The Civil Life just released its second Belgian Ale, a dubbel. Although this is the first time we brought a Belgian yeast strain into the brewery, and Belgian ales seem stylistically different from our mainstays, the abbey style dubbel is not that much of a departure. The dubbel is a type of brown ale (needless to say, the Civil Life is on firm ground here).
It’s a relatively recent style. Dubbels were first brewed in the mid-nineteenth century by Trappist monks at the Westmalle Abbey, but it wasn’t until 1926 when the abbey’s brewer, Henrik Verlinden, reformulated the recipe, that the dubbel as we know it today was perfected.
Unlike most brown ales, which are given their color from roasted malts imparting characteristic flavors of coffee or chocolate, dubbels get their brownish color from candi sugar, a deeply caramelized sugar syrup. Characteristic flavors from candi sugar include dried fruit, like raisins and figs, as well as burnt sugar or crème brulee notes.
The classic Belgian yeast strains impart herbal, fruity, and spicy notes. We followed Belgian tradition by fermenting our dubbel at higher temperatures, which intensifies those spicy and fruity notes. Belgian dubbel ales are typically dark and dry and relatively high in alcohol (6-ish to 8-ish percent) but don’t taste especially alcoholic.
Our Belgian Dubbel, at 6% alcohol, is somewhat lighter in color than is typical, but rich in taste, with some plum-like fruit and light caramel, and a delightfully spicy finish. It’s balanced, smooth, and exceptionally drinkable.
The origin of the name dubbel is not entirely clear, though nowadays terms like dubbel, tripel, and quadrupel (this last apparently an American invention) give a rough idea of alcoholic strength.
We could learn a thing or two from the Trappist monks who still brew these outstanding beers. The spiritual life they cultivate, marked by hard work and quiet meditation, is not impeded by drinking finely crafted ales, but enhanced by it. At the Civil Life, we are proud to brew within the honorable traditions they helped to create.
-Dr. Patrick Hurley, Resident Barman and Civility Expert Extraordinaire

 Jan. 16, 2014!  The Big Year Brown gets released!

UPDATED:  The nice article written by Pat at Feast can be read by clicking here.

This is big.  In honor of our Big Year coming up, we are releasing tonight in the pub our Big Year Brown the first in a series of 3 Civil Life beers that will range in abv from 6.5% to 7%. Dylan and I decided in December it would be fun to make a big version of our American Brown. We named it Big Year Brown for a few reasons.  None of which we are going to share.  Just kidding. 

Our Big Year Brown was so named to acknowledge the many changes that will be happening around the brewery this year.  We have added 2 60 bbl fermenters, which will be hooked up over the next month and are also in the process of ordering a canning line that should be operational by the end of August.   We will also be adding an additional Brewer this year and possibly even a few more employees. 

It is also important to mention that we are now available on draft in Southern Illinois with Koerner Distribution and the huge Illinois welcome has been heartwarming for us.  Thanks to Patrick Sullivan from Koerner for so kindly pursuing us and believing in what we do.  In St. Louis, big things are happening with our distributor as well, the good people at MoBev continue to get more draft accounts and most importantly keep us on tap at so many of St. Louis’ great restaurants and drinking establishments.  A special thanks to everyone at MoBev, they have been a pleasure to work with.

The first batch of our Big Year Brown is also a big thank you to our top accounts around St. Louis that have without a doubt poured so much Civil Life beer over the past year that we couldn’t help but acknowledge them with a thank you.  The first batch of this beer and the first batch of our second beer in this series the Big American Stout will be heading their direction. 

It is without a doubt the best way we could thank them for keeping us going here in South City.  When I was calling up some of our biggest accounts, I was explaining how important they are to us here.  I would explain that their purchases kept Dylan, Mike (for most of the year), Patrick, Chris and Joe employed.  Most importantly, it kept me off the streets.  Our top account, Bailey’s Range sold so much beer that it could have filled almost 3-20 bbl fermenters and Five Star Burgers in Clayton sold enough beer to fill 2 ½ fermenters.   And to round out the top three, the good guys at Amsterdam Tavern sold enough beer for just over 2 fermenters.  I’d mention our employees have jobs here only because of so many of our local draft accounts both big and small.  Just pouring a few Civil Life kegs a year helps but pouring massive amounts and keeping us on tap really keeps people here working. 

Rounding out the top ten were Mangia, Dressel’s, Flying Saucer, Royale, The Bridge, Crow’s Nest and McGurk’s!  Another nice testament to the power of local is that the Royale, Mangia and Amsterdam tavern are all within our Tower Grove South neighborhood.   You’ll also find the Big Year Brown at the Soulard Itap.  ITap  opened two new locations last year and has always been one of craft beer’s biggest supporters.  Our esteemed partners in Pigs & Pints, the Block Restaurant locations will get some as well.  We always must tip our hats to them for helping us put on Pigs and Pints and for always having Civil Life on draft.

But please don’t think for a second that I would forget about our smaller loyal accounts either, even though it looks like that right now. I was once an owner of a small shop as well.  The next round of Big Brown (which will be out in late March) will go to some of the many smaller accounts that don’t sell a massive amount of beer but are fiercely loyal to us.  There are so many of them that mentioning them all would take some time and quite frankly I would be upset if I left even one out.  But these are accounts that have dedicated one or two taps to us all year or rotate us in and pour massive amounts during that time.  We are very indebted to their loyalty and soon they too will be able to partake in the Big Year Brown as well.

So what’s next?  The next two beers in this series will be a Big American Stout and the Gordian Knot Bock which we are brewing for our friends at Stlhops.com.  Fearlessly led by the Great Mike Sweeney and @ericstl6 (rumor has it we are changing the name of our ESB to Eric’s Special Beer) they do an incredible job of keeping the St. Louis beer community informed and moving forward.  The Big American Stout will be released in the middle of February and the Gordian Knot Bock is looking like late March or Early April. 

We’ll be putting our 6.5 – 7 % beers away for the summer after the Gordian Knot Bock but rest assured, we’ll be tracking our top customers throughout the year and we’ll have a some late fall selections that will once again head to the most loyal Civil Life establishments.

And most importantly, our biggest thanks goes to you, our loyal customer with a true and undeniable thirst for sessionable ales and lagers. I have always said, “Ordering a Civil Life at any drinking establishment around town is as good as ordering at the Civil Life.” There is little chance it would remain on tap without the many loyal patrons who are constantly asking for and drinking our beers around town. Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

But in the meantime, we’ll get back to doing what we love best.  Making sessionable beers for everyone.  And honestly, we’ll have thank-you’s from here on out from time to time but our livers will always return to what we love best.  And that is simply several restorative pints, enjoyed over many hours while slipping into conversations with old and new friends. 

Cheers and all the best in this your Big Year,
Jake                                                                 Dylan Mosley                                                        
 Captain of the Barley Ship                   Head Beer Magician 

PS. This is the second time I wrote this.  The first draft was two pages and I was going to make it one page.  But alas, it is two pages again. 

A few years back when I was traveling on my drinkabout. I spent a good deal of time bounding from pub to pub in search of sustenance.  It was often a bowl of soup that would constitute a meal for me and fulfill the few dietary requirements beer was shockingly unable to provide.  The best soup I had was at a small restaurant by the name of Chata in Krakow, Poland.  I’ll always remember sitting there with a pint in my hand, thousands of miles from home eating Borscht and thinking, life’s pretty good.  It is the spirit of that soup and the constant search for a pub with great soup that we have geared our Sundays towards this restorative liquid that works well with our restorative pints.  

So every Sunday until March 9th 2014 (in case you somehow weren’t really reading this), we will simply have  SOUP SUNDAYS and our hours will run from 12 noon to 6 pm.  If the SOUP RUNS OUT IT BECOMES NO FOOD SUNDAY UNTIL THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY.  

We will be doing last call at 5:30 pm.  

The Soup selections for the inaugural Soup Sunday:

Potato Bacon Corn Chowder
Sweet Potato Roasted Fennel Bisque (Vegetarian)
Italian White Bean Sausage 

Each will be served with a chunk of Bread and will cost 5.50 (includes tax).

We’ll see you on the other side of the bar.  Cheers and our best wishes to you during the 2013-2014 Pub Season.  

Please don’t think that we have a corner on the Pub Season.  You can enjoy pub season at any pub or restaurant that serves Civil Life on draft!

Best yet, when Soup Sunday ends, BBQ SUNDAY BEGINS.  

Well, it’s that time of the year again. Quite frankly, I can’t believe it has been two years since we marched  from Tower Grove Park and down Holt with thousands of people (a bit of an exaggeration..200 to be exact) and the Irish Caledonian Pipe band to officially open the brewery.  Our 2nd anniversary also means we are now a mere 1,101 days away from our next parade and I can almost feel the anticipation. I am actually exceptionally good at feeling anticipation it’s a sort of a sixth sense for me. 

It is with great pleasure that we thank you for keeping us in business the last two years.  We thank you for coming down to our ole Pub and spending your hard earned cash (because we don’t take credit) and we thank you for seeking out our beers on tap around town.  Every once in awhile, someone will apologize for not coming in for a few months and they always seem to follow it with but I’ve been drinking Civil Life around town.  It is with heartfelt thanks that I say, “Drinking a Civil Life beer anywhere in town is as good as drinking it in our pub.” The truth is we really need all the kind restaurant and pub owners around town to pour our beers and they will only continue to carry them if they sell.  If the tops of our kegs get dusty because they aren’t moving, the Civil Life, well let’s just say it won’t be much of a life.  So thank you and thank you from the bottom of our livers.  Every Civil Life you purchase keeps our brewers off the streets. 

So this Saturday, September 21st, 2013 we have a bit of a party planned and we do hope you can swing by for a bit to enjoy a proper pint and toast our first two years. 

·      12:00 Pm Open for Business  
·      1:00 Pm Our 1st Oktoberfest for our 2nd Ann. will be released.
·      3:00 PM The State of the Beer Union Address 
·      3:26 PM Release of our 2nd Anniversary Logo
·      7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Jon Bonham and Friends play on our patio. 
·      11:00 PM Closed until Tuesday at 4:00 PM

We’ll have BBQ by Brendan, our newest hire.  Brendan will be taking over the kitchen as we bid farewell to Mike as he has decided to move to Florida to be closer to family.  Though, I keep telling people he is moving to Florida to retire.  Dylan and I are trying to find a way to get Florida to move closer to St. Louis and we will let you know if we figure anything out.  We'll also let you know when Mike's Deli Florida Style gets open.  

I’ll leave the rest of the announcements for our State of the Beer Union Address.  Last year, I finished it as I was walking to the stage to give the address.  This year I am hoping to have it done by 2:59.

Cheers,

Jake
Captain of the Barley Ship

If you miss the State of the Beer Union address there is an outside chance it will be on C-Span  

Well it’s back and it’s going to be even better than last years.  

What’s New:  Bigger Tent.  We super-sized from a 30 by 90 to a 40 by 100. We are having two bands play.  The first Bottoms up Blues Gang goes on at 12 noon and is followed by FolknBluesGrass at 2 PM  This is big news as it is a reunion for FolknBluesGrass and they will be crushing it till 6 PM. You can imagine our excitement to find out we got our first choice and didn’t have to get Eric Clapton.   Also:  Food will be out from 1 to 3 PM and we are increasing the number of food lines so the line will move twice as fast.  

Two new beers from the Civil Life.  Our Strong Bitter will debut at 12 noon and at 2PM we will debut our first IPA~ English Style!  

What’s the Same:  The Block is Back!  They have a new location in the CWE and the original location in Webster is still on my list of favorite places to eat. They have been a big supporter of the Civil Life and I am not sure we would even do Pigs & Pints without them.  The food last year was stellar.  KIDS activities from 12 noon to 2 pm.  We have a Face painter and Balloonist coming back and we will have a special kid zone as well. 

Skip from Bogart’s and Mike from Pappy’s arranged last year to help us with the massive amount of pig to be cooked and they are helping again this year.   These are St. Louis institutions and if you haven’t been to both you very likely are going to get a revoked St. Louisan card in the mail, an eviction notice and possibly a one way ticket to outahere. 

Mac’s Local Buys who sources your local meats is sourcing the Pigs from Nick Kluesner for round Two.  Chris was really the whole reason Pigs and Pints part one even happened.  I was just sitting around here eating bon bons, sipping on martini’s with those fancy umbrellas trying to ring the Bull when one day he showed up and was like, “I remember you from when we were kids.”  He told me about Macs Local Buys a way to source local proteins and whammo Pigs & Pints was born.  

We’ll be getting bread from our good friends at Companion Bakery and almost a full ton (sort of joking) of ice cream from The Range!  

We luckily didn’t have to turn people away last year but this year we are limiting tickets and it will sell out.  Please arrange today to purchase your tickets.  AVAILABLE AT THE BREWERY!  CASH ONLY. $45.00 adults. Kids 5 to 12 $7.00.  Under 5 Free!  Under 5 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.  Actually anyone coming should be a responsible adult. 

This is an all day event.  Organize a group of friends and get a table.  The price did go up a few dollars as we included tax in the total this time.  But show me another beer event for $45 (tax included) that goes on for 6 1/2 hours, is all inclusive, has two new beer releases, is ordering over a pound of pig per person, plus sides plus ice cream, is being held on Sunday, May 19th at 3714 Holt and and I’ll give you your ticket for free!

AVAILABLE NOW!  I had over ten people tell me Pigs & PInts 2012 was the best day of their life!  Don’t be the person we have to turn away on May 19th.  No one likes to see grown adults crying in the street, it may actually affect the supreme amount of fun everyone with tickets is having. 

Well that’s the story, and we’re sticking to it.  Typos and all.  

Hello kind purveyor and imbibers of our malt-driven beverages, 

First of all, thanks for carrying (Drinking) the Civil Life in your pub/restaurant this past year. We can’t thank you enough for helping this small company become a bigger small company.        

Great actors, musicians and artists have often changed their original names.  Did you know these? 

Calvin Broadus Jr. to Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion
Caryn Johnson to Whoopi Goldberg
Marc Sinclair Vincent to Vin Diesel
Prince to a Symbol
Steven Demetre Georgiou to Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam
Puff Daddy to P.Diddy to Diddy
Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco
William Henry Pratt to Boris Karloff

And the biggest one yet:

British Bitter to English Pale Ale

There is a big part of me that wants to remain a traditionalist and acknowledge that the rightful name of this beer is the same name this beer goes by in England. But there is a bigger part of me that wants this beer to be more accepted by our patrons just getting into craft beer who may not be familiar with the style.  This bigger part of me also wants to continue meeting my debt obligations to a local bank.  

The beer will remain exactly the same. Only its name will change. Best yet, it’s in stock at MoBev.  The British Bitter (now English Pale Ale) was featured this month in Feast!  

Cheers and thanks for understanding and more importantly thanks for reading or acting like you are reading this while thinking about something else.  It’s okay, I do it to! Most importantly thanks again for pouring the Civil Life. It means a lot to us and MoBev our fearless distributor.  MoBev will be around soon to change out the tap handle (read place sticker over Bitter).  Feel free to keep it as British Bitter if you have it on printed menus until the time comes to reprint.  Please contact me if you need to, I am always glad to hear from accounts pouring our beer.   

Cheers,

Jake Hafner  
Captain of the Barley Ship

MOST IMPORTANT:  PUB SEASON BEGINS THIS SUNDAY NOV 4th, 2012 from 3 to 8 at the Civil Life.  NOT OPEN ALL SUNDAYS YET...STAY TUNED. 

Second most important:  I considered crafting an entirely new post about this but really think my splendid blog post with a few modifications from last year should be the standard post about the beginning of Pub Season. I believe this post is worthy of reading at least once a year.  Just as I believe keeping the Civil Life in your life is as important as making sure things like water and oxygen are accessible.  I may be a bit biased but I tend to rank things in this order.  Civil Life, food, water.  Some people may put food and water first and some people choose to leave out food and water claiming there is a sandwich in every glass and that beer is mostly water.  They are not entirely wrong but leaving out Mike’s deli just seems like a bloody downright horrendous way to continue one’s existence on this planet.  

From last years post: (modifications included)

“I am a pub traditionalist. I believe in the sanctity of a dark stained bar, the perfect head on a well-poured pint and I will never, never grow tired of tapping a handle and filling a pint to set down on a bar.  It is unfathomable to think I could grow weary of seeing two mugs clicked together, tapped on the bar and then lifted to it’s final destination of it’s journey.  I believe great pubs are like old friends and the comfort you feel in a pub is as good as the comfort you feel when you slip into your own bed at night.  I believe there is no better place to catch up with friends.  I believe that “session” pints have a restorative quality.  I have found that after two pints, I become more introspective, less inclined to worry about the trivial and more inclined to accept where I am in this incredibly huge world.  I believe unplugging from the 24 hour news cycle is the best thing a person can do and the best place to do that is to plug into a pub.  I believe magical blinking boxes are essential for Sports Bars but true purist owned pubs are best when conversation doesn’t have to compete with visual distractions.  

Throughout the course of history.  Pubs have served as societies public living room.  The place to console, the place to celebrate and most importantly the place to just be.  Great pubs serve as training grounds for perfecting the art of conversation in a world that has seen communication surge in forms that take for granted the ability to see a facial expression, the realness of a firmly shook hand and the sound of a voice standing proudly on it’s own without the protection afforded by an illuminated screen or the sound of a clicking keyboard.  I would have preferred to deliver this message to you in person and if over the course of the last year you have become a regular in our pub, you most certainly understand where I am coming from.

Revolutions have begun in pubs and many great thinkers have found solace in their protective walls.  Throughout the course of history many writers, musicians, artists, businessmen and women, politicians and lawyers have entertained, debated and completed business in the confines of their favorite pub.  

Truthfully though and this is the impetus for this blog post, what makes a pub great isn’t any of those professions.  A pub doesn’t put much stake in what you do.  It puts stake in who you are.  Pubs are the great equalizer.  One of the few places the struggling can sit next to the privileged.   A rare place where laborers are just as likely to be found sitting next to suits.  Both professions can afford our restorative pints. And to a great pub, it recognizes them as equal contributors to the world we drink in.  

I gladly acknowledge that the laborers that helped build this place were equally important as my accountant, my lawyer and the ridiculous bank that foolishly lent me money.  It takes a lot of people to make this blue marble go round.  And it takes a lot of people drinking lots of pints to have a thriving pub.  Most importantly pubs put stock in regulars and if you aren’t a regular in our pub or any pub, I hope you consider finding a pub where you can be a regular this 2012-2013 pub season.  Find a pub where a bartender takes the time to learn something about you and is glad to see you arrive.  Find a pub that beckons you to return and parting ways is always a, “See you next time” rather than, “good-bye.”  If you haven’t been to a pub in a while.  It’s okay, we always welcome you back with open arms.  We accept all civil people that believe that the real answers to humanity rely on people from of all walks of life being able to sit across a community table. 

Our second Pub Season is ushered in this Sunday, Nov 4. from 3 to 8 pm. The first day when daylight ceases it’s summer power play on after work/ evening outdoor events and then suggests to everyone that the comfort of a warm pub will get you through the winter.  Come on down, sit at the bar and let us pour you a pint.  Many years from now you will realize I was right and the day you read this email was perhaps the first day of the rest of your pub life or maybe this re-cycled blog post can become the validation you need to continue being a regular at our pub or any pub you choose.  But choose a pub you must, your future and the future of our country depends on it.  

NOTE: Pub Season runs from Daylight Savings time to Daylight Savings time.  After daylight savings time we transition quickly into Beer garden season.  Thus without fail, you will always have a season and a reason to come to the Civil Life.  

Cheers!

Jake 

Our First Birthday Party!  It begins this Friday and continues through Sunday!  

Don't have time to read or just ho-hum on the whole reading makes you smarter thing.  See the detailed event list at the bottom of this.  Next year we'll have pictures! 

It is with great pleasure, we announce the festivities surrounding our one year Birthday party.  It’s true, we’re one.  We made it and we are having the most Civil of celebrations beginning Friday Sept. 28th and ending on Sunday Sept 30th.  Please come celebrate with us. 

So here goes.  Get your drinkin’ shoes on, tune up your liver, celebrate the fall and help us, help those that couldn’t locate our place.  Tell your friends, have your friends tell friends and have those friends tell their friends until you hear it back from a friend of a friend.  Then stop, enough people know.  

Put it on your calendar.  Shout it from the mountain or in St. Louis find a big hill or even at least a moderate incline. Inform people in the most kind Civil manner from the top of your lungs in your best opera arietta that our one year birthday is not to be mistaken with a one year old’s birthday.  We at the Civil Life pride our selves on our cake eating ability.  Best yet we deliver something one year olds can't partake in and that's some of the best restorative session ales St. Louis has ever laid their livers upon.

Things will get going here Friday night at 7:50 with the unveiling of our sign between the two brick columns on our patio. It will be followed by real live music with Jon Bonham and Friends playing on our patio that evening. These are the cats that played last year at our Grand Opening.  They are really not cats as you may have guessed as cats due to the lack of opposable thumbs are unable to hold up the neccessary guitar/instrument to play music.  (We have a customer that commented on an opposable thumbs comment before and laughed a bit about it so it is a re-cycled joke in this email and only original because this time it pertains to cats rather than dogs. But we are a company that believes in Recycle, Re-use and Re-purpose whenever possible.)

Each year on our Birthday we will be introducing another logo and Saturday, September 29th is the day it will happen. At 2 pm, I will start my State of the Beer Union Speech (it's best that you have indulged in a few restorative session pints before this speech) and it will be followed by the unveiling of our new logo!  Now, hold on.  The guy with the two mugs will always be our main logo but a chap like that would most certainly have many comrades in consumption and each year we will introduce another one. After the speech we will introduce the new logo and allow a very controlled Civil approach to an area selling the new coasters, t-shirts, hats, growlers and stickers.  The civil approach to the table will be most unlike those horrendous Black Friday free for alls for discounted items that will break in a year or a few days after their warranty expires.  And yes, you~  Smart Civil patron of the Civil Life can participate in the naming of our logo and win prizes! 

The new logo is a highly guarded secret and only a few people’s eyes have yet to even see it.  They are all still alive. In fact, it is being reported by several major news reporting stations and one scientific foundation created by us in our spare time that people seeing the logo have extended their life into the next century possibly millennium or at least until our next parade. Results due in 4 years. Those few people have also noted increased work performance, stamina, sight and one of them is planning on cracking the final Kryptos code by next weekend!  Of course this is after she finds the cure to Cancer.  I told her. Cancer first, Code second.    

As a result we have been on high alert here at the brewery for quite some time.  Our security cameras have caught several people going through our dumpster.  We most certainly believe it was due to the new logo in hopes that a test version was discarded in haste.  But it may have been for small morsels from some of Mike's Deli or cans in our recycling bin.  Hey sandwiches here are only $6.00. It 's the best dealio in town and everyone knows that rarely does a sandwhich go unfinished at the Civil Life. Sometimes a person will not finish their fourth sandwich, but they mostly take that with them rather than put such fine artistry in the rubble bin. But I digress, back to the festivities. Please allow me get your mind out of our dumpster.

Our new friends at Kitchen Kulture, who provide food at the Tower Grove Farmers market have put together a most splendid menu for Saturday and will be serving it from 3 to 8 pm Saturday and 1 to 4 pm on Sunday.  Come by and meet them and enjoy some fine food.  Some of it is beer inspired.  They are righteous peeps and believe in good food and the kitchen life.  Their most excellent t-shirts will be for sale as well and you can find them every week at the Tower Grove Farmers market.

Also on Saturday, we have our “We’re one year Alt beer!” being released, we were able to get the highly sought after Pat Manis "Jukebox Pat" to guarantee showing up on Saturday and kick it our the jukebox.  He’ll be playing music on the jukebox from noon to 2. This is "Jukebox Pat's" first official JukeBox session.  He normally is a silent DJ, a behind the scenes Jukebox hero here at the Civil Life.  While he is playing the jukebox we quite often we hear, "I love the music here." Nope that's not the music that's "Jukebox Pat" that you love.  We then have some real live humans that go by the names Brian Curran and Adam Andrews playing from 6 to 8 and The Lonesome Threesome will be here from 8:30 to 10:30.  Possibly more...stay tuned.  

Sunday is Funday.  Adults and kids are welcome.  We have kids activities (balloonist, face painter, stiltwalker/performer, kids games from between the hours of 1 to 4 pm) and for the Big Kids we have drink specials from 4 to 7 and Barbara and John playing music on the patio from 5 to 7. One should take note: drink specials begin after the kids activities have ended and one should note...we are the most Civil of places and soon will have a sign telling you the same thing so it has to be true.  True public spaces are open to everyone and the best public spaces in the world involve kids, parents and adults interacting. It often means both are on their best behavior.  And besides, it gives me a chance to see my nieces and nephews which is something I don’t get to do enough. 

Kitchen Kulture will be serving food (kid friendly options as well) from 1 to 4 pm. 

Sunday at 7 pm will mark the time that it will be 365 days till our 2nd Birthday and only 1460 days until our next Parade.  I know you can’t wait for those events as well but coming to this event helps insure those happen!  Cheers!  

I can't thank everyone enough for helping us make it through our first year.  At one point, we were on the verge of running out of money before we ever opened.  Actually for the record, make that more than one point. We barely got open and it did take a bit for this ship to get moving.  But I, Jake Hafner as the self-proclaimed Captain of the Barley Ship proclaim yet again that we are most certainly here to stay because of you.  A special thanks to all of you in St. Louis that serve our beers and to all of you that order Civil Life beers when you're out around town.  A big thanks to our great distributor Mo-Bev and the kind people that work there. And thanks to all of you for ordering so many local beers from many of our good friends that brew craft beer in St. Louis and are striving to change this city.  I have been a bartender/waiter for over 13 years of my life and this past year has been the greatest.  Every day so many kind people, say hello and thank us for bringing the Civil Life to earth. Despite Dylan's wishes to open up inter-galactically first, I know we made the right choice- right here in St. Louis, Mo.  And most importantly, so many of you return again and again. And continue to order our beers around town.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Should I mention yet again, how much we thank you for ordering our beers around town. Dylan, Mike, Patrick, Chris and I and a whole team of talented people are confident in our mission.  Over the course of the last year, we haven't strayed nor will we from our high standards to deliver great restorative session beers without compromise.  Most importantly, we will never rest in our pursuit of the perfect pint believing that no matter how good of a beer we make, our best beers are still ahead.  And we will always believe that we merely are servants to the Session Pints we make and that the kings are the people who spend their hard earned money on the Civil Life.  Cue theme music now...

To this we say unequivocally, "Good cheer, good beer, always on tap here!"  while Dylan says, "Klaatu, Barada, Nikto."

FRIDAY, SEPT 28th

SIGN Dedication at 7:50 PM (Between the two brick columns) No Longer will people be able to ask, "Why don't you have a sign?" To which, they regret when I say, "Because we don't have any money." We still won't have much money but we had enough to buy a sign!  

AIRPLANE FLY-OVER  (still being arranged... it’s possible we may just wait for a random plane to fly over.) This may be smaller than you hope or bigger if we are lucky.  

MUSIC 8 to 10 PM Jon Bonham and Friends 

SATURDAY, SEPT 29th

MUSIC  12 to 2 pm PAT MANIS "Jukebox Pat"

              6 to 8  Brian Curran and Adam Andrews

              8:30 to 10:30 The Lonesome Threesome

And more!  

 NEW BEER!  “We’re one year Alt!”  Released at 1 pm! (Dylan Named it!) 

STATE OF THE BEER UNION ADDRESS 2 pm!  (DON’T MISS) 

NEW LOGO (DON'T MISS) (Our logo gains a comrade in consumption)  Released 2:10 pm Saturday.  Hats, coasters, t-shirts, soccer shirts, growlers, stickers will be for sale

FOOD Kitchen Kulture catch them at the Brewery from 3 to 8 (Menu Below) 

SUNDAY, SEPT 30th

 (FAMILY EVENT:  ALL WELCOME) 

FOOD:  KITCHEN KULTURE (MENU BELOW) 1 to 4 PM

BALLOONIST 1 to 3 PM

FACE PAINTER 1 to 3 PM

KIDS GAMES 1 to 2:30 PM

PERFORMER JOSH ROUSH 3 to 4 PM

MUSIC:  TOM HALL 3 to 5!

ADULTS DRINK SPECIALS FROM  4 to 7 ($2 1/2 Pints and $4 Pints) 
MUSIC:  5 to 7 Barbara Weathers and John Higgins play on the patio 

MORE TO COME!  

KITCHEN KULTURE MENU 9/29 (Sat) 3 to 8 and 9/30 (Sun) 1 to 4 

Chicken and mushroom skewers with chimichurri grilled corn with cilantro lime butter
Pulled Pork and pork belly cabbage wraps with papaya slaw and hoisin
Ratatouille Skewers over parmesan polenta

Ala Carte Sides:
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Grilled Corn
Papaya Slaw

SUNDAY FUNDAY KIDS OPTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE 1 to 4 

Sunday at 7 pm will mark the time that it will be 365 days till our 2nd Birthday and only 1460 days until our next Parade.  I know you can’t wait for those events as well but coming to this event helps ensure those happen!  Cheers!  

Our esteemed bartender, Dr. Patrick Hurley (yes, he has a Doctorate in English) came to me a few months back with a great idea to celebrate Bloomsday in our pub.  At first, I thought.  What is Bloomsday? Then I thought, people don’t read anymore, but then I remembered the millions of people that go to our website every month and I figure if they are coming to our web-site they most certainly read (although we do have quite a few good pictures).  And as I think about it a bit more, if they are reading our web-site maybe they would every once in a while read something with substance, something maybe like a book.  Then I thought, people do read and they should read and often when I look around the bar I notice a few trusty regulars that are carrying the reading torch.  They show up to have a restorative pint with a book in hand.  

It has always been quite interesting to hear Patrick talk with our customers about the many books they are reading or the ones he has read. I have spent many a night over the past years (around 10 or so now) speaking with Patrick and when he decided to try on bartending shoes last August, I quickly realized we had yet another asset to our wonderful pub.  

So what is Bloomsday? 

Bloomsday in Dublin is a tremendous celebration.  Many pubs around the city will host readings of the entire Ulysses novel by James Joyce. The entire novel occurs on June 16th and the main character is a gent by the name of Leopold Bloom. Thousands of people partake and patrons/ James Joyce enthusiasts read sections of his novel throughout the day.  This is no easy feat mind you as reading it encompasses many hours beginning late the night before and heading into the day.  Thus it takes many people to read the entire novel or just one incredibly adept speed reader.  

Someday we hope to be able to present the novel in it’s entirety. For this our first Bloomsday, we thought we would take it in small portions like pulling up a chair at a pub and ordering a half pint.  If you would like to sign up to read please contact us at bloomsday@thecivillife.com Please stop by and Patrick would be more than happy to help you pick out a section to read.  We have several copies of Ulysses in our library.  Yes we have a library and yes it is, pardon my oxford english, (start accent now) it is superbly kick ass. (stop speaking funny now) 

We will be reading excerpts throughout the day from 12 noon till 10 pm on Saturday the 16 of June!  Please, stop in and please consider reading a section from Ulysses.  Whether it be for 30 seconds, 5 minutes or an hour!  I am having Patrick pick out a nice scene for me to read sometime during the evening so you probably will have to stay all night just so you don’t miss it.  Patrick will kick off the festivities around 12:30 pm just as our customers begin enjoying the first round of gorgonzola sandwiches (from Ulysses).  

Please sign up today and if you can’t read don’t worry about it, but how did you get so far down the page in this blog post?  Makes one wonder, especially me.  

bloomsday@thecivillife.com

Maybe imbibing in a trusty pint will get you reading again.  Stay tuned as big news about the Civil Life Book Club is coming soon.  We will begin meeting once a month beginning this August.  

Please forward this link to anyone you know who can read.  Even better forward to anyone you know who likes to drink and read.  

Cheers!