Highlights and Pictures from the 2nd Annual IPA Day Event at Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose

Posted on March 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

Harry’s Hofbrau San Jose held their IPA Day event this year once again on the last day of SF Beer Week, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. And like last year, I was able to find some time to check it out.

Here are some pics:

The beer menu and finalized tap list was posted on their Facebook page the day before the event:

Russian River – Pliny the Younger
Drakes – Black Label Hopocalypse
Russian River – Pliney the Elder
Drakes – White Label Hopocalypse
Fifty-Fifty brewing – S.S. Steiner experimental IPA
Dogfish Head – 120 Minute IPA
Deschutes – Hop Henge experimental IPA
Green Flash – Palate Wrecker DIPA
101 – North brewing- Heroin IPA
Tap It brewing – IPA (GABF GOLD Medal Winnrer!)
Stone and Drakes collaboration – 1/4 century problems
The Brewery Abigaile – DIPA
Sierra Nevada Collaboration – Hop Harmony
Newport Brewing – straight outta Newport IPA
Knee Deep and Boulder collaboration – Shakenbake Rye.P.A
Sea Bright Brewing – The Blur DIPA
Lagunitas – Maximus
Almanac – Single Origin Chinook IPA
Karl Strauss – Tower 20 DIPA
Firestone Walker – Double Jack
Mission Brewing – Shipwrecked DIPA
Uinta – Detour DIPA
Ballast Point – Big Eye (NITRO)
Coronado Brewing – Islander IPA
STONE – Ruination
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery – Organic IPA
Port Brewing – Mongo DIPA
Firestone Walker – Wookey Jack Black Rye.P.A
Ballast Point – Sculpin
Dogfish Head – 90 minute IPA
Widmer Brothers – Falconers IPA
Ninkasi – Tricerahops
Hermitage – Single-hop Galaxy
Devil’s Canyon – California Sunshine IPA

The allotment of Russian River’s Triple IPA Pliny the Younger was long gone by the time I arrived, but there was quite a bit of Drake’s Triple IPA Hopocalypse Black Label still available, which was more than fine by me.

It was great seeing friend and craft/specialty brand manager for DBI Beverage of San Jose Greg Sonick providing expert hospitality.

Had a very nice chat with Silicon Valley Sudzers homebrew club members Derek, Keith, and Tom.

It was about mid-afternoon, and there was a full house at Harry’s.

Enjoyed hanging out with friend Kregg.

From left to right: Drake’s Hopocalypse DIPA White Label, Drake’s Hopocalypse Black Label, Almanac Single Origin Chinook IPA, and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.

Boulder Beer Co. Shakenbake Rye IPA Collaboration Brew with Knee Deep Brewing Co.

Hats off to Harry’s bar manager Jeremy and his team.

By all accounts, this was another awesome event.

Cheers!

~Andy

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Highlights and Pictures from the Soon-to-Open Steins Beer Garden Rehearsal Dinner

Posted on March 27, 2013 | 1 Comment

Wifey and I both had the chance to attend a rehearsal dinner for Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant in downtown Mountain View yesterday. I think the set of pictures below can help show why we think Steins is a wonderful addition to the Silicon Valley beer scene.

We definitely owe my brother a lot for his childsitting services, which allowed for both of us to make it to this great dinner.

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Wifey and Casey, who guided us on a tour of the patio and restaurant before dinner.

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Executive chef Colby Reade.

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Me and chef.

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Pickled vegetables.

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2 Fresh Baked Pretzels with caraway beer mustard.

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Menu parts.

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Beer flight menu.

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Steins coaster.

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The Steins Beer Runner Program.

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Tap-to-table deliver beer service.

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Beers, consisting of:

Dark Flight (top row of picture): Krusovice Cerne Dark Czech Dark Lager, Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre Belgium Strong Dark Ale, Band of Gypsies Collaboration Belgian Tramp Belgium Quad, and The Lost Abbey Serpent’s Stout Imperial Stout.

IPA Flight (bottom of picture): New Belgium Rampant Double IPA, High Water Retribution Double IPA, Sam Adams Grumpy Monk Belgium IPA, and Hangar 24 DIPA.

Beer Runner Ticket #1 (top left): Hangar 24 IPA.

Beer Runner Ticket #2 (bottom left): Hangar 24 Chocolate Porter.

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Pork Belly Poutine: Kennebec fries, fromage blanc, beef gravy, and fresh herbs.

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Owner Ted Kim.

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Ted asked whether wifey and I ever tasted Brouwerij Huyghe Fruli Strawberry fruit beer or the Brouwerij Huyghe Floris Apple Ale fruit beer. We had not, and Ted enthusiastically suggested that we try some. Sweet, and very, very yummy. Super glad to have tasted them as it was quite difficult for Ted to get his hands on these particular beers.

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Taps.

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The keg room – a focal point of the restaurant, at least according to me. :)

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Breakfast for Dinner: Smoked pork belly, poached egg, frisée, maple dijon vinaigrette, and toast points.

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Seared Mahi Mahi and Herbed Lentils with smoked tomato confit, preserved lemon, and herb salad. The mahi mahi was a substitute for sea bass this evening.

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Braised Lamb Shoulder with parsnip puree, au jus, and lollipop kale.

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A special dessert table.

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The beers and the food were all tasty as heck, but I’m someone who feels that things are even that much better if the folks behind a particular place are good people. Chef Colby and Ted are two such folks.

For more behind-the-scenes peeks into Steins’ beginnings, check out the past several articles that I’ve written about them.

March 26, 2013 in Metro Silicon Valley Newspaper: Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant: The Better-Beer Scene Continues its Ascent in the South Bay

Jan. 18, 2013 on Examiner.com: Hard Hat Tour of Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant (with video)

Dec. 14, 2013 on Examiner.com: An Early Article on Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant

And finally, Steins’ grand opening will take place tomorrow, Thursday, March 28, 2013, as they will open for lunch service immediately following a private ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Cheers!

~Andy

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Highlights and Pictures from the Firestone Walker Roots of XVI Event at Harry’s Hofbrau San Jose

Posted on March 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

I was invited to a special pre-event tasting session on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 right before the scheduled Firestone Walker Roots of XVI event at Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose, which I previously wrote about on Examiner.com.

It was very cool to have Firestone Walker’s Jeffers Richardson on hand to guide us participants through many of the component beers that make up the well-regarded – and more stout-based – XVI anniversary ale. Jeffers directs the Barrelworks facility in Buellton, CA and as the original brewmaster of Firestone Walker, created its flagship beer DBA (double barrel ale).

Here are some pics from this event:

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The tap list for that evening.

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Jeffers Richardson: Firestone Walker employee #1; he had left FW but has recently returned.

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Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout – 23% of the final blend.

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Firestone Walker Double Double Barrel Ale – 20.3% of final blend.

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Jeffers chatting with Jeremy of Harry’s Hofbrau.

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Firestone Walker Parabola Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout – 10.8% of final blend.

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Firestone Walker Bravo Imperial Brown Ale – 5.4% of final blend.

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The group of bloggers and beer club members.

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Firestone Walker Helldorado Blonde Barley Wine – 5.4% of final blend.

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Firestone Walker XVI Anniversary Ale.

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Firestone Walker regional sales manager Antoine Riffis.

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Jeffers was friendly, informative, and articulate. And the component beers were all amazing. I very much appreciate having been able to make this event. I have some video capturing Jeffers’ favorite Anniversary Ales and his tasting notes from this event, which I hope to add to this post soon.

Many craft beer fans have stories to tell about when they first became acquainted with – and then hooked on – craft beer. For wifey and me, Firestone Walker played a big part in our story; specifically, their DBA.

It was a bummer that wifey and the younger kid were both sick a bit and at home – they were both supposed to join me later at Harry’s; I know wifey would’ve enjoyed meeting Jeffers.

Cheers!

~Andy

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