A good rauchbier has a strong smokiness, but you never forget you’re drinking a beer. A little smoke can go a long way. It’s an even tougher task for a brewer to make a smoked beer that’s based on a light-bodied golden ale or lager. Redhook Brewery’s small batch brewer Nick Crandell is well known for his venturesome, sometimes whimsical, beer recipes. He’s a brewer who’s not afraid to produce what even craft brewers consider offbeat, like a collaboration Rauch Helles with Chuckanut Brewery, which makes sense since both breweries have been in operation since the 1980s. The Rauch Helles captures the smoky flavors of a Rauch lager, combined with the gentle and easy-to-drink Helles lager. Rauch Hells will from flow from our Western red cedar tap log as part of our Lodge Meeting with Redhook Brewery. Other Redhook brews on tap at peaks and Pints include Big Ballard Imperial IPA, Bi-Coastal IPA and Salmon Safe Copperhook. One hundred percent of the sales of said Rauch Helles will be donated to the Tacoma Public Library. Friends of Tacoma Public Library advocacy group will be in the house chatting up books.

REDHOOK READS TACOMA, 6 p.m., Thursday, May 25, Peaks and Pints, 3816 N. 26th St., Basecamp Proctor, Tacoma, no cover