Follow Your Beer

In Bruges: the Brugs Beertje

2010-07-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

If you are only to visit one town in Belgium, go to Bruges. And if you are only going to one beer pub, go to the Brugs Beertje. This place is a jewel! In fact, for a true Belgian beer lover, this place is an absolute must! This is a small place, hidden in a narrow side-street, a great atmosphere with lots of locals and tourists alike, and a beer list that looks like a phone book! There are hundreds of options, and it's hard to go wrong. There are also five beers on tap.
Daisy Claeys runs the show (see picture at the top of the blog page) and both her and her staff are very knowledgeable and fun. In fact, Daisy just got the 2010 award from the Brugs office of tourism for attracting so many visitors to Bruges!

Viva Obama! Brewhouse in SB taps the Obamanator!

2009-02-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

Obamanator on tap at the Brewhouse in Santa Barbara

On 20^th January 2009, Barack Hussein Obama became the 44^th President of the United States. In his honor, Pete released the long awaited Obamanator dark Lager.

The Obamanator is a Munich Dunkel type Lager. It was brewed a few weeks ago, just before Christmas, using a mixture of Pilsner and Munich malts. Also used were Santiam hops, the world’s first naturally seedless Tettnang-type hop. The Santiam hop is said to be a hybrid of German Tettnanger, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, and an American hop (some sources say Cascade). It is considered to be a good American-grown hop to use in German-style lagers.

While this dark lager would be filtered across the pond, this one was kept unfiltered, with a nice body and a rich flavor. The Obamanator is now on tap for Barbeerians and others to enjoy. Headbrewer Pete describes it as “Dark & Smooth” and adds: “This brew represents change we can believe in!”.

Cheers to that!!

History of Oktoberfest

2008-10-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

The original "Oktoberfest" occurred in Munich in 1810, almost two centuries ago. The occasion was the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (to become King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The day was 12 October 1810.

The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates. Horse races were held at the close of the event, and the decision to repeat them yearly gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest. Although the horse races were once the most popular event of the festival, they are no longer held today.

In the first few decades, entertainment was sparse, and mostly limited to the horse races. In 1819, citizens of Munich took over festival management. Festivities were lengthened and the opening date pushed forward in order to take advantage of the more pleasant September weather. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at a rapidly expanding number of small beer stands. In 1881, booths selling bratwurst opened to satisfy the attendees’ “Bierhunger” (German for “beer hunger”: that appetite resulting from beer consumption, a phenomenon well known to the Barbeerians). In 1896, the enterprising landlords, with the enthusiastic backing of the local breweries, set up the first beer tents.

In the year 1910, Oktoberfest celebrated its 100th birthday; 120,000 liters of beer were consumed. In 1913, the Bräurosl was founded, which was the largest Oktoberfest beer tent of all time; it could accommodate 12,000 guests (today, the biggest tent is the Hofbräu-Festhalle, which holds 10,000).

Over the years, Oktoberfest had to be cancelled a number of times for various reasons. As we know, Germans have been known to pick up a fight with their neighbors here and then, when not busy drinking beer. Add to that a couple of Cholera epidemics, and some perfectly-good drinking time was wasted away digging up trenches. Cancelled years included:

1812 cancelled because of Napoleonic wars (OK the French were to blame that time)

1853 cancelled due to a cholera epidemic

1866 cancelled due to Austro-Prussian War

1870 cancelled due to Franco-Prussian War

1873 cancelled due to another cholera epidemic

1914-1918 cancelled due to World War 1

1939-1945 cancelled due to World War 2

1946-1948 Germans weren’t trusted to behave yet; as a result, proper Oktoberfest beer wasn’t allowed. Attendees had to settle for beer that had an alcohol content under 2%.

Today, the Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest festival in the world. This year marks the 198th anniversary with its 175^th celebration. It is also celebrated in many breweries and German eateries around the world. So “Zum Wohl!”

Witbier: A history of the Style

2008-04-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

The History of Witbier

The Belgian style of “white beer” has its origins going six or seven centuries back. A monastery was established in the fifteenth century in the small town of Hoegaarden, in a region where much wheat was grown. Back then, monks liked making beer and were usually the experts.

Belgium was then a part of the Netherlands, where many spices were brought in from the colonies. One of those colonies was the orange-growing territory of Curacao. Beer was made using the local wheat, as well as Curacao orange peel, along with other spices such as coriander, in addition to hops. Wit, or “White beer” was the result and became a distinct local style. By the 19^th century, Hoegaarden had become a true brewing center for a region that included thirty breweries, all making the local “white” beer. After world War Two, the style became almost extinct until the 1960s, when an entrepreneur named Pierre Celis revived it. Pierre Celis had grown up in the Hoegaarden area and knew much about the disappearing style of beer. He bought equipment from breweries that had closed and started production in 1966. He called his brewery “De Kluis” (Cloister) as a tribute to the monastery that had started Hoegaarden’s brewing tradition. By the 1980s, other breweries were opening, feeding on the renewed popularity of the style. By the 1990s, the beer was also made in southern Holland, and northern France, as the style’s popularity continued to spread. In 1992, Pierre Celis moved to Austin, Texas (where he had friends) and opened a brewery there, spreading white beer’s popularity to the American continent. And now, it is widespread across the US and Canada for us all to enjoy. (Thank you Michael Jackson & his “Beer Companion” for much of the above info).

Hollister Brewing Co. - Goleta, California

2008-02-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

OK, first thing: I'm a huge fan of this place! If anything, I would have called it something different. There is a town called Hollister, California. What if some dude wants to open a brewery there? He can't call it Hollister Brewing Company, the name is already taken. I would have called it Goleta Valley Brewing Company, or something that sounds more local to me. But what's important is: is the beer good? And the answer is an unarguable YES, at least in my opinion.

This place opened May 2007 so it is still relatively new to the area. Eric Rose, the brewer, used to brew at the Santa Barbara Brewing Company, which is located downtown SB (Goleta is about twelve miles up the road). He did fine there, but was undoubtedly more limited in what he could brew. Ever since Eric and his partners opened Hollister Brew Co, he has been doing remarkably well. Eric keeps surprising me with beers that are both creative in recipe and top-notch in quality.

I tried to pop in there about once a month or so. I'd be there more often if it wasn't so far from my house. And probably I'd be there too much, so it's probably just as well. But the point is, every time I go there, I find something new worth getting a pint of. Eric keeps it interesting.

Reviewing all the beers would just be too much work for this blog. I have yet to find one I did not like. I'll just mention a couple that have really made an impression on me. One was the Dunkelweiss upon the opening last year: a very Bavarian tasting wheaty tasty dark Weizenbier. Another is "The J", a smoked hemp ale. I also loved the seasonal Lemon Ale, made with fresh Goleta lemons. Then I became addicted to the "Hip Hop", a double IPA (9.4%) with a chewy body (that's a compliment) and a wonderfully hoppy aroma. The regular Extra Pale Ale ("White-Star XPA") is creamy and wonderful, especially nitrogen-pumped. And last summer's black IPA ("black-eye pale ale") was simply brilliant in my opinion: it tasted like a excellent full-bodied West-Coast IPA, but yet was as pitch black as a stout. Those are probably my two favorite styles of beer and a pint of this stuff was just like pure liquid happiness to me!

If you're a beer enthusiast, and you're ever in the SB area, you have to visit this place. The food is excellent as well. I personally would recommend the fish tacos, and the tortilla soup. It's all good stuff though, and the menu is definitely more creative than at the average brewing company. This place makes me proud to be a Santa Barbaran, or as I like to call myself, a Barbeerian!

Hollister Brewing Co.
6980 Hollister Ave. Goleta, CA 93117
Tel: 805-968-2810
http://www.hollisterbrewco.com/

Downtown Brewing Co - Santa Barbara, Ca

2008-02-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

This is my first entry on a local brewery, and we are lucky enough to have quite a few. Technically, the name of "Downtown Brewing Company" is a bit of a joke because it is neither downtown, nor a brewery. But there is an explanation:

Downtown Brewing is a local chain based up in San Luis Obispo, and that is where the brewing takes place. For readers from out of town, that's pretty much exactly one hundred miles up the road from Santa Barbara. They have three locations: SLO, Paso Robles (30 minutes north of SLO) and Santa Barbara, the most recent addition, which opened in May of 2007. They do not brew here in SB, they bring kegs down highway 101. So it isn't really a brewery. In addition, Downtown Brewing is located in the "Uptown" part of SB so it isn't even downtown. Oh well, just had to get that out of my system.

Having said that, I actually like the place. Service isn't anything to brag about but it isn't a place I'd go to if I'm in a rush. But it is a place I love going to on a nice sunny weekend day (or long summer evening) because they have a nice beergarden outside. SB does not have a beer garden and I always said it needed one. We have the right weather, someone just needed to provide the space and bring the beer. And downtown Brewing did, so good on them!

The beers are not amazing, but they are very drinkable. There is a light but tasty honey blonde, a pleasant blueberry ale, a nice reggae red, an IPA, and usually either a stout or a porter. I've never had a bad beer there, but I've had some very pleasant ones. In my opinion, their India Pale Ale (IPA) is their best beer. They also had a very nice Oktoberfest (hey still have some!) and they are now pouring a very nice winter brown. The latter has an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 7.6%. It is well hopped, malty, tasty and strong. It has a nice dark copper color and a decent body. In other words, it has all you need to warm up with if sitting outside in cooler weather as I did last weekend (it was only about 59F, burrrrrrrrrr!!!)

Overall, this place provides very decent beer, nice outside tables, and provides a pleasant watering hole between the downtown area (where several brewries are located) and Goleta where we have the fabulous Hollister Brewing Co (to be reviewed in the near future). I like Downtown Brewing Co and enjoy going there. So cheers to that!

Downtown Brewing Co.
3755 State St, Santa Barbara
Phone: (805) 682-7803

A Word about Mead

2008-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

Mead is basically fermented honey and water. Its history goes so far back that we may never know the exact origins of the drink.

It has been established that ancient Egyptians may have been first to create beer, and yet they reportedly made mead for a long time prior to that.

Mead was consumed in ancient Greece (Aristotle spoke of it) and became a popular drink throughout Europe. As European populations increased however, the demand for honey increased as well, and prices went up. Around the Mediterranean, grape culture being cheaper than beekeeping, wine became more common. Tastes in Northern Europe evolved more towards beer, also cheaper to produce.

Beer and wine were easier to come about, and replaced mead as the daily drink throughout Europe. Mead was mainly produced for special events, such as weddings.

Although it became less common, mead’s lure was never lost. Today, mead is still of interest to beer enthusiasts, and home-brewers alike.
Meadhing is the practice of brewing honey. A brewery that deals specifically in mead is called either a meadery or a mazery. (Thank you Wikipedia!)
There are many variations of the drink. Traditional mead is nothing but honey, yeast, and water. But there are non-traditional meads that typically contain additional ingredients. A mead made with spices (like cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg) or herbs (such as oregano or even lavender or chamomile) is called metheglin. Mead that contains fruit is called melomel. Mead that contains specifically grape juice is called pyment. Pyment made with white grape juice is sometimes called "white mead." Mulled mead is a popular winter holiday drink, where mead is flavored with spices (and sometimes various fruits) and warmed, traditionally by having a hot poker plunged into it.
Mead may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. Sweetness simply refers to the amount of residual sugar in the mead
Mead may be still, petillant, or sparkling. Petillant meads are “lightly sparkling” and can have a moderate, noticeable amount of carbonation. Sparkling meads are not gushing, but may have a character ranging from mouth filling to an impression akin to Champagne or soda pop.
Clarity may be good to brilliant. Mead should be crystal clear, and observable particulates are undesirable.

To this day, mead is still a more select drink than beer. There are quite a few commercial examples out there to sample should you think of making your own. Regardless, mead is worth trying and is quite a treat.

Merry Christmas Brews

2007-12-24T23:33:00.000-08:00

This time of year, it is time to take advantage of all the wonderful seasonal beers that come out and cannot be found the rest of the year.

Many breweries produce Christmas ales, usually brown to black, often spiced up with a variety of ingredients not found in more traditional beers. Most Christmas ales are rich and hearty beers, with a malty sweetness and spicy hop character. Holiday beers vary in sweetness, body, color, and spicyness, but all are perfect for the season. Best to try a few and find which ones you like.

One of my own personal favorite is the Anchor Steam "Special Ale" (see picture below) sold only November through January. It varies a bit from year to year, which makes it more interesting. It is always dark, heavy, mildly spicy, and plenty tasty. This year's is plenty dark, yet not too heavy, with pleasant spiciness and malty sweetness. Yummy!

If you have a Trader Joes near you, be sure to try their yearly Vintage ale, a usually black and fizzy mildly spicy but full-bodied ale, which will delight your taste buds. Again, it is a bit different each year and this year's is actually much lighter. The color this is more of a deep copper color, as opposed to the usual black. The body is nice although lighter than usual, and the spiciness moderate. It has a distinctly Belgian flavor and a mild but pleasant malty sweetness, it reminded me of a red Chimay. This is a nice beer, and quite different from the previous years'. When you go to Trader Joes, go ahead and buy a few of these guys. It is fun to keep some in storage and keep a couple to let them age a bit. They will develop a fruity complexity with time which is fun to explore after a year or two. TJ Vintage Ales are made and bottled by Unibroue, a brewery located in Quebec which produces some exceptional Belgian-style ales.

Also excellent is this year's Snow Cap Winter Warmer, from Pyramid Breweries. This one isn't quite as thick or dark, but is a very dark brown with a medium-heavy body. The spices are there, but so are the hops. This is great stuff too!

If you like your Christmas beers not too dark and thick, try Bad Elf from Ridgeway Brewing, in the UK. That one is just a lighter brown color and is a bit heavier on the hops (more bitter) while maintaining a holiday flavor. Nice beer.

And then Belgium produces some of the most celebrated Christmas, such as the Delirium Noel. This one comes in a white bottle with a pink elephant on it (serious!). It is a reddish amber color, with a mildly sweet, malty spiciness and is a classic for the style. It is best to consume it in a brandy-type of glass.

There are so many out there, just go and explore. Try a few and find out the ones you like. But don't let the holidays go by without trying some of those delicious beers you will not be able to find in just a few weeks.

So Merry Christmas, and go Beer shopping!

Magnolia Pub & Brewery - San Francisco, California

2007-12-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

Magnolia Pub & Brewery is the one SF Brewpub I had never been to, and now it's my main motivation for wanting to get back there. I love the city, and i absolutely loved this place.

Magnolia Pub & Brewery is located in the heart of the charismatic Haight & Asbury District, more commonly known as "The Upper Haight", and generaly associated with the hippie culture of the 1960s. To be exact, the brewpub is located at the corner of Haight and Masonic, in an old Victorian building, which predates, and survived, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The building has hosted a pharmacy, several Cafes, and Magnolia Thunderpussy’s Dessert shop.

Magnolia Thunderpussy (1940-1996) was a popular local exotic dancer with a daytime job of selling "exotic" desserts. Her specialties included the “Montana Banana” (two scoops of ice cream and a banana, with chocolate shavings and whipped cream), and the "Pineapple Pussy" (a hollowed pineapple filled with strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a cherry). The Grateful Dead song "Sugar Magnolia" was named after the charismatic lady. And so was the Magnolia Pub & Brewery, which opened ten years ago, in November of 1997.

I grabbed a table by the huge windows, which was almost like being seated on the sidewalk, except warmer (it was actually in the pleasant high sixties temperatures; quite sweet). The place has a nice large wooden bar, and funky murals that remind you that you're in the Haight. I ordered a salad which I loved. It tasted really fresh and healthy, with a home-made fresh from the farmers market feel-to-it, and just enough dressing. But the best part is: the beers were excellent!

They had two IPAs. One of them, called Proving Ground IPA, was more of a west-coast style IPAs, and was just excellent. It actually reminded me of Alesmith IPA for its body and hoppy aroma. Great stuff, I’m hooked on it and I just want to go back to San Francisco so I can drink more of it! Two of my other favorites were the Big Cypress Brown, smooth and nutty, and the very tasty winter warmer. The Spooky Tooth Stout was very low alcohol (3.6% ABV) but quite tasty. Finally, the Kölsch beer was not only very nice, crisp, and authentic in taste, but also was served the authentic way, as in Cologne, Germany: in a thin, cylindrical glass. Just for that reason, I had to get one!

Overall I really liked both the beers and the food. The place seemed like a very fun place to kill time with a healthy menu and top-quality beers, in a charismatic part of town. The visit to this brewpub, which was new to me, was the highlight of my trip. Great place, and it is even located walking distance (8 blocks) from another one of my top favorite places in the city: Toronado, San Francisco’s most awesome beer bar!

Magnolia Pub & Brewery
1398 Haight Street San Francisco, CA 94117
Tel: 415.864.PINT Web: http://www.magnoliapub.com/

San Francisco, California

2007-12-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

A few days in San Francisco recently gave me the opportunity to visit, or return to, most of the city’s brewpubs.

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company is an unusual combination of Spanish Restaurant and microbrewery. The seasonal was the pleasant multi-grain “Full Belly Ale” (6.7% ABV) which had a nice body, color and taste. Along with a Spanish tortilla (a potato omelet), it made for a quite nutritious breakfast upon arrival in the city. I sampled four of their other beers, including a very drinkable IPA (7.2%), a nice but too-thin brown ale (5.4%), a decent stout (5.6%) and the tasty barley-wine (10% ABV) and I was ready to head on to the next brewpub: nearby 21^st Amendment.

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

661 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105

Tel: 415-974-0905 Web: http://www.thirstybear.com/

21^st Amendment Brewery

This brewpub, named after the1993 amendment, which repealed prohibition (voiding the 18^th), has long been one of my favorite San Francisco hangouts. I sampled the South Park Blonde, a crisp, dry and malty, a very nice “yellow beer” brewed with German hops. The Bitter American (3.6%)was probably my favorite this time: a very low alcohol brew, yet a very tasty and well-hopped session beer. 21A also serves a light but pleasant watermelon wheat, elegantly served with a piece of watermelon. This would be a very nice refreshing beer in the summer. I got to meet Jesse Houck, the head brewer, who came to greet me in a Gordon Biersch shirt. He had brewed for GB for a year, prior to becoming assistant brewer, and then head brewer at 21^st Amendment.

21st Amendment Brewing Company
563 2nd Street San Francisco, CA 94107
Tel: 415-369-0900 Web: http://www.21st-amendment.com/

Gordon Biersch San Francisco

Even though I was on foot, I had sampled enough beers by then that I had to slow myself down. I sat at the bar and enjoyed a glass of the Schwarzbier (black lager) while chatting with a couple of locals and enjoying the fabulous view of the Bay Bridge. The beer was roasty and quite tasty. Although not as smooth as its German-made equivalents, I enjoyed topping off “Day One” with it. The view of the bridge really would make this a great one to go to for happy hour.

Gordon Biersch San Francisco

2 Harrison Street San Francisco, CA 94105
Tel: 415-243-8246 Web: http://www.gordonbiersch.com/

San Francisco Brewing Company

This is a nice low-key place with a nice wooden hundred-year-old bar. I sampled the brews and got to meet both Eric Schiff, the head brewer, and Tom Price, his assistant. Both were home-brewers and had taken over somewhat recently. Eric had taken over as head brewer in November of 2006 and had been there for a year. My favorite brew there was the Earthquake Red (6.5% ABV), a very pleasant ale brewed on the day of a small local earthquake, hence the name. The pale ale was very light but well hopped (arguably more so than the IPA) and made a good thirst quencher.

San Francisco Brewing Company

155 Columbus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133

Tel: (415) 434-3344 Web: http://www.sfbrewing.com/

San Diego, California

2007-11-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

San Diego, California

As far as the brewery scene is concerned, San Diego is undoubtedly Southern California’s hot spot. My wife and I got to visit several breweries on a recent trip. There are many in the San Diego area, and a lot of good ones. I’ll just mention the following: La Jolla Brewhouse, Alesmith, the Firehouse Brewing Company, and Pizza Port.

La Jolla Brewhouse

Located downtown La Jolla where LJ Brewing Company used to be, La Jolla Brewhouse opened its doors in 2003. I got to meet the brewer, Pat Korn (picture below), who used to brew for Karl Strauss breweries, sort of a San Diego institution. The beers had both body and character. Pat seems to be really interested in Belgian beers and most of his beers were either Belgian style, or an interesting blend of British and Belgian influences.

House brews included the Blonde Ale (5.4% thinner but well hopped and very tasty), the Saus en Trop “Belgian IPA” (well hopped, light copper colored cross between an IPA and a Belgian ale), the Double IPA (8.9% well hopped, good body), a pleasant Wit (5.6%), a very nice and full-bodied Red Lion Ale (6.%), and an Oatmeal stout (to name a few).

As far as the atmosphere, the place reminded me a bit of the Santa Barbara Brewing Company: for those that aren't familiar with the latter, it has a convenient downtown location and a sports-watching crowd encouraged by multiple TV screens. Overall, this is a good place to stop at if you don’t mind the louder sports watching crowds.

La Jolla Brewhouse

7536 Fay Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037

Tel: 858-456-6279 Web: http://www.lajollabrewhouse.com

Alesmith

This is strictly a brewery, without a pub or restaurant, but is truly a Southern California institution. It isn’t as commercially aggressive as the Stone Brewery (maker of the famous Arrogant Bastard Ale), but has a real cult-like following among California’s beer lovers. I’d heard about the place for the longest time and finally got to check it out. It more than met my expectations.

Alesmith offers a tour at 1pm on the last Saturday of each month and we happened to be there on the right day! Peter Zien, owner and founder (pictured below), gave the tour himself. This was probably the most interesting brewery tour I ever took. Peter seems really passionate about what he does and gave an amazingly informative tour.

Alesmith opened in 1995, the same year that stone Brewing Company started. This is a smaller operation however, especially since Stone recently expended. Pete really came across as some one whose priority was to make the highest quality beer, as opposed to getting wealthy off of it. The equipment is much smaller than Stone’s, and some of it is actually dairy equipment converted for brewing purposes. But don’t let that fool you: the beers are excellent, some of the best in the state, and since Peter began brewing in 1995, his beers have earned over 400 medals and honors. Top-notch stuff!

We got to sample the following:

Extra pale ale: one of our favorite, very pale in color, with a great head and flavor.
IPA: fruity and tasty, made with seven different types of hops. Excellent!
Evil-Dead red (6.66%): Nice red color, full bodied and packed with flavor. The same beer is called “My Bloody Valentine” in February.
Wee heavy Scottish ale (10%): excellent, a bit smoky, and hoppier than expected (hoppier than most Scottish ales).
Belgian pale Ale: pale in color with a fruity flavor.
Anvil ESB: nice body, copper color.
Horny devil 11%: Yellow Belgian Strong Ale, very flavorful and a bit on the sweeter side.
Grand cru: Belgian Strong ale. Reddish in color, fruity and also a bit sweet.
Old Numbskull Barley-wine (11%): Complex and strong, full of flavor.

I absolutely loved them. All were medium to full-bodied and full of flavor, the kind I love. My favorites were the X Pale ale, the IPA ,and the seasonal Evil Dead Red (6.66%!!!).Literally every beer was top-notch though.

Overall, the tour was fantastic, and I highly recommend the visit to any one who hasn’t been there. Visiting Alesmith is a must if you're a a beer-lover finding yourself in Southern California. Just a note of caution: if you are going to sample the beers (only $5.00 to taste them all, and you get to keep a cool pint glass), have a designated driver! Serious: these beers are strong and the samples poured are very generous in size.

Alesmith Brewing Company

9368 Cabot drive San Diego, CA 92126

Tel: 858-549-9888 Web: http://www.alesmith.com

Firehouse Brewing Company

Just up the road from there is the Firehouse Brewing Co. This is also just a brewery, not a brewpub. It was opened in 2004 by a couple of third generation firefighters with a taste for beer and a hobby of making their own. The head brewer is Nick Herrera.

Originally, they just had one beer, a pale ale. Since 2006 they also have a hefe-weizen, and are about to come out with an IPA. The latter should be ready by the holidays.

Ironically, the facilities seemed much larger than Alesmith. Their beers are poured in an increasing number of San Diego area eateries, and are also bottled. They started bottling in March of 2007 and Costco down in SD now sells cases of their beers. I tasted both the pale ale and the weizen and found them both to be very drinkable, even after spending time drinking Alesmith brews. This is a place worth checking out if you find yourself there, and it is just two minutes from Alesmith. They are open for tours Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Firehouse Brewing Company

7696 Miramar Road San Diego, CA 92126
Tel: 858.605.1416 Web: www.firehousebrew.com

Pizza Port

If you were only going to visit one brewpub (talking places where you can eat as well) in the San Diego area, this would be a good one to pick. Pizza Port actually has three locations.

The original location is in Solana Beach. This is a small surfer hangout pizza place, close to the cliffs. The owner liked beer and they started selling some homebrewed stuff. Well the homebrew must have been good and made such a good combo with the excellent pizza that business boomed. Now they have a large place in downtown Carlsbad, and another location in San Clemente, which I haven’t been to.

The restaurant in Carlsbad offers over a dozen types of house brews, seventeen the night we were there, as well as an impressive list of guest taps.

On this most recent visit, I only had four beers (well, samplers that is). I tried two different IPAs: the well hopped & lighter but pleasant Wipe-out IPA (7.5%) and the double IPA (8.5%) a stronger version of the Wipeout. I also tried both of their stouts: the Port Truck Stout was a bit on the hoppy side and more of a porter to me. The "Sticky Stout" was drier, more of an Irish stout and was quite good. I couldn't possibly try them all, but would have liked to.

Pizza is excellent, the beers are excellent, and the atmosphere is trendy, dynamic and fun. Great place all the way around. The beers are too numerous to list but there is something for every one, and they are good!

Pizza Port Solana Beach 135 N. Highway 101 Solana Beach, CA 92075 Tel: Tel: (858) 481-7332

Pizza port Carlsbad 571 Carlsbad Village Dr Carlsbad, CA 92008
Tel: (760) 720-7007

Pizza Port San Clemente 301 N. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672 Tel: (949) 940-0005

Las Vegas, Nevada

2007-10-12T19:57:00.001-07:00

First, let me begin with a couple of basic non-beer related facts about Las Vegas. The city was established as a railroad town in May of 1905. The name, translated in English, means “The Meadows”. Gambling was legalized there in 1931, roughly five years before the 1936 completion of the nearby Hoover Dam. As we all know, the city has grown like mad ever since.

Big Dog's Brewing Company

Big Dog’s Brewing actually offers actually three locations, two of them quite far from the strip and tough to get to without a car. The one I visited is located on Sahara Avenue, a short bus ride away from the strip. Let me mention here that Vegas city buses are quite convenient, beat the heck out of walking in the heat, or driving under the influence, and are also much cheaper than cabbing your way around town: a 24 hour pass is only $5.00 and will get you all over!

I had lunch at Big Dog’s and found both the food and the beer quite good. The brews included the “leg-lifter light” (indeed very light but nice in hot weather), the Tail-Wager Wheat (nice but much too thin), and a very crisp and tasty K9 Kölsch.

Also brewed on the premises are the Holly Cow IPA, which had a very light body but was well hoped and refreshing (good thirst quencher!), and the Red Hydrant Ale, which had a medium body with a dark amber color. The amber ale reminded me a bit of Newcastle, and actually won the Gold Medal at the 2006 World Beer Cup.

My personal favorite was Black Lab Stout (see picture). Although it had a fairly light body for the style, I found it very tasty. It won the Bronze Medal in the “Foreign Stout” category at the 1996 GABF (Great American Beer Festival).

Overall, Big Dog’s Brewery is a nice spot for a meal, has decent beers, and offers a pleasant break from the Strip’s Mega-Casino madness.

Ellis Island Brewing Co.

The next day, I visited the Ellis Island Brewery, located in the casino by the same name. It is a few blocks east of the Strip, and is also easily accessible by bus. The place has a restaurant (the food looked good and the portions large), but if beer is all you want, you may park your “derriere” at the bar and try all their brews for a mere $1.00 per twenty-ounce glass! And it gets better: they are actually very drinkable!

Ellis Island makes the following brews: A “Light” (which I did not try it, but looked extremely light), a “Gold” (light but pleasant American-style lager), a very decent “Hefe-Weiss”, a pleasant amber ale and a very drinkable stout. Just like Big Dog’s stout, it wasn’t too heavy but was quite tasty.

Incidentally, Ellis Island also makes its own hard lemonade and root Beer.

In addition to the beer being good and almost free, I liked that you could sit at the bar and be surrounded by locals. Ellis Island isn’t a big fancy casino, it is a casual and laid-back place where locals come to relax and gamble, away from the tourists. With $1 beers that size, you’re almost guaranteed to make friends there!

Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas

A few years ago a whole new Hofbräuhaus was built in Las Vegas; it is a smaller but almost exact replica of the one In Munich. It is located on Paradise and Harmon, a few blocks away from the strip (walking distance if you like exercise, or accessible by bus), right across from the Hard Rock Café. It opened 29 January 2004.

OK, it may not be Germany but it is still a blast. Even though my favorite German restaurant west of the Mississippi is still the Suppenküche (in San Francisco, blocks away from the Toronado, the famous beer bar) the food was excellent, a traditional band was playing nightly, and the brews were excellent. Frankly, I did not expect the beer to be half that good, being so far from home. The beer served is the original Hofbräuhaus beer, shipped over from the fatherland. They have the regular Pils-like lager, the Dunkel, and the Weissbier. As a bonus they also had a Maibock; my wife ordered it and it was excellent. Again, short of going to Germany, German beer just doesn’t get any better. Female servers were all wearing their dirndls, and one of them went around selling real German soft pretzels, the best I had on this side of the Atlantic.

There are just a few differences between the Vegas Hofbräuhaus and the original: the Vegas one opted for an indoor biergarten instead of the outside one (no one really wants to be sitting outside when it’s 100F I guess). Also, they actually have three beer sizes. The original Hofbräuhaus in Germany has no wimpy-size beers: when you ask for a beer, you get a liter of it, unless you ask for a Weissbier in which case it comes in a .5L Weissbier glass. The Vegas Hofbräuhaus serves beer in .3L, .5L or 1 liter size. They also serve the Weissbier by the liter if requested, something that would be considered horrible etiquette in Bavaria.

Overall, the place is a lot of fun. Even the gift-shop was great, with lots of German items and reasonable prices; mugs, shirts, hats, flags, Bavarian table decorations etc. In case any one is looking for an outfit or decorations before Oktoberfest time comes around, you can even order on line.

Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas

4510 Paradise Road Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 853-BEER (2337)

http://www.hofbrauhauslasvegas.com

Gordon Biersch Las Vegas

This is very close to both the Ellis Island Brewery and the Hofbräuhaus. It also happens to be one of my favorite G.B. locations, along with the Honolulu G.B.

I got a sampler of the appetizers (all very good) and a sampler of the beers. The Weizen was definitely one of the better US-made weizen beers I'd had. Also, Gordon Biersch serves its weizen the authentic German way, in the right glass, and without the lemon. I like that!

Overall, a good experience with good food and good beer. It is a chain, but still a fun stop on a beer-hunter's itinerary.

Gordon Biersch Las Vegas
3987 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89109
phone: 702-312-5247
hours:
Sun-Thurs: 11:00 AM - Midnight
Fri-Sat: 11:00 AM - 1:00 AM

Selin's Grove Brewing Co.

2007-10-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

There is one more Pennsylvania Brewery I felt I had to mention to end this Pennsylvania series: Selin's Grove Brewing Company, in Selinsgrove, PA.

First the building and setting are really nice which makes it pleasant to step into the place. The brewery is located in a stone house, which was built in 1816 by Simon Snyder, the third governor of Pennsylvania (and PA’s only three-term governor) and became his home. The building is on federal and state historic registers.

I bought a T-shirt there when I visited, quite a long time ago, and the pub’s story is printed on the back:

“In the early 1800s, Mathias App ran a distillery on Walnut Street in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Water for the distillery was taken from a well on the northeast corner of Market and Walnut Streets. In those days, the pump for the well was powered by dogs, which were placed inside a running wheel 15 feet in diameter.

It has been told that when stray dogs became so degraded as to molest the local sheep, they were sent to this distillery. Later, the building was used as a brewery and then as a foundry.

Today, you can once again enjoy a pint of fresh beer brewed in Selinsgrove at the Selin’s Grove Brewing Company. No dogs are used for our brewing process”.

This place opened back in 1996 and the owner Steve Leason is also the brewer. Steve has a passion for his work, and it shows. I found the beers to be excellent; flavors were right on for their categories. Although I would have put a bit more "meat" on a couple of them, they were definitely top-notch. In addition, the staff was friendly and personable, and the food was great and healthy. I found the menu quite creative, with lots of vegetarian options, something not always found in Pennsylvania. Finally, there is lots of cool merchandise for sale as souvenirs. Their logo has a dog on it, and they even sell T-shirts for dogs!

Selin's Grove Brewing Co. is undoubtedly one of Pennsylvania’s best brewpubs, and well worth going out of your way for!

Selin's Grove Brewing Co.
121 North Market Street
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania 17870

Tel: 570-374-7308

http://www.selinsgrovebrewing.com/
Open at Noon Wednesday -Sunday
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays

PS: Selinsgrove, PA is in Central Pennsylvania, due north of Harrisburg, on the Susquehanna River, and due East of State College, PA.

Yuengling Brewery - Pottsville, PA

2007-08-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ok ok, I know. This isn't a microbrewery. In fact, the beer is just OK but I thought I'd mention Yuengling because it is, after all, America's oldest brewery. It has been around since 1829, and has been ran by the same family for the whole time. That in itself is admirable. This picture shows not the actual brewery but the building Yuengling used to make ice cream during prohibition.

During prohibition, Yuengling survived by making ice cream (in building shown in picture here above), near-beer, and porter for which you could actually get a prescription from your doctor! It was said yo be good for pregnant women. I do personally believe it. Also, when prohibition ended, they supposedly had a bunch of beer suddenly and magically ready... In fact, they immediately shipped a truck-load of it to president FDR...

The tour is entertaining although they hold the corn up to show every one, as if they were proud of having it as a key ingredient. For beer amateurs, I have to make it clear that corn is considered an adjunct, that is something you add in the recipe to save on the cost. In other words, you "add junk". Miller does it, Coors does it (Bud uses rice) and so do most national brands. But the fact that the tour guide holds a jar of it up proudly and shows it to you on the tour is laughing matter to me... If you're going to use corn to cut cost and produce lower quality beer, at least don't brag about it!

Yuengling beers are very popular on the east coast though, and they still beat the big brand competition. They even recently opened a second brewery down in Tampa, Florida. Their porter is alright, and so is their black and tan which is a blend of the porter and their "premium" brew.

I'm not exactly crazy about their beers, but if it's that or the big ugly national brands, I'll pick a Yuengling any day. Also, they have a great gift shop with lots of cool, merchandise. Overall, I'd recommend checking it out if you have a chance. it may not be the best beer you've had, but it's a fun visit. Besides, as I said, it is America's oldest brewery, and yes: you do get a couple of free beers at the end of the tour!

D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc.
5th & Mahantongo Sts.
Pottsville, PA 17901
Tel: (570) 622-4141
http://www.yuengling.com/

Bethlehem Brew Works (Eastern Pennsylvania)

2007-08-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

I thought a quick mention of Bethlehem Brew Works would be in order. Although I have not been there in over two years, I enjoyed the place enough that it should be mentioned.

The beers were good, and so was the food. Although I may have to add further notes on the beers, the main reason I wanted to mention this brewpub was the Steelworkers’ Oatmeal Stout (1.058 O.G., 5.3% A.B.V.). This stuff was fabulous! In addition, I got with it a piece of what turned out to be the best pecan pie I'd ever had. The two combined made the long drive well worth it! I wish I had taken a picture of that delightful combination but you'll have to take my word on that one!

Moreover, the city itself is interesting to visit. Bethlehem, PA was founded on Christmas Eve (hence the name) by German Moravians, a church founded in the Czech Republic. The city adopted the official nickname of Christmas City, USA". It was once a major steel town but has revived thanks to tourism and the town's famous Musikfest, a large yearly music festival.

Bethlehem Brew Works
569 Main St
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Tel: (610) 882-1300
www.thebrewworks.com

The Penn Brewery - Pittsburgh, PA

2007-08-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Penn Brewery was founded in 1986 in the historic Deutschtown section of Pittsburgh, across the Allegheny River from downtown. Beer had been made at this location since 1846. The brewery's charming old red-brick buildings buildings are actually listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.

Upon arriving there, one notices right away that the place has character. The main hall has an old German beer-hall feel to it, which is a great thing. The long tables and good amount of space may remind you of a smaller version of Munich's Hofbrauhaus, if you've ever been there.

I got to try the three beers that were available at the time: The Penn Pilsner (4%ABW), a light but very nice Vienna style lager, the Penn Gold, a light but smooth Munich-style lager (4% ABW), and the Penn Dark (also 4% ABW), also light bodied for the style but smooth and pleasant. The German tourist behind me agreed: "Ja, ja, it's like having a light bier!"

Although a bit light bodied, the beers were very drinkable, and all are made in accordance with the "Reinheitsgebot", the German beer purity law from 1516, which means that only the four classic ingredients are used: malted barley (and/or wheat), hops, water and yeast. No adjuncts such as corn or rice are used.

In addition, T-shirts are nice, the staff is pleasant, and Nick Rosich, the assistant brewer, came out of nowhere to give us a private personalized tour of the facility while our food was being prepared! Good brewery to visit while in touring America's Steel City!

Pennsylvania Brewing Company
800 Vinial Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212 USA
Tel: 412-237-9400
Web address: http://www.pennbrew.com

Church Brew Works - Pittsburgh, PA

2007-08-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

You want a unique brewpub experience? Head to Brew Church! This is an actual Catholic Church, a beautiful historical one too, that was left behind by the church and rescued by.... beer brewers! God bless them! OK I was more impressed with the looks and the food than I was with the beer, but overall I still really enjoyed the experience. The beer wasn't bad but didn't make me jump off my chair either. I found the brews generally a bit light on both the hops and the body. I enjoyed a couple of them though: the Celestial Gold was light but but well balanced and pleasant, and the imperial stout was quite nice too, a bit sweet but great with dessert, or "in lieu" of it!

Overall, I really recommend the place for its uniqueness. The food was good and the staff great. And heck, how often do you drink beer to the light of stained-glass windows?

The Church Brew Works

3525 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15201
tel: 412-688-8200  Web: http://churchbrew.com

Tröegs Brewing Company - Harrisburg

2007-08-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is strictly a brewery, not a brewpub. Tröegs is located in Harrisburg, the state capital, and can be visited on Saturdays at 2pm. I liked their beers much better than I thought I would and the tour was fun. The Dreamweaver wheat was very nice, so was the Pale Ale. The porter was a bit light but nice. Their signature beer is the Mad Elf, a cherry-flavored Belgian-style strong ale. At 11% ABV, it delivers a very flavorful kick with a nice body. See more about it at: http://www.troegs.com/beers_elf.htm

John Trogner owns and runs Tröegs with his brother Chris. Chris and John opened Troegs in 1997, ten years ago. The brewery distributes beer to many local businesses. They have a very cool gift-shop with nice shirts and other souvenirs, as well as beer to go of course. Unfortunately, in Pennsylvania, you can only buy beer by the keg or case, unless you want to go to a pub and pay an arm and a leg for a sixer. No beer in the grocery stores! Surprising for a state populated by such a huge number of Germans (Pennsylvania Dutch are German, not Dutch... serious!). It's still is a cool state though, once you accept its unique liquor and beer laws.

Tröegs Brewing Company
800 Paxton St. Harrisburg, PA 17104
Tel: 717.232.1297 Web: http://www.troegs.com

Kutztown Tavern's Golden Avalanche Brewing Co - Kutztown, PA

2007-07-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Golden Avalanche Brewing Co is located within the Kutztown Tavern, downtown Kutztown, PA. It has been open since 1999. Kutztown is in south-eastern Pennsylvania, north west of Philly and right outside Allentown. The beers included a spring bock, a blueberry ale (very fruity), an alt, a pale, a weizen, and a locally popular blond lager. There was also a cream stout, and my favorite: a unique bourbon stout, brewed with a hint of vanilla, which actually did taste a bit like bourbon.

I happened to meet Bob the brewer as I walked in. Bob was very welcoming and happily answered my questions. He used to be the assistant brewer and took over as brew-master somewhat recently. The food was very decent and so was the size of the portions.

Kutztown Tavern & Golden Avalanche Brewing Co.
272 West Main Street Kutztown, PA 19530
Tel: 610.683.9600 Web: http://www.kutztowntavern.com/golden.html

Nearby attractions include Crystal Cave, right outside of town, which is fun to visit, especially on a really hot and sticky Pennsylvania summer day. It is a quick tour and offers twenty minutes of consistent mid-fifties temperatures while admiring stalactites (the ones that come down) and stalagmites (the one that climb). If only they let you take beer from the brewery and sit there for a while, that'd be even better!

Central Pennsylvania

2007-07-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Brewpubs of Central Pennsylvania

A recent trip to Pennsylvania sent me visiting quite a few local breweries and brewpubs. To begin with, here is my impression of the two I visited in the central part of the State: Marzoni's in Duncansville, and Otto's brewpub in State College. Following is another of my favorite spots in Pennsylavania: the Market Cross Brewpub in Carlisle, PA, closer to the State Capital. Here's a quick review of all three.

Otto’s Brewpub – State College, PA

Otto’s is a wonderful brewpub and restaurant I discovered on a rainy day, driving across the state. State College is pretty much located in the very center of Pennsylvania, in a county named appropriately Centre County. The town is host to the main campus of the Pennsylvania State University, usually referred to as Penn State.

Otto’s is on a main road, just outside of the downtown area. It opened 12 October 2002 and has done very well. My wife and I sat down for samplers and lunch. I got to try half a dozen of the brews and found my three favorites to be a very smooth Red Mo Ale, a very well put-together hearty Weizenbock, and a very smooth and creamy Black Mo Stout (see picture below and tell me that doesn't look yummy!).

Charlie, owner and brewer, came by our table and kindly offered to give me a tour of the facilities. Charlie originally got some of his training by briefly helping out during the opening of the Santa Barbara Brewing Company (local to this Barbeerian)! In 1996, he then became the head-brewer at the newly opened Bullfrog Brewery, in Williamsport, PA. Charlie eventually decided to start his own venture and in 2002 opened Otto’s, naming the business after his cat. I didn’t get to meet the kitty (I understand he’s a bit shy) but saw plenty of pictures of him. Otto is like the celebrity you rarely get to meet, and is featured on the brewery’s logo. The gift shop has plenty of cool merchandise with his likeness on it. Oh, and I must mention a couple more things: the food was fabulous, and the place is all non-smoking, a rarity in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Also good to know: Charlie is hoping to start bottling his beers soon. The place is pleasant and fun all the way around. I’m hoping to visit again and highly recommend the stop.

Charlie (above) brewer at Otto's gave me a tour of the brewing facilities.

Otto's Pub & Brewery
2105 N. Atherton St. State College, PA 16803
Phone: (814) 867-6886

http://www.ottospubandbrewery.com

Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing Co. in Duncansville, PA

Marzoni's is relatively new; it is open since November 2003. It is located in Duncansville, PA which is just to the south of Altoona, PA. This is central Pennsylvania, not far from State College. I got the samplers and got to meet Bill Kroft, the brewer. Bill came by to say hello and tell me about his beers. He used to be a home brewer and became the brew-master at Marzoni's. The beers were a bit thin for my own taste but I enjoyed the Patchway Pale Ale and the Avalanche IPA. The Stone Mason Stout was also pleasant but could have used a bit more body. This was a quick pit-stop and I didn't get to sample the food. It looked like a good place to stop for a meal though.

Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing Co.
165 Patchway Road Duncansville, PA 16635
Tel: 814-695-2931 http://www.marzonis.com/map.html

Market Cross Brewpub – Carlisle, PA

The Market cross Brewpub is a place I discovered years ago and has been one of my favorite spots in Pennsylvania ever since. It is located downtown Carlisle, west of Harrisburg, the state capital.

The pub is called after a historical monument known as the “Market Cross” in the town of Carlisle, England. It was opened in1994 as White Tail Brewery but changed hands and resumed business as Market Cross in 2002. The first thing one notices when walking in is the authentic English-pub atmosphere, which is what the owner intended. The pub’s ten-barrel open-fermentation system was actually brought over from England. Market Cross usually has only about three or four of their own beers on tap but they are usually very tasty. This time, they had the Tell-Me Rye ale which was a bit light for me but nice, a light Lion-heart Lager (again, a bit too thin for my taste) and the wonderful Market Cross Red. The latter was by far my favorite: I found it well hopped, with a nice body, balance and aroma. I could easily have had a few pints of that but stopped at one as I was driving. On previous visits to the pub, I have had the terrific Olde Yeller IPA, which sadly wasn’t going to be ready until August, and a wonderful porter.

I have yet to meet the brewer, Kevin Spicer, who does a great job with the beers. The food is also wonderful. The staff is very friendly and I love sitting at the bar for my meals there, as I always seem to find some great local patrons to talk to. The pub has a beer-only license and a friendly local crowd. The place does allow smoking but the state legislature is currently debating a smoking ban for bars and restaurants. I love the place and keep going back to on every trip to Pennsylvania!

Market Cross Pub & Brewery
113 North Hanover Street Carlisle, PA 17013
Phone: (717) 258-1234

http://www.marketcrosspub.com/

Flag of Pennsylvania (flags are another one of my hobbies).

Creation of "Follow Your Beer"

2007-07-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is Barbeerian's blog, created on 26 July 2007 in order to post notes and comments on brewpubs located across the US, or abroad. Follow Your Beer was created in order to encourage the knowledge of, and consumption of local beer. Consuming local beer is both a way to support your local economy, or that of wherever you are visiting, but it is also a way support small independent businesses while drinking beer which is usually much superior to those produced by large corporations that are in the market purely for the profit. Follow Your Beer is also meant to promote the knowledge of beer styles and share reviews of brewpubs. Please feel free to contribute comments and suggestions, your opinion will be appreciated. Cheers!

Follow Your Beer

In Bruges: the Brugs Beertje

Viva Obama! Brewhouse in SB taps the Obamanator!

Obamanator on tap at the Brewhouse in Santa Barbara

History of Oktoberfest

Witbier: A history of the Style

Hollister Brewing Co. - Goleta, California

Downtown Brewing Co - Santa Barbara, Ca

A Word about Mead

Merry Christmas Brews

Magnolia Pub & Brewery - San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company

21st Amendment Brewery

Gordon Biersch San Francisco

Gordon Biersch San Francisco

San Francisco Brewing Company

San Francisco Brewing Company

San Diego, California

La Jolla Brewhouse

Alesmith

Firehouse Brewing Company

Las Vegas, Nevada

Selin's Grove Brewing Co.

Yuengling Brewery - Pottsville, PA

Bethlehem Brew Works (Eastern Pennsylvania)

The Penn Brewery - Pittsburgh, PA

Church Brew Works - Pittsburgh, PA

Tröegs Brewing Company - Harrisburg

Kutztown Tavern's Golden Avalanche Brewing Co - Kutztown, PA

Central Pennsylvania

Brewpubs of Central Pennsylvania

Creation of "Follow Your Beer"

21^st Amendment Brewery