Category: USA

While Double IPA and Barleywine Festivals get all the press and crowds, it’s the smaller events that are the backbone of SF Beer Week. These events mostly happen during the week, away from the adulation of the big crowds. Last year, during the inaugural SF Beer Week, we sat on the sidelines for the midweek events. Not so, this year; we wanted to get more of a Beer Week experience.

After two days of rest from opening weekend, on Wednesday, Merideth and I ventured up to the South Bay for a Beer and Cheese pairing event at Firehouse Grill and Brewery. Organized by Peter Estaniel, the cheese was provided by the Milk Pail Market in Mountain View. Most important, the beer was provided by our friend, Steve Donohue, Head Brewer at Firehouse. A couple of Steve’s beers were poured as well as a selection of brews chosen by him. These were heavy on the Belgians and Belgian-styles but included American classics Bear Republic’s Racer and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. In total there were 25 cheeses and a dozen beers to sample.

Since we weren’t doing our own event this year, we wanted to help others out when we could. When Peter put out the call for helpers, we gladly volunteered. Our shift was the first half of the event and our job was to pour the aforementioned Racer 5 and Bigfoot. We also had a pitcher of Steve’s tribute beer to Bill Brand, an Imperial Red. The three cheeses on our table were blues.

People started coming in a little before 7pm and we were quickly pouring beer and fielding questions about cheese. Luckily, the beer and cheese pairing wasn’t structured. The idea wasn’t to be told what beer and cheese to pair together. Rather people were encouraged to wander around and discover for themselves which beer and cheeses paired well together. Merideth and I thought this was a great idea because it fit in well with our ‘find your own beer adventure’ beer travel beliefs. I coined it “build your own beer and cheese experience.”

In a very relaxed setting, groups of people wandered between cheese and beer stations sampling the offerings. As the crowd flow permitted, Merideth and I took turns visiting the other stations and sampling. We were even able to mingle and chat with friends.

Turns out the best beer and cheese pairing for me was right in front of my eyes. The fresh, hoppy 2010 Bigfoot paired very well with the English Blue Stilton. Pairing aside, my favorite cheese was a Horseradish Havarti from Wisconsin. I love horseradish! When is a brewer going incorporate it in a beer? Merideth, when asked what she liked best, wisely commented, ” I liked the cheese…”

And despite the presence of some of my all time favorite beers like Rodenbach, Racer 5 and Orval, the beer of the evening for me was Steve’s Bill Brand Imperial Red. Sentimentality aside, it was a beautiful 10% ABV hop monster.

After our shift, we chatted with friends and tried a few more cheeses and beers. Remembering our ‘it’s a marathon’ mantra, we decided to pack it in and head home. SF Beer Week’s closing weekend was rapidly approaching and we needed our beauty rest.

I’d like to start with a confession; we had never been to the Bistro in Hayward. It opened the same month, January 1994, we left Oakland to move back home. In the subsequent 16 years, we spent quite a bit of time in the East Bay. But, we never thought of stopping in Hayward. Even with the Bistro’s legendary beer festivals, we never managed to attend any of them. But this year’s SF Beer Week, for us, is about trying new things.

The Bistro’s Double IPA Festival is one of the anchor events of SF Beer Week. The 2010 edition was the 10th Annual and featured 58 beers, most Double/Imperial IPAs.  There was also a few oddball strong beers thrown in. Earlier the week, our attendance looked like it could be in jeopardy. A 70-80% chance of rain in the forecast didn’t bode well for this outdoor festival. I just didn’t see myself sipping hop bombs in the rain.

Saturday morning dawned overcast and drizzly, not the heavy rain that I thought was forecast. The weather no longer seemed to be a problem. But we encountered another hurdle. The previous evening Merideth and I thought it was a great idea to head down to 21st Amendment after SF Beer Week’s Opening Gala to try some of their Strong Beer Month brews. Needless, to say, both of us were hurting a bit on Saturday morning. We fought the urge to spend the whole day in our hotel room and sleep. A little before noon, we hopped on BART for the ride over to Hayward.

Walking through the Bistro’s small bar and out the side door, we entered the closed off side street. First thing I noticed was the crowd was smaller than anticipated an hour and a half into the festival. Where was everybody? Did they feel worse that I did? The fact that I wouldn’t have to do beer festival battle from moment one lifted my hungover spirit. Going over to the ticket buying tent, I passed on the 5 tickets for $35 and ambitiously purchased 15 tickets for $50. Each ticket was good for a six ounce taste. Merideth and I were joined by our friends Renee, Other Chris and Philippe; our partners in crime from the night before.

Another confession; my brain wasn’t working at all on Saturday. Thus, my ‘tasting notes’ are going to be even more sparse than usual. Since it was a Double IPA festival, the brews were all REALLY hoppy, some citrusy and others piney. A few of the brews had more of a malt background than the others.

It was time to taste some hop bombs. First up was Hop Juju from Cleveland’s Fat Head’s Brewery. The surprise winner of the Bistro’s IPA festival over the summer, I was curious to try my first Midwest hoppy brew. Surprisingly, my body didn’t reject the first  beer of the day and it went down pretty easily.

I really like what Drakes is doing these days with hop bombs. I recently enjoyed a growler of Denogginizer courtesy of a friend. At the festival, Drakes had two other Double IPAs, Hopocalypse and Quasar. These were my two favorites.

I have heard a lot about Kern River Brewing recently and their Double IPA was my first time trying one of their brews. I remember it being the maltiest of the bunch.

As mid-afternoon approached, there seemed to be a correlation between the less chance of rain and the growing crowd. Between 2 and 3pm, blue sky could be seen and the festival started to get packed. We hoped to stay at the festival until 5pm to see which Double IPAs took away the awards, but playing human pinball started to take its toll. After only eight Double IPAs, I gave away my last six tickets. For those doing the math, I later found the 15th ticket in my pocket.

We would later learn that Welcome Back Wipeout from Pizzaport Carlsbad took first place. It was the only winner that I tried. A nice beer, it wasn’t my favorite. Pliny the Younger from Russian River won the People’s Choice Award.

With our friends, we headed back to the City. Food was needed as the energy derived from the scone and coffee I had earlier in the morning was starting to wear off. Those who have been to Toronado probably have purchased a sausage from the place next door, Rosamunde. They recently opened a new sausage grill in the Mission complete with 20+ taps. We had planned to visit sometime during Beer Week and now seemed like the perfect time.

Prior to visiting, I had pictured the Lower Haight Rosamunde with beer taps squeezed in somewhere. But the Mission location is much, much larger, even having tables.

The service was quick and friendly and I was soon enjoying my first real food of the day. A Brat with sauerkraut and onions, Italian with sweet peppers and the pickle paired perfectly with my Racer 5 from Bear Republic. Rosamunde is an excellent addition to the beer scene in the City.

The real reason we were in the Mission was for Humphry Slocombe ice cream. For SF Beer Week, they created special ice creams that incorporated beers from craft breweries. I am not sure how many different flavors were made but five were available when we visited. A tasting flight of four cost $4.50. Since I was still famished, I had to get a flight. All the flavors were excellent but Merideth and I agreed that Faie Coffee Porter (Iron Springs Brewery) was the star. We’ll have to find time to make it back the second weekend of Beer Week.

Merideth and I finished off the night with a quiet beer with our friends at the Church Key in North Beach. The first weekend of SF Beer Week was great but being ten days, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. After sprinting the first night, we settled for a mellow ending of day two and headed back to our hotel for a good nights sleep.

Opening day of SF Beer Week really came together for us. Well, at least for me. Merideth called me earlier in the week asking whether a work trip up to Santa Rosa on Friday would work. Being the loving and supportive husband, I said we could make it work. She could drop me off in the City on her way to Santa Rosa. Later we could meet back up for SF Beer Week’s Opening Gala. Then I remembered the Pliny the Younger release at Russian River Brewing was on Friday. We could go to Santa Rosa together; me to drink Pliny the Younger, Merideth to work.

I was pretty psyched when Friday rolled around. In all our years of beer travel and visiting breweries, we have never been to a release party.  Now, I was going to the release of Pliny the Younger, Russian River’s renowned Triple IPA.

Joined by our friend, Renee, who we picked up in the City, we were at Russian River Brewing by quarter past ten. We joined the end of the line of about a dozen people.

A few minutes before 11am, Natalie opened the door and cheerily greeted the several hundred person crowd. There was a festive atmosphere as the eager beer geeks calmly filed into the restaurant and filled available bar stools and tables. Growler after growler emerged from bags and backpacks. A bartender was already filling glasses with the hoppy goodness as Renee and I grabbed one of the high tables behind the bar. Two questions came to mind immediately. First, how fast can the staff pour Pliny the Younger and more important, how do we get some? Within seconds, our waiter came over and asked us what we wanted. Two glasses of Younger was our answer. I was worried that I was going to have to wade into the masses at the bar so table service was a very welcome development.

Then we waited. Renee and I kinda looked at each other quizzically as others around us were enjoying their first glass. It really wasn’t a matter of impatience, we could see the staff working hard to get everyone a beer. Even Vinnie was running around behind the bar, filling glass after glass. We were just wondering if our waiter forgot us.

After about 20 minutes, our beers arrived. After the first sip, I brilliantly proclaimed, “It’s the Elder with more alcohol…” The Younger does have that familiar Pliny hop explosion on the nose and palate, but it is soon followed by a mellow alcohol taste and a little burn as it goes down the throat. Quite smooth for 10.75% ABV. A wonderful beer, I still prefer the Elder.

After the initial rush, the staff got into their rhythm. New beers were acquired easily as we settled in to have some lunch and wait for Merideth to finish work. Our waiter even took my two growlers to get into the 45 minute queue to be filled.

The holiday-like feel continued into the afternoon as groups of friends gathered for a few beers. It really reminded me of a pub on Christmas Eve. Renee and I even made some new friends as our two empty seats made us popular with the standing.

The most asked question of me by friends was “Where’s Merideth?” A completely valid question as we are rarely seen apart in beer circles. Midway through the second hour, she texted to say she was on her way. Fresh off work and ready for a beer she was luckily able to avoid the long line outside and join us. After saying Hi to our friends, she joined Renee and I at the table. Not a hophead, Merideth joined the merriment and ordered a glass of Younger.

As it was time to get to the City, we wound up our time at Russian River. For my first release party, I had a great time. It is somewhat hard to fathom hundreds of beer geeks, Vinnie said 10 times more than last year, showing up for the release of a beer. Kudos to the Russian River staff for all their hard work that day. The last keg of Pliny the Younger blew later that evening.

The 2010 SF Beer Week begins this coming Friday, February 5th. The second edition of the Celebration of Bay Area beer culture promises to be bigger and better than the inaugural year. With over 200 events anticipated over a ten day period, there is plenty of beery fun.

While we are not hosting our own event this year, we are going to be plenty busy over the ‘week’. We have events every day except two.  Below is the ‘work-in-progress’ list of events we will be attending. Join us for a beer!

February 5th:

• Russian River Brewing for Pliny the Younger tapping
• Opening Gala at Yerba Buena Center
• 21st Amendment for Strong Beer Month

February 6th:

• Double IPA Festival at the Bistro

February 7th:

• Barclay’s Beerunch with Chef Bruce Paton
• Firestone Walker Brewery Night at Rose and Crown Pub

February 10th:

• Beer and Cheese Tasting at Firehouse Grill and Brewery

February 11th:

• Craft Beer Can Chicken and Canned Beer Night at 515

February 12th:

• Bill Brand Tribute at Drakes Brewing
• Midnight Sun at City Beer Store

February 13th:

• Magnolia for Pre-Barleywine Brunch & Strong Beer Month
• Looking in Toronado and giggling at all the drunks
• Cheers to Women in Beer at Beer Revolution

February 14th:

• Brewers Sunday Tea at 21st Amendment
• Celebrator Party at Trumer Brewery

For the complete list of events, visit the SF Beer Week website.