It seems as though every week is Beer Week in San Diego. Here’s a short rundown of some of the great events in San Diego Beer we caught this past weekend. For upcoming events, click over to our online Event Calendar.
Thursday, March 3rd
MIHO @ HBM – The MIHO Gastrotruck teamed up with Home Brew Mart yet again on Thursday night. The big catch: Drunken Wild Mexican Shrimp and Grits prepared with – and thus best paired with – Ballast Point’s Abandon Ship Smoked Lager. With BP specialty brewer Colby Chandler on quite the chili kick lately, a Chipotle-infused version of Abandon Ship also made an appearance alongside Habanero Sculpin, 2008 Barrel-Aged Sea Monster Imperial Stout, and World Beer Cup-winning 2008 Barrel-Aged Piper Down.
The Home Brew Mart/BP team worked tirelessly the week prior to be able to completely open the back of the brewery to the public, with picnic table-style seating throughout. Fiji Yogurt next door completed the “casual two course beer dinner” MIHO started by offering a Tongue Buckler wort-based yogurt flavored with peanut butter and honey. Check out more photos from this event over on our Facebook.
29 Sierra Nevada taps @ KnB Wine Cellars – Yes, you read that right – 29 SN taps, all in one place. This event marked the third day of KnB’s Sierra Nevada Week, which commenced with a six-course beer dinner hosted by Brewery Ambassador Steve Grossman. Some of SN’s rarest were on display, including the Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada collaboration Life & Limb (as well as a Barrel-Aged Life & Limb), Sierra Nevada Liquid Sourdough, and the rye black ipa India Ink, “made by gentlemen [KnB’s Adam & Matt], and for gentlemen” at Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp. More photos over on our Facebook.
Friday, March 4th
MIHO @ Whistle Stop – Like every Friday evening, the MIHO Gastrotruck set up shop right outside the Whistle Stop Bar in South Park, serving up local “farm-to-street” fare from 5-7:30. MIHO was voted 2010’s Best Gastrotruck in CityBeat, and, being fans of local beer, they’re popping up at breweries all over. You can read all about MIHO and their involvement with San Diego Beer in April’s West Coaster.
Lightning Strikes Hamilton’s
Firkin Fridays at Hamilton’s Tavern on 30th Street have helped define the South Park craft beer circuit. This time around, Lightning Brewery’s Old Tempest Ale was available on cask at a great price; Lightning President Jim Crute & Sales Manager Jamie McKown (one of our Ladies of Local Beer this month) were on hand to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Hamilton’s Proprietor Scot Blair was extra excited about this particular firkin, and for good reason. If you haven’t read the February issue of West Coaster, check out Hamilton’s on the cover and inside on pages 6 & 7.
Saturday, March 5th
Green Flash Beer for Breakfast @ Small Bar
With the past week’s happenings leaving us seeking nourishment (and more beer), Small Bar came through Saturday morning with a brunch special that’d cure any hangover: $12 for corned beef & hash w/ eggs your way alongside a Green Flash beer of your choosing (in a pint glass you keep). Yum.
Churchill’s Renaissance
The keynote event of the weekend was most definitely the San Marcos’ pub’s 2nd Anniversary of their renovated tap system. The twitter wires were abuzz early in the AM as craft beer fans lined up and waited for doors to open at 11 o’clock because Owner Ivan and Beverage Coordinator Dave had promised to put fifty extremely hard-to-get beers on tap. “The gold star of the list,” according to Scot Blair, was the Allagash Avance, an American wild ale open-fermented and aged in oak bourbon barrels with strawberries. The other star of the show was the 2nd batch of Churchill’s Finest Hour, an imperial stout from Port Brewing that had been in Jack Daniel’s barrels for over 13 months. Having moved their pub-style booths outside, picnic table-style seating gave plenty of room for the masses to keep flowing in all day; the crowds were fueled also by slow-cooked treats prepared on the smoker that had been going since the night before. Congratulations to Churchill’s on a job well done; we already can’t wait for next year’s party. More photos over on our Facebook.
Sunday, March 6th
Sierra Nevada BeerBQ @ KnB
After a long weekend of imbiding, the Sierra Nevada BeerBQ @ KnB Wine Cellars was a great way to relax on a Sunday afternoon. The rarest of the 29 taps put on Thursday night were gone, but some really good stuff was still available (and probably still is today). The smoked good burger and finger lickin’ ribs were mainstays for the crowd as you could smell the BBQ going driving into the parking lot. The KnB staff was visibly worn from the outrageous Sierra Nevada events they had been putting on all week, with the celebratory vibe of Sunday’s BBQ like that of a theater ensemble finally striking a set.