San Francisco beer week

Get ready to celebrate all things beer at one of the largest preeminent beer weeks on earth, Feb 7-16 2014. This year’s schedule is frothier than ever, featuring over 500 individual events. Whether you’re an indifferent guzzling novice or a palatial palate aficionado there are great events focusing on everything from food pairings to how-to workshops to special you-won’t-see-this-anywhere-else releases.  Here are a few of the top events.

Opening Gala

Feb 7 6-10pm
Kick off the festivals with unlimited samples from over 80 of Northern California’s most creative and compelling beers.
Concourse Exhibition Center 620 7th St., San Francisco

Beer Making at Home Workshop 

February, 8 11-5pm
Get your hands dirty at this workshop and walk away with a case of beer you brewed!
Workshop 1798 McAllister St., San Francisco

Meet Brewer’s of Heretic and 13 Tap Takeover

February, 8 9am-2am
Come meet the brewer’s of Heretic as they takeover Zeitgeist’s 13 taps. Special and limited beers will start flowing in the evening.
Zeitgeist 199 Valencia St., San Francisco

Oyster & Beer Extravaganza 

February, 12 11 -5pm
Find out why oysters and stout make for one of the greatest beer pairing.
Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery 1398 Haight St., San Francisco

Bootlegger’s Ball

February, 15
Join Speakeasy for a night of gaming entertainment, speakeasy brews, good eats, live music and dancing. Prohibition dress code required!
Speakeasy Taproom 1195 Evans Ave., San Francisco

Cheesy Cauliflower Ale Soup

You will need an immersion blender for this recipe.


Olive Oil
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets then sliced
2 quarts of chicken stock
3/4 cup of strong ale
1 cup grated aged white cheddar
salt & pepper
Worcestershire sauce

Heat broth and beer in a saucepan.

In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add all of the vegetables, stir well, and partially cover. Cook until the vegetables have started to soften; about 10 minutes.

Add broth and beer mixture, stir, and bring to a boil. Let simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Season, add the cheese, and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Drizzle with Worcestershire sauce.

It's a treehouse !

~ How cool is this ? ~

Imagine climbing into a Treehouse for a beer tasting !!

Located in Glenmont, Ohio, near Mohican State Park in central Ohio's rolling hills, The Treehouse Brewing Company is a tree house where—you guessed it -- small-batch beer is brewed and served. It's run by Mohican Cabins, a campground that includes a mix of luxury cabins and tree houses, and was built by tree house genius Pete Nelson.               

                  



Beer festivals in BC

Here’s a list of beer festivals and other notable beer events coming up in BC. If you know of an event that we don’t have on the list, please let us know.


Sat, January 25, 2014 
CENTRAL CITY WINTER CASK FESTIVAL
Central City Brewing, 13450 102nd Avenue - Surrey, BC

Sat, January 25, 2014
SPINNAKER'S ROBBIE BURNS CASKFEST
Spinnaker's Brewpub, 308 Catherine - Victoria, BC

Tues, January 28, 2014
BEER HISTORY 101SSteamworks Pub, Vancouver, BC


Thu, February 20, 2014 
PARKSVILLE UNTAPPED
The Beach Club Resort - Parksville, BC


Sat, March 01, 2014 - Sat, March 08, 2014
VICTORIA BEER WEEK
Victoria, BC


Sat, March 01 - Sun March 2, 2014
BEER GOGGLES, RED MOUNTAIN CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
Rossland, BC


Fri, April 04, 2014 - Sat, April 05, 2014
OKANAGAN FEST-OF-ALE
Penticton Trade & Convention Centre - Penticton, BC

Fri, May 30, 2014 - Sat, June 07, 2014
VANCOUVER CRAFT BEER WEEK 2014
Vancouver, BC

Sat, August 09, 2014
GALIANO WINE & BEER FESTIVAL
Lion’s Hall Field, 992 Burrill Road - Galiano Island, BC

Thu, September 11, 2014 - Sun, September 14, 2014
WHISTLER VILLAGE BEER FESTIVAL
Whistler Village - Whistler, BC

Beer tasting

Have you ever had a taste of Banana Bread Beer, Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale, or any type of fruit beer? We picked up a few with some great names and started to sample.

Dough Head Gingerbread Ale, was the seasonal pick and
Lindemans Framboise was the pick for favorite fruit beer.

What are your favorites?