Yesterday in the U District, Big Time's Ave Rat Malt Liquor began flowing. Eager Ave Rat lovers (pictured at left) descended upon the brewpub at noon and began a day of malt liquor debauchery that was still in full swing when I arrived at 6pm.  I'm not sure when the picture was taken, but I'm guessing it wasn't during the first beer of the day.

After having a couple pints of Ave Rat, I quickly understood why everyone carried on for over six hours and got so hammered. The beer is obscenely drinkable and packs a punch. I drank two pints in no time and felt a healthy buzz. Big Time Nat told me that the Ave Rat weighs in at somewhere between 6.5 and 7 percent alcohol. Not exactly a session beer.

Big Time first brewed the Ave Rat in 2007 and described it as "a strong pre-Prohibition West Coast adjunct lager, brewed with Pilsner malt, flaked maize, and Styrian Goldings." This year, the maize was replaced with rice. 

I'm not exactly sure about the genesis of the beer's name. After I grilled Nat for several minutes, all I could learn was that the name, like that of other craft brewed malt liquors, is "steeped in irony." Fair enough. I tried to convince him to line up a tasting for actual University Ave Rats, but he didn't think it was such a great idea.

In addition to the beer, Big Time has Ave Rat pint glasses ($5) and t-shirts ($15) in limited supplies. If you end up at the U District Street Fair this weekend, the weather will be hot, so stop by Big Time's special beer garden in front of the brewery and try a pint. Just be careful, because if you indulge in too much of the Rat, he might bite you where it hurts.