DC ain't just for stupid politicians

I think that my previous visit to DC occurred when I was a super cool high school trumpet player and our Symphonic band was given the chance to play at a few venues in the area. That would have been the late 80's and I don't really remember much about it, but I think that my most recent trip was more fun.

We missed a week of blizzards and horribly messy cold weather, so when we arrived, there was just snow and slush everywhere. During the daytime we ventured out to hit a couple of the Smithsonian Museums and wander around the National Mall, but at night we sought out refuge from the cold with some good food and beer.

Good Food
The visit was short, but we manage to enjoy two great meals out on the town. The first night we made it to Matchbox. It's a rather hip upscale pizza joint with a large brick pizza oven that dominates the two story open-floored eating and bar area. We feasted on some great thin, crispy crusted pizzas, a few mini-burgers, and then we washed it all down with a few beers from their good draft selection. In an apparent coup, we managed a pint of Bell's Hopslam before the keg floated, but more on that in the beer summary below.

Our second night was an even hipper and tastier experience, as we gorged on Mexican small plates at Oyamel. We ate too many things to list them all here, but table-side-made guacamole was a table pleaser and a couple of my favorites were roasted brussel sprouts in an arbol chili, pumpkin seed and lime dressing and a pork taco with crispy pork rinds. Mmmmm, pork tastes good.

Good Beer
Thought nothing we drank was actually brewed in the immediate area, most of it was new to me and not available out on the west coast. It's always good to know that while the politicians in DC can't make a decision worth a damn, the beer drinkers can. Good beer seems to be thriving, based on my two day's experience.
Here's a sampling of the beer downed in the nation's capital:

Yuengling - I've had this previously, but it's worth mentioning. It's a smooth crisp lager from the oldest brewery in the US. (from Pennsylvania)
Bell's Hopslam Ale - A malty big bodied, high octane beer with copious levels of hop flavor and aroma. It's a limited release beer, so we were lucky to be in town at the right time and place, as we by chance found it on tap just before the last keg died. It's similar to my favorite, Racer 5, so this was very welcome after a long day of traveling. (from Michigan)
Bell's Two Hearted Ale - This was my second choice after Hopslam ran out. Lots of hops came through in this IPA, though I'd like to try it again when my taste buds haven't been previously 'slammed'.
Great Lakes Eliot Ness Amber Lager - Rich caramel hue to this malty, crisp lager. (from Ohio)
Troegs Nugget Nectar - Another seasonal brew that we were fortunate to be in the area for during its run. Labeled as an Imperial amber, it has definite caramel flavors with a strong dose of hops, though much more restrained that the Hopslam or other 'Imperial' beers.

Even though my pregnant travel buddy couldn't partake of the beer bonanza, I think that she had a great time with the food, venues, and company. Many thanks to Daria and Kevin for being excellent tour guides and beer finders.

More Strong Beer - Second Magnolia Visit

I made a brief return to Magnolia in order to try a couple of more beers - and numb the pain of twisting my ankle yet again. The beers proved to be excellent pain inhibitors.
First up was Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout (10%). It was very roasty with almost a bit of tannin in the mouth feel. I was at first reminded of a wine, though the beer was decently balanced. I think that the alcohol really comes through which led me to the wine flavors.
Second was the Promised Land Imperial IPA (10%) It was super grassy, slightly citrusy, hoppy goodness. With amber color, a good body, and a bit more carbonation than some of the other strong beers, this is a very good beer. An excellent send off prior to our trip to the East Coast.

Strong Beer - 5 down, 7 to go

I made the long trek across town to try a few of the strong beers at the 21st Amendment. Since the travels were long and Muni was annoying, I forced myself to try three beers.

Imperial Jack (8.7%): great body with a roasty malty kick and only a subtle hint of the alcohol. There's just a touch of lingering hops on the finish. I could drink this all night - or at least until I pass out.
Two Lane Blacktop IPA (9.4%): Hoppy aroma, hoppy flavor, and black as night. It's very malty, but not much roast or chocolate is making it through the hops. Awesome freakin' beer, in my humble opinion.
Beer School (9.1%): rather smooth beer with a hoppy aftertaste. It's very pale and effervescent, with a light body and crisp taste. Even at 9.1%, this comes across as a very mild beer.

While drinking the Beer School, I enjoyed their Buffalo Chicken Cobb salad which was quite good. It was nice and spicy on it's own, but it really stepped up a notch when bit of spicy chicken was followed by a swallow of beer. Flame on!

SF Beer Week - Linden Street Tasting

The old neighborhood bar, The Page, had a beer tasting and meet-the-brewer event on Wednesday night. I hadn't heard of Linden Street Brewery out of Oakland before, so I thought I'd check them out. The beers were on special, and I never found the brewer, but it was a nice event that allowed me to try a couple new beers.

Burning Oak Black Lager - slight roasted flavor and definitely on the sweet side. First sip reminded me of German Schwartzbier, though not quite as malty and with a much cleaner yeast character.

Bill's Amber Glow Lager - slightly sweet with a clean crisp taste a a little bit of noble hop flavor. I'll proclaim this a good warm weather session beer.

They both seemed well made, though for me, I would enjoy them more with some food and sitting outside in the sun. If it's ever sunny and warm, I'll give that a try.

SF Beer Week - Delarosa

SF Beer Week commenced last Friday, and the first thing we've been able to make it to is a beer pairing menu offered at Delarosa in SF's Marina district. The food and pairings were great, and we'll be returning in the future to try more of their regular menu. Here's a rundown of the pairings:

Danish Lager and Meatballs: Moist pork meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce - The Danish Lager (Devil's Canyon Brewing, Belmont, CA) is slightly sweet, smooth, and crisp with a good bit of hop flavor. It paired great and the alcohol content didn't cause the spiciness to become overpowering.

Steam Beer and Chicken: Grilled chicken over white beans, mushrooms, and rosemary - The Imperial Common (SF Brewer's Guild) is a rather hoppy, in the range of a strong pale ale or mild IPA, strong steam beer. It really pulled the earthiness out of the bean mixture. This was my favorite pairing of the day.

Sparkling Beer and Donuts: Fresh sugar coated donuts with a chocolate dipping sauce - The Sparkling Cassissona (Birrificio Italiano, Lurago Marinone, Italy) is a weird one. It at first reminded me of an orange Fanta, as it was that fizzy and orangey. Separately, I'd probably not drink too much of this one, but a slight citrus flavor in the donuts complemented it nicely and this was a good dessert pairing.

Strong Beer Month 2010 - kickoff!

It's my first return visit to Magnolia, since moving out of the old hood, and I plan to try my luck at imbibing all 12 of this year's Strong Beer line up. Not in one sitting, of course.
As an interesting aside, I've not been in here since the big remodel, which may have been 2+ years ago. The distressed wood furniture and wall coverings give it an old saloon feel which is quite nice. The old hippy-scape mural is gone, and it is really missed. It was unique and really tied this place to the history of the Haight area. The replacement gold leaf walls just seem to be begging for something more. It's just a bunch of dead space now. I've never really been enamored with this place and that has not changed.
Anyway, moving on...First up is Delilah Jones Rye (10.2%). It's got a good amount of grassy flavors, which I'd attribute to the rye. There's not much of a nose and it's rather light bodied. A little bit of hop-induced bitterness is detectable, but no real flavor. It's very drinkable and hides the alcohol well, but I'm a little disappointed in the overall beer.
Next down the gullet is Four Winds Quadrupel (9.1%). It's an immediate explosion of flavor! A slight dried fruit aroma, maybe a whiff of prune, and lots of funky flavors fill the mouth. It's very full bodied and on the sweet side of the spectrum. This will probably be my favorite, but we shall see.