18 Reasons
Tonight Andolicious stopped by 18 Reasons in San Francisco, CA, for a seasonal beer tasting. The first beer I tried was a Butchertown Black Ale, followed by their Payback Porter.
The payback porter was rich and malty, perfect for the winter season, but much more malty than one would expect for a porter. Porter by name, stout by flavor, but then again, payback is sweet. The Black Ale by contrast was quick to leave the pallate with the crisp aftertaste of a toasty ale.
Up next was the Farmhouse Pale from Almanac Beer Co. brewed with Organic San Joaquin Valley Plums. Fruity beer? No way. Almanac balances the sweetness of the plums with the subtle fruitiness of a pale ale while packing the punch of a 7% ABV rating.
Next up was Lucky Hand with the Cali Common and their Black Lager. The Cali Common was a cross between a Stella and a Pilsner Urquell- perhaps something to do with the fermentation.
Overall it was a great time at 18 Reasons tonight. Can't wait to go back.
Put It In the Bank
More and more Americans are not getting what they need to eat. If you can, please make a donation to your local food bank.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/us-hunger-stalks-idUSTRE7BE1VD20111215
Vertical Food Garden on KickStarter
KickStarter is an awesome website to get an idea going. This vertical garden system will be manufactured right in the US of A if they reach their fundraising goal. Having done some gardening myself, I would love to have some low maintenance systems like these. Grow food. Create jobs. Start a window farm! 
Sabuy Sabuy Again Again
I like this place. Friendly wait staff. Nice outdoor seating with little windchimes. A little piece of paradise, right next to Wendy's. Not that I'm not a fan of Dave Thomas or his 99 cent chicken nuggets, its just that love Tom Yum. My Chang came in a special glass. Oooohh!
Sabuy Sabuy, Berkland, CA
According to the 20 year-oldish hipsters sitting next to me, Sabuy Sabuy is in Berkland- not Oakland or Berkeley. If you don't know how to get there, I think it's between Mordor and Never Never Land. Whatever you like to call the area, this place is a little piece of Thailand. How do I know? I've never been to Thailand. But, I've tried a lot of Tom Yum and this is the only Thai restaurant that I cannot order the full spice level. Tom Yum just hit the table. Ando out.
Napa, California and “The Maestro”
When someone says "Napa", people think "wine", but that hasn't always been the case. Some of the best wines in the world come from Napa, California, USA, but before Andre Tchelistcheff, that wasn't the case. France's reign as the champion of wines ended in 1976 with a blind taste testing pitting their best against our American wines from Napa. In a controversial decision, Napa won, setting the stage for a rivalry that continues to this day.
Non-GMO Super Broccoli
Who says you need to genetically modify cells in order to make crops more nutritious or resistant to pests? Well ******** thinks so, but who cares about them. There's a new breed of non-Genetically modified broccoli, according to a report from USA Today. What's so special about it? Glucoraphanin. As King Curtis would say, "Don't forget to eat your vegetables!".
Photo by Matt Dunham, Associated Press, Courtesy of USAToday.com
Celebration Ale Brew Session… and Lasagna
Making lasagna from scratch sounds a lot more complicated than it really is- just like brewing. More surprisingly, they're actually a good combination to make together. Now, if you've never made lasagna or brewed, I wouldn't recommend trying both at the same time. But making a small loaf of lasagna gives you something to do while your beer boils and gives you some delicious energy to keep you going. Make sure you kill the oven as soon as the lasagna comes out so you don't have too much additional heat during the wort chilling process.
Jupiter
Jupiter on Shattuck in Berkeley, CA, has a the best Veggie burger in town. Light fluffy bun, spinach, mayo, aoli, provelone, red onion and ripe tomato.
Veggie burgers take some getting used to, mainly because most restaurants don't put a lot of effort into them. Once you have a good one you're hooked!
Pete’s Brass Rail and Car Wash
There is no brass rail, no car wash and who the bell is Pete?
Pete's is an institution in Danville- ask anyone about "The Wall" and there's a good chance their either on it or well on their way. To get on the wall you must join their Connousseur's Club and try at least 100 different varieties of beer. Some folks have had upwards of 2,000 beers and have had their names enshrined in a multitude of colors over the years. Getting on the wall requires commitment.
Pete's is commited to giving back and hosts multiple fundraisers per year.
On tap today is Moylan's Wet Hopped Hopsicle. Beers that use wet hops reach peak flavor quickly and must be consumed before spoilage. What a shame- beer you need to drink. Somebody's got to do it.