Today, Mark Jimmy and Kevin (thanks for camera work, man) touch down in the Dogpatch District of San Francisco, and dive headfirst into great beer, BarBQue, and FOOD SCIENCE! (She blinded me!) At Smokestack at Magnolia Brewing, they know that what is simple can be complex, and vice versa. What is the Maillard Reaction, anyway? And why is it so important to BOTH food and beer? Press play, good fans; Knowledge is Power.
Video #310: BrewcadeSF - Craft Beer and Classic Arcade Games in the Castro!
Craft Beer has landed in neighborhoods around the country, and in so many different ways, including this dynamite stop in San Francisco's Castro District. Long an historic and iconic neighborhood in relation to the LGBT Community, the Castro is also now finding ways to lead in Craft. Join Mark and Jimmy as they make another stop on a recent NorCal tour at Brewcade, where the sound of quarters dropping into Defender, Joust and Buck Hunter mingle with the clink of glasses filled with a well-curated Craft list. Cheers!
We're headed back to the Berks. (And MOE's!)
It's not often that we hope to go back to a particular Craft destination... oh, who are we kidding, we hope for it all the time. But there are so many other tremendous places to visit, and more every second, that it almost doesn't seem fair to go back to a place when there are so many more to discover; there are only so many hours in the week. However, sometimes, 'The Work' orders us to places, and we just have to go.
That being said, Jimmy is heading back to the Berkshire Theatre Group this summer for the first time since 2011. Perhaps one of the prettiest (and during the summer, the ARTSIEST) destinations in the mountains of the East Coast, the Berkshire Mountains are home to great theatre including BTG, Williamstown, Shakespeare & Company, and Barrington Stage:
Always great to be headed to do a fantastic show with old friends, and new ones yet to be made. And if we're in Western Massachusetts, THAT MEANS WE'RE HEADED BACK TO MOE'S TAVERN, one of the most stupendous Craft Bars we've ever been in. (And that is saying something!) Here's our coverage from the visit 4 years ago:
We can't wait to see what other Craft Destinations have sprung up in Western MA since we've been in residence. What's new in the area? Got a line on a good new bar, Craft Maker of some kind (any kind, really!) or destination? Give us a shout in the comments below. And here's to Musical Theatre in Very Pretty Places. CHEERS!
The Happy Hour Guys are Back on Beer Sessions radio today (6/9)
Jimmy's back in the 'Wingman Chair' today at Beer Sessions Radio on the Heritage Radio Network - today's show features updates from our show, Brewer Jeff "Chief" O'Neil, and Beanery Brewing! Listen live at 5pm EST, or find our stream later. Cheers!
Video # 309: Firestone Walker Lion down with Mission Dolores.
4th avenue near Carroll St. in Brooklyn has long been one of NYC's most vibrant neighborhoods, and at one point was a leader in Craft, as prior to Prohibition there were many breweries within just blocks. Nowadays, after years of being a Craft desert, there's a diversity here that boggles the mind and rivals any other Spectrum of Awesome in New York City. The Guys make their way to Mission Dolores for a meet-up with The Lion himself, David Walker of Firestone Walker Brewing, who is visiting Craft Street (and seeing the growth for himself) from Paso Robles, CA. Enjoy!
'THE' Brink? Really?
Craft, Yoopers and Waterfalls: Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub.
Over and over again on our show, we've proven the Rule of the Exceptional: You'll find Craft in amazing places. Even in the middle of a 50,000 acre State Park in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Tahquamenon Falls, near Paradise, MI. The Upper Peninsula, y'all. It's magical.
The Tahquamenon River's tannin-rich, tea colored water flows through the northeastern Upper Peninsula, old canoe/portage shortcut for the natives that were traveling along the southern shores of Lake Superior to trade in Sault Ste Marie to the west. And unbeknownst to many, in the midst of that river line is the second highest waterfall east of the Mississippi, beaten in height only by Niagara Falls. The entire park contains wonder after wonder - stunning views, hiking and cross-country ski trails, nature as varied as moose, martens, black bear, wolves, and... Craft Beer?
Camp 33.
Jack Barrett of the Barrett Logging company purhased the land adjacent to the falls because he and his wife, Mimi, enjoyed the beauty of the area so deeply. In the 1950s, he built a road to the site near the falls and gifted most of the land to the State for use as a Park, with a detail in his instructions that the road must terminate 3/4 of a mile from the falls, near Camp 33. If you want to see the water, you've gotta walk.
With "Brewster" Lark Ludlow at the Brewery. Jimmy's drinking the Stout, BTW. Nice.
"People come in the restaurant and say, 'Oh, I can't see the falls from the window here,' laughed Lark Ludlow, the Owner and 'Brewster' of Camp 33, or the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery. "And my answer always is, 'Nope. No, you can't.'" They want it that way.
Lark is Jack's granddaughter - the family set aside a 2 acre parcel at the termination of the road into the Park that they still own - a rare private property inside of a State Park - and perhaps the only one in the US that has a Craft Brewery on site. The structure was christened Camp 33 when originally built, as most logging camps are numbered instead of named, and it would be the 33rd logging camp of the Barrett Logging Company. The grandkids rebuilt it in 1990 to serve the Park, and in 1996 Lark had the idea that maybe this 'Craft Beer thing' might be a good addition. But who would brew? Well, she did. And still does.
She started brewing onsite with a 10 barrel system in 1996, making her only the 3rd Craft Brewer in the Upper Peninsula, after The Vierling Brewpub in Marquette and Lake Superior Brewing in Grand Marais (also a brewpub). She offers a rotating lineup of beers, and had 4 taps running the day we visited. Our favorite was a lovely Stout that leaned towards the sweeter side, with plenty of roasty/chocolate-y notes. A full restaurant with a menu of local items (get the whitefish!) offers plenty to pair with.
Camp 33 is an unusual and extremely welcoming part of a trip to a gorgeous area - The Happy Hour Guys recommend a beautiful drive, an even prettier walk to the thundering falls, and the capper (as always) a terrific pint to make the day even more memorable.
And we'll see you next time. Cheers!
Video #308, Lagunitas: Flyin' high in NorCal.
FINALLY! The Happy Hour Guys have flown/driven coast to coast to get some coverage in NORCAL. We begin our tour in Petaluma, CA at Lagunitas Brewing, a friendly, music and herb driven collective that has gone from founder Tony Magee selling kegs out of his car in 1994 to a nationwide force in Craft Brewing that is selling world-changing beer. Click play to be introduced to this craft family, and big thanks to Matt Fabiano and Kevin Carolan for some stellar camera work. Cheers!
With Chief Marketing guru Ron Lindenbusch, "The Beer Weasel".
VIRGO SUPER CLUSTER.
WHOA.