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A surplus of geekery by :: Fred Abercrombie

SFBW: Start Your Livers …. SF Beer Week Is Go!!!

With tonight’s opening gala it’s official, the 2nd annual San Francisco Beer Week is on. Over 200 different events over the next week, all around the Bay. Yes, two hundo! Here’s five to get you started. See 7×7 Magazine top picks here.

Humphry Slocombe Beer Ice Cream (more Humphry here)
:: All Week

Russian River releases Pliny The Younger
:: Friday, Feb 5

Schmaltz night at TAPS Petaluma
:: Monday, Feb 8

10th Annual Double IPA Festival at The Bistro in Hayward
:: Saturday, Feb 6

Cobb’s Comedy Club hosts Lagunitas & Other Breweries
:: Wednesday, Feb 10

Get the SF Beer Week iPhone App here or visit official site »

Play: Monopoly Beer Lovers Edition

Too bad this is just fantasy brewed up by the dudes at SloshSpot. But with every other Monopoly edition imaginable (like Simpsons, ElvisChicago Bears), why not beer?

Avenues include local staples like Anchor Steam and Pliny The Elder. Park Place went to yummy St. Bernardus Abt 12. For Boardwalk they went with the luscious imperial stout The Abyss. Delicious, but for sheer high-price Boardwalk status (and high ABV) I’d go with Tactical Nuclear Penguin ($56+).

The only other switch I’d make is replacing Fat Tire. Am I the only one who’s tired of it? New Belgium has plenty of other, better offerings. Better yet, replace that space with something from Petaluma’s finest. Hmm, I smell a California Beer Edition Monopoly coming… (Thanks, Mike!)

RELATED:
Beer: Lagunitas Now Offering Virtual Tastings
Beer: New Belgium’s New Label Designs, Ranger IPA
Play: Browser Pong!
KYEO: Lombard Street Turning Into Giant Candyland Game
Beer: Lagunitas Beer Circus pics

Beer: First Trip To Russian River Brewing Company

Glass of Hopfather and a box of Legos at Russian River Brewing Company

Just a scant 12 miles north of the Lagunitas Beer Sanctuary is another must-visit brew spot, Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa. If you’re in the Bay Area it’s well worth the trek. Since it’s a restaurant, you can bring your kids if you got ’em (witness the Lego’s above). Plus, Sunday’s have HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY. 

Obstructing Lego’s view above is a frothy glass of Hopfather. If you go, order this for sure. Like a crisper, less oily, but much hoppier Pliny the Elder. So hoppy it prompted my friend Shawn to pose the question, “Can a beer be too hoppy?”. An awkward silence followed.

The Belgian Beer Sampler at Russian River Brewing Company

The Belgian Beer Sampler was all-around tasty with two particular stand-outs:

Salvation 8.60 ABV
Nice, strong dark ale with hints of birch, pepper, dark fruits, and licorice.

Consecration 10.0 ABV
A dark, sour-aged belgian that may be the first of the sour beers (which are oh-so-hot right now for some reason) I actually appreciate. To the un-sour initiated, it tastes like dark-cherry kombucha. So if that’s your thang you’ll dig this.

Here’s what else was on tap: See the rest »