Author Archives: CJ


July 15, 2011

Tap This: Central American Beer

by CJ

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I’ve traveled around most Central American countries over the past few years on surf trips and have tried pretty much all the local beers in each country I’ve visited. Right now I am in Panama and the beers here, like in other Central American countries, are all the
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April 27, 2011

Tap This: Stag Dining’s Brewmasters Dinner with Magnolia (SF)

by CJ

If you are not convinced that beer pairings work with upscale dining, this post may change your mind. Recently I attended an amazing event put on by Stag Dining Group who partnered with Magnolia Brewery to create The Brewmasters Dinner. Stag Dining Group puts on communal dinners while partnering with vineyards,
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February 25, 2011

Tap This: Beer Recipe Writing Improv

by CJ

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If you are getting tired of using beer kits or following other peoples recipes and are ready to start creating your own beers, this post is for you. When I first moved out to San Francisco I started putting Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in my keggerator on a regular basis. I
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February 11, 2011

Tap This: Strong Beer Month 2011 – The Best of Beers (SF)

by CJ

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As you might expect after seeing my last post on Strong Beer Month, I went on quite a bender last week and tried out all six strong beers at Magnolia and five out of six at 21st Amendment. Last night, I had the final hole punched (the Lord and
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February 1, 2011

Tap This: Strong Beer Month 2011 (SF)

by CJ

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February is upon us, and for those of us in the Bay Area it brings Strong Beer! If you have not heard, February is Strong Beer Month in San Francisco, a time when two of the local microbreweries Magnolia and 21st Amendment each feature six strong beers (all over
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January 7, 2011

Tap This: 2010 Top Beers (And Then Some)

by CJ

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2010 was an excellent year for beer! Here are my top five beer experiences of the year.

Avec Les Bons Voeux (Brasserie Dupont) Avec Les Bons is French for, “With best wishes.” This beer is a Saison (or Farmhouse Ale), but brewed for consumption in the winter, rather
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December 31, 2010

Tap This: Shmaltz Jewbelation

by CJ

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Just a day after my Holiday Beer post I came across another great holiday beer at City Beer. This one is actually a Chanukah beer! Jewbelation by Shmaltz Brewing Company is an American Strong Ale. Smaltz brewed eight different recipes for the eight days of Chanukah.

I was lucky enough
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December 17, 2010

Tap This: Holiday Brews

by CJ

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Ahhh the holidays! For me the time between Thanksgiving and New Years is always a huge rush. There’s always year end stuff to wrap up for work, on top of all the shopping and traveling. It can really burn you out.

But every year I do look forward to taking a break and bellying up to
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November 23, 2010

Tap This: Beer for Turkey Day

by CJ

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Most people show up with a bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir to Thanksgiving. Snore. Bring something a little different and break out a few nice beers! In fact, I have read that pilgrims drank beer, not wine, at the very first Thanksgiving. A brewery was one
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November 19, 2010

Tap This: Maui Brewing Company

by CJ

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I was lucky to be in Maui this past Labor Day weekend for a good friend’s wedding. When I got there I checked out the beers in the market and noticed a few from the locally brewed Maui Brewing Company. Since I had a few extra days I decided to check the place
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