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Where’s the Crap Beer Bar? – Firestone Walker’s Union Jack (IPA)

12/15/2014

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As a long-time Warriors fan and an honoree season ticket holder, one would think that it would be easy to find good beer at a Warriors game.  Not so much.  For years, I’d opt for a pint of Leffe and a slice of cheese pizza before every game because 1) I’m extremely superstitious, and 2) I had to visit Tina, the most-friendly bartender in the stadium.  This was a great idea until I could no longer take one more sip of a Leffe, and the Dubs replaced pizza with a frozen yogurt bar.  I swear, only in the Bay Area (sigh).  Sure, I could probably score some quality beer in one of the courtside club areas, but until I win the lotto, I’m left to fend for my picky palate on my own.  But, after watching a recent episode of Warriors Central, I thought my luck may have changed after learning about the new “craft beer bar” in the arena.  Yippee!!!

A friend and I arrived at the game early in search of this “craft beer bar.”  We asked three different ushers where it was located and no joke, got the same three responses: “CRAP beer bar?” followed by a look of utter confusion.  After establishing that we were looking for CRAFT beer not crap beer, we were pointed to the Budweiser bar and also asked if we were in need of a pitcher of beer.  This got me thinking that I either need to start annunciating better (are we still talking about CRAP beer?), or there are a ton of people who have never heard of craft beer.*  I tried explaining it as local, small breweries, which didn’t really seem to help.  And my friend chimed in and said "you know, like Lagunitas?”  Eventually we made our way to the “craft beer bar,” and found a pizza place with Firestone Walker’s Pivo and Union Jack, along with Budweiser (or some other big name beer) on tap.   The ushers were spot on – we were looking for the “crap beer bar.”  But, at least I got a Union Jack to go with my slice of cheese pizza. 

At 7.5% ABV, Firestone Walker’s Union Jack is a solid, west coast-style IPA, and probably your best (if not only) IPA option at Oracle Arena unless you're sitting somewhere fancy.  This beer is quite tangy, full of pine and citrus hops.  You can find it at Slices and Suds at Oracle Arena, or your local grocery store.

*BTW, if you’re interested in how the Brewers Association defines “craft beer,” check out this link:  http://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics/craft-brewer-defined/. 



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An Oldie but a Goodie - Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA (imperial IPA)

12/8/2014

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Some days, particularly when it’s cold and rainy, I just want to keep it simple and go with what I know.  When the weather outside is frightful, I tend to reach for my favorite Lagunitas hoodie, my Sonoma State sweatpants, and a beer that I already know I like such as Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA.  That, coupled with some NCAA hoops on the tube, made for a delightful evening the other night after a long day at the office. 

I quickly became a fan of Delaware’s first brewery after reading Sam Calagione’s, Dogfish Head founder, book “Brewing Up A Business.”  This is a great read for anyone looking to start up a brewery or any small business for that matter.  Dogfish Head became one of the nation’s 20 largest breweries based on the mantra that they make “off-centered beer for off-centered people.”  Prior to reading the book, I had only tried a handful of their beers and had avoided the 90 Minute IPA.  Why?  Well, Dogfish Head is expensive.  Many of their signature beers are sold in four packs and go for about $12 a pop.  Considering you can get a lot of great six-packs, especially IPAs, for less than $10, I have stayed away merely because of price.  But, after reading the book, I quickly became obsessed with Sam and the Dogfish Head story.  I have since tried a number of their beers and have been wowed by most, particularly the 90 Minute IPA and the Midas Touch. 

The 90 Minute IPA has been deemed by Esquire as the best IPA in the country.  Well, it’s hard to say what’s the “best,” but it would certainly make my top five IPA list.  Living in California, I am used to the extra hoppy west coast IPA, but the 90 Minute IPA is much more malty than hoppy.  I’d recommend this beer to anyone who likes a strong beer (9% ABV), but thinks IPAs are too bitter.  Yes, there are plenty of hops as noted by the 90 Minute IPA moniker referring to the 90-minute constant hop addition.  But, this beer is more malty and sweet than what a Californian IPA drinker might expect.  If it’s a representation of its coast, I’m certainly down to check out other east coast IPAs.   



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The Dubs Are Back - 21A’s Back in Black (black IPA)

11/3/2014

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Until this clever little Thrillist.com article (Perfect Beer for Every NBA Team) came out, I’ve always associated 21st Amendment with the San Francisco Giants and my dear friend Lisa Copeland.  The Giants because 21A is a great place to hit up before a game, and Copeland because she introduced me to Back in Black several years ago.  But, I can’t say that I’ve ever linked 21A with the Golden State Warriors until this read.  First off, this article is genius.  Pairing beer and basketball?  Hello, two of my favorite things!  I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t write it first myself.  It’s a great preview of this year’s NBA season as well as a shout out to a regional brewery for each team.  Well done, Thrillist.com.
 
As a serial beer taster, I must admit that it’s been awhile since I’ve drank my last Back in Black.  But, in honor of the just-begun NBA season, I had to toast my 3-0 Dubs this afternoon with their honoree beer.  I like the pairing with 21A, but I’m not sure if I would’ve connected the dots myself.  If I were to choose, I may have gone with Ale Industries’ Golden State of Mind or perhaps Lagunitas’ Undercover Investigation Shut-Down.  Golden State of Mind for obvious reasons and because Ale Industries is just one BART stop away from Oracle Arena.  Undercover Shut-Down because the Dubs have been one of the worst defensive teams up until a few years ago.  Even as a die-hard fan, it’s still tough to believe the Dubs are one of the best defensive teams in the league who shut down their opponents.  But, I better start believing.  Even ESPN writer Ethan Sherwood Strauss picked the Dubs to win it all, noting their defense as one of the number one reasons. Clearly, the Don Nelson days of “small ball” to outscore their opponents are long gone. 

Back in Black is a delicious black IPA that can easily be found at your local Bay Area grocery store as one of 21A’s three year-round beers.  You’ll get the carbonation and high ABV (6.8%) of an IPA but with some of the smoothness and sweetness of a dark-malted stout.  Plus, according to the article, the Dubs are back!   (Knock on wood)

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Brews, Bikes, and Beaches - Green Flash's Green Bullet (triple IPA)

9/20/2014

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In my world, Green Flash and Pickle are one in the same.  My dear friend Pickle (aka Picky) and I go way back to 1999 when we met at Sonoma State.  She is one of my best buds and favorite brew drinking buddies.  Over the past few years, Picky has become a huge Green Flash fan.  No matter what’s on tap, she ALWAYS goes with Green Flash.  

Earlier this summer, Picky and I ventured down to San Diego with my sister (Fats) and her boyfriend (Norty).  The four of us called the trip "Brews, Bikes, and Beaches" as one would expect any trip to SD (or San Deaaaago as we refer to it) would entail.  If you haven’t been to SD lately, holy mother of God – it’s a craft brew fan’s delight!  Not only do they have some of the “big names” like Stone and Ballast Point, they also have some little guys like Modern Times and Coronado.  No matter where you go, good beer is EVERYWHERE!

Visiting Green Flash was high on our priority list.  To paint a picture, we took a $60 Uber ride from our vacation spot on the bay just to get there.  And once we got there, we knew our 60 bones was well invested.  Modern and industrial with tons of strong beers on tap and a British-themed food truck, we were in heaven.  We must have tried 15 different beers that day with very little dumping of the tasters.  See, at Green Flash, most pours are served in a $1 taster for 2 oz of beer (at least the ones with less than 10% alcohol cause let’s not get cray).  This is amazing for two reasons:  1) you get to try a shit ton of beer, and 2) you leave feeling like a total baller after spending $20 on rounds and rounds of drinks.  How often do you get to that?!

One of the few beers we did not try was Green Flash’s Green Bullet, a triple IPA with dry-hops from New Zealand.  It’s a seasonal beer that's only available October – December.  It’s been on my radar ever since the trip, and today was the day I spotted THE Green Bullet in SF at The Village Market. 

Refreshingly strong but scarily smooth at a hefty 10.1%, Green Bullet was worth the wait.



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The Good Clown - Clown Shoes, Galactica (IPA)

8/23/2014

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A little over two years ago, I took a work trip to Philly where my company is based.  I had just started with the firm, and they had flown me across country to meet my boss as well as some other ice breaker shenanigans.  I landed on a Thursday, which was coincidentally the first official start day of the 2012 NFL season.  I ventured out into the streets of Philadelphia to find a good beer bar, watch “the game,” and fill up on some grub.  I know what you’re thinking but no, I did not see Bruce Springsteen or Tom Hanks for that matter.  Instead, I came across Perch Pub where I was first introduced to Clown Shoes Beer, a brewery based out of Ipswich, Massachusetts. 

At this time in my life, I was obsessed with brown ales.  I mean, I’ve always had a thing for liquid sweetness (hello, Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown!), but that was kind of all I drank back then.  I asked the bartender for a recommendation and he pointed me to the Clown Shoes’ Pimp.  First, Clown Shoes?  Second, Pimp?  YES!  One maybe two sips in, and I was hooked.  The thought of pimps and brown ale just really made sense to me and all of my taste buds. 

When I returned to the Bay, I was on the hunt for Clown Shoes only to learn that there was no distribution to the state.  Boy, was I disappointed.  All I could talk about was Clown Shoes this and Clown Shoes that.  Did you I tell you about that Pimp ale?  My friends understood that I was #obsessed.  Well, lucky for me, Clown Shoes started distributing out in my hood about a year later.  Unfortunately, Pimp had been put behind bars forever, or retired as the website states, and I was never able to try it again.  But regardless, Clown Shoes had a friend in me.  BevMo carried it for a hot second (and maybe they still do) but only in very limited styles.  Some of the label designs and names of the beer are a little too risqué for corporate entities.  Funny, I don't recall ever seeing Clown Shoes' labels like Tramp Stamp, Vampire Slayer (now Undead Party Crasher), and Pimp in a BevMo. 

Fast forward to August 2014 when I walked into The Good Hop, Oakland’s newest bottle shop, for the first time and spotted not one but FIVE different types of Clown Shoes.  Ding, ding, ding - We have a winner!!!  I picked up the Galactica to drink onsite and the Undead Party Crasher to drink at home. 

Galactica tastes like your standard east coast IPA –  great day-time, warm weather kind of beer but don’t expect a lot of hops. 

Side note:  Be on the lookout for Clown Shoes’ Pecan Porter.  If you want to celebrate the fall and you’re not into pumpkin ales, this is EXACTLY the beer for you.  I discovered it last November on tap at Beer Rev.  It tastes just as it sounds. 



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    Domenica Curran is an Oakland gal with a passion for craft brews and the stories behind them.

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