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Photo Courtesy: Flickr user Identity Photogr@phy It’s Friday the 13th. The name of the day alone can inspire a superstitious shiver. There’s even a name for fear of it: paraskevidekatriaphobia. It causes all kinds of issues, because so many people won’t travel, get married, or even leave the house on this date! But really, it’s nothing to be afraid of. First of all, it’s Friday. That in and of itself is a wonderful thing! Second, what’s wrong with poor number 13? It didn’t do anything to anybody. When you dig a little deeper into the origin of just why Friday the 13th is considered unlucky, it becomes extremely interesting. First of all, thirteen has been considered a strange number in many different cultures for centuries, although not necessarily an unlucky one. Historians think this might be because of simple mathematics:…

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…

San Diego Restaurant Week is almost here! It should go without saying that we love San Diego's food scene.  We may be San Diego Beer and Wine Tours, but tasting beer and wine without knowing what foods to pair them with takes at least half the joy out of the whole experience! That's why we always offer food on our beer and wine tours.  When you correctly pair, it brings out nuances and dimensions to your drink – and your food – that you never knew existed. It's like a voyage of discovery with every meal! San Diego's craft beer scene has been extolled and admired as one of the best on the planet for years, and with good reason.  Its wine scene is also gaining attention, too, as more people realize how wonderful it is.  But the food scene…

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…

Spotlight on… Café La Rue! We've been talking about some of our favorite places to get eats as well as drinks lately.  Right now, it's Café La Rue's turn!   Café La Rue is a relatively new place in an old haunt – the bar and bistro reopened last year at La Jolla's historic La Valencia Hotel, which is known as "The Pink Lady," after closing down for a makeover and taking over the space of an iconic bar called The Whaling Bar – traces of which still live on in its décor and some of its drinks. Café La Rue has also updated its menu, favoring simple foods but with a European flair: their dishes include smoked cheddar bratwurst – made with IPA beer cheese – and pork belly confit poutine.  Delicious!  Even their french fries are simple yet superb: they're…

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…