Ending a weekend thrice as nice...

No better way to end a weekend, good or bad, is a damn good Belgian.  The St. Bernardus Tripel is a winner and highly recommended (at the beginning of the week, the middle of the week, and the end of the week).  This golden colored ale has a gentle fruity nose and yeasty finish. Thrice as nice.
Prost.

San Diego Be My Home...

A whirlwind week in San Diego was filled with a trip to an established craft brewery (Stone), a cool urban, edgy brewery (Mission), and two nano-breweries (Bay City, Modern Times).  Home of craft beer, there are a lot of choices, but this selection gives you the big, the bad, and the fledgling.

Too bad work got in the way...

And so Gose the Summer...

Admittedly I was a bit apprehensive about trying a Gose (Go-zuh), as I'm not a fan of sours, but after reading the article below I was tempted enough to get a 6-pack of Six Point Jammer to try during a trip to the beach.  (I've found you can never go wrong with a Six Point.)

As a first try of a Gose, I thought Jammer was a terrific introduction and represented the style well.  Jammer was light (4.5 ABV), a bit spicy, a bit salty, a bit sweet.  I enjoyed it to start the on-beach happy hour and while tending the grill.  The taste was different, but enjoyable - a welcome step out from the traditional beach wheat.  

If you're looking for an IPA or a traditional beer you'll be disappointed.  If you're looking to try something different, light, with a complex flavor profile, you'll be satisfied with a smile.

Prost.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/dining/gose-beer.html?_r=0

Imperial Stout with just a touch of Shout

A straight up stout with a hint of coffee, not much head, not much aroma, but a 10.2% ABV kick that creates a nice smile while watching the Nats and O's pick up wins.  Not sure if I would seek out this Sierra Nevada Narwhal, but it's a nice way to end a Friday night.
Prost.

Time to Get Summerish...

And so as we start the summer we turn to summerish beers, a bit light, a bit hoppy, a bit different. This month's selection was a tight race between a Great Lakes favorite and a hop laden Six Point Crisp.  Congrats to the Dortmunder Gold - a tribute to the Fatherland.

Heil Summer.

You say Tornado, I say Toronado...

 A recent trip to San Francisco brought us back to Mikheller (more on that in a later post), but it was a first at Toronado, a local 'garage beer bar' located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. This place is awesome on its own - selection, ambiance, a neighboring homemade sausage bar - but what made this special was the trio of Russian River that was available - Nirvana.

Pliney the Elder (which we ordered first for fear the keg would kick), Damnation, and Blind Pig. I would recommend this even if you had to drag your Grandmother.

Prost.

How to spend your weekend for the next 2 months...

Bored on the weekend?  Don't have an array of chores and baseball practices and games to attend such that you're sitting around thinking of how to occupy your time?  Fear not.  Follow the link below and pick from the myriad regional beer festivals.  Get out there!  Enjoy something new, something different.  There's a whole world of beer out there waiting for you!

Prost.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-guide/wp/2015/04/09/its-beer-festival-season-or-how-to-spend-your-weekends-for-the-next-two-months/