Calendar: The Beerapalooza’s roaring: Barleywine fest Saturday, Celebrator’s 20th anniversary bash on Sunday
Some quick calendar items…We’re smack in the middle of Beerapalooza and there are three events still ahead – the kickoff was the 8th Annual Double IPA fest at the Bistro in Hayward this past Saturday (Feb. 9, 2008). Then on Wednesday night, we had a beer and cheese tasting at the Rogue Public House in San Francisco. I’m going to post a report in about 45 minutes.
Here’s what’s ahead:
Tonight: Friday, Feb. 15, Chocolate and Belgian Beer Dinner, Cathedral Hill Hotel, San Francisco. This one, sadly, is sold out. But beer chef Bruce Paton has two more doozies planned: Friday, March 21, Dinner featuring the beers of Green Flash Brewing. Sunday, April 20, Five Guys and a Barrel featuring Russian River, Port Brewing, Avery, Allagash and Dogfish Head. This one will definitely be wild. Info., sign up here.
Saturday, Feb. 16, !8th Annual Toronado Barleywine Fest, Toronado, 547 Haight St., San Francisco. 11 a.m. until the beer runs out sometime next week,. No entrance fee, pay by the glass. Hint: Small glasses are in order. Barleywines are strong stuff, upwards of 9 and 10 percent. Friends tell me the line into the Toronado goes down the block by 9 or 10 a.m. I usually go in middle-afternoon, not late enough to avoid the crowds, since the crowds don’t stop until about next Wednesday. But it’s earlier enough that the winners kegs aren’t all gone.
This is the granddaddy of all America’s barleywine fests; 50 or so barleywines from everywhere. This fest is
professionally judged and that alone is a big deal. Winners are announced in the afternoon. If you’re into barleywines or think you might be, this is the fest for you (and me.)
Sunday, Feb. 17, 4-8 p.m., 20th annual Celebrator Beer News Anniversary Party, Oakland Convention Center / Marriot Hotel, 1001 Broadway, Oakland, $55. A special “VIP” session begins at 3 p.m., costs $80.
This one’s a really big deal. More than 30 breweries pouring beer, live music, lots of food, all included in the ticket price.
Among other events at the bash, Pete Slosberg, creator of Pete’s Wicked Ale and Alan Shapiro, Pete’s first sales manager, who now is a specialty beer and cider importer, will unveil Reunion ‘08: A Beer for Hope, a beer made by Bison Brewing’s Daniel Del Grande at Butte Brewing, Chico’s all organic brewery. Dan has a co-operative agreement there with Butte.
Sales from the beer (and donations by grateful beer drinkers) benefit the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research, a national non-profit. The beer was created by Alan Shapiro and his good friend Virginia MacLean, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and died last June. They were among Pete Slosberg’s first employees at Pete’s Wicked Ale in Palo Alto back in the late 1980s.
Pete signed on to the project and the first beer, a ramped up Pete’s Wicked Ale came out last year. So far, it’s raised $93,000 for the institute.
The new one is a stronger version of Pete’s Wicked Red, with rye malt and spiced by caraway seeds. It’s going to sell in many places around California and the West, $5 for a 22 oz. bottle. So buy a bottle, OK. Good beer and all the money goes to the institute.