some damn good IPA's out there

[midnite]

If you stop by Petaluma, try TAPS. Outstanding selection of little known and outstanding brews of all sorts.

[~mikey b]

I'll be in Petaluma one night. Thanks.

[abraham]

http://www.toronado.com/draft.htm

the lagunitas tap room has things that don't go much further than it and are different than the standard fare. or it used to.

Holy crap, looks good. There's one up here now in Seattle but I think it's only affiliated not the same company. Haven't been yet.
I do like places putting their beer list online, that seems like a good trend.

And interesting on the cedar plank, I don't know anyone who'd tried it yet and I haven't been sure it was worth trying.

[bodywhomper]

if you go to toronado, i was always a big fan of ali babas cave for food a few storefronts down.

[~mikey b]

Thank you. I'm working on the wood.

[MakersTeleMark]

Thank you. I'm working on the wood.

Don't think KK would think so.

Finish your fucking beer, pussy!

[~mikey b]

Heh

Last night my beer finished me.

[MakersTeleMark]

Heh

Last night my beer finished me.

We don't need another PWNOwen. Do us all a favor ;?)

[SchralphMacchio]

toronado managed to have a good tap list and a divey bar atmosphere. Beer REvolution? North of the gate, Lagunitas and Russian River? So many beer places have opened in the past couple years I couldn't keep up, nor do i care.

City:
*Toronado is a solid place to shoot the shit with bartenders and random strangers ... sometimes the tap lines can be a bit funky.
*In that general area, Magnolias is a very solid brew pub - fantastic beers but you won't have the selection that Toronado will.
*I used to go to Monk's Kettle for random IPAs but I can't deal with the insane wait or crowding anymore, with so many other places in the city.
*Zeitgeist has about 45 taps, a smoking deck out back, a million tight jeans tattooed single speed bike toting facial piercings crowd, awesome burgers .. I love the freaking place despite the fact that cigarette smoke just about kills me.

North Bay:
*Russian River - make sure to go during the day if you can, or a weeknight ... remember my picture I posted?
*TAPS isn't far from Russian River, so you can combo those if you stay with half-pours or have a DD!
*Moylan's is just a bit south of Petaluma and if you can get Hopsickle or Hop Craic on cask, you might have yourself a new unknown brewery to worship.

East Bay:
*I haven't been to Beer Revolution in Oakland in a while, classic place to go, RIP in Fraggle (he passed away in July). They raised their prices a bit and things got crazy a couple of years back with the Rebecca and Fraggle drama.
*The Trappist in Oakland is a bit pricier and a much nicer experience than Beer Rev ... I go there most days now.
*Hogs Apothecary in Oakland has 40 taps and only independent craft breweries, mostly from CA, brand new and modernized, more of the young and hip crowd here but a solid place nonetheless.
*The Bistro in Hayward is a great place for a huge beer selection at fair prices. I don't go there enough - AWESOME place.
*Rare Barrel in Berkeley has a ton of sours.

if you go to toronado, i was always a big fan of ali babas cave for food a few storefronts down.

Sadly, that place closed years ago ... I LOVED their falafel wraps. Rosamunde (sausages) and Escape from New York Pizza are still reliable bets.

[~mikey b]

http://m.sfgate.com/food/slideshow/B...isco-97017.php

[bodywhomper]

Sadly, that place [ali baba's cave] closed years ago ... I LOVED their falafel wraps. Rosamunde (sausages) and Escape from New York Pizza are still reliable bets.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!
that makes me very sad in the pants i still remember my first time eating there in 1997; falafel wrap with eggplant. is the one on valencia still open?

on a bright side, there are two good mediterrean/falafel places in downtown-ish oakland.

there's also a SN tap room in berzerkeley.

[~mikey b]

Russian River Wednesday afternoon....

[bmg97]

Russian River Wednesday afternoon....

Send me some Pliny,.....Ill send you some east coast beers for trade

[~mikey b]

I'd like to try Heady Topper but any yummy IPA would be great.

[The AD]

Bought an SN Harvest wet hop IPA at Costco last week and drank it yesterday. Damn tasty.

[abraham]

The cedar plank was good, thanks for the recommendation.

[~mikey b]

Yeah it's different. Good stuff.

[FussyDutchman]

For you EC mags, if you can find Victory Harvest Ale locally buy it and grab more than one 4 pack, awesome wet hopped brew.

[PlayItLeo]

^^^ Nice, I'll keep an eye out. Victory makes good beer.

Currently enjoying a Southern Tier 2xIPA - decidedly drinkable and delicious.

[Doremite]

http://newschoolbeer.com/2014/11/gre...r-company.html

Could eventually start seeing Alpine outside of CA? Always skeptical about pace of distribution of bottled hops but would love to start seeing some reasonably fresh Alpine on the ec.

[TahoeJ]

The only one of my current favs that hasn't been mentioned from my neck of the woods is 101 North Heroine IPA... Right up there with Hop Stoopid and Pliny. Highly recommended.

Heroine is a new favorite of mine for sure (definitely my favorite discovery of 2014). 101 North is gaining notoriety quickly. They brew right across from Lagunitas.

Also, TeleMike, another good brewery literally 2 blocks from Russian River is Third Street Ale Works. They have some good ones and have been around quite a while, including the Bodega IPA and the newer "Your Mom's IPA" (although that may have been seasonal).

[TahoeJ]

On Another note, don't write off Lagunitas too easily. I really don't care for their IPA much at all, but love some of their other stuff (Little Sumpin' especially).

[~mikey b]

Can't stand Little Sumpin. Sorry I just don't dig their beer. Brewery is blocks from where I'm staying Wed. I'll skip it thanks.

I'll check out 3rd St.

[brutah]

those are some of current favorites:

uinta hop nosh

elysian space dust ipa

elysian dayglow ipa

bale breaker top cutter ipa

no-li born & raised

ice harbor ipa


i'm a big fan of mosaic and amarillo hops. I really wish breweries would list the hops used in their beers because it certainly would make choosing beers to drink much easier. on the note of mosaic hops, deschutes chasing freshies ipa is fresh hopped with mosaic but I just think the bravo hops used in brewing over power it.

yes, i mainly like lighter, more citrus-y ipa's. though top cutter and b&r ain't light.

i always liked lagunitas hop stoopid, though not sure its an ipa

[Name Redacted]

Sounds like Green Flash and Alpine will be joining forces and increasing Alpine's sales footprint. Technically Alpine was purchased by Green Flash.

This will probably lead to some decent IPA's

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communit...eer-co.226052/