What better way to do a beer crawl in downtown San Jose than to travel by bike with all your friends to each location. San Jose Brew Bike offers just that.
My side job is a Brew Bike tour guide, meaning I steer, while up to 15 people pedal a mechanical tandem bicycle(with an electric motor assist).
On Sunday, Feb 25, I took out a group of 13 people as we went to Original Gravity, San Pedro Square Market, and ending at 55 South Cocktail bar. My job is to steer the bike with the electric assist motor, make sure the party is safe and not too buzzed, and taking them to wherever their heart desires that involves alcohol.
More of a novelty for many San Jose visitors, the brew bike is slow and hard to pedal, but with the right friends, is a fun way to better know the downtown layout. And still get you your beer fix.
Ranging from $25 a person to $35, and tours from two to three hours, there are many choices to choose from.
To top it all off, every stop thats on the Brew Bike list offers discounts on all their alcohol. Many tourists want to get a wide range of beer and mixed drinks. But I always recommend the breweries as they offer the best discounts(and the better food).
Most of the places that I try out new beers are recommended to me by people I meet either on the Brew Bike or at any of the stops. I also find a lot of my good food recommendations from people I meet in downtown.
Could it be the whimsical nature of downtown? Or maybe the alcohol? Maybe its Maybelline, either way, downtown San Jose is open to great conversations and great food and alcohol recommendations.
While this article didn't quite highlight specific beers, I hope you use this information to go out and find your own favorite spots and talk to people who offer good suggestions.
Drink responsibly.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Post #4 - Pacific Northwest Brews
The purpose of this blog is to highlight great beer in the Bay Area. This post is not about great beer in the Bay Area. This post is about great beer in Seattle, Wash.
This past weekend, in what would've normally involved work and editing, was replaced by a vacation to Seattle. I stayed with my friend who is currently in an internship at Microsoft.
Luckily for me, my friend recently turned 21. This led to adventures in the international district, Pikes Place, and the University of Washington community.
The night I'm emphasizing was when we met up with my old coworkers who now attend UW. There were quite a few spots we hit up, so if you're a beer lover and leaving for the pacific northwest soon, pay close attention.
People who frequent UW's campus know that the most popular form of transportation is done on a bicycle. So what better theme to follow for a campus brewery than a bike themed brewery. Peddler Brewing offered a cozy atmosphere within a cold and dark Seattle night in February.
Starting with the Pedal Strike pale ale, the dank aroma was hinted with citrus and pine, this combination of hop smell was notably unique to the area in which I tried these brews. For a starter it was strong, but my next two were both IPA's which just enhanced the taste of the non-indian pale ale(IPA stands for indian pale ale).
My personal favorite from Peddler was their Tropic Thunder IPA. This beer tastes like how a Shocktop should taste. Fruity, tart, thirst quenching. This beer, according to the breweries website, "will hit the spot wherever you take it." The kicker for me was the strong aftertaste. This reminded you that it was an IPA and not sparkling juice.
More on the list was Stoup Brewing and Holy Mountain Brewing.
For now, this is the end. More to come. Drink Responsibly.
This past weekend, in what would've normally involved work and editing, was replaced by a vacation to Seattle. I stayed with my friend who is currently in an internship at Microsoft.
Luckily for me, my friend recently turned 21. This led to adventures in the international district, Pikes Place, and the University of Washington community.
The night I'm emphasizing was when we met up with my old coworkers who now attend UW. There were quite a few spots we hit up, so if you're a beer lover and leaving for the pacific northwest soon, pay close attention.
People who frequent UW's campus know that the most popular form of transportation is done on a bicycle. So what better theme to follow for a campus brewery than a bike themed brewery. Peddler Brewing offered a cozy atmosphere within a cold and dark Seattle night in February.
Starting with the Pedal Strike pale ale, the dank aroma was hinted with citrus and pine, this combination of hop smell was notably unique to the area in which I tried these brews. For a starter it was strong, but my next two were both IPA's which just enhanced the taste of the non-indian pale ale(IPA stands for indian pale ale).
My personal favorite from Peddler was their Tropic Thunder IPA. This beer tastes like how a Shocktop should taste. Fruity, tart, thirst quenching. This beer, according to the breweries website, "will hit the spot wherever you take it." The kicker for me was the strong aftertaste. This reminded you that it was an IPA and not sparkling juice.
More on the list was Stoup Brewing and Holy Mountain Brewing.
For now, this is the end. More to come. Drink Responsibly.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Post #3 - Beer Week
The past few days have been jam-packed with new labels produced by many breweries around the Bay. People walking throughout downtown San Jose on beer crawls, microbreweries in San Francisco releasing limited edition concoctions of their special brews. Thats right; it's Beer Week.
SF Brew Week has been a local tradition for about a decade, growing bigger and bigger every year. This past weekend I joined my brother in the search for some new brews. On Saturday, Feb. 10, we ended up at Harmonic. Harmonic is a small brewery in the Dogpatch district of San Francisco.
For this years Beer Week, Harmonic showcased a wide variety of beer. I started with the Galaxadaisical, an American pale ale. Light, sweet, and a great compliment to the pop-up dumpling stand that was selling house-made gyoza's like hotcakes.
From Harmonic we went back home to an old favorite, Laughing Monk Brewing, located in the Bayview district. Too many were tasted to pick out a favorite. But the newly revamped tasting room allows double the seating capacity, and still offered Bayview-San Francisco related brews such as the 3rd Street Pale Ale and the Bayview Gold.
Successful weekend. Pizza and Netflix followed.
For now, this is the end. More to come. Drink responsibly.
SF Brew Week has been a local tradition for about a decade, growing bigger and bigger every year. This past weekend I joined my brother in the search for some new brews. On Saturday, Feb. 10, we ended up at Harmonic. Harmonic is a small brewery in the Dogpatch district of San Francisco.
For this years Beer Week, Harmonic showcased a wide variety of beer. I started with the Galaxadaisical, an American pale ale. Light, sweet, and a great compliment to the pop-up dumpling stand that was selling house-made gyoza's like hotcakes.
From Harmonic we went back home to an old favorite, Laughing Monk Brewing, located in the Bayview district. Too many were tasted to pick out a favorite. But the newly revamped tasting room allows double the seating capacity, and still offered Bayview-San Francisco related brews such as the 3rd Street Pale Ale and the Bayview Gold.
Successful weekend. Pizza and Netflix followed.
For now, this is the end. More to come. Drink responsibly.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Post #2 - On "Starter" Beers
If you're into the types of beer others would make a face at, such as a bourbon-aged barrel stout, or a good old triple IPA, then for a good starting beer for your night you may want something a little more palate friendly.
A "starter" beer is something that kicks off your night. Something that can set the mood from either a relaxing night to a night filled with regret. It's a safe bet to say that whatever beer you start off is paramount to having an ideal night.
One beer that came to mind was by a brewery that flew right under my radar, Fathom IPA by Ballast Point Brewing co. Ballast Point is infamously known for their subpar Sculpin beer, or their various fruit-fruit flavored so-called IPA's that taste more like a La Croix left too long in the sun. I wouldn't have even given their new IPA a sniff if it wasn't for a free beer sample at the liquor store in my neighborhood. Let's be honest; I may be partial to my craft beer, but I never turn down a free brew.
To my surprise, Ballast Points Fathom IPA was not only a great stand-alone beer, but as an IPA it was crisp and refreshing; a perfect starter beer. The taste is not too overwhelming like some IPA's can exhibit.
Now that you started with a solid and cheap beer, you're ready to move on to heavier drinks.
For now, this is the end. More to come. Drink responsibly.
- Jack Molmud
A "starter" beer is something that kicks off your night. Something that can set the mood from either a relaxing night to a night filled with regret. It's a safe bet to say that whatever beer you start off is paramount to having an ideal night.
One beer that came to mind was by a brewery that flew right under my radar, Fathom IPA by Ballast Point Brewing co. Ballast Point is infamously known for their subpar Sculpin beer, or their various fruit-fruit flavored so-called IPA's that taste more like a La Croix left too long in the sun. I wouldn't have even given their new IPA a sniff if it wasn't for a free beer sample at the liquor store in my neighborhood. Let's be honest; I may be partial to my craft beer, but I never turn down a free brew.
To my surprise, Ballast Points Fathom IPA was not only a great stand-alone beer, but as an IPA it was crisp and refreshing; a perfect starter beer. The taste is not too overwhelming like some IPA's can exhibit.
Now that you started with a solid and cheap beer, you're ready to move on to heavier drinks.
For now, this is the end. More to come. Drink responsibly.
- Jack Molmud
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