You get asked that all the time, right? “If you’re ever stranded on an island, what (fill in the blank) would you want with you?” But no one ever asks WHAT island you’d like to be stranded on. Probably someplace tropical, right? Like Maui or Guam or Jamaica? Nah. Alameda. Why? Because, quite simply, Alameda has everything the drink connoisseur would ever need to … [Read more...] about Alameda — The Island I’d Love to be Stranded On
Breweries
One for the Road(house)
Due to my limited travel (and time) budget, most of the breweries I cover are in pretty close proximity to Beerverse HQ in San Francisco’s beautiful East Bay. Or at the very least distribute here. So when I get a chance to taste something I don’t normally see, I jump on it. Roadhouse Brewing Company (RBC) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming recently shipped some samples to announce … [Read more...] about One for the Road(house)
Just a Stone’s Throw Away…
I'm typically for the underdog. I love going to tiny, local places, where the owner/brewers have sunk everything they have into a few tanks and a small bar, and are thrilled to see you and share their creations. Larger players with a national, even world-wide reach? Generally, a pass. But I was excited to visit Stone Brewing’s new Napa brewery and taproom. I've dug … [Read more...] about Just a Stone’s Throw Away…
The Session — My Beer Story
For this month's Session, Alistair Reece at Fuggled has chosen a topic he calls Sepia Tones, basically a look back at what makes your Beer Story. Without further ado, here's mine, albeit a bit late. (And by the way, Mr. Reece, many thanks for jumping in to host at the last minute.) My Beer Story started as a child in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dad would tell me to … [Read more...] about The Session — My Beer Story
Seismic Brewing: It’s the Water, and a Whole Lot More
As we settle in to what may be another year of below-average rainfall here in California, brewers need to be concerned about how far they stretch their local water supplies. Not only for their own bottom-lines, but for the good of the planet. Brewing takes a LOT of water. The average water-to-beer ratio is 7:1 — that is, every barrel of beer requires SEVEN barrels of water … [Read more...] about Seismic Brewing: It’s the Water, and a Whole Lot More