The Beers Of SF Beer Week 2011

From Amsterdam Cafe, to Beer Revolution, to Toronado, to Zeitgeist, we had a long
liver destroying week.  Everywhere we turned we were greeted with amazing beer, good
people, and lots and lots of rain.  Anytime there is beer involved, there is a certain
amount of “haziness” to one’s recollections of events.  Stack five of these days in a
row, and its exponential.  So take it all with a grain of salt…
Special shout outs to Ilya, Helio, Musah, and Paul for hookin us up!!

Racer 5 IPA (Bear Republic)
DE:  Man, this beer was everywhere, and it is one of my current favorites.  $3 at the
Elbo Room, can't go wrong there.   Need a boost while walking through the Presidio?  
Swing by the Bowling Alley and charge up with 1 or 2 of these.
AB: This is the standard by which others are to be judged in SF.  A sure thing at just
about every establishment we stumbled into or out of.  Although, be warned that when
ordering at the Presidio bowling alley, you may be told that they have Racer 5, but
not the IPA.  Just go ahead and order…you’ll get the IPA.  She may be confused about
cheesy fries too…

It'll get ya wett

Prohibiton ale
DE:  I heard if you drink enough of these you'll be smokin laced blunts while watching
Star Fuckin Hipsters play. 
AB:  I don’t remember drinking this at all in SF, although that may be the Sherman Hemsley talkin…

Tunnel Top

Big Daddy IPA (prohibition)
DE:  um, its good.   i drink.  repeat.  
AB: another one I don’t remember drinking, but I’ve had before.  So, yeah, I probably
drank quite a few of these…?
DE:  soundtrack was 90's hip hop at the Tunnel Top.   I wonder if it was because I kept asking for Big Daddy's at the bar that dude slapped my butt?

Cafe Racer (Bear Republic)
DE:   quite possibly my favorite from the trip.
AB: agreed.  In my version of events, we had quite a few of these (including a
pitcher) moments before hopping in a cab to see Star Fucking Hipsters play.  But
whether or not that happened, it was probably my favorite from the trip..

Hoptimum

 Sierra Nevada Hoptimum
DE:   whoa, that dog gotta lotta bite.   but don't take any pics, Zeitgeist dont
approve.
AB:  Lots of potential, but really too much.  I love hoppy beers, but this went past
the citrusy fun hops into bitter dark territory.  Does anyone else think they’re
seeing Asparagus when they see a logo featuring Hops?  Cause that’s what that shit
looks like to me….

Asparagus beer?

Home of the Stella

 

Stella/Becks
DE:  You know, you can't always win.  On Accatone's last night, after several Big
Daddy's we ended up at a spot with few options.  Finishing off the night with several
Stella's and a sixer of Becks to go, we rolled down the hill to our hotel.   Evidently
we were too loud and people complain blah blah blah... I say, your walls are too damn
thin.   Whatever, long story short, Stella/Becks provided the worst hangover of the
trip. 
AB:  well, I certainly don’t remember anything at this point.  Although I will agree,
the walls of the hotel seemed thin.  Unless you tried to punch them.  Then they felt
pretty solid.  And a week later I still regret the decision to test their strength…
DE:  well, no stabbings, so that's a success in my book.   At least we didn't do THIS

That luggage rack is fuckin murderous

Dogfish Head 90min IPA

DE:  Dogfish Head night, sounds great right.   Except, sold out of damn near
everything except some weird ass shit made of egyptian bark, cardaman and raisens.  Ok
fine, no drafts, i'll take a bottle.  oh wait, your sold out after just one.  Ok,
lemme try that thing.   whats that, cash only, ATM broken, go next door.   oh, you
mean the atm with the 3.50 service charge.   Whatever, its all going on the expense
account anyways.
AB: pretty crowded in that spot too, especiallly considering they were out of most of
the beer they were supposed to be featuring…

Pliney

Pliney The Elder
DE:  Also one of my top contenders.   And what made this one even better, the bar was
located next door to Amoeba records! 
AB:  this one snuck up on me.  Maybe it was timing, or maybe it was an amazing beer. 
Little of both perhaps.  In my top 3 for sure.



Mirror Pond Pale Ale by Deschutes
DE:  When visiting the Gold Dust Saloon, give my regards to the camaros.  Decent IPA,
although I was tempted to try the Torpedo Ale, as they had that on draft too.   Or
class it up with some happy hour champagne.
AB: I’ve had a ton of this in my day, but again don’t remember any from this trip. 
Which means I either had none, or a LOT.

Historical drinkin

Trumer Pils
DE:  At this point of the trip I was pretty tore up.  Let's take it down a notch with
this crispy light gem.  Bonus:  Second bar that served this was First and Last Chance,
old as fuck, and is slanted since its a converted boat.  Creepy peep window in the
bathroom, was old man creepy. 
AB: At this point I was back home drinking some shitty Leinenkugel Honey Weiss that
the dogsitter left in my fridge….

Stone IPA
DE:  Another standard, very sessionable. Always happy to see this on tap.
AB: Stone IPA is the “Racer5” of San Diego…available everywhere as a default Good beer
when you need one.  But I didn’t have any in SF.



Stone Ruination IPA
DE: Did you just walk 6 miles?   Looking at a hill taller then the empire state
building that you still need to walk up.    Why not rest up at the Indian Curry House,
eat some fried paneer, and get some afternoon walkin juice.   Bonus, Big Buck Hunter.

Fried Fuckin Paneer!!!!

The real reason why you lost at Big Buck Hunter

Tricerahops IPA (Ninkasi)
AB: this is what I had in the above situation.  A contender for my #1 beer.  Reminded
me of Widmer Deadlift Imperial IPA I discovered in Vegas last month.  Dope spot, but
the sights were way off on that Big Buck Hunter (2007 edition? Come on now…), and that
was the ONLY reason you won Donde!!!

Note the shitty slice i paid $3.50 for.  

Total Domination  (Ninkasi)
DE:  Meh, not awesome, not bad, but just wasn't my shit considering everything else on
the menu.   Plus that pull handle looked like tribal tattoo cast out of metal.
AB:  I have no idea what the fuck we are discussing here….
DE:  It's kinda like they made the terminator, but instead of a humanoid robot, a 3D tribal tatoo.   quick google search later.....    oh man, must have been low lighting or 6 hours of drinking, but at least it is metal

Really, this looks like a cyborg tattoo after a shitload of booze

Simpler times
DE:  ya know, we're tired, been walkin in the rain for a few hours, time to hop on the
bus and grab some beers to drink at the hotel before goin out.    Oh snap, what do i
see here, under that seat, 4 beers leftover in a 6 pack.   True, I have seen this Trader Joes beer 
in dollar stores, but free on a bus?   Hell yeah.   I'm all over that shit.   just
wipe off the homeless man dust and drink.
AB: even dollar store beers hit the spot when they're sittin on top of a pitcher of Sapporo, 2 bottles of warm sake, and 6 hours of trudging through rain and wind...not even on my top 10 for the trip, but a much appreciated find for some weary bus riders.

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