SF Beer Week 2013

Thank You for a Wonderful Week!

Brian Stechschulte — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:18:41 +0000

Well, another SF Beer Week has come and gone. Thousands of empty kegs will be making their way back to breweries, serving staff are hopefully getting some rest, and the San Francisco Brewers Guild hopes you had an incredible week. Your enthusiasm and support for this ten-day celebration is simply astonishing and greatly appreciated. Thank you!

The 5th edition of SF Beer Week was record breaking. Just over 500 events were published on the schedule. Compared to 2012, that amounts to a 35% increase. Over 130 bars, restaurants and stores participated throughout the Bay Area, from Pacific Grove to Santa Rosa. The region’s craft beer community is growing and it’s because of your appreciation and support.

If you’re a little sad that the week is over, just remember that amazing craft beer can be found and enjoyed 365 days a year. Bars, restaurants and bottle shops are always hosting beer dinners, meet the brewer nights, and other festivities like you enjoyed over the last 10 days. There just won’t be 50+ to choose from on any given day. Find out what’s going on by following your local bars and breweries on social media, or visit their websites for the latest information.

The San Francisco Brewers Guild would also like to thank all of this year’s sponsors. They’re critical to SF Beer Week’s support. Please take the time to acknowledge their contribution.

Presenting Sponsor

San Francisco Brewers Guild

Official Sponsors

Industry Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors

Media Sponsors

South Bay Festivities During SF Beer Week

Andy Lee — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:19:29 +0000

It is simply a great time to be a beer fan in the still growing South Bay beer scene, with more establishments providing better beer throughout the Valley.

For SF Beer Week 2013, many places are hosting multiple or week-long events, among them Harry’s Hofbrau, Wine Affairs, Original Gravity Public House, Jack’s Bar & Lounge, Liquid Bread Gastropub, and Rose and Crown. Local brewing companies Hermitage and Strike, among others, will also participate in multiple events for the week.

Scheduled on the SF Beer Week website are a variety of choices within the South Bay region, ranging from special tastings and food-and-beer-pairing events to a beer walk, a beer run, and a beer fest. The following is a quick look at 10 worthwhile examples.

Sat., Feb. 9, 2-6 p.m.

Beerwalk in Japantown San Jose
Beerwalk.com

Charlie and Jordan from Jack’s Bar & Lounge in San Jose are back with another South Bay Beerwalk. Explore Japantown and visit local businesses while tasting beers, including the South Bay’s Hermitage, Campbell, Strike, and Gordon Biersch brewing companies. $30 if purchased in advance and $38 the day of.

Sun., Feb. 10, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

4th Annual SF Beer Week Beer Run
http://www.beer-runner.blogspot.com

What’s a great reward for exercising and burning calories? You already know the answer. After your run, enjoy some Strike Brewing beers (meet the brewer) and food at special prices at C.B. Hannegan’s in Los Gatos. There will also be a post-run raffle to benefit Autism Speaks and 2nd Harvest Food Bank.

Sun., Feb. 10, 7 p.m. start

Beer Dinner
Liquid Bread Gastropub

Enjoy a four-course tasting menu at Liquid Bread Gastropub with beer pairings from Firestone Walker Brewing Co. One look at the menu put together by illustrious executive chef John Burke can help explain why the $90 dinner (includes gratuity) is nearly sold out.

Mon., Feb. 11, 4:30-10 p.m.

Craft Beerds Night
thewineaffairs.com

Join the fine folks at Wine Affairs in San Jose for what is sure to be a fun evening. Meet the author of the Craft Beerds book while drinking a number of Lagunitas beers, including a secret specialty keg.

Tues., Feb. 12, 6-8 p.m.

Scott’s Seafood Mountain View Brewmaster Dinner
scottsseafoodmv.com

Enjoy a four-course, pre-fixed meal at Scott’s Seafood in Mountain featuring beers from Hermitage Brewing. $45 excluding tax and tip; reservations are required as space is limited.

Wed., Feb. 13, 11:30-1 a.m.

Pliny the Younger at Rose & Crown
roseandcrownpa.com

The venerable Rose & Crown Pub in Palo Alto will pour the hard-to-get Pliny the Younger along with other worthy beers. Following them on Twitter is a good bet to receive additional details.

Thurs., Feb. 14, 12-11:30 p.m.

Pucker Up! Valentine’s Day Sour Tap Takeover
originalgravitypub.com

Romance and sour beers go together for some. Not for others. If you are attracted to sour beers or are curious about them, there will be up to 15 of this particular beer style at Original Gravity Public House in downtown San Jose.

Fri., Feb. 15, 6 p.m. start

Firestone Walker Presents the Roots of XVI

Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose hosts Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Brynildson and original brewmaster Jeffers Richardson. Featured will be the anniversary beer XVI and several of the previously unreleased barrel-aged components. For details, stay connected with Harry’s through their Facebook page.

Sat., Feb. 16, 12-5 p.m.

Meet the Brewers Beer Festival
hermitagebrewing.com

Annually the biggest SF Beer Week event in the South Bay, the fourth edition of the Meet the Brewers festival takes place at Hermitage Brewing in San Jose. The combination of gourmet food trucks and good, local beer is a proven winner. Meet many of the brewers as well. $35 if purchased in advance; $40 at the door.

Sun., Feb. 17

IPA Event with Pliny the Younger and Hopocalypse Black Label

All 28 taps at Harry’s Hofbrau will be devoted to hoppy goodness, and as last year proved, there are a bunch of hop lovers in the South Bay; get up-to-date details (beer menu and tapping schedules) at the Harry’s Hofbrau Facebook page.

About the Author

Andy Lee is a San Jose native who enjoys sharing beer news and events for San Jose and the greater South Bay via Examiner.com, Metro Silicon Valley newspaper, his blog GratefulHubby.com, and Twitter at @GratefulHubby.

Albion Don in the Temple of Beer

Jay Brooks — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:36:42 +0000

History Made at the First SF Beer Week

New Albion Brewery, which was America’s first modern microbrewery when it opened in Sonoma in 1978 (having been incorporated October 8, 1977 – photo above circa 2012 by Jay Brooks), returned this year in bottles, for the first time in thirty years.

When New Albion closed in 1983, its founder, Jack McAuliffe, returned to his former career as an engineer and left brewing behind. And for a time, no one was quite sure where McAuliffe was, and for all but a few old-timers in the brewing industry, few remembered his important contribution to craft beer.

One person who did was Jim Koch. With his Boston Beer Co. — makers of Samuel Adams — he was also an early craft beer pioneer, having started his company in 1984. In the early 1990s, almost by accident, he discovered that the trademark for New Albion had expired and registered it, fearing that it could be exploited by an unscrupulous business.

But you can read that story in my newspaper column that ran last month, the “Return of New Albion”. In a nutshell, Jack finally returned to the spotlight, and during the Great American Beer Festival two years ago, he and Jim Koch finally met. Over brunch, a plan was hatched, and last July, McAuliffe flew to Boston where he and Koch brewed one of the original New Albion beers, the pale ale. Draft was served at GABF last year, and last month, six-pack bottles started appearing on shelves, with all of the profits donated by Boston Beer to McAuliffe as an overdue thank you for his legacy.

And as cool a story as that has been, it’s not the first time that a New Albion beer has been recreated. For the very first SF Beer Week in 2009, our official beer was a faithful recreation of New Albion Ale. It was made by Don Barkley, who was essentially the assistant brewer for New Albion. Barkley made it at his new brewery, Napa Smith. He used the original brew logs, which he’d maintained since the brewery closed.

As we were planning the first SF Beer Week, several of the founders were brainstorming during GABF at the Falling Rock, a popular hangout for beer people during the annual festival in Denver, Colorado. I happened to notice Don Barkley was there, too, and off went a light bulb. Don had recently come out of retirement and was brewing at Napa Smith Brewery, so I suggested that it might be fun to have Don recreate a New Albion beer for SF Beer Week. Not surprisingly, everybody agreed that it was a great idea.

So I ran the idea past Don, not sure what his reaction might be. After all, it had been thirty years, and he’d gone on to help start Mendocino Brewing Co. and more recently was involved in a new start-up brewery. New Albion seemed like two lifetimes ago. Happily, he was thrilled, and told me he still had all the old brewing logs from that time, and agreed it was a worthwhile idea.

As we got closer to the kick-off of SF Beer Week in 2009, we realized we’d sort of forgotten about the New Albion beer, and Dave McLean, from Magnolia, agreed to reach out to Don to see if he was still interested in making it. He was, and set to work, pulling out the old brew logs. When he opened Mendocino Brewing, he took the New Albion yeast with him, and so was able to obtain some of that yeast from them. He reproduced the malt, which they used to get from the now defunct San Francisco malting house Bauer & Schweitzer, by blending two different malts to approximate it. Barkley at the time recalled that they first had Bullion hops, but later used Northern Brewer, before ending up using primarily Cluster and Cascade hops.

The first SF Beer Week, we didn’t have a public opening event like the amazing celebration we have now at the Concourse Exhibition Center, but instead Anchor Brewery graciously allowed us to hold a private event for the Bay Area brewing community. So while we weren’t able to include the public, most of the brewers, bar and restaurant owners and writers who helped pull SF Beer Week together had a chance to all get together before the roller coaster ride that is beer week started racing.

But the first beer events on the SF Beer Week calendar took place earlier in the day, starting at the Toronado Pub. Don Barkley began a series of five events taking kegs of what was called “Napa Smith’s Original Albion Ale” on a pub crawl where each hour, on the hour, he visited the Toronado, Magnolia, Monk’s Kettle, City Beer Store, and finally, 21st Amendment. We dubbed the pub-crawl “Albion Don in the Temple of Beer.” At each destination, Don raised the “Scepter of St. Gambrinus,” which he carried with him, and led a toast to SF Beer Week. It was the first time anyone had tasted New Albion beer for three decades and it was the perfect way to kick-off our very first beer week. And it’s also perfect that there are now bottles of New Albion Beer available for the first time as our 5th SF Beer Week is about to start. It’s another great reason to toast Bay Area beer.

About the Author

Jay Brooks has been writing about beer for 20 years, and is a co-founder of SF Beer Week. His syndicated newspaper column, Brooks on Beer, can be seen in at least half-a-dozen papers in the Bay Area and he’s also the author of the forthcoming California Breweries North, due out August 1, 2013 from Stackpole Books. You can find him ranting online at his idiosyncratic Brookston Beer Bulletin.

Charity & Educational Events

Kirby Bennett — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:17:59 +0000

San Francisco Beer Week is like a carnival for beer lovers. Everywhere you turn there are flashing lights, beer tastings, beer dinners, beer releases, meet the brewer events, and bearded women trying to lure you into their tents. Okay, maybe not that last part. All this activity makes it easy to forget that the heart of the craft beer community is just that: the local community. Year round craft breweries are constantly throwing events, fundraisers, and donating beer to their communities and favorite charities in the true embodiment of supporting local. SF Beer Week is no exception. There are a plethora of chances to learn something new about craft beer, and to give back to your community during SF Beer Week. Use this guide to walk away from your SF Beer Week experience with something more than just a vitamin B deficiency.

Charity Events

Almanac Butchers & Beers

All proceeds donated to The Food Pantry

February 15, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
St. Gregory’s
500 De Haro St., San Francisco

Some would argue that beer and pork is a match made in heaven. Here is your chance to find out. This event will have tastings from local breweries, pork from 4505 Meats, and a butchery demo with a silent auction of the resulting cuts.

Admission: $60

Black and White Beer Ball

A benefit for Ales for Autism

February 15, 8:00pm – 1:00am
Santa Rosa Veterans Building
1351 Maple Avenue, Santa Rosa

The 2nd annual Black and White Beer Ball, a semi-formal beer tasting ball includes a photo booth, live music, beer art for sale, and a silent auction.

Admission: $35- $55

Third Annual Booze and Brew Brawl

Proceeds will go toward the USBG Foundation and Share Our Strength

February 17, 6:00pm – 10:00pm
15 Romolo
15 Romolo Pl, San Francisco

Speakeasy Brewery and Campari America compete in a beer-cocktail competition. The ticket includes pub-inspired fare, a welcome cocktail, and tastings of the competing drinks.

Admission: $35

Educational Events

Siebel Institute Sensory Training Parts 1 & 2

Part 1: February 10
Part 2: February 17
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Whole Foods Market Coddingtown Tap Room
390 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa

The Chicago based Siebel Institute has been teaching brewing science since 1868. These workshops cover sensory skills and 12 different flavor and aroma compounds found in beer.

Admission: $20

Yerba Mate Education

February 17, 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Cervecería de MateVeza
3801 18th Street, San Francisco

This is your chance to learn all about another fermented beverage, yerba mate. Pass a gourd with Guayaki cebador Mateo Sluder, while learning all about yerba mate and tasting MateVeza’s mate-brewed beers.

Admission: Free

Double Whammy! Learn something AND help your community!

Thirsty Bear: Special Event: Chocolate, Beer and Cupid!

Proceeds benefit the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research

February 14, 6:00pm – 8:30pm
ThirstyBear Brewing Company
661 Howard St, San Francisco

Learn to make chocolates with Pete Slosberg (Pete’s Wicked Ale and Cocoa Pete’s) while drinking some fine organic Thirsty Bear brews and tasting chocolates from Newtree.

Admission: $20 in advance, $25 at the door

Blind Beer Tasting

Proceeds benefit the Contra Costa MS Society

February 16, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Pyramid Alehouse
901 Gilman Street, Berkeley

Challenge your palette by trying Pyramid beers side-by-side with direct competitors in multiple style categories.

Admission: $5

About the Author

Kirby Bennett recently returned from Boulder, CO where she was the Craft Beer Program Intern with the Brewers Association and wrote about National craft beer happenings for CraftBeer.com. She considers the Bay Area her home and thinks that the universe must have kismet timing to land her back in the bay just in time for San Francisco Beer Week. Find her on Facebook, G+, and Twitter.

Celebrate SF Beer Week in the North Bay

Mario Rubio — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:14:43 +0000

When talking about craft beer in the San Francisco Bay region, it’s hard to not spend a lot of time north of the Golden Gate. New Albion Brewing opened in Sonoma in 1976 and helped kick off this great craft beer revolution. Since then, Marin Brewing and sister brewery Moylan’s, opened their doors in Marin County and have served award-winning ales for over 20 years. Sonoma County is also home to the Bay Area’s largest craft brewer as well as some of the most influential.

Lagunitas Brewing Company has outgrown its space in Petaluma and will be opening the doors to a new brewery in Chicago in the near future. Russian River Brewing will start lining the streets today in Santa Rosa during the release of Pliny the Younger.

Despite having less than half a million residents, smaller than many cities around the Bay Area, Sonoma County is home to over a dozen craft breweries with more opening every day. It’s for these reasons that the North Bay has to be included in any discussion about how to spend your SF Beer Week.

With so much to do, here are some suggestions to get you through a North Bay SF Beer Week.

Bring on the Younger!

An obvious stop during SF Beer Week is to drive into Santa Rosa and get a taste of the fabled Pliny the Younger. Released before SF Beer Week starts on February 1st, this beer will be portioned out to last for two weeks. Local advice will tell you to come up mid-day on a weekday and get your taste at the lunch hour. Long lines are common at the Russian River through the final weekend.

Spend Time with the One You Love

Any SF Beer Week veteran will tell you, Valentine’s Day falls right in the middle of our ten day celebration. While you could risk domestic strife, another option is to find something the two of you can share. Beltane Brewing of Novato will be releasing their Mon Coeur Chocolate Ale at the brewery as well as “one or two other special releases from our new brewery as well.”

If chocolate doesn’t get you in the mood, how about oysters? From noon until 5, Drake’s Bay Oyster Company will have BBQ and raw oysters as well as music and beer from local breweries. Be sure to sign up for their shuttles and carpools.

If your true love can be found in a pint, Barley and Hops in Occidental is featuring a special 3-course meal with brewery Jeff Barkley of Moonlight Brewing joining them to answer questions about the beers and the brewery.

Find a Seat and Wait it Out

The North Bay is home to some great beer bars but a couple have stood out thanks to their full schedule of SF Beer Week events. Whole Foods Coddingtown in Santa Rosa has a shack built inside the grocery store that serves as a pub. You can “hone your beer sensory skills” at the Seibel Institute Sensory Training on the 10th and 17th, taste through the lineup of New Belgium beers on the 13th, or dig through the pub cellared offerings for their Barrel-Aged and Sour Beer Cellar Release going on throughout Beer Week.

Further South in Petaluma, Taps shows love for beer near and afar. Start the beer week with brewery nights from Sierra Nevada (Saturday, 9th), Meet the Brewmaster with Grand Teton (Tuesday, 12th) and a Sucaba Release Party with Firestone Walker (Wednesday, 13th). Taps brings the beer back home with two Petaluma breweries on the last weekend. Lagunitas Brewing will be on hand for the 15th while Henhouse Brewing celebrates their Anniversary at the same place it got it all started on the 16th.

Be Down for the Cause

What better way to celebrate SF Beer Week than to drink excellent beer for a good cause. Ales for Autism’s Black and White Ball is exactly that and is a fun, unique festival in the Bay Area. Put on your best eveningwear and come rub elbows with other sophisticated beer drinkers. Part of the festivities will include the first public pouring of St Florian’s Brewery of Windsor. Lastly, while there’s no way to confirm it, it’s been reported that a keg of Pliny the Younger did make it to the Black and White Ball in 2012 for those who might not get a taste at the pub.

Of course, the problem with highlighting the events from an area that’s so in love with craft beer is that you always fail to mention something. Whether it’s sausages and Russian River beers at Pizza Antica, Dinner with Firestone Brewmaster Matt Brynildson at the new Hopmonk Novato or just a bowl of stew with your favorite brew at Brody’s, the selection of events and types of experiences is near endless.

Cheers to the North Bay and cheers to SF Beer Week.

About the Author

Mario Rubio is a freelance writer living in Santa Rosa and is owner of BrewedForThought.com. Additionally, Mario regularly contributes to RateBeer.com, Examiner.com and the Northwest Brewing News. Three nights a week you can find Mario promoting craft beer around Sonoma County through sponsored brewery nights, bringing new breweries and beers to craft beer lovers every week. When not at the pub with a pint in hand, you can usually find Mario at home with his wife and two daughters. Find Mario on Twitter at @Brewed4Thought or follow Brewed For Thought on Facebook.

The SF Beer Week Collaboration Beer

admin — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:56:54 +0000

In celebration of SF Beer Week, the San Francisco Brewers Guild is proud to announce the release of their new collaboration beer called Green Death. It’s a modern interpretation of a historic West Coast ale once produced in San Francisco, that beer fans have enjoyed in green bottles and cans since Prohibition ended.

Green Death will be served for the first time at the SF Beer Week Opening Celebration on Friday, February 8th, at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. After the event, Green Death will be available on draft only, from February 9-17 at Guild member locations and a limited number of bars throughout the Bay Area.

The inspiration for Green Death was once produced at 1550 Bryant Street in San Francisco, beginning in 1934, where a staggering 350,000 barrels of beer were produced each year. It wasn’t labeled Green Death back then. That became the beer’s affectionate nickname in the 1960’s, and has persisted ever since, because of its green packaging, unsuspecting high alcohol content, and later popularity as a 40-ounce malt liquor product.

Over the years, Green Death has also been a favorite of several important San Franciscans. Celebrated Chronicle writer, Charles McCabe, consistently mentioned the beer in his column. He even referred to it as his “working breakfast,” which he would enjoy at 8am while reading the paper after working all night to meet a deadline. Neal Cassady, famous for his role in Jack Kerouac’s novel On the Road, was also fond of Green Death. According to literary lore, he once traded his San Francisco cab driver badge for a bottle.

The members of the San Francisco Brewers Guild have turned up the volume on the 1934 version of this historic ale by using high quality ingredients, a larger amount of hops, and decided to push the alcohol content even higher. Green Death was made at Speakeasy Ales & Lagers using 2-row malt, Cluster hops, California ale yeast, and 30% of the recipe consisted of flaked corn, which gives it a creamy texture and bumped the alcohol by volume up to 7.75%. The resulting beer is smooth, rich in flavor, and surprisingly not boozy. It will go down very easy, so be careful!

Green Death is part of a series of collaboration beers that the San Francisco Brewers Guild has created each year since SF Beer Week was launched in 2009. According to San Francisco Brewers Guild Executive Director, Brian Stechschulte, “The brewers enjoy working together each year on one-off recipes that challenge conventions, acknowledge brewing history, and surprise beer fans. Green Death is a wonderful addition to our lineup of collaboration beers.”

The San Francisco Brewers Guild would like to thank SF Beer Week sponsor, Brewers Supply Group, for donating some of the ingredients to make Green Death. Their support is greatly appreciated.

Head to the East Bay for SF Beer Week

Jen Muehlbauer — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:26:46 +0000

If the Bay Bridge and the Transbay Tube magically disappeared for all of February, those stranded in the East Bay could still have an epic SF Beer Week. Heck, they might not even notice.

The sunny side of the bay has less name recognition than San Francisco, but the region has its fair share of award-winning beer bars and up-and-coming breweries. It’s an exciting time to have a pint here. Definitely explore the entire schedule at sfbeerweek.org, but here are some ideas to get you started.

Saturday, February 9

13th Annual Double IPA Festival
The Bistro
1001 B Street, Hayward, CA (Hayward BART)

11am-6pm

The Double IPA Festival used to be the opening party for SF Beer Week back when you could count the week’s events on your fingers. Times have changed, and this once-humble gathering of hopheads now takes over an entire city block. The taplist is a who’s-who of huge IPAs…more than 60 of them. Good luck.

Unity, As In Edward Release Party
Ale Industries
975 Detroit Ave, Unit E, Concord, CA (hearty walk or short cab ride from Concord BART)

12pm-9pm

Ale Industries may be best known for a certain orangey wheat beer, but its barrel program has been quietly kicking butt. Now they’re releasing their sour blonde fruit ale, Unity As in Edward, in bottles for the first time at their Concord taproom (Unit E, get it?). AI release parties are always good times, and this one includes the Fists of Flour pizza truck, an artists’ market, and plenty of non-sour beers, too.

Sunday, February 10

Sour Sunday
Triple Rock and Jupiter
1920 and 2181 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
(Downtown Berkeley BART)

11:30am until the beer runs out

Every year, Triple Rock throws a great house party for its friends Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus — and non-sour barrel-aged beers are invited, too. In recent years, it’s gotten big enough to spill down the street into Jupiter, which this year will be focusing on American releases while Triple Rock handles the imports. The two venues will take turns bringing out sought-after beers every hour on the hour starting at 1pm.

Sierra Nevada Tap Wrecking Party
Beer Revolution
464 3rd Street, Oakland
(12th Street BART)

12pm-close

It’s common knowledge in Oakland that Beer Revolution goes totally over-the-top during beer week, often hosting multiple meet the brewer events in a single night. They might have reached new levels of beery excess by asking Sierra Nevada to take over all 48 of their taps. There are so many rarities on that taplist you’d have to work at Sierra Nevada to have even heard of them all. Don’t blink, most of the taps will be different the next day.

Tuesday, February 12

An Evening with Mitch Steele of Stone Brewing
Creek Monkey Tap House
611 Escobar Street, Martinez

6-9pm

The birth of Creek Monkey was an instant elevation of the beer scene in and around Martinez, but it has remained a bit of a locals-only place. That’s going to change dramatically when Stone’s head brewer Mitch Steele drops by. Homebrewers might want to seize the opportunity to ask a hop question or two while he’s signing copies of his book “IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale.”

Thursday, February 14

East Bay Brew Fest
Pyramid Alehouse
901 Gilman Street, Berkeley
(20 minute walk or short cab ride from North Berkeley BART)

6-9pm

Meet the brewer? How ‘bout meeting a dozen brewers? Pyramid is getting the neighborhood together for its second East Bay Brew Fest, a fun night that also raises funds for the Northern California MS Society. In addition to being a great overview of the beers in our backyard, this event is affordable and approachable. Bring your friends who don’t understand why you love beer so much — they’ll figure it out. Advance tickets are available here.

Friday, February 15

Strong Beer Evening (Really Strong)
Bobby G’s Pizzeria
2072 University Ave., Berkeley
(Downtown Berkeley BART)

4-11pm

If you didn’t know there’s yet another beer spot within a stone’s throw of Triple Rock and Jupiter, correct that ASAP by visiting Bobby G’s during beer week. IPA lovers may want to stop by on Friday, when they’ll be tapping their Pliny the Younger keg. It’ll go fast, but don’t overlook other fresh, hoppy delights like Auburn Alehouse ZZ Hop and Iron Springs Casey Jones.

Saturday, February 16

So-Cal Tap Takeover
Livermore Saloon
12223 First Street, Livermore

1pm-2am

Supposedly Livermore has some good drinks made out of grapes or something. It also has outstanding beer bars. Livermore Saloon has several intriguing events planned, like the SoCal Tap Takeover. Expect treats like Bootlegger’s Knuckle Sandwich double IPA, Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin, Lost Abbey sours, Green Flash, Alesmith, and a few barrel-aged versions of Ballast Point Victory at Sea.

Drake’s Grill and Chill
Drake’s Barrel House
1933 Davis Street, San Leandro
(25 minute walk, #89 bus, or short cab ride from San Leandro BART)

12pm-9pm

Bad news: Drake’s insanely popular Sau & Brau event is sold out. Good news: there’s another chance to check out most of their SF Beer Week specialty brews in a more mellow and less pig-intensive environment. Head to Drake’s Barrel House and sample from a menu of their regular line-up, seasonals, and barrel-aged beers.

Sunday, February 17

Celebrator Beer News 25th Anniversary Party
Oakland Convention Center Marriott Hotel
1001 Broadway, Oakland
(12th Street BART)

4pm-8pm

The Celebrator’s birthday party has been closing out SF Beer Week since year one. This year’s promises to be extra-festive as the beer magazine marks its 25th anniversary. Try beers brewed for the occasion and learn some beer history at the section of the fest dedicated to breweries more than 25 years old. This festival comes with buffet-style dinner that makes an awesome beer mop. Tickets at the door cost $20 more, so buy in advance if interested.

—

About the Author

Jen Muehlbauer wrote about beer in Boston and LA before settling down in the promised land of the Bay Area in 2009. Find her at EastBayBeer.com, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

Beer Dinner Destinations for SF Beer Week

Chuck Lenatti — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:27:59 +0000

Slowly but surely, craft beer is gaining the respect that wine has long enjoyed as a complement to fine dining. Quite a few Bay Area restaurants and chefs have begun showcasing their innovative culinary pairings in carefully curated beer dinners in which the beer accentuates and complements the flavors of the food, just as wine does. Chefs frequently use beer in their recipes and then pair the dish with the same beer to create a sublime synergy.

SF Beer Week will offer food lovers abundant opportunities to explore the creativity of local chefs and brewers collaborating to create memorable meals, and to discuss the process with the people who develop the recipes and pairings so they can experiment at home.

SF Beer Week features so many beer and food-pairing events that attending them all will be impossible. As of this writing, there are 21 beer-pairing dinners alone scheduled for SF Beer Week. But this list, sorted by day, can help diners plan their food and beer-pairing week. Keep in mind that some of the more popular and intimate events might sell out quickly.

Saturday, Feb. 9

Kirk Lombard’s Fresh Catch Supper
La Trappe Café
800 Greenwich St., San Francisco CA 94133,
Phone: 415-440-8727

Happy hour: 6-7 p.m., dinner: 7:30 p.m.

The Seaforager’s Dinner: Kirk Lombard and crew cook up a three-course dinner with sustainable fish (eel, rock crab, herring, night smelt and other creatures that don’t normally appear on local menus) sourced locally in the Bay and on the coast, paired with beers from La Trappe. Sea Forager Lombard will also show a video of how the dinner was caught, sing a few sea shanties and demonstrate some preparation techniques. Price: $65 (plus $4.57 fee)

Tickets: http://kirklombardsupper2013.eventbrite.com

Jasper’s 2nd Annual Beer Dinner Duel
Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen
401 Taylor St., San Francisco CA 94102
Phone: 415-775-7979

8-10 p.m.

Jasper’s Second Annual Beer Dinner Duel: Anderson Valley Brewing goes head to head with 21st Amendment in a four-course dinner, with each course paired with a beer from each of the breweries. Diners vote for the winner. $65, exclusive of tax and gratuity.

Sunday, Feb. 10

Beer Dinner with Magnolia
The Dark Horse Inn
942 Geneva Ave., San Francisco CA 94112

Phone: 415-469-5508

6-11 p.m.

Three-course dinner (details TBA) paired with four beers from Magnolia: Promised Land Double IPA, Delilah Rye Jones Imperial Rye, a Scottish Wee Heavy and a Belgian Quad. $50; tax is included, gratuity is not.

Monday, Feb. 11

Trappist Dinner
The Monk’s Kettle
3141 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-865-9523

6:30-10:30 p.m.

A beer-pairing dinner (TBA) featuring at least seven, if not all eight Trappist ales, including Trappist Westvleteren XII. $195, plus gratuity. Reservations only.

BBQ Beer-Pairing Dinner with Stone Brewing
Southpaw BBQ
2170 Mission St., San Francisco CA 94110
Phone: 415-934-9300

6-10 p.m.

Four-course Southern dinner paired with special beers from Stone. $50.

Widmer Brothers Beer Dinner
Town Hall Restaurant
342 Howard St., San Francisco CA 94105
Phone: 415-908-3900

6:30-10:30 p.m.

Brewer Ben Dobler of Widmer Brothers Brewing of Portland will pair six beers with a four-course dinner highlighting Max Hosey’s New American cooking. Also, a three-year vertical tasting of Widmer’s Brrrbn ale finished in bourbon casks. $65, exclusive of tax and gratuity.

Tuesday, Feb. 12 (Fat Tuesday)

Fat Tuesday Party
Social Kitchen
1326 9th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122
Phone: 415-681-0330

4 p.m.-midnight

A special Louisiana-inspired menu paired with Social Kitchen beers and featuring New Orleans music.

Scott’s Seafood Brewmaster Dinner Featuring Hermitage Brewing Company
Scott’s Seafood (Mountain View)
420 Castro, Mountain View CA
Call 650-966-8124 for reservations or use Open Table on the website.

6-8 p.m.

Executive Chef Ramon Nava creates a special four-course menu that will accompany beer from Hermitage Brewing. $45. Space is limited and reservations are required.

Paella Fest
ThirstyBear Brewing Company
661 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-974-0905

6-9 p.m.

Unlimited paella, flamenco and beer, including the SF Brewers Guild collaborative beer Green Death and a Pacific Brew Labs/ThirstyBear collaboration: a Bakery Tartine sourdough, oyster-infused, black steam beer. $35 in advance, $40 at the door.

Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party
Pleasanton Main St. Brewery
830 Main St., Pleasanton CA 94566
Phone: 925-462-8218

5-11 p.m.

Jambalaya, red beans and rice and chicken gumbo paired with special house-brewed beers. Free, no reservations.

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Brewery Cellar Dinner
ThirstyBear Brewing Company
661 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-974-0905

6-9 p.m.

Head Brewer Ron Silberstein and Brewmaster Brenden Dobel will preside over a 4-5 course dinner (menu TBD) with rare bottles and barrel tasting held in the brewery cellar. Only 10-12 tickets available. $70.

Sau & Brau (Part Trois)
Drake’s Barrel House
1933 Davis St., Building 177, San Leandro, CA 94577
Phone: 510-568-BREW

6-9 p.m.

Third annual whole pig roast with 20 taps of Drakes beer, including small-batch barrel-aged beers. Live music in Drake’s Barrel House Taproom. $50 for a Sau & Brau logo glass, happy hour (6-7 p.m.) with tasting of all regular and strong beers, four tickets for Barrel House beers during happy hour or any beer after happy hour, full pig roast dinner from ChopBar plus dessert. This popular event will probably sell out early.

Tickets: http://drakessauandbrau3.brownpapertickets.com

Beer Week Brewers Dinner
Pyramid Ale House
901 Gilman St., Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: 510-528-9880

6-9 p.m.

Four-course beer-paired dinner and brewery tour with Brewmaster Simon Pesch. Take home a growler of your choice. $45. Limited seating.

Tickets: http://pyramidfebruarydinner-es2003.eventbrite.com/?rank=4

Almanac Beer Pairing Dinner
Central Kitchen
3000 20th St., San Francisco CA 94110
Phone: 415-826-7004

6:30-9 p.m.

Almanac Brewing and Chef Thomas McNaughton will serve farm to table food with farm to barrel beers. Five-course tasting menu with beer pairings. $130.

Shmaltz Brewing Beer Pairing Dinner
Wise Sons
3150 24th St., San Francisco CA 94110
Phone: 415-787-3354

6:30-9:30 p.m.

Wise Sons Jewish Deli and Shmaltz Brewing team up for a night of food and beer pairings. Details and price TBA.

Thursday, Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day)

Valentine’s Day Prixe Fixe Dinner with Beer Pairings
La Trappe Café
800 Greenwich St., San Francisco CA 94133

Phone:415-440-8727

Four-course dinner with beers handpicked by La Trappe’s staff. $65. Reservation times throughout the evening.

Lower DeBoom Barley Wine Release Dinner
21st Amendment Brewery
563 Second St., San Francisco CA 94107
Phone: 415-369-0900

6:30-10 p.m.

Release celebration of Lower De Boom Barley Wine in cans and on draft. Beer Chef Bruce Paton’s special menu will include Lower De Boom as an ingredient and as an accompaniment to his dishes.

Saturday, Feb. 16

Twisted Tasting Evening Gala
Top of the Ritt
Corner of Church and Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Contact: emily@scmbrew.com
Phone: 813-425-4900

6-10 p.m.

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing hosts a gala event at the Top of the Rittenhouse building, showcasing 40 of the most unique, experimental and unusual beers in the world paired with locally produced, exotic, beer-inspired food. $65 for unlimited beer and food pairings.

Beer Dinner with 21st Amendment
The Dark Horse Inn
942 Geneva Ave., San Francisco CA 94112
Phone: 415-469-5508

6-11 p.m.

Three-course dinner (details TBA) paired with four beers from 21A: Marooned on Hog Island Oyster Stout, Sneak Attack Winter Saison, Fireside Chat Winter Warmer and Brew Free or Die IPA. $50; tax is included, gratuity is not.

Anderson Valley Takeover Barbecue
La Trappe Café
800 Greenwich St., San Francisco CA 94133
Phone:415-440-8727

Anderson Valley Brewing will bring in some old favorites and some hard to finds to pair with the kitchen’s first Belgian barbecue. Free admission.

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About the Author

Chuck Lenatti is an editor and writer living in Pacifica. He writes about food and beer on examiner.com and at allbrews.blogspot.com.

Navigating SF Beer Week Without Driving

Gail Ann Williams and Steve Shapiro — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:08:15 +0000

San Francisco Beer Week offers the best imaginable way to feel absolutely confused and frustrated while having as much fun as can be had with a beer glass in your hand. No matter what event you go to, you will be missing out on twenty others. There is even a chance that you’ll arrive for an event and find it sold out or too crowded, and you’ll have to pull out your print-out or your SF Beer Week phone app and re-boot. Nobody can fix that for you, but there are ways to make getting around to the places you choose as painless as possible.

If you somehow lined up an angelic friend as your non-drinking driver to happily shuttle you anywhere, you may not be thinking about trains, busses and cabs. However, in certain areas, such as many San Francisco and Berkeley neighborhoods, driving is almost never the best option. Sometimes taking the BART train under the Bay is faster than creeping along the bridge. Parking can be notoriously difficult. Old driving and parking strategies may not work this year. For example, SF parking meters now run on Sundays. A $62 parking ticket is a bad way to spend what could be your extra beer event and random kindness tipping funds.

The regional transportation system includes the BART train line, spanning the central Bay Area and offering easy access to a significant number of beer destinations, along with connecting regional busses, trains and ferries. Most bus and train lines run more frequently during weekday commute hours, and only some run after midnight, but many will be convenient for listed SF Beer Week events. While people use these transportation options for the first time every day, there is an advantage to being prepared, so you can relax and keep your mind on the cities, the scenery and all the amazing beers.

Here are our top ten transit tips. You’ll fare all right without them, but why not be prepared?

10. As you select your favorite events from the SF Beer Week website, copy them each into a simple Google Map that has full navigation and routing features. The SF Beer Week site is wonderful for seeing how events are clustered, but the regular Google Maps are pretty well integrated with transit in this part of the world, so just plug in your starting point and destination, select the little bus icon, and preview some realistic transit options to make your plans work out when the day arrives. This is how you make the no-driving magic happen.

9. Consider getting a Clipper Card if you don’t have one. These reloadable fare cards can be used on BART, AC Transit (East Bay buses), Golden Gate Transit (buses and ferries from SF to and within the North Bay counties), SF MUNI (buses, metro light rail, historic street cars and cable cars), Caltrain (peninsula commuter rail), SanTrans (commuter buses from SF to and within the northern peninsula) and VTA (South Bay buses and light rail). If you already have a Clipper Card, consider setting up autopayment so you don’t have to reload your fare card at some moment when your train is about to arrive and five people are queued up ahead of you trying to figure out a ticket machine.

8. Events that formed the original framework for SF Beer Week, before the week was officially designated five years ago, can each be reached by transit. Strong Beer Month festivities at Magnolia and 21st Amendment, and the even older Toronado Barleywine Festival are each on SF MUNI lines. The original Bistro Double IPA Festival is walking distance from the Hayward BART Station and the Celebrator Beer News 25th Anniversary Festival is at 12th Street BART in Oakland. The SFBW Opening Gala is on the MUNI bus line that runs from Civic Center BART down 8th Street, and is also walkable from the Caltrain depot, heading up 4th and along Brannan Street.

7. If you don’t want to bother with a Clipper Card, carry some cash in crisp one dollar bills and quarters for use in ticket machines and on most busses when you board. Sometimes you will be able to use a credit card, but sometimes you can’t, and you won’t want to take time to find an ATM once you are out for the day. Beer Week is too short for that.

6. Smart phone users, take advantage of one of the great free mobile apps that let you see when busses and trains are coming. Two of the many useful options are the free NextBus app and 511 Transit, which both have useful websites, too. As we mentioned before, Google Maps also integrates this information very nicely.

5. Dumb phone? The reason we already mentioned the granddaddy of them all, the free NextBus service, is that the service is noteworthy for working on both smart and “dumb” phones. You can also text it with bus route queries and get arrival information. This texting technique takes a little more preparation, but look at their website and give it a try. You can also go voice and call the local 511 Transit information service, which offers extensive up to date voice menu information by just dialing 511 in our area, and navigating a menu for live transit information. These services predict arrival based on where buses actually are. Now and then a vehicle breaks down or is pulled out of service, but most predictions are pretty accurate. 511 offers info on BART and on other services NextBus doesn’t include

4. Sonoma County can be reached by Golden Gate Transit bus from the central Bay Area, but the schedules are set up for commuters, so you may want to stay overnight there if you have an event you want to attend. Santa Cruz and outlying parts of other counties can pose a similar challenge. Find a cool little local hotel or B&B and stay over in one of the wonderful corners of the region. Or just look for beers from those areas in a tap takeover event closer to your home base. Brewers are sending their best stuff all around the Bay.

3. Don’t forget the ferries. Building in a round trip across the Bay adds an authentic non-touristy version of one of the best tourist treats. You may need your own map and reading material to be able to provide self-narration when you pass by Alcatraz, San Quentin and the bridges, but your vantage point will be excellent. If you bundle up you can usually ride outside. The beer selection on the ferries is limited, so take the chance to sip some water or a hot beverage as a little break from all the beery wonder.

2. Taxis can be a bargain when traveling with a group. They are almost always faster than buses within the same city. Usually a bartender knows the best cab company to call. Yellow Cab has branches in multiple cities in the area, or you can look up reviews and details to choose the higher-rated companies town by town. Put a few numbers in your phone, or consider using a taxi-hailing app like Flywheel. Cabs to get to your train are just a wise expenditure. There are also some limo and car service companies around, including unregulated mobile-app based Uber, and the smaller Lyft and Sidecar services. Poke around ahead of time to see how those work if a taxi won’t solve your puzzle.

1. BART starts to close around midnight. Arrg! The last trains start at the end of the line at about that time or in some cases a little before midnight, and then all meet in the middle of the system in Oakland before continuing to the end of all the lines. Check the posted schedule before you leave the station. There are hourly buses that run along the BART system after the stations close, but they are less convenient, and should only be an emergency alternative. If you want one final late night beer, treat yourself to an awesome bottle near or inside your home or hotel room. Think of what beer you could set up for yourself, waiting in that fridge.

Go have fun, but first plan a little so you can leave your car behind.

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About the Authors

Steve Shapiro and Gail Ann Williams set up the BeerByBART.com website seven years ago to help tourists and locals easily find the best venues to enjoy and learn about craft beer in the Bay Area without driving. They blog, FB and Tweet about their beer explorations. You can find their regular articles about the San Francisco beer scene in the Celebrator Beer News. Their photos of beer events and people can be found on Flickr, including some from past SF Beer Weeks.

Beer Tourists Travel from Abroad for SF Beer Week

Brian Stechschulte — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:23:03 +0000

Sometimes we forget how good we have it in the Bay Area. Every corner of the region is filled with celebrated breweries, craft beer centric watering holes, and leading edge restaurants serving great beer. Along with our cultural, natural and historic attractions, it’s no wonder that beer tourists from around the world travel here for SF Beer Week, when the options for great beer are even more mind numbingly good.

Travelers from abroad periodically reach out to SF Beer Week organizers. We answer questions and offer advice. We also hear about long distance beer tourists from event hosts and attendees who’ve bonded with them over a few beers. One case in point is a band of fun loving “Crazy Swedes” who’ve been popping up at events all over the Bay Area each year.

We were curious about their dedication, and by total chance, their ringleader Michael Blom got in touch with us a few months ago with a question. Some emails flew back and forth across the pond and we thought it would be fun to share their story through a little Q & A with Blom, who’s from Uppsala, Sweden. He offers some great advice for first time visitors and regular attendees.

When did you start attending SF Beer Week and what inspired you to visit?

My brother and I started going to SF Beer Week almost three years ago. 2010 was our first visit. We’re both interested in beer and started talking about going somewhere far away from Sweden. We had of course read about SF Beer week and knew Bay Area breweries produce a lot of good beer. My brother had also traded beer with a few people in San Francisco and we wanted to visit them as well. Based on those two things it felt like an easy decision, and an adventure to go, and I always wanted to visit the city of San Francisco. The first year we combined a lot of events with tourist attractions. After the first year it was of course an even easier decision to go a second time, and in 2011 we got five more friends to tag along. The experience spread in our beer friend community and for SF Beer Week 2012, twelve of us came over from Sweden. I am hoping for a similar number in 2013, but so far only 3 people who have actually booked flight tickets. Five or seven more will book soon though.

How long do you stay during SF Beer Week?

We usually fly in on the Thursday before SF Beer Week. We usually stay for the full duration, however in 2013 I can only stay for 7 days due to work back home.

Are there any events you attend every year and do you have a strategy?

We try to go to as many events as possible, but in the end there are a few we keep going back to. The Opening Celebration of course, the DIPA Festival at the Bistro, the Sour Sunday in Berkeley at Triple Rock and Jupiter, and the Celebrator Beer News Anniversary Celebration on the last day. There are other events we have visited more than once, but those four we do each year. Beyond these I try to find events that also include food pairings or other kind of odd things, like the canned beer event at the Jug shop.

Do you have any memorable moments?

One of the best events I’ve been able to attend so far, other than the 4 mentioned above, the seven-course dinner in 2010 hosted by Jesse Friedman, who now runs Almanac Beer, was memorable. That dinner simply blew our minds with world-class beer paired with awesome food. I still relish those memories with great happiness. That same year we did a full day where we started off with a bus trip to Santa Rosa to have a great afternoon at Russian River Brewing, which was followed by a five course dinner and beer pairings at Lagunitas Brewing. It was a lot of great beer and people all throughout the day. Other memories usually include a variety of people, and that is also one of the reasons we keep coming back, to visit old and a lot of new friends. I never imagined I would meet so many nice people out there, and it’s always so easy to talk with them. Most seem genuinely happy to talk to us strangers from far away.

Do you have any advice for people traveling from abroad to SF Beer Week?

My advice would be to always remain open-minded and don’t be afraid to ask fellow beer people for advice. I’ve found that I can ask whomever, wherever, and most will be friendly and helpful when I have questions or issues. I think it’s also good to stay at a hotel that’s fairly central in San Francisco, close to a BART station. We take a lot of trains and buses to events in various parts of the city and around the Bay Area. If you’re there for the first time, and if you haven’t visited San Francisco before, I would also try to spend a few more days to really experience the city itself and not only the beer scene. I’ve also found it to be extremely handy to plan, in advance, what kind of events you plan to attend, and make sure you have maps printed to the various locations. Due to the extremely high number of events (which of course is good!) I don’t want to spend a lot of time while in San Francisco reading about SF Beer Week, and then planning to go to a specific event. I want to have that planned already before leaving home to make sure I can try as much beer as possible and meet a lot of new friends. My last piece of advice would be to check what your luggage limits are on your return back to ensure you can bring all the goodies home you bought or traded for without having to pay too much for excess baggage.