What is Belgium's greatest export? Waffles? Jean-Claude Van Damme?
Any beer geek will tell you, no country produces beer like Belgium. If you thirst for brews that offer the same tastebuds-attacking complexity of a fine wine, then your mission this weekend is simple. Go to the Muddy Pig's second annual Belgian Beer Festival.
This year, the Pig's 48 taps will cycle through 90 Belgian (and Belgian-style) beers. Several have never been in this market, owner Mark van Wie said. The St. Paul bar will offer single 5-ounce pours for $4, or three for $10. Seminars will be held today, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are selling fast.
EQ is back The new season of Bao Phi's Equilibrium spoken word series starts Saturday with performances by heavy hitters Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai and the Poem-Cees. These Def Poetry alums should provide a great night of tongue-twisting verbal fireworks at the Loft Literary Center. Tsai, from Brooklyn, commands the stage like a general (www.yellowgurl.com). The Washington D.C.-based Poem-Cees (Black Picasso and naturalaw-dp) are known for creating conversations made of rapid-fire rhymes (www.myspace.com/poemcees).
8 p.m. Sat. 1011 Washington Av. S., Mpls. $5 ($3 students and Loft members). 612-215-2575. www.loft.org
Dueling Entourages Is Minneapolis big enough for two "Entourage" parties? The hit HBO show about a group of Hollywood party guys might not be the most popular show on television, but its ball-till-you-fall attitude is perfect for a themed club night. Now two clubs are vying for the attention of clubgoers anxious to live the life of Vince, Drama and Turtle. This will be the fourth year the Annex has staged its wildly successful "Entourage" party, with prizes for the person with the biggest posse. But with former general manager (and the party's creator) Brandon Weston now at Bootleggers, that party bar has decided to host its own "Entourage" experience. The clubs have reportedly been bickering since both shindigs were announced, but now it seems both parties will go off without too much drama. Bootleggers will strike first this Saturday night. The bar will transform its interior into an L.A. nightclub with VIP service. The person with the largest entourage will win $1,000. On Oct. 2, the Annex will unveil its party -- often the club's busiest night after Halloween. The clubgoer with the biggest entourage will get a 40-pound championship belt, a free limo ride and a 10-person bottle-service package for a future date. Last year's winner came with 100 people.
Bootleggers: 8 p.m. Sat. 323 1st Av. N., Mpls. $5. Free with entourage. 612-940-2668. www.bootleggersmpls.com
Annex: 9 p.m. Oct. 2. 528 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. $8. Free with entourage. 612-338-1730. www.lonetreeannex.com