Definitely helpful, and generous, was the provided shuttle service from the parking lot to the 2010 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. I remember thinking to myself, “This will definitely be a boon upon the event’s conclusion. All that wine and food, sheesh.” But, I pressed on, entering the arena of wine world experiences, adventures. Checking the clock on my new iPhone, 11:01AM. Okay everyone, let’s stop thinking, and start experiencing, delighting…

If you attended the event for the first time, like this author, you may have felt submerged within the pulls of various booths tents, stands, and exhibits. As in, “Where do I go first, what should I taste first?” One would recognize Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and the ravishing Russian River Valley. Emphasis not merely on wine, but cuisine, industry, culture, beer, and social media as well. As a journalist of wine, one is to note the who, where, when, what, why. Okay, great. But what does that journalist do when thereare dozens of dozens of each? Relax, don’t self-overwhelm. Walk forward, enjoy. Continue Reading »

Lucas Forgy loves food. Jason Forgy loves beer. Together, they are Freshcraft; a brand new take on the restaurant/craft beer bar industry. Freshcraft boasts a two page menu with options for everyone (including vegan and gluten free!), a list of 20 draft and 100 bottle types of craft beer, a generous wine list and even a full bar for cocktails. As of August 24, 2010, Freshcraft is officially open for business.

Using fresh and local ingredients, the food is meant to be a unique twist on American comfort food. Included in the menu are tidbits such as pretzel bites and southern fried pickles, french dip and croque monsieur sandwiches, ale and cheese soup, antioxidant mix salad, whiskey BBQ chicken sandwich, Freshcraft pretzel turkey baja, cassoulet for one, cheesy broiled bowties, and crispy pork schnitzel. Rumor has it that the guys even featured Great Divide Yeti and Left Hand ice cream floats for dessert! Continue Reading »

Thursday, August 19th a feast of Edwardian proportions will take place at the storied Ebenezer’s Pub in Lovell, Maine. The chef for this epic feast will be none other than Sonoma, California’s own “Home Brew Chef” Sean Paxton (famous for preparing the world’s largest beer dinner).

The lucky bastards who get to attend this ode to gastronomica will be dining in style on dishes paired with a rare bottles from Ebenezer’s proprietor Chris Lively.  What sort of pairings will they be? I’m talking 16 mind-blowing courses such as lobster poached in foie gras paired with Cantillon Crianza Helena and crepinettes of coriander cured pork belly, chanterelles and leeks paired with Wild Pannepot De Struise Brouwers. Continue Reading »

The brewers at Samuel Adams have teamed up with artisanal meat purveyor Jake Dickson to create what they hail as the perfect beef counterpart to the Sam Adams Boston Lager — the Samuel Adams Boston Lager Cut. This is the first time in history that a brewer and specialty meat purveyor have teamed up to design an original cut of beef. Continue Reading »

What could possibly bring together 10,000 bottles of beer, 1,500 oysters, 4,000 biodegradable bamboo sporks, 300 pounds of cheese, and 2,000 hungry and thirsty attendees? That would be SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience. June 5th marked the third annual SAVOR, an amazing event aimed at bringing craft beer drinkers and foodies together for an incredible evening of pairing great food with some of America’s best craft beer. Hosted at the beautiful National Building Museum in Washington D.C., several brewery owners, brewers, and other representatives from 70 of America’s favorite craft breweries were on hand, pouring samples of hand-crafted beers next to tables lined with mind-blowing appetizers and food ready to be paired with the nectar of the gods. Continue Reading »

As avid readers of the Mutineer blog, you all should know of the greatness currently going on that is Seattle Beer Week (American Craft Beer week started today as well). I was lucky enough to be in Seattle to catch the very beginning of #SBW2010 and I had the pleasure of attending a few events, one of them being the Firestone Walker Brewer’s Dinner at Collins Pub. It was originally planned to be hosted by Firestone Walker’s Brewmaster extraordinaire Matt Brynildson but for one reason or another it ended up being hosted by Firestone Walker Proprietor David Walker, which was a real treat as well. David was very friendly and outgoing as he talked about each beer and the story behind it and in between courses he made his way around the intimate dinner of 50 or so people and talked with everyone. Pretty cool. He wasn’t shy either with bringing out some insane beers that I can’t believe I had a chance to try. The food deserves mention as well as it was delicious and incredibly fresh coming from right down the street from Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. Amazingly fresh local produce, the freshest seafood and beef, and all paired with out of this world beer. If you have the chance to attend one of their beer dinners in the future, I suggest you do your best to make it. In the meantime, here is the menu with some pictures of the one I experienced. Continue Reading »

The March/April issue of Mutineer Magazine is now on newsstands, with the cover story featuring Grammy Nominated artist Kenna and his crew on Mt. Kilimanjaro in the name of water relief.

Featured stories in the new issue include:

Mutineer Interview: Kenna

Grammy Nominated artist Kenna brings together a star-studded cast of A-listers to climb Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro, to bring clean water awareness to the masses.

Patron and the Quest for Tequila Perfection

Editor Alan Kropf finds that tequila’s growing up fast and that Patron is leading the charge out of the frat house and into the penthouse.

Deschutes: An Evening of Beer Pairing in the Rose City

Deschutes Brewery pairs up with Portland’s most talented chefs for a decadent meal to remember.

Mutineer’s Guide to Spring Break in Beverage

We immerse you in the essence of spring break and tell you everything you need to know to have a Mutinous spring break, including; tiki recipes, airline beverage programs, everything you need to know about margaritas, and more!

The March/ April issue also includes:
In The World: Wine in Lebanon
Thirsty Children: Ethiopia
Wine Steals: Zinfandel
Beer Styles: Saison
Classic Cocktails: Sidecar
What Karl Wente Drinks
Cooking with Absinthe

And much, much, more…

Beer and Food Pairings are springing up at restaurants all across the country. While in the Pacific Northwest I attended just such a dinner at Dukes Chowder House in Tacoma, Washington where Executive Chef Bill Raninger created a menu with each course paired to a unique Deschutes beer, as well as used the beer as an ingredient in many of the dishes. Deschutes is a Pacific Northwest brewery that was founded in 1988 by Gary Fish and has two locations; one in Bend, Oregon and one in Portland, Oregon. Here is a recap of the beer and food that was enjoyed at the dinner. Continue Reading »