Beer #463-534 / Day #81-94: Not Feeling Quite So San Frantastic

Spring Break 2014!
Beer bongs!
Wet T-shirt contests!
Foam parties!

Well, not in our household...
Our son is only 10, so Spring Break actually means our annual family trip.  No beer pong and body shots for us.  It's a time for family-friendly activities & venues.
This year we chose to spend the week in San Francisco and Monterey.  The Wife and I usually hit SF once or twice a year, and spend the majority of the time hitting cool bars and hipster restaurants. This was our first time with The Boy, so we had to rewire our thinking in how we approach the Bay Area. Although we wouldn't spend afternoons loitering at favorite haunts like The Alembic or Toronado, we would be taking in the activities we would never otherwise explore on our own... Cable Cars, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, The Exploratorium, Golden Gate Park.  And while we couldn't exactly barhop on this trip, thankfully our kid is pretty adaptable restaurant-wise... he doesn't have a tantrum if we go somewhere other than McDonald's.  Give the kid a root beer and some fried calamari, and he doesn't care where we are.  Additionally, my Mom and Stepdad met us for a few days as well.  My Stepdad is always a good drinkin' buddy.  The two of us were overjoyed to find out the California Academy Of Sciences carried beer in their commissary.

We had the best time indulging in touristy activity, with a few rest stops at beer-centric destinations. Something for everyone... but mostly me. We planned on a fun week exploring, eating, and drinking our way through The City.  While we wouldn't be loitering at brewpubs or bottle shops (no Mikkeller, no City Beer Store), I'd still find a way to seek out new brews while keeping within the guidelines of all-ages environments.

What I didn't count on was getting sick.

Day Four of our trip and I could barely stand.
Dizzy.  Body aches. Chills.  Fever.
What started out as a surprisingly beer-friendly vacation collapsed into days lying in bed, sleeping and drinking nothing but Vitamin Water.
I tapped out for several days without a beer.  After cruising through the year at a record pace, I was hopelessly derailed.  Whenever I'm sick, the last thing I want to do is drink.  And I spent the rest of the week fluctuating between feeling so-so and crummy.  My beering was minimized.

But there's nothing like an unexpected change in routine to alter your perspective.  This entire year I've been in a mad one-man dash to take advantage of every beer opportunity possible, driven by my love of the brau, just as much as a competitive desire to somehow match or surpass my friends who are also doing a Big Year.  After being handicapped by illness, and a lot of time for quiet reflection lying in bed, I realized on numerous occasions I've broken my own rules, and strived for sheer numbers, rather than enjoying the spoils.  I've spent too much time drinking one beer and thinking about what I can have next, instead of keeping myself in the moment, relishing what I'm having NOW.
I give my kid grief about it all the time.  While we're in the middle of some awesome activity, he always wants to know "What's next?"  I tell him it doesn't matter; what we're doing now is what's important.  But when it comes to beer, I'm that same hyperactive kid.... this tastes great, but what am I having after this, and how many more can I cram down my gullet?  I'm a hypocrite, a slave to my own impatience and gluttony.

In addition to my sickness of the past couple weeks, my Wife just went on Short Term Disability from work, so our income is taking a decent hit.  And what's the most expensive thing we spend money on?  Alcohol!  My days of wanton spending are over. No longer can I go crazy stocking up on limited goodies, and filling the fridge with bombers.  I need to drink smart.  The beering will continue, but I'm using a more economically savvy approach. 

My new mindset for The Big Year is to slow down, and truly enjoy as many beers as humanly possible.  And if that means one per day, then so be it. While I'm still focusing on as many different beers as possible, I'm not going to drive myself crazy obsessing over the quantity I can consume per day.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR NORCAL TRIP:
*Discovering that the California Academy Of Sciences sells beer in their cafeteria.  And they carry good stuff, too!  Nectar Ales, North Coast, Drake's!
*Hitting Firestone Barrelworks on the drive home. This place is like Mecca.  Mandatory for any serious beer drinker.
*Comstock, SF - Newer, hipster restaurant/bar bordering North Beach & Chinatown. Excellent food. Great cocktails, and decent beer list.  Good vibe, good service, and live music is a huge plus. We caught an excellent jazz combo the night we had dinner there.
*Jack's Cannery Bar, SF - Smack dab in the middle of touristy Fisherman's Wharf, this place is wonderfully rough around the edges and offers 68 taps, predominantly local. Cash only.

LOWLIGHTS OF OUR NORCAL TRIP:
*Getting sick and not having any beer for a few days
*Hitting beer #500 while sampling some of my least favorite beers of the year in Monterey.
*Ordering Alioto's House Ale at Alioto's Waterside Cafe at Fisherman's Wharf and finding out later it's actually Speakeasy  Prohibition Ale.  Well, it wasn't too disappointing because it's a very tasty beer, but I already claimed the Speakeasy  Prohibition Ale as Beer #309, so I can't, in good conscience, tally it in my Big Year list.

The tally continues...
Sat 3/22 - First day in SF:

• ANCHOR BREWING ANCHOR STEAM BEER – Beer #463, When in Frisco...
• ANCHOR BREWING ANCHOR IPA – Beer #464, Never knew they had an IPA, not bad, maybe more English style than West Coast style
• ANCHOR BREWING ANCHOR SAISON SPRING ALE – Beer #465, Never knew they had a saison, very tasty, definitely has a West Coast spin, brewed with lemongrass, lemon peel, and ginger
• 21ST AMENDMENT BREWERY BREW FREE! OR DIE IPA – Beer #466, it's an IPA, very good but not necessarily distinct
• SPEAKEASY BIG DADDY IPA – Beer #467, average IPA
• NIMBUS BREWING  OLD MONKEYSHINE – Beer #468, English style ale outta Tucson, some sorta sharp barley bite, are there hops in there? Damn good!!

Sunday 3/23 - SF adventures continue:

• ANCHOR BREWING OLD FOGHORN BARLEYWINE – Beer #469, Never knew they had a barleywine, probably favorite Anchor output
• ANCHOR BREWING BREKLE'S BROWN – Beer #470, Excellent on tap
• ANCHOR BREWING LIBERTY ALE – Beer #471, Eh....
• ANCHOR BREWING ANCHOR PORTER – Beer #472, Good one
• SUDWERK BREWING DRY HOP PALE ALE – Beer #473, Forgot all about this Davis brewery until recently; diggin' it...
• OMMEGANG RARE VOS – Beer #474, available everywhere, great brewery, great beer
• 101 NORTH BREWING HEROINE IPA – Beer #475, out of Petaluma, never heard of it before, REALLY diggin' this IPA
• HERETIC BREWING EVIL COUSIN IPA – Beer #476, tasty brew from the East Coast
• LOST COAST BREWERY GREAT WHITE – Beer #477, Lost Coast has been around since I can remember, and so has this beer which is tragically forgettable
• MOYLAN'S BREWERY KILT LIFTER SCOTTISH STYLE ALE – Beer #478, nutty, mildly fruity, love this brewery
• MARIN BREWING MT. TAM PALE ALE – Beer #479, it's not an IPA? Pretty damn crunchy for a simple pale ale.  Good one.
• PACIFIC BREWING LABORATORY SQUID INK BLACK IPA – Beer #480, this one has been on tap for years at Delarosa, one of our favorite haunts in the historically-douchey Marina district; Chocolate malty goodness
• FACTION BREWING PALE ALE – Beer #481, also on tap at Delarosa, tasting notes say "bitter almond, grapefruit, bread"... that's accurate.  It's a good 'un.
• MOAB BREWERY JOHNNY'S AMERICAN IPA – Beer #482, Utah brewery, comes in a tall boy can.... OK, but not unique.

 Monday 3/24 - Family day at the museum, followed by late lunch on Haight:

• NECTAR ALES HUMBOLDT BROWN HEMP ALE – Beer #483, in the commissary of the California Academy Of Sciences.  Great beer, made even better by the fact I could drink it at the museum.
• NORTH COAST BREWING COMPANY ACME CALIFORNIA PALE ALE – Beer #484, see above. Everyday pale ale, but damn tasty.
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY PEARLY BAKER'S BEST BITTER – Beer #485, shared two flights of six beers each with the Wife, this place has always been crowded when we've tried to get in the past few years.  Finally on a Monday mid-afternoon we were able to get a table and try all of the beers. Great food, friendly service, but sadly I did not love 90% of their beers.  Overall their brews had very mild flavors (maybe I'm just too much of a savage to "get it") and seemed a bit on the watery side.
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY BONNIE LEE'S BEST BITTER – Beer #486
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY BLUE BELL BITTER – Beer #487
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY DARK STAR MILD – Beer #488
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY PROVING GROUND IPA – Beer #489, signature West Coast hop bite, my favorite of all 12.
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY KALIFORNIA KOLSCH – Beer #490
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY WEATHER REPORT WHEAT – Beer #491
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY BIG CYPRESS BROWN – Beer #492
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY NEW SPEEDWAY BITTER – Beer #493
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY COLE PORTER – Beer #494
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY WEEKAPAUG GRUIT – Beer #495
• MAGNOLIA BREWERY SPUD BOY'S IPA – Beer #496
• DESCHUTES BREWERY BLACK BUTTE PORTER – Beer #497, on tap at the Balboa Cafe, tasty nitecap; this place whips up some top of the line cocktails; it's more of their specialty than beer, although they carry Pliny on their bottle list. Clearly they've got some clout.

Tues 3/25 - Wed 3/26:
Sick as a dog... TOTAL BUST!

Thurs 3/27 - Slowly recovering on the way to Monterey

• KONA BREWING LONGBOARD LAGER – Beer #498, average lager, forgettable and not necessary
• ENGLISH ALES BREWERY MONTEREY BAY WHEAT – Beer #499, tried a flight of four English Ales at Cooper's on Cannery Row.  Not a single good one.  Echh.
• ENGLISH ALES BREWERY MONK'S BROWN ALE – Beer #500, least bad of the four, too bad it was my #500 Beer for the year.
• ENGLISH ALES BREWERY BLACK PRINCE PORTER     – Beer #501
• ENGLISH ALES BREWERY DRAGON SLAYER IPA – Beer #502

Fri 3/28 - Feeling better, truly enjoying beer again, but still taking it slow... baby steps:

• STONE BREWING ENJOY BY 04.20.14 IPA – Beer #503, on tap at Cannery Row Brewing Co., a super touristy venue, but the food is very good, great service, impressive tap & bottle list, no complaints, way better than expected.  And yes, this IPA is equally as killer as the rest of the Enjoy By series.
• WYCHWOOD BREWERY HOBGOBLIN – Beer #504, delicious
• DRAKE'S BREWING DENOGGINIZER – Beer #505, yum
• GREEN FLASH BREWING PALATE WRECKER – Beer #506, I maintain my original opinion of this beer that it is not a Palate Wrecker at all... the Green Flash Green Bullet DIPA is way more of a palate wrecker than the Palate Wrecker.  That said, it's still a great brew.  No complaints.
• LAGUNITAS UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION SHUT-DOWN ALE – Beer #507, sippin' a bottle back at our hotel, love it
• ANCHOR BREWING ANCHOR BOCK BEER – Beer #508, OK but I really should have had this one before the Lagunitas... after the richness of Beer #507, this one seems flavorless.

Sat 3/29 - Headed home from vacation, with a stop at the beer world's equivalent of the Holy Land... Firestone Barrelworks... all eight of the beers below are World Class:

• FIRESTONE WALKER LIL OPAL 2013 SAISON – Beer #509
• FIRESTONE WALKER HELLDORADO BLONDE BARLEY WINE – Beer #510
• FIRESTONE WALKER PARABOLA 2014 RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT – Beer #511
• FIRESTONE WALKER SAUCER FULL OF SECRETS BELGIAN STRONG ALE – Beer #512
• FIRESTONE WALKER / MIKKELLER COLLABORATION LIL MIKKEL SAISON – Beer #513
• FIRESTONE WALKER AGRESTIC BELGIAN-AMERICAN WILD RED ALE – Beer #514
• FIRESTONE WALKER FERAL ONE – Beer #515
• FIRESTONE WALKER DDBA NO. 1 2012  – Beer #516

Sunday 3/30 - Back home and tasting at Vendome:

• COLNER HOFBRAU FRUH  FRUH KOLSCH – Beer #517, interesting, mild, refreshing, would be good on a hot day, tastes like a popsicle stick on the back end
• TELEGRAPH BREWING CERVEZA DE FIESTA PILSNER – Beer #518, bottle conditioned, Batch # 108, almost like a tart white wine, but the driest one you've ever had
• FREIGEIST BIERKULTUR PIMOCK HEFEWEIZEN – Beer #519, creamy caramel and saltines
• ALPINE BEER COMPANY ALPINE ALE – Beer #520, solid
• ENGELSZELL BENNO TRAPPISTENBIER – Beer #521, Austrian Trappist ale, honey, nutmeg, a powerhouse
• FREIGEIST BIERKULTUR HOPPEDITZ DOPPEL STICKE ALTBIER – Beer #522, phenomenal, super rich malty goodness
• HAIR OF THE DOG BLUE DOT DOUBLE IPA – Beer #523, always loved this brewery, but also have always been slightly underwhelmed by this DIPA
• ALASKAN BREWING HOPOTHERMIA DOUBLE IPA – Beer #524, good, not as creamy & over the top as most DIPAs
• SAMUEL ADAMS DOUBLE BOCK – Beer #525, Wow, a Sam Adams I really like... finally! Rich without being heavy.
• MANZANITA ALES GILLESPIE BROWN   – Beer #526, Toasty, balanced, well done
• CLOWN SHOES LUCHADOR EN FUEGO MEXICAN STYLE CHOCOLATE STOUT – Beer #527, What a treat! Vanilla, cinnamon mixed with subtle ancho & chipotle chiles... 50 Shades Of Awesome!
• SHMALTZ BREWING HE'BREW FUNKY JEWBELATION (2014) – Beer #528, Barrel aged blend; delicious but surprisingly tart
• BEACHWOOD BREWING MOCHA MACHINE DOUBLE PORTER – Beer #529, growler share courtesy of Harley the Cicerone, the name says it all, straight forward and delicious
• MARIO & DAVID HOMEBREW (SYLMAR, CA) PRE-DYER ST TRIPLE IPA – Beer #530, Met these guys and their friend Brenda at the Vendome tasting; they brought in their homebrew as a bottle share in order to get some outside feedback. To me, it didn't taste like an IPA so much as a Strong Ale... sweet and extremely caramelly.  A very tasty brew, just in the wrong category.  But these guys clearly can crank out top quality brau.

Tues 4/1 - Recovering from a resurgence in my vacation sickness, easing back into beer:

• DRAKE'S BREWING IPA – Beer #531, What needs to be said? Drake's is consistent and flawless.

Wed 4/2 - Cracking open this limited bottle courtesy of Harley at Vendome:

• BEACHWOOD BREWING THRILLSEEKER IPA – Beer #532, Meant to be enjoyed as early as possible, akin to Stone's Enjoy By series; Killer!

Fri 4/4 - Friday nite at home with the family, cracking a few bottles squirreled away from NorCal:

• SANTA CRUZ ALE WORKS DARK NIGHT OATMEAL STOUT – Beer #533, Surprisingly very solid oatmeal stout, not heavy, not watery, evenly balanced and super good; I could totally see this being an everyday staple.
• CALICRAFT BREWING THE CITY IPA – Beer #534, This brewery is new to me, all of their ales names are SF Bay Area focused; Even better than expected, I'd definitely like to try more from Calicraft

Beer #130-153 / Day #24-27: The Biggest Little Beers In The World

My sister-in-law Sarah was celebrating her 40th birthday, and spur of the moment, my wife Camille asked if we could surprise her Sis and show up for her big B-Day bash over the weekend.  The problem is they live 450 miles north of us in Reno, NV.  Then again, Reno has a quickly burgeoning fancy beer scene.  And casinos with $49 rooms.  Oh, and my sis-and-bro-in-law are two of my favorite people in the world, as well.  OK, not much arm-twisting necessary.

Shitty casino with good beer. Who knew?

Friday night we braved a long ass drive, thru 20 degree temps,  near pitch black conditions, and white-knuckled driving, praying not to plow into a stray deer or elk, but we arrived safely in Reno just after midnite, pooped out and ready for booze.  It's a casino town so the libations would be free-flowing & easily accessible at any hour, right?  Especially on a Friday nite!  Um, no.  The first three bars we went to in the casino were closed.  At 12:30am.  WTF?  We finally found the Jade Bar in Harrah's, and I christened my first tap of the weekend with the UINTA BREWING HOP NOTCH IPA - Beer #130, an old favorite, made even more favorable by the fact that it was the first available beer in this shabby casino.  Frankly, I was surprised and impressed that this random bar in a bastion of old school Reno was catering to the craft beer community by offering this brew.  Hmm, maybe this would be promising after all. We headed across the street to the even shabbier Cal-Neva and grabbed an ANCHOR BREWING CALIFORNIA LAGER - Beer #131, a basic but very solid beer, that should raise the bar & represent the new "average" for beers, if there was any justice (or taste) in this world.  We also shared the staple of NorCal hoppiness, the LAGUNITAS BREWING IPA - Beer #132.  In spite of these finds outside of the usual Coors & Bud realm, downtown Reno was freakin' dead!  It's Friday night, yet the only thing missing from this part of town was a cattle skull on the sidewalk, and a stray tumbleweed ambling slowly down the middle of Virginia St. 

Rad beer is a stone's throw from the river

Sarah's party was at 6pm, so we spent the first half of our Saturday exploring downtown Reno on foot.  I'd researched some local breweries in advance, but rather than drive to all of the outlying industrial parks, we opted to hoof it and checkout what Reno hipsters were doing to revitalize this depressed and depressing part of town.  We stumbled upon a fantastic establishment called the Old Granite Street Eatery, with an impressive tap list, and excellent food.  The perfect brunch spot and a great way to kick off our day.  It was 10:30am.  Too early?  Oh hell no.  I started with a sampler of the GREAT BASIN BREWING ICKY IPA - Beer #133, and followed with a full pint of the superb TAHOE MOUNTAIN BREWING LOCAL LAGER - Beer #134, which represents excellence in keeping beer simple.  It's a lager, but there's so much going on in this glass, I spent my time rambling about how tasty it was, rather than chuggin' it for a quick buzz and immediately forgetting it, like 96.8% of lagers on the market.

Breakfast of champions

We walked back towards the river and settled down at the bar of the Wild River Grille.  The bartender was friendly, and willing to accommodate my request to try a few different taps.  I had a sip of Camille's UNDER THE ROSE SAISONBEER - Beer #135, and then went for samples of the RUBY MOUNTAIN BREWING ANGEL CREEK AMBER ALE - Beer #136, BRASSERIE ST. JAMES RED HEADED STRANGER - Beer #137, and the GREAT BASIN BREWING OUTLAW MILK STOUT - Beer #138.  All were great, and the stout was my favorite, but since it wasn't even 12pm, I didn't want anything too heavy to bog me down for the afternoon, so I went for a full pint of the St. James Red... bitter, wheaty, farmy, a real corker... I heart this beer. 

The newest convert.

Next, we crossed the river to check out the Sierra Tap House, a spot run by Sierra Nevada Brewing.  Aside from the picturesque location, I was excited by the kegs available here, several of which are not available in bottles.  There were eight taps, and flights were four glasses, so we got two flights and tried every beer on tap.  Their PALE ALE - Beer #139 has always been so-so in bottles, but I think due to such large production many of their bottles sit in distribution warehouses much longer than they should. When you have a freshly tapped Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, it's like night & day.  This is what it's supposed to taste like.  The TORPEDO EXTRA IPA - Beer #140 was also a winner when freshly tapped.  Their BLONDE ALE - Beer #141 was good, but non-descript; my least favorite of the eight.  We're not huge hefeweizen fans overall, but we both loved the KELLERWEIS - Beer #142, a cloudy, complex, and tasty Hef.  When it warmed up closer to room temperature, their FRENCH STYLE SAISON - Beer #143 was a simple but delicious farmhouse ale.  Our favorite of all eight was the NARWHAL STOUT, which I couldn't count in my Big Year because I already claimed it a few nights prior as Beer #129.  Still this inky, lush stout is the crown jewel in not only their seasonal brews, but all of their brews.  Next was an old favorite I haven't enjoyed for a good year or two, the RUTHLESS RYE - Beer #144, a fantastic rye IPA, and as noted in an earlier posting, I'm a freak for anything rye-related. Last on the tasting docket was the KNIGHTRO STOUT - Beer #145, an Irish style stout with a hint of coffee, on nitro.  The bartender accurately described this creamy, malty offering as "Guinness with flavor".  The Wife has never been the biggest fan of Sierra Nevada, but the opportunity to sample the gamut of brews fresh, and not from 6 month old bottles, made an enormous difference, and converted her into a believer.

In the house of pies and pints

We were 15 beers into our day, and it was only 3pm.  Time for some food.  We grabbed some coffee, and then happened upon Z-Pie, a gourmet pot pie shop with its own offering of local taps. Camille went for a pint of the great Great Basin Icky IPA.  I tried a taster of the BRASSERIE ST. JAMES DAILY WAGES SAISON- Beer #146, which is a good 'un, especially when it warms up, but not nearly as good as the pint I settled on:  The BRASSERIE ST. JAMES JAMISON'S STATION PORTER- Beer #147.  Wow, St. James is for sure on my wish list of beer destinations next time I come to town.  These mother effers know what they're doing.

The Birthday Girl and my Birthday Twin

So, the party's comin' up at 6pm, we'd already spent a good 6-7 hours drinking, and Sarah still didn't know we were coming.  Time to nap, make a pathetic attempt to sober up, and head over to see the Sis.  Needless to say, they were surprised to see us, and I was happy to be with this beautiful family once again.  I got to spend quality time with my other Sis-in-law Amy, numerous cousins, and many newfound friends. My drinking mojo had been fully saturated, and I wanted to remain in a condition to drive since we were going out to see a band, so my only drinking for the next few hours consisted of H2O, and a quick sip of my bro-in-law Rick's ROGUE DEAD GUY ALE - Beer #148.  I seriously don't like to be a hater, but effin' Rogue has yet to make a beer that I truly love.
We spent the rest of the evening at the Peppermill casino seeing an awesome, soulful 11-piece band called The Inciters.  I nursed a few neat rye snifters, eventually danced like the mildly toasted 40-something I am, and had the best evening with my family-in-law.  I love these people. The 16 hours on the road there and back were 1000% worth it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Bostick!

After a long drive home, The Mrs and I shared a perfect bottle of the STONE / 10 BARREL / BLUEJACKET COLLABORATION SUEDE IMPERIAL PORTER - Beer #150, enhanced only by our zillionth viewing of "The Big Year". 

This was my favorite weekend in recent memory, and my only way to continue the good Reno vibes was to bring back 30 or so bottles of brews from their local Total Wine & More store.  They carry a considerable number of beers I can't find in SoCal.  I wrapped up this evening with some seriously excellent brews:  JOSEPH JAMES BREWING HOP BOX - Beer #151, a truly superior Imperial IPA from this brewer outside of Las Vegas, the GREAT BASIN BREWING WILD HORSE ALE - Beer #152, a well crafted amber ale from one of my new favorite breweries in Reno, and finally the SANTA FE BREWING STATE PEN PORTER - Beer #153, one of the best porters I've had in recent memory (aside from Beer #150), from a Southwestern brewery I haven't visited since 2006... all proof that the Old West can hold its own with the newest of hipsters.  That's it, I'm trading in my flannel for a cowboy hat.

Proof that the Old West is the Best