Foraging for wine ingredients

I'm a forager. In the summer, I can eat my daily serving of fruit by walking Berkeley's streets. I've exchanged my garden herbs for fruit via Forage Oakland.

In my neighborhood, the fruits of the strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo) are ripening. Verifying the edible nature of the fruit, I discovered a blog entry at Algarve Buzz about Aguardente de Medronho, a Portuguese wine made from the fruit.

Another common urban plant is the dandelion. I have yet to forage the dandelion because of its growing sites - sidewalk planting strips where dogs often urinate. Did you know that wine can be brewed from dandelion?! Felicity at Thrifty Living writes about the process here.

Pilsner spectrum

I enjoy drinking pilsners, but not of the Bud class of pils. Lagunitas Pils is a good example. Lagunitas Pils is in the middle, more or less, of a pils spectrum which is bookended by pilsners like Scrimshaw (heavier) and Sudwerk (lighter). Despite its maltier flavor, the Scrimshaw Pils is crisp!

Lagunitas Pils

Inspired by Eric Asimov's Times article on American pilsner, we purchased a beer we've been meaning to try: Lagunitas Pils. The Lagunitas was placed in the third ranked group with Lakefront Kilsch Pilsner, Milwaukee and Sly Fox Pikeland Pils, Phoenixville, Pa. The top three pils on Asimov's list are brewed in Pennsylvania. Lagunitas is brewed in Petaluma, California.

Taste (Robeer): Not as much flavor as I would like; am used to drinking Lagunitas's IPAs. Taste (Me): I like it. Very close to Trumer Pils, another California Pilsner, in Berkeley. Nice mouthfeel - refreshing but lingers on the palate.

The Week of Beers

A gift was offered to us here at Things That Are Brewed: a week-long schedule of beer tasting in San Francisco. The gift was courtesy of a foray into a local diet. Can you drink it?

Sunday afternoon – magnolia pub & brewery

Monday happy hour with colleagues – monk’s kettle

Tuesday drink alone night – speakeasy ales & lager

Wednesday night come’on – the alembic

Thursday celebration – 21st amendment brewery and café

Friday cut out early – Anchor Brewing Tour

Saturday RAGE ON – Toronado

Thanks A!

Q cappuccino

'Q' or Albuquerque-style cappuccino is topped with cinnamon sugar. Extra warmth on a nippy afternoon. Delicious.

Jupiter Dry Stout

I think I had my first dry stout at The Trappist in Oakland. I cannot recall the brewery. The stout was really nice - creamy but dry. Jupiter's Dry Stout has the same qualities. A worthwhile substitute is Young's Double Chocolate Stout which is available in local grocery stores.

Beer and wine at Beta Lounge

Berkeley's newest lounge bar is Beta Lounge on Durant between Shattuck and Fulton. The lounge serves draft beer (Lagunitas IPA, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Stella Artois, and Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale) and wines (like organic Bonterra Merlot). Happy hour runs from 4 - 7 p.m. with $3 beers and $5 wines. The menu is nicely varied; we really liked the guacamole. Also, we enjoyed sitting on the red couch.