Grumpy Beer Geek

All of the SF Beer Week events and we hope you too, where ever you are, will raise a toast to Bill Brand tonight at 7pm. Bill Brand, the Bottoms Up columnist for the Oakland Tribune and an all around great guy, was hit by a MUNI train last night on the way home from an SF Beer Week event. He is currently in critical condition. Check out the column over at the Brookston Beer Bulletin for more information and to keep up to date on his condition.

Our thoughts are with you Bill, and we will certainly raise a glass in your honor tonight. Here’s to a speedy recovery, sir!

Toronado sent out an email to it’s minions today recapping all of the fantastic events coming to this most hallowed bar during SF Beer Week (2/6 – 2/15/2009).

SF Beer Week Kickoff – Friday, February 6th, 12:00PM

Join Napa Smith brewer Don Barkley as he taps the first keg of “Original Albion Ale” at High Noon. This beer is based on the recipe from the pioneering New Albion brewery, which was founded by Jack McAuliff in 1976. When New Albion closed in 1983, Don moved on to Mendocino Brewing company where he brewed Red Tail Ale, and one of the first “reputation” beers, Eye of the Hawk.

Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Night – Sunday, February 8th, 6PM+

Join Port Brewing’s Tomme Arthur for draft and bottle specials.

On Draft:
Judgment Day
Devotion
Red Barn
Avant Garde
Hop 15
Midnight Sessions
Old Viscosity
Lost and Found
Phunky Duck
and more

Special Bottles:

Veritas 004
Saints Devotion
Cable Car (on premise only)
and more.

Allagash Brewing Night – Monday, February 9th, 6PM+

Join Rob Tod of Allagash.

On Draft:
Curieux
Tripel
Odyssey
Interlude
Hugh Malone
Fedelta
Victoria
Victor
Black
Four

Bottle specials.

Russian River ‘Tion Night – Tuesday, February 10th, 6PM+

Join Vinnie Cilurzo for a night of draft and bottle specials.

On Draft:
Redemption- “Single” Blonde Ale
Perdition- Biere de Sonoma
Damnation- Strong Golden Ale
Salvation- Strong Dark Ale
Rejection- Black Beer
Defenestration- Hoppy Belgian Ale
Benediction- Abbey Double
Mortification- Quadruple

Sanctification- 100% Brettanomyces Fermented
Temptation- Sour Blonde Ale Aged in Chardonnay Barrels (batch 3)
Supplication- Sour Red/Brown Ale Aged in Pinot Noir Barrels (batch 3)
Consecration- Sour Dark Ale Aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels (batch 1)
Beatification- 100% Spontaneously Fermented Ale (batch 2)

Bottle specials including Toronado 20th Anniversary (on premise only)

Ommegang Beer and Cheese Night – Wednesday, February 11th, 6PM+

Ommegang Beers paired with a fine selection of cheeses.

Three Philosophers
Chocolate Indulgence
Ommegeddon
Grand Cru Rouge

Cheese pairings TBD

A Night of Ales – Thursday, February 12th, 6PM-9PM

Toronado, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, and the Homebrew Chef present A Night of Ales. Special beer pairings from the Firestone Walker cellar, commentary from brewmaster Matt Brynildson, and a six course tasting menu from chef Sean Paxton. Tickets are $95, available at the Toronado.

Check out the menu at www.homebrewchef.com.

And then, the king, the biggest, the best, and the craziest event of the week. Honestly the reason the SF Beer Week even exists, the Barleywine Festival!

16th Annual Barleywine Festival – Saturday, February 14th, All Day – Friday February 20th

Over 50 barlywines from around the country. Judging on Saturday, February 14th.

My liver already hurts.

My mantra for the week — stay hydrated, stay hydrated, stay hydrated.

If you want to keep up with the goings on at the best freakin bar in the world, join us on Facebook or follow Toronado on Twitter.

Good luck, I’ll see you on the other side.

In case you have been living under a rock, or just don’t know, SF Beer Week is just a few days away from kickoff. There are over a hundred events already scheduled over the 10 days starting this Saturday with the Bistro Double IPA Festival. The main event will be, as it should, the Barleywine Festival at Toronado starting 2/14 and going through the following week.

SF BEER WEEK will be a ten-day celebration of that legacy, showcasing the Bay Area’s brewing heritage with as many as 150 events. The week will be anchored by the Bistro Double IPA Festival, the Toronado Barleywine Festival and will end with a bang at the Celebrator’s Best of the West Beer Fest. In between there will be beer dinners, cheese and beer pairing events, other gourmet food events savoring our world-class cuisine, meet the brewer evenings, homebrewing demonstrations, music, films, and even a museum exhibition exploring the history of Bay Area brewing, from Monterey to Sacramento and beyond.

For a full list of the events, head on over to the SF Beer Week site and start planning out your week. Remember, keep hydrated. It’s a long week!

Here I am, sitting in Magnolia Gastropub, 4 beers deep into their excellent strong beer menu. Only 2 to go, listening to Grateful Dead. oh how I hate the Grateful Dead, but I love this place. It’s, the beer…

Gose To Heaven – imperial hefewiezen? Strong banana flavor, but in a good way. Nice, strong, an sweet.

Man, it’s tough to blog during Strong Beer Month. Drunk wife sitting next to me, making fun of me. iPhone spell correction making a mockery of my prose. Damn hard knock life.

Promised Land Imperial IPA – damn nice double IPA.

Old Magnolia Thunderpussy Barleywine – snicker – a damn nice, if a little less sweet than expected barleywine. Dark, complex, and hot.

Now, speaking of dark. The shining dark star, Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout. I could drown as a happy man in this amazing beer! Rich, dark, wonderful.

Superbowl? Superbeer!