Wasn’t it Ritchie and Pottsie who got drunk drinking all of those “itty bitty” beers, only to have the Fonz bring them home plastered? Damn I am old. More than likely two-thirds of you have no idea I am referring to the ‘70s sitcom “Happy Days”

Well, I felt like those two when I attended the inaugural Dauphin Street International Beer Fest. Why? Twenty different bars and restaurants pour two-ounce cups of over 60 international beers for a mere $15. And if you tip well … I think you get the picture, as in a lot of itty-bitty beers.

On Aug. 26, from 6-9 p.m. you can have your own pub crawl or take the moda! around LoDa when Beer Fest returns. Tickets are limited, and went on sale Aug. 11 at any of the participating venues. The venues and their beers are below along with a description of one from each to assist in your planning. A lot of my information comes a reading of several reviews for each as found on beeradvocate.com as well as my memory.

Liquid – Hurricane Pale Ale, Sapporo Light and Dundee’s Amber. In the spirit of the storm season, you may want to try the Hurricane Pale Ale from Florida. The consensus is this medium beer has decent drinkability, with an orange-to-copper colored hue that has a slight fruity-yet-malt taste.

Wintzell’s – Guinness Draft, Widemier Hefeweizen, Dundee’s Pale Ale. Said to be one of the best wheat beers outside of Germany, the Widemier microbrew comes from Portland, Oregon with a deep-roasted flavor that goes down smooth with a “touch of lemon or orange.”

Hayley’s – Tetley, Dundee’s Honey Brown, Rogue Dead Guy. Just the name Rogue Dead Guy sounds like one has to take a few sips. It is another Pale Ale. Most reviewers raved about Dead Guy, with many saying it is the best American ale they have ever had.

Janino’s – Peroni, Woodchuck Cider Granny Smith, Yuengling Black and Tan. Peroni has been around since the late 1800s and is from Italy. I highly recommend this lager beer. It has a crisp, clear flavor.

Vision’s – Palma Louca, Heineken Light and Bavaria. Palma Louca hails from Brazil and most reviews were not stellar. The beer is “fizzy yellow” in coloration that smells of sweet corn and cooked vegetables (?) with a sweet corn and grassy flavor.

Heroes – Lindeman’s, Hazed and Confused, Pacifico. I found Lindeman’s to be a good, yet tart, sweet beer perfect for the hot summer.

Red’s – La Tropical Cubana Cerveza, Harp, Beck’s. I could find hardly any information on the Cubana, other than comparisons to Red Stripe, another beer that is excellent with a twist of lime during the hot summer days.

Boo Radley’s – Flying Dog Road Dog, Harpoon IPA and Newcastle. Newcastle is not exactly a summer time beer, but this was “my beer” for a long time. Full bodied, deeply caramel in color I enjoyed its slightly bitter, dark taste.

Grand Central – Sierra Nevada, Harpoon UFO, Steinlager. The Steinlager is deeply golden for a lager and has a smell that you expect something special awaits. Alas, it is said this New Zealand beer is lackluster in taste and quite watery.

Picklefish – Sapporo, Seadog Apricot Wheat Ale, Dos Equis Lager. Sapporo is a hot trendy beer at the moment, or at least I see a great deal of people in the know ordering it. Sapporo has a dry character with slight pale malt sweetness. It hails as the oldest beer in Japan.

Margarita’s – Stella Artois, Guiness Stout, Carlesberg. Stella is quite a beer, another Italian that is oft compared to Heineken. If you like heinny, you will enjoy this. People either love or hate this brew.

Bike Shop – Ultra Amber, Hurricane Reef Raspberry Wheat, Seadog Blueberry Wheat Ale. Seadog is from Maine and does have a blueberry taste, yet is said to really taste like beer. One reviewer said the berry addition “tastes like pancakes without the syrup”.

Krewe – Abita, Pilsner Urquell, Hobgobblin. After Katrina, should we not be supporting all things Louisiana? Drink some Abita.

Pat’s Place – Hoegaarden, Bud Select, Summer Ale. Hoegaarden is referred to as a light beer girls will love.

Cell Block – Amber Bock, Bass Ale, St. Pauli Girl Lager. All of these should be familiar to beer drinkers, I always liked Amber Bock, it tastes like Michelob yet darker and a good value for the money.

Café 615 – Peels, Shiner Blonde, Tilbura Dutch Brown Ale. Shiner Blonde is a light, dry beer with a slight twang of taste, compared with Bud but stronger and again, is said to be perfect for a hot, sweaty day.

Monsoons – Beck’s Premium Light, Moosehead, Redhook ESB. Moosehead was quite the beer when I was in college, a lager I found left a bitter, too sharp aftertaste in my mouth.

Garage – Anheuser World Lager, St. Pauli Girl Dark, Sierra Nevada Summerfest. Anheuser was made by a large consortium of brew masters across the world, and is a pilsner. Most comments were favorable, one said it tasted like Bud mixed with Heineken.

Soul Kitchen – Sam Adam’s Cherry, Redhook Blonde, Woodchuck Cider Amber. Woodchuck Cider Amber, you can guess, has an apple cider taste, but is supposedly very faint.

Martini’s – Brahma, Red Stripe, Flying Dog Tire Bite. Red Stripe, as I mentioned earlier, is a popular beer from Jamaica. The Brahma is another Brazilian (not waxing technique, but beer) that gives Corona a run for its money.

There they are. Drink up and enjoy, and see if you can get the moda! driver to bring you home.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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