The South Sound attracts beer lovers the way a keg attracts red Solo cups, and five friends recently announced their Odd Otter Brewing Company, a taproom and brewery in downtown Tacoma, will open this summer.

I checked in with John Hotchkiss, a former Army physician, and chief operations officer for Odd Otter, to find out a little more about Odd Otter Brewing Company, its history and its future. Read our Q&A interview here.

The spicier, more potent cousin to ginger ale, ginger beer originated in England in the 1700s, but now is heavily associated with the Caribbean cuisine. The name "ginger beer" is actually a misnomer, as most commercial ginger beer is a soft drink and contains no alcohol. The beverage's potential for throat-scorching can make drinking it straight unpalatable. Trust me, it ain't Schweppes or Canada Dry. Therefore, most temper it with dark rum, à la Dark and Stormy cocktails, which always brings to mind pirates and Bermuda.

Ginger beer will not get you a buzz, but Crabbie's alcoholic ginger beer will, and fans of a spicier drinking experience will be able to find it in Tacoma starting next week.

Thursday, March 27, Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer (4.8% ABV) will hit the wooden bar at Doyle's Public House in Tacoma's Stadium District. From 6 to 8 p.m. Doyle's will offer Crabbie's Original and the new Spiced Orange, which recently became available throughout Washington, served chilled over ice with a slice of citrus, for $4 and in a special cocktail - The Ginger and Jamey, Crabbie's Ginger Beer and Jameson Irish whiskey - for $7.

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You don't hear it, do you? Bend an ear. No pitter-patter on the tin roof. Look outside. For a brief moment, it's not chilly or drizzling. It's not foggy or sleeting. The flagrantly unpleasant winter weather outside, weather that has slammed the South Sound since you kissed that stranger at First Night, is on hold for a brief second.

It's 57 degrees outside Walkie Talkie World Headquarters. Beach day! Let's grab a sixer and head to the beach.

Since weather and beer in on the brain, let me relay that Harmon Brewing Company announced it is one of the first brewers in the U.S. with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) label for its beer, issued through the Institute for Environmental Research and Education's (IERE) Earthsure program. According to a news release, "Earthsure, the first EPD program in North America, worked with five Pacific Northwest breweries last year to develop automated software for this science based eco-labeling for the beer industry. Partial funding for the project was provided by the city of Tacoma - the first Life Cycle City in America. Much like a nutrition label, the beer EPD is a disclosure of product data and analyzed the following impacts: Climate change, Stratospheric ozone depletion, Acidification, Eutrophication, Smog Profile Toxicity, Water Consumption and Land Use."

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Tacoma Beer Week begins its run today.

Well, check that. It technically began yesterday when The Red Hot tapped the Neo Noir IPA, the Black Belgian IPA brewed earlier this year during a group hug by brewers from "Narrows Brewing Company, Engine House No. 9, Pacific Brewing and Malting Co., Harmon Brewing Company, Tacoma Brewing Co., the Ram Restaurant and Brewery and Wingman Brewers."

Well, check that. A chap from Engine House No. 9 says the historic brewhouse didn't really have anything to do with it.

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Not long ago we were tough and dirty. Tacoma was a hard-living town - a place former mayor Harold Moss likened to war-torn Beirut. True, we still hold onto parts of our past edginess, and our working class mentality. But, in reality, Tacoma has grown into a town with a budding arts community and great local businesses. One need only review Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland's 2012 State of the City address to understand the cultural leaps we have made in just the last year. Additionally, according to the Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, since 1985 Tacoma's violent crime rates have been reduced by half - across the board.

Throughout all of this change and growth a common thread has stayed true for Tacoma's entire history - how Tacoma relates to its drink. ...

What magic fermented yeast, grain and water can become when proportioned correctly. Pilsners, lagers, Hefeweizens, ales (of all sorts); wheats, barleys, stouts and all the other delicious brews. 

It's enough to make a grown man cry.  The triumph of the ages: BEER.

To celebrate the fabulous concoction the third annual Tacoma Craft Beer Fest will take place Sept. 3.  This year the Craft Beer Fest will go down at the 21st Street Park on Dock Street. Those who purchase a ticket and gain entry receive a 5.5-ounce tester glass and 10 drink tokens to sample the plethora of brews that await.  Additional drink tokens are $1.50.  All profits this year will go to support the Boy and Girls Club of South Puget Sound. 

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"It's supposed to be through the parking lot and past the hotel," I remarked to my designated drinker and co-pilot Sarah M. She looked at me dubiously, probably thinking I was dragging her to another mystery spot the Weekly Volcano editors had added to my scavenger hunt of places to check out. We continued our journey. A water tower loomed through tree branches while passing The Inn at Gig Harbor, and then voila! This is where the Holy Grail of our trip to the Harbor laid.

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The common definition of the word "sport" usually goes something like this: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.  This vague definition leaves a lot open for interpretation.

A buddy of mine asked me whether or not I thought competitive eating was a sport. I actually do. What's that you say? There's no physical activity in eating? Don't make me laugh! Have you ever seen a person sweat while holding four hot dogs in their mouth at once? Have you ever tried to drink 10 pints in one sitting to be the first to hit an award-winning mark? Have you ever tried to hold in vomit?

That's a whole lot of physical activity, to be sure.

Tacoma has several competitive eating and drinking competitions underway.  Here's a taste:

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