San Francisco / San Jose: A Brew Review

As I sit hoping my body adjusts to the change in time zones and recovers from the red eye flight, I pleasantly reflect upon my trip to California.  My other half was there for work so, naturally, I decided that it was a good time to take a vacation.  We stayed in the Silicon Valley - perfectly placed to explore San Francisco and San Jose.  I had never been to either city before so I was very excited to see a new part of the West Coast, especially from the perspective of a few pints.

Our first night in town we were ravenous for a hearty and easy meal.  Thankfully, Tied House Brewery & Cafe was close by.  They had a fresh menu of pub grub with a decent all-ale selection.  I decided to focus on the special - the New World Wheat.  Brewed in the typical style of an American Wheat, it was light, crisp, and clear.  Not too heavy, hoppy, or cloudy.  Heck, they even insert the label of your beer with your check (see below)!  A perfect way to end a long day of travel.  Due to my lack of sleep, the time change, and the overall hustle of traveling, I feel asleep at the 7 o'clock that night.  Learn more about Tied House by visiting their website or their Twitter.

Fast forward a few days later to the ever-so-flat San Jose.  As my slightly sore quads took a turn about San Pedro Square and the surrounding streets, I landed at Los Gatos Brewing Company.  What a beautiful restaurant.  It is reminiscent of a Victory or an Iron Hill. I ordered the Pale Ale.  A glass of filled with deep amber/orange-tinted color with the tastes of the hops and bitterness.  I loved their place mats as well - a map navigating the guest through their brewing process.  Learn more about LGBC at their website or on their Facebook fan page.

As you can guess, I had a great time eating and drinking my way through the cities by the bay.  But as much fun as I had scaling the slopes of San Fran and promenading the developing San Jose, the East Coast will always be my home and have my heart. Slainte!

(Photos provided by author)

Las Vegas: A Brew Review

Happy official first day of Summer!  Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Las Vegas, NV.  I thought I knew exactly what to expect from Sin City - bright lights, wild nights, loud crowds.  Although I found them all without strife, Las Vegas certainly surprised me.  For one thing, calling it just "dry heat" does not help deter my discomfort with the 108 degree weather.  On a lighter note, the Strip is an architectural wonder.  The Eiffel Tower  and hot air balloon of Paris, the Space Needle of the Stratosphere and the ceiling of the Bellagio all struck me as dazzling.  Another major surprise to me - the lack of good beer.  It absolutely shocked me that as I walked the streets, weaving through the sea of characters (in costume and not), that everyone carried two cans of Coors Light, or a pounder of Fosters or a bottle of Corona.  I figured that surely everyone was as price conscious as I am so they must be saving money on beer to see the shows or eat at nice restaurants.  Maybe I could let it slide if that was the case.  In a word...nah.  Las Vegas just does not have the craft beer following as I expected from a town that has a little bit of everything and seems to be on the cutting edge to attract all demographics.  I luckily found a small branch of the Sin City Brewing Co. in the Miracle Mile (a mall-like environment found in Planet Hollywood).  This branch was small - more like a twig.  With about five or six seats in the whole place, there were four beers on tap - a Weisse, a Blonde, an Amber and a Stout.  I sampled the Weisse, named Weisse is Nice.  And it was just that - nice, nothing that threw me out of my chair but, y'know, nice.  Who knows?  Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough for the right beer.

Now I am not one for bringing back a ton of souvenirs or knickknacks (frankly, I am working on breaking my pack rat tendencies), but I do love to pick up one thing - a growler.  Thankfully, this small mall bar had some to offer so that I could continue growing my collection.  I will say that I like the playfulness of their label.  All in all, Las Vegas is a city like none other and I am happy to check it off the list.

Slainte and viva Las Vegas!