• Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout
• Alaskan Perseverance
• Sonoran Inebriator Stout
• Firestone Velvet Merlin (Merkin)
• Left Hand Milk Stout
• Mogollon Apache Trout Stout

Plus, Brett has a few surprises he wasn’t willing to give up at press time. Could he have created his own special beer blends? We will just have to wait and see. Brett goes live with the party at 3 p.m. – just as happy hour begins – so great deals will available on these very hard-to-find beers and a host of appetizers until 6 p.m.

These two spots are great choices for the celebration. But regardless of your locality, find that comfortable place where you go to enjoy a good craft pint, pull a stool, order a stout and raise your glass to fellow patrons and the East Valley.

You can send comments or column ideas to England native James Swann, the beer buyer at Chandler’s Whole Foods, at kingjamesswann@gmail.com.