The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, Seattle had a unique beer festival that included music by several entainters, beer sampling and gourmet comestibles catered by McCormick and Schmick's. Some of the beers we sampled listed below were "Stationed" all around the museum on 2 levels, with the catered foods at different areas that made the lines for waiting under 1 min. The "Red Barn" where "Plant 1" built the first Boeing aircraft was the only section of the Museum not open to the public for this event, but the main floors of the musuem were fully opened up with Beer stations all about. Imagine sampling Goumet cheese next to an Spit IX or tasting a hoppy brew beneath the wing of an SR-71~!(Acutally, an A-12, but most folks recognize the SR-71 name)
I'm certain we sample all of them(yeah, right) and these were some of the brewerys that participated from all over the U.S., including several locals:
Alaskan Amber Ale(Alaskan Amber Ale and ESB)
Anchor Brewing Co.(Anchor Steam)
Bieres De Chimay(Chimay Premiere)
Big Sky Brewing Company(Moose Drool, Scape Goat)
Bridgeport Brewing Co (Pintale Copper Ale and IPA)
Deschutes Brewery(Black Butte Porter, Cinder Cone Red)
Diamond Knot Brewery(D.K. IPA)
Fish Brewing Co. (Fish Tale Organic IPA, Blind Pig)
Flying Dog Brewery( Flying Dog classic Pale Ale)
Hales Ales(Mongoose IPA, Irish sytle Nut brown)
Mac and Jacks Brewing Co(African Amber, Serengeta WHeat)
Mendocino Brewing Co.(Eye of hawk)
New Belgium Brewing Co.(Fat Tire)
Widmer(Hefeweizen, Blonde ale, Pale ale)
Pike Brewing(Pale Ale, Kilt Lifter)
Pyramid(their standard line up)
Redhook (Standard line up)
Rogue (Dead man Ale)
Sierra Nevada (Stand line up)
Snoqualmie falls Brewing co.(Copperhead Pale ale, Wildcat IPA)
Orchard Street Brewing(Porter and Pale)
Pacific Rim Brewing(Runway Ale, Alki Ale)
After what was the equivelent of "2 x 16oz beers" of sampling, the wife wanted to try out the new Full motion simulators loaded with what appears to be a Microsoft FS F-18A. Unbelieveable, this full motion simulator does every, upside down, full rolls,vertical dives and climbs!
After a quick briefing by a young gentlemen who had been working since 8am that morning, we were strapped in, and bars similiar to a roller coaster were drawn down over us...the lid was closed, and moments later we took to flight. At first I didn't understand why they piped in fresh air right into your face, then after 2 min of flight when the sweat started trickling down my forehead I understood why~! It was strange seeing in my peripherial vision my wifes hair hanging up side down as I performed barrel rolls and loops.
4 min. later the flight was done. A little wobbly walking out of the simulator, but what an experience! The graphics were okay, the Flight model left alot to be desired, but with full motion you tend to overlook these things.
It certainly was a grand event, with the Flight Museum with all its aircraft lit by spot lights as they hung from the ceilings, the "atmosphere" was something! Several types of Jazz music, individual entertainers moved the night into a seasoned festival.
The evening was capped off with fresh coffee and several varieties of pastries and cookies for all to absorb all the finest beers in the country !
Thanks 2Stoney, CMC Airboss for the heads up the Hops and Props event, along with the full motion sims...we had a hoot!~
