North Cal Beer Blog: New Helvetia Brewing Company

North Cal Beer Blog: New Helvetia Brewing Company: New Helvetia Brewing Company will soon be opening up in Feburary 2012 in Sacramento at 1730 Broadway. New Helvetia is a historic term for S...

http://klimahandlebar.blogspot.com/

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale Brew Review

Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop Ale 2011

from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

ABV 6.80%

This year, I first had this on tap at the Hilltop Tavern in Sacramento, CA. 

I enjoyed this on tap much more than the six pack I bought on my bike ride home the same night. This review is for the bottle.

Appearance - poured a medium blonde/amber color with high carbonation. A great 3/4 inch creamy colored head that dissipated rather quick due to the carbonation and leaving good lacing.

Smell - generous pine aroma with spicy hops.

Taste - I'm growing into the IPA trend here in Ca it seems. I never really liked the hoppy brews until recently. I like the carbonation of this ale and the clean finish. Much lighter on the Winter spices than expected (a good thing in my book), but there's some darker fruity spices involved in this.

Mouthfeel - you get the hop flavors up front and then rolls to the spicy flavors. I was expecting the hop hit at the end like most, but not this one.

Overall - Ok, my secret is I never cared for the OG Sierra Nevada brew. I know....it seems like a crime, however it was too hoppy for me. My roommate at the time drank enough of it for the both of us and local support reasons. With that said, I like this because it's not too complex on the taste for a Winter brew. I'm a big foodie and want my beer to complement my eats, not overwhelm it.

It's the season of the HandleBar Stache!

 
What started out as "because I can", "it goes with my Halloween costume", "I'm keeping it for the Tweed Bike Ride"......has now been phrased as, "it's for Movember"  http://us.movember.com/
which the band Cake supports. Not sure if their Mustache Man song is the anthem for Movember, but fitting nonetheless.
 
December 2nd will be shave day.

November Tweed Ride 11/13/11

                                              http://www.ripecompany.com/Home.html

 


 Go to the link below for details and the bike route we'll be taking.

http://sactotweed.blogspot.com/

Cool-Ass Coffee Mug!

http://www.the-scallywags.com/

Add "Brew" to this title and you've covered it!!

Ovila Dubbel Brew Review

Ovila Abbey Dubbel

from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

(in collaboration with The Abbey of New Clairvaux)

ABV 7.50%

I first picked this bottle up while on a wine tasting weekend in Sonoma, Ca. I'm so happy I did.

Appearance - poured a wonderful copper color with a soft cream colored head that dissipated a little quick and slight lacing.

Smell - great spiced fruit & clove hinted aroma, but not overwhelming.

Taste - Great. Cinnamon & mild malty fruit. I was expecting more hops, but was pleasantly surprised how clean this Dubbel finishes.

Mouthfeel - you get the complex flavors up front and rolls to a little dry. I love the high carbonation in this bottle that leaves your palette refreshed and wanting more.

Overall - this is one of my favorite brews right now and I get excited when I know that I will be popping the cork on this bad boy. I've bought more to share with friends and family. Not sure if this is on tap anywhere, but would love to compare the taste (the Saison/Farmhouse sister brew to this one reviewed is on-tap at Pangaea).

Fixed Gear Beer

A Red Ale that Beer Advocate rates a B+. Guess I need to check this one out!

http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/fixed-gear.html

Rapha Amgen Vid

Stage 4 today........."Rightly, much of the talk of Stage 4 is about the climbs of Hamilton and Sierra. However, people should be talking about the descent from Mt. Hamilton. Amazing. Almost impossible to believe that a road that twists, curls, dips and drops like that exists and people want to talk about the climbs?"

http://vimeo.com/channels/2011atoc#23170803

BFF

http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/sacramento/

Starts today 5/12/11 at the Crocker Art Museum from 5pm-9pm!

Kick off the Bicycle Film Festival and the Amgen Tour of California. The Crocker's courtyards will come alive with bike art, a bicycle fix-it workshop, and no-host BBQ from the Crocker Cafe. Bicycle valet service will be provided. 7pm will start the viewing of film shorts in the courtyard.

Friday-Sunday, Fremont Park will host the BFF for it's 2nd year in a row and a great kick-off to the AMGEN on Monday.

Sacramento Food Trucks are the talk of the town

Whether you're reading this weeks News & Review, Yelp's group email, both Sac Magazines or just street talk, you probably are sick of hearing/reading about it. That is until you try it....

A new breed of roach coaches is upon us...."gourmet" food trucks! And I love it.

I had two food trucks I used to go to when I was in the area of them: Freeport Taco Truck and the taco truck on Northgate Blvd on the way to a Kings game. But now, it's not just tacos anymore (unless you mean Korean short rib tacos), it's local Five Dot Ranch beef burgers, fresh sandwiches made to order, mac-n-cheese, salads, fresh brewed ice tea.

A few big runners in the area are Mama Kim's, MiniBurger & Drewski's. I've had the chance to try the last two and they do not disappoint. This is food that you would not expect to be coming from an oversized truck rv looking thing, but a cafe or bistro or cool corner shop.

If you feel like you might want to give these trucks a taste of your buds, then you're in luck: http://www.sactomofo.com/  This Saturday the 30th at Fremont Park they will be parked around the perimeter from12-6. And with the networking age upon us, you can track their locations via Twitter or Facebook. Check it out!

http://drewskis.com/

http://www.miniburgertruck.com/

Happy Earth Day! Go ride.

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/earth-day-pictures/

Here's a link to some great Earth Day photo's courtesy of N.G.

6 Pack Frame Cinch

6 Pack Frame Cinch
This useful handmade item (and other leather accessories) are made up in Oregon by Geoffrey Franklin @ Walnut Studiolo. Originally a bike polo mallet holder, and now multifunctional. His goal is to make high-quality, beautiful, durable, and most of all functional components for your bicycle.

Check him out-

http://www.etsy.com/people/WalnutStudiolo?ref=ls_profile



And don't forget about the Growler!

 

Sacramento Beer Week - update

All I can say is, "What an AWESOME Beer Week!"

After being dry for over a month, this was a nice way to introduce high quality craft brew into the system. Now it's time to get on my bike and ride to work off a few of those calories.

The wife and I enjoyed ourselves so much that are already wanting this event to be longer. I mean, we all know it's "Beer Year", however maybe a 2 week indulgence would be better? I say this for multiple reasons; I'll share one: I couldn't partake in all the events that were happening around town! This is good for Sactown, not so much for me. Let's spread the beautiful brew wealth a little. Packing it all in to one week is just silly talk.
Moving on....I love appetizers as much as the main plate (and could easily say I like them more). So, I went out to my secret bottle shop that carries the cush brew. The photo below was the three stooges I chose to be the appetizers to Beer Week. All 3 being Cali born and raised.

All three were fantastic and in total different catergories understandably, with Rubicon taking "Best" overall. It's a cross between a Porter and a Stout with great drinkability (6.5%). I think they call it an I.B.A. - India Black Ale. Scott Cramlet makes some damn good beer over there. Stone Brewing Co Double Bastard Ale is not for the weak at heart (11.2%). One of the best Strong Ales I've had. Not too Hoppy, strong Malt & the taste of alcohol lets you know you're drinking a big boy beer. The copper pouring of Hop Stoopid from Petaluma's Lagunitas surprised my taste buds as well. I'm not a huge hoppy drinker, but this one finishes well with subtle fruitness that hides the  8.0%.

I'll update the other brews & foods I attended during last weeks festivities shortly. Good times!

Great Vid

The Secret is out... NAHBS is coming!

http://2012.handmadebicycleshow.com/

What's better than 1 Beer Week? 2 Beer Weeks!

Feb 11th - 20th and 25th - March 6th mark San Francisco and Sacramento's Beer Weeks for 2011. Hundreds of events, craft brews and good times. Hop on your bike and check out one of your local sponsored establishments to enjoy this time of "Thanks" to the brewers that make these wonderful beers possible. 

http://www.sfbeerweek.org/

_____________________________________________________________________

And if that's not enough to fill your gill, Sacramento will!

http://sacramentobeerweek.com/

Sprints at Hot Italian brought a crowd

Last Sunday the 23rd, was the third "Savage Sprints" roller racing event and the second one at the Hot Italian location. The organizer of the races, Dean Alleger, gets the cyclists names entered into the laptop and often uses a bullhorn to announce special guests or pertinent information about the racers. A decent crowd showed up to cheer on the racers that signed up.

The sprinters and spectators are an array of cyclists and bike envy peeps. From the fixster hipster to the commuter to the girl that takes her bike to Trader Joes on the weekend to a National Champion?! Maybe one reason for the crowd was to catch a glimpse of Team USA National Track Champion cyclist Kevin Mansker from Portland Oregon. Kevin went on to win this event Sunday with times in the low 8's.

4 more races are on the books at Hot Italian, Feb 6 & 20 and March 6 & 20. This is all to raise awareness and donations for the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association http://sacvalleyvelodrome.org/?page_id=19
Come check it out!

This is the link to the previous blog on this site.

http://klimahandlebar.blogspot.com/2010/12/gold-sprints-at-rexs-tonight.html

Brewing with Coffee and Laurelwood's Espresso Stout

The New School Brew Blog

Recently there has been a spate of new Coffee Beer releases, like Bridgeport's Cafe Negro, Breakside's coffee-infused Dry Stout, and the newest version of Laurelwood Brewing's Espresso Stout. I recently picked up a few bottles of these for a review panel, but soon discovered that we had already reviewed the Laurelwood brew in the early days of The New School, way back in last March (it received a coveted 4.5 from the Yalie). Seeing as how we had reviewed it previously, I thought it would also be nice to chat a little with Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy about the creation of the beer and how he approaches using coffee in beer.

Last year's Espresso Stout, photo by "SNOB" Ritch

Just the other day "SNOB" Ritch and I were talking about using coffee in beers and how it rarely seems to improve a brew. We are both coffee fans and stout fans, so combining the two has always been an obvious proposition. Having brewed at least half a dozen coffee beers myself using a variety of methods, I know how hard it can be to integrate coffee without adding too much roast, burning, or simply picking up too much acidity or oils. So I asked Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy how he went about approaching making this brew:

"We chose a blend of coffee from Portland roasting called mocha java. I spent a good bit of time with the roasters there doing cuppings and trying different methods of making coffee before we came upon this blend for our beer. I didn't want to just pick a coffee or a roaster and go for it. Portland Roasting is a great local roaster with similar values to our company. They pioneered Farm Direct sourcing- paying farmers direct rather than diluting their profits through middlemen. Also, they do an incredible amount of philanthropy in areas where they buy coffee. These regions and their farmers have historically been quite disadvantaged- living without adequate water supplies, for example.

I believe this is the 4th year we've worked with Portland Roasting. I'm not sure how others do it, but we use a cold extract method in producing coffee to accentuate flavor and aroma while minimizing bitterness. In my opinion, this produces a smooth beer with loads of coffee character."

Cold pressing Coffee

Click here for the new school brew blog

Tristan Prettyman cycling

Click here for Bicycling Magazine site

When Tristans not touring the country with artists like G. Love, this 28-year-old singer-songwriter cyclist and surfer who is recently engaged to Jason Mraz, is helping to make San Diego more bicycle-friendly. Check out this awesome video and the Q & A from Bicycle Mag -

http://player.vimeo.com/video/13988951

What got you interested in riding?
It was through a combination of friends. I had been dating a guy from New York City who didn't have a car. Another one of my friends manages cellist Ben Sollee's bike tours along the East Coast. I started thinking, "I gotta get a bike!" I had a beach cruiser that my mom gave me a couple years ago, but it was pretty heavy. So last year I got a road bike from a guy who builds them from parts he gets at auctions. The frame says "Rahmen." I don't know a lot about bikes, or brands, but as soon as I got on this bike, I knew it was the one.

What's your typical ride?
My friends and I usually ride in the street. The downtown San Diego area is becoming more developed, so we're hoping that the larger crowds and heavier traffic will push people to ride more. We try to get out there as often as possible, so the city will realize that when you have more riders, you need more bike lanes.

After touring with G. Love & Special Sauce and the John Butler Trio, you took 2009 off.
It definitely allowed me to ride more. My friends often do a 25-mile loop up the coast to grab a beer, so I started joining them. My boyfriend [singer-songwriter Jason Mraz] lives a 40-minute car ride away, so I'll bike toward his house and he'll pick me up at Jitters, our friend Vallie's coffee shop. She does a mean breakfast.

Any chance you'll convince Jason to get a bike?
Actually, he really wants one. He wants to do a triathlon. The other week, we kept saying we'd go get a bike if the surf was flat. But the waves were really good.

How does catching a wave compare with cycling?
I've been surfing for a long time, so in the water, my brain goes on autopilot. Biking requires way more focus. I'm amazed by all the things I wouldn't have seen if I had been driving.

You went to New Orleans to help out after the BP oil spill. Did the trip inspire you to ride more?
You know, it's really easy to say "no oil," and stuff like that but I met guys who had been working in oil for 20 years; the industry was all they had. It's going to be a challenge for everyone on this planet to not use oil. But riding a bike on errands and on short trips is a step in the right direction.

Anything else we should know about your bike?
When I get on my bike after a couple of days without riding, I can't believe how much I missed it. I want to scream, "I love you, bike! Why don't I sleep next to you?" Biking equals freedom. It makes you realize how little you need to travel.

SMALL TALK
Last Ride
Sixteen miles to the beach, with my friend Tricia, who was staying with me after doing the AIDS ride from San Francisco to LA. When I got home, my tire was flat.

Alternate Fuel
On rides, I'll bring a bottle of half water, half coconut water. I eat a lot of hemp seed, vegetables and salads. But if I'm craving a cheeseburger and beer, I go for it.

Riding Kit
I don't really wear spandex. I just ride in jeans--and roll 'em up--and tennis shoes. I wear my Onitsuka Tigers because they're really light.

http://www.tristanprettyman.com/music

Magnified drinks of Art

Click here for Beverage Shots link

Alcohol under the microscope.

A company called Bevshots has produced a series of shots of booze under the microscope at the Florida State University's chemistry labs. This is Dry Martini at 1000x magnification.


This is the Irish Pale Lager above

Below is Vodka

The process consist of letting a droplet of liquor dry out completely on a slide in an airtight container, and photographing the result with a 35mm camera. The entire process can take up to three months and as many as 200 attempts to properly capture the drink's constituent parts.
Cocktails can have fruit and soft drinks in them which contain citric acids and complex sugars which dry out well and look great photographed. The incredible shapes and colours of the boozy artwork are highlighted by shining natural light on top and through the bottom of the slide. Just like images of snowflakes, each drink is different.
These images are available for sale at Bevshots. Open for business since August 2009, Bevshots estimate that they have sold over 20,000 examples of their alcoholic art works.

Below is Scotch

Original article published by Amusing Planet