The pain continues...

I just got my monthly Devil's Canyon newsletter which delivered some bad news: they are forced to raise the cost of a pint at Beer Friday to $4 due to the ever rising cost of materials to make the beer. Read the newsletter here.

Even worse, they mention some legislation currently pending in the California assembly that will cause even more pain for the craft brewer's of Cali. Anheuser Busch is pushing a bill that will increase the limit on how much "tchotchke" a brewer can give away to retailers and consumers by 1600%. Think about how many small breweries can afford to give away t-shirts, pint glasses, etc. vs. the budget the big breweries have for such giveaways. Until now there was a pretty low limit, which helped level the playing field, but if big "beer" has their way, that limit will effectively disappear. If you live in California, contact your assemblyperson, especially if they are on the Appropriations Committee (next stop for the bill).

On another note, we finally popped open the bottle of Arbor Brewing's Sour Blonde. Suffice it to say, it does NOT go well with pizza. M and I both thought it tasted too much like hard cider for our tastebuds. Neither of us could finish even a small glass. Oh well, it was worth a shot!

Blue Frogs and Silicon Blondes

We're wrapping up our last full weekend in California, and spent yesterday afternoon volunteering at the Sunset Magazine Celebration Weekend. Luckily most One Brickers got to spend the afternoon pouring beer and wine for the masses. Yay us!

Before we started our shift, M and I decided to sample a couple of beers and discovered Blue Frog Grog & Grill. They were pouring their Big DIPA, which lived up to its name: a big, hearty IPA! YUM! They were nice peeps, too, so pay them a visit next time you pass through Fairfield.

Later in the shift I found myself in the enviable position of "assistant pourer" in the Devil's Canyon booth! It's no secret how much I love their beer, and I'm VERY sad I'll no longer be able to enjoy it on a regular basis. At Sunset, they were pouring Silicon Blonde and Hellraiser Hefeweizen as well as selling their logo pint glasses and t-shirts. Good peeps there too; check out Beer Friday, the last Friday of every month, when they open their doors to the public!

Big Beer Weekend

Sorry it's been awhile.. house hunting, wrapping up a job, all that stuff makes for a big ol' timesuck FAST!

Anyhoo, this should prove to be a big beer weekend for the Beer Chicks. We'll be (of course) at Beer Friday at Devil's Canyon in Belmont, partaking in a few Scotch Ales, I imagine. Then on Saturday is the big daddy: The San Francisco International Beer Festival. We'll be volunteering at the festival through One Brick, and plan to enjoy many tasty brews at the volunteer after party! I just read on the beerfest website that they are releasing 100 additional tickets on Friday the 25th, first come first served, so if you don't have a ticket and you aren't volunteering, get your booty to Fort Mason tomorrow afternoon. I hope to taste test some new brews!

Speaking of new brews, I tried one earlier this week at a birthday party: Blue Moon's Honey Moon Summer Ale. Strike One: I didn't know that Coors was responsible for Blue Moon. I like Blue Moon, though it is generally too light for my tastebuds, but for a refreshing bit of light, it's quite tasty. In reading the box (someone brought a 12 pack), we all agreed that the fact that Honey Moon is actually brewed in Canada was a redeeming factor. However.... strike two: for a beer that claims to be brewed with orange and honey, I have to confess, I didn't taste even a hint of orange. It certainly had a honey taste, but zero citrus. Strike three didn't come until I read the review I linked above, though to be fair, I can't consider it a strike since I really didn't notice it at the time. Apparently it is terribly fizzy. Since I drank it straight from the bottle instead of pouring it into a glass, the carbonation wasn't as apparent. So my verdict: it was fine for a "party beer", but it isn't something I would buy for myself.

GOSH! I almost forgot about Ashley's- we DID get to pay a too short visit while I was in AA. Review coming soon!

Beer Friday!

Another successful Beer Friday is now one for the books, with a very fun crew visiting the good peeps at Devil's Canyon Brewing in Belmont. Devil's Canyon is located in an industrial area with no fancy pub or anything, and the last Friday of the month they open their doors to those who enjoy a good brew in a casual environment. They bring in a band or 2, offer some BBQ for those who get hungry, and tap a few kegs of the many different beers that they brew. Last night they offered Silicon Blonde, Full Boar Scotch Ale, Lager Diabla, California Sunshine, Deadicated Amber, Hades Habanero, a Stout and an IPA that I didn't catch the name of, and of course, housemade rootbeer!

I personally sampled the Scotch Ale, IPA and Amber. The Full Boar Scotch Ale has won numerous awards for good reason! It's malty, balanced and "filling" with a beautiful caramel color and an almost smoky finish. Definitely one of the better Scotch Ales I've tasted! The IPA was a classic India Pale Ale - hoppy with a deep golden color, not to be trifled with. Heck, after those two "heavier" beers, I had to switch to the lighter Amber or fall over that fine line into silly. (thank goodness I had a driver!)

Perhaps we can persuade some of last night's crew to offer their opinions on the other offered beers? Anyone? Anyone?

Two great things that taste great together

Volunteering and beer. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like cheese and crackers. Seriously!

I'm involved with this fantastic non-profit, volunteer run organization called One Brick and last night, after a couple hours of bagging groceries (a much better workout than you might think!), I was sooooooo ready for a nice cold beer. After every event, we adjourn to a nearby restaurant or pub for some grub and libation, and last night we visited the Firehouse Grill and Brewery. I hadn't been there since the place first opened, and hadn't been particularly impressed on that visit, but figured hey, it's a brewpub, and I'm famished! I had their Red Ale and have to say, it was quite delish! It had a little spicy flava and went with my BBQ pork pizza nicely. Cheers!

Coming up on Friday, not only is it leap day, it's also BEER FRIDAY! We heart Devil's Canyon, but watch out for that Habanero Brew- it's not for the weak.

Here's your "duh" moment for the day: chicks do dig beer and finally somebody recognizes! Thank you, Mr. Beaumont- spread the word!!