The menu is finalized- come hungry & thirsty!

The menu has been finalized for “Old World, New Flavor” fare – gourmet “pub grub” to be served at The Big Brew Ha this Friday, April 27, 2012, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Mint Museum Uptown.  The menu will feature everything from Pierogis to savory pies and assorted toffees for dessert.  More than 200 people are expected for The Big Brew Ha.  Admission is $60 per person and tickets are selling out: http://thebigbrewha.eventbrite.com/.

Headlining the “Old World” culinary tour is Harvest Moon Grille, who will represent Central and Eastern Europe with Pierogis and Sausage Paprikash.  Polish Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened bread that can be filled with anything from potato to cheese.  Paprikash is Hungarian for paprika.  This spicy sausage is locally raised and grown, as are all dishes served at Harvest Moon Grille.

The Flying Biscuit Café will serve a European-style chicken pot pie.  Dandelion Market will stay true to their Irish roots with Baked Potato Croquettes, but will branch out with Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Dip.  Lone Cone Toffee will provide different flavors of “Old World” inspired toffees and sticky candy.

Brewing will be beverages of all kinds including “pour over” craft brewed java by Counter Culture Coffee and a wide variety of beers.  Bealer Distributors will feature Belgian brews: Shock Top Belgian White (wheat ale flavored with citrus rinds and coriander) and Stella Artois, which was originally brewed in Belgium in 1926 to limited release as a seasonal beer for the Christmas.  MillerCoors will provide Pilsner Urquell (the first pilsner in the world, brewed in Pilsen, Czech Republic), Leinenkugel Summer Shandy (lemonade flavor beer brewed by first generation German Americans in Wisconsin) and Peroni, the pride of Italy.  All attendees of The Big Brew Ha will receive a commemorative beer stein. 

Race tickets enter the Balloon Pop bevy!

As if you didn’t need enough incentive to come to The Big Brew Ha, the Balloon Pop prize possibilities just keep getting better!  We have received two tickets for the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the “History 300″ NASCAR Nationwide Series, Saturday May 26th, 2:45 race start time.  (This is the day before the Coca-Cola 600).  Great seats – General Motors section (value $41 each).

Eat slow, drive fast!

Come hungry to the Italian Club of Charlotte!

Everyone knows that Italy is known for it’s food.  Italians are known for feeding you – whether or not you knew you were hungry!  As a prize for The Big Brew Ha Balloon Pop, the Christopher Columbus Italian Club of Charlotte is offering Guest Passes to an Italian Club Meeting which includes dinner – that’s a $20.00 value, Brew Crew.  To learn more about the club and the meetings, click here.

Mangia!  Mangia!

 

Ciao! Italia Festival tickets

When you play The Big Brew Ha Balloon Pop raffle, you can win 8 tickets to the Ciao! Italia Festival in October.  You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten the Sausage & Peppers and heard the crooning of Franco Corso.  Thanks to the Christopher Columbus Italian Club of Charlotte.

Saturday, October 13, 2012 – 11 am – 7 pm

St. Matthew Catholic Church Education Center
8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway
Charlotte, NC

Ye Olde Brew Pong Rules & Regulations

Alright brew-pongers, we are less than one week away from the night you all have been looking forward to for more than a year (yes, I am talking about The Big Brew Ha!). If you are interested in participating in the Ye Olde Brew Pong tournament at this years event, please read up on the rules and regulations ahead of time so we can move swiftly through the evening:

YE OLDE BREW PONG RULES & REGULATIONS:

      1. Drinking. You are in no way obligated to consume alcohol to participate in this event. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages at any time during this event, you are doing so on your own free will. All participants must be 21 years of age to participate.
      2. Officiating. Official Brew Pong referees will have the final say in any and all disputes. Unsportsmanlike behavior will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Any team with sufficient disregard for the game of the people around will forfeit their spot in the tournament. If either player on any team is asked to leave by an official Brew Pong referee, the team as a whole will forfeit their spot at the table.
      3. First Shot: The team who shoots first will be decided by a coin flip.
      4. Shooting. A team must shoot both balls before the other team shoots.
      5. Leaning. Leaning is permitted so long as both feet remain on the ground and no body parts come into with the table.
      6. Hitting & Removing Cups. A ball shot into a cup is counted regardless of how it goes in. Each shot is worth 1 (one) cup. A bounced shot that makes it in is worth 2 (two) cups. If two consecutive shots make it in the same cup, it is still only counts for 1 (one) cup. As soon as the opposing team makes a cup, you must remove it from the shooting rack. The shooting team must wait until the cup is removed before the second ball is shot. The only exception to this rule is when only one cup remains for either team. If any team makes 2 (two) balls in the last cup consecutively, the game is over with no rebuttals (see rebuttals).
      7. Bring Backs. When a team makes 2 (two) consecutive shots in separate cups during one shooting turn, a “bring-back” is awarded and both players get a ball back.  If a cup is somehow knocked over, it counts towards the bring-back. 
      8. Re-racks. Each team can call for 1 (one) re-rack per game.  Cups can only be re-racked when 4 (four) cups or less remain. You may also only call for a re-rack at the beginning of your teams shooting turn.
      9. Bouncing. Bouncing is a legal shot and worth only 2 (two) cups.
      10. Interference. Balls shot by one player and are touched by an opposing player before the ball passes the edge of the table are returned to the shooting player as “re-shot.” Any interference after the first offense results in a  one-cup forfeit. The team whose shot was interfered with may choose which cup is removed.
      11. Distraction. A team may do whatever they feel necessary to prevent the opposing team from making shots, except: crossing to the opposing team’s side of the table; physically interfering with the other teams shot; touching or moving the table during a shot; covering or hiding cups from the shooters sight; or making air or wind interference anywhere near the cups or ball being shot.
      12. Rebuttals. When a teams final cup has been made, each player with a ball on the losing team will have the opportunity to shoot until (s)he misses, unless the winning team makes 2 (two) balls in the final cup, in which case the game is over.  If the team succeeds in hitting all of his / her opponents remaining cups, the game will go into overtime.
      13. Overtime. O.T. Will be played as a three-cup playoff. The team that put the match into O.T. Always goes second.  The team to make the final cup first in O.T. Is the winner. O.T. Is “sudden death;” there are no re-racks or rebuttals allowed.

Ye Olde Brew Pong Tournament

Welcome one, welcome all to the Ye Olde Brew Pong tournament!

Ye Olde Brew Pong head honcho, here. 

We are reallyexcited to be able to host another Brew Pong tournament at this year’s Big Brew Ha bash! If you participated in or even attended last year’s event, you know that the Brew Pong area was full of fun and excitement as 16 teams of two competed for both a grand prize as well as the title of Brew Pong Champion!  Well, here we are again, and here is your team’s chance to take the title of Ye Old Brew Pong Tournament Champions on Fri., April 27, (if you haven’t gotten your tickets, yet, what you are waiting for??)

With The Big Brew Ha festivities kicking off at 7:30 p.m., Ye Olde Brew Pong Tournament will begin between 8:00 and 8:15 p.m.  This year’s grand prize will be two FREE $100 Ticketmaster gift cards!! (a big thank you Joy Marie for donating this year’s grand prize!)  As with any tournament, Ye Olde Brew Pong will follow some of basic rules you can read through this weekend. Although we’re all for fun and games, I’m here to remind you, don’t get too rowdy or you will be tarred and feathered by the official brew pong referees (no, not really, just keep it under control!)

Come find me over at the Brew Pong tables before the tournament starts to sign up. Bonus points to you and your team if you come up with a super cool creative Olde World team name. ONLY THE FIRST 16 TEAMS TO SIGN UP WILL BE ABLE TO VIE FOR THE TITLE OF YE OLD BREW PONG CHAMPION, so make sure you get there early and sign up—we would hate to see you be all bummed out, forced to watch on the sideline because you got there late.

So, here’s the long and the short of it: come to the Big Brew Ha next Fri., April 27. Sign your team up for Ye Olde Brew Pong. Play Brew Pong. Have fun. Eat. Drink. ENJOY!

Hope to see you there!