Hard Liver #6: Brouwer's Barleywine Fest

I'm a simple person and partial to anything that includes lots of little glasses filled with alcohol for me to drink. And while tastings can be a little too too for my taste, the Hard Liver scene at Brouwer's Belgian pub was anything but uppity. Hard rock. Fleece and tattoos. Stick-to-your-ribs Flemish fare. And lots of tiny snifters filled with amber drafts. Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws. Lompoc Old Tavern Rat. Skagit Shiver Me Liver. We tried them all, my friends. Ten at a time, lined up to match the names on the accompanying receipt. We stuck to the 3-ounce tasters for $2 a pop, although you could get 6-ounce glasses for $4 or 12 ounces for $6. Our small group, led by barleywine enthusiast Jordan, checked off the varieties as we ordered and studied each glass in turn. Well, we started out that way. Those teeny tiny glasses sneak up on you. Bottom line: this stuff is the rocket fuel of beers and meant for sipping, not glug-gluggin. With an alcohol content of 8-12%, many of the brews are as strong as wine, hence the confusing name. I hadn't had barleywine before, but you know what? It was goood. And definitely a fun time. In terms of the shoestring factor, you can plan to spend at least $15 per person depending on the number of people and snifters; no cover charge. Brought to you by the beer-savvy lads of Bottleworks, Hardliver runs all week. Brauwer's, 400 N. 35th St. (corner of Phinney in Fremont), 206.267.bier.