Sudwerk Lager

Just found a favorite lager! A first, for me, since I usually can't stand the stuff. But this is delicious! Malty and sweet, with a honeyed apricot aftertaste. With about a 5% ABV, this is a fantastic session beer.

Sadly, this bullshit is not a joke.



"This lovely beer is a light lager, with low carbs and just 97 calories. The taste leans toward the smoothness of malt over the dry bitterness of hops It’s the taste that women prefer. You’re going to love it."

what. the. fuck.

No, I am NOT going to "love it." I'm going to ridicule and hate everything about it, from its sexist and demeaning packaging (a more extreme lady hourglass figure than I've seen on most macrobrewery labels), to its bullshit recipe, to its totally offensive declaration on what "women prefer" (newsflash - some of us LIKE hops, dumbass).

I can't tell if the fact that this is made by a woman makes it better or worse. I just hope the Pink Boots Society gives her a lesson or two on what Women in the Beer Industry are actually up to. Jesus.

Did you know Drake's Brewing has a Barrel Aged Tap House? Tasters, half-pints, 6-packs, growlers...this place is awesome. Particularly today, with such amazing weather & a $5 rib/pizza/salad lunch thanks to Bay Area Beer Socials! Drake's is already one of my favorite local breweries, and today I found a new reason why: Alpha Session, a Nor-Cal bitter that's only 3.8%! And SO delicious. Light and sweet with some pleasant hops, with a slightly butterscotch aftertaste. Absolutely amazing - we're getting a growler for tomorrow's croquet party!

Spitfire says Flying Dog Imperial Porter is "the vegemite of beers."

Lanesplitter

Post-softball with Spitfire (why yes, of course we won). Ordered pitchers of Racer 5 and Death & Taxes...then blended. SO GOOD. The Racer adds a nice mild hoppiness to the dark, solid D&T. Spitfire would like to say "I think the Racer 5 adds a fruity flavor, and cuts the bitter aftertaste." I trained her well.

Holy Shit, Triple Rock!

Since my old faithful ipod met a timely demise (it was about 5 years old, which is almost 90 in human years) when I attempted to smuggle two large, full coffees into the movies via my purse (spoiler alert: it was not a success), I was forced to purchase a new (old) one off craigslist. A kind UC Berkeley teenager sold me one cheap, so we went to eat at Triple Rock.

Hot damn.

I had two of their seasonal brews, and they are outstanding.

Hopfensuppe - an imperial IPA at 8.5%. So delicious. Fruity, light, similar to Avery's Maharaja. Perfect for a summery day. Just the right amount of hops to have a little kick, but they're the sweet citrusy hops that I love. LOVE this beer.

Black N Blue - a stout, but light at only 5.1%. It's a nice roasty beer that's a little more porter-like, but very sweet and warming. Also: blueberries! It's not an obvious fruit flavour, it's just a slight full sweetness that is surprisingly perfect.

Oh, Triple Rock. You are awesome.

Triple Rock Firkin Fest

Summer weather = beer festivals! Today we're in Berkeley drinking hand pumped beer. So far my favourite is Tcho Mama from Marin Brewing. Chocolate and cherries! So tasty. And surprisingly sweet - usually cherry makes beer sour, so this is a nice change.

Summer?!

When it gets surprisingly warm for a March evening in the Bay Area, boyfriends & Racer 5 are your best companions.

Sometimes it's hard to find the ladies room in the brewery.

omG

Midnight Sun XXX Black Double IPA. Holy shit. So smooth, crisp, slightly sweet & malty with an amazingly calm but present hoppy goodness. Hint of coffee at the outset, fresh citrusy hops finish it off. The Black IPA is officially my favourite style, and this might just be the best. DAMN. Thanks, Alaska!

Mill Valley Beerworks

The Bay Area Beer Bloggers headed north last night for our January meeting, and I was introduced to Mill Valley Beerworks (surprisingly enough, it's in Mill Valley).

It's a long and narrow room that feels cozy with lots of wood and dark tile. It feels a little small, but a lot of people were able to fit without it being too crowded.

They have about 8 taps? I think? Maybe 10. Two of them were for the Beerworks own brews (although they were sadly out of both when we were there), and the others were a wide range of styles and brewery locations. I went with Bacchus, a Flemish red ale. It was a little crisp, but didn't have the mouth-puckering qualities of most sours. I really liked it - it had a nice sweetness, but was calm. Not like drinking a glass of sweet tarts. I later shared a few beers with Brian, and I've already forgotten what they were. But one was English! And I then decided promptly that I do not like English beer.

The bartenders were all some of the nicest guys I've ever had serve me beer. Everything was in the right glass, too, which is always a plus. The only downside was the price. All draft beers were $7-10, and some of the bottles were pretty pricey (Speedway Stout, which is usually around $11-13, was $24!). But, it's Marin County. I expected as much.

They have a small food menu, which is also pricey - my grilled cheese sandwich was $9. BUT! Holy shit, that was an amazing grilled cheese sandwich. Great bread, a number of different cheeses (I think there was goat in there?), grilled bell peppers and greens. $9 is a lot, yes, but damn that was delicious.

I don't think I'll go back unless I happen to be in the neighbourhood, but that's only because it took so long to get there from Oakland. If I lived over there, I would definitely be hanging out there on a regular basis. If you're in Mill Valley, or anywhere close by, you should definitely check it out.

CommonWealth Cafe and Pub in Oakland

Last night we went to the CommonWealth Cafe/Pub in Oakland. Its walking distance from our house was a big draw.

It's a very sweet, small pub. Lots of tables - more than I thought would fit - but everyone seemed to be comfortable. It had an pretty diverse crowd - not by Oakland's standards, but quite different than the usual craft beer crowd.

It had a warm, homey feel to it. The bartender was nice and helpful, giving samples of unknown beers and offering suggestions. They had a small tap list (about 8, I think?) and a good bottle list from other countries - they emphasized Scottish beers, so the list was predominantly Brew Dog.

I had Drake's Red Eye, a red ale. It was slightly sweet, nicely malty with a hoppy finish. A typical red ale - nothing too special, but a good, stable option. The Lumberjack had Young's Double Chocolate Stout, since you rarely find it on tap. It was delicious! I don't think I've had it since I first started drinking craft beer, so it was nice to go back to. Really creamy, nice chocolate flavour. The CommonWealth also offers ice cream floats with Young's, which I think would be AMAZING.

They had a good food menu as well. The Lumberjack got Scottish Eggs which sound gross to me, but he gave them a thumbs up while still chewing. I had a roast beef toasted sandwich that was absolutely delicious. The prices were pretty reasonable.

Overall - a fun option to have nearby. Not amazing or extensive enough to necessarily warrant a long trek to get there, but if you're in the neighbourhood you should definitely check it out.

Black IPA: SO GOOD

Grand Teton Trout Hop Black IPA! I first had it on tap at Cato's, and loved it, so tonight the Lumberjack found me a bottle for an early xmas present. YUM.

Smells super hoppy - piney & a little citrusy. I especially like the strong bouquet while sipping. Tastes like piney hopes, with a nice malty base. A little sweet, a little spicy. It's everything I love about Black IPA. Perfect balance of a dark smooth stout and a lively hoppy IPA. Strongly suggested! Merry Christmas.

Difference of Opinion

Tastes like bandaids wrapped in bacon. Translation? I find it revolting, the Lumberjack loves it.

Abita!

Abita Christmas Ale. It's good. I would write more, except I already did and then the draft disappeared while I was checking on whether Drake's spells it "Jolly Roger" or "Jolly Rodger" (it's the former). So now I'm annoyed. But basically this beer is good. A brown ale that tastes more like a red (that's where "Jolly Roger" came in). Spicy, warm. And only 5.5% ABV, so nicely drinkable. The end. Thanks, Louisiana.

Making Beer out of Lemons

While I'd rather not be in Florida, seeing as how a family emergency brought us here, the silver lining is...Cigar City Brewing!

Upon our arrival into Tampa, we went to The Independent which I found on BeerFly. It was hilarious to walk in and see Lagunitas on tap!

The bartender was awesome - very friendly and welcoming. When I asked for something local, she suggested Cigar City, and I tried Jai Alai, an IPA. So delicious! Pretty honey colour, smells sweet and hoppy. Slightly syrupy, nice mouthfeel. The hops are fruity and nicely balanced. I didn't check the ABV, but it seemed like the deceptively strong kind of beer!

Then we had Marshall Zhukov, an imperial stout. This beer is THICK, pours like motor oil. Very strong. Smells sweet and a little smoky. Tastes intense, like getting smacked in the face. Typical malty flavour, with a hint of prunes and raisins. This beer is definitely meant for sipping!

It's unclear how much longer we'll be here - but definitely long enough to try a few more locals.

WHAT IS THIS BEER?!

City Beer Store, Friday evening. Tried a black rye IPA from somewhere local, but didn't have my notebook so I didn't write anything down. I thought I would remember - I WAS WRONG. Dammit. This beer was DELICIOUS. The black IPA is quickly becoming my favourite style, and this one was exceptional. Dark, sweet, nice hoppy crispness. Delicious coffee and tobacco flavours around the edges. Every sip had a hint of something new - it was one of the most complex beers I've had in awhile. Unfortunately City Beer is closed today so I can't figure out what this masterpiece was. Insert frowny emoticon here.

UPDATE: thanks to my friend via Facebook, I now remember that this is Iron Springs Black Magic Rye Black IPA.  It's not listed on Beer Advocate, which is why I couldn't figure it out.  Iron Springs is an awesome local brewery (up in Fairfax).  You should go, and drink their beer.  You won't be disappointed.

Cato's Ale House

Grand Teton Black Cauldron Stout, and Bombay by Boat IPA on cask.

Holy shit. Friends, I live in Beer Nirvana. aka this beer is AWESOME.

At Falling Rock!

It's cool & dark in here, and we have huge comfy chairs to eat our
burgers in. Unfortunately I let the bartender pick my beer for me
(usually this yields exciting surprises), and he poured me a Stone
IPA. Oops. I guess I should have specified that I wanted something
that doesn't come from the same place as me!

We're in Denver!

A quick flight from Oakland and the Lumberjack & I are in Denver. SO EXCITED.

Last June, I bought the LJ a ticket to GABF for his birthday, since he had been talking for as long as I'd known him about how badly he'd always wanted to go. I was excited about taking a trip, and thought the festival itself would probably be okay. If only I had known!

GABF is awesome. Unlike a lot of other festivals I've been to, it's not dominated by douchebags. There was water everywhere, and a lot of the brewers were present and happy to chat (briefly). I think GABF played a big part in my craft beer passion, so I'm thrilled to be going back - and this time, I have a year of knowledge/experience more.

Being the Virgo that I am, I printed out the festival map and list of brewers, so on the plane we mapped out our plan of attack. Like last year, we're leaving out the Pacific region, since we can get all that at home. Last year we hit everything we wanted with about 5 minutes to spare, so it was good that we skipped the Pacific!
I also printed out tons of maps of our area, and walking directions to all the stores, breweries, and museums we want to visit.

Today we'll be lunching at the Falling Rock. Yay Denver!