Lost Memories at the SF Beer Week Opening Gala

Inside this building the SF Beer Week Opening Gala is about to begin

The train gently rolls to stop, the doors open, and I begin the 3.5 mile journey from the San Francisco CalTrain station to Fort Mason, site of the SF Beer Week Opening Gala.  It's only drizzling outside, the forecast was for heavy rain.  Unable to find an umbrella when I left home, I put on my red Ohio State University for some protection from the elements.  My dad gave me this hat 26 years ago, handing it to me just before I was about to drive myself and all my stuff from their home in suburban Chicago to start graduate school at Ohio State.  I've worn it all through those years, mostly when I go on runs.

I start speed walking through the damp chaos of late afternoon San Francisco.  The drizzle stops and cutting through a residential area, a couple women in their 30's get out of a car. One looks right at me, and says "O-H".  Why is she talking to me?  Suddenly, I realize she's seen my Ohio State hat, and I blurt out "I-O" in response  Seems she went to Ohio State, too.  I press on.  I consider putting in my will to be buried with this OSU hat.   The image of my elderly corpse, lying in a casket with a bright red OSU cap on my head jumps into my mind.

It starts to rain hard, and I duck into a small coffee shop called The Underground to escape the rain, get something to eat, and charge up my phone.  Heading back outside with only a few blocks to go, I remind myself to start by drinking the low abv beers first at the gala, to make sure in I pace myself.   Just like a race.

I take my place in line the winds around the Fort Mason building complex, the line staying close to the buildings so the awnings shelter everyone from the rain.  Everyone around me is talking to each other.  I manage to strike up a conversation with the people behind me without coming across as some weird, lonely guy. I mention my wife back home to help deliver that point.

The line starts moving forward and I'm in!  I grab my tasting glass, walk around and see Peter Estaniel in front of the Hermitage Brewing stand.  He talks up their barrel aged Sour Pumpernickel Rye Ale, which sounds kind of weird but I don't resist when he pours a very generous sample into my glass. Wow, it's got everything: sour, spice, some oak, lots of smooth maltiness.  It's also got 11% abv and my low alcohol plans haven't gotten off to a good start.

The folks at Hermitage Brewing

After thanking Peter for the beer and wishing him a successful beer week, I tell him "Time for a session beer" before departing.  I get a small glass of something called Screaming Eagle Lager s from Iron Springs. Nice beer, and the meager 3.9% abv makes it even better.  I begin to check out the rest of the floor.

Bison Brewing is pouring Kermit the Hop, an innovative organic beer I've long wanted to try.   A slender woman with short hair dyed lavender fills my glass, and says "Go Buckeyes! O-H!".  I realize that must be Ashley Routson, aka The Beer Wench who also went to Ohio State. A bit startled, I smile and cheer back "I-O".  After a couple more "Go Buckeyes" between us, I move aside so the person behind me can get his glass filled.  Kermit the Hops has all sorts of wonderful hop flavors, an attribute rarely found in organic beers.  It also has something like 9.5% abv and my "start slow" plans are really starting to go out the window.

I drop by Half Moon Bay Brewing's stand and find Maverick's CEO Steve Morgan, and introduce myself.  A consummate Northern California net worker, he wants to introduce me to a couple people, but none of them are around.  He's quite gracious about a couple of recent articles on Maverick's I wrote, and raves about Half Moon Bay's new Imperial IPA, which has something like 139 ibus, and of course, encourages me to try some.  It's an amazing feat of brewing, very drinkable and in balance with it's own hop character. Some how all that bitterness doesn't come across as aggressive, and at something like 8% abv, doesn't seem very boozy either.

Steve introduces me to the Brewmaster of Hop Dogma, which has a small tap room in Half Moon Bay, at the next door stand.  His name is a Dan something-or-rather and Steve urges me to try his Imperial Stout that won some big award at a beer competition in Bend, OR.  I can see why it won, it's a great Imperial Stout.  It checks in a 10.4% abv and my "start slow" plan is officially dead.  I tell Dan I'll need to check out their small tap room in Half Moon Bay and move on.

Steve Donohue of Santa Clara Valley Brewing is holding court nearby.  Everyone knows Steve.  I ask him how his brewery construction and, responding like every brewer I ask this question to, he takes a deep breath and starts muttering about permits.  He tells me "You ought to swing by the place sometime."  I think I will before not too long.

Berkeley's Rare Barrel is pouring some Raspberry Sour that sounds delicious.  At 6.5% abv, it seems like a good direction to go.  It's excellent.

Next up, Discretion Brewing in Santa Cruz.  (OK,it's actually located in Soquel, close enough.)  With my low alcohol strategy officially blown, I ask for the Wheat Wine, a smooth wheat ale at 9-10% abv.  I ask the guy filling my glass, "When can I get bottles of your stuff in San Jose."  He shrugs and says, "Well, right now, we're planning to distribute just in Santa Cruz.  I don't know when we'd get to San Jose."  I get the feeling it will be a long while before Discretion ever shows up in San Jose.

Moseying around the hall, enjoying the Wheat Wine, I'm startled to see fellow beer runner Brian Yaeger down from Portland.  We chat for a few minutes.  He can't get over how many new breweries are in the hall he's never even heard of.  We talk less about beer, and more about our families before moving on our separate ways.

The inevitable time to use the restroom has arrived,  Walking to the back of the hall, a couple sees me and whoops "Go Buckeyes, National Champions!".  Turns out they went to OSU and we talk about beating Oregon in the National Championship Game.

Bladder depleted, the next beer is something from Wood Brewing.  On a hand written index cards, are tap listings like a Pale Ale and IPA.  Then, I spot a tap labelled "Honey with locally foraged herbs". Intrigued, I ask for that.  I joke with the lady pouring it, "Did you just walk into Golden Gate Park and grab a bunch of herbs off the ground?"  Her non-answer to the question suggests that's exactly what happened.  Then, she sees my Ohio State cap and says, "Oh, I lived a year in Columbus."  As for the beer itself, it's light with a very menthol character.  No abv is listed. I just hope it is low.

I bump into fellow South Bay beer writer Andy Lee and chat about our favorite beers of the evening so far. We exchange telephone numbers and talk about meeting up some place for a pint or two.   As is often the case, we cheerfully acknowledge it might be another year before this happens despite our initial enthusiasm.

There were a few other beer samples that evening, but I honestly don't remember too much about them.  I look down at my watch and see it's 9 o'clock.  My head is starting to hurt, another beer sounds like the worst thing in the world and even if I tried to choke one down, my heavily coated tongue wouldn't detect a single flavor.  I fill my glass up with water and stand in a corner to recharge my phone so it still has some life.

A large room filled with 2,000 people drinking beer for three hours becomes a very interesting place. People start bumping into each other much more often.  Others quietly retreat to the back, sitting quietly in heavy silence trying to recover.  The ambient festival noise and background music is increasingly punctuated with goofy laughter and loud high fives.  Glasses begin falling out people's hands, smashing on the floor, eliciting boisterous cheers from the crowd.  It doesn't always look accidental.  It's 9:20, and now seems like a good time to get out.

Walking outside for a cab back to get back to the train station, none is in sight.  I ask the security guy about a cab, and he says they start showing up at ten.  I walk through the parking lot, looking for a cab.  I raise my hand to hail an empty one, but it just continues to drive by.  I keep walking and by this time I think "Screw the cab, I can make it to the station and catch the 10:40 train if I walk fast."

Walking hard through the damp dark yet lively streets of San Francisco the drizzle turns off and on to rain.   I keep checking my watch and a mapping app on my phone, making sure I'm on course and still on time to catch the train.  As I near the station, the winds start to really gust at times, and I grab my OSU cap to keep it from blowing off my head.

Making it to the station with 10 minutes to spare, I duck into the restroom, clutching the OSU hat in my hand before getting on the train.  I text my wife about making the 10:40 train, settle into my chair, and shortly after the train rolls out into the night, fall asleep.

Waking up, I look outside and see we're Redwood City, half way home.  Jolted, I put my hand on top of my head, and realize I'm not wearing my OSU hat.  I stand up, look on the floor, the seat in front me,the seat behind me, and check my pockets a couple times.  Not willing to accept the obvious reality, I check the floor and seats around me again a third time. My OSU hat is gone.

Scenes from a Beer Walk

Give credit San Jose's Willow Glen Business Association for coming up with a bright idea, the Downtown Willow Glen Beer Walk.  For thirty-five bucks, they give you a tasting glass and map of downtown Willow Glen indicating where no fewer than 26 business were pouring various beers to taste between 2 and 6 pm last Saturday afternoon.  The idea of course, is to get new customers to walk into stores they might not otherwise go into in search of beer.   And just maybe as each beer walker contemplates the malt-hop balance of the latest California IPA amidst shelves of, say beauty products, they might see something they like and buy it.

And I have to say it worked.  My wife and I ventured into plenty of new stores during the Beer Walk and let's just say we bought a few things.   And while each pouring location is indicated and the entire brewery list is provided, the actual location were each brewery is pouring is cleverly left to be discovered by each participant on the beer walk.  So it was with great suspense as we entered a Hair Salon or Clothing Boutique, looking to see what beer awaited us. I often exclaimed things like "Cool!  They're pouring Firestone-Walker here!" as we walked into realty office once the mystery beer became apparent.  We found this unlikely beer festival to be a blast, arguably the most fun we've ever had at a tasting event due to its off-beat and unpredictable nature.

And while this may have been a good marketing idea for Downtown Willow Glen, I suspect a number of proprietors hadn't figured on a bunch of very tipsy beer walkers clogging their stores during the last hour of the beer walk, stumbling around with little interest in buying merchandise to the chagrin of the non-beer walking customers who probably wished they had chosen a different time to do their shopping.   As you can see from the photos, I had plenty of goofy fun with my iPhone taking pictures of my tasting glass in unlikely locations.  Hope you enjoy my photographic artistry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank Goodness for the Breast Fest

The teaming crowds enjoying The Breast Fest inside
San Francisco's Fort Mason Festival

No, the The Breast Fest isn't a porn movie, but an annual beer festival to raise money for the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, held last Saturday at the Fort Mason event center my wife and I attended.  The Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic is a California state licensed clinic which provides complementary alternative treatment for low income women suffering from breast cancer.

While it's great to support this valuable cause, I'm also thankful this event gives me a decent excuse to diverge from writing about beer and running to discuss women's breasts.  After all, as a heterosexual male with demonstrably active hormones, I've been a fan of women's breasts longer than I've been a fan of beer or running.

Escaping the noise inside to enjoy the San Francisco Bay

I also appreciate that my wife understands and supports this enthusiasm for women's breasts, although strongly prefers this enthusiasm for breasts is primarily directed towards hers.  As we go about town, she will sometimes helpfully point out large, healthy looking breasts on other women (which I've already noticed) and asks for my opinions on them, enjoying watching me carefully try to  tactfully escape the mine field she's just tossed me into.  She lets me read the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue with impunity, although I've found it wise to toss this issue in the recycle bin as soon as possible.

But getting back to the beer festival, more than sixty breweries, cideries, and even a couple wineries were on hand to pour their offerings in the open air industrial space on the San Francisco waterfront. The 80's hair metal cover band Metal Shop played for the crowd, which seemed a logical choice, since hair metal bands have long been energetic proponents of women's breasts.  It was good bumping into Gabriel Scott and Bryan Kolesar, fellow travelers in the beer running blogosphere.
And while there were plenty of good and interesting beers to be had, here are four I found particularly noteworthy. 

E.S. Chi by Marin Brewing
Nothing says "Marin County" more than a brewery collaboration with noted Chinese herbalist Dr. Yen-Wei Choong of Marin's Yellow Emperor Healing Institute.  (The Yellow Emperor website even features a pop-up ad for Lexus Automobiles to complete the total Marin experience.)   It was the first beer at The Breast Fest I tried and I'm here to say that Dr. Choong's herbs melded effortlessly with the lightly toasted malt creating a feel good vibe to start the afternoon.

Ginger Wheat by Napa Smith
I almost didn't try this, thinking the ginger would create a harsh tasting brew, but my wife talked me into it.  I found Napa Smith's Master Brewer Don Barkley careful, restrained use of ginger root with the clear wheat beer created a surprisingly bright, refreshing brew.

Ramsgate Rye PA by Social Kitchen & Brewery
I was eager to see how Social Kitchen's new Brewmaster Kim Sturdavant was doing replacing Rich Higgens, who departed the brewpub last February.  Rye beers are becoming all the rage these days and while I enjoy the peppery flavors rye grain bring, I've found more than a few rye beers to be a bit harsh.  Not this one.  I enjoyed the smooth, light peppery character of this beer that would likely go well with a lot of foods.  Sturdavant has big shoes to fill, but there's been a lot of positive responses to his efforts, and you can add mine to the growing pile.

Duece by El Toro
Morgan Hill's El Toro Brewpub was one I frequented often back when I lived down in South San Jose.  Their Deuce Double IPA is a classic West Coast concoction, with the clear malt a small distraction to the strong yet smooth floral hop blitzkrieg.  Totally unbalanced the way a Double IPA should be.

Once again, The Breast Fest proves it's one of the best beer festivals on the increasingly crowded Northern California beer festival calendar. It also provides yet another opportunity for guys to engage in that time honored tradition of swilling beer and fixating on women's breasts, but at least with a more thoughtful fixation.  It's a sign of civilization's progress that a Google search on "Breast Fest" or even "Breast Fest adult film" does not result in a bunch of titillating pornographic content, but several fundraisers all over the country highlighting breast cancer and other women's health issues.  So let's thank The Breast Feast and other efforts to support women fighting breast cancer, giving us all the proper perspective on what women's breasts are all about.

Biketoberfest Marin Returns to Fairfax

I'm not a cyclist, but figure there's a few cyclists our there that read this who would be interested in the Biketoberfest Marin. Excellent list of brewers. Have to say it look's so good, I might get myself a bike just so I can participate.

Here's the press release they sent me:

A highly-anticipated annual festival, Biketoberfest Marin attracts cyclists and West Coast brewers alike in a combined bicycle expo and stellar brewfest! Held in Fairfax—the birthplace of the mountain bike—the event is not only Marin County’s premier bicycle event but is also a fundraiser for and presented by the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) and Access4Bikes (A4B). Last year the event drew over 5,000 cycling and beer enthusiasts from all over Northern California and raised $20,000 for MCBC and A4B. Biketoberfest will feature a celebrity road ride (with "Fast" Freddie Rodriguez) mountain rides, live music, great food, family activities, a Cargo Bike Jubilee, dozens of bicycle, component, nutrition and athletic attire vendors, a women's skills clinic with Pro Catharine Pendrel, and 25 West Coast brewers serving over 40 beers! It’s a great way to have fun while helping a good cause.

WHO: Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) and Access4Bikes (A4B) Present
WHAT: Biketoberfest Marin 2011
WHEN: 11am-6pm, Sunday, September 25, 2011
WHERE: Fair-Anselm Plaza, downtown Fairfax, CA
COST: FREE Admission; brewfest tasting $25 advance, $30 day-of. Proceeds from Biketoberfest benefit bicycle advocacy in Marin County.
CONTACT: www.biketoberfestmarin.com

Tickets for brewfest: http://biketoberfestmarin.eventbrite.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bikefestmarin

Biketoberfest Events:
Celebrity Ride with “Fast” Freddie Rodriguez
Cargo Bike Jubilee
Live Music from noon to 6pm: WTJ Squared, Miracle Mule, Beso Negro and Tom Finch Group
Family Activities
Celebrity women’s mountain bike skills clinic with Team LUNA Chix’s Catharine Pendrel

# # #


Full List of Participating Brewers

(as of 8.21.11):

21st Amendment
Anchor Brewing
Anderson Valley Brewing
Bear Republic
Bison Brewing
Broken Drum
Deschutes Brewing
Iron Springs Brewing
Lagunitas Brewing
Luckyhand Brewing Company
Marin Brew Co
Santa Cruz Ale Works
Sierra Nevada
Speakeasy
Triple Rock
Weed Ale
Pizza Orgasmica
Moonlight Brewing Company
Petaluma Hills Brewing Co.
Beltane Brewing Company
Ninkasi
Van Houten Brewing Company
New Belgium
Pine Street Brewery
Tieton Cider Works
Peloton Cellars (WINE)
Clif Family Winery

The Brewing Network's Winter Brews Festival

The Brewing Network is holding it's 2nd Annual Winter Brews Festival on January 29th in Berkeley from noon to 4 pm in Berkeley at The Martin Luther King Center in Berkeley. I went to the 1st Winter Brews Festival last year, and for a first time event, I thought they did a great job. So if you want to tune up your beer festival skills before SF Beer Week, or would like to try out some great beers from local breweries, check it out. You can find out more at www.thebrewingnetwork.com/ontap.

A few observations from Brews on the Bay

The Brews on the Bay beer festival, hosted by the San Francisco Brewers Guild is a pretty simple concept. Each member of the guide sets up a few taps along the deck of the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien, a World War II era supply ship permanently docked to a pier in San Francisco's Fisherman Wharf. Before you climb the stairs to enter a ship, they give you a plastic cup. For four hours, you walk around to the various brewer stations on the ship's deck, and ask the servers to fill your cup with one of their selections on tap. When you get tired of walking around the ship, drinking beer, and enjoying great views of San Francisco from the ship, you leave. Or, 5 pm rolls around, and they kick you the ship. Oh, and there was a Van Halen cover band this year, if you're in to that sort of thing.

It's a good opportunity to see what the many great San Francisco breweries are up to. And like any good beer festival, there's a few brewers around, most of whom will gladly tell you about there beer, and are also good for picking up a home brewing tip here and there. A while plenty of breweries poured there tried and true brews, there were enough specials and seasonals pouring to make it interesting. Here's a few random observations from that afternoon.

-21st Amendment poured their new Imperial IPA, Hop Crisis. One would think the Bay Area needs another big Imperial IPA like most people need another hole in their head, but if you tasted this one, you'd likely disagree. It's big and powerful, with a strong strong hop vibe, but makes it work is its sturdy malt character that provides a good balance and almost viscous mouth feel to this brew. 21st Amendment plans to release it in four-pack cans this coming spring. I don't know about you, but I'll be looking for it.

-Social Kitchen & Brewery made their Brews on the Bay debut. I was rather fond of their Rapscallion, a pretty intense Belgian Ale with a zippy ginger-like aromatic spiciness and light apricot notes. Their Big Muddy Weizenbock has plenty of roasty malt, some banana-like esters, and a little clove like spicy vibe to it. I need actually go to their brew pub and actually purchase some of their beers.

-Also enjoyed Rum Runner from Thirsty Beer. It's got a lot of molasses in it, as well a 120L Crystal Malt, and British Aromatic Malt. It's lightly sweet, malty and molassessy. (Is "molassessy" a word?) If you ask me, molasses in beer is way under rated, and I've got to love a beer with "Runner" in the title.

Since I'm having some problem with my camera, I decided to use a picture for last year's Brew's on the Bay, just in case anyone would actually notice.

Knishes, Kung Fu Tacos and Beer at the Eat Real Festival

The Eat Real Festival, in it's third year, seems to be hitting its stride. It's a great concept, a celebration of locally produced street food, with a beer shed featuring a good selection of Bay Areas breweries, held every year at Oakland's Jack London Square. Last year, the festival seemed a bit sparse with few seemingly authentic street food vendors, and a few decidedly non-street food vendors selling things like frilly cupcakes and creme' brule. This year, the crowds were decidedly bigger, and street food definitely ruled.

It's was a great opportunity for Linda and I to try some local beers, then go out and try a little of this, a little of that from the bite size servings the various street vendors were serving, before going back and trying another beer. Repeat as desired.

Of course, any taco truck advertising "Kung Fu Tacos", described as containing the spirit of Bruce Lee, is going to get my attention. While they didn't cause me to exclaim "waaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH" and deliver a flying kick, the Asian marinated chicken and Mu Shu vegatables worked pretty well in a taco. And then there were those Philippine pork sliders Linda and I enjoyed. Somehow, this melting pot cuisine where Asian foods are served in Latin and American methods of tacos and sliders seemed natural and unforced.

But let's talk about the beer. Plenty of Bay Area breweries could be found at the beer shed, which supported no fewer than 40 taps. Every hour, a different Bay Area brewer was on hand to pour their beer and talk about it. I wasn't able to uncover any profound secrets from any of the brewers, but there's something about talking directly with the person responsible for the brew. So here's a few notes of some of the more notable, at least to us, beers we tried.

Rye'd Piper from Ale Industries
This somewhat rich tasting, dark brown colored ale has a strong rye presence. The rye blends well with the roasted malt, and there's this slightly herbal and astringent finish. Not a lot complexity here, but with a name like "Rye'd Piper", you would expect big rye flavors, and this beer delivers. Mission accomplished.

L'Enfant Terrible from Social Kitchen
Social Kitchen Brewmaster Rich Higgens describes this as a table Belgian Ale. This was has a light roasted chocolate a fig character, with a little spicy character from the Belgian yeast, and yet this flavorful, complex brew checks in at 4.5% abv. Nothing like finding another nifty session beer.

Saisson from Ondonata
Ondoonata is a Sacremento area brewery that opened last year, and after tasting this effort, it looks like they are going to be around a while. Their Saisson is a little lemony, slightly bready, and a little spicy peppery finish, all adds up to a great, refreshing summer beer.

Bigger isn't better at The Breast Fest

For over thirty years, I've been in favor of women's breasts. And so when Linda, my wife to be, spent the weekend camping with her girlfriends on a big sisterhood extravaganza, I headed over to Ft. Mason in San Francisco to The Breast Fest. It's a beer festival raising money for The Charlotte Maxwell Clinic to provide breast cancer services for low income women. In its 10th year, over 40 Northern California brewers poured from both their standard offerings with a few specials mixed in.











But if you ask me, the surprise hit of the afternoon was Metal Shop, a cover band having way too much fun wearing wigs, spandex, and leather pants while playing 80's hair metal covers. Any band that can make the insipid, minor throwaway hit "Lick It Up" by Kiss actually sound good must be doing something right. There's just a simple exhilaration in pumping your fist to absurdly lightweight lyrics like "We're not going to take it / No, we ain't going to take it!" or "Here I am / rock you like a hurricane". Can someone tell me why I was listening to those whiny, weepy, and downright depressing bands like The Cure, Echo and the Bunnyman, and The Smiths back then?

But let's not get distracted from the important issue at hand, women's breasts. On a few occasions, Linda and I have had conversations about large breasts displayed by women we've noticed. Now guys, I hope I don't need to tell you that if you going to talk about large breasted women with your better half, make sure she's the one who brings it up. Of course, Linda starts talking about women with large breasts because she enjoys watching me tip-toeing around the land mines of that particular topic. After discreetly analyzing the plastic surgery performed on a few women, I would have to say on a strictly primal urge basis, bigger is not better. In fact, out of proportion, over stuffed and simply irregular looking breasts inspire the exact opposite of the male mating instinct, no matter how big they are. As for Linda, I love her for her mind and respect her whole body. But I've got to say I'm more into her breasts than say, her ankles.

And so in the spirit of bigger is not better, let me praise a few beers I sampled at The Breast Fest which were not the big beers typically served at festivals as breweries try to out do each other. Instead, let me review four beers I enjoyed that instead of going big, were supple, perky and a little bouncy.

"Bliss" by Ale Industries
Checking in at a mere 3.5% abv, I won't forget this nifty little session beer from Ale Industries anytime soon. It's got this great nutty flavor with a slight little caramel note to go with it. Since I prefer malt forward beers, had to love a session beer that gets its flavor from primarily from the malt, instead of hops or yeast you find in most session brews.

"Brendan's and Jessica's Bridal Ale" by Moylan's Brewery
Brewery owner Brendan Moylan is getting married this year, and produced this to celebrate. It's a golden ale with a little extra hop kick that's creates a really fresh, crisp, and refreshing beer. That's it. Not twelve different flavor notes, just something simple, crisp, and refreshing. Trust me, you don't want complications in your marriage.

"Uncle Svenson" by Moonlight Brewing
The Moonlight Brewing server explained the beer was made without any hops, with pine needles instead. As I continued to ask pesky questions about this beer served from a tap marked "Special", the friendly Moonlight server grew less and less friendly. After doing a little post-festival research, I believe I was having Moonlight's "Uncle Svenson". This Scottish Gruit had smooth, dark, and smokey malt character much like a light Scottish Ale, with the pine needles giving a little piney and juniper character, with a slight menthol finish. It's not for everyone, but I found this change of pace beer intriguing and enjoyable.

"Black Prince Porter" by English Ales
Porters are one of my favorite styles, and this one just seemed to hit all the right porter notes. Plenty of black patent malt in this one, giving it a slightly astringent character with a nice roasted coffee flavor to it. A porter done well in the classic English tradition is one of life's simple pleasures.

Back on the Track Again, and the First Annual Brewing Network Winter Brews Festival

Recovering from some hip and knee injuries, it's been months since I hit the Los Gatos High School track for the Saturday morning tempo runs with my usual training group. (Tempo runs are typically 20-25 minute run at comfortably hard pace and are designed to train the body to produce less rubber-leg inducing lactic acid.) It was great to be back, working hard at the track. Everyone was talking about the races they planned to run this year, as Winter is often a time of long term preparation and running optimism, where running plans are laid down for the year. And it felt great to reconnect with the small community of runners I've known for years, which I feel proud to be a part of.

Later that day, I trekked up with my girlfriend Linda to Oakland for the Brewing Network Winter Brews Festival held at the Linden Street Brewery. What was the most memorable about it? Well, despite most of the beers and food running out, plenty of long lines, and porta-potties that made everyone nostalgic for waste management practices of 17th century London, I can't recall a single negative comment, or even the slightest amount of obnoxious drunken behavior from anyone. Everyone was there to have a great time, and no matter what happened, they were bound determined to do so. We were in the company of complete strangers, and yet everyone seemed like old friends. One guy even whipped out a fat joint and seriously offered it to me after overhearing me talk about my lack of marijuana experience. Of course I declined, but you gotta love the gesture. I've been running for 30 years, and my craft beer epiphany occurred less than three years ago, but it's festivals like this that make me proud to be a part of the craft beer community.

Oh yes, what did we think about the beer? Well, my favorite of the evening was "Shorty's Vendetta" by E.J. Phair brewing. Rich, malty session beers are always a favorite of mine, I appreciated its caramel and slightly sweet character, with a slightly astringent bitter hop finish. I don't know why Shorty's on a vendetta, but maybe Shorty just ought to relax and have a couple of these beers.

Linda's favorite was Ninkasi Brewing's Believer Double Red. She let me try it, and by that time, my palate was pretty worn out, so could barely taste it, and didn't take any notes on it. I've learned it's wise to trust her judgement. Also notable was Iron Springs Coffee Porter, which had a strong espresso-like flavors on top of the roasty malt goodness, and that works pretty well for me. Since my next homebrew will be a coffee porter, I had a particular interest in this.

Finally, I eagerly lined up for some Uncommon Brewers Bacon Brown, since they have some top secret process to introduce bacon into the brew. Bacon usually makes things better, but not here. There's a greasy smokiness to this murky tan and muddled brew, and it simply didn't work by any stretch of the imagination. I love Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin and appreciate pushing the envelope and getting creative, but sorry guys, we just didn't like it.

We're already looking forward to the 2nd Annual Winter Brews Festival.

Brewing Network Hosts First Annual Winter Brews Festival

As sort of a warm up to San Francisco Beer Week, the Brewing Network is hosting it's First Annual Winter Brews Festival this January 30th at the Linden Street Brewery.

From the online press release the event:

will feature a wide variety of winter warmers and unique innovations from some of the best brewers in the Bay Area and beyond.

Partnering with Linden St. Brewery in Oakland, this festival combines the love of seasonal beers with the enthusiasm of the local craft beer scene. With barrels from breweries such as Russian River, Firestone Walker, the 21st Amendment, Speakeasy, Linden St., Moonlight Brewing, Magnolia, and many more, this Winter Brews Fest promises to provide big, malty beers to ignite the taste buds of beer lovers, new and experienced.

Hot food and live music will round out the festival, which will run from 1pm to 8pm. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Where: Linden St. Brewery, 95 Linden St. Suite 7/8, Oakland CA. 94607

When: Saturday, January 30th, 1 - 8pm


Looks pretty interesting, and there's a decent chance Linda and I can make it. Hope to meet all four of you there!

Lots of good beers, and one lame autism joke: 6th Annual Brews on the Bay

The 6th Annual Brews on the Bay was held on the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien, a World World II era merchant ship docked on Pier 45 at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. The seven members of the San Francisco Brewers Guild were spaced around the deck of the restored ship, pouring their beers. I suppose I could write about the festive atmosphere aboard the ship, or the U2 cover band that playing. Or I could just start writing about the beer. But instead, I'm going to write about a subject one of the pourers at the festival was joking about. It's something many people aren't familiar with, and often people aren't comfortable about. The subject is autism.

Linda and I were at Thirsty Bear, and one of the pourers was loudly apologizing for having Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. My eight year old son Brandon has autism, so I turned to him and told him, "It's OK, my son has autism. Having Asperger's is OK". He looked stunned, and I suddenly realized at that moment he probably didn't have Asperger's, and his affliction probably involved sampling way too much of Thirsty Bear's product. I've said enough stupid stuff stone cold sober to cut the guy some slack, so shrugged off the lame joke, and Linda and I walked away with our Thirsty Bear brews.

Five minutes later, Linda and I are somewhere inside the ship, sipping our beers and looking at various rooms restored to their World War II era appearance, when a woman from Thirsty Bear came up to us and said "I've been looking all over the ship for you. I want to apologize for that guy who told you he has Asperger's Syndrome." Now it was my turn to be surprised. We told her not to worry, that we still liked Thirsty Bear, and it wasn't a problem, and thanked her for her concern. My son Brandon was diagnosed 5 1/2 years ago, and I've more or less come to terms with his condition, so I pretty much shrugged this off.

Most people rarely if ever deal with autism, and often when confronted with it, are confused and uncomfortable as to what to do. Brandon's autistic behaviors are erratic, confusing, nonsensical, and yes, at times, funny. So I can actually understand why some guy might think it's pretty funny to say "I have Aspergers". But I find that 99.9% of the people who meet Brandon for the first time deal are confronted with this awkward situation, respond with a great deal of patience and understanding, which is huge for Brandon overcoming his behaviors. Who ever tracked us down inside the ship from Thirsty Bear to apologize, thanks so much for going the extra mile. It's people like you who give Brandon a fighting chance.

OK, let's talk about beer. Here's what Linda and I liked that evening, starting with a couple from our friends at Thirsty Bear.

Thirst Bear Valencia Wheat
We both enjoyed this clear, refreshing wheat beer, brewed with a little coriander and orange peel in the Witbier style. It poured a clear yellow, so perhaps it was filtered. The noticeable orange flavor gives this one a nice twist.

Thirsty Bear Irish Coffee
I didn't note what style this was, but appeared to be a barrel aged, Imperial Stout with lot of bitter coffee goodness, and we noticed some whisky in the background. Seemed a little light on the malt for the Imperial Stout style, which I found to be a good thing that evening, as it made for an easy drinking barrel aged Imperial Stout. I don't know if you're into something like that, but it worked for us.

Speakeasy Mickey Finn Imperial Red Ale
I've found many excellent brewers turn this style into something really aggressive, with a double punch of bitter roasted malt and heavy hops, and the result is often barely drinkable. That's not the case here, as this Imperial Red from Speakeasy has a flavorful caramel malt, with some raisin like character, and a mellow resiny aftertaste.

Magnolia Dark Star Mild
Magnolia seems to focus a lot on their malt, and it seems to be reflected in their beers, which have an artisan bread character to them. Mild is almost a forgotten style in the United States, but this drinkable session beer with lots of roasty malt and a slightly grainy character made me wonder why.

San Francisco Brewing Hugh Hefnerweizen
When it comes to beer, variety is the spice of life. I cannot, and will not simply settle down with one beer. But this Hefeweizen from San Francisco Brewing is luscious, yet slightly muscular, and has a slightly sweet, alluring aroma. It tastes a little rich and fruity with seductive banana notes. If forced to be faithful to one beer, I just might shack up with this one.

Maybe someday, Brandon and I can talk about our favorite beers.

Time to Eat Real: The Eat Real Festival Is Coming This August 28-30

I'm pleased to tell you all about the Eat Real Festival that's being held in Jack London Square in Oakland the weekend of August 28-30.

What is it about? Well, from the festival website, the Eat Real Festival was "founded in 2008, as a social venture created to inspire eaters to choose tasty, healthy, good food. Through a vibrant, local festival in Oakland, CA, and a focus on delicious and sustainable “street food,” Eat Real puts eaters in contact with the real people -- the farmers, chefs, and producers -- who make our food. Eat Real Festival will donate a percentage of its profit to several California organizations promoting access to healthy and affordable food, entrepreneurship and economic development."

And since beer goes well with most street food, they've included a Beer Shed with a great list of over 15 local breweries already scheduled to participate, and the website promises more.

To me, this is what food is all about. It's about eating something good, simple, and accessible produced in a sustainable way. Anything that puts the producers of what we eat and drink closer to the consumers is definitely something I support. If you agree, I look foreword to seeing you there.