Beer Photo Friday - Visual Jokes with Beer - July 8

Last Friday's Beer Photo Friday had some fantastic beer jokes - whether they were intentional or not:

• @BeltaneBrewing posted an empty tulip glass, calling it "The Emperor's New Clothes".  I'm looking forward to trying the beer from this new brewery. I promise to give legitimate feedback and not just blow sunshine up his.... tulip glass.
• @TALLJETSFAN  appropriately paired a maduro-wrapped cigar with a Lagunitas IPA (ahem) Maximus. 
• @superflav held his spot at the Russian River Brewing bar with a coaster declaring his location.  Who needs Foursquare?!

Last week showed a lot of enthusiasm and good times (and one bad...@MugOfStArnold had to dump a beer down the sink).  We had 42 photos posted. Thanks to these Twitter friends for their photos!
@daresty3 @jessicajrice @beer47 @nisk916 @girlfromarizona @heathermorra @meehansdowntown @JuanBeerOrTwo @EhStrawberry @ScottARedd  @AlbertFinn @Polyclef @GregSaavedra @musingBruce @justinhamlin @superflav @vwrules57 @MugOfStArnold @AllOverBeer @aberlind @mathewmphoto @TALLJETSFAN @parfus_brews @TailgatingTimes @BeltaneBrewing @brianhewitt @bentwoookie @shrews824 @ADAM___J @ianrea @bolandero37 @BigWreck44 @FermentedArt

Discovering Beers Through Photos - Beer Photo Friday - July 2

There were some great moments captured last week for Beer Photo Friday. @norcalbeerguy was enjoying a few pints with friends. @superflav was drinking a growler Russian River by the (Russian?) river. @FermentedArt paired beer with a cigar. 

Thanks to @jmarler, I recognized the Victory Summer Love Ale label when I was on my way to a July 4th BBQ.  It was a tasty summer beer that was refreshing with ribs and potato salad. Beer labels are so distinct that I easily recognize beers submitted for Beer Photo Friday. I'm finding this a great way to discover new beers. 

Thanks to my Twitter friends for their photos!
@ADAM___J @mendiola32 @FermentedArt @shrews824 @GregSaavedra @parfus_brews @AlbertFinn @Polyclef @aberlind @pintopinion @AllOverBeer @superflav @norcalbeerguy @parfus_brews @TailgatingTimes @jessicajrice @jmarler

A Tour of a Legacy: Anchor Brewing Company

My friend, JR, invited me on his reservation for the Anchor Brewing Company.  Since it's one of the few breweries in the city of San Francisco, I've always wanted to go, but never got around to it.  I think the most prohibitive issue was knowing that there's a long waiting list to get on the tour.  Today, I was told that the tours are booked through August and the Friday tours are booked through October. 

This was my second time to Anchor.  I've been on a lot of brewery tours around the world.  This tour was pretty standard; they walk you through the brewing process from brew to bottle and then let you taste beers at the end.  However, this is one of the more beautiful breweries that I've visited because of the 1930's art-deco architecture, the copper brew kettles from Germany, and the fantastic view of the city skyline (even from the bathroom).  Anchor is unique in that they have a long history in San Francisco, since 1896, which means that they survived the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Prohibition. Joe, our tour guide, emphasized how Fritz Maytag saved Anchor from bankruptcy in 1965 and turned the brewery around which igniting the craft beer movement. 

Since buying Anchor last year, the Griffin Group has been expanding while trying to keep the Anchor legacy of San Francisco-based craft beer.  In mid-July, Anchor is going to increase the capacity of their bottling line.  In order to install the new line, which cannot be assembled piecemeal, they will need to knock down the wall to their bottling room and have a crane drop in the new bottle line. I'm looking forward to seeing what will develop from Anchor as they preserve their traditions while expanding their production and possibly their brand.

 

Filling the Vessels for Beer Photo Friday - June 24

Great photo's from last week's Beer Photo Friday! Check it out:

The drinking vessels really stood out for me: the frothy glasses, the stemmed glasses, the iconic beer mug, the Drake's logo glass, and the two Lagunitas mason jars.  I keeps seeing those mason jars every week to the point that I'm starting to really want one!

Thanks to my Twitter friends for their photos!
@R_Crego @daresty3 @norcalbeerguy @lovbrew @iheartbarges @jessicajrice @TailgatingTimes @vwrules57 @aberlind @AllOverBeer @Polyclef @shrews824 @ADAM___J @mikemanger @pintopinion

Kicking Off My Shoes with Beer Photo Friday - June 17

Last Friday, beer lovers were hanging by the pool (@Polyclef), sitting on the green grass (@jessicajrice) , and relaxing on the patio (@John_J_Sheehan, @superflav, @bentwoookie, @hoyle13, @lm9791).

@iheartbarges has us anxiously awaiting the arrival of a baby with weekly pics that include the belly of an expecting mother.  Congrats! 


Warm evenings are extremely rare here in San Francisco, so my Friday photo of Sierra Nevada's Southern Hemisphere Harvest was taken inside. However, Saturday was clear and sunny.  I was able to kick off my shoes on Willie Mays Field and drink Lagunitas IPA at AT&T Park at the Genentech Gives Back Event.  Thanks to my friends J and E for the invitation! Check out my pic of Maroon 5 as the surprise headliner. 

Special thanks to my Twitter friends for their photos!
@OaktownFunk @aberlind @AlbertFinn @jmarler @parfus_brews @nikoboxxx @R_Crego @beertography @John_J_Sheehan @lordhedgie @Polyclef @jessicajrice @AllOverBeer @iheartbarges @shrews824 @superflav @pepher @sagerobison @bentwoookie @hoyle13@lm9791 @daresty3 @bagofsongs @ADAM___J @beer47

South Durham Confection Company's Beer Cookies - for the Grown-Up Palate

I was intrigued the first time I heard about beer cookies; cookies designed to be paired with beer.  Would they be purely savory? Slightly bitter? More like crackers? In the press release, I learned that I could pick up some South Durham Confection Company's cookies at Fullsteam in Durham, N.C. During my last trip to N.C., I picked up 9 oz. bags of each of their flavors - Curry Spice, Toasted Sesame, and Blue Cheese Rosemary. As you can see on the packaging, there are a few beer pairing suggestions. 

 

These cookies are like biscuits, or as I like to call them, Grown Up Cookies.  They are not overly sweet and there are complex flavors that mingle savory, sweet, spicy, and bitter.

Curry Spice

The Curry Spice cookie had a strong cumin/clove aroma which made me expect a savory biscuit.  Instead, this cookie was sweet and spicy, like eating homemade pumpkin/zuchini bread.  The cinnamon and black peppercorn add a spicy zing, which nicely lingers on the palate even after I washed it down with Dupont Moinette Blonde. This was a true pairing; the garam masala spices enhanced the clove flavors in the Belgian blonde.

When I paired this cookie with the Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, the spiciness washed down well.  This pairing created a sensation similar to drinking IPA with savory spicy food without the grease and salt.

Blue Cheese and Rosemary

With the Blue Cheese and Rosemary cookie, the cheese is mild and not sour.  With the Sculpin IPA, the extreme flavors of cheese and hoppiness are mellowed.  I paired this with the 2011 Symposium New Albion Porter that I had leftover from this year's Craft Brewer's Conference. With the porter, the flavors in the cookie didn't change much.  It was a nice pairing; like having a morning cup of coffee with a sweet and savory scone.

Toasted Sesame

This is the mildest and least extreme of all the cookies.  This does not mean that it is boring. The cookie is sweet and nutty. I could eat it every day and serve it to unadventurous guests. The sweetness from the sesame cookie matched with the sweetness of the New Albion Porter. The nutty toastiness matched with the Big Boss Bad Penny dark brown ale that I carried home from N.C.

Summer is Coming! - Beer Photo Friday - June 10, 2011

You can tell by the beer styles and location where people are drinking that summer is coming.  This season is synonymous with refreshing ales, concerts, and outdoor dining. Check it out!

Thanks to these Twitter friends for their photos!
@beer47 @lovbrew @heathermorra @AlbertFinn @mathewmphoto @R_Crego @OaktownFunk @jessicajrice @mendiola32 @hoyle13 @AllOverBeer @Polyclef @TALLJETSFAN @iheartbarges @shrews824 @mikemanger @ADAM___J