Matt curses while Ivan looks to a higher source

Port peeps carbo loading in advance of day 3 at the GABF. Awards in 1 hour.

Contents of the GABF brewer’s schwag bag – magazines, pen, bottle opener, and my fav, a Wahl travel beard and moustache trimmer. (Also good for ‘trimming other things’ according to package.)

Irish Car Bomb anyone?

Julian Schrago is here with Pizza Port Solana Beach. He’s in the Pro-Am competition with Tovarich Russian Imperial Stout

Ok we’re badged and ready. only 5 hours to go before opening!

We’re at Breckenridge Brewing in Denver the night before GABF opens. This is Ivan from Churchills having a vanilla porter

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been forced to listen to Beer Molly as she frets over her picks at The Beer Mapping Project’s GABF Fantasy Draft for 2008. She’s particularly mad at Izzy for taking Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey, a pick to which she felt entitled as she IS Tomme Arthur’s […]

Having returned home from Tucson, I promptly hopped on a plane and flew to Boise where I am now enjoying a HopHead IPA at TableRock. Hoppier than I thought.

It’s a crappy picture but the brewhouse is a rather nice view from the restaurant.

Matt and Ryan setting up the booth. Matt is taking this very seriously.

We’ve taken a break from craft beer to tour Old Tucson Studios and have a beer and shot in the saloon

We’re at Gentle Ben’s in Tucson. That’s Paul the bartender telling stories about people who mess their pants in bars

The glass reads ‘beer as it should be’, which is a cute slogan. though honestly, I’ve had better… and worse.

Tap list is pretty standard for a brewpub. They’ve got a light ale (whatever that is), a hefe, an American pale ale, a red, a porter, and something called RoofRooster Rye – Which I am guessing is named after the rooster weathervane on the roof. They’ve also got 3 guest taps. Bouzy Rouge from Newport […]

Today we’re at Tustin Brewing in Orange County, CA. Turns out it is in the same plaza as my business dinner tonite. Lucky me!

Clay is having a Stone IPA at Wingnuts in Aliso Viejo, CA

Last day of summer, the weather’s still nice. Time for one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I can’t resist PBR.

Iceberg is one of the two brews I brought back from Victoria, BC.  This was a tasty brew.  At 6% ABV, it’s not something that I would consider “strong,” but it would qualify as that to the folks in BC.  The hops were good, not overpowering and I think the description of a classic Northwest pale […]

Yes my cameraphone sucks but what you are looking at is a barrel of Santa’s Little Helper in Bourbon barrels. there’s 14 of them and they will be incredible’ when released. mark your calendar.

My beer (left) is the IPA, Greg’s is the Best Bitter

I’m up here on a business trip but I found time to hit Faultline Brewing in Sunnyvale

Faultline is having an Oktoberfest and Greg wants to attend if this girl will serve him beer

…when I was returning my beer rental at Main Tap Tavern, I saw  two of my favorite musicians in the men’s room of all places.  Johnny Cash… …and Frank Zappa.

My friends just opened a new bar in El Cajon about two months ago.  It’s the Main Tap Tavern.  They’ve got a nice list of draft beers and a very decent bottle list.  Forgive me, because I forgot to take a pic of the beer board.  This is Barbara and Zack.  Take the link above to get […]

I’m back in town and one of the first stops after unpacking luggage was Churchill’s.  Mmmm this Pliny the Elder is good. 

Matthew from Atlanta, Georgia is in San Diego on a beer tour. He’s also a Lost Abbey Patron Sinner and Saint (conflicted?), so we’re going to show him a good time.

Since I keep talking about the rainforest, here’s a pic for you.  It was wonderful, wet, and a bit muddy.  Thank God for raingear and waterproof hiking boots! 

Wow, maybe this place isn’t as rustic as I originally thought.  They’ve got Deschutes!  Black Butte Porter in the bottle and Mirror Pond Pale Ale on tap.

So I’ve been driving in my rental car for almost 3 hours and am now at my destination, Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic National Forest (a northwestern rain forest).  This lodge has been featured on the PBS Lodges of America special (the whole reason I was coerced into visiting by my SO) and is […]

While there’s no beer in this shot, take a look at the ocean and shore, what a view.  

So, the time in Victoria is done and now on the way back to the States on the ferry from Victoria, BC to Port Angeles.  Here’s your correspondent with the Washington coast in the background.  Whe aksed what I had to declare upon arrival, I said glad to be back and I’ve got a couple […]

Here’s your foreign correspondent sucking down some oysters and chasing them with a Keeper’s Stout.  Mmm…mmm…good!

Today, I’m headed to Ferris’ Oyster Bar.  It’s a local hangout that Alana told me about, with good beers, great oysters, and a non-touristy atmosphere.  I can’t say enough good things about the waitresses and bartenders here.  The service level is great, the tattoos are interesting, and eclectic factor makes this place a 10 on […]

So, later we’ve meandered downstairs for some good beer food.  Nothing better than some good bread, good cheese, and fresh heirloom tomatoes to have with some tasty beer. I’m having a Phillip’s IPA (my new Canadian go-to beer).

I couldn’t wait and opened the Mitchell’s ESB.  Wow, this is a nice ESB.  I’ve got to see if Holiday Wine can get me some of this.  Just take a look at the color.

Simcoe way was the yellow brick road to James Bay Beer & Wine Merchants(Spinnakers) @ 425 Simcoe St.  Talk about timing, this place had been open about four days.  I walked in during a wine tasting, perused the aisles and was drooling by the time I reached the beer section.  When I got to the […]

While I’m enjoying the sites of Victoria, I still am having this craving for hops, which is a bit surprising since I’m constantly complaining that all I want is a nice ESB or maybe a nice lightly hoppy Belgian (perhaps 2 or 5 pints of Devotion, mmmm).  So with info from Starr @ the Oswego, […]

How do you follow up High Tea at the Empress Hotel?  Why with a visit to a local pub of course.  We visited the Bard and the Banker on Government Street after receiving a recommendation from Cailie, one of our three favorite waitresses (Cailie, Starr, and Alana) at the Oswego Hotel.  Sorry, but pics did […]

While visiting Victoria, it’s mandatory that you experience High Tea at the Empress Hotel. The fragrant malt coming from the tea is great. The nibbles are tasty and if you’ve been to one of my beer parties, not unfamiliar. Here’s the tea service and the food platter.

Turns out that I didn’t need to go out searching too far for a decent IPA, I found one right here at the Hotel Oswego.  Phillip’s IPA is a nice IPA reminiscent of a Samuel Smith IPA. 

Here’s one of the standards that can be found in most of the pubs and restaurants.  Okanagan Spring Pale Ale.  This was a malty ale, very little hoppiness to it, but still tasty.

What’s funny is that I searched high and low, and could not find the flowers I was looking for, so I asked one of the gardeners there where were the hops?  They looked at me funny, once I explained I was from California, they just chuckled and walked away.  I soon found out that the […]

So I arrived in town, checked into the hotel and headed out to Butchart Gardens, unfortunately, I thought Rebecca said Bush Gardens.  No beer, but it looks pretty nice, doesn’t it? 

Hi, it’s Matt and I’m blogging from Victoria , BC (that’s British Columbia, not Baja California).  Here’s the Parliament Bldg

The Wirtz boys from Arizona and Fitz from Washington state dropped by the brewery to hang out today

Lunch over at BackStreet. I have Ballast Point Barel Aged Stout

Dirty little secret…. this witch drinks the dark stuff, not the wits.

After several weeks of delays due to labels, Witch’s Wit finally released in bottles today. A very light 4.8% ABV and brewed with Grapefruit, Orange Peel and Cardamom, it’s crisp and refreshing. Perfect for hot summer days. In honor of the release Molly donned her witch outfit to work the bar. As with all the […]

Fresh Exponential Hoppiness from Alpine

Lyle, Ron and Bob from SanDiegoBeer Drinkers.com.

Some friends from India came into the brewery the other day and convinced us that we need to send Tomme to brew on the subcontinent. Not a bad idea. Here’s one of our buddies holding his beer and a sticker that reads “Drink your beer. There’s sober kids in India.”

Periodic Table of Beer Styley

I’m having a Black Butte on tap

Here’s the tap list: 3 taps for Ballast Point (pale, ipa and pils), two Stone taps (pale and the anniversary chocolate)’ bud light’, pbr, blue moon, paulaner, leffe, deshutes black butte, full sail amber, O’side ale works strong, racer 5, firestone lil opal, sierra nevada torpedo, sierra pale, firestone pale, full sail ltd and wyder’s […]

Julie and Kirk

We’ve dropped into the new Breakwater Brewing on the Coast Hwy in Oceanside, CA. They’re not actually brewing yet, but the tap list is good and the food is tasty.

We’re home today recovering from the Rate Beer Summer Gathering yesterday. (Yes, everyone was very cool.) I’m sitting on the back deck trying this Stone brew that’s been in my beer fridge for a few weeks.

These are the beers you can buy today at the Rate Beer Summer Gathering event I BET YOU WISH YOU WERE HERE!

Rate Beerians have to work too. We’ve got Christian slicing limes for the street tacos

We had to go to Lowes which is conveniently close to Backstreet, so we’ve stopped in for a pint and some people watching.

  …it was refreshing and palate cleansing. 

…when this festival seems to become the “in” spot to be.  This is the south tent about 5ish.

…these are the lines to buy mugs and tokens.  Wow!  That’s a lot of people and that’s coming from someone that’s worked the door at the Port 2nd Anniversary and the front gate for the last 6 years at the Stone Anniversary.

Note to Tomme:  Please don’t have barrel envy, these have wine in them, not beer.

Here’s a view of the Willamette Valley from the deck of Domaine Drouhin

Angie and I both felt there was a dearth of Stouts and Porters.  I think Beer Molly would have been saddened by this news.

This is Bill who beer blogs at www.its-pub-night.com. Bill approached me to see if I was the real Tomme from Lost Abbey or one of Tomme’s many doubles.  Since Bill only had his fest mug and nothing else with him, I fessed up and admitted to being a look alike.

      New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk