Adrift in Beer Week

 

Blind double and triple IPA tasting at Boneshaker Pub (Image by Matt Doyle)
 
Sacramento Beer Week kicked off on Friday, and since then our region has played host to plenty of fun and real social contact in the name of beer. Fests, happy hours, tap takeovers, brunches, dinners and exclusive tastings – it has all been happening and there is more to come.

Some great local breweries have been featured and new collaborative brews released. The Knee Deep in Beer Week Track 7 collaboration, a really great Belgian double IPA, was both fresh and rich. Try it at Track 7 while it lasts, at Final Gravity on Thursday or at Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Friday.

Remember that author and brewing scientist Dr. Charlie Bamforth of the University of California, Davis, will be at New Helvetia tonight. The event is $30 at the door and includes up to six 10-ounce pours. If you prefer, learn to cook with beer at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op from 6 to 9 p.m.

Also tonight, The Davis Beer Shoppe will turn all its taps over to IPAs – 90 percent of which will be limited-release. Sure to be fantastic. Plus, when else do you get to try Sculpin on nitro? It’s rare to see an IPA of this kind of tap, but Sculpin’s balanced profile looks to be a very good fit.

Track 7 Brewing Co. (image by Patricia Willers)

If you missed the sold-out Mikuni and 21st Amendment dinner on Saturday, try Mikuni again Tuesday throughout the region. In Davis, Mikuni will feature Green Flash’s 5th Anniversary Double IPA. If you’re closer to Mikuni Roseville, stop in to try Rhizing Bines, an imperial IPA brewed by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. This beer is part of its Life & Limb collaboration series.

On any given night, if your group is fading but simply must continue on, head to 3 Fires Lounge at 15th and L for a Sierra, a pulled pork slider and garlic fries for $5 all beer week long. Other things to watch out for include Oskar Blues taps at Blackbird Kitchen & Bar, Pliny the Younger at Burgers & Brew (Sacramento and Davis) and Track 7’s Port Barrel Aged Dubbel.

Wednesday night at Magpie there will be a Drake’s tap takeover. Flights? Check. Hopocalypse, its wonderful and limited seasonal double IPA? Check. Hopocalypse Black Label Triple IPA? Go and find out.
There are, in fact, plenty of stops to help you make it through hump day. Barwest will be pouring Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA and Birra Etrusa, an herbal beer brewed as part of its Ancient Ales series. The Band of Gypsies collaboration will be at Flaming Grill on Wednesday as well.

Chimay is just $6 on Thursday at Zocalo, which sounds like the perfect opportunity for a mid-beer week date night. The Bruery, hailing from Southern California, will be featured at Pangaea Two Brews Cafe. The 750-milliliter bottles are perfect to share with an intimate group of beer-loving friends. If your friends are wine lovers and beer skeptics, this is a perfect gateway event. Thursday evening, don’t forget the tasting at the California Automobile Museum from 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday things will really pick up again. The Davis Beer Shoppe will go all barrel-aged, and Lagunitas founder Tony Magee will be making music at The Torch Club at 5:30 during happy hour. The Shack will host Coronado Brewing Company and the Whole Foods Folsom Bier Garten will be having a Grand Teton Tap Takeover.

Don't forget to get your tickets for the Capital Beerfest, with or without food, before Saturday rolls around. This is your best chance to try any and all beers you missed throughout the week, not to mention tasting and sharing some new favorites discovered during beer week. For a nice breakfast before the beerfest, start your Saturday at a Bluegrass Brunch at Hoppy Brewing. 

If you didn't get out this weekend, be not afraid, there are still enough days and events to go. Take a look below to see just a taste and a sip of what went on this past weekend.

 

Image by Patricia Willers

 

Boneshaker Pub in Rocklin, Calif. (Image by: Matt Doyle)

 

 

Bicycle parking at Roseville Brewing Company (Image by: Matt Doyle)

 

 

Roseville Brewing Company released a new brew - a wild brown - for their first anniversary party. (Image by: Patricia Willers)

 

 

Homebrewers like those in the Placer Ultimate Brewing Society brewing up a scotch ale at The Brewmeister in Roseville, Calif. (Image by: Patricia Willers)

 

 

  Loomis Basin Porter, cookies and SBW events - a nice afternoon at Final Gravity in Roseville, Calif. (Image by: Patricia Willers)

 

 

Dusk at Track 7 Brewing Co. (Image by: Matt Doyle)

 

 

Fun, friends and family at Track 7 (Image by: Patricia Willers)

 

 

An amazing 3-course Belgian beer and cheese pairing at Blackbird Kitchen & Bar (Image by: Matt Doyle)

 

Originally published at http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/79841/Adrift_in_Beer_Week on February 25, 2013.

Navigating Sacramento Beer Week 2013

Capital Beerfest 2012 (image by Matt Doyle)

Capital Beerfest 2011 (image by Patricia Willers)

 There is no more exciting time in the Sacramento craft beer scene than right now, a mere five days before Sacramento Beer Week. Starting Friday, SBW will consume bars, restaurants, breweries and tap rooms in the area and bring in new SBW brews, rare treats and more. The fourth annual week of fun will continue until March 3, when the week will conclude with a delicious brunch after a full Saturday at the Capital Beerfest on March 2 at Cal Expo. Come from noon to 5 p.m. for beer and food tasting and 2 to 5 p.m. for beer tasting only. Tickets are $75 and $45, respectively.

Like last year, the number of events scheduled on the official SBW calendar is in the hundreds and continuing to grow. Who could have imagined just four short years ago that the beer scene in Sacramento could have grown to such a tremendous level – with so many breweries, bars and local brews to be proud of.

As always, the tough part is deciding which events to choose, which beers to try and how exactly to make the most of what SBW has to offer. While there will be no shortage of hopportunities this year, there are a couple of key terms that you should certainly keep your eye on, specifically, tap takeovers and vertical tastings.

A vertical tasting is a tasting that includes several of the same beer from different years – vintages, you might say. This allows a beer enthusiast to experience, in one sitting, how a beer evolves over time by tasting multiple vintages in succession. Rubicon's Old Stock Ale vertical tasting is already inked in on my calendar for Wednesday. They will be pouring North Coast Brewing Co.'s Old Stock Ale from ‘04, ‘06, ‘08, ‘10 and ‘12.  Along with cheese, charcuterie and grapes – it is simply not to be missed. Vertical tastings typically include dark, rich and barrel-aged beers. A high-ABV doesn’t hurt either.

If you are a newborn hophead and don’t see any vertical tastings to your liking, be understanding rather than disappointed. IPAs, and especially double and imperial IPAs, are best served fresh – very fresh. A year-old imperial IPA would be a waste; hop aromatics just don’t last. There’s a reason Pliny the Younger is only available two weeks a year.

A tap takeover is when a proprietor changes all their taps to one brewery or type of brew. This type of event is especially prevalent this beer week. What’s great about a tap takeover is that the brewery comes to you – or better yet, to your favorite local watering hole. Worthwhile tap takeovers include Green Flash at the Pourhouse, Deschutes Night at Hot City Pizza, Ruhstaller at Old Soul at The Weatherstone, or for those feeling like a night of luxury, Allagash Brewing Company at Pangaea Two Brews Café.

 

  The 2012 Capital Beerfest (Image by: Matt Doyle)

 
Be Beer Curious 

Knowledge will be in plentiful supply this beer week, so be sure to get out and chat. Ask Dr. Charlie Bamforth of the University of California, Davis questions at New Helvetia Brewing Co., watch a brewing demonstration at The Brewmeister in Roseville or attend a class on tasting and describing at Pyramid with David Teckam, a Grand Master III level judge (Beer Judge Certification Program).

Hotspots

Each year there seems to be one brewery or establishment that really shines. Last year, Ruhstaller was everywhere, and in 2011 Lagunitas was the star. So far this year it looks like Rubicon Brewing Company has snatched that title. They will host some quite notable events – let’s just hope their aesthetically perfect patio has enough space available. Their events are varied, but each shines in a special way. Firkins kick it all off on Friday, followed by Craft in a Can Fest on Sunday. On Monday, hopheads and Deadheads unite while Vincent Sterne spins some Grateful Dead at the release of a collaboration with Two Rivers Cider.

On the food front, brunches will be held at The Shack, Low Brau and The Porch. They all look so delicious that it is impossible to even make recommendations. Beer dinners are more than plentiful as well, although you should be sure to get tickets early because they tend to fill up. The Oskar Blues Beer Pairing dinner at The Porch on Friday, March 1 is just one mouthwatering possibility.

Gubna. Enough said.

 

  A beer enthusiast celebrates his love hops and malt at the Capital Beerfest in 2011. (Image by: Matt Doyle)
 
Support your local breweries at River City Brewing Company’s kickoff event on Friday, where they will be pouring beers from seven local breweries. You’ll get even more local taste at Final Gravity’s Local Brewery Total Tap Takeover the next day.

Besides the giant, 90-brewery Capital Beerfest, the 2nd annual Sour Fest at Hot City Pizza and Funkfest at Samuel Horne's Tavern in Folsom are both worth checking out.

Every single day more events show up on the SBW calendar, so don’t rule anyone out. Join the SBW mailing list or follow them on Twitter to stay informed.

Do it up right for nine days, making sure to take advantage of the aged, the new, the rare and the paired. Morant’s Sausages are just the beginning, and that’s saying something.

If it seems like it’s all too much, Extreme Pizza is having its own brewery tour. Reserve a spot on the bus and see three or four great local breweries in one day.

The Sacramento Beer Writer will now be posting columns on The Sacramento Press site twice a month – the date varying depending on the events in the spotlight and whether I am at home and free for the typing or out on the town at an unbeatable event. Check back for beer week coverage and return next month for advice on how to survive your beer week hangover. You can sign up to have the Beer Writer delivered directly to your inbox.
Enjoy!

Originally published at http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/78619/Navigating_Sacramento_Beer_Week_2013 on February 18, 2013.

The Art of Beer kicks off California Craft Beer Month

The second annual Art of Beer brought together great craft brews and art at the Fusion International Arts Center on Friday night. The event highlighted the more artistic aspects of beer – the fermentation tanks, the wort and simply the love of beer.

This year 24 breweries were present, some of them serving up to five types of beer to the 500 guests present. Absolutely delicious bites were everywhere – as long as you came early. Tuli Bistro and Roxie Deli, in particular, were very nearly attacked each time a plate of sandwiches, apps or pizza was set out.

 

  Image by: Ron Nabity

  The art on display ranged from crystal clear pictures of the brewing process by Rawi Nanakul to a piece by Eli Trujillo illustrating the undeniable draw of Pliny the Elder. Supporters of the event – both sponsors and attendees – helped Ales for Autism and Stanford Youth Solutions, both tremendous organizations that certainly know who to put first. Ales for Autism has another big event coming up Feb. 15, the Black & White Beer Ball in Santa Rosa, Calif. The next big thing for Stanford Youth Solutions is Vintage 2013 on April 25.

 

@theend by Eli Trujillo (Image by: Art of Beer) 

The Barrelworks Lounge, occupied by Firestone Walker, was a great spot off to the side to grab a table and chat with friends – new or old. Nearby, 21st Amendment Brewery had its own lounge. The area was handsomely arranged and festooned in 1930s décor. An exhibit illustrating the creative process for the brewery’s distinctive labels and boxes adorned the wall. While most mingled the evening away, the unique lounges provided a place to sit for a minute out of the path of the crowd of buzzing attendees.

Near the front stage where a silent auction took place for much of the night, Sierra Nevada was serving up the newly introduced Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums, a top pick of the evening.

North Coast Brewing Co. always brings their best for dark beer lovers. They poured Brother Thelonious and Old Rasputin. Anderson Valley was another essential stop. They were pouring Brother David’s Triple. They also have something new on their beer list, a Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout. Mad River Brewing Co. had great taps as well.

For the cider lovers out there, Two Rivers Cider Co. had two on tap, a Dry Macintosh Cider and a Blood Orange cider. The latter had a pink tinge that brought a little extra excitement to the glassware circulating the room.

Cypress Grove Chevre had cheese on hand for tasting, and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and The Pasta Queen had lines all night and the supplies to keep the people snacking. The porcini and truffle egg ravioli, topped with blue cheese fredo sauce and roasted hazelnuts was enough to warrant a virtual shopping trip to their site. They paired the dish with Berryessa Brewing Co.’s Belgo Dark – just imagine.

To really make the most of the night, it was best to alternate beers and chatting up brewers with talks with the artists in the room. Shannon Jane Morgan of Girl Glass Studio, paired with Track 7, had plans for an Art of Beer Glass class. Participants will be making their own beer glass and later, Morgan will buy them their first beer.

Track 7 paired up with Knee Deep Brewing Co. and created a fresh, citrusy double IPA for beer week that attendees got a chance to taste. At 100 IBUs and 9.7 percent ABV, this one’s going to be sought after during beer week. Another stop for IPA lovers was Rubicon, where they were pouring Hopsauce.

 

  Track 7 had a great double IPA on tap. (Image by: Ron Nabity)

 
Sustainability was a key word at The Art of Beer this year. Almanac Beer Co. poured “Farm to Bottle Beer” and Sierra Nevada handed out pamphlets highlighting their sustainable practices in all areas.
Magnolia Pub and Brewery, which has five casks on tap and makes a commitment to the slow food movement, seems like a great place to stop during San Francisco Beer Week, coming up next week.

 

Sustainability has become a buzzword among regional breweries. (Image by: Ron Nabity)
 
Sacramento’s Digital Town Square Forum was present for the event as well. You can replay the evening’s discussion, “The Art of Beer… and ZOMBIES!” online.

It was great to see so many breweries, artists and restaurants come together with local establishments like Brew Ferment Distill (BFD), Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. and Sacramento365, among many others, to put on such an enjoyable and worthwhile event.

This year, The Art of Beer served as the kickoff for the first ever California Craft Beer Month. Judging by the enormous crowd, we should continue to expect more from this event for our annual fix of art, music, discussion, goodwill and beer. With so much creativity on their side, it’s clear that this event will just keep getting better.

 

  Old Hangtown's Ale Camino (Image by: Ron Nabity)

Originally published at http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/79180/The_Art_of_Beer_kicks_off_California_Craft_Beer_Month on February 3, 2013.

The finest of beer proprietors

 

The Davis Beer Shoppe
(Image by: Anthony Caer)

 

Friday evening, Feb. 1, the Art of Beer marked the start of what might be called beer season in the Sacramento area, and where better to get warmed up for the season than the bottle shops and tap rooms in the area. Taylor Ramos of The Davis Beer Shoppe and Capitol Beer and Tap Room’s Ken Hotchkiss weighed in on the beer scene and Sacramento Beer Week, coming up Feb. 22 through March 3.

Before it all gets started, it might be advantageous to take a look at the last few years, and notice and appreciate how far the beer scene has come and just how richly it has developed. To name a few, New Helvetia Brewing Co., Ruhstaller, Track 7, Berryessa Brewing Co., Black Dragon Brewing Company, Loomis Basin Brewing Company and Roseville Brewing Company have all been established in the last two years, as well as the two aforementioned beer shops. Pangaea Two Brews Café is just slightly older, and even still, their bottle shop is just 18 months old.

In the last few years, we’ve seen cans take craft brewing by storm, and we’ve seen the word, “imperial,” come back into style big time. IPAs - India Pale Ales - went from specialty to loved by all, thanks to breweries such as Lagunitas and Sierra Nevada, and now there’s no limit to what an IPA can be – black, Belgian, wheat, white, double, triple or imperial. Thank goodness we have mentors like Hotchkiss and Ramos to lead us on.

Bottle shops that double as tasting rooms – or better yet, cozy bars – are a tremendous way to get to know an almost unlimited number of beers. This is great for both seasoned craft beer aficionados and those new to the scene.

 

  The Davis Beer Shoppe, bottle cap art by Dan Boland (Image by: Anthony Caer)
 
The problem for some, though, is getting started. Both men had some advice to offer.

“If people don’t like beer, there are a lot of odd-style beers,” began Ramos. He said that many people who are new to craft beer find a path in through one of the more unique styles – especially if they are wine or cider drinkers. Sour beers are becoming more and more popular, and in addition, wheat beers, American wheats and Belgian wits are all good places to start, he explained.

For those who aren’t new to the scene, Ramos spoke of a few favorites, one of which was Berryessa Brewing Co.’s Imperial IPA – a local brew that is 10.5 percent ABV, super fruity and balanced. Most unfortunately, the keg of this particular gem that was tapped Monday at the Beer Shoppe is already out, so it could be a challenge to find more.

 

  The Davis Beer Shoppe (Image by: Anthony Caer)
 
Hotchkiss himself admitted to being a hophead, although he also stated that he liked about everything. He was very hesitant to give names, perhaps saddened at the thought of letting anything fall by the wayside.
Both shops do their best to work with local and regional brewers. Berryessa Brewing Co., Sutter Buttes Brewing, Hoppy Brewing and Auburn Alehouse, among others, have all seen time on the taps.

“We do try to support all those local guys,” Hotchkiss said. The Capitol Beer and Tap Room has only been open for six months, but it seems that Hotchkiss has put in his time getting to know others in the field. Track 7, Knee Deep Brewing Co. and a new regional beer publication on the scene, Hops to Table, were mentioned frequently during the interview.

Another new development in the craft beer industry is that beers are now being purchased like quality wines - packaged similarly in larger bottles for sharing and priced into the double digits.

Amongst discussion of current trends, Ramos made a case for yet another development in the industry. He explained that people are now beginning to appreciate small beers, in other words, table beer that is low in alcohol.

“They don’t necessarily associate alcohol content with value,” Ramos said, explaining the change.
“There’s definitely a market emerging for consumers that don’t want to be drunk.”

Whether you prefer small beers or perhaps one large, strong, hoppy one, beer week will surely fulfill your needs. Both shops will be taking part in grand ways.

 

Capitol Beer and Tap Room (Image by: Patricia Willers)

 
The Capitol Beer and Tap Room will have events every night of the week, teaming up with Tokyo Fro’s for many of them. The events start Friday night with a Speakeasy night, followed by a night chock full of brews from Humboldt County. Sunday is when it really gets going. 21st Amendment will be the brewery of choice, but that’s not even the best part – they are hosting a homebrew competition complete with local brewers and beer experts as judges. The winner of the competition will brew their beer at the 21st Amendment Brewery facilities and eventually have it tapped at the Capitol Beer and Tap Room. Unfortunately, most of the participants have already been invited, though you may be able to squeak in if you have a strong enough case.

Beer week will continue at the Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Tuesday with Colorado Brewers' Day, featuring Flying Dog and Oskar Blues, a brewery which is always worth noting. Still to come on Wednesday and Thursday are Sierra Nevada and Firestone Walker, respectively. Firestone Walker night, in particular, might be worth putting on your calendar, since they have plans to tap a keg of their 16th Anniversary Ale. Knee Deep and Track 7 Takeover Night is March 1, and the pair will surely end beer week with a bang.
Hotchkiss is hopeful that this year’s beer week, their first, will bring them more visibility than they’ve had in the past. The bar and shop is located at Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue next to Tokyo Fro’s. The tap room has twenty taps, one of them nitro, and an opportunity for great beer education – any four 5 oz. beers for $14.

The Davis Beer Shoppe plays a similar role just across the causeway. The establishment will have been open for two years in March, and with an unbelievable number of beers in the store in back and ever-changing taps in the front, their ideal location in downtown Davis keeps them packed to the brim day in, day out. They recently added six additional taps to their original eight and one nitro, with a cask option frequently featured. They, too, have a few things up their sleeve for Sacramento Beer Week, but they aren’t revealing details just yet. With that many beers in the shop, they are likely struggling to narrow down their options.

 

  Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue (Image by: Patricia Willers)
 
Starting tomorrow, Sacramento area beer lovers should be gearing up for an enjoyable few months of beer, social gatherings in honor of beer and grand dinners paired with the perfect beer. The SBW calendar is expanding daily, so take a look. In addition, check back for a thorough piece on how to best handle SBW here on The Sacramento Press site. Drink water, get in shape and start planning.

 

Capitol Beer and Tap Room decor (Image by: Patricia Willers)

Originally published at http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/79041/The_finest_of_beer_proprietors on January 31, 2013.