September 7, 2012
After a long hard day of work, sometimes all you want is a beer and a smoke. Unfortunately it’s no longer possible to enjoy those two pleasures simultaneously if you’re in a bar (at least in most American cities), so Jim Meehan of PDT devised a clever way of joining them together in a drink […]
September 27, 2011
This summer has been a whirl of social engagements, what with friends visiting, me visiting friends and everyone congregating in London. And to crown it all, my friends and I decided to go to Oktoberfest in Munich. Lucky for us, two of my friends actually live in Munich and they managed to snag a table […]
July 15, 2011
I’ve traveled around most Central American countries over the past few years on surf trips and have tried pretty much all the local beers in each country I’ve visited. Right now I am in Panama and the beers here, like in other Central American countries, are all the same American-style pale light lagers. I have […]
April 27, 2011
If you are not convinced that beer pairings work with upscale dining, this post may change your mind. Recently I attended an amazing event put on by Stag Dining Group who partnered with Magnolia Brewery to create The Brewmasters Dinner. Stag Dining Group puts on communal dinners while partnering with vineyards, hunters, musicians–this time they […]
February 25, 2011
If you are getting tired of using beer kits or following other peoples recipes and are ready to start creating your own beers, this post is for you. When I first moved out to San Francisco I started putting Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in my keggerator on a regular basis. I was impressed by how […]
February 19, 2011
Let’s end February with a heavily hungover BANG! and guzzle down as much as we can, while we can, of San Francisco’s Strong Beer Month. Please join the Bay Area Umamimart crew (Yoko, CJ + myself) on Sunday 2/27 at 3pm, as we will be posted at Magnolia Pub for some epic beers. I am […]
February 11, 2011
As you might expect after seeing my last post on Strong Beer Month, I went on quite a bender last week and tried out all six strong beers at Magnolia and five out of six at 21st Amendment. Last night, I had the final hole punched (the Lord and Master, from 21st Amendment) in my Strong Beer […]
February 1, 2011
February is upon us, and for those of us in the Bay Area it brings Strong Beer! If you have not heard, February is Strong Beer Month in San Francisco, a time when two of the local microbreweries Magnolia and 21st Amendment each feature six strong beers (all over 8% ABV). When you drink all […]
January 31, 2011
Every year a friend of mine hosts a “Receptacle Spectacle” party where a keg is provided and guests are encouraged to drink out of anything but a cup. One friend had the lovely idea of drinking beer from a carved out mini watermelon! Among the other receptacles were a butternut squash, a sombrero, a Winston […]
January 7, 2011
2010 was an excellent year for beer! Here are my top five beer experiences of the year. Avec Les Bons Voeux (Brasserie Dupont) Avec Les Bons is French for, “With best wishes.” This beer is a Saison (or Farmhouse Ale), but brewed for consumption in the winter, rather than spring when Saisons are typically enjoyed. […]