CaleeForNeeya

Just returned from a long weekend in the Bay Area, where in addition to seeing a lot of wonderful friends, I oh so joyously got to partake in FIVE different California beers. Yippee!!!

Upon arrival we had lunch at Max's near SFO, and were delighted to find Devil's Canyon Amber Ale on tap. I hadn't had any DC beer since we left for MI, so that was a treat!

Friday night's dinner at Miss Pearl's in Oakland featured Jamaica Red, brewed by Mad River Brewing. Sadly, I had one too many to take any legible notes!

On Saturday we headed up to Petaluma to meet some friends for dinner, and luckily, I'd recently had some Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra Ale, and knew they had opened a Tap Room. Of course, we HAD to stop in... M tried "Ruben & the Jets", the last of their Zappa tribute beers. At 13% ABV, we were pleasantly surprised to find it very drinkable! Brewed with brown sugar, he said there were touches of coffee and a flavor that touches the palate then "poof" gone, leaving a hint of sweetness and a rather syrupy mouthfeel. I had the Ferkin "Stupid Brown Maximus Ale", a brewer's choice "science experiment", served at room temperature. What a delightful blend of flavors! It was hoppy and citrusy with a long lovely finish.

Later that night, we found ourselves back in Oakland fairly early, so we wandered over to a most excellent little historic dive, Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon in Jack London Square. If you ever find yourself in Oakland, this is DEFINITELY a must-see attraction. It isn't every day that you get to drink in a bar dating to 1883, with a floor and bar sloping due to the 1906 earthquake. The bartenders and clientele were all personable and fun and we walked out feeling almost giddy, we had such a good time. It was here that I got to imbibe in both Anchor Steam (on tap) and Racer 5 (bottle).

Now THAT was a good trip!!!

Beer tasting madness!!

OK, maybe not madness, but we have tried a LOT of different beers in the past week! I can't remember the names of all of them, so I'm gonna start with tonight and work my way backward as best I can... bear with me! Unfortunately I can't write full on reviews for all, as, well, my tastebuds won't let me, but I can at least offer up a few impressions:

Bell's Oktoberfest - an unpasteurized brew with a unique finish!
Lagunitas Sirius - never tasted anything quite like it in a bottle, and apparently they don't want the secret to get too far out... a hi-gravity cream ale. YUM! One of Lagunitas' seasonal beers, I hope we can still find some in stores...
Brooklyn Brown Ale - I don't like all brown ales, as so many of them lean toward the coffee. This one was a pleasant surprise. Reminds me a bit of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale - tasty!
Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale - wow! I really expected it to be TOO hoppy with a name like that, but was pleasantly surprised.
Rogue Double (yes, DOUBLE) Dead Guy Ale- I couldn't find anything about it on the Rogue website, but others were talking... I've always been a Rogue fan, and this is definitely a fun addition to their list of beers.
Brugge White Ale and Triple de Ripple - some friends from Indy met us at my folks over the weekend, and brought up some treats, including a 750 each of three different Brugge Belgian beers. I only tried the white, which I'd had before, and found it to be a nice, refreshing, lounging by the pool beer. The friend who brought these brews his own, and we all agree, we like HIS Belgians better, though.

The most pleasant and fun surprise of the past few days has to be the Beer Cave at the Northside Carry Out in Wabash, IN. Thanks for the tip, Scott! Having grown up in Wabash, I've long known that if I want a decent beer while I'm there, I'd have to bring it from Indy. No longer! Northside now carries quite an outstanding selection of micros and international beers, both warm and cold, that can be mixed and matched to make your own 6 pack! SWEET! The 4 of us collaborated to come up with 6, though now I can't recall exactly what we bought, of course, except the Loose Cannon and the Rogue. Regardless, props to whoever recognized that niche and stepped up!!

Super Bowl Sunday

The Super Bowl wouldn't be the Super Bowl without beer. And beer ads. Lots of beer ads. Mostly for (yawn) Budweiser or Miller beers.

I was thinking perhaps I should try to do something clever, like a New York vs. a Boston beer, but unfortunately, I can't think of any New York beers. I know, I'm sure there are plenty out there, but living on the opposite coast, I just can't think of any! And of course the only Boston beer I can think of is Sam Adams (my husband loves the Sam Adams Black Lager). So sorry, no "beer bowl" at our house.

Instead, we're planning to take a "hodgepodge" of beers to a friend's bowl viewing party, some of which we have yet to try: Sacramento Brewing's Red Horse Ale, Lagunitas' The Hairy Eyeball Ale, and Mendocino Brewing's Imperial IPA winter seasonal. I'll have to report in on the latter two after the game... what are YOU drinking today?

P.S. Being a Colts fan, it is in my DNA to cheer against the Patriots today. Having Little Bro Eli QB against them gives me something to cheer FOR!