Oops!

The guys at Stone Brewing Co. show what a class act they are by coming clean about Mustardgate 2010. Check it out here.

San Diego International Beer Festival

Imagine yourself surrounded by 388 beers from 156 breweries, hailing from 22 different countries. Now imagine yourself holding your own personal tasting cup, with 4 hours to enjoy unlimited 1 ounce samples. Stop imagining, because the event is finally here!

San Diego International Beer Festival
Friday, 4:00-8:00pm
Saturday, 11:00am-3:00pm
Saturday, 4:00-8:00pm
Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm
Del Mar, CA
$43 per session (includes Fair admission), $30 per session if already admitted to the Fair

I will be a table captain at the Saturday afternoon and Sunday sessions, but will definitely find my way to the other side of the tables for a few of my own samples. I'll see you there!

Tap Hunter

Maybe I am a bit behind, but I just found out about one of the coolest beer resources I have ever seen. Check out http://taphunter.com Do you want to know what's on tap at your favorite bar or restaurant? No problem! Do you want to know where your favorite beer is on tap right now? Just search by the name of the beer you are looking for to see where it's available! You can currently search San Diego, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Vancouver. I'm sure new cities will be added regularly, so check back often. The next time you are going out for the night, take all of the guesswork out of the evening by making Tap Hunter your first stop.

Albertsons, for beer?

Yes, Albertsons! Well, actually some Albertsons. I have noticed that Albertsons is getting decent beer at some of their locations. The Lakeside store, for example, has an excellent selection of brews, some of which are rarely seen outside of the best beer retailers. The Imperial Beach store, however, has one of the poorest beer departments I have ever seen. The selection will vary by store, but I have noticed more and more stores adding local as well as imported varieties. Albertsons will never replace your favorite beer shop, but it's worth taking a walk down the beer isle the next time you are picking up a few groceries.

Visit San Diego

Follow this link for a nice blog post about a beer tasting trip to San Diego. This truly is a great beer city!

It must be Friday!

Karl Strauss Whistler Imperial Pils

I just got back from Small Bar in San Diego, and enjoyed Whistler Imperial Pils by Karl Strauss Brewing Co. This is the first time this beer has been available on draught, and it doesn't disappoint! Crisp, dry, and easy to drink, this brew is deceptive in it's lightness as it boasts around 7.5% alcohol. If you miss it at Small Bar, look for it at KNB2, K&B Wine Cellar's 2nd anniversary celebration next weekend in Del Cerro. If you can't find it at your favorite beer bar, ask for it at your local beer retailer. However you can, get your hands on this unique pilsner. Whether you are a fan of the style or not, you'll be glad you did!

Where am I?

Ballast Point featured on Food Network

Ballast Point Brewing Co. is going to be featured next month on the popular Food Network show, Chefs vs. City. Details about the episode can be found here. I am excited to see the chefs traverse San Diego, but more excited to see them stop at one of the city's best breweries. Stay tuned!

Cooking WITH beer

I posted here about cooking with beer, or using beer in your cooking. Now I ask, do you cook WITH beer? What do you drink while you are cooking? Tonight I grilled steaks while enjoying a Karl Strauss Red Trolley. What do you like to drink while you cook?

New English Tasting Room

I posted this back in February about New English Brewing Co. moving into the old Mission Brewery building and starting production. They have finally opened a tasting room on-site. It is located right on the main brewery floor, so you can check out the operation as well. They are open Wednesday through Saturday, 4:00-8:00pm. I look forward to stopping by for a taste or two sometime soon. How about you?

San Diego Beer Week Preview Weekend

It's here! Today officially starts the Preview Weekend festivities. How will you celebrate? Plot your course here. This weekend will wet your whistle for November's 10 day extravaganza. So get out there, have some fun, and be safe!

Brew It Up! Personal Brewery & Grill

Check out this Sacramento establishment here. What a great idea!

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is holding a contest to attend their Beer Camp. The contest runs through July 9th. Click here for all the details. This sounds like a beer lover's dream come true, so enter the contest and tell them why you deserve to go!

MONDAY

Just because it's Monday.

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

I wish the waiters at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse were more versed in the beer. I ate at the Chula Vista location tonight. I asked what style a guest beer was, and got a wrong answer. When I asked again, the waiter actually had to go look at the keg to get me an answer. When I asked for a sample, he said no problem. When he finally came back, he said they could only give samples of "their" beer. Who does that? Not only that, but my calzone was cold in the center and the cheese wasn't even melted. I also didn't get good advice on the dessert I ordered. So much for customer service.

Pizza Port Ocean Beach contest

Are you a fan of Pizza Port? If so, you know that each store features a signature pizza. The Ocean Beach location is now open, but a signature pie has yet to be created. Click here to learn about the contest they are having to come up with an OB original. The winner gets a $100 gift card! The contest ends July 1st, so hurry up, put your thinking cap on, and come up with that winning recipe. If you win, let us know so that we can go try your creation. If you feel extra generous, you can even buy us all a slice!

Weekend Roundup

Short but sweet one this week. I hope you are able to make it to this annual shindig.

13th Annual Real Ale Festival
Friday, 1:00-4:00pm (VIP Session)
Friday, 4:00-11:00pm
Saturday, 11:00am-11:00pm
Carlsbad, CA
$40 for VIP Session, $30 for regular session

Enjoy!

Karl Strauss weekly growler fill special

Do you have a Karl Strauss Brewing Co. growler? If not, go get one! I have some good news that will help you fill it up for the weekends. Each Thursday, via their Facebook page, they will post a code word good for an $8 fill of ANY beer they have on tap the next day. Yes, ANY beer, $8, every Friday! I won't post the weekly code words here, that would be too easy. You'll have to do a little work to get this sweet deal. The first code word has already been posted, so go visit their Facebook page and write it down. Tomorrow, grab the code, grab your growler, and go grab some great craft beer!

The Bruery Announcement

Sweet! Click here to read all about their new endeavor.