Sunday was the second day of the 4th annual Brews on the Bay, sponsored by the San Francisco Brewers Guild. Each year it’s been held on the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a World War II era Liberty Ship docked at Pier 45 at Fisherman’s Wharf.
The S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien, with Alcatraz in the background.
21st Amendment owner/brewer Shaun O’Sullivan with Marty, one of the Jeremiah O’Brien volunteers.
For more photos from this year’s Brews on the Bay, visit the photo gallery.
Usually the beer dinners that the Beer Chef, Bruce Paton, puts on involve one or two specific brewers. But this next one will feature the beers of a single country, and one that you don’t ordinarily think of — France. But while largely unknown, there are some very good beers there made by some very small brewers. Here’s a chance to try some of them, and have some great food to boot. It will be a four-course dinner and well worth the $80 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Saturday, September 21, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations by September 13.
Reception: 6:30 PM
Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre
Beer: Thiriez Extra and Jenlain St. DrounDinner: 7:30 PM
First Course
Sea Scallops in Fennel Nage
Beer: Thiriez Blonde
Second Course:
Composed Salad of Wild Mushrooms, Summer Vegetables, Duck Ham and Watercress
Beer: La Choulette Le Sans Cullottes
Third Course:
Loin of Rabbit with Bone Marrow Ravioli and Onion Apple Gratin
Beer: Ambree
Fourth Course:
Poached Pear with Flan of Fromage Explorateur
Beer: St. Sylvstre Gavroche
Les Sans Culottes from Brasserie Les Choulette, is one the beers that will be served. It’s a Biere de Garde style beer and the label is a detail from the iconic Eugene Delacroix painting Liberty Leading the People that hangs in the Louvre. Late last year, the State of Maine tried to ban it because they thought the label might offend the delicate sensibilities of its citizens.
9.21
Dinner with the Brewmaster: The Beers of France
Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]
Friday night was a very special night for a beer dinner, with two of the finest craft brewers going head to head in a friendly competition where not one, but two, beers were paired with each of the four courses. A night of stories, food, skate and some truly wonderful beers, drawing beer and food lovers from all over the Bay Area. Who won? We did, that is, all of us who attended. It was terrific trying the two very different Salvation beers side-by-side and then the Collaboration Not Litigation Ale that is a blend of the two.
Adam Avery, the beer chef Bruce Paton and Vinnie Cilurzo raise a glass to great beer and food.
For more photos from the Collaboration Beer Dinner, visit the photo gallery.
Without diminishing all of the great beer dinners I’ve attended this year, I think I’m anticipating this one more keenly than any dinner all year. I’ll have returned home the following day from “Hop School” and will be fairly itching for hoppy beers. How could I do better than this? Beer Chef Bruce Paton’s next beer dinner will feature both Adam Avery, from Avery Brewing in Boulder, Colorado, and Vinnie Cilurzo, from Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California.
It will be a four-course dinner and well worth the $85 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Friday, August 31, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations by August 23, though sooner will increase your odds of getting a seat at the table.
Reception: 6:30 PM
Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre
Beer: Avery IPA and Blind Pig IPA
Dinner: 7:30 PM
First Course
Torchon of Foie Gras with Egg Nog Brioche Toast and Vanilla Poached Stone Fruit
Beer: Avery Salvation and Russian River Salvation
Second Course:
Pan Roasted Skate Filet with Ginger Butter and Spicy Cilantro Pesto
Beer: Avery The Majarajah and Russian River Pliny the Elder
Third Course:
Olive Oil Poached Breast of Duck with Confit “Shepherds Pie”, Corn Fig Relish and Orange Gastrique
Beer: Avery The Reverend and Russian River Damnation Batch 23
Fourth Course:
Chocolate Collaboration
Beer: Avery Fourteen and Russian River Toronado Anniversary Ale / Collaboration Toast
8.31
Dinner with the Brewmasters: Avery & Russian River
Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]
After the 21st Amendment beer dinner, I hightailed it back to the Toronado where the party had kicked into high gear.
It was this kind of night, with all manner of wonderful beers, many of them — at least 22 — had been made especially for the Toronado and that evening.
Many special bottles were opened and flowing that night. What a wonderful four days filled with friends, food and the fermented.
For many more photos from the second half of the Toronado 20th Anniversary Celebration, visit the photo gallery.
In the middle of the Toronado party Saturday night, across town, a beer dinner took place at the Cathedral Hill Hotel with the beers of 21st Amendment and brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan. Bruce put on his usual excellent panoply of flavors, paired to perfection with 21st Amendment’s flavorful beers.
Brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan, in great spirits after the dinner, with beer chef Bruce Paton.
For more photos from the 21st Amendment Beer Dinner, visit the photo gallery.
My friend Dave Keene bought the Toronado bar on lower Haight in 1989, transforming it — and much of the Bay Area’s drinkers along with it — into the premiere beer bar in the city and one of the top beer bars in the country. That’s not so much opinion as fact, confirmed by the countless tribute beers and people in the beer community who flew in from all over the country to celebrate the Toronado’s 20th anniversary this Saturday.
10, 20, 30: Dave Keene (center) was celebrating his 20th, flanked by Don Younger (on the left), whose bar the Horse Brass in Portland celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year, and Chris Black (on the right), whose Denver, Colorado bar, The Falling Rock, celebrated its 10th anniversary in June.
Inside, the Toronado was packed to the gills with well-wishers and beer fans.
For more photos from the first half of the Toronado 20th Anniversary Celebration, visit the photo gallery.
Friday’s San Francisco Chronicle featured a rare spotlight on beer with a big full-page profile and interview with Dave Keene, the publican of the Toronado, San Francisco’s best beer bar.
Dave Keene with girlfriend Jennifer at Anchor Brewery last Wednesday.
The third night of celebrations for the Toronado’s 20th anniversary was held last night at Annie’s Social Club on Folsom in San Francisco. The two bands, American Dog and Broken Teeth, that played the evening before at Russian River Brewing, were on hand again to entertain the crowd at Annie’s. Dave Keene had lost his voice the evening before, too, and was very hoarse as the night. unfolded.
Annie’s Social Club was an eclectic bar with lots of personality.
American Dog, from Columbus, Ohio, went on first.
Jeremy Cowan, from He’Brew, Rob Tod, from Allgash, and Tomme Arthur, from Port Brewing and the Lost Abbey.
Tomme Arthur again, this time with Dave Hopgood and Mitch Steele, both from Stone Brewing and Jeff Bagby and his wife, also from Port Brewing. Jeff was the first person I saw when I arrived at Anchor Brewery Wednesday night. He was getting out of a cab from the airport as I parked my car, and he’s one of only a handful of hearty souls who made to every one of the Toronado celebrations so I made a point of making sure he was pictured in every post.
Broken Teeth ended the evening with another raucous set of hard driving rock and roll.
Earlier tonight the folks at Anchor Brewery in San Francisco threw a little get together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Toronado, the best beer bar in San Francisco and one of the best anywhere.
We enjoyed Anchor beers with some appetizers at the bar while we waited to sit down in the brewery for a wonderful meal.
Dave Suurballe with Anchor’s head brewer Mark Carpenter.
Drake’s brewer Melissa Myers with Jeff Bagby, freshly arrived from San Diego where he brews at Pizza Port Brewing.
Publicans three: Dave Keene (Toronado), Chris Black (Falling Rock) and Matt Bonney (Brouwer’s).
Jennifer and Dave.