In the Bay Area, trying to keep up with the plethora of great beer spots opening seemingly on a daily basis is surely madness. But why should I let that stop me? Drake’s Dealership, Oakland Oakland may be ground zero with cool new beer spots. Let’s see … Beer Revolution, The Good Hop, Hog’s Apothecary, The Trappist, Diving Dog, Wood Tavern, Linden Street, Ale Industries, … [Read more...] about Beer. There. Everywhere.
Taprooms
SF Beer Week 2016: Firkin IPAs, Packed in a Barrel, & My Last Meal
Before this year's Beer Week gets too far in the rear-view mirror (i.e.: I forget what I did), here's a brief rundown of the events I attended. First, a quick word about tasting notes. To be honest, I don't really do them anymore. For all the beer I've had over the years, my palate just isn't sophisticated enough. Other than vague generalities (balanced! smooth! malt … [Read more...] about SF Beer Week 2016: Firkin IPAs, Packed in a Barrel, & My Last Meal
The Road to Perdition. And Other Places.
Along with the boom in local breweries comes a boom in cool places that serve them. Here's a few I've checked out recently. Perdition Smokehouse, Berkeley When you're Mike O’Brien and Chuck Stilphen and you already run The Trappist in Oakland and Mikkeller in San Francisco, you've set the bar pretty high. Fortunately, they deliver. I got there right at opening time on … [Read more...] about The Road to Perdition. And Other Places.
Full Speed Ahead … to the Torpedo Room!
My very first experience at Sierra Nevada's new Torpedo Room in Berkeley was a soul-crushing defeat. My eyes opened wide when I noticed the Barrel-aged Torpedo IPA was one of their 16 tap selections. I breathlessly ordered, eager with anticipation, when my server told me they had JUST run out of it, and even held up a glass which contained the last few precious … [Read more...] about Full Speed Ahead … to the Torpedo Room!
Reason 74,832 Why It’s Worth It to Pay So Much to Live Here
There are many, many, many, many reasons why it's great to be a beer lover in the Bay Area. (Did I mention Sierra Nevada is opening a tap house in Berkeley?) One of the best is that Mikkeller decided to open its first bar outside of Denmark in our very own City By The Bay. Mikkeller has become a big star in the international brewing community in a relatively short time. … [Read more...] about Reason 74,832 Why It’s Worth It to Pay So Much to Live Here