Billed as “foreplay before the big day”, Pike‘s 3rd Annual Chocofest is a romantic and educational way to discover the wide variety of chocolate treats from here and around the world. Stations set up throughout the Micro Brewery Museum and Naughty Nelly Room feature different chocolate treats, each presented by … Continue reading
Sad news out of Portland this week: Publican Don Younger, owner of the Horse Brass Pub and one of the most influential figures in the American beer scene for over 30 years (particularly here in Oregon), has passed away. There’s already been a lot of good stuff written about Younger, … Continue reading
You can’t really talk about Barleywines without talking about another San Diego standard: Stone Old Guardian. I first reviewed this back in 2007, and it’s interesting to note that each year’s vintage has a slightly different alcohol content: the 2007 was 11.26%, while this 2010 bottle indicates 11.1%. And the … Continue reading
I drink my fair share of Barleywines, and while not all of them make it online, I’ve amassed a number of reviews over the years. A sweep through past blog entries highlights those that did make it online: Deschutes Mirror Mirror (2005), which I reviewed when I hosted The Session … Continue reading
The beer I’m reviewing today comes from one of the San Diego breweries that is known for the big San Diego-style hopping I’ve talked about before: Green Flash Brewing Barleywine Style Ale. This is a big, nearly 11% ABV beer that hits all the high marks for hopheads and strong … Continue reading
My boss at work found this little gem at a garage sale over the weekend: That’s a Budweiser Millennium Edition collector’s pack: a champagne-style corked bottle of Budweiser along with four nice Pilsner glasses. Still in box, basically untouched. Apparently this was released in 1999, so this is an 11-year-old … Continue reading
Every beer event needs a beer wench, right? However, the insanely creative, distinctly quirky and uniquely exciting events require something more than just your average scantily-clad women serving beer to patrons. These require a personality just as unique and eccentric as the event, one that will not only take part … Continue reading
In the pantheon of Pacific Northwest Barleywines, I consider Full Sail Brewing‘s Old Boardhead to be near the top of the class. First brewed in 1990, the 2010 Reserve edition celebrates its 20th release with a new label (previous labels were distinctive though plain) and two decades of perfecting the … Continue reading
For the past year bourbon barrels and time have been working their magic together deep in the cellar at the Full Sail Brewery. There are absolutely no shortcuts with this beer, as it all has been aging in rich bourbon barrels for twelve months. A 100% commitment to excellence results … Continue reading
February marks the 22nd Anniversary of craft beer in San Diego, and Karl Strauss Brewing Company is celebrating the occasion with a new event and limited release brew. Join the company for its inaugural “Changing of the Barrels” event to be held at the main brewery in Pacific Beach on … Continue reading