Stone Craft Beer and Food Festival

Holy crap, was this a good time. $55 for all you can eat and all you can drink. And drink and eat we did. They had a ton of great beers from local breweries in San Diego. The Green Flash West Coast IPA was there, and did not disappoint - as it never does. I did discover a new beer, however. Shark Attack by Port Brewing in San Marcos was a great find. I'll do a full review of it soon, but suffice it to say that we visited the find gentleman pouring the Shark Attack multiple times. Thanks Stone! P.S. - the photo above is the garden at the brewery where the event was. Not a bad place, if you ask me!

Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger was Pliny the Elder's nephew, in the case of this beer, the "Younger" is a triple IPA. Pliny the Younger is hopped three times more than our standard IPA, and is dry hopped four different times. 


Once again, the above is stolen from Russian River's webiste. The younger is a brew that is difficult to find. In fact, I've only had it once, but what a beer it was. One of the finest IPAs that I have had the pleasure of drinking. Very hoppy and full. If you can find it anywhere be sure to order one. It's usually found in the spring, as it is a seasonal brew.

Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Although not considered his most important work, Pliny and his contemporaries created the botanical name for hops, "Lupus salictarius", meaning wolf among scrubs." Hops at that time grew wild among willows, much like a wolf in the forest. Later the current botanical name, Humulus lupulus, was adopted. Pliny died in 79 AD while observing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle's legacy by documenting much of what he observed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.


I stole the previous copy from Russian River's website. Their Pliny the Elder beer is a true treat. Any place that you find it on tap, order a pint of it. You won't be disappointed. It is a great beer that you will want time and time again. It is a tough find, as Russian River is a small brewery, but they brew a big beer!

Cismontane

If you are anywhere near Orange County, CA, be sure to check out this place. Their Coulter IPA is one of the best I have tasted, and the two guys that run the place are great. It's a tiny brewery in south OC, but they produce some great beers. They're barely a year old, but clearly are great brewers. If you are in the OC any time, be sure to stop by their tasting room. They are open Thursday through Sunday. Buy one of their aforementioned growlers, and you won't be disappointed. Here's to hoping they make it!

Dream job

Sure, I know it's probably not his full time job, but still. Anyone that gets to write about beer and taste it to determine what is the best has a great lot in life. Even if the author didn't taste all the beers, I'm sure he found a way to sample the highest rated. The different varieties and flavors must have been like a slice of heave above. Check out which beers were highest rated. See if your favorite was on the list!

http://www.ratebeer.com/RateBeerBest/

Growlers

For those of you living near a brewer, you should invest in a growler! These are a great way to enjoy beer from the tap even when you can't be at the brewery. Be warned, though, once you open them, drink them quickly as the beer will go flat. Enjoy!

Artisan Brew and Craft Beer Festival

Can't wait for Sunday! Stone is having an Artisan Brew and Craft Beer festival with big name chefs from San Diego. They'll have eight courses of food, paired with eight craft beers from local breweries, including my favorite: Green Flash. If any of you are anywhere near San Diego this weekend, I highly recommend spending the $55 for this event. It will be well worth it... oh, and save a few bucks for cab fare. You probably won't be driving home!

www.stonebrew.com