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.