Breweries

It’s that dreaded or delightful day again, depending on your perspective, the day that no press release or news story can be taken seriously lest you become an April Fool! (Or, as they say in France, Italy, and Belgium, an April Fish.) Brewers are a funny bunch anyway, and breweries have been having fun with April 1st for many years. It seems like only yesterday, but was really more than a decade ago, that Stone Brewing Co. cooked up its first of many classic pranks, 2002’s “Extreme LemonyLime,” featuring a new “soda-like” malt beverage. Boy, was the internet mad, until everyone figured it out. And we’re actually a little bit upset that this wonderful self-refilling beer can from Canada’s Cask Brewing Systems doesn’t actually exist. It re-brews the beer right in the can! Why can’t we make this happen? And in 2014, Samuel…

The spring equinox came in unremarkably, with little fuss and fanfare and the mild temperatures characteristic of this time of year. Enjoy the mild cloudy weather while you can. Spring in San Diego may come in like a lamb, but it always goes out like a lion. After we get past “May Gray” and “June Gloom,” which is never too difficult to be around to begin with, the famous golden southern California sunshine paints our cliffs and beaches and warms our deserts and mountains. For now, though, it’s the perfect time to sit and watch the flowers bloom. There are some great beers that pair perfectly with the first blush of spring around here! A good floral saison is generally known as a summertime beer, but of course, the rules are a bit different in southern California. Here, it’s quite…

The blustery weather has blown through San Diego, rain has come and gone, and for the first time in a couple of years, flowers are nodding in the breeze. The drought might not be completely over, but this spring is a welcome respite! We think that a little celebration is definitely in order, especially since Easter’s almost here and, as we’ve mentioned before, Easter and beer have quite a lot of history in common. Bavarian monks used to brew beer for Lent, a fast that lasts about a month and a half. The beer, Dopplebock, was brewed to be “liquid bread,” so it was dark and hearty, offered a lot of nutrients, and packed quite a punch – often up to 13 percent alcohol! This probably made the Lenten season, which ends with Easter, a lot easier to bear. Beer,…

Image Source: Flickr user Mark Gstohl Mardi Gras is almost here! This is one of the best times of year to be a lover of food and drink. It’s related to Carnaval, which comes from the phrase “carne vale,” or “farewell to the flesh,” and in the Christian calendar is the time of feasting before the self-deprivation of Lent begins. The Mardi Gras feasting and partying day is also known as Shrove Tuesday, the day that precedes Ash Wednesday. Both days are known as “moveable feast” days, which got their name because their dates move throughout the year in relation to Easter Sunday, which is always held on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox. That’s a mouthful, so to speak. But we love moveable feasts so much that’s what we do! Every…

Today’s the day! Superbowl Sunday always gets people worked up, whether they’re fans of the teams, enjoying the high drama (especially this year), or just watching the Puppy Bowl instead.  Either way, beer and food are integral parts of Superbowl (or Puppy Bowl) Sunday!  We know this, love this, and think everyone should make the most of it. Since salty foods are a big thing for any football game, here’s our tips for enjoying every moment of today: Get bitter! San Diego’s signature Double IPA style is a great match for Superbowl foods.  Salty burgers, fries, and chips and guacamole are all perfect foils for your favorite hoppy brews.  Try Alpine Beer Company’s Exponential Hoppiness for a breathtaking match for your game viewing. Not hoppy enough for you? If you look very, very carefully, you may be able to find…

  Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Saint Patrick's Day is a Christian feast day that is celebrated as a holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland.  It's also a special day in America, and around the world, for members of the Irish Diaspora. Oh, who are we kidding! It's one of the best days of the year for beer lovers. Especially since we now don't have to settle for green beer which, let's face it, isn't anywhere near as good coming up as it is going down.  But now that San Diego is truly a full fledged mecca for beer lovers, with a strong population of Irish people and Irish-Americans to boot, Saint Patty's is way more than just a day to imbibe. It's a day to savor!   Instead of going green this year, why not go red?  Red ales are…

Happy New Year! `Tis the season to look back on the preceding year and make resolutions for the following one.  But, as news story after news story tells us, we’re doing it all wrong by focusing on the negatives instead of the positives. Anyway, as you may already know, we don’t really believe in resolutions around here, because they’re so easy to break – only 23 percent of people who make resolutions keep them!  Instead, we tend to follow the research that indicates good habits are easier to pick up if they’re folded into our everyday lives slowly, over time, and with lots of rewards. However, I suppose in this instance we’re going to make a resolution after all. Really, it’s the same one we always make, and it’s pretty easy to keep. Best of all, our resolution contains its…

The holidays have barreled down on us like a freight train and suddenly, it’s almost 2015.  Are you prepared for the parties and gifts?  How about dinners with family and friends? Prepared or not, there’s very little that can’t be improved with the proper application of delicious wine and beer, so here are some of our suggestions to help you add to your holiday spirit.  Enjoy! First of all – what do your winter holiday plans entail? If you’re looking for last-minute gifts, the following beers are timely and delicious.  If you don’t celebrate (or are just boycotting the holidays this year) we think that the best thing you can do is treat yourself, whether it’s celebratory or “just because.”  The best way to do that, in our opinion, is to sample some of the many legendary San Diego beers…

We love new experiences around here, and we love to share them with you. That’s part of what we do – we go around finding delicious new eats and treats so we can spread the love. We also love San Diego. That’s why we have a big announcement for you. We’ve expanded our horizons with a new tour and a new partner! First things first – our new tour. We’ve had our beer and wine walking, chauffeured, and train tours for years. They’re all part of our eco-friendly commitment to San Diego – we try to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible. We also just love your company! In that spirit, we’re offering a brand-new Beer Tasting Trolley Tour. Hop aboard one of San Diego’s famous historic “moving landmarks,” the San Diego trolley, and enjoy one of San…

It’s almost holiday season. Well, actually, since holiday season starts right after Halloween these days, we guess it IS holiday season! This the time of year that we tell all of you how thankful we are for all of you.  We couldn’t be in this business without you, our fellow beer, wine,nd food aficionados, and all the good things you bring into our lives. We’re also thankful we live in such an amazing corner of the world, where fine, locally-produced food and drink is available everywhere we turn! Since we know you appreciate good meals and drinks just as much as we do, we thought we’d share some tried-and-true suggestions with you to make your Thanksgiving Day as delightful as it can possibly be. First, to the food.  Do you have too much to drink hanging around the house? Is…