As we continue our Summer Travel series, I can’t help but think about how many great beer destinations there are out there and how we could spend lots of weeks talking about where to go to drink great beer. But, I digress…we are looking at locations that meet several criteria, not the least of which is somewhere for Arizonans to go to get out of our summer heat. Last week we looked at San Diego with their wonderful beaches and year round moderate temperatures…and we found some wonderful beer. This week we head up Interstate 5 to the city by the Bay, San Francisco. Of course, if you prefer the more romantic route, a cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway will get you there as well with much better scenery. Regardless, we are not here to talk about the trip, but about the destination. San Francisco, from Gold Rush times until Prohibition was the brewing center of the West Coast. Whether it was the malting houses on Fisherman’s Wharf or the hop fields in the North and East Bay, beer was intertwined with San Francisco’s history.
My first stop in San Francisco is always the Toronado. This is the original and it looks it. Located at Haight and Fillmore, it is found after a fairly long climb up one of San Francisco’s infamous hills…take my advice and get a cab or bus to get there. Once inside, you will be greeted by approximately fifty taps, all flowing with fantastic craft beer or some high end specialty import. Last time I was there, there were no less than four of the highly sought after Russian River beers on tap, as well as other local gems like Moonlight Brewing, Marin and Drake’s. There will also be plenty of beers from places that we in Arizona are more familiar with like Anderson Valley, Bear Republic and North Coast Brewing. Take your time and enjoy, this is the place that celebrated its 20th anniversary with beers brewed especially for the event by brewers like Vinnie Cirluzo and Tomme Arthur. Examine the lists carefully and choose wisely, you will never get through all the goodies you will find here.
Another fine local beer bar is City Beer Store and Tasting Room. Get something to take home, but by all means, enjoy a few beers while you are there. It’s more central to the main hotel areas, situated on Folsom, just a couple of blocks off Market. There is also a different vibe, and it can sometimes be a gathering place for the professional beer community in San Francisco after their workday is over. You never know what you will find on draft, so enjoy.
There are some fun breweries in the area, most with pubs attached so you can eat while you drink. 21st Amendment Brewery celebrates the repeal of Prohibition daily at their restaurant. In keeping with that theme, enjoy the Brew Free or Die IPA or the Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Ale. A great variety of classic pub food prepared in some interesting ways provides a complete experience at 21st Amendment. Before the 21st Amendment was passed, speakeasy bars were rampant across America. These small clubs that were carefully guarded quenched the thirst of Americans for the almost fourteen years that we were, legally anyway, a dry country. Not far from 21st Amendment is the Speakeasy Brewery. Open to the public only on Friday afternoons, and only to those who know the secret password (don’t tell anyone I told you, but it’s “good beer”) there is always something special on tap.
Just outside of the city lies an assortment of great beer in any direction. If you are heading north across the Golden Gate Bridge, a stop in Novato will take you to Moylan’s. Moylan’s head brewer Denise Jones is considered one of the finest brewers in California and her beers are crafted so well they leave you wanting more. Whether you order the hop bomb they call Hopsickle or one of the more traditional Irish or English style beers, be sure to try the food as well. You can also stop at their sister brewery, Marin Brewing in Larkspur, south of Novato. This is a brewery that does fruit beers very well, try the Blueberry Ale; the natural blueberry flavors are just enough to give you the taste without overwhelming the taste buds. If hops are your thing, go for the White Knuckle Double IPA. It won’t take long to figure out where they got the name from.
Pyramid Brewing Company has two Alehouses located to the west of the city, one in Berkeley and one in Walnut Creek. Treat yourself to one of the favorites available here, or explore some of the beers that are only available at the Alehouses. If you’re looking for a brewery tour, the Berkeley Alehouse is also home to one of Pyramid’s two production breweries (the other is in Portland) and is a great experience if you have never seen a larger brewery in action. It includes samples and for the under 21 crowd, they have plenty of their Thomas Kemper sodas available. Plan about 45 minutes for the tours a some time after that to enjoy a pint or two along with a snack at the Alehouse.
This is just a small bit of the great beer available in and around San Francisco. Check out Beach Chalet Brewery, Anchor Brewing, Iron Springs and Magnolia as well. Other great beer bars include The Alembic, The Bistro and British Bankers Club. There are, of course, many more great places in a town with a beer tradition as rich as San Francisco’s. And we haven’t even touched on wine country yet, look for that in the fall, just before many people are making trips to Napa and Sonoma. As always, you can pinpoint locations by checking out www.beermapping.com.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Summer Travel - San Diego
Summer is rapidly approaching, we have had our first 100 degree day in Phoenix and more are on their way. If you are like the typical Valley resident, thoughts are turning to how to cool off during June, July and August. Typically, I prefer to stock my fridge with great beer, shut all the blinds and hide from the heat for three months. It appears that not everybody likes that method of surviving the heat. Some of you like to get out of Phoenix for a few days or weeks. The only problem is figuring out where to go, and where are you going to find great beer when you get there. I want to spend some time looking at great summer destinations and give you some idea how to make a little beer holiday out of it.
San Diego, which bills itself as “America’s Finest City”, certainly has some of America’s finest beer. Known for top notch breweries and great beer bars, and average high temperatures around 77 in the summer, there is plenty to do for a craft beer fan. All of San Diego County is a tourist hot spot in the summer, and good beer is available everywhere.
Assuming you make the drive in on Interstate 8, just as you leave the Cleveland National Forest, you will come upon the town of Alpine, and just south of the Interstate in Alpine, you will find Alpine Brewing. These guys make a variety of great beers, but are renowned for their IPAs . And why not? Year round selections include Pure Hoppiness and Duet, but if you can find Exponential Hoppiness, Nelson (a golden Rye IPA featuring the Nelson Sauvin hop out of New Zealand) or O’Brien’s IPA, you have a real treat. Pick up a couple of growlers for your room.
Once settled in you can find great breweries everywhere. Head up to the North County area in San Marcos to check out Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey. A quick drive north on the Escondido Freeway and then west on Ronald Packard to San Marcos will get you to the brewery located just off the Packard Parkway. Your best bet is to go Friday after 4:00 PM or Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Tours are informal and last about 20 minutes, but the tasting room is a great place to hang out, the staff are friendly and the beer is some of the best available. Say hello to Terri and Sage who help staff the tasting room. After enjoying some fine beer and the functional beauty of the brewery, take a trip to Escondido and visit the Stone World Bistro for a bite to eat. In addition to great beer brewed in the attached brewery, you will find many guest taps, outstanding food and an outdoor garden that is very relaxing. With a menu of world inspired cuisine featuring locally grown small farm ingredients, you can enjoy a nice meal either inside, on the open air patio or in the one acre organic beer garden.
Alesmith Brewery is located just north of Miramar Road between the 805 and the 15. For the past 15 years this tiny brewery has put out a variety of handcrafted artisan ales. With an award winning head brewer and a dedicated staff, its no wonder that every beer from them is a gem. Make time on either Friday or Saturday afternoon to stop in and see what they have to offer. From Alesmith, head east on Miramar across the 15 and you will be in the area of one of the best kept secrets in San Diego beer, Ballast Point Brewery. Actually, all the folks in San Diego know what a great brewery Ballast Point is, but sometimes they get lost amongst all the celebrity brewers that come from California. But recently being named Small Brewery of the Year at the World Beer Cup should change all that, sounds like they may be approaching the realm of celebrity brewers. You can’t go wrong with any of their beers, the Calico Amber, Wahoo Wheat and Big Eye IPA are all particularly good, but keep any eye out for some of their specialty beers such as Sculpin, Dorado or Victory at Sea. Even well kept secrets have well kept secrets, and Ballast Point’s is their Homebrew Mart. Located on Linda Vista, not far from Hotel Circle, the front of this store is a typical home brewing supply store, but in the back is a small tasting area where you can sample many of the great beers that Ballast Point puts out.
There are many other fine breweries in San Diego, but the county also is home to some of the best beer bars in the state. Starting in the downtown area, you can find The Yard House and right next door to that is The Local Eatery. The Local is everything you would expect in a neighborhood watering hole, including great beer. Look for some rarities from Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey as well as other California breweries on tap here. A little further away, in the Gaslight District is Downtown Johnny Brown’s. With 18 taps of craft beer, the occasional cask conditioned special and good food, this is a can’t miss spot.
As you venture a little out of the downtown, there are many more beer bars. Try Hamilton’s off of 30th Street. The oldest beer and wine license in the county and a certain pride in being descended from Sparky’s which they describe as a “beloved dive bar” gives you an idea right away what you are dealing with. Plenty of taps and even more bottled beers on their menu. They even have a tab on their web site for their juke box. Continuing north on 30th Street you come across The Linkery and The Toronado San Diego. Named after the famous beer bar in San Francisco, The Toronado does its northern sister bar proud. Nothing but specialty beers, a bottle list to die for and an appealing food menu will make this stop a memorable one. Go a little further north and a little bit west and find O’Brien’s Pub. Not a big place, they still manage to fit in over 20 taps and a great bottle selection. O’Brien’s is one of those places that always attracts the best beers and the best drinkers. And while at the beach, hit up the Pizza Port restaurants in Ocean Beach, Solano Beach, Carlsbad and even San Clemente (if you get that far north)
San Diego is a great area to visit and we hope that now, armed with a little beer knowledge, you can make it an enjoyable trip. Later, we will take a look at San Francisco and Colorado as summer beer destinations.
San Diego, which bills itself as “America’s Finest City”, certainly has some of America’s finest beer. Known for top notch breweries and great beer bars, and average high temperatures around 77 in the summer, there is plenty to do for a craft beer fan. All of San Diego County is a tourist hot spot in the summer, and good beer is available everywhere.
Assuming you make the drive in on Interstate 8, just as you leave the Cleveland National Forest, you will come upon the town of Alpine, and just south of the Interstate in Alpine, you will find Alpine Brewing. These guys make a variety of great beers, but are renowned for their IPAs . And why not? Year round selections include Pure Hoppiness and Duet, but if you can find Exponential Hoppiness, Nelson (a golden Rye IPA featuring the Nelson Sauvin hop out of New Zealand) or O’Brien’s IPA, you have a real treat. Pick up a couple of growlers for your room.
Once settled in you can find great breweries everywhere. Head up to the North County area in San Marcos to check out Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey. A quick drive north on the Escondido Freeway and then west on Ronald Packard to San Marcos will get you to the brewery located just off the Packard Parkway. Your best bet is to go Friday after 4:00 PM or Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Tours are informal and last about 20 minutes, but the tasting room is a great place to hang out, the staff are friendly and the beer is some of the best available. Say hello to Terri and Sage who help staff the tasting room. After enjoying some fine beer and the functional beauty of the brewery, take a trip to Escondido and visit the Stone World Bistro for a bite to eat. In addition to great beer brewed in the attached brewery, you will find many guest taps, outstanding food and an outdoor garden that is very relaxing. With a menu of world inspired cuisine featuring locally grown small farm ingredients, you can enjoy a nice meal either inside, on the open air patio or in the one acre organic beer garden.
Alesmith Brewery is located just north of Miramar Road between the 805 and the 15. For the past 15 years this tiny brewery has put out a variety of handcrafted artisan ales. With an award winning head brewer and a dedicated staff, its no wonder that every beer from them is a gem. Make time on either Friday or Saturday afternoon to stop in and see what they have to offer. From Alesmith, head east on Miramar across the 15 and you will be in the area of one of the best kept secrets in San Diego beer, Ballast Point Brewery. Actually, all the folks in San Diego know what a great brewery Ballast Point is, but sometimes they get lost amongst all the celebrity brewers that come from California. But recently being named Small Brewery of the Year at the World Beer Cup should change all that, sounds like they may be approaching the realm of celebrity brewers. You can’t go wrong with any of their beers, the Calico Amber, Wahoo Wheat and Big Eye IPA are all particularly good, but keep any eye out for some of their specialty beers such as Sculpin, Dorado or Victory at Sea. Even well kept secrets have well kept secrets, and Ballast Point’s is their Homebrew Mart. Located on Linda Vista, not far from Hotel Circle, the front of this store is a typical home brewing supply store, but in the back is a small tasting area where you can sample many of the great beers that Ballast Point puts out.
There are many other fine breweries in San Diego, but the county also is home to some of the best beer bars in the state. Starting in the downtown area, you can find The Yard House and right next door to that is The Local Eatery. The Local is everything you would expect in a neighborhood watering hole, including great beer. Look for some rarities from Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey as well as other California breweries on tap here. A little further away, in the Gaslight District is Downtown Johnny Brown’s. With 18 taps of craft beer, the occasional cask conditioned special and good food, this is a can’t miss spot.
As you venture a little out of the downtown, there are many more beer bars. Try Hamilton’s off of 30th Street. The oldest beer and wine license in the county and a certain pride in being descended from Sparky’s which they describe as a “beloved dive bar” gives you an idea right away what you are dealing with. Plenty of taps and even more bottled beers on their menu. They even have a tab on their web site for their juke box. Continuing north on 30th Street you come across The Linkery and The Toronado San Diego. Named after the famous beer bar in San Francisco, The Toronado does its northern sister bar proud. Nothing but specialty beers, a bottle list to die for and an appealing food menu will make this stop a memorable one. Go a little further north and a little bit west and find O’Brien’s Pub. Not a big place, they still manage to fit in over 20 taps and a great bottle selection. O’Brien’s is one of those places that always attracts the best beers and the best drinkers. And while at the beach, hit up the Pizza Port restaurants in Ocean Beach, Solano Beach, Carlsbad and even San Clemente (if you get that far north)
San Diego is a great area to visit and we hope that now, armed with a little beer knowledge, you can make it an enjoyable trip. Later, we will take a look at San Francisco and Colorado as summer beer destinations.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Day Drinking in Arizona
I’ve always loved the drinking songs of Tom T. Hall. The classic, to me anyway, is “I Like Beer”. That song gets right to the point and addresses the situation head on. Another favorite from Mr. Hall is “Day Drinking”, a story about a couple of guys out on the town since 9:30 or 10:00 that morning. Not only that, but they are regulars at spending the daytime hours in bars telling the waitress how they won the war. Thinking about that song, along with a couple of afternoon beers, it occurred to me that Phoenix is a town with some great day drinking bars. Bars that are at least as much fun during the day as they are at night, some might be more so. We have plenty of them, so let’s focus on the ones that feature great craft beer.
Right at the top of the list has to be TT Roadhouse. Located on 68th Street, just north of Thomas in Scottsdale, this tiny bar is real easy to drive right by. Once you get in there, its an enchanted world. A dozen or so tap handles, featuring a variety of great beer, including Moose Drool, SKA Decadent, Bell’s Oberon, New Belgium Ranger IPA and more make this a great place to hang out on a bar stool all day. Everything about the place is fantastic. The jukebox has been described as the best in the Valley, and it is one of those few bars that looks good with daylight streaming in the windows. It’s not exactly classy, but definitely more than a dive bar. They describe it best when they call themselves “A maverick cult on the fringe of respectable drinking.” That, along with a friendly bar staff and owner and a good mix of people hanging out says all you need to know about TT Roadhouse.
Sun Up Brewery at 322 E. Camelback is on our list. A small bar and dining area gives way to a courtyard which seems comfortable even during the worst of the summer, and beyond that, the brewery building which also has a large open space filled with tables, and another bar. Brewmaster Uwe Boer can frequently be seen through the glass working hard on his amazing beers. Everything from the Trooper IPA to the Armadillo Red and the Light Rail Cream Ale get his exacting attention. There are several other beers always on tap, and expect to find a cask conditioned specialty most of the time. The food is outstanding so you can maintain your nourishment while having a couple of beers. Best of all may be that they are less than a five minute walk to the light rail stop at Camelback and Central.
If you ever had a drink in Tempe, you probably know the Yucca Tap Room, but did you know that they now have some great beer there? And you may think that Yucca is all about great bands, and it is. Still, sitting there during the day time nursing a Bell’s Oberon or a Left Hand Milk Stout poured off the nitrogen faucet makes for a relaxing afternoon. You have the opportunity to shoot a little pool or play an arcade game or two in case you need a break from relaxing on your bar stool watching the world go by. Of course Yucca is one of those rare places where you can start your day at 6:00 AM with Happy Hour.
If you don’t like pool and arcade games, or just sitting there staring out the window, how about a little Off Track Betting? Stray Cats on University in Tempe allows you to bet on the horses while enjoying some fine craft beer. Have Ska True Blonde, Dale’s Pale Ale or New Belgium 1554 on draft while you wager on the ponies. You may not win, but you will never have enjoyed losing so much.
If you’re up in North Phoenix, stop by Mellow Mushroom at I17 and Deer Valley. Located in the middle of two large shopping areas, you can relax and unwind at a bar featuring 36 craft beers on tap, over 50 bottles and cans of craft beer, great pizza and a couple of truly fun daytime bartenders. Happy Hour, with half price pints, starts at 3:00, but you’ll probably arrive right after lunch and spend the afternoon.
On 7th Street at Sheridan, look for The Main Ingredient. Matt Diamond, who has been behind the scenes at many great bars and restaurants in Phoenix, steps out front to present his version of a great bar. With a patio as big as the inside, a top notch staff, and Sonoran Inebriator, Oskar Blues Gordon and Avery White Rascal on tap, how can you go wrong? Couple that with fantastic food and you can let the day run right in to the evening. If you need anything else…Happy Hour runs all day until about 6:00 PM.
If wine is more your thing, take a trip to Cave Creek and try out Brix in the Stagecoach Village shopping center. Described as, “If Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp drank wine, this is where they would drink it,” Brix is a fine place to while away an afternoon. A wonderful selection of wines, an owner who will talk sports, country music, politics or just about anything else that interests you and a diverse clientele make this a great stop. On any given day, you might find yourself sitting next to the guitar player from one of the hot local bands, a professional bull rider, or any of the other fascinating people you might meet there. This is one of those places where one visit makes you a regular. And, look for some good beer to be available there shortly.
There are a few other spots in town like Moto on 7th Street and Glendale, Buffalo Wings and Rings in Chandler, Whole Foods (yes Whole Foods, go there and you will understand) in Chandler and De La Cruz if you are out in the Gold Canyon area. All offer good beer and a good environment to spend an afternoon with.
No matter when you have a beer, whether it’s a breakfast beer, a beer with lunch, an early afternoon, or starting the evening off, day drinking is a nice change of pace. Enjoy the places above and go for the good beer whenever you can.
Right at the top of the list has to be TT Roadhouse. Located on 68th Street, just north of Thomas in Scottsdale, this tiny bar is real easy to drive right by. Once you get in there, its an enchanted world. A dozen or so tap handles, featuring a variety of great beer, including Moose Drool, SKA Decadent, Bell’s Oberon, New Belgium Ranger IPA and more make this a great place to hang out on a bar stool all day. Everything about the place is fantastic. The jukebox has been described as the best in the Valley, and it is one of those few bars that looks good with daylight streaming in the windows. It’s not exactly classy, but definitely more than a dive bar. They describe it best when they call themselves “A maverick cult on the fringe of respectable drinking.” That, along with a friendly bar staff and owner and a good mix of people hanging out says all you need to know about TT Roadhouse.
Sun Up Brewery at 322 E. Camelback is on our list. A small bar and dining area gives way to a courtyard which seems comfortable even during the worst of the summer, and beyond that, the brewery building which also has a large open space filled with tables, and another bar. Brewmaster Uwe Boer can frequently be seen through the glass working hard on his amazing beers. Everything from the Trooper IPA to the Armadillo Red and the Light Rail Cream Ale get his exacting attention. There are several other beers always on tap, and expect to find a cask conditioned specialty most of the time. The food is outstanding so you can maintain your nourishment while having a couple of beers. Best of all may be that they are less than a five minute walk to the light rail stop at Camelback and Central.
If you ever had a drink in Tempe, you probably know the Yucca Tap Room, but did you know that they now have some great beer there? And you may think that Yucca is all about great bands, and it is. Still, sitting there during the day time nursing a Bell’s Oberon or a Left Hand Milk Stout poured off the nitrogen faucet makes for a relaxing afternoon. You have the opportunity to shoot a little pool or play an arcade game or two in case you need a break from relaxing on your bar stool watching the world go by. Of course Yucca is one of those rare places where you can start your day at 6:00 AM with Happy Hour.
If you don’t like pool and arcade games, or just sitting there staring out the window, how about a little Off Track Betting? Stray Cats on University in Tempe allows you to bet on the horses while enjoying some fine craft beer. Have Ska True Blonde, Dale’s Pale Ale or New Belgium 1554 on draft while you wager on the ponies. You may not win, but you will never have enjoyed losing so much.
If you’re up in North Phoenix, stop by Mellow Mushroom at I17 and Deer Valley. Located in the middle of two large shopping areas, you can relax and unwind at a bar featuring 36 craft beers on tap, over 50 bottles and cans of craft beer, great pizza and a couple of truly fun daytime bartenders. Happy Hour, with half price pints, starts at 3:00, but you’ll probably arrive right after lunch and spend the afternoon.
On 7th Street at Sheridan, look for The Main Ingredient. Matt Diamond, who has been behind the scenes at many great bars and restaurants in Phoenix, steps out front to present his version of a great bar. With a patio as big as the inside, a top notch staff, and Sonoran Inebriator, Oskar Blues Gordon and Avery White Rascal on tap, how can you go wrong? Couple that with fantastic food and you can let the day run right in to the evening. If you need anything else…Happy Hour runs all day until about 6:00 PM.
If wine is more your thing, take a trip to Cave Creek and try out Brix in the Stagecoach Village shopping center. Described as, “If Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp drank wine, this is where they would drink it,” Brix is a fine place to while away an afternoon. A wonderful selection of wines, an owner who will talk sports, country music, politics or just about anything else that interests you and a diverse clientele make this a great stop. On any given day, you might find yourself sitting next to the guitar player from one of the hot local bands, a professional bull rider, or any of the other fascinating people you might meet there. This is one of those places where one visit makes you a regular. And, look for some good beer to be available there shortly.
There are a few other spots in town like Moto on 7th Street and Glendale, Buffalo Wings and Rings in Chandler, Whole Foods (yes Whole Foods, go there and you will understand) in Chandler and De La Cruz if you are out in the Gold Canyon area. All offer good beer and a good environment to spend an afternoon with.
No matter when you have a beer, whether it’s a breakfast beer, a beer with lunch, an early afternoon, or starting the evening off, day drinking is a nice change of pace. Enjoy the places above and go for the good beer whenever you can.
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