When barley wines are on the horizon, you
know Beer Week is staggering to an end. Also on Saturday, a sneak peek at
Magnolia’s new brewpub in Dog Patch, a nighttime Bay cruise, Wet Your Whistles
Caltrain Pub Crawl, Moa Beer from New Zealand, and the new Fogbelt Brewery and
Tap Room in Santa Rosa. Oh, and some sightings of The Younger.
Saturday, Feb. 15
Toronado Barleywine Festival
Beginning Saturday, Toronado Pub in the
Haight surrenders all of its taps to hoppy American-style barleywines for its
21st Annual Barleywine Festival. Doors may open at the regular time,
11:30 a.m., or earlier. Or they may not open until later if setting up takes
longer than expected. In any event expect a horde of hop-craving beer drinkers
elbowing their way toward mostly truculent beer servers who have little
patience for questions, hesitation or any form of human interaction (pick up a
menu when you come in). Unless you care to risk verbal abuse and possibly
physical harm, do not shout and do not wave money at the servers. You may
attempt furtive eye contact. They know you’re there and that you want to drink beer.
If you’re lucky you will leave sated with hoppy beer with your dignity intact.
The festival continues until all of the barleywine kegs are kicked, which can
extend into the following week.
When: 11:30 (more or less)-2 a.m.
Where: Toronado Pub, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
Magnolia Beer Brunch
The corollary to the Toronado Barleywine
Festival is Magnolia’s beer brunch. Doors open at 9 a.m. for some much-needed
nourishment before you embark upon your barleywine pilgrimage down the street.
Choose from a full English breakfast, Magnolia-style, paired with Magnolia’s
signature English bitters, or the time-honored German weisswurst and hefeweizen
combo. Saturday will kick off with a limited release of a vintage version of
Magnolia’s own Old Thunderpussy Barleywine. Breakfast will be served Saturday
and Sunday.
When: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Where: Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
It’s Time for Barleywine
If the madness at the Toronado gets to be
too much, check out Noc Noc next door, which will be having a mini-barleywine
celebration of its own, featuring Napa Smith Grateful Dog, North Coast Old
Stock Ale, Marin Brewing Old Dipsea, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and Dogfish Head Old
School. Not as many barleywines as the Toronado, but a lot less abuse.
When: 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
Where: Noc Noc
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
Smokestack BBQ Sneak Peek Party
Celebrate Magnolia’s new location in
Dogpatch. Festivities include tours of the brewery, meet and greet with
Magnolia’s brewers, an array of Magnolia ales (including some made at the new
brewery), a one-of-a-kind shandy, and (construction gods willing) some of the
first bites from the new Smokestack BBQ kitchen.
When: 6-9 p.m.
Where: Magnolia Brewing Co., SF
How much: $40
Best way to get there: Caltrain, MUNI
Belgian Style Beer Bash
American versions of Belgian-style ales
from Allagash and the Bruery, with Allagash’s own Rob Todd in attendance.
Allagash beers will include James Bean, Confluence, Interlude batch #2719,
Bourbon Barrel Aged Black 2012, Very Special Beige, Yakuza and Oddysey. The
Bruery chimes in with Loakie Red, Sour in the Rye, Grey Monday, Melange #1,
Batch 1000, Smoking Wook and Tart of Darkness.
When: 4-10 p.m.
Where: Public House at AT&T Park, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
24 Hours of Darkness
Amsterdam Café hosts Midnight Sun and
Alaskan Brewing from the 49th state. Alaskan beers will include
Freeride, Troppelbock, Barleywine, Amber and White. Darcy from Midnight Sun
will bring Joan of Arctic, Rhino Coffee Porter, Arctic Devil and many more,
including some new releases.
When: 6 p.m.-midnight
Where: Amsterdam Café, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
Mikkeller Spontan Beer Tasting
Thomas Schon, lifetime member of the
worldwide beer mafia, will preside over four selections from the Mikkeller
Spontan Series, accompanied by snacks from the kitchen. This intimate tasting
flight and presentation will be limited to 22 people and will be held in the
Tivoli Sour Room in the cellar of the Mikkeller Bar. Participants will also
take home a limited edition Spontan print by Keith Shore.
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Mikkeller Bar, SF
How much: $55
Best way to get there: BART or MUNI
Rosamunde Sausage Grill-Mission
Third Annual Craft Beer and Sausage Eating
Contest
Yes, craft beer is usually a sausage fest.
But Rosamunde makes a contest out of it. See how many Rosamunde sausages on a
French roll, with two toppings, and at least one craft beer you can consume in
five minutes. Any “reversal of fortune” is grounds for disqualification. Cash
prizes and gift cards to the winners, and a Rosamunde apron or T-shirt for all
participants. 21 and over only.
When: 2-3 p.m.
Where: Rosamunde Mission, SF
How much: $20 entrance fee
Best way to get there: BART or MUNI
Calicraft at Rosamunde
Rosamunde Sausage Grill in the Mission will
feature Calicraft beers, including The City IPA, brewed for Beer Week; Cali
Coast Kolsch; Oak Town brown ale brewed with 3 types of oak cubes; Wobblies wet
hop ale; and Buzzerkeley, a sparkling ale brewed with champagne yeast and star
thistle honey. Beer and sausages, yum.
When: 6-10 p.m.
Where: Rosamunde Sausage Grill, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI or BART
City Beer
Hop To It: 2 Hop Collaboration Project
Two-hop beers featured on draft with
brewers barside to talk about the project. Breweries/beers:
Stone Brewing Company - Calypso/El Dorado
Beachwood BBQ Brewery- Citra/Amarillo
Alpine Beer Company - Cascade/Centennial
Kern River Brewing Company- Azacca/Mosaic
Ballast Point Brewing Company- Working on
getting it brewed
Berryessa Brewing Company - Warrior/Ahtanum
Moylans Brewing Company- Azacca/Chinook
Triple Rock Brewery - Green Bullet/Nelson
Drakes Brewing Company - Exp #?/?
Faction Brewing -
Galaxy/Nelson
When: 1-4 p.m.
Where: City Beer Store, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
or BART
Waves of Beer with Rip
Current
San Diego’s Rip Current
(along with Founder and Brewmaster Paul Sangster) takes over the taps at City
Beer with:
• Impact Zone IPA
• Lupulin Lust IPA
• Ankle Breaker Sticke Alt
• San Diego-style Hefeweizen
• Barrier Reef Nut Brown
• Cutback Kolsch
• In The Curl IIPA
• Vanilla Storm
• Hazardous Hazelnu
When: 5-9 p.m.
Where: City Beer Store, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: BART
or MUNI
Nighttime Bay Cruise with
Headlands
90-minute Bay cruise in the
wooden vessel The Neptune. Cruise starts at 7 and The Neptune docks at 8:30,
after which the vessel becomes a private bar/beer parlor until we decide to
leave. Featuring beer from Headlands Brewing Co.
When: 7 p.m.-whenever
Where: Pier 39, Dock 1
How much: $55
Best way to get there: MUNI
San Diego Night at The
Willows
San Diego beers and carne
asada fries. Beers will include:
Hess Grazias (on nitro)
Ballast Point Sculpin (on nitro)
Ballast Point Victory at Sea
Green Flash Treasure Chest
Green Flash Barleywine
Green Flash Double Stout
Green Flash Super Freak Belgian IPA
Green Flash Serrano Stout
Green Flash Palate Wrecker
AleSmith Nut Brown
AleSmith IPA
Coronado Hibiscus
Coronado Hoppy Daze
When: 5 p.m.-2 a.m.
Where: The Willows, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
Saison Spectacular at The
Sycamore
The Sycamore in the Mission
features its favorite beer style with a special Sycamore/Willows beer brewed by
Black Diamond: Redwood Saison. Also:
Saison Dupont
Dupont Saison Avec les Bons Voeux
Allagash Saison
Berryessa Saisonic
Stone Matt's Burning Rosid
Stillwater Debouched
Baeltane En Suite Sauvage (Saison w/
Raspberries)
And from the bottle:
Pretty Things Jack D'Or
When: 5 p.m.-midnight
Where: The Sycamore, SF
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: BART
or MUNI
Brewhouse Live at Speakeasy
Beer, food and live music
from Sean So Low, Daikon and Cartilage.
When: 4-8 p.m.
Where: Speakeasy Taproom and
Brewery
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: MUNI
Peninsula and the South Bay
Wet Your Whistles Caltrain
Pub Crawl
All aboard for the fifth
annual Wet Your Whistles Caltrain Pub Crawl. It starts at Bierhaus in Mountain
View, then on to The Rose & Crown in Palo Alto and Marvin Gardens in
Belmont.
When: 1-8 p.m. (depart for
train at 2:05)
Where: The Bierhaus, Mountain
View
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
Caltrain
The Refuge
The Darkest Day
The Refuge in San Carlos goes
dark on Saturday with such deliciously decadent ales as Mikkeller/Amager Collab
on Beer Geek Brunch, Goose Island Bourbon County, Lost Abbey Deliverance,
Gigantic Brewing Most Premium and many more. Tasting portions available.
When: noon-10:30 p.m.
Where: The Refuge, San Carlos
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
Caltrain
Moa Tap Takeover
The Refuge, Menlo Park,
features six draft selections of Moa Beer from Marlborough, New Zealand, made
with local ingredients, including New Zealand hops. Rounded off through
wine-making techniques like barrel aging and bottle fermentation and conditioning.
Tasting portions available.
When: noon-10:30 p.m.
Where: The Refuge, Menlo Park
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
Caltrain
Sour Saturday
Beer buyer Bryan Brick from
K&L will man the guest taps at Gourmet Haus with sour beers.
When: 5:30-10 p.m.
Where: Gourmet Haus, Redwood
City
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
Caltrain
Ale Arsenal Sour Fest
Ale Arsenal will devote all
24 taps to special kegs of tart and funky beers, including rarities from The
Bruery, Almanac, Tahoe Mountain Brewing, New Belgium, Logsdon, De Struise,
Goose Island and more. Bottles available to drink on site or take home.
When: 3 p.m.-1 a.m.
Where: Ale Arsenal, San
Carlos
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
Caltrain
Pliny the Younger at Smoke
Eaters
The Younger will be tapped at
4:20. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Consider yourself warned.
When: 4:30 p.m.-midnight
(tickets on sale at 11 a.m.)
Where: Smoke Eaters, Santa
Clara
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
designated driver
Second Annual Stone Tap
Takeover
Harry’s Hoffbrau promises a
killer tap list from Stone Brewery, along with members of the Stone crew.
When: 3-11 p.m.
Where: Harry’s Hoffbrau, San
Jose
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
designated driver
East Bay
Japan Beer Fest
There’s more to Japanese beer
than Sapporo.
The Trappist and Umami Mart
team up to bring the flavors of Japanese craft beer to Oakland. Ten Japanese
beers, with flights available, to enjoy with “Pastramen” (pastrami ramen) on
the patio.
When: noon-6 p.m. (or
whenever they run out)
Where: The Trappist, Oakland
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: BART
Barrel Aged Festival
Albany Taproom holds its
first barrel aged festival: 32 taps, all barrel aged, including Deschutes
Abyss, Goose Island Bourbon County, Prairie The Beer That Saved Christmas, and
many more. Entry fee includes a five-ounce snifter and six tickets. Extra
tickets for $3. Full Grazzy Burgers.
When: noon-11 p.m.
Where: Albany Taproom
How much: $40 for 6 tickets
and a snifter ($3 additional tickets)
Best way to get there:
designated driver
Ballast Point Tap Takeover
Beer Revolution will feature
more than 30 beers from Ballast Point Brewing.
When: noon-midnight
Where: Beer Revolution,
Oakland
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: BART
Drake's
Grillin and Chillin
Try all the special beers
Drake’s brewed for Beer Week, with food trucks parked nearby to provide the
sustenance.
When: noon-9 p.m.
Where: Drake’s Barrel House
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: BART
or designated driver
Beer and CA Cheese Pairing
Seminar
Local cheese expert Kirstin
Jackson, author of “It’s Not You, It’s Brie,” will preside over beer and cheese
pairings with six Drake’s beers with California cheeses, both classic and rare.
When: 3-5 p.m.
Where: Drake’s Barrel House,
San Leandro
How much: $15
Best way to get there: BART
or designated driver
East Bay Breweries Tap
Takeover
The Pig & The Pickle Ale
Industries Marketplace hosts selections from each of the East Bay breweries,
and will feature food from local vendors.
When: 3-10 p.m
Where: The Pig & The
Pickle, Concord
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there: BART
North Bay
Lupercalia Festival
Join Baeltane Brewing to
observe the ancient Lupercalia festival, held to avert evil spirits and to
purify the city. Two special IPAs from Baeltane will help exorcise the demons.
Music and food vendors.
When: 2-9 p.m.
Where: Baeltane Brewing
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
designated driver (or chariot)
Fogbelt Brewing Grand Opening
Celebrate the grand opening
of Santa Rosa’s newest brewery and tap room, Fogbelt Brewing Company.
When: noon-8 p.m.
Where: Fogbelt Brewing, Santa
Rosa
How much: pay as you go
Best way to get there:
designated driver
