Ken (K. M.) Weaver

SF Beer Week 2010: An Insider’s Guide to San Francisco Beer Week

If you’re anything like me (for your sake, the less the better), the only thing more compelling than the impressive and diverse offerings of the upcoming San Francisco Beer Week is the absolutely certainty that, no matter what events you ultimately decide to attend, you’re going to be missing out on something great.

Guess what? It’s either your beer-hunting illusions of grandeur or your liver.

There are going to be too many über-talented brewers, homebrewers, chefs, homebrew chefs, ice cream chefs?, chocolatiers, writers, bikers, bloggers, BJCP Grand Masters, Certified Cicerones, and uncertified and emotionally unreliable beer wonks (I had to include myself) in and around the Bay Area in early February for anyone to even hope to keep his or her head on straight.

So what I’ve done is focus on the beer. This is something I do well.

Below you will find what I’ve chosen as some of the major highlight events from each day of SF Beer “Week” (oh, you know you’re in trouble when it’s ten days long…) and assembled as many beer lists and highlights as I could muster in a unreasonable amount of time. If people have more beer lists or specific events that they’d like to see included, please leave a comment for others below and I’ll make an effort to add in additional highlights as we get closer to February 5th.

A couple of things: this is in no way meant to undermine unmentioned events or serve as anything other than encouragement for people to get out and participate in San Francisco Beer Week to the best of their ability: safely, thoughtfully, and with an eye towards quality in the beers they chose to enjoy.

I will be down and around the city for much of the week, presumably in a slightly faded blue baseball cap with a red “C” on the front of it, and (god willing) quite possibly, maybe, a Hop Press t-shirt. So say hello.

One final note before getting down to the nitty-gritty: please reconfirm the times and event details with the SF Beer Week official schedule. I was as careful as I could possibly be, but… well, there was a lot of stuff.

[One final, final note: BEER LISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. I'm keeping these as accurate as possible, but distribution mixups do happen.]

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DAY 1 – Friday, February 5^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
SF Brewers Guild SF Beer Week Opening Gala: 4-9PM (VIP), 5-9PM ($45-65)
—Note: ticket prices go up $10 on Monday
—Special beers: San Francisco Brewers Guild’s collaborative brew, a barrel-aged Imperial Common; an as-yet-unnamed Triple IPA from Speakeasy (~11%, dry hopped 4x); and many others; 25-30 breweries participating

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
Pliny the Younger release at Russian River Brewing: 11AM+ (pay as you go)
—Special beers: RR Pliny the Younger, Supplication, Rejection, etc.
—Why?: Because there’s no better way to start SFBW than with the world’s top-rated DIPA, straight from the source. There are reasons we moved to Sebastopol.

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DAY 2 – Saturday, February 6^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Mayfield Brewing Co. at Rose & Crown Pub: 6PM-2AM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Mayfield Iconoclast Aurora, Eclat, and Nocturna
—Details: 11.5oz pours for $8-10; flights available at a reduced cost
—Why?: Normally $30-50 bottles; all three of Mayfield’s Iconoclast Series on tap

Meet the Brewer: Brewmaster Terrence Sullivan of Sierra Nevada at Barclay’s Restaurant & Pub: 6:30PM-12AM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Sierra Nevada Hoptimum, a double-dry-hopped and torpedoed DIPA (~9.5%) made at SN Beer Camp; a private stash keg from Sierra Nevada; Pale Ale; Celebration; Glissade Golden Bock

New Belgium Night at Toronado: 6PM+ (pay as you go)
—Why?: It’s pretty likely you’ll see some Lips of Faith beers.

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
10^th Annual Double IPA Festival at The Bistro: 11AM-7PM (or so) ($35)
—Details: $35 gets you a 6oz tasting glass and 5 tokens; extra tokens $2
—Live music, BBQ, 50-60 taps, awards ceremony at 5PM
—Special beers: Russian River Pliny the Younger; Green Flash Palate Wrecker; Fat Heads Hop JuJu Imperial IPA?; Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA; Glacier Double IPA?; Lagunitas – 2 new unnamed DIPAs; Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hoptimum; Pizza Port Hop 15; Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA; Drakes Aroma Coma; Kern River Double IPA; Full Sail special keg

Sip and Savor with Alesmith Brewing at City Beer Store (the event will be hosted at Triptych across the street): 2:30-5PM ($20 pre-event, $25 at the door)
—Price includes a logo glass and (5) taste tickets; additional cash bar in back
—Special beers: Alesmith Barrel Aged Speedway Stout, Evil Dead Red Ale, Yulesmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale; Decadence 2009 in bottles
—Why?: You’re kidding, right?

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DAY 3 – Sunday, February 7^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Firestone Walker Night at Rose & Crown Pub: 11:30AM-12AM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Firestone Walker Abacus, Velvet Merkin, Lil’ Opal, and Union Jack on tap; plus a cask of Unfiltered Double Barrel

Lost Abbey & Port Brewing Night at Toronado: 6PM+ (pay as you go)
—Why?: Tomme Arthur + Toronado generally= tasty surprises. Toronado and City Beer are coordinating their LA/Port Nights to keep things interesting.

Meet the Brewer / Post Super Bowl Party with Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing Company at The Monk’s Kettle: 6-9PM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Allagash Odyssey on tap, Confluence from bottles

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
—Back to Sebastopol with Ali.

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DAY 4 – Monday, February 8^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Meet the Brewer: Steve Altimari of Valley Brewing at Barclay’s Restaurant & Pub: 6PM-12AM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Valley Brew IPA, Luna Blanca, Old Inventory Barleywine, Decadent Evil, Uberhoppy
—Why?: Hoppy greatness, plus the 2009 GABF Gold-Medal Barleywine.

Lost Abbey / Port Brewing event at City Beer Store: 6-9PM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Lost Abbey Sinners Blend 09, Cuvee de Tomme, Older Viscosity, Framboise de Amarosa (!), and Double Cherry Red Poppy.
—Details: Specialty brews on draft and in bottles. Tomme Arthur attending. Will be coordinated with the Toronado event.

Allagash Night at Toronado: 6PM+ (pay as you go)
—Why?: If anything rare (and sour?) from Allagash shows up at SFBW, it’ll probably be here.

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
Sour Fest at Triple Rock and Jupiter: 3-10PM ($20 for a glass & 4 tokens)
—Special beers: Odonata Rosa, Odonata Beersel, and many others
—Why?: If it’s funky, tart, acidic and sour, it belongs in my glass.

Rare Beers from Moonlight Brewing Co. – featuring the brewer Brian Hunt at Bobby G’s Pizzeria: 6-9PM (pay as you go)
—Details: Possibly keep-the-glass deal ($4.50-5 for first pour, $3.50 pints after)
—Special beers: 4-6 Moonlight beers on tap. Even Brian doesn’t know which yet.
—Why?: Brian Hunt quietly makes some of the world’s finest session beers, malt liquors (and variations thereof), and aceto-based sours.

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DAY 5 – Tuesday, February 9^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Beer and Cheese Pairing (featuring Schooners and Valley Brewing Company) at Schooners Grille and Brewery: 6-9PM ($30)
—Special beers: 12 beers including Schooners Krieken Cluster Funk; Valley Brew DysFUNKtionALE; a blend of Schooners Old Diablo and Valley Brew Old Inventory called Devil’s Inventory, Valley Brew IPA, and Schooners IPA

Meet the Brewer: Rod Todd of Allagash Brewing at The Trappist: 6-8PM ($46)
—Special beers: Allagash White, Triple, Fluxus (09?), Victoria, Confluence

A Night with Russian River Brewing at Pi Bar: 3-11PM (pay as you go)
—Details: 6oz pours at $5 apiece; Vinnie and Natalie around after 9PM.
—Special beers: Russian River Pliny the Younger, Consecration, Supplication, Temptation, Redemption, Damnation, and Rejection

Russian River ‘tion Night at Toronado: 6PM+ (pay as you go)
—Details: everything occurring at Toronado is veiled in a shade of mist.
—Special beers: a “Russian River tion” search on RB yields 26 results.

WHERE I MIGHT BE HEADED:
Barrel Aged Tuesday at Triple Rock and Jupiter: 3-9:30PM ($20 glass, 4 tokens)
—Details: “The debut of some of Triple Rock’s barrel aged beers.”

‘A Night Without Hops’ with Brian Hunt (Moonlight Brewing Company) at The Monk’s Kettle: 5-8PM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: three unhopped beers: Moonlight Artemis Gruit, Uncle Fudd, and Out to Lunch; plus a cask of Misspent Youth Pale Ale

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DAY 6 – Wednesday, February 10^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Scala’s Bistro “Mostly Barrel-Aged Beer Dinner”: 6:30-10PM ($100)
—Details: coordinated by Beer and Nosh; business casual attire suggested
—Special beers: Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner, Valley Brew “Bill Brandbic” Sour Pomegranate, Firestone Walker 2009 Lil’ Opal Saison Aged in Viognier Barrels, Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu, Speakeasy Brewers Reserve Old Godfather Barleywine, Sierra Nevada Wood-Aged Old Ale, Triple Rock IMAX Double IPA; Drakes “Barrel Noir” Blend: a blend of Pinot Barrel Stout, “Brett Amber” Barrel Blond, and Port Barrel & Blueberries Stout; FiftyFifty 2009 Imperial Eclipse Stout – EC, 2009 Imperial Eclipse Stout – HH, and 2009 Imperial Eclipse Stout – JD

Presenting Elysian Brewing Company and Green Flash Brewing Company at City Beer Store: 5:30PM- (pay as you go)
—Details: David Buhler from Elysian will be in attendance.
—Special beers: a collaboration beer called Red Queen Saison “brewed with bushels of Pink Lady and Braeburn apples, peppercorns, and rose hips,” etc.

Meet the Brewer: Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. at The Trappist: TBD (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Russian River Pliny the Younger, Supplication, Rejection, Perdition, Consecration, and Damnation

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
—Back to North Bay, presuming I’ve survived.

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DAY 7 – Thursday, February 11^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Collaboration: A Beer Dinner with Sean Z. Paxton at Mercedes Restaurant: 5:30-10PM ($98)
—Special beers: Signature Ale and other De Proef Signature Series beers; Firestone Walker 13, Saucer Full of Secrets, 100% oaked cask of Double Barrel Ale, and Velvet Merkin (?); 9 beers total
—Why?: Sean Paxton, Firestone Walker, De Proef, and Pete Slosberg’s chocolates.

Beer Dinner at Valley Brewing Company: 6-9PM ($48)
—Special beers: Valley Brew Luna Blanca, Old Inventory, IPA, London Tavern Ale, Black Cat Stout, Pomegranate Sour Ale, Decadence Pomegranate Saison, Decadent Evil, Decadent Darkness
—Why?: Everything you might be looking for from Valley Brew, in one place.

Gordon Biersch San Francisco Decadence Dinner: 7-9PM ($55)
—Special beers: Gordon Biersch Dampfbier (latest creation, centuries-old German Steam Beer), Oak Aged Dunkles, San Francisco Brewers Guild Collaborative Brew, Gordon Biersch Spezial Bock, Black Smoked lager, bourbon-barrel-aged Hefeweizen (!) that has been aging for 18 months.
—Why?: That’s a whole lot of new stuff from this German-style brewing crew.

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Night at Toronado: 6PM+ (pay as you go)
—Why?: You can probably find SN’s Hoptimum elsewhere, but it takes more than one beer to make a Beer Camp Night. At least, I think it does.

WHERE I MIGHT BE HEADED:
Vertical Tasting of Stone Brewing Co. “Double Bastard” at The Monk’s Kettle: 6-9PM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Oaked Double Bastard (!) 2006, Double Bastard 2007 & 2008
—Why?: Because Stone Oaked Double Bastard doesn’t grow on trees. And even if it did, it’s a liquid, so it would fall right off. That’s no way to drink beer.

WHERE I WILL BE HEADED:
“Getting the Band Back Together” Meet the Brewers: Melissa Myers and Rodger Davis at Triple Rock Brewery: 11:30AM-5PM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: OLD (5+ years) barrel-aged beers from Drakes

A Vertical Tasting of Jolly Rodger Barleywine at Pi Bar: 3-11 (pay as you go)
—Details: 6oz pours of each for $20, or $5 each
—Special beers: Drakes Jolly Rodger 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, & Roger 2009

My Sour Valentine at City Beer Store (the event will be hosted at Triptych across the street): 6-9PM ($40)
—Details: Price includes a logo glass and (8) tickets; extra cash bar in back.
—Special beers: Cascade offerings will include some combination of Cascade Sang Noir (!), Sang Rouge, Gold Yeller, a new blend of Apricot Ale debuting at City Beer, Blackberry Ale, and possibly one of their Goses; 2008 Deschutes the Dissident, Russian River Consecration, DeProef selection, and others
—Why?: You won’t find these Cascade and Deschutes sours anywhere else.

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DAY 8 – Friday, February 12^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Bill Brand Tribute at Drake’s Brewing Company: 4-7PM (pay as you go)
—Special beers: Valley Brew’s “Bill Brandbic” Pomegranate Sour Ale?, etc.

Meet the Brewer & Distiller: Yuseff Cherney of Ballast Point Brewery and Spirits at Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse: 11:30AM-6PM (pay as you go)
—Details: Ballast Point beers; Yuseff will be brewing there that day.

WHERE I MIGHT BE HEADED:
IIMAXX release at Triple Rock: 4:30-10:30PM (pay as you go)
—Details: cask of Triple Rock IIMAXX, a bigger version of the highly rated IMAX

A Barrel Aged Evening with Oskar Blues at Pi Bar: 3-11PM (pay as you go)
—Details: 6oz pour of each for $15, or $5 each
—Special beers: Dale’s Pale Ale (Whiskey Barrel), Mama’s Lil Yella Pils (Whiskey Barrel), Gordon (Whiskey Barrel), Old Chub (Whiskey Barrel)

Meet the Brewer: Tyler King of The Bruery at Alembic: 3:30-6 (pay as you go)
—Details: 4 Bruery beers on draft, 4-5 available in the bottle
—Why?: The Bruery has all kinds of great stuff out right now.

WHERE I WILL BE HEADED:
Midnight Sun Brewing Event at City Beer Store: 6PM- (pay as you go)
—Details: Draft and bottle beers available. Brewer Bob will be in attendance. The beers are expected to be available all day, with the brewer visiting in the evening.
—Special beers: 2 beers on tap: Midnight Sun Panty Peeler Tripel and possibly Monks Mistress Dark Strong Ale (Bourbon); bottles are expected to include some combination of Berserker Imperial Stout, 3767 Belgian-style IPA, Obliteration VI, and Specialty 30th Anniversary Black Double IPA, in addition to many of their year-round offerings.
—Why?: This will be Midnight Sun Brewing’s debut in the Bay Area. Also, see above.

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DAY 9 – Saturday, February 13^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Beerunch at Barclay’s Restaurant & Pub: 10AM-4PM (pay as you go?)
—Beer list: Russian River Supplication; North Coast Old Rasputin; Sierra Nevada Hoptimum; Mateveza Yerba Mate IPA; various from Ommegang

Scraps and Leftovers at Rose & Crown Pub: 11:30AM-2AM (pay as you go)
—Details: whatever’s leftover from their Russian River, Drakes, Firehouse, Palo Alto Brewing, Mayfield, etc. events from throughout the Week.

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
17^th Annual Toronado Barleywine Festival: 11:30AM-2AM (pay as you go)
—Details: This 2-day celebration is always one of the SFBW highlights.

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DAY 10 – Sunday, February 14^th

BEER-CENTRIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Celebrator Beer News Anniversary Party at Trumer Brauerei: 4-8PM ($40-50)
—30+ NorCal craft breweries, closing event of SFBW2010.

Valentine’s Beerunch at Barclay’s Restaurant/Pub: 10AM-4PM (pay as you go)
—Beer list: same as for the Beerunch on the 13th.

17^th Annual Toronado Barleywine Festival: 11:30AM-2AM (pay as you go)
—Day 2 of one of the Week’s most anticipated events.

WHERE I’LL BE HEADED:
—Back to Sebastopol to rehydrate and recover.

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CHEAT SHEET – Limited-Release Beers Not to be Missed

—Most Russian River events will be pouring Pliny the Younger.
—Most Sierra Nevada events will be pouring their new Hoptimum, a double-dry-hopped and torpedoed DIPA (~9.5%) created during SN Beer Camp.
—Most Valley Brewing and/or Sour-specific and/or Bill Brand Memorial events will be pouring Valley Brew’s “Bill Brandbic” Sour Pomegranate Ale.
—Everything’s subject to change, but it should be pretty spot-on. See you at SF Beer Week!

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