It’s rare that I’ll lean upon outside news sources or magazine articles as primary content (which probably just points to the fact that good bloggers are significantly more savvy and reactionary than I tend to be), but the recent issue of Imbibe magazine (July/August 2010) touched upon two topics that figure in prominently in this column, and that are near and dear to this accidental blogger.
Our recent trip up north into southern Oregon and to Crater Lake National Park called for two things: (1) a beer that would be appropriate for drinking under the stars, waiting for occasional Perseid meteors; and (2) something appropriate for that afternoon heat, following a long day of hiking and falling asleep in an open boat. Bell’s Expedition Stout covered (1). But (2) called for something lighter. [...]
Probably one of the hardest things to learn - if not so much in beer writing, then certainly in fiction – is that ultimately the story itself should help determine the manner in which it’s told. One’s epic toenail-clipping adventure, despite all its charms, would probably make a better youTube video than it would a summer blockbuster (although some of the movies I’ve seen recently suggest this may be debatable). And the fall of the Roman Empire plays out with somewhat less oomph on Twitter. One’s story, if listened to, helps choose its best packaging.
This past weekend, Ali and I headed up to Oregon for a weekend of work-related obligations near Medford, followed by a few days at Crater Lake National Park. There were no bear attacks. At no point on this road trip did we find ourselves in mortal peril, or particularly frightened, or on the brink of a poignant beer-centric epiphany. Our coverage of the breweries of Southern Oregon was by no means exhaustive, or even close. The coolest thing that happened, I didn’t even see.
I will tell it to you anyway. [...]
Admittedly, that’s a fair amount of buzzwords for one title. But they all fit.
The biggest news of last week (possibly some of the biggest news in craft beer in some time, at least in terms of the amount of mainstream media coverage) was obviously the fact that BrewDog made a 50+% ABV beer. Of which it would be selling 11 bottles total. Lovingly packaged in dead animals. [...]
For most of these past ten years, Ratebeer Weekly was an important part of Ratebeer’s community of craft beer lovers. Members of the site could submit articles covering events happening in their area, homebrewing experiences, beer-centric travels, wider topical musings… all things beer, in a nutshell.
With the rollout of The Hop Press, attention had to temporarily shift. Josh and his Oakes Weekly column, a long-running part of Ratebeer Weekly, thankfully made the initial transition. And I’m happy to announce that we’re now ready to accept article submissions from Ratebeer users once again. Details below. [...]
Desperately Seeking Session Beer is a collaborative effort with Lew Bryson’s The Session Beer Project™, and aims to seek out the finest lower-alcohol brews from the West Coast and beyond. For these purposes, we loosely consider a ’session beer’ as being 4.5% ABV or less, flavorful enough to be interesting, balanced enough for multiple pints, conducive to conversation, and reasonably priced. Lew also puts it another way: “low-alcohol, but not low-taste.” These beers can be complex, effortlessly satisfying, indelible, and elusive.
I had never heard of Sonoma Springs Brewing Co. before. It happened to be our anniversary weekend, which meant an excuse to finally make that daunting (half-hour) excursion out to Sonoma and Napa, plus get ourselves a piece of the local hot-springs action we kept hearing about from our friends (relaxation remains a novelty in this household). Maybe even enjoy some locally produced wine.
Instead, by noon on the first day, we’re munching on fresh-baked sandwiches in a rather elegant strip mall, waiting for this mysterious brewpub to open. [...]
Ali and I have been traveling back east for the past week and a half. We met up with our much-missed DC crew for a weekend of camping and craft beer in Shenandoah National Park. We then headed north, back to Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA NEPA!) to drink our fill of Selin’s Grove, stock up on Bell’s and Founders, and FINALLY get to see our family and friends up there again.
It’s been a long time. Road trip. Nicaragua. Relocating westward…
Almost two years. [...]
Sierra Nevada Audition 44
Ali recently had to head about four hours north in California for a site visit. Now, we already live in “northern” California. Those familiar with the region will appreciate that the parts of California north of San Francisco consist of Marin and Sonoma counties (where we are), Sacramento further east, a vast wilderness characterized by precipitous chasms and ferocious sea monsters, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. So it’s no wonder that Ali stopped for a pint and toted home a couple growlers through the wilderness.
The “wonder” began when we popped one. [...]
Desperately Seeking Session Beer is a collaborative effort with Lew Bryson’s The Session Beer Project™, and aims to seek out the finest lower-alcohol brews from the West Coast and beyond. For these purposes, we loosely consider a ’session beer’ as being 4.5% ABV or less, flavorful enough to be interesting, balanced enough for multiple pints, conducive to conversation, and reasonably priced. Lew also puts it another way: “low-alcohol, but not low-taste.” These beers can be complex, effortlessly satisfying, indelible, and elusive.
There are good reasons why cardboard boxes from folks in Wisconsin I have never met keep appearing on my doorstep. It’s not (despite tendencies in that direction) because I have a cheese problem. [...]
(© Anneliese Schmidt)
Taps Restaurant and Tasting Room in Petaluma opened in September of last year on the ground floor of the historic Petaluma Hotel, just before we moved to the area. A huge boost to the local craft beer scene, Taps features 30 beers on draft, one cask, two ciders, and a focused specialty bottle list. Their traditional, kid-friendly American menu, centered around high-end hot dogs and sausages (everything but the yellow mustard comes direct from Chicago), is meant to pair well with craft beer without overshadowing it. They regularly highlight some of the best brews coming out of Northern California and beyond, from West Coast IPAs to world-class European lagers to one-off sours, plus the latest rare releases.
We caught up with Eric Lafranchi, owner of Taps, before their Firestone Walker Parabola release party. Taps had gotten the only Parabola keg in North Bay. [...]
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