stout

Oh, hey! It’s nearly July 4th already?  How did this happen so fast?  It feels like just yesterday that we were waiting up to see in the new year, and here it is Independence Day. We love the Fourth of July.  It’s nice and warm, the day is long and punctuated by food and cold drinks, and at the end of it we get fireworks!  Usually, we put up a guide to pairing wines and beers with your barbecue foods, but this time, we’ve scoured the web to find ways for you to work your favorite drinks into your favorite summer recipes. If you’re grilling beef, accompany it with a porter or stout reduction sauce to simultaneously tenderize it and bring out the smoky tanginess of the beer.  Reductions are super easy and really delicious – all it means is…

This man just found out he's not drinking craft beer for Superbowl Sunday. Superbowl Sunday is approaching with the speed of an overcaffeinated runningback and we are ready! How about you? Not ready, you say? Well, with this quick and easy primer, you will be as well.  We're assuming for the purpose of this discussion that you are serving the normal Superbowl Sunday munchies: chips, dips, guacamole, et cetera.  And you don't want to bust out the big beer, and who can blame you?  Try these more nuanced brews on for size. First of all, the best thing to drink with salty, cheesy snacks is a good thirst-quenching beer with a bold and hoppy flavor, like an IPA. San Diego is famous for its IPAs!  Apparently, it's our water.  Or else it's just San Diego's inherent awesomeness. Whatever the reason,…

Thanksgiving is either a day of relaxing and epic feasting, or a nightmare of cooking and making hasty last-minute decisions for a group of ravenous friends and family members. It all depends what side of the cutting board you're on. While we can't help you with the cooking, we can suggest a few wines and beers to pair with your meal to make everything go a little easier for you. We consulted with Stephen Ansley, our resident wine specialist, and did some "independent research" during San Diego Beer Week to find the best brews to sip with your deep-fried turducken! The traditional Thanksgiving meal is especially wonderful, because turkey can be paired with just about everything. If you want a pinot noir, try Cycles Gladiator or an Au Bon Climat from Santa Barbara. The tartness of the pinot cuts through…

Hey baby, it's nearly the Fourth of July.  We love this time of year! The days are at their longest and warmest and everybody is in a party mood for Independence Day.  We prefer the annual San Diego rite of passage of heading out to the beach, where you can barbecue next to the surf, but really, there's fun to be had just about anywhere! We know that you're probably going to have a cookout, so we won't waste our time recommending food.  You know what to do. What we have done, however, is once again sampled some of San Diego's finest in order to help you best pair your favorite local brews with your meals! We'll start off with an oldie, but a goodie – a classic in the vibrant world of San Diego's beer scene: Karl Strauss's Red…

  Let’s say you’re a beer lover trying to figure out what all the fuss is about wine. We recommend going by the beers you love, of course. The good news is, if you're a microbrew fan you're already well on the way to learning to appreciate the nearly-infinite varieties of wines!   If you love ales or lagers: Try dry white wines such as Napa Valley or Sonoma chardonnays, such as the Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay. The dryness and mouthfeel of the wine will provide a tasty and familiar way to quench your thirst on hot days. If you love bitters or IPAs, you're already learned to that astringency is your friend, so sip on a verdicchio.  Tannins should also be a treat for you, so try a bordeaux on for size. If you love stouts: You want more…

Happy Cinco de Mayo! May 5th is a holiday that owes a lot to beer. First and foremost, it’s the day that commemorates the long-shot defeat of well-equipped French forces by the far scrappier Mexican soldiers in 1862, and whether beer was involved at the time is anyone’s guess. Cinco de Mayo, a minor holiday…