Julian Hard Cider

No, it isn't beer, but I felt this new kid on the block deserved some attention. To be honest, I am not a cider fan, although I do enjoy a Berry Burst Cider from BJ's every now and then. Julian Hard Cider, from Julian California, puts out a good, solid product. From the color, to the carbonation, to the taste, this cider is much lighter than I expected it would be. The 6.99% alcohol is easy to put down, but could sneak up on you after a couple of glasses. I got this bottle at South Bay Drugs in Imperial Beach, which I believe is the only place you can buy this outside of Julian. I am all for the local guys, so I recommend you pick up a bottle for yourself and give it a try. Whether you like cider or not, you can't go wrong here.

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!!!

Everyone likes to win something, and this time it's my turn! And what better topic for my 100th post than a story of hard work, determination, perfect timing, and a good friend.

We are a little over a week away from Beach to Brewery Beer + Music Fest, which you can read about here in my post from last month. Karl Strauss has been giving tickets away the last couple of weeks by various means. This week they hid a pair of tickets somewhere in the county, then gave clues as to the whereabouts of the tickets. It was the second clue given that allowed me to figure out the location. The first clue was that the tickets were taped to a San Diego icon that had ties to Karl Strauss. I didn't get much from that one. The second clue stated that the vessel called the New Seaforth was seen passing by the location. That didn't help much either, but I did learn a lot about the boat! The clue also stated the tickets were not on any of the lifeguard towers, as that would have been too obvious. That was what led me down the path to victory. I immediately thought about Tower 10 IPA, which sports a lifeguard tower on the bottle. I wondered if the real clue could be found on a bottle of their beer. I immediately thought of Red Trolley Ale, but couldn't find a trolley location that was close enough to the beach to spot the fishing boat. Next I thought of Windansea Wheat Hefeweizen, which had a picture of the "iconic" beachside shack on it. I KNEW this was the spot I was looking for. I was set to go to the beach the next day on my lunch hour, but rain caused the tickets to be temporarily removed from their hiding place until the weather cleared up. I still took the trip after work just to look around, and in hopes that the tickets had been returned already. That wasn't the case. A Facebook post revealed that the tickets would be put back the following afternoon. Unfortunately, I was not going to be able to go when the tickets would be put back, so I figured I was out of the running for the prize. I did, however, ask several friends if they would be in the area around that time, but nobody was going to be able to go. Again, I sadly gave up hope of securing my "golden" tickets. Two things happened next, both out of my control and completely unbeknownst to me. First, the tickets were returned earlier in the day than they were supposed to be. Second, one of my friends happened to be in the area around the same time, so he stopped in to check on the status of the tickets. They must have been returned just minutes before he arrived! Like I said, hard work, determination, perfect timing, and a good friend!

Thank you, Karl Strauss, for the tickets! And thank you for supporting the Surfrider Foundation with this great annual event. You know I'll be there, will you?

CityBeat Festival of Beers

Do you have plans for this Saturday, May 1st? Where will you be between Noon and 6:00pm? Would you like to be tasting beer from all around the country under the beautiful (hopefully clear, blue, & sunny) San Diego sky? How does 10 tasters for $30 strike you? Thirsty yet? Get all the details here, and look for me on Saturday!

Cooking with beer

Tonight my wife and I are making brats cooked in Stone Ruination and cheese fondue using the same. Needless to say, the smell of the food cooking is amazing! Do you cook with beer? What do you cook? Please, share some recipes!

Stone Oakquinox part 2: The Event

April 18, 2010. A beautiful, sunny day. 112 wood-aged beers. Countless beer fans. What could be better? Stone Oakquinox 2010 was a huge success. The beer was fantastic. The fellowship was great. The chance for a sequel next year? Almost guaranteed! 10 to 15 4 ounce samples almost weren't enough to take in a cross section of all the brewed goodness being offered at this event, but the fact that most of these beers weighed in at 10% alcohol or higher limited the number that could be consumed, even in the more than 9 hours that the event ran. I arrived a little before noon, had a light lunch in the Bistro, then made my way to the garden area to meander my way through the 4 pouring stations that had been set up. Strong ales, sours, and barleywines were all present, and the essence of wood could be found in each. Delicious kettle chips, pretzels, Italian sausage sandwiches, and duck burritos were available to snack on throughout the festivities. All bases were covered, and no "Stone" was left unturned! If you were there, you know. If not, next year you must go. The next time "the celestial union of beer and wood" takes place, I know where I'll be. What about you?

Happy Friday!

Do you have any plans for the weekend that involve beer?

Just chillin'

Relaxing with a Stone Arrogant Bastard is one of life's little pleasures. The only thing better would be a Double Bastard, but who's complaining?

Make Beer, Not War

Check out this sweet bumper sticker from Karl Strauss Brewing Co. I hear tale they will send you one for free if you send them a self addressed stamped envelope. Right on!

World Beer Cup 2010

Press release dated April 10, 2010

"Brewers from six continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup - the world's largest-ever commercial beer competition. The eighth bi-annual competition announced awards to brewers from 19 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Iceland and Japan.

This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories.

The 2010 World Beer Cup eclipsed the record of the Brewers Association's own Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to become the largest commercial competition ever. There were 3,308 entries judged in the 2009 GABF, compared to the 2010 World Beer Cup's 3,330 entries judged."

Click here for a list of 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup winners.

Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits is expanding

Good news for fans of this San Diego favorite!

"We also just broke ground on our new brewery expansion up at Scripps Ranch. Literally, broke into the ground. Behind the brewery sits a three to four foot deep pit which will be filled with concrete this coming Friday. Once that concrete has some time to cure, we will install, plumb, and brew into our 4 brand spanking new 200bbl fermenters. By the time summer rolls around we should be able meet and exceed all the beer demands of a thirsty San Diego. That means Sculpin for all and the possibility of fun new brews!"

A thing of beauty

Beer Pool

Do you like beer? Do you like to swim? If you travel to Starkenberger brewery in Austria you can have the best of both worlds!

"There is a total of seven pools who can accomodated four persons each and they are filled with oddments of the beer production, which are very rich in vitamins and calcium, and warm water. Just let us know your prefered temperature. Those bath are very beneficial for dirty skin, open wounds and psoriasis. Additionally such a bath activates the blood circulation and smoothes your skin. The included hops have a calming impact on body and soul."

This is definitely going on my bucket list!

Beer Benefits

Click here if you don't see the video.


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Beer Vending Machine

Looks like I'm moving overseas.