Beer

It's Labor Day! If we lived anywhere but this absolutely beautiful part of the world, this would be the unofficial end of summer and beginning of fall. But since we're in southern California, the march of the seasons are a good deal more subtle. However, this is a great time to start planning outdoor barbecues and backyard parties with friends, and we're all for that! Labor Day is actually a day to celebrate the rights and achievements of workers, long pressed tightly under the thumb of the manufacturing industry. After the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked more than 80 hours a week, with no days off, simply to put food on the table, and children as young as 5 were already working in the mines. Labor unionized and revolted, organizing strikes and rallies. On September 5th, 1882, thousands of…

International Beer Day is almost here! The worldwide celebration is going on anywhere there's beer, all over the word. We'd be thrilled to not only help you celebrate it, but also perhaps introduce you to some brews you might not have known exist. There's so many wonderful beers in the world to choose from! San Diego Beer and Wine Tours will take you to the best local breweries to celebrate this special day (and all year round!). Think globally, drink locally! International Beer Day is nothing to sneeze at, either. The party, which takes place every first Friday in August, was first celebrated in 2008, and the idea, like all great ideas, quickly spread. Now, International Beer Day is celebrated in at least 50 countries and 207 cities, all over the world! San Diego has one of the best beer…

The second Sunday in August is a very special day. As of 2010, it’s been “Spirit of `45 Day.” It was passed unanimously by Congress, and the first Spirit of `45 Day fell on August 14th, the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. Spirit of `45 Day was created first and foremost to commemorate the ordinary people who lived through the Second World War and the mettle shown by surviving members of the Greatest Generation as they rebuilt the United States after the end of the war.  Another, very important reason was to remind the world that the United States is committed to never allowing a world war to happen again.. We, too, would like to honor these ordinary heroes, the men and women of World War II, so in the Spirit of `45, we are offering…

Happy Independence Day! Today's the day the United States formally declared its independence from Great Britain, way back in 1776.  Fourth of July celebrations include displaying the American flag, parades, and fireworks, not to mention the all-important barbecues. All of those are wonderful, but we’d like to suggest a slightly different way of celebrating this great day. If you are thinking, “Hmmm, we bet this involves beer,” you’d be absolutely right.  Here’s our idea for a patriotic afternoon of leisurely local craft beer sippin’: Green Flash Hop Head Red (1 bottle) Avery Brewing Company’s White Rascal (1 bottle) Repeat as necessary.  The red ale and white beer represent, of course, the red and white stripes of our great nation’s flag.  But what about the blue? we can hear you asking now.  That took some special legwork, and you have to go…

Did you know that June is San Diego Craft Beer Month?   Yes, we know it's almost over. We have been out sampling all the delights San Diego's beer scene has to offer! But if you've missed it so far, don't worry.  There's still a solid week of events left, and plenty of beer to go around.  Here's a smattering of them. If you like beer flights – and who doesn't? – stop by Carnita's Snack Shack in North Park. Their tastings are $7 per flight, every night, and always local beers.  And they're all delicious!  Try some of their food, too. Modern Times Brewery is dropping a new beer this week, just ahead of its first anniversary party next month.  What a year it's been for them! If you haven't tried out their beer before, now's the time. No,…

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.” –Oberon, A Midsummer Night's Dream   Happy Midsummer! This is the shortest night and the longest day in the northern hemisphere.  While it's not cooling down any time soon, this is the end of the lengthening days, and it is a slow march to winter from here on out. Astronomically speaking, this is the beginning of summer and precursor to the hot Dog Days.   In many European traditions, this is the night to burn bonfires and pluck golden flowers to keep evil spirits from your doorstep for the rest of the year.   It is also traditionally thought to be the night of the year that magic is strongest, so watch out!…

We're not gonna lie – Earth Day is one of our favorite days of the year around here. Since our inception, we've been all about saving the planet.  Just check out some of the information on our carbon-footprint-reducing train tours and our emphasis on buying local! By the way, if you're a beer and wine nut, one of the best things you can do is buy locally.  It's not just that you'll get better beer and wine, even though you will, or feel more connected to the local environment while you sip, even though you are.  No, the best reasons to drink locally is twofold: first, you're supporting our vibrant Californian wine and beer culture and keeping local jobs coming, and second – and this is a biggie –  by directly supporting all the local brews, you're reducing the enormous,…

Easter has a very special place in our hearts around here. For one thing, we love making the usual jokes about how beer lovers always have a “hoppy Easter,” but for another thing, the history of Easter is in many ways the history of beer. It all started during the ancient pre-Christian times, when Ishtar was the Babylonian goddess who represented the dawn and the springtime. Say her name out loud, and you'll hear how easily it became the word Easter. During the spring festivals, worshipers said, the sun would hop for joy as it rose in the sky. Water drawn during this time was said to be especially healing, too. And the goddesses of spring and fertility in nearly every culture eventually became goddesses of the fields and agriculture; as beer is the reason for agriculture (and actually for…

There's no such thing as a perfect child. Admit it – you were a brat growing up just like all the rest of us. Do you see those grey hairs on your mom? Those are your fault, every single last one of them. That time you came home three hours late without calling? The time you got under the sink and tried to eat Drano? How about the time you brought home that really inappropriate “friend” in high school? Oh, we know. We've all been there. At this point, the only appropriate question is, “How can I make this up to my mom?” The answer is simple: with wine. That's why we at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours have put together a wonderful Mother's Day gift to help you apologize for all those months as a kid you spent…

Today is April Fool's Day, also called “The Worst Day on the Internet.” In an age where just about anything can go viral, and gullibility is compounded by clickbait, it's best not to trust anything for the next 24 hours or so. We promise to not be part of this trend. We, instead, embrace an original rite of spring, the "renewal festival," which occurred in many cultures throughout the world and were characterized by lighthearted pranks and a temporary reversal of the accepted social order. (Yes, we know that the whole mockery mess supposedly began when France shifted from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian one somewhere in the 16th century, thereby switching the New Year to January 1st instead of April, but we prefer the friendlier origin story.) So, we are taking this opportunity to announce that we are…