Summer is here in the Bay Area. The air is dry and a cool breeze keeps us at a comfortable temperature, begging for outdoor activities. It’s weather like this that reminds me of my first visit to Berkeley while looking for colleges. While few places do a beautiful day as well as Berkeley, even fewer have districts known as the Gourmet Ghetto. And while our Gourmet Ghetto is waiting for the return of one of their staples, I want to dedicate this week’s feature to my old college town. The Beer of the Week is Calicraft Brewing’s Chez Panisse Farmhouse Ale. Continue reading Beer of the Week: Calicraft Brewing Co. Chez Panisse Farmhouse Ale
|
||||||
 BREWERY PINT NIGHTS  UPCOMING EVENTS  |
This coming week, beer lovers will celebrate American Craft Beer Week. While those of us in areas where craft beer is a part of every day life, the celebration can seem a bit forced. When that’s the case, we just put a little twist on it. So help us celebrate AmeriCAN Craft Beer Week with this . . . → Read More: Beer of the Week: Oskar Blues Brewery Dale’s Pale Ale Seventeen years and the Legendary Boonville Beer Festival is still one of the best festivals on the west coast. For the uninitiated, Boonville (as the festival and weekend is referred to by attendees) is an annual festival put on by the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. The event is more than just a festival as brewers descend on the small town from as far away as Portland and San Diego, occasionally further. With breweries making debuts or hoping to maintain their status as elite, only the best breweries and their best beers make it to the festival. Combine that with the secluded nature of Boonville and camping (and the weekend long festivities associated with camping) only add to the legend. Continue reading 17th Annual Legendary Boonville Beer Festival It should be stated before I even begin to describe the night, that my attendance at this dinner allowed me to sample some of the finest Belgian sour beers available, all of which I’d probably never had access to without showing up at this particular event. That’s the kind of thing that’s happening at the East Village’s Jimmy’s No. 43 on a regular basis and it deserves to be highlighted. Continue reading April Sours Dinner with Chef Patti Jackson at Jimmy’s No. 43 It’s a special time of year in Northern California. It’s time for the Legendary Boponville Beer festival. Tucked away in the hills and forests of Mendocino County, Boonville has been the marquee beer event of the Northern California beer scene for some time. Every year when we make the trip north, I find myself camped alongside many of the same friends and sharing a campfire with a familiar group. Part of that group is Bison Brewing. So while we’re roughing it in tents, I wanted to share the beer we’re likely to be drinking. The Beer of the Week is Bison Brewing’s Hop Cuvée. Continue reading Beer of the Week: Bison Brewing Hop Cuvée The sun is shining and all I can think of is spending time outdoors. With Boonville one week away, many beer lovers are thinking of some time with the great outdoors. One place that knows how to do the great outdoors is Colorado. The Beer of the Week is Avery’s Karm Belgian-style Pale Ale. Continue reading Beer of the Week: Avery Brewing Karma Belgian Style Pale ale On Saturday I was fortunate enough to attend the Bay Area Craft Beer Festival at the Martinez Waterfront Park. Upon arrival I was surprised to find ample parking in the vicinity of the event. The waterfront park is a beautifully manicured pleasant place to spend the day, and the 77 degree weather was in cooperation with the good times to be had. I did arrive a half hour early, but when I went to the entrance of the fenced off event, I was glad to see that the line was short and spirits were high. This was a 21 and over event and I.D.s were checked while waiting in line to speed up the wait time. On entry I received my wristband and complementary mini pint glass and I was off to the taps. Continue reading Bay Area Craft Beer Festival So long civilization! Well, sorta. This weekend the family and I are headed for woods for some camping. Conveniently, the Bay Area provides opportunities to camp and enjoy wilderness without having to leave the area. Its a natural beauty that’s unique to California. In that same vein, this week’s featured beer is unique to California, but unlike our lakes and mountains, eventually, this may be available around the country at some point. This week’s beer of the week is Anchor Brewing’s California Lager. Continue reading Beer of the Week: Anchor Brewing California Lager Editor’s Note: This article was ready long ago, but I dropped the ball and only recently posted it. I apologize to Paul for his prompt delivery and having to wait and to the readers for the not-so-timely article. That said, here’s a recap of what I thought was one of the more intriguing events from NYC Beer Week. During NYC Beer Week I marked my calendar for an event called “aPORKalypse Now”. They had me at “Pork”. I had just returned from a sanctioned work trip out of town and the very next day I found myself venturing all the way from my apartment on Staten Island to far off Long Island City in Queens. If you know me, you already know I managed to get lost on the way there, the thought of delicious pork taunting me in my mind the entire way. I took the wrong train to the wrong part of Long Island City, ended up walking who knows how far on foot trying to hail a cab in a portion of Queens that had more cabs then pedestrians by 10 fold, but where none would pick me up. I reached a new level of hatred for cabbies that day as none of them would let me in the cab before I told them where I was going (which is illegal) and when I told them I needed to stay in Queens the reaction was “this is the end of my shift” or flat out laughter and speeding away. I kid you not. I reached a point of frustration of literally screaming out loud on the streets of the more industrial portion of Long Island City. Continue reading NYC Beer Week 2013: aPorkapolypse Now The Sonoma International Film Festival took place last week with a week of film related events around the quaint town of Sonoma about an hour north of San Francisco. New Belgium is a big sponsor of the festival and as such made sure the town known for it’s wine had sufficient beer representation. One such event was held at Ramekins where Sean Paxton, the Homebrew Chef, treated guests to a movie theater inspired dinner. Continue reading Homebrew Chef and New Belgium Welcome SIFF to Ramekins |
|||||
|
Please assume all events, products, beers, meals, etc. shown on Brewed For Thought were provided by the brewer, host, manufacturer, etc. Thank you. |
||||||
