Cleophus Quealy Beer Company | Framboos (2017)

Before I was a #LadyWhoDrinksCraftBeer, I was really into wine. Wine was so important that I contemplated studying to be a sommelier. One day, I discovered Flanders red ales and the rest is history! Over the years, I’ve discovered different types of brews that tickle my fancy and many that I could do without. I have an appreciation for tart, funky beers and Cleophus Quealy Beer Company’s Framboos hits the spot every single time!
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San Francisco Beer Week 2018 | Favorite Brews & Discussing Women in Beer

Now that our northern California team has fully recovered from our cumulative San Francisco Beer Week (SFBW) hangovers, we would like to share some of our favorite beers and breweries from the Gala! If you are like us and received tickets to attend the Gala, you know it was a whirlwind of pours, great food and amazing talks. Here are some of our NorCal/Bay Area team members’ favorite things from SFBW 2018, and a recap of panel discussions on topics including women in beer.

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HenHouse Brewing Co. | Oyster Stout

I usually save stouts and porters for winter; you know, when it’s freezing and all you want to do is sip on something that’s full of chocolate, coffee and all things right in the world. But you’re going to want to drink this HenHouse Brewing Oyster Stout all year round.

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Cask Taproom & Wine Bar Grand Opening March 23, 2018 (Berkeley)

Brian Sheehy and Doug Dalton own three Cask Store locations: the flagship downtown on 3rd and Market, and another spot in the old Rincon Postal Building near the Embarcadero, and Cask on College in Rockridge. Sheehy and Dalton own a handful of other great bars in the Bay Area, including Bourbon and Branch, Pagan Idol and Local Edition. They have been influential to the cocktail scene in this area for the past decade and many great bartenders who have gone on to open their own establishments came up through the ranks of this company. Cask Taproom and Wine Bar is the name of the new drinking establishment within the Cask on College Shop. I spoke with taproom manager and beer buyer Josha Baker about the history of Cask, herself, and the Grand Opening on March 23, 2018.
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Alvarado Street Brewery | CollaBEERation Four Way Juicy IPA

Move over Ménage à Trois, it’s all about the Four Way now. Alvarado Street Brewing collaborated with Hop Dogma Brewing Co., Humble Sea Brewing Co. and Discretion Brewing to create a four- way collaboration IPA for Beer THIRTY‘s 4th birthday celebration. Only 100 cases were released on March 7 at Alvarado Street, and then were sent up to Beer THIRTY on March 9 for the birthday bash!! As if this brew wasn’t enough, Beer THIRTY had sweet glassware to go along with it at the party.

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Sculpin Standout | How Ballast Point Crafted an IPA That Stands the Test of Time

I remember sitting on the patio of Ballast Point’s Little Italy taproom in San Diego a few years ago sipping on a fresh Grapefruit Sculpin. At the time, I marveled at how impressive that beer tasted – the combination of mellow bitterness and fruity overtones came together in perfect harmony. It was one of the best beers I’ve ever tasted, and it’s still a beer I weigh other fruited IPAs against. Introduced in 2005, Ballast Point’s Sculpin IPA has become a pace setter in the American craft beer scene — especially for West Coast IPAs.
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Seismic Brewing Co. | Namazu Oat Pale Ale

Did you feel that tremor coming from Sonoma County?! The epicenter is Seismic Brewing Co. and you better brace yourself for a lot of aftershocks. When people think of Sonoma I am 90% sure they think of wine country, sun-soaked vines and not about the fantastic beer scene that is exploding up there. Namazu Oat Pale Ale is at the epicenter of that quake.
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Stone Brewing Sues MillerCoors Over Misuse of Stone Name

Never one to shy away from causing a commotion, Greg Koch, executive chairman and co-founder of Stone Brewing Company announced today that they have filed suit against MillerCoors over the improper use of the word Stone in recent rebranding and marketing efforts around the Keystone brand.

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San Francisco Beer Week | Can’t-Miss Events February 13-15

With so many exciting events over the San Francisco Bay Area, I had to break it down regionally. Each day, I will highlight an event that I will either attend or wish I could. Sadly, I can’t be in two places at once.

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A Beer Insider’s Road Trip Guide to Northern California

For most, the foray into the world of beer trading is swiftly met with an introduction to the secondary value world, as that perceived value tends to drive the trading market. Fortunately, there are still areas free from the shackles of “me first” mindset. Luckily, through my own beer journey, I’ve been fortunate enough to find a small group that acts as a family. While the group mostly allows us to maintain connections online and send each other beers as presents, surprises, and BIFs (beer it forward, essentially chain mail but with beer as presents); recently I have focused my domestic travels on meeting these people in person. With SF Beer Week in progress and more than a half dozen faces I had yet to meet in person, I “sailed off for the San Francisco Bay”.

“Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship. Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip.”

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San Francisco Beer Week | Can’t-Miss Events February 10-12

Friday was the only easy day to pick which event to go to, the Opening Gala in San Francisco. The other days, not so easy!! I wish I could clone myself in order to attend all of the events scattered around the Bay Area and Santa Cruz/Monterey area. Here are the events that we are looking forward to for Saturday, Sunday and Monday of SFBW 2018!

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Barebottle Brewing Co. | Unicorn Dust IPA

There aren’t a lot of breweries out there like Barebottle Brewing Co. in San Francisco; and when I say that, I mean a brewery that is community-inspired. Barebottle gives homebrewers the opportunity to compete for a chance to have their beer made- I mean, how awesome is that? A new theme is decided and challenges brewers to come up with a beer that fits those guidelines. From there, the head brewer at Barebottle brews up that beer and ta-da! You’ll get some sort of awe-inspiring creation that sets them apart from a lot of bigger breweries.

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San Francisco Beer Week 2018 | Opening Gala Preview

San Francisco Beer Week kicks off its 10th Anniversary on February 9, 2018. Like last year, this beer week runs a full 10 days, packed with events all across the Bay Area, ending on February 18, 2018. Get your livers and drinking boots ready. Make sure to check back for the PorchDrinking list of Can’t Miss Events for each day! Below you will find the 10 beers we’re most excited for, along with the full pour list (subject to change).

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Brewery Showcase | 7Sisters Brewing (San Luis Obispo)

I’ve seen some environmental friendly breweries before, but nothing quite compares to the level of commitment to sustainability that 7Sisters Brewing has. The moment you walk through doorway you see a tasting room filled with repurposed materials. My favorite piece is their bar. It was built from school lockers and topped with zinc-wrapped wood from the shipping crate the lockers arrived in. Throughout the tasting room you will see lighting made from Cal Poly lab lamps and tables that used to be shop benches from LA technical college. Heading out to their patio you can see the patio railings that were repurposed from the wood forms used when pouring the concrete.

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Russian River Brewing Company | Pliny the Elder

Some people might dread a visit to the in-laws over the holidays, but I did not. This could have been attributed to having fun relatives, playing tons of games and reminiscing about the year. Or it could be that one of the great beers from a fantastic brewery is just a few blocks away from the in-laws house. Let’s say it is a mixture of all that because Pliny the Elder is great beer to share with the family and celebrate the holidays. Now, I am sure you have a drink that makes you think of being with friends and family for the holidays. While Pliny the Elder is available year-round, it definitely makes me think about holidays in Northern California since that is the only time I get a chance to taste it.
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The PorchCast | Ep 47 Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker & Neil Fisher of WeldWerks

Episode 47 of the PorchCast had Tristan, Hunter and Sam recording from the Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines Festival at the Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, CO. In town for the special occasion was Matt Brynildson, brewmaster for Firestone Walker and Neil Fisher, co-founder and brewmaster for WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, CO.

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Alvarado Street Brewing | Local Shred Red

Living in the Bay Area has some huge perks if you are into craft beer, which let’s be honest – if you are reading this you probably are. I live in San Leandro, and a ton of amazing breweries are anywhere from 10 minutes (I am crazy close to Drake’s Brewing & Cleophus Quealy Beer Co) to a few hours away, like Alvarado Street Brewery out of Monterey, California. Grab your board and prepare to shred, brah.

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Monkish Brewing | Socrates’ Philosophies & Hypotheses

If you are a consistent player in the world of beer trading, or are simply a beer connoisseur who lives in Southern California, then chances are you’ve had or heard of Monkish Brewing. Located in Torrance, California, Monkish brews essentially out of a glorified office building, and if you’re driving by and blink, you may miss it. Yet if you ask anyone looking for the best Hazy IPAs out there, they’ll tell you to go to Monkish. Read More

Almanac Beer Co. | Cherry Vanilla Dogpatch

My passion for beer has been full of trial and error, forced experiments and a lot of stubbornness. That picky five-year old appetite can still be found 22 years later. Try and give me a sliver of tomato? Don’t even think about it. And if those Sour Patch Kids aren’t the watermelon ones—no thank you. I mean honestly, the watermelon Sour Patch Kids are life. The fact I’m sitting here with a sour beer in hand deserves at least one high-five (or maybe an award)?

While my fridge is stocked up with all the winter goodies I could possibly want, I’m still on this huge sour beer kick that doesn’t seem to be going away! While visiting San Francisco over the summer before the big move, Almanac Beer Co. wasn’t actually even on my mind. And let me tell you… that was a mistake! While hunting for donuts in the Mission District, I got a glimpse of the Almanac taproom and had to stop in. Not only do they have an amazing and beautiful bar, but also their tap list of 15 beers is seriously on point and so is their food menu! Read More

Stone Brewing Announces 2018 Beer Release Calendar

Stone Brewing is never one to shy away from hop forward beers, they along with the likes of Sierra Nevada helped pioneer the West-Coast style. And in 2018, Stone will continue to push the needle on hops with a slew of dank, juicy, and floral focused beers.
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