Just noticed this week, that a mere TWO BLOCKS from our house, well, maybe three depending on your definition of a block...Prohibition Brewing Co. is opening!!
Expect a full update about this when they finally open. I keep peering in everytime I drop by, and they're definenlty working on the inside, so hopefully soon!
http://www.prohibitionbrewingcompany.com/
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Beer as a Thank You
Our friend Tim stopped by with this 4-pack of Anderson Valley Imperial IPA, in exchange for me helping him come up with some recipes for a picnic date he was planning.
He never did end up taking the girl on the date (despite our delicious Nutella/Nilla Wafer dessert) but the beer was good, and the extras stayed behind in our fridge!
For an IPA I liked it. It almost seemed to have a sweetness and was a bit more floral than I like, I like a hoppier grassier taste. But all around, Ryan, Tim and I gave it high marks. I think it's 9% abv and 100 IBU, so it packs a punch!
He never did end up taking the girl on the date (despite our delicious Nutella/Nilla Wafer dessert) but the beer was good, and the extras stayed behind in our fridge!
For an IPA I liked it. It almost seemed to have a sweetness and was a bit more floral than I like, I like a hoppier grassier taste. But all around, Ryan, Tim and I gave it high marks. I think it's 9% abv and 100 IBU, so it packs a punch!
A Baseball stop at URGE
We took two friends/customers to a Padres game in September, and before we decided to swing by URGE and grab dinner.
I didn't get the delicious chicken and waffles, but I did have an amazing sausage and grilled pepper sandwich. Even more importantly, I finally got to try Hop in the Dark by Deschutes. Deschutes classifies this as a Cascadian dark ale, but it's a Black IPA. Which, as I've said before, I'm a big fan of!
This is MUCH better than the Stone 15th Anniversary black IPA. It's a little coffeeish, but not too rich. Fairly high in carbonation, it's easy to drink and pleasant on the palate. I wish it wasn't seasonal! If you're lucky enough to come across some, try it!
The other beer in this picture is Mach 10 which is an IPA by Bear Republic, which Ryan had and enjoyed, but I didn't write down his specific comments and now I can't remember, oops!
I didn't get the delicious chicken and waffles, but I did have an amazing sausage and grilled pepper sandwich. Even more importantly, I finally got to try Hop in the Dark by Deschutes. Deschutes classifies this as a Cascadian dark ale, but it's a Black IPA. Which, as I've said before, I'm a big fan of!
This is MUCH better than the Stone 15th Anniversary black IPA. It's a little coffeeish, but not too rich. Fairly high in carbonation, it's easy to drink and pleasant on the palate. I wish it wasn't seasonal! If you're lucky enough to come across some, try it!
The other beer in this picture is Mach 10 which is an IPA by Bear Republic, which Ryan had and enjoyed, but I didn't write down his specific comments and now I can't remember, oops!
Deschutes: the dissident and THE ABYSS
Found these bottles at O'Briens in San Diego, CA. A great beer bar with inexpensive but really good traditional bar food (I recommend the garlic fries and the patty melt, or jalapeno tuna melt!). We actually visited Deschutes on our honey (beer) moon, but I drank these with a few friends a couple months before.
I had actually just come from an annoying dress fitting, where my dress didn't fit and I had to pay money to alter it so I was cranky, and these beers along with a few others helped ease the pain. I love drinking rare beers, and beer I haven't tried before, and luckily for me, Kyle and Logan were up for the challenge of splitting a few bottles!
the dissident
A flanders style sour brown, this one was great! Not as sour as my favorite (the Rodenbach Grand Cru), it had a subtle sour taste, that melded well with the brown malty notes. It's fermented in pinot and cabernet bottles, for 18 months! I've never found this beer anywhere else, but if you see it, let me know. I want more!
THE ABYSS
A stout, it's strong! At 11%, this beer means business. It's deep, malty, with some caramel? undertones, I really enjoyed this for a darker beer. A little rough to drink this side by side with the dissident, they are both great for different reasons. THE ABYSS is easier to find, although released just once a year. The bottle we tried had been aged awhile, and I'd love to compare a fresh bottle against an aged to see how they compare.
Deschutes is one of my favorite breweries, and these are just two reasons why!
Hub City Oatmeal Stout
I ordered this beer when I was having dinner with my extended family of aunts and cousins in Dubuque, IA a few years back for our grandmother's funeral.
Sad occasion, but no reason not to try a new beer. I ordered this one because I was in a big stout porter stage of life. This isn't a bad oatmeal stout, but a little thinner and more mild than I prefer. I would try something else from Hub City if I come across it!
Firestone Release Party at URGE Gastropub
Since we stopped by the Firestone Brewery, we have been following them on facebook. They mentioned they were having a VIP Firestone Release Party for this year's Parabola, but Ryan and I were feeling cheap and didn't sign up for the $25 tickets.
They posted again, two days before the event, and I was like, maybe we should see if they have room. It sounds pretty cool, and we can go over there after work. Sure enough, Ryan called and reserved us two placed.
We had never been to URGE before (now it's one of our favorite beer/food places!) and we were amazed. How had this place existed half an hour from our house without us knowing?! The even was in a private dining room, and there were maybe 10 of us there. Jayce, Firestone's own cicerone (like a sommolier, but for beer) led the tasting of way too many amazing beers.
They had Jack, Double Jack, Solace, Parabola, 2010 Parabola, DBA, Pale 31. If Firestone made it, they had it. Jayce was great, and trying different years side by side he really was able to point out some different tastes and varieties I hadn't realized before.
Oh, and the food. Mmmm. Wings, Mac and Cheese deep fried nuggets, some spicy rabbit sausage corndog style lollipops. It wasn't long before we went back and had a real meal. And some Dogfish Head 120 minute, but that's another post.
They posted again, two days before the event, and I was like, maybe we should see if they have room. It sounds pretty cool, and we can go over there after work. Sure enough, Ryan called and reserved us two placed.
We had never been to URGE before (now it's one of our favorite beer/food places!) and we were amazed. How had this place existed half an hour from our house without us knowing?! The even was in a private dining room, and there were maybe 10 of us there. Jayce, Firestone's own cicerone (like a sommolier, but for beer) led the tasting of way too many amazing beers.
They had Jack, Double Jack, Solace, Parabola, 2010 Parabola, DBA, Pale 31. If Firestone made it, they had it. Jayce was great, and trying different years side by side he really was able to point out some different tastes and varieties I hadn't realized before.
Oh, and the food. Mmmm. Wings, Mac and Cheese deep fried nuggets, some spicy rabbit sausage corndog style lollipops. It wasn't long before we went back and had a real meal. And some Dogfish Head 120 minute, but that's another post.
Beer Moon #19: Firestone
Firestone is a CA favorite, and this stop was really an excuse to meet up with Ryan's cousin Kyle who lives nearby, and to break up the long drive home. San Fransisco to Vista in one day. Ugh. With some LA rush hour traffic stopping us up a few hours from home.
I'm a huge fan of the Firestone DBA as an everyday drinking beer, and Ryan is in love with their Double Jack. The coolest part of this visit was the private tour Kyle arranged for us through his friend who works there in sales.
Their tasting room is super cute, and they offer pretzels (with the best mustard I've had in a long time) and small flatbread pizzas (which Kyle ate but I didn't, we stopped for Subway before we got there)
While we were here we tried the Parabola, Unfiltered DBA (better than the regular!) and the Velvet Merkin (or Velvet Merlin depending on who you ask) aged in bourbon barrels.
The Parabola was a little too bourbony for me. But the VM in bourbon was just enough!
I'm a huge fan of the Firestone DBA as an everyday drinking beer, and Ryan is in love with their Double Jack. The coolest part of this visit was the private tour Kyle arranged for us through his friend who works there in sales.
Their tasting room is super cute, and they offer pretzels (with the best mustard I've had in a long time) and small flatbread pizzas (which Kyle ate but I didn't, we stopped for Subway before we got there)
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| Half pint glass! I bought one to use at home, perfect amount for me! |
The Parabola was a little too bourbony for me. But the VM in bourbon was just enough!
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| Aging in bourbon barrels. |
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| Kyle and Ryan sporting some awesome safety glasses on the tour. |
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