Iron Springs in Fairfax, CA-hopefully last posting for a while

The latest Iron Springs news reported by Brookston Beer Bulletin show that events all appear to be turning in the right direction for the Altmans and crew in Fairfax, CA at Iron Springs.

The talented crew and successful business have their lease situation under control and a new brewer to boot. In Christian's place back on the other side of the bay, Rodger Davis (formerly of Drake's) has stepped in the brewer's boots at Triple Rock.

Congratulations, can't wait to see you guys again soon.

Barclay's in Oakland, CA

Oakland? Not what comes immediately to mind. Berkeley? Almost. Barclays is located just off CA-route 24 (<- cool picture, make the jump) and a couple of blocks from the Rockridge stop of BART's Pittsburg line. It's along College Avenue heading into Berkeley on the north side of CA-24, so it's a healthy couple of mile walk up into the heart of Berkeley (town and university). It has an Oakland mailing address, but more of a Berkeley vibe.

Now that the location for the National Homebrewers Conference in 2009 has been announced as "Bay Area" (Oakland), I figured it was high time I tell you my latest tale from California. That's motivation, plus the multitudes telling me they can't get enough of my aged stories originally written weeks and months ago.

This Barclays profile could be a week old or a year old; I'm thinking that it wouldn't matter. Even though I've now been there just once, I get a feeling that Barclays is as much the same as they ever have been, other than the constantly changing tap list and the daily specials. With the high quality tap list that they keep, the beers actually change quite often. Fortunately, they keep their website updated daily with current tap lists and food specials.

I make these statements with the greatest affection. Barclays feels like the kind of place that just continues to do what they do and do it well. Heading into their second generation (opened in October 1991 in the former space of Cactus Taqueria, who moved just down the avenue), this is no easy feat. Locals and college students who went to Barclay's in the early 90s are able to pass along stories, or at least maybe with discretion, to their children who are now coming of legal drinking age.

Approaching from the sidewalk, the pub is set down a few steps making it a semi-subterranean joint. Entering from a shielded patio area off the bustle of the sidewalk makes for a comfortable approach to the pub.

Looking at the tables and the decor on the walls, the pub has the feeling of memories laid upon memories. Beer memorabilia scatters across the walls. Taps, both CO2 and cask, line the wall behind the long bar. A dartboard hanging in the corner always had a gathering of throwers during a visit.

Old timers, youngins, prepsters, and beatniks of all ages take up seats at the bar and tables. I get the feeling from sitting in the pub that the stories and memories from across the years can be found in every corner and this creates a warm pub feel. (Keep in mind that I was there for lunch, so I have absolutely no idea what the scene looks like late at night.)

The food is a solid lineup of dependable suspects like chicken sandwiches and burgers, soups and salads, crabcakes, calamari, and shrimp cocktail, and a few solid entrees for the hungrier of the group.


For the thirsty crowd (hydration is important in the summer months!), local beverage dominate. Barclays has almost all corners of the Bay Area covered. When we were there in February, among the 30 or so taps we could easily find representation from Speakeasy, Anchor, Hoptown (now closed), Sierra Nevada, Bear Republic, Russian River, Tied House, Moonlight, Iron Springs, Lost Coast, Drake's, Anderson Valley, Trumer, and El Toro. As of this current week's tap list, most of these are still represented along with other local favorites from E.J. Phair, Lagunitas, and Marin.

For food, I kept all things French, with an Onion soup and Dip sandwich. My suds trip, on the other hand, took me from Anchor's Liberty (wish we saw this more often on the East Coast), to Bombay by Boat (never had anything disappointing from Brian Hunt at Moonlight), stepping up to Speakeasy's Big Daddy, and finishing off with Drake's 1500. Was I on the West Coast? Hell, yes!

If I was there this week, the Blind Pig would have no problem finding its way to my table over and over again. This was my first visit, but it certainly won't be my last visit. It would be interesting to hear from others more experienced with Barclays how close to the mark I am with my descriptions.

After Barclays, we headed further on up the road to the hills of Berkeley passing the USMC recruitment office protests along the way (CNN story link). We headed across town to Trumer, where we picked up some nice pilsener glasses to bring home with us. Saved for our next visit to Berkeley/Oakland are recommended beer joints Jupiter, Cato's Ale House, Ben & Nick's, and Triple Rock.


As for other lingering stories from the attic?! Fear not, there's still more from this February trip to California and also the June trip to Dallas. And, of course, Pittsburgh will be coming up in the queue too. Good thing there's thousands of great timeless beer stories to tell.

Another encouraging note

Catching up with e-mails and other material from the past week as also revealed this happy nugget of news from the west coast. It's extremely gratifying to hear that a compromise has been worked out with regard to the rent increase situation at Iron Springs in Fairfax, CA.

News a couple months back did not look as good.

You may recall my visit there almost, sheesh, two years ago now. Good things do occasionally happen to good people, eh?

Updates from Russian River, Magnolia, and Lost Abbey

Covering the best of California from top to bottom all in one posting. Here are some interesting tidbits pulled over the past couple of days from Russian River Brewing's, Magnolia Brew Pub's, and Lost Abbey's e-mail and blog updates.

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Lost Abbey - (5/9/08 blog update)
Keep up with them at lostabbey.com/blog

...
In February we acquired more oak barrels. Specifically, we added 100 new Brandy barrels and 50 more Bourbon barrels. Since then, we have filled 50 Brandy Barrels of Angel’s Share which we hope to release in time for Christmas. We’ll be filling the other 50 in the next month. This will mean a plethora of Angel’s doing their work all summer long at The Lost Abbey. Sounds divine if you ask me.

...
A couple of weeks ago, the Craft Brewing World descended on San Diego. It was a chance for every local brewer to do their part and shine. We at Port Brewing hosted so many brewers. It was a special week for us. The highly anticipated Isabelle Proximus was launched. It turned into an amazing beer and we can’t wait to get the barrels reloaded and make more. The beer has been labeled and should see the light of day in late June- just in time for the summer swelter.

...
Last weekend, we hosted our 2nd Anniversary Party. In true Port Brewing fashion, we rolled out 3 beers for the weekend. The buzz around the brewery seems to be that the Cuvee tastes as good as last year AND don’t even get us started on the 2nd Anniversary Ale. If there’s one place there isn’t a hop shortage, it’s those bottles we filled- 11 pallets worth!

...
I have put a moratorium on new beers for the next few months. Don’t ask me the timeline. I don’t have one. What I do know is that since January of this year, we have launched or brewed Moon Lit Sessions, Shark Attack, Port 2nd Anniversary, Serpent’s Stout, Carvnevale, Inferno, Hildegard’s Saison and Holy Water. It’s time for me to stop imaging and conceptualizing new beers every 20 minutes. I’m having a hard enough time keeping track of where these beers are.
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Finally Brewing at the New Brewery! - (5/10/08 blog update)
Keep up with them at russianriverbrewing.com/wordpress/

...
On Thursday, May 8th, we finally brewed our first batch of beer at the new production brewery in Santa Rosa! Of course, it was far from the perfect brew day. Vinnie arrived at 6am and left at 4:30am… ouch.

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The first beer brewed on the new/used 50 barrel Dogfish Head brewhouse was Consecration- a sour beer which will age for a year in Cabernet barrels with black currents and the usual bugs and critters.

...
Today, Saturday, I decided to forego Boonville to help Vinnie brew the first batch of Pliny the Elder! We don’t brew together anymore, now that we are business partners. So today was a very special day for me!

Jay has a bunch of great pictures over at his site...check 'em out
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Magnolia Closed For Remodeling - (5/11/08 email update)
Keep up with them at magnoliapub.blogspot.com

...
At long last, after a seemingly endless spring of preparation and planning, we’re closing tonight after dinner for nine days of remodeling.

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Some parts of this process have been underway for weeks and are just awaiting final installation, like the new bar and table tops built from wood salvaged from the original Levi Strauss building. Others, like extensive painting and restroom tiling, require a closed and quiet pub to commence. And a few projects will continue on over the next two months.

...
Brandon has reached out to the producers whose philosophy aligns most closely with our own, bringing Marin Sun, Cattail Creek, Devils Gulch, Wolf Ranch, Liberty and other farms into Magnolia for the first time.

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The most exciting addition, however, is the unveiling of our new sausage program(!), with a selection of five different house-made sausages (including a veggie one).

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Come see how it all turns out on Wednesday, May 21st, when we will re-open for dinner.

...
And if you’ve got a thirst for Proving Ground or one of our other beers, Alembic (1725 Haight @ Cole) will be serving Magnolia beer from all ten of its taps during the downtime (along with the usual array of cocktails, spirits, bottled beer, wine, sake, and small plates).

...
PS – The next SF Brewers Guild Meet the Brewers event is just down the street at Toronado on May 22 from 6-9pm. There will be a beer on tap from all seven Guild breweries, including Magnolia.
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Shall we put a wrap on the Toronado Barleywine Festival? (Magnolia and 21A while we're at it?)

In addition to the results and few pictures that I gave to you almost two months ago, here's a bit more of a wrap-up from one day in San Francisco that included the Toronado Barleywine Festival, late lunch/early dinner (linner?) and many beers at Magnolia, and a "nightcap" at the 21A (21st Amendment). Timely, it'is n't, but hopefully you'll enjoy just the same.











The Barleywine Festival produced some judged winners from Lagunitas, Stone, and Deschutes Super Jubel, Drake's Frankenwein, and Schooner's Old Woody as my top, let's see that's, four of the afternoon. Bringing in a surprise honorable mention was (new to San Francisco) Wunder Brewing's Old Knuckledragger. As Jay had mentioned, it sure was odd seeing the draft menu above the bar with a bunch of empty slots while the taps were pouring many of these unique brews. I'd share the tasting notes, but I get a feeling that after all this time that has passed, it likely won't interest you all that much.










Ironic that we ran into Dave McLean on the way out the door. We were ready for serious table food, the likes of which only Magnolia could satisfy at this point. And there he was to keep us from it. We chatted for a while about happenings at the pub, his (relatively) newer Alembic further down Haight near the Park, and his ties to Pennsylvania. Great guy Dave is, it was a shame that we were headed in opposite directions.










We then strolled the half mile or so up, and down and up, Haight to Dave's Magnolia. It was just one of those picture perfect San Franciscan days; we could have walked to the ocean. Inside Magnolia, the mayhem was much more subdued than Toronado. But with Strong Beer Month staring us dead in the face, there was no shortage of beer loving fans there to get their Strong Beer Month card punched (yes, seriously. PBW 2009, take note). We scored a table after a few minutes of waiting, then were pleased to see Kelly (newlywed Kelly that is, congrats to Ben the Brewer....hm, sounds weird, is that like Bob the Builder?) come over to our table to see what we wanted for drink and food. I've run into Kelly a couple of times in the past. She certainly exudes the all-around great vibe coming out of the atmosphere at Magnolia...and Ben adds to the good vibe coming out of the kettle...a good pairing, I must say, of two fine people.










So we did the whole strong beer thing, putting back the strong beers with the Old Thuderpussy, Promised Land (Proving Ground "on steroids"), and Smokestout Impy really standing out along with the food we've come to expect from Magnolia. With these unique beers available for Strong Beer Month, I was still missing the Saison de Lilly. It was also my first time at Magnolia not putting back at least one each of the co2 and cask Proving Ground IPA. Too many other goodies. The saison gods were smiling on me, though, as it was available the following day at the Celebrator Anniversary Party.

Free range, organic, locally grown, sustainable, etc. You'll find this kind of language all over the well-conceived fresh menu. We jumped into a cheese plate and other light snacks to add to our food base, had our tickets punched for the 6 strong beers then regretfully went back to Toronado....cuz some things just gots to be done! I figure by the time I return to Magnolia, the renovations that they've undertaken will have been completed. After 10+ years in business, they're taking the care to polish and improve for the future. You can read more about the changes over here.

After another completely delightful walk (this time mostly downhill, or was that the beer's influence?) and stops into a few of the Haights "unique" stores, we wound up back at Toronado to polish off a few more samples of barleywines. Perhaps not too surprisingly, we saw others who had made the same bounce between Toronado and Magnolia...and later, 21st Amendment. At the Toronado, winners had been announced, kegs of beer were being knocked off one by one, darkness was falling, but the crowd's enthusiasm was rising. The perfect weather probably had something to do with it. If I recall my notes correctly, the Russian River Old Gubbilygotch was the first to go.










Just around the time we decided we would hop across town to the 21A, Justin Crossley and The Brewing Network crew rolled in. They were doing the crawl in the opposite direction, coming from 21A and moving westward to Toronado and on to Magnolia for dinner. This would be the first of a few run-ins with these guys during the weekend.

After a zippy cab ride across town, we drug our growing-weary bodies into 21st Amendment. It had been a long day of carousing through the city and putting many barleywines and other similarly strong beers behind our belts, so the pep in our step was going a bit flat. We chowed on a pizza (ugh! no garlic fries), completed the Strong Beer Month punchcard, got our souvenir glass, and called it quits. After faking the walk, we grabbed a passing empty cab and went back to the hotel to recharge for Sunday, which held in store for us the Celebrator 20th Anniversary Party. You've already seen the pictures over here and the stories over here. It was a great day that I finally got to share with Patty three of my favorite San Franciscan gems.

Iron Springs in Fairfax, CA to close?

Looking at my review of Iron Springs from a couple of years ago and the last sentence that I wrote, it looks like only the landlord could complain...for more rent. The situation does not look good in Marin County's small town of Fairfax, where they appear poised to lose a solid brewpub, business partners, and all-around great people. Mike Altman had grown a brewpub and a following that I hope will very quickly find a new home. I'll be anxious to hear updates that I'm sure Jay will provide as they come along.

Nothing smokes more than Music, BBQ, and Beer at Bo's BBQ in Lafayette, CA

Now that Philly Beer Week is officially over, I can resume some of my missing California chronicles.

Bo McSwine knows BBQ. Have I said this before? Most likely. But it's always worth saying again. When in the Bay Area, make sure you either take a drive or the Pittsburg BART line east to Lafayette for dinner, beers, and live music at Bo's BBQ. This is just what I did again on this most recent trip. Though most of our beer events were centered on San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, I took the time to introduce Patty to Bo's for the first time. We went with her sister and brother-in-law and a couple of their friends.


I'd be redundant to again describe the beer selection and the non-vegetarian food choices. Just check back here for comments from previous comments. Also, Joy the Restaurant Whore does a wonderful job describing similar highlights from a visit to Bo's and the SF Chronicle has a nice review/biography from a few years ago as well.

What made this trip stand out was when my brother-in-law, Mike, insisted that we speak with Bo. He looked relaxed enough for a conversation so we engaged him for 15 minutes or so. I was impressed by not only his handle on beer, wine, food, and the restaurant industry, but likewise his passion and concern for arts, culture, children, education, family, and general community matters.


What also stood out was the phenomenal soulful sounds of The Black Diamond Band with Layce Baker. So much so that I picked up a CD of theirs for enjoyment at home and on the road. Oh, and someone else, I won't say whom and fortunately for this person I don't have any pictures, enjoyed the night so much that they made a Port Brewing Old Viscosity look like a great chugging beer...straight from the bottle...just saying :)

Celebrator Beer News 20th Anniversary Party - Pictures & A Wrap-Up

CBN 20th Anniversary Party

I guess I can say that I finally accomplished something this past weekend. Here are the pictures I took at the Celebrator Beer News 20th Anniversary Party in Oakland, CA two weekends ago. It was on 2/17/08 at the Marriott & Convention Center. I could have spent more time with notes, but I'll instead let the pictures do the talking. Needless to say, it was a great time and my first major beer festival on the other coast.

But, since you know that I can't leave without sharing at least a few notes, here goes in bullet format, no particular order.

• PubQuest makes some really nice maps
• Special pouring of Russian River Supplication, Pliny the Younger, and Black Valentine
• Hourly pourings of New Belgium La Folie
• Hard to find (on the East Coast) gems of The Abyss, Smoked Porter, & Kona
• Reunion Red Rye released and is very, very nice
• Magnolia Saison de Lily
• Allagash made a splash with the west coasters with the Grand Cru, White, and Tripel
• Devil's Canyon makes a sneaky and good Habanero Ale, mixed nicely with The Abyss
• Does Zydeco ever get old?
• Firehouse with an cask-conditioned IPA, very nice
• Mike White of White Labs, like the blind leading the blind back to the BART station in Oakland, yikes
• Pork sandwiches, rice & beans, caesar salad, pasta, and nachos to fill the belly
• Never thought I'd hear me say a festival was well attended, but the space was too big!
• The Brewing Network is even more fun in person
• Jay Brooks has one of the sharpest beer website t-shirts out there (and some right smart beer commentary as well)
• Learned a little something about Utah's environmentally conscious brewery, Uinta
• Hopman never made an appearance
• Lagunitas SuperFreak (a blend of several styles)

Toronado Barleywine Festival 2008 - The Results

Over 50 barleywines available on draft, 3 come out on top. The judges had their say and placed the Lagunitas, Stone, and Firestone Walker in the top three spots, respectively. Even a keg of Nodding Head Hoptimus Prime showed up from Philly.



By the time we checked into our downtown hotel, took a breather, and found a cab ride to the Haight, the early birds had found their seats and secured tables. We first stopped at Rosamunde next door for some sausage sandwiches to lay the base.

Placemats were laid in front of those who wanted to tackle all 55 barleywines. Other tricks for getting barleywine bang for the buck (well, you didn't save any money, just time) was to bring your own sixpack holder for carrying the tasting glasses...as demonstrated in the picture by Logan, of Three Sheets "fame."



There's a whole slew of pictures from this past weekend. I'll get them all up with some more detail and out to you after arriving home. Jay's already got his batch of pictures up for you to check out in the meantime.

More carousing ensued; check back later for more stories from Toronado, Magnolia, and 21st Amendment on Saturday and the weekend topper on Sunday, the Celebrator 20th Anniversary Party in Oakland.

Toronado Barleywine Festival 2008

If it's February and I smell fresh cut grass, it must be time for the Toronado Barleywine Festival. After hearing about this must-do event for years (figures Jack has some great remembrances about his experiences five years ago and Jay has some nice pictures from a couple of years ago), I finally made it here in a February. After a couple of nice beery experiences in the LA area (Father's Office and Four Points Hotel; that's about all the nice things I can say about the LA area today; more on all that later), I made it up to the Bay Area to meet up with Patty and her sister's family for a decadent dinner of barbecue, beer, and the blues at Bo's Barbecue in Lafayette.

Now, this morning it's time to hop on the BART train and head downtown to our hotel, then the Haight. But, first it's time to listen to the melodic sound of mowers and blowers, breathing in the smell of fresh cut grass while contemplating the weekend over a cup of fresh Peet's coffee.

Dozens and dozen and dozens of strong beers to come over the next 72 hours. Much more to come....stay tuned!

Magnolia Still Blooming

One of the places to see, of many must-sees, when visiting San Francisco is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. With Tea Leaf Green and other friends joining the party, this looks to be one heckuva great time to visit Dave and company at Magnolia and Alembic in San Francisco. Consider this your tip of the month :)

Shmaltz takes Lenny bi-coastal tomorrow

If you've read closely enough in the past, you already know what I think of the Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. from Shmaltz Brewing of California (if you haven't, just know that I think highly of it). Well, they've stepped it up a notch and threw it into a rye whiskey barrel and are serving it up tomorrow at Elixir Saloon in San Francisco and at Blind Tiger Ale House in New York City.

They're also tapping the Origin Pomegranate Ale and maybe even some vintage Jewbelation. Sounds like fun. Will you be in either of these spots tomorrow? If you are, let me know how it goes. According to Shmaltz's website, anyone attending both locations drinks for free. Hm, a challenge.

Short bit from Magnolia Brewpub in San Francisco, CA

One of my favorite stops, Magnolia, in San Francisco, have an interesting new brew available commemorating owner/brewer Dave McLean's wedding. If you're in the area and have the chance to check it out, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

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...The Rosebud Nuptual [sic] Ale, comprised of, among other things, rose petals and first run Syrah juice, has been on tap all weekend and is going fast. Catch it at the pub before it is gone forever, like Dave’s bachelor status!...
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Off The News Wire At Magnolia in San Francisco, CA

Some bits and bytes from Dave McLean's newsletter at Magnolia last week.

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Though it sometimes feels like a Proving Ground factory here, we do have a few fun new beers in the pipeline. Our Ashbury Alt has gone through a minor reformulation and, though lighter in color, has a new and delicious malt character. And we’re slowly working our 1000th brew through the system! It’s a strong (over 9%), Belgian job that may get some wood barrel treatment in the near future, along with some other fun experimentation. We’ll keep you posted on its progress. And, with Haight Street Fair just around the corner, we’re about to brew this year’s Jubilee Pale Ale, another fun seasonal tradition here at Magnolia.
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California Dreamin'

This is not necessarily a plug, but rather a notice of what is going on in one of my favorite beer cities and beer joints. For those of you lucky enough to live in or be visiting the area around this time (and you like better beer), how can't you work this into your plans?!
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(copied from Magnolia e-mail)
GREETINGS FROM MAGNOLIA!

Here we are at halftime of the rolling juggernaut known as Strong Beer Month. It's really as big a time as it gets here at Magnolia, to paraphrase the late Ken Kesey. We've put on more strong beers than ever and you have come in to drink it in record-breaking numbers. Thank you so much for the support that makes us do this again and again.

Five of the six beers are still flowing. Promised Land is already gone but we saw that coming and have an unprecedented second batch about to come on (most likely tomorrow). In the meantime, you can still drink the cask version, at least for the moment.

Still to come in the second half: Old Thuderpussy and Weekapaug Monster casks, vintage Thunderpussy from the library, round two of this year's Promised Land, and more. Though the Saison de Lily isn't technically a "strong beer", this one comes close at 7.7 abv, putting it in the part of the category sometimes known as "super saisions". And it's pretty tasty, too (not to mention the most versatile food pairing beer that we make). Look for it early next week.

We've also brought in another round of guest casks, including some strong ones: old favorites from our friends at the Burton Bridge Brewery as well as a few new to us from a small farmhouse brewery in Denmark called Wintercoat. Assuming they all made the 6000-mile journey in good shape, here's the order we'll serve them (beginning today):

Burton Bridge Festival Ale (5.5%)
Wintercoat Yellow Jacket (5.3%)
Burton Bridge Top Dog Stout (5.0%)
Wintercoat Double Hop Imperial IPA (8.5%)
Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale (10.0%)

We'll finish big with that Danish double IPA and the legendary Thomas Sykes, right around the time some of our own strong beers might need reinforcements.

The kitchen has kept its focus on our strong beers, too. Weekend dinner specials have been designed with pairings possibilities in mind, and the special menu of little bites for each strong beer has been a huge success. Favorites include the classic Stilton cheese-Old Thuderpussy combination and the local Bermuda Triangle cheese and red onion confit paired with Tweezer
Tripel. If you haven't tried them, what are you waiting for?

Meanwhile, down at the Alembic, we've got a rotating Magnolia strong beer tap plus a couple of guest beers that fit the bill: Iron Springs Pub & Brewery's Barstow Lundy Barleywine and Drakes Brewing's Hop Salad, an imperial IPA brewed with seven different hop varieties. And then, of course, comes the granddaddy of strong beer events: Toronado's annual barleywine fest (this Saturday, 2/17), just down the street at 547 Haight (www.toronado.com). Old Thunderpussy will be there, as usual, but so will up to 50 other barleywines from both near and far.

Reports from South of Market say that all the Strong Beers still flow at the 21st Amendment, too, so there's still time to chase down that last punch or two on your card. If, for some reason, you're still not sure, 21st Amendment is at 563 2nd Street, between Brannan and Bryant.

So the state of the strong beer is great from this perspective, with the rest of the month looking at least as exciting as the first half. We've restocked our t-shirts, glasses, and punch cards, we've remembered to hydrate, we're definitely not drinking and driving, and we're ready for more. See you soon!

As always, thanks for reading and please stay in touch.

Cheers,
Dave McLean

Magnolia Pub & Brewery
1398 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 864-7468
www.magnoliapub.com

Alembic Bar
1725 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 666-0822
www.alembicbar.com


Past Writings of The Brew Lounge
Magnolia (May 2006, December 2006)
21st Amendment (March 2006, December 2006)
Iron Springs (September 2006)
Toronado (March 2006, December 2006)

A Visit to Magnolia Brew Pub in San Francisco, CA

Oh, Magnolia, how I missed thee and thine beers. Could it be possible for me to somehow bottle the Magnolia experience for the East Coast? If you haven't picked up on my opinion in the past, then allow me state it again: No trip is complete to San Francisco without a visit to Magnolia in the Haight-Ashbury district. If you can add an Anchor tour and a stop across town at 21st Amendment, you've got yourself a perfect beer trip within the city proper. Instead of telling the same lovey-dovey story again, you can read (or re-read?!) my summary from earlier this year. Many of the notes and sentiments remain the same.

On this particular evening, travelling colleague and friend Matt and I stopped in at Magnolia after our sushi dinner at Sakana (if this was a food site, too, you'd get a full glowing writeup on Sakana...or do yourself a favor and stop here too for great sushi in SF). We nibbled on a couple of appetizers (bacon-wrapped water chestnuts and plantain fries) and almost (almost, I say) sampled each and every beer served on tap that evening....yes, both CO2 and cask! Dave Keene and crew certainly continue to impress with their consistent brews, conducive atmosphere, and wonderful staff. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to make our way down the street to Dave's new establishment, Alembic. Next time, Dave, I promise :)

In review of the night's sampled brews, it was really no surprise that Proving Ground IPA rose to the top as it did at my last visit. Following quite closely was another old friend, Cole Porter. And, the ESB made the top 3 as a solid, straight-to-style (but, oft-neglected) ESB. Even the Number 9 beer, a 9th anniversary "light beer" that we put at the bottom of our consensus ranking, was still a nice beer that delivered subtle flavors and nuances that we had to pay attention to in order to appreciate. Which all goes to remind us that bigger beer does not always mean better and that the lighter, softer beers can still deliver a wonderful experience.

Can't wait to go back!

p.s. Oh, and by the way, be sure to ask for one of Kim's table while you're there if you're looking for pleasurable service and a friendly back-East face (she went to Pitt).

A Visit to Toronado in San Francisco, CA

What do you get on a Friday evening in December when you mix a visit to an excellent beer bar with hot tamales and Alaskan Smoked Porter on draft? Well, I can't tell you either, since I left no room after dinner for the tamales and the Alaskan had just kicked. Oh, and there were intermittent downpours of rain, too. More on the tamales later...

In any case, though, travelling friend and colleague Matt and I did make it to Toronado, the excellent beer bar (if there was any question!) as the last stop on our West Coast swing through the San Francisco Bay Area. This was Matt's first time there and I do not believe he left disappointed. The tap list was chock full of the usual high-quality suspects. Among them, just to name a few, included Alaskan Smoked Porter, Deschutes Jubelale, Russian River(s), St. Feuillien Noel, Delirium Noel, Anderson Valley(s), and more. Of course, way way way too many to try to choose from when you're only there for a few. Especially for us East Coast guys who don't have the pleasure of spotting anything from Alaskan on a regular basis.

We were able to slide into a table in the back room to enjoy our beverages. We settled down with Anchor's Christmas, the Deschutes Jubelale, and the Drake's Imperial IPA. Then came the tamales. Now keep in mind that Toronado doesn't have a kitchen. That's where the story turns humorous. The legendary tamale lady made her appearance. And, judging by her enthusiastic customers, her popularity is unsurpassed. Unfortunately, we had eaten (too) well at Sakana (sushi) and at Magnolia and were in no mood for more food. But, tempting it was...

I'm not sure if it's possible to leave Toronado feeling satisfied. On this trip, I left disappointed that I had not sampled the Moonlight seasonal, Santa's Tipple. During the Lagunitas Skunk Train event in September, I had sampled a couple of their brews and was quite impressed. Also, missing from my tasting radar on this particular evening were the Butte Creek and the, uh, oh yeah, the Alaskan Smoked Porter. After a sampling of the nightlife at Toronado, we left the Haight happy on some fronts, unsatisfied on others, but anxious for the next return visit.

Bo's Barbecue & Catering in Lafayette, CA

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Bo knows BBQ and Bo knows beer too. No, not that Bo...Bo McSwine (seriously), the owner of Bo's Barbecue & Catering in Lafayette, CA. On this, my second, visit to Bo's I once again could not find anything to complain about (not that I'm really a complainer, right?). The food was filling and, more importantly, delicious while the beer selection was superb.

Like my last time there, I went to meet with my sister-in-law's family while I was in the area for business. Though, this time only half of the crew showed up; my travelling colleague and friend Matt also joined us. Seven year old Bo's is located along the busy Mt. Diablo Boulevard in the business district of Lafayette. A decent-sized lot for parking sits outside the rear of the restaurant where the wood for the kitchen is stacked. A short walk down a path to the side door brings you into the small-ish restaurant. But, wrapping around to the front of the building is a deck/porch with additional tables and an area for live music in warmer weather.

The ordering concept is fairly simple and stress-free. Choose your beer or wine from the overstocked coolers (why I didn't take a picture would be a good question!) and proceed to the counter. Many, many Belgian, Belgian-style, and Californian beers sit next to a decent selection of wines, including sparklings/Champagnes. Judging by the ratio of beers to wines, it looks like Bo knows (sorry, again) and understands that beer generally goes better with barbecue than most wine.

The food menu selections are fairly straightforward. Ribs, brisket, sausage, chicken, beef, pork, short, long, juicy, lean are basically the only decisions to make. Then, minutes later as the beers are being poured, the food arrives.

Accompanied by foot-tapping live and local jazz/blues music, my order of the short ribs rack and Mike's long ribs were cooked just right and served with flavorful sauce on the side. Matt's overflowing combination plate of ribs and brisket took him aback at first, but we later learned that he was obviously up for the challenge.

To drink, we chose the Piraat and Brother Thelonious from North Coast...sort of fitting given the music emanating from the corner of the room. What a great combination! If you haven't tried the Brother Thelonious before, make a note to do so. This way-solid brew packs a malty punch with just a touch of bitterness to help cleanse the palate. From front-to-back, this is just such a delicious beer that leaves a nice, lingering taste. And, if you're going to try it yourself, certainly pair it with some food, perhaps a barbecue dinner.

Everyone left satisfied in mind, body, and spirit (ok, maybe I'm getting a bit heady here) and moved on to a couple hours in the "Mike's music room" and one last beverage for the evening. Great night all around! If you're in the East Bay area of San Francisco, you should definitely treat yourself to good food, beer, and music at Bo's. There are even a couple of comfy sofas in the corner if you'd like to linger a while longer after dinner.

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E.J. Phair in Concord, CA

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E.J. Phair in Concord, CA offers up a bevy of brews spanning the spectrum from light to dark, ale to lager, light- to full-bodied. In fact, they routinely keep approximately 8 on tap in their brewpub on Salvio Street just off the town square in downtown Concord. The interior is quite spacious and tasteful. I could certainly see spending quality happy hour time at E.J. Phair after work; oh wait, that really is how this short story came about.

Actually, Matt and I stopped here just for a quick afterwork sampling. I don't have a lot to say (I can hear a roar going up across the Internet!) since we only spent enough time to polish off one pint. But, the convivial vibe from the other patrons as well as the bartender made for a comfortable experience.

As if their numerous tap selections were not enough, they also have a variety of guest taps ranging from Drake's Jolly Rodger 2006 version to Anchor to Russian River's Pliny the Elder. And, to add to the feel, there are a couple of long wooden tables and bench seating to give a more communal feel to the experience.

We learned from the bartender that they are having difficulty keeping up with the growing demand for their product. They are in the process of growing their brewing operations into a new facility in Pittsburg (no 'h', this is CA not PA). Seems like successful days lie ahead for this solid brewery/brewpub operation. Check it out if you have a chance.

Oh, and you'll be able to find their beers around the Northern California region, like at Toronado where we did just such a thing a couple of nights later.

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Another Successful Trip to San Francisco

Good business was done, new friends were made, and tasty treats made their way home with me. Definitely some winners in this batch. Perhaps none more so than Alaskan Smoked Porter, Moylan's Hopsickle, and Firestone Walker's 10th Anniversary.

And to make matters even better, 10 bombers and 4 cans of beer travelled through checked baggage, the TSA, and baggage handlers with no casualties to report!