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.

Beerfest 2-for-1 at Cal Expo: The Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest 2012

The 2012 Sacramento Brewers Showcase took place this past Saturday, Feb. 25 from noon to 2:30. Already at noon, beer enthusiasts were lined up at the gate ready to taste beers from the nearly 20 local breweries located within an hour's drive. This year, visitors were pleased to see a lineup of food trucks outside of the Cal Expo Pavilion, Wicked ‘Wich, Mama Kim’s, Frickle, Drewski’s and the new Willie’s Burger truck, included.

Local beer enthusiasts thoroughly enjoyed the event. The intimate and community feel allowed attendees to visit with friends, brewers and food truck owners alike.

The Old Hangtown Beer Works El Camino was the first sight for most visitors. Likewise, their IPA was a welcome start to a great day, and had good body and a nice full flavor. With all the new attempts at double and triple IPA’s, it was great to taste a new, high-quality (single) IPA as well.

The Auburn Alehouse had a full schedule planned for their handsome table-top bar. Their Gold Digger IPA and a Scotch Ale, brewed with Peter Hoey, started out the day. PU 240, an Imperial IPA and ZZ Hop, a triple IPA, came later in the day. ZZ Hop went so fast I never even saw it on tap.

Sierra Nevada had more than enough possibilities for tasters, and the tent had something between a line and a small crowd for much of the day. Tasters lingered so they could taste their beers one after another. Their Sloughhouse and Persimmon were experimental brews and were available just for this beer week. Persimmon, a Farmhouse Ale, was a unique and delicious brew nothing like their hoppier varieties, but more appropriate for a lovely afternoon in a sunny backyard reading a book - perhaps a history of Belgian beer styles. It was very light, almost ladylike in taste, but strong enough for a man. Of course, their Harvest Ale was a treat to have on tap as well.

Berryessa Brewing Co. is all over the place this week. They will be working with eight different establishments around Sacramento and Davis, and the majority of their events are listed under “Special Events” on the SBW website. Events include beer and appetizer pairings, cheese and beer pairings and beer festivals such as those that took place on Saturday.

New Helvetia Brewing Company wasn’t pouring, but gave out plenty of information on their upcoming May opening and plans for the future. Later in the day, I found that River City had the Buffalo Lager available along with their own creations.

Sutter Buttes Brewing had a great showing at both the Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest. Along with their Franklin DIPA, which debuted at last year’s Beer Week, they had a 10 percent ABV Imperial Oatmeal Stout. This rich and flavorful brew had a great head and was my pick for the best brew of the first festival. Others clearly felt the same, as when I returned a short while later, the tap was gone and had been replaced by a new strong ale, ‘Ol Lefty.

Loomis Basin had great beers on Saturday as well. Big Boy (aka Alohawk) was a nice strong ale. They also had a double IPA worth checking out.

For their first Beer Week, Ruhstaller certainly had a great day at the festival. Their tasting line was twenty people long almost all day. Businesses all around might want to take note of the PR practices of this gypsy brewery. Ruhstaller poured both Capt. and 1881 from their truck. The old Rusthaller truck was a nice touch. The thick smell of oil that permeated the space around it really made you feel like you were throwing one back in somebody’s garage.

 

The Ruhstaller name might be from 1881, but the QR code is from 2012. (Image by: Matt Doyle)
Other breweries fresh to the scene included Western Pacific Brewing in Oroville, Track 7, ‘Ol Republic and Roseville Brewing Company, which will soon be opening a tasting room.

The Sacramento Brewers Showcase was truly a testament to the upwardly mobile Sacramento craft beer scene. Everyone involved - the people, the breweries and the support - should feel proud of all that has been accomplished. It is amazing that in a world with connectivity that brings everything to your fingertips, local ties have become more important than ever.

Following the Sacramento Brewers Showcase, everyone was herded out of the building for a break from 2:30 to 3. Those with green wristbands who would be sticking around for the second festival in the venue were directed outside. While you would think a half-hour break between the two fests would be awkward, the beautiful weather proved it to be just the ticket. Those sticking around for the Capital Beerfest could be seen enjoying cigars at the cigar tent or snacking on food truck specialties while lounging on the grass debating the intricacies of the IPA or which Runnin’ for Rhett volunteer was the cutest, the nicest or gave the best pours.

The 2012 Capital Beerfest provided an outstanding day of tasting for local beer enthusiasts. The event had nearly 80 breweries present. The second annual fest was a clear success, and the planners should be proud of the small but important improvements that were made over last year’s festival. The presence of local food trucks, for instance, surely made the culinary aspect of the festival way, way, way better. There’s nothing like a hemi from Drewski’s paired with a nice porter or perhaps a Bacon Brown Ale from Uncommon Brewers. Uncommon Brewers, formed in 2008, brews all-organic beers packaged in those handsome 16 oz. tallboy cans.

Heretic Brewing Company was surely a highlight of the day. Evil Cousin, an 8 percent ABV, 100 IBU beer was a great imperial IPA with a hop profile similar to that of Green Flash’s Imperial - a great beer for true hop devotees, a little dank for the rest. While they were not available for tasting, their special brews, all Belgian in character, looked quite intriguing, specifically Worry and Tafelbully, supposedly a Belgian-style session beer with a "mere" 4.8 percent ABV.

The Greenbelt Brewers Association, a group with around 65 members, was a great stop off or starting point. They had twelve beers to taste, contributed by at least ten different members. Their thirteenth, a secret pour, had a story of its own. The sour brown was brewed by a previous Greenbelt president who then passed it on to the current president, who in turn transformed it into a nicely authentic sour beer that has been aging for five years. For those interested in joining the Greenbelt homebrew club, make it quick. Heretic’s head brewer, Jamil Zainasheff will be speaking at their March meeting at Sudwerk.

It isn’t often that you see the line for homebrew tastings rival those of the established breweries. That being said, one of the best beers of the day was the lone nitro tap in the building. Jason Ledford provided an outstanding coconut robust porter. The faint touch of coconut was provided by “dry hopping” toasted coconut. You can always count on the homebrewers to bring new ideas to the table, or should I say, to the tap.

In essence, every brewer starts as a homebrewer, so it is these groups of creative men and women brewing in their garages, basements and bedroom closets that are the real champions of the day. When there is a constant push for new, new, new in the beer world, the momentum and rampant creativity has to come from somewhere.

Even Sierra Nevada, for instance, previously known almost wholly for their Pale Ale, has now taken the tenets of today’s brewing world in stride. Saturday they had so many different beers on tap that I had to look twice to make sure they actually had their Pale Ale there as well.

Continuing around the hall, Drake's also had a nice following throughout the day. Their Hopocalypse is quite smooth in spite of its 9.3 percent ABV and 100+ IBU. In addition, their double IPA, Denogginizer (9.75 percent ABV and 90 IBU), was a nice surprise. It had a clean taste not muddled with the superfluous bitterness that often comes with Imperial IPA's.

Other Bay area contributors included High Water and Triple Voodoo brewing. High Water Brewing was the most likeable brewery of the day. Besides a load of cheerful staff members and great pours that included Hop Riot IPA and Aphotic, they gained my respect when I noticed that they were pouring a few of their personal favorites as well. These included several Alesmith brews as well as something that was both North Coast and barrel-aged. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Triple Vodoo Brewing had several taps and staff members on hand to do the pouring. Their Kaleidescope, made in collaboration with Kneedeep Brewing, was a great beer, something like a heavily smoked Black IPA. The smoky twist was a nice change from the often unfulfilled flavor of Black IPA's.

Russian River was present but ran out early on. Their pours included bottles of Supplication, Redemption and Damnation. In truth, I never actually saw them at their booth. The green button-down Pliny the Elder shirts wandering about the facility may have been just a trick of the eye, a figment of my imagination.

Deschutes Brewing is a brewery that never fails to come without a new brew or two in tow. On Saturday, they brought Hop Trip, a fresh-hopped pale ale. Their heavy and flavorful Jubelale was available as well. Another winter warmer was Shipyard's highlight, Prelude, which had an aroma that could be likened to the bouquet of a good wine. The scent of its caramel maltiness still has my mouth watering, though I admit that I was hoping for more in terms of body.

Lost Coast of Eureka was there pouring their standard favorites. One of their staff members dazzled crowd members throughout the day with his moonlighting gig, Jack’s Caps, aka, bottle cap art. Several members of the crowd wore a sample pair of his “beerings,” as I have decided to call them. In the craft beer world today, the possibilities are endless.

My last taste of the day was, as you might have guessed if you have ever read anything about my beer tastes, an Old Rasputin. Most fortunately, after a taster of Old Rasputin, Ken Kelley of North Coast and a young man I believe to be his son pulled out a box of bottles filled with their barrel-aged goodness. Thus, my last taste of the day was North Coast Grand Cru. It was a perfect end to a terrific day of beer tasting at Cal Expo. It’s hard to believe there is still a full week of great beer events to come.
Check out photos of the Capital Beerfest, Sacramento Brewers Showcase and any of the 400 other events this beer week at the Bokeh Box website. To stay up to date on Sacramento Beer Week events, get the Beer Week app and follow Sacramento Beer Week on Twitter.

  
Image by: Matt Doyle

Originally appeared on Sacramento Press
http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/64114/A_beerfest_2for1_at_Cal_Expo

The Biggies of Sacramento Beer Week 2012

The third annual Sacramento Beer Week (SBW) is nearing, and the week will start off with a bigger bang than ever. Friday marks the official start of SBW and already Saturday, beer enthusiasts from all around will gather for the Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest at Cal Expo.

The Brewer’s Showcase, previously held at the Crocker, will be held at the Cal Expo Pavilion this year and will begin at noon on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets are $20, or $55 when paired with the Capital Beerfest. The Beerfest, also located at Cal Expo, will begin at 3 p.m. and will feature over 80 breweries. Tickets can be purchased online or at various businesses in Sacramento, at Samuel Horne’s in Folsom or at Perfecto Lounge in Roseville.

The cream of the crop in terms of beer festivals may well be “The Art of Beer: A Celebration of California Craft Beer and Fine Art.” The event will take place this Thursday, Feb. 23 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sacramento Grand Ballroom and will feature 20 great breweries from around the state. General admission is $40.

Proceeds from the Art of Beer event will go to the University of California, Davis M.I.N.D. Institute. Sponsors include the California Craft Brewers Association, Bokeh Box Media, Eben Weisberg and the Northern California Brewers Guild. For those considered to be VIP, ($100 will make you one), the event begins at 5 p.m.

Not to be forgotten are the mini beerfests hosted by local businesses throughout the week. The Tentfest and Pig Roast, hosted by Dad’s Kitchen, is one such example. This Monday will be like none other. The Davis Beer Shoppe will be holding a beer and cheese pairing event that will feature Berryessa Brewing Co. brews. Shackfest is yet another fabulous event for which you will want to get a ticket.

Come beer week, dozens of local and regional establishments pull out all the stops to bring you the best they’ve got. With more than 300 hundred events and counting, it can be difficult to navigate your way through the week, especially with so many craft brews that now nudge up to 10 percent ABV - and higher!

Should you stay close to home and remain a loyal local at your favorite bar, or should you try something new at River Rock Tap House or even make the trip to Davis to visit The Graduate or the fairly new and always at capacity, Davis Beer Shoppe. (Yes, SBW is for more than just Sacramento). Should you go for broke on the hops or drink a little Belgian goodness at The Shack or Pangaea Two Brews Cafe?

Sacramento Beer Week officially spans from Friday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, March 4. Before SBW really gets started, take a moment to check out all that the celebration has to offer. Use the Beer Week’s stellar tag system to search your favorite places or varieties and styles of beer. Click Cask Ales if you are interested in something rich, dark and aged with the sweet touch of a cab, merlot, brandy or bourbon barrel. Check out IPA’s and DIPA’s for more than a little bit of hoppiness, and still others might investigate Ciders or Sour Beers. You can also search by venue or location. Once the week gets going, you can use the website, clearly organized by day, to find out what happy hours, beer dinners and late night specials they have to offer.

If you’ve done the bar circuit, don’t forget to stop at the many brewpubs and microbreweries that have popped up in and around Sacramento in the last 25 years. Rubicon, who will celebrate their 25th anniversary this year and Sudwerk of Davis, where a stein holding competition will be held on Sunday, are not to be forgotten. Hoppy Brewing and River City Brewing Company will both also have special events for the weeklong celebration of craft beer ingenuity.

New this year is Ruhstaller, under the direction of Brewmaster Peter Hoey, which is so popular they’ve been known to run out before the next batch is done fermenting! Just where exactly is Ruhstaller beer brewed, anyway? Track 7, located in Curtis Park, had over a thousand people at their grand opening on Dec. 31. Berryessa Brewing Co. is another newbie, located in Winters, that is playing a role in more than a dozen events this beer week. Make sure to try their Disorderly Strong Ale. Other new developments include Black Dragon Brewery of Woodland and American River Brewing of Rancho Cordova.

The craft beer industry has been excelling. Some of the pioneering moments of the industry happened in California and still today, brewers young and old are finding new ways to experiment with hops, malt and yeasts of all varieties. Before you even step foot out of your house, take a look at Beer 101 on the Sacramento Beer Week website and learn a little about the art of brewing.

As always, the organizers and participating businesses of Sacramento Beer Week encourage safe and responsible consumption. All beer festivals include ticket options for as little as $5 for designated drivers. In addition, Capital Beerfest attendees can take buses from the R/30 light rail station in Midtown to and from the event at Cal Expo. Buses will utilize 29th and 30th streets. Take it from one who knows, the bus ride home can be one of the very best parts of the day (School bus + beer tasting = new friends). Try it!

To wrap up a week of incredible, beer-based events, take in the Sacramento Beer & Chili Festival on Saturday, March 3 at 12 p.m. at the Southside Park Amphitheater. Buy a ticket for the chili, or buy a ticket for the beer and partake in both for four hours of good food and fun all to benefit the Sacramento Artists Council, Inc. Presale prices are $15.75 for chili only and $35.50 for both chili and beer, $20/$40 at the door. The event is organized with the help of Dad’s Kitchen and the Sacramento Press.

From Sacramento Press coverage:

Success at the 2011 California Brewers Festival

The 17th Annual California Brewers Festival took place this past Saturday at Discovery Park. Through the efforts of the Point West Rotary club, cheerful beer enthusiasts enjoyed an afternoon of cigars, beer and cider tasting, all while supporting a great cause. The Assistance League of Sacramento will receive the majority of event proceeds. Their successful Operation School Bell program provides school supplies for children in the Sacramento area.

“We sell booze for kids,” joked one friendly Rotary member who was donating his time to pour this past Saturday afternoon. Doug Weill and his wife Marcia poured at the Black Diamond Brewing Company station that afternoon.

Point West enjoys working with the Assistance League, Weill explained, because of the way they ensure that money and supplies get to the kids. The rotary club and its 150 members want to make sure that they really are making a difference in the lives of the children in this area. Over the years, the organization has raised over $250,000 for charitable causes.

Weill was very happy with the year’s turnout. He explained that this was the first year they used an online presence to advertise and sell tickets for the festival. This new strategy helped the rotary club sell over 700 tickets.

Discovery Park hosted breweries from all over the region, country and world on the sunny Saturday afternoon. Primator had more than a few bottled imports for beer lovers to try, including both Czech and Polish brews. Strangford Lough Brewing Co., whose slogan is “Born in Ireland, matured in America,” provided an Irish style ale for festival attendees. On the other end of the spectrum, River City Brewing Company came from just across the river. The brewpub had an interesting big amber ale called Woodhead. The nearly imperial amber was hoppier than their usual brews, oak aged and 7.2% percent alcohol by volume (ABV). River City was showing off 5 liter mini kegs, their kind of growler, available for sale at the pub.

Regional favorites were in abundance and they all brought their best and brightest. Moylan Brewery & Restaurant of Novato, Calif. had a couple of great brews on tap including the delicious Hopsickle and their most popular beer, a scotch ale called Kilt Lifter. Bear Republic Brewing Company had Racer 5, their well known IPA, as well as Heritage, their new scotch ale. Anderson Valley Brewing Company also kept their line long throughout the day, pouring Hop Ottin’ IPA.

Old favorites Lagunitas, Stone and Sierra Nevada were also present. Lagunitas had both their Pils and their IPA on tap. Stone’s representative, while manning their booth, was tweeting to get more people at the event. Sierra Nevada, in their shady green tent, was stocked with representatives. They, in particular seemed to enjoy hobnobbing with visitors and explaining all that Sierra Nevada has to offer.

The more distant Alaskan Brewing Company had several tapped and bottled selections including their 2010 Barley Wine. Just the wooden coin’s worth of tasting made me excited for the upcoming barley wine season. This particular barley wine is 10.7% ABV and has been a bronze medal winner at the World Beer Cup.

The festival had many brews available, and many genres to choose from, starting with the previously mentioned Black Diamond Brewing Company. The delta area brewing company had an extremely likable Belgian blond on tap, Freestyle Belgian blonde.

In terms of ciders, Hornsby's may have maintained the longest line throughout the day. They had two types of cider available, their amber and a crisp apple. Their small Hornsby's towels also provided head coverage for many festival-goers. ACE Ciders had a substantial line as well, although mostly female.

In my modest opinion, Mammoth Brewing Company of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. took best brewery of show. The up and coming brewery was pouring four beers. Their IPA 395, a double IPA brewed with wild desert sage was a favorite for many. They also had their Double Nut Brown on tap, as well as Epic IPA, another delicious choice on a hot summer day.

I was able to speak at length with Sean Turner, the owner of Mammoth Brewing Company. Turner explained that Mammoth, known for brewing in cans as well as bottles, is the only microbrewery to have an independent standing contract with Yosemite National Park.

As I was listening to Turner describe their brewery and location, it made me yearn for a Yosemite vacation and I found myself drifting into a hoppily delightful daydream. A Double Nut Brown with pancakes and maple syrup in the morning outside my tent, then a can of Epic IPA in the sun after a long afternoon hike. Before a campfire, I’d share a bottle of their newest beer, IPA 395, while watching the sun set over Yosemite Valley.

Beer Valley Brewing Company of Ontario, Oregon was an afternoon delight as well. They had an American style imperial stout available that was rich and delicious and boasted a bitter hoppiness that was nicely balanced with the rich darkness the stout had to offer. The blend of flavors found in Black Flag Imperial Stout was something that I’ve never before found appropriate in a stout, but that they did well. Beer Valley also brews the notable Leafer Madness, an Imperial Pale Ale. We can likely expect many more delicious brews from this brewery in the future.

There were many success stories at this year’s California Brewers festival. Knee Deep Brewing Co. of Lincoln is one such example. Knee Deep had three beers on tap, an IPA, their newly tapped Citra and Tanilla. Their Citra had a fresh bite that went well with the summer sun and the relaxing Discovery Park atmosphere. It was brewed using only citra hops and had a huge, fresh flavor.

Brewmaster Jeremy Warren was available to talk to visitors throughout the day. Warren informed us that Knee Deep is about to open a big production facility in either Reno or Lincoln. The brewmaster was quite pleased with their progress. They recently expanded to add eight more states to their distribution area. They now distribute to 13 states and hope to eventually have nationwide distribution.

Speakeasy Ales and Lagers of San Francisco mentioned that they were in the process of opening a tasting room as well.

Overall, cans are hot was the catchphrase for this summer’s beer season. Besides Mammoth, Caldera Brewing Company packages their beer in cans, as does Boulder Beer Company, the makers of the well-liked Hazed & Infused.

Gold Country Brewers Association had a flock of homebrewers, family members and children in their tent. They had both taps and bottles, provided by numerous members of the association. As always, group members were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Jason Kelly, who provided several bottled selections for Saturday’s festival including a wit, a stout and a porter, spent more than a few minutes sharing his knowledge on brewing and beer styles, as well as valuable advice on growing your own hops.

It’s these guys who really make the events and help to build the local brewing and beer loving scene.
The California Brewers Festival at Discovery Park is an annual event that is not to be missed. The open lawn on which the event was held was a great location for beer tents and food tents of all kinds. Surrounding the clearing, the shaded areas were a great place for beer drinkers to mingle and rest before selecting their next sample. In another area of the park, a cigar dealer had a tent where beer drinkers could purchase one their many cigar varieties.

Food vendors for the day included barbeque, teriyaki, Mexican, hot dogs, restaurants G-Dubbs and Pete’s, and a stand selling Tyson hot wings. Music provided by J Ras, ZuhG and Wooster added to the day’s ambience.

Event sponsors included Tyson and their hot wings, American River Bank, Clark Pacific, Fuse 3 Communications, Wells Fargo, Brew Your Own Adventures, AquaPerfect, Cherry Creek Mortgage Company and Warren G. Bender Co.

In addition to their annual brewers festival, Point West Rotary hosts a wine festival each April. For additional information, contact a Rotary member or visit the Point West Rotary website.

Originally written for Sacramento Press

Oktoberfest in SactoBavaria 2011

Dirndls and lederhosen on men, women and children of all ages were abundant this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Turn Verein (STV). Friday evening and all day Saturday the organization, founded in 1854 as a gymnastics club, hosted its 44th annual Oktoberfest.

The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving.

Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrations, real German beer brought in from Munich and sausages piled high with sauerkraut were only the tip of the iceberg.

The Gruber Family Band was a great addition to the weekend’s events. The band played throughout, integrating various competitions for Oktoberfest participants, a women’s stein holding contest and a children’s yodeling contest included. Nearly all of the participants wore traditional German dress. One got the feeling that the parents of the young yodelers have been training them for years.

One tiny participant, still too young to officially compete as a yodeler, was 17 month old Riley. Her mother, Cyndi McCluskey, found Riley’s tiny dirndl online. When asked if this was a family tradition, McCluskey responded positively.

“Every year!” She said.

Perhaps Riley will be ready for next year’s yodeling contest.

Later on Saturday night, a supposed men’s stein holding contest was announced. Eager participants gathered only to find that they would actually be participating in a yodeling contest. The results were quite extraordinary, really; the final yodel-off involved some mighty fine yodeling.

The Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, a traditional German folk dancing group, performed numerous times throughout the event. Their dances included a grand march, German hat dance, wooden pole dance and a maypole dance, among others.

Friday evening, the 2011 Turn Verein Oktoberfest maxed out at around a thousand people. This doesn’t usually happen on Friday evening, explained Heinz Ludke, Recording & Financial Secretary of the STV, though they usually reach maximum capacity sometime Saturday evening each year. Already at 4:00 on Saturday, the crowds were larger than usual. The Main Festhalle was full already at 4:30 and only got more packed as the night went on.

A lively rendition of “The Beer Barrel Waltz” really got things going Saturday night. Along with the lulling winding and unwinding of the maypole led by the Alpentänzer Schuhplattler, this perfect Oktoberfest only got better as the night went on.

There were German sing-a-longs and American sing-a-longs, the chicken dance and then the young folk dancers were up again. The dance floor cleared and the strapping young lads remained. There was dancing and box jumping, followed by a go at the Bavarian Hat Dance that broke out into a mock fight between two shirtless lads in lederhosen.

At times, if you found a spot on the dance floor you were lucky; a seat was a near impossibility.

In the upstairs hall, the mood was a bit more modern, with AKAlive rocking the room.

For a quiet escape, you could visit the Kaffeehaus for a cup of Jo(han) and a piece of cake.

Joann Schuler, a member of the Turner Harmonie, the choir that performed several times this weekend, helped man the Kaffeehaus. She seemed delighted to be a part of the event and was perfectly willing to discuss German culture, family stories, and best of all – she offered tips on the best German desserts at the Kaffeehaus.

The fruit basket dessert came highly recommended, as did the Black Forest cake, of course, and the Bienenstich, which Schuler described as containing, “almond and honey and creamy yumminess.”

One of the best parts of the event was the family feeling that filled the air. Everywhere you looked there were children, and large families congregating, usually three generations strong.

“Last time I was forced to wear lederhosen at the age of seven,” said Jordan Hess of Sacramento, “and now at the age of 27, I get to enjoy the beer!”

Hess’s parents were married at the Turn Verein and his grandfather participated in the STV soccer league in the 70’s. Saturday night it was just him and his younger sister Aubrey, who recently returned from a lengthy study abroad in Bremen.

Outside, both sides of the hall were flanked by a beer garden. While the white plastic chairs in the Turn Verein Biergarten were less charming than the wooden picnic tables in Bavarian beer gardens, everything else about the event certainly held its own.

I’ve been to the Hofbräuhaus, to a beer hall in southern Bavaria and a biergarten in Munich’s city park, but I never imagined that I would find such an enjoyable event right here in the middle of Sacramento.

“Durst ist schlimmer als Heimweh!” reads a sign in the main Festhalle.

“Thirst is worse than homesickness.”

There are many Oktoberfests that excel in celebrating drinking delicious German beer a liter at a time, but the Sacramento Turn Verein does much more than that - although there was plenty of good beer to go around. They show off the marvelous methods of celebration in Bavaria, bringing out German American families and friends for a night of celebrating what they are and what they have, a shared German heritage.

Late Saturday evening, while the rest of The Gruber Family Band took a break, Michael Gruber played “Amazing Grace” on what can only be described as a super-length beer bong. I had been there for almost six hours and I wanted to go home so badly. At the same time, I knew that if I went home, this magical German world would disappear.

Until next year.

 

Image by: Ed Fogle The next event at the Sacramento Turn Verein will be their annual Christkindlmarkt. The Christmas market will include a unique holiday shopping experience, glühwein (spiced wine) and their usual abundance of delicious German baked goods. Admission is free for the whole family with the donation of a children’s coat.

Besides numerous annual events like the Oktoberfest and its spring counterpart, the STV Bockbierfest, the Turn Verein offers German language classes, athletic clubs and various other social activities.

Originally written for the Sacramento Press

Taking North Coast in a Storm

Every March, beer enthusiasts and whale watchers make their way to the annual Fort Bragg Whale Festival. On roads winding through Redwoods, on pavement hugging the curves of the coast on Highway 1 or utilizing Highway 101 to its fullest before crawling up the narrow, winding roads that link the island of Fort Bragg with the rest of the world, visitors came from throughout Northern California for the weekend's events.

Ukiah served as a nice stopping point for visitors coming from Sacramento or the southerly regions of NorCal. There, one could stop for the night to shorten the journey to just over an hour for coming feast day.

Feast day it was, on Saturday, March 19. The day's events included nothing less than whale watching, a clam chowder competition and a beer festival featuring regional microbrews. A full list of festival events could be found in the Mendocino Real Estate Magazine, which was odd, but welcome, since there was little printed material other than a summary on the Fort Bragg tourist website.

Throughout the drive to Fort Bragg on Saturday morning, snow chunks littered the windshield, taunting a bright red raincoat, looking quite thin and lonely without its flannel, woolen liner. On Saturday morning, visitors had little more than an hour to adore the rugged North coast under the partially cloudy sky. Soon, a cold rain put a damper on the walk from the coast to Main Street, where visitors had begun lining up, hoping to catch the chowder before it ran out.

Rain, shine, rain, shine; whatever the weather, there was a glow coming from the warm clam-chowder filled bellies crowding the Town Hall. The clam chowder festival began at 11:00 a.m., but the line was already running down the street at 20 to 11. After a filling stop-in for a mere $10, there was a slow but steady exodus inland towards the Eagle's Hall. Everyone's next stop was the microbrew tasting, hosted at the Eagles Hall on the corner of Corry and Alder, hosted by the local Rotary Club.

Entertainment for the day was cheerful and folksy. Local musicians Steve and Josh started the day, followed by Dirt Floor, a five man band from nearby Willits, Calif.

The fiddle as a guide, locals and visitors tasted and mingled, creating such an ambiance, every second of the day you knew you were in Mendocino County. Left and right, people wore Sierra Nevada t-shirts and sweatshirts that looked orgasmically comfy on a rainy North Coast day.

Mendocino Brewing Company had a few popular selections, which included their Imperial series. While their Imperial IPA could have been better, their Imperial Stout and Barley Wine were a great addition to a chilly day. Their Barley Wine especially was a nice paring for the amazing and huge tri-tip sandwich that was cooking up in the Eagles' kitchen. A non-profit group was serving for the day in an effort to raise money for a new stadium for the local high school. Although they were 90 percent done with their fundraising, the day's man with the meat assured me that, while helpful, the day's profits would not realize their goal.

The mothers of the class of 2015 had a table in the social hall as well, selling Guinness cupcakes, cream cheese frosted Guinness cake, and giant cookies that could have passed for gourmet in any big city bakery or patisserie.

The only questionable item on the food list was the fresh oysters. While it was tremendous to see such fresh and local cuisine, they seemed a likely contender for making at least one person ill before the end of the day.

North Coast Brewing Company, the local star, had numerous delights on draught. Their Saison, Le Merle, was a great addition to their numerous taps, including their old favorite, Old Rasputin and Brother Thelonious, nice Belgian that really captures the essence of a Belgian dubbel.

Outside the hall, there was a grassy yard with picnic tables and the remains of an old well. It was all so quaint, it was difficult to believe there weren't more people there, getting their fix of the small town Northern California life. Then again, the trip up was not quite the seamless and effortless trip to Napa that so many Bay Area residents take advantage of for their weekends away.

Still, there were people of all breeds, including young women with braids in pink flowered galoshes and flannel attired men with camouflage cowboy hats and handlebar mustaches. There's no place like Mendocino County.

Continuing with the theme of supporting local organizations, a raffle was held throughout the day. Prizes included sweatshirts, a hotel stay, and a whale watching tour. The best part was probably the raffle ticket seller, who was so sweet she made you want to buy double the tickets.

“You have to be here in body,” she said, “but not in mind.” She noted where each half-drunken ticket buyer stashed their tiny blue redemption tickets. The woman in the hat put it in the inside pocket of her purse, she would explain, and the guy in the plaid, he put it in his right pocket. She certainly had her work cut out for her for the day.

It's no wonder people were buying plentiful raffle tickets in a land of craggy bluffs, microbreweries and organic diners. Even the lobby of the hall had the faint smell of marijuana, indicating just how relaxed the region is.

The whale watching was less successful than the beer and clam chowder gatherings. Tours at both 12 and 2 o'clock were cancelled due to rain, storms, and even a bit of hail. Most unfortunately, the fish dinner was also postponed. The sign noted in the bottom corner, scribbled in a fat-tipped marker “no fresh fish!”

Such a tragedy. Only on the coast in a place like Mendocino County could a fish dinner be cancelled because there were not fresh fish available to prepare. This type of attitude makes you think these locals really do care what they put in their mouths.

Ultimately, it seemed that the majority of the beer tasting attendees were locals, seemingly stopping in for a few drinks before heading back home for the evening. Representatives of the Rotary Club who sold tickets for the fest noted that the numbers were down substantially from the 2010 festival, mostly due to the weather. Either way, visitors went away happy and toasty warm, the smell of roasting tri-tip and onions wafting throughout the small town, thought it was too bad about the whales.

Sipping Bear Republic Brewing Company's Hop Rod Rye at a table in the lunch room, it was easy to feel right at home in Fort Bragg. Warm light began to stream in through the white-pained window and you
couldn't help but think:

“… Why don't I live here?”

This, I suppose, is why they advertise the festival in the Mendocino County real estate guide.