SF Beer Week is coming

San Francisco beer week is coming up soon. I for one can't wait. Events will be held all over the greater SF Bay Area. Bookended by the Bistro's awesome Double IPA Festival on Saturday Feb 7 and the classic Toronado Barleywine Festival on Saturday Feb 14.

There will be an invite only event at Anchor Brewing on Feb 6th with a special ceremonial keg tapping of something unknown at this point. Wish I knew the details. Apparently info is coming soon on how to get tickets.

Events in the South Bay and Santa Cruz as well. Red Restaurant is hosting a beer dinner with Santa Cruz's Uncommon Brewers. Firehouse in Sunnyvale will have 2 events, a beer & cheese pairing and a beer & chocolate dinner hosted by Pete Slosberg. Red and Firehouse are both regular stops for me. Excited. Yeah.

http://www.redsantacruz.com/

http://www.firehousegrill.com/

The SF Bay Area is one of the best places in the US, or the world for that matter, for great beer. Top notch breweries, great pubs that seek out great beer to bring us, and great bottle shops. Recognize.

21st Amendment and Magnolia will also be hosting February Strong Beer Month. High gravity goodies will be on tap at both locations all month long! Cask and barrel aged brews will be on at select times as well.

http://www.21st-amendment.com/


http://www.magnoliapub.com/

The whole calender of events is up on the SF Beer Week official webpage here:
http://www.sfbeerweek.org/

Baby Bothen

Not images from a TOOL video. First ultrasound pics of baby Bothen. Coming late April 2009.

Chillin in Mom's tummy.




Profile of face.




Facing the camera.

South Bay Beer Advocate meet up at Rose and Crown Dec 2008 and El Toro Brewing

The most recent South Bay Beer Advocate meet at Rose & Crown was a great time. Lots of interesting beers were tasted.

Some of the great beers sampled included:
Westvleteren 12
Boulevard's The Sixth Glass
Midnight Sun's Arctic Devil Barleywine
A Growler of Masala Mama IPA from Minnesota's Town Hall Brewery
Drake's Imperial Stout
The Bruery's Autumn Maple
Alesmith Yulesmith IPA

As well as the nice tap offerings at Rose & Crown, Drake's Hopocalypse IPA, Full Sail Wreck The Halls, Golden Carolus Xmas Ale, and Hoppy Claus.

Thanks to Rose & Crown for the hospitality!

http://www.roseandcrownpa.com/










Also had some time off work last week. Headed out for a solo round of some disc golf~!

Even par after playing around once. I still got it.



Since I was in the area, I went to El Toro Brewing Co for lunch.

Great spot in downtown Morgan Hill. 26 house brewed beers. Yep, 26. And 2 house made sodas.

4 versions of the Poppy, 2 different IPAs, a double IPA, oatmeal stout, imperial stout, 2 vintages of their holiday barleywine, 3 fruit beers, a California common, blond, Kolsch, golden, and more. Yee Ha!



Had a flight of the Poppy Jasper Amber Ale, their flagship.

The flight included the standard issue Poppy, and 3 dry hopped versions with different hops in each. Amirillo, Centennial, and Cascades. Cool idea, and makes an already good beer better, IMO.

Food aint bad either. Cheese pizza and their new red IPA.

El Toro is a brewery to seek out. The selection and quality of all the brews is great.

http://www.eltorobrewing.com/

Oh yeah. Also saw Mudhoney for about the 20th time in Santa Cruz. Good times. They're still great.