Holiday Drink Guide

Booze, glorious booze...

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Hoppy holidays

For real beer lovers, the fall season is a time to celebrate with its abundance of dark, malt-rich brews: Belgians, stouts and porters that are perfect for chilly weather and hearty meals. We talked with award-winning local brewmaster Nick Campbell of Blue Frog Grog & Grill in Fairfield about what beer geeks want in their stockings, what to pair with our favorite holiday meals and what to try if you’re looking for something new. “It’s a great time to try new beer flavors and even new ways to drink beer,” Campbell says. “Double IPAs, for example, can be savored in a snifter and served slightly warmer than normal. Just like wine, the glass and the temperature served can change the flavor.” With award-winning microbreweries nearby and an ever-changing rotation of new seasonal beers every three to four weeks, grab some friends and get hoppin’!

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Brew pairings and 6 Great gifts for brew geeks

1. Sampler packs of beers from around the world. It’s a beer festival in a box. Can usually be found at Costco starting at $25 per case. Costco.com.

2. Beer of the month club. The gift that keeps on giving all year long. Starting at $20 per month, you can choose domestic or international compilations. (800) 625-8238; beermonthclub.com.

3. Home brewing starter kit by More! Beer. Includes almost everything you need including glass carboys. $99. More! Beer, 995 Detroit Ave., Unit G, Concord (925) 671-4958; morebeer.com.

4. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, especially brewed for the holidays. It’s a favorite Northern California brew that you can get by the keg to spice up your holiday party. $140 per 15.5 gallon keg. Beverages and More; Bevmo.com.

5. Samichlaus Bier by Schloss Eggenberg. One of the strongest lager beers in the world (14% alcohol by volume), it is brewed annually on Dec. 6, in celebration of St. Nicholas. Brewed in the style of Bavarian doppelbock, it goes through a 10-month fermentation process before bottling. Let the brew mature for several years before enjoying with a hearty meal. Approximately $6 per 11-ounce bottle. Cost Plus World Market; Worldmarket.com.

6. Utopias by Samuel Adams. 2008 is its fifth year in production. Considered an extreme beer (27% alcohol by volume) with complex flavors of vanilla and toffee and a finish akin to cognac and fine sherry. Only 12,000 bottles produced per year; retails at approximately $130 per 24-ounce bottle. City Beer Store, 1168 Folsom St., Suite 101, San Francisco (415) 503-1033; citybeerstore.com.
 

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Notable beer festivals

Northern California is chock-full of fantastic beer festivals. Get out the calendar and make transportation arrangements so that you can go enjoy some of the best festivals on the West Coast.

Beerfests within driving distance:

San Francisco Beer Week (actually, it’s ten days) kicks off Bay Area beer celebrations with as many as 150 events from Friday, Feb. 6 to Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009. For more information, visit sfbeerweek.org.

  Bistro Double IPA Festival, Hayward, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. The-bistro.com.

  Toronado Barleywine Festival, San Francisco. February 2009. Toronado.com.

  Boonville Beer Festival, Boonville, May 2, 2009. Avbc.com.

  Russian River Beer Revival and BBQ Cook-off, Guerneville, August 2009. A perennial favorite, there are only 1,000 tickets sold and it WILL sell out, so get your tickets early. Stumptown.com/revival.

  California Brewers Festival, Sacramento, September 2009. Calbrewfest.org.

Beerfests worth traveling for:

  Great American Beer Festival, Denver, October 2009. Beertown.org.

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