The week in heavy drinking. Day 2: X-mas in August

Some time after the holidays, my friend Chris noticed he had a bunch of holiday beers leftover. I think I suggested he have a "Christmas in July" party. Maybe it was his idea and I just named it. Maybe I'm giving myself credit where none belongs. In any event, July turned to August and he finally got down to it. And he brought it.

The Evite called for winter warmers and holiday beers of every ilk. It also called for guests to don their most hideous Christmas sweaters or outfits, to bring cheapo gifts for a white elephant exchange, and there was the promise of Santa Claus making a surprise off-season visit. He didn't. But the Christmas playlist which included the Wham chestnut "Last Christmas" to lesser known nuggets from Jimmy Buffet more than made up for it.

Dave and Tiila brought Three Floyds Christmas Porter and Captain Lawrence Nor'Easter. Both excellent. Jesse and Eliana, fresh from their honeymoon in Italy and Belgium, brought a vertical of Shmaltz's Chanukah beer, Jewbelation. Jason showed up late but was forgiven when he pulled out a bourbon-aged Santa's Little Helper from Port Brewing and a quixotic Alameda Brewing winter warmer from '09. What'd I contribute? My mixed pack of 12-ouncers included a Shiner Cheer, y'all. Hey, it's not like Chris busted out his Bruery Partridge in a Pear Tree or vertical Samichlaus or anything.

I wish I had a photo of Half Pint and I wearing our furry hats with ear flaps we scored in the white elephant exchange! I'm sure that will surface soon.

If I keep drinking like this, Rudolph won't be the only red-nosed reindeer around here.

Tomorrow: Bear Republic Pre-GABF Cellar Party.

The Session #40: Session Beer

Erik over at Top Fermented hosts this month's version of the Session and chose a topic that's homophonically appropriate. Session beers. Erik asks:

What is your definition of a session beer? Is it, as Dr. Lewis suggested at the Craft Brewers Conference this year, “a pint of British wallop” or is your idea of a session beer a crisp Eastern European lager, a light smoky porter, a dry witbier, or even a dry Flemish sour?

Is it merely enough for a beer to be low alcohol to be considered a session beer, or is there some other ineffable quality that a beer must hold in order to merit the term? And if so, what is that quality? Is it “drinkability”? Or something else?

This will be short'n'easy (if any of you make a crude comment about my brand new wife, Half Pint, yer all in big trouble. Yes, I've been remiss about blogging since I stopped doing it long enough to get hitched to the greatest chick beer drinker in the land) since I'm a devotee of session beers, which to me is just anything I can drink several pints of without having my

keister meet the floor. For me, and I'm not saying this because I think Fritz reads my blog, it's Anchor Steam. 4.9% ABV and the one that started it all. It's got malt, it's got hops, it's got bubbles, and like barbeque sauce (otherwise, whip cream), it goes with everything. Since I live in an apartment in San Francisco, I wouldn't know from a lawn, but if I did, the first thing I'd purchase after a ridable John Deere would be a case of Anchor Steam. Yes, I love trying 14% RIS's and whatnot, but it boils down to this: I'm a lightweight! If I don't have enough food and water in me, I'm schnockered. I've never once left Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo sturdily on my own feet. But I do walk out of my local Magnolia Pub because as is their wont in being a British style gastropub (albeit with mounds of California accentuation), they brew loads of session beers. It's even on record that I rehydrate with their 3.6% Dark Star Mild after the SFBW Beer Run. Does a low alcohol session beer have to be

mild? No way, Jose. Whenever I find it, I'm sure to treat myself to the Bruery's Hottenroth Berlinerweisse, which, at 3.1%, I can't fathom how they cram so much tartness and deliciousness into such a light beer. A personal shout out to the boys down there for making a beer I can drink copiously without embarrassing myself. All hail the session beer.

SFBW Days 3-6: Catch-up

Man oh man. It's easy to fall behind on blogging when all you're doing is drinking beer. Drinking great beer at that. How 'bout just some pictures and captions, since I'm already running late to tonight's event, and it features me.

Day 3 pics I hadn't posted on behalf of the tragic news about Bill Brand, who is now listed in stable condition in the ICU.

Day 3
Beer2Brakers! 1 pubcrawl, 140 riders:

Symbolic ride around Anchor:

Showing up at Gordon-Biersch en masse:

Schwarzbier (black lager) & garlic fries. Who needs a ballgame?:

At 21st Amendment, riders received one can of beer and could buy a sausage from Fatted Calf. That's a ten-dolla knockwurst I'm eating (w/ saurkraut and sauteed apples):

1 free beer? Let's blow this popsicle stand:

This is Eric; he made a lot of the homebrew enjoyed at the picnic in Golden Gate Park:

This is Kachusha "Chuey;" he made this ride possible:

We all really enjoyed the homebrews:

Popped into the Alembic to say hi to Sam Calagione (and finally try Dogfish Head "Red and White"):

Sean Z. Paxton is the Homebrew Chef (and that's his cuter-than-you daughter, Olivia). Yes, this was a test:

Not only did his Monk's Blood pass the beer test, but food-wise, check out the slow cooked, beer-braised Colorado lamb shanks with carrots, celery and thyme, dried figs and coriander served on a puree' of parsnips. Dude passed with flying colors. (And the other courses and beers were aces, too):

Growler & Half Pint sated (photo by Jesse Friedman):

Another brilliant shot by Jesse, this time of Bill Brand. Worth repeating:


Skipped Day 4.

Day 5 (Tue):
Started with lunch with an old friend in town, Ann. She's vegan. I'm not. Phat Philly cheesesteak with house-made cheddar-beer sause (Newcastle):

Barrel-aged Beer Night at both Jupiter & Triple Rock. Starting at the former:

First sample of the night, Oskar Blues' Old Chuboubon (yep, Old Chub Scottish strong ale aged in bourbon barrel):

Next stop, T-Rock (much better selection of barrels):

This bloke knows/lives, his beer. Cheers, Phil (Yes, his iPhone's wallpaper is hops).

Seriously. 16 amazing beers, ameliorated by barrel aging. My winner of the night--The Bruery's Melange #3 (a blend of 3 bourbon-barrel aged beers--imperial stout, Old Ale, wheat wine--then fermented with special Belgian yeast strain). KU-DOS:


Day 6 (Wed)
Chilled at the Page for a Sierra Nevada tasting. My first Torpedo Extra IPA in a bottle. Yeah for free sausage with all 3 Sierra Nevada mustards:

Walked down to Toronado for cheese-pairing with Brewery Ommegang. We tried to take the pairing suggestions seriously, and I know the Rouge avec brie and dried fig was our collective fave:

Dunno what these guys preferred:


Not shown: The can of Hamm's my friend Colin, 23, bought me after because I bought him some $4 6-oz samples, which he enjoyed, but couldn't wrap his head around the price. I drank his beer across the street at his favorite dive, Molotov's. Call it a cultural exchange.