Grateful Hubby

Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose: Bringing Friends Together

So, how does Harry’s Hofbrau keep friendships intact?

Through their comfort food. Their family friendly environment. And through their craft beer offerings. Especially Thursday nights.

Thursday nights is when Harry’s hosts Pint Nights, where a particular craft beer and brewery are featured with special promotions, ranging from beer and glassware discounts to the opportunity to meet brewery reps.

I’ve had the chance to hang out with a number of good folks the last couple months on these Pint Nights. Let’s take a look:

Thursday pint night on Nov. 1, 2011 featured Lucifer Belgian Golden Ale (a Belgian strong pale ale, 8.5% ABV).

This was one of those pint nights where we could purchase discounted glassware.

We all enjoyed this beer, which was smooth and refreshing, and went well with our meals.

Count three more families that had a good time that night.

The Thursday pint night on Dec. 1, 2011, which four of us buddies went to, featured Stone’s Double Bastard Ale (an American strong ale at 10.5% ABV).

We ordered some other beers to help mellow the assertiveness of the Double Bastard ales. Plus, were were all in a rare situation where we knew we could stay out a bit longer than usual.

St. Bernardus ABT 12 (10.5% ABV).

Mongo (American double/imperial IPA, 9% ABV).

Deschutes Hop in the Dark (American black ale, 6.9% ABV).

That was a particularly pleasant evening of hanging out and catching up.

The Thursday night on Dec. 8, 2011 was a special one, a tap takeover featuring many Firestone Walker beers. It was also special because I was able to hang out with my brother on this night.

Including their Double Jack (American double/imperial IPA, 9.5% ABV).

And Double Barrel Ale (aka DBA) – English pale ale, 5% ABV.

And the real special pouring of their Firestone 15 Anniversary ale (American strong ale, 12.5%).

I’m not the only one catching up with friends on these pint nights.

Cheers! Prost! Gun bae!

~Andy

Beers at Santana Row

Earlier this summer, my brother treated the toddler and I to a meal at the Village California Bistro and Wine Bar in Santana Row. I took the opportunity to do a beer tasting along with my meal.

I went for the Firestone Walker Double Jack IPA, New Belgium Somersault, and Napa Smith Lost Dog Red Ale beer flight.

I hadn’t quite yet acquired the full appreciation for IPAs (let alone Double IPAs) when I tried this beer flight, so the Double Jack was my least favorite due to the bitter taste when compared to the other beers.

These days, I greatly enjoy the Double Jack, which reflects how much my taste in beer has evolved since the beginning of this year.

The meal itself was quite good.

Roasted 38 North chicken breast – rock shrimp & andouille sauce creole, white corn polenta, Coke Farms braised greens.

Pan roasted California sea bass with fava beans, chanterelle mushrooms and Borba Farms baby squash.

Earlier in the fall, I had the chance to check the Yard House, with their wide selection of beers. I wrote a separate post about our thoroughly enjoyable outing.

Early last month, I tried the beer and burger pairing special at The Counter in Santana Row.

The draft selections, few and mostly straightforward, paired nicely with their respective mini-burgers. A nice addition to their selection is the Full Boar Scotch Ale from Belmont’s Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company.

Lastly, earlier this month, we visited Pizza Antica, where I helped myself to a Trumer Pils, a German pilsener beer brewed in Berkeley’s Trumer Brauerei. This beer was crisp and refreshing. And the food was excellent.