Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. | Pumpkin Harvest Ale

Some of my favorite Fall things are the leaves changing colors, pumpkin spiced foods and beverages everywhere, cooler weather, and of course pumpkin beers! Half Moon Bay Brewing Co brews up their Pumpkin Harvest Ale seasonally to delight the taste buds. Read More

Ultimate 6er | The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

“He made me feel warm like glitter was exploding inside me”

These words are from the first episode of CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and I have felt that way ever since. When the show first came out, everyone (myself included) rolled his or her eyes just because the title evokes that same type of romantic drama we know too well. I couldn’t be more wrong; Rachel Bloom’s comedy-musical series was one of the most original, introspective takes on will they-won’t they wacky love featuring great commentary on mental illness. Along with the witty writing, you get high quality, hilarious songs that riff on every genre like the Marilyn Monroe inspired “The Math of Love Triangles” and the best pop-punk song since 2009, “Ping Pong Girl.” Read More

Brewery Showcase | Cleophus Quealy Beer Co.

If you haven’t heard about Cleophus Quealy Beer Co. consider this your formal introduction to a great farmhouse brewery in the East Bay! They are located at 448 Hester Street, San Leandro, CA 94577 – which is right by the Oakland International Airport! So, you know it’s good to grab a great beer on your layover or on your way out of town.
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Event Preview | California Craft Beer Summit

Over the next week, craft beer brewers, connoisseurs, retailers and distributors from across California will converge on Sacramento for the 3rd annual California Craft Beer Summit. This three-day event is focused on education, knowledge sharing, collaboration and celebration of everything California craft beer. “The Summit isn’t just a food pairing event, it isn’t just a festival, it isn’t just a trade show and it isn’t just educational – it’s all of the above,” says Leia Ostermann Bailey, Managing Director with the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA), “The Summit brings together a community of people that share the same values of creativity and innovation.“  Read More

Modern Times Beer | Ice (Pilsner)

Summer may be coming to a close but that doesn’t mean the temperature has let up. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we’ve been bombarded with unseasonably stifling heat and sticky high humidity. This has meant that light beer has been a major staple in my refrigerator. Lagers, pilsners, session IPAs, and Gose are not normally in my wheelhouse but I’ve come to appreciate their low alcohol crushability.
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Drake’s Brewing Co. | Tart Breaker Sour Blonde

Drake’s Brewing Co has been releasing a steady stream of 500ml bottles of specialty brews this year and their newest, Tart Breaker, is out to steal your heart. Members of Drake’s ’89 Club, named after the year they were founded, are able to snap up bottles a week before the public.

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Modern Times Founder Jacob McKean Talks ESOP, Big Beer & Growth

Modern Times Beer, one of the country’s top five fastest growing breweries made a splash two weeks ago, when it announced that it would begin reacquiring shares from investors to gift back to their employees. We caught up with Modern Times founder Jacob McKean to discuss his decision to implement an employee ownership program, the growing threat of Big Beer, as well as what’s next on the horizon for the San Diego-based brewery.

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Modern Times Beer Further Cements Independence with Employee Ownership Program

Over the past four years, Modern Times Beer has exploded on to the craft beer scene in a major way, growing from a production of 2000 barrels in their first year of existence, to over 40,000 barrels this past year. While many breweries who exhibit such a drastic growth pattern have eventually turned to outside funding to help further their endeavors, the San Diego-based brewery has chosen to go the route of employee ownership. Earlier today, Modern Times Beer announced that it has repurchased shares held by its initial investors and that 30% of shares will now be held in an employee stock ownership program (ESOP).

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Modern Times Beer | Blazing World

ABV: 6.8% | IBU: 85

Seeing that the times are what they are, you know with politics, fake news, real news, climate change, brewery buy outs, you may think that Modern Time’s hoppy amber Blazing World was named after… modern times. Not exactly. “Yeah, we definitely never intended it to be that timely of a name,” said Modern Times communication coordinator Dan Reed.

Despite how depressingly timely the name may be, the “hoppy, dank, amber” is truly an uplifting beer. “The stickiest of the icky,” as Reed described. “It’s a luxuriously hoppy amber loaded up with intemperate quantities of Nelson, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, which are some of the fruitiest, dankest hops sweet, sweet money can buy,” Reed added. Read More

Anchor Brewing | Blood Orange Blonde Ale

Image Source: Anchor Brewing

Anchor Brewing is a brewery for which most ardent craft beer fans pay reverence, for if not for Fritz Maytag betting a good portion of his inheritance and defying all logic in the late 1960s, well, who knows? Maytag had a vision, and that vision has manifested itself in a terrific brewery that was integral in awakening a nation from its brewing doldrums. In 2017, the brewery isn’t sitting around resting on its laurels, demonstrated by the new Anchor Brewing Blood Orange Blonde Ale. How can something be both blonde and blood orange? Leave it to Anchor Brewing to solve this colorful conundrum.

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Event Preview | Firestone Walker Invitational

Part of being an adult is understanding what your priorities are in life. That is exactly why my wife and I are heading down to Paso Robles, California for the Firestone Walker Invitational one day after closing on our house. Yes we could spend the weekend moving out from the in-laws and settling into our first house, but we can do that anytime. And this is the Firestone Walker Invitational, a beer festival described as “An epic yet intimate gathering of 50+ leading brewers from around the nation & world celebrating craft beer in our hometown of Paso Robles.”

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AleSmith and Around the Bend Collaboration, Chicago Craft Beer Week

The annual Beer Under Glass (B.U.G.) at Garfield Park Conservatory serves as the formal opening to Chicago Craft Beer Week (#CCBW), and brewers are more than happy to provide special offerings for the unique event. One such brew exemplifies the true meaning of craft beer — industry first, beer first, a collaboration between two “competing” breweries, Alesmith Brewing Company and Chicago’s Around the Bend Beer Co. This special brew will enjoy its first pouring at B.U.G, and then during select events (and sold in stores) thereafter.

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Beer & Book Club | #GIRLBOSS

Welcome to the third installment of the Beer & Book Club series! I love the idea that each month a new individual can highlight a great read and a delicious brew to go along with it. When one pictures the craft beer world a few common themes repeat: beards, barrel-aged and hops (lots of hops). That is why for my first Beer & Book report I wanted to highlight some serious girl power. Read More

Almanac Beer Co. | White Label

Featured photo credit: Almanac Beer Co.

ABV: 7.5%

A Tale of Two Blancs

San Francisco-based Almanac Beer Company emphasizes sustainable farming practices through using locally-grown grains, fruits and herbs from some of the agricultural hubs of Northern California. The brewery’s Farm to Barrel series speaks to Almanac’s specialization in beers brewed with local terroir from neighboring California farms. What is surely a tribute to this practice, Almanac’s fruit-forward beers consistently burst with depth and flavor. This showcase profiles one of Almanac’s most recent award-winning beers. Read More

San Francisco Beer Week | Can’t-Miss Events February 17-19

*Cover Photo courtesy of San Francisco Brewers Guild (Gama Nine Photography)

The final days of San Francisco Beer Week take us to the weekend. It’s hard to believe 895 events were packed into 10 days. The final three days presently have 108, 98, and 53 events happening, respectively, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Still plenty of beer to be imbibed these last few days. Here are the events that we are looking forward to.

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Alpine Beer Co. Debuts New Beers, Limited Releases and Canned Offerings in 2017

Feature Photo Credit: alpinebeerco.com

2017 is starting to look extra hoppy! Nestled in the Cuyamaca Mountain foothills, Green Flash Brewing Co. subsidiary, Alpine Beer Company in San Diego County will be introducing a few changes that include some new year round beers, limited releases and, for the first time, the release of two beers in cans. Read More

San Francisco Beer Week | Can’t-Miss Events February 11-13

Cover photo courtesy of San Francisco Brewers Guild (Gama Nine Photography)

Friday, February 10 is the only day where it is an easy decision on which San Francisco Beer Week (SFBW) event to go to, as there is only one event. The Opening Gala is an event not to be missed with over 135 breweries pouring incredible first time beers like G & T Gose and rare beers including Pliny the Younger. Day Two, Three, and Four of San Francisco Beer Week aren’t as easy with 129, 90, 75 events happening respectively. Here are the events that we are looking forward to for Saturday, Sunday and Monday of SFBW.

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2017 Guide to Finding Pliny the Younger in Colorado

In an age when cult beers have grown to become more and more plentiful. The standard bearer that still moves the needle when it comes to the zenith of release hype begins and ends with Russian River’s Russian River Brewing‘s Pliny the Younger.

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Firestone Walker to Offer Bravo & Future Vintage Reserves in 12 oz Bottles

Cover Photo Courtesy Firestone Walker

Bravo is the first beer release from Firestone Walker as part of its shift from offering Vintage Reserve barrel-aged beers in 22-ounce bomber format to 12-ounce bottles in 2017. This transition includes longtime stalwarts such as Parabola and the annual Anniversary Ale.

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San Francisco Beer Week | Opening Gala

San Francisco Beer Week kicks off their 9th year starting Friday, February 10 and running through Sunday, February 19. The festivities are packed with over 800 events and span the entire Bay Area from Half Moon Bay in the south to Santa Rosa in the north. We will highlight our top picks for each day. The first event is the Opening Gala at Pier 48 in San Francisco from 5 – 10 PM for VIP ticket holders and 6 – 10 PM for General Admission. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by clicking here. Be sure to check back for our list of featured events!

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