Brian Yaeger's Blog, page 9

Session #30: Beer Desserts

This month, David Jensen at Beer 47 asks us beer bloggers to blog-tificate on Beer Desserts, that is, dessert that features beer as an ingredient. You'd think by my last post that I'd already known this was the upcoming topic, but you'd think incorrectly.
Here's the snippet from my previous post dealing with this very subject that starts with two beers I chose to pair with the beer dessert I'd prepared:

O'Hanlon's Original Ruby Stout and Ale Asylum Mercy Grand Cru: I found this bottle of port barr

Beer dinner IV: Beer is the new wine

Half Pint and I had fallen off the beer-dinner horse we started riding back before we even shacked up together, but got back on in fine fashion. Since it's been a while, a recap is in order. We invite four other people over (since our table seats six), devise a theme (Stoutstanding, Locavores, Bob's Yer Uncle, among other similar ones), plan a menu replete with beer pairings, and clear some space in the Beeradise.
The guest list called for Colleen & Hunter (Half Pint used to work for Colleen, and

Recently at the Toronado

Last week at the Toro-nado here in SF, I rode there primarily there to meet Jens Ungstrup,  the primary RateBeerian who, to date, has reviewed 13,546 beers. I'd recently interviewed him for a story on beer geeks in the August All About Beer and he happened to be in town for the Rate Beer Summer Gathering (which I was out of town for over the weekend:-(

In addition to chatting over several great beers (including http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/fantome-saison/7661/ provided by staff), Jens left me w

Brewing 101

How could I be the first to think of this? A brewery ought to open up along the major highway that runs up California's Pacific Coast, probably in the Central Coast, and call itself Brewing 101. The basics of brewing. They could offer many basic styles such as an Amber, Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Porter or Stout, and maybe throw in an IPA.

On the way back from a brief road trip to LA, Half Pint and I took the scenic Highway 101 back to SF, which is how I finally made it to the Santa Maria Brewing Co. I

SF Beer Examiner posts: Rum Month

So many outlets (mostly online), so little time. When the Examiner rolled out the red carpet for their Rum Month project, I thought I'd be left out in the cold. Being resourceful, I found two ways to incorporate rum into writing about beer.

The first was to write about rum barrel aged beers as well as a beer-and-rum cocktail.
The second was to write about the 3 craft breweries that have launched craft distilleries that produce rums (if you know of any others, please leave a comment or email).
Yo ho

Session 29: Will travel for beer

Beer by Bart's Gail & Steve ask us Beer Bloggers this month to pontificate about traveling, drinking beer, and melding the two concepts. I know a li'l somet'in'-somet'in' about going on a beer odyssey. Nowadays, I simply cannot travel anywhere without looking for the beer aspect.

Take last week for instance. The plan called for going to Sun Valley, Idaho for a friend's wedding. To get there, Half Pint and I planned to fly into Boise, then rent a car and drive to Hailey/Ketchum. Keep in mind these

Brewpub spotlight: Schooner's

With so many brewpubs in the Bay Area, it's an embarrassment of riches. Here's the first of what will be a very long series, this time focusing on Schooner's in Antioch (yes, it's technically the Bay Area). Here's my review, but what it doesn't mention is that Half Pint took me here for my birthday...and that they sold me a growlerful of Vin.de.cation. A growlerful!

Philad'ale'phia

Bryan Kolesar from Brew Lounge  dropped me a line saying he was making it back to the Bay (just in time to miss the National Homebrewers Conference that blew my mind non-stop June 18-20). He asked "is there a venue that could work for bringing in some beers to sample...I've got a box full of local beer to bring."
Those who knew this was an offer too good to pass up: Jay Hinman, Chris Cohen (nascent homebrewer), Steve, Jay Brooks, myself (no need to hyperlink to my blog. You're soaking in it.) Bry

...Btwn Jesse Friedman from BeerAndNosh

...Btwn Jesse Friedman from BeerAndNosh & Charlie Papazian of brewing legend.

Taking in Tomme Arthur's 'ingredients

Taking in Tomme Arthur's 'ingredients 5-10' session @ Nat'l Homebrewers Conf. Downing generous Lost Abbey samples, sandwiched...