Tours

Father’s Day has arrived. It’s a great day to take your dad (or any dad in your life) out for a pint and tell him how much you appreciate him.  You know that, of course, and maybe you’re already doing that. But what if you want to take it to the next level, and give your…

You may have noticed if you’ve seen us on Facebook lately that we have a new name: San Diego Beer, Wine, and Spirits Tours! There’s a reason for that, in case you’re wondering.  We’ve decided to expand our horizons!  Now instead of just offering our award-winning beer, wine, and food tours, we’ve opened another drinks…

Happy Mother’s Day! Here at San Diego Beer and Wine Tours, we love our mothers (and your mothers, too).  Everybody has one or two, whether it’s your biological mom or someone who filled that role.  We honor you, mothers and people who love them! Mother’s Day started out as an attempt to reduce deaths due…

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Today’s the traditional day to celebrate your Irish roots (real or imagined) alongside hundreds of thousands of Irish and Irish-at-heart who are doing the same.  Today started out as a religious celebration (and a celebration of Ireland itself) but got exported to the United States, where it became a big, drunken holiday and…

Bon soir, mes amis!  It’s almost time for one of our favorite days, Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras (same thing, but French.) The holiday is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which signifies the beginning of Lent; that means it’s a great excuse to party. You don’t need to be in New Orleans…

Restaurant Week has arrived! It’s one of San Diego’s best events, now in its twelfth year: all over the county, restaurants of every stripe participate in prix-fixe menus and specials. That means that if you like to eat well (and who doesn’t?) you can not only get some of the best value for your dollar…

If you’re in San Diego, you probably have noticed the fact that it is raining.  Not just any rain, either — it’s a true-blue El Niño, one storm after another lined merrily up to dump some long-overdue moisture on our parched and cracking soil. While the rain is undeniably good for everyone in the region, it can put a damper (pun intended) on outdoor activities.   The animals are almost all in hiding at the San Diego Zoo, walking around Sea World is a chore, and hiking up a steep and muddy hill?  Forget about it. But, of course, that’s what we are here for.  Whether you’re visiting or you live here, we have delightful and delicious ideas for your activities, all of which, of course, involve wonderful wines, lip-smackingly delicious beers, and some of the best food you’ve ever had…

The season has begun! We’re not talking about springtime, although that came in last month with scattered showers and even a hint of some May flowers.  We’re not talking about sports, although there are various events and seasons going on there, too. No, what we’re  talking about is that most important of seasons in southern California: that of the craft beer festival.  It kicked off this year with the acclaimed Citybeat Festival of Beers, an afternoon fair that offered music and food as well as local beer that ranged from the mainstream to the obscure. Starting May 1st, and continuing through the 3rd, Temecula is hosting its annual Southern California Homebrewers’ Festival at Vail Lake. It ran into some problems last year because of legislative issues, but this year it’s going strong and promises to be a fun time, so…

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…

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…