6-Pack of Things To Do Nov. 4-6 2022

The world ain’t so bad. In our day, we had to dial rotary phones with our fingers. We had to wait four days for a letter. Buy records in a store. Read a map. Use dial-up modems. Now one can plan weekend events via the 6-Pack of Things To Do Nov. 4-6 2022 newsletter produced by a craft beer lodge. Yippee!

HOPPY HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE: The holiday season is a time to be charitable, and there are scores of specific ways to donate in Pierce County this winter. Usually, that means donating cash, but that isn’t the only way to help our fellow neighbors. Douville Home Group, in partnership with Peaks & Pints, has kicked off the fourth annual Hoppy Holiday Food Drive, where Pierce County breweries and cideries come together to support the Emergency Food Network. Through Nov. 29, 2022, 14 breweries and cideries will collect non-perishable food items and hygiene products to be distributed to thousands of Pierce County residents in need. Then join the breweries, ciders, Emergency Food Network, and Douville Home Group at Peaks and Pints on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, for a final weigh-in, announcement of our Hoppy Holiday Tap Handle Trophy winner, and raffle drawings for sweet brewery swag. Visit hoppyholidayfooddrive.com for a list of breweries and to make cash donations in the name of your favorite participating brewery or cidery.

BEER FLIGHT: We’re going to see some weather this weekend in Western Washington. The North Sound and South Sound will see the worst of the rain, with 1 to 3 inches of rain expected north and 1 to 4 inches expected south of Tacoma. Rivers will quickly rise as relentless heavy rain pounds the area through Friday afternoon and early evening. Wind will also be a factor for the Puget Sound area on Friday afternoon, with potential gusts in the 35 to 50 mph range. Snow levels will quickly plummet early Saturday morning, so anything that falls Saturday and Sunday will be snow over the Cascade passes. Temperatures will continue to drop through the week. There’s talk of snow Sunday and Monday in the lowlands. Sounds like it’s a good time to drop a to-go flight of bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts. Stop by our craft beer lodge today and grab Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Bourbon Barrel Stout Flight. 11 a.m. to midnight, Peaks & Pints, 3816 N. 26th St., Basecamp Proctor, Tacoma

GRIT & GRAIN PODCAST: The Grit & Grain Podcast couldn’t get enough of Steve Luke’s wisdom and beer name ideas, so we invited the Cloudburst Brewing founder back for Episode 18. This second episode with Steve dives deeper into his Elysian days, pumpkin beer thoughts, the opening of Cloudburst, his fresh hop award winning ways, and, of course, F-up stories. To listen to Grit & Grain Episode 18, visit gritandgrainpodcast.com or search your favorite podcast mediums, including Channel 253. Be sure to also follow Grit & Grain on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to discover new Cloudburst beer names that are better than Butterfly Sugar Baby, Old Razzy Putin, Freshious Medals, and I Think We’re Done Here IPA.

BEER AND A MOVIE: In the early 1900s, John Hamrick opened the Blue Mouse Theatre for vaudeville and movies screenings in several Pacific Northwest cities, including Astoria in 1922 and Proctor District Tacoma in 1923. The 1922 Astoria fire destroyed the Blue Mouse, but Hamrick pledged to reopen the theater on Christmas Day that same year. Hamrick was successful and gave Astoria a Christmas present when the Blue Mouse reopened in the Lovell Building, the future home of Fort George Brewery. Since the Proctor District Blue Mouse is a block away from Peaks & Pints, we were thrilled when Fort George agreed to brew our 2022-23 house beer and name it the Blue Mouse IPA. Stop by Peaks this weekend for a Fort George Blue Mouse IPA before or after seeing Amsterdam at the Blue Mouse. Set primarily in 1933, the impossibly star-studded screwball mystery is inspired lightly by the true story of a planned fascist coup to remove FDR from the White House. The cast is led by Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie as two soldiers and a nurse who meet during World War I and form an impassioned friendship. As the film jumps back and forth from their time in postwar Amsterdam to their experiences stateside 15 years later, we see a cavalcade of stars and ceaseless cameos: Chris Rock! Robert De Niro! Zoe Saldaña! Michael Shannon and Mike Myers as a pair of bird-watching spies! Rami Malek and Anya Taylor-Joy as two blue-blooded freaks! Even Taylor Swift for a moment! 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4-Monday, Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m. matinee Saturday and Sunday, Blue Mouse Theatre, 2611 N. Proctor St., Tacoma

BREWALLUP: Washington pioneer Ezra Meeker is credited with launching the state’s hop industry, though he credits his father, Jacob R. Meeker with that honor, noting that Jacob Meeker didn’t live to see valuable results that came from what he first planted. The Meekers planted hops in the Puyallup Valley in 1865. Raise a glass to Puyallup Valley’s hops heritage while sampling craft beers at the Brewallup Craft Beer Festival Saturday. More than 25 breweries will pour while live music fills the Washington State Fairgrounds. Noon to 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5, Ninth and Meridian, Puyallup, $30

TACOMA DISTILLERY FESTIVAL: Spirits will soar at the Tacoma Armory Saturday afternoon when Tacoma Arts Live hosts the Tacoma Distillery Festival. With a focus on Northwest distilleries, spend the afternoon meeting the makers as you discover your new favorite tipple to purchase and take home just in time for the holidays. Tickets a souvenir shot glass and six tasting tokens. Local artists and makers will also have booths with crafts and goods. 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, Tacoma Armory, 1001 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma, $10-$50 at Tacoma Arts Live Box Office