Craft Beers & Live Music In Los Angeles County This September Craft beers and live music return to the Los Angeles area for the California Beer Festival, Sept. 10 & 11. Held at the Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, it features more than 85 craft breweries and bands in this scenic park. Tickets are on sale now and they are $40, plus a $4.30 processing fee. … [Read more...]
Food and Drinks
Breckenridge Breweries Hootenanny 2016 Date, Bands & Tickets
26th Annual Event Features Craft Beers, Bands & BBQ In The Colorado Mountains Beers, bands and BBQ combine to make for what organizers call a "pig-pickin’, foot-stompin’, beer-drinkin’ block party" in the Colorado mountains. Sounds like our kind of event! It's the 26th annual Breckenridge Breweries Hootenanny, and the 2016 event takes place on the brewery's massive … [Read more...]
Is Philadelphia Really America’s Best Beer-Drinking City?
Beer Gardens, Breweries & Beer-Drinking Pub Crawls To find the top beer drinking cities in the USA, you would start in Portland, Oregon, first real home of the microbrewery. You could also go to kind of a Portland-of-the-east, Asheville, N.C. Or any city or town in Colorado. And certainly the long-standing big-time beer-drinking American cities of Chicago, Milwaukee and … [Read more...]
America’a Largest Brewpub Is In Bellingham, WA
Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro Produces 6,000 Barrels A Year There's a lot brewing at Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro in Bellingham, WA. In fact, there's so much brewing that it's been recognized as the largest brewpub in the USA by the Brewers Association (BA), a trade organization for the craft beer industry. In 2015, Boundary Bay produced 6,147 barrels of beer (1 … [Read more...]
Why Restaurants’ Instagram Food Photos Can Be Deceiving
When Great-Looking Tacos Give Way To A Great Burger By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Blogger I was lured - deceived as it turns out – to a restaurant/bar in Manhattan Beach, CA, by one of its photos on Instagram. The photo showed three delicious-looking tacos and was accompanied by text that said "3 tacos for $5 and $5 margaritas all day." As it was lunchtime, a … [Read more...]
Dutton-Goldfield Winery Saturday Vineyard Stroll 2016 Dates
Tastings & Lunch In California's Russian River Wine Country Dutton-Goldfield Winery in California's Russian River wine country – known primarily for its Pinot Noirs – has released the 2016 dates for its Saturday Vineyard Stroll. The dates are: • June 11 • July 23 • Aug. 27 • Sept. 10 • Sept. 24 The strolls take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The cost is $65 ($50 … [Read more...]
Sierra Nevada Introduces New Beer Camp Craft Beers
New Tastes For #BeerLovers In The USA Each year, Sierra Nevada uses its Beer Camp Across America to release new craft beers to the public, and in 2016 it has chosen six styles. Known as the Beer Camp Across America collaboration, the beers are sold as 12-packs containing two of each limited-edition style at a retail price of around $30. Some are also be available on … [Read more...]
Why Is It That Dive Bars Have The Best Burgers In America!?
Sit Down Gourmet Burger Restaurants & Chains By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Blogger It is my experience in my traveling and eating adventures that if you want to get a great burger, go to a dive bar. Forgot those upscale places that serve "gourmet burgers" that cost as as much as a good steak. For a really good, thick and juice burger, you want to go … [Read more...]
American Craft Beer Week 2016 Is May 16-22
A Celebration For #BeerLovers In America Not to be confused with National Beer Day, which celebrates all brews in the USA, American Craft Beer Week in 2016 is May 16-22. Yes, that is correct. All the beers get a single day while craft beers get an entire week. American Craft Beer Week is put on by the Brewers Association and the publishers of CraftBeer.com to … [Read more...]
From #BeerLover To #WineLover; I Blame Monterey & Carmel
Wine Tasting Rooms Part Of The Drinking Conversion There was no defining moment when it happened, no sudden realization that struck me like getting conked in the head by an errant champagne cork or having a thought-provoking incident. Rather, it's been a gradual thing, like slow-moving buzz that starts tingling the toes and eventually makes its way up the veins to … [Read more...]
National Beer Day Explained By The Man Who Created It
A True #BeerLover Tells The Ales (And More) Tale By Justin Smith, National Beer Day Founder This Thursday is National Beer Day. It’s on the same date every year, April 7th. But why do we need a special day to celebrate beer? When I tell some people about National Beer Day, I often have them flippantly respond with: “Isn’t every day National Beer Day?” It’s true … [Read more...]
National Beer Day On April 7 Is A True Celebration For #BeerLovers
Fill a glass with your favorite foam-topped beverage, raise it high in the air and give a cheer to this great drink, beer! April 7 is National Beer Day – hashtag #NationalBeerDay – a celebration if ever there was one for all us #beerlovers. Beer is the beverage that brings out the Homer Simpson in all of us – guys and girls – that puts us in the party mood at concerts and … [Read more...]
World’s Most Interesting Man Not All That Interesting
Famous Dos Equis Pitchman Being Sent To Mars The World's Most Interesting Man has been retired, sent to that great space shuttle in the sky (in his last commercial, he's been sent on a one-way mission to Mars). The Dos Equis commercial will go down as one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history. And for that reason alone, it is to be … [Read more...]
Why It’s Okay For Men To Drink Rose Wines
New #WineLover Gets An Education From Holman Ranch Winery The second thing that Carla, a friend giving me my initial wine education, said to me was "don't ever drink rose in public." Her point was that rose, being a blend of red and white grapes, was a clear indication to girls that a guy drinking it was not a good decision maker. And girls like take-charge, confident … [Read more...]
How El Nino Is Affecting California Wine Production & Quality
Holman Ranch Winemaker Predicts A Good Year For Wines El Nino has been great for the ski resorts – Mammoth has had more than 250 inches of snow as of early March – but what affect is it having on California's wine country, wine production and wine quality? Greg Vita, winemaker at Holman Ranch winery in Carmel Valley, said that if certain conditions occur, this could be … [Read more...]
Where To Find The Best Biscuits & Gravy In California
True Southern Food In The Land Of Salads One thing a Southerner misses about being in the South is some of its awesome food. In California where I now live, it's nearly impossible to get what nearly every restaurant serves in the South as a side dish: pork 'n beans, really good potato salad, cole slaw. And for breakfast, biscuits and gravy. Now I would not be a … [Read more...]
The Best Best Places To Drink Margaritas
PubClub.com's Top 5 List Of Margarita Heaven The booze doesn't have to be in a blender, so long as it renders that concoction – frozen or not – that helps us hang on, as well as hang out with our friends, old or new. Margaritas are awesome, one of man's all-time great cocktail inventions. What is it about tequila, and margaritas in particular, that makes us … [Read more...]
Full List Of National Drink Days For Beer, Spirits, Wine & Cocktails (Hashtag Holidays)
Don't you just hate getting a knock on the door – or a text or Facebook message – telling you that you should have been there last night? We certainly do at PubClub.com. That's why we like to stay ahead of the game so you can be right there in the thick of the party. This article provides dates and information on the all-important natiional drinking days. So when it's, say, … [Read more...]
National Margarita Day Is Feb. 22 So Salud!
It's not exactly Cinco de Mayo, and many bars and bartenders don't even know it exists, but National Margarita Day in the USA is Feb. 22. In 2023, this is on a Wednesday so talk about a little social media hashtag #HumpDay! Of course it's also #WineWednesday but put the vino aside for this special day. And nite. Perhaps all nite! And don't forget … [Read more...]
The Best Beer Bargain In America
Peter's Brand In Trader Joe's Is The Two Buck Chuck Of Brews With the price of craft beers sometimes equaling that of beer prices in Australia, and 6-packs costing what 12-packed used to in the grocery and liquor stores, its good to know you can still get a great bargain on beer in the good 'ol USA. Without having to drink crappy beer. The best beer bargain in … [Read more...]
Sierra Nevada Announces 2016 Beer Camps Dates, Locations
Craft #BeerLovers & Brewers To Hoist Brews In June This sure sounds like a lot more fun than a boot camp. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will host its second Beer Camp Across America (BCAA) festival tour in 2016 with stops in Tampa, Seattle, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles. The festivals, to be held in June, offer craft beer lovers samples of specialty … [Read more...]
Caribbean & Latin American Holiday Drink Recipes
Speciality Cocktails From Hilton's Bartenders And Mixologists We all know about eggnogg spiced up with rum, a Christmas punch and other traditional drinks, but the mixologists for Hilton properties in Puerto Rico, Brazil and Panama have created new cocktails for the holidays. And if you can't get to any of the bars to try them out in person, here's the recipes of four … [Read more...]
French Domaine Grosset Is The Best Wine I Had All Year
Rustic, Old-World Red Is From The South Of France Of all the wines I had during 2015, the one I liked the best was a French wine, Domaine Grossett. It was a 2008 Brotte. A dark red, it had a rustic, old-world taste to it. This is not one for lovers of light reds, it's one for those who like a wine that makes a statement. Yet it also proved to be smooth; it went down … [Read more...]
Wine Room Added To Coppola Resorts Turtle Inn Belize
#WineLovers Have A Place To Drink In The Tropics When in Belize, you may be drinking rum and beer because of the tropical environment. Unless you are at the Turtle Inn. That's a Family Coppola Resort and since Francis Ford Coppola has two wineries in Sonoma County, CA, this is a fine place for wine and wine lovers. And now, the Turtle Inn has added a wine room. It features … [Read more...]
Champagne Is Good For The Brain, Study Says
Bubbly Buzzing On Social Media; Can Help Memory Here's something to celebrate: Champagne is good for the brain. That's what a study in England said, and it's got social media, well buzzed. The study – which was actually conducted in 2013 – says the bubbly may help prevent forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease and help with people's memory. It was conducted by … [Read more...]
Holman Ranch Winery Offers Free 1-Year Wine Club
Holiday Gift Cards For Carmel Valley Tasting Room Membership Holman Ranch winery, located in Carmel Valley, CA, is in the spirit of the holiday season. It is giving away a one-year membership to its Estate Club. Those who purchase a wine club as a holiday gift will be entered into a drawing for the complimentary membership. The winner will be drawn on Dec. 23. Holman Ranch … [Read more...]
World Margarita Championship Taking Place In Tucson, AZ
Bartenders Compete To Make The Best Frozen – Or Not – Concoction Blended or on the rocks? Salt or no salt? Do they play "Margaritaville?" These are questions that must be asked during the World Margarita Championship, taking place Saturday, Oct. 17, in Tucson, AZ. It features bartenders coming up with concoctions – frozen or otherwise – before a panel of … [Read more...]
Red Wine Gets More Proof It’s Good For Your Health
Study Shows Benefits For Those With Type 2 Diabetes A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine provided another boost for red wine and it's health benefits. It revealed that a glass of red wine could be good for people with Type 2 diabetes. A two-year study by Israeli researchers involved 224 people being given mineral water, red wine and white wine … [Read more...]
A-B InBev SABMiller Deal: What Next For Beer Lovers?
What Might Be On Tap For Drinkers After Purchase A-B InBev has successfully tapped into SABMiller with a mega-deal worth $104 billion, combining two once-bitter rivals to create a "super brewery" that makes 30% of the world's beer. That's a lot to swallow. And is this deal a good one for beer lovers? It's way to early to know for sure, but it carries potential … [Read more...]
A-B InBev Offer To SABMIller Goes ‘Hostile Lite’
Beer Wars Continue To Brew For Brewery Giants In what one analyst termed "hostile lite" in an obvious - and humorous – reference to Lite beer, the A-B InBev takeover bid for SABMiller continues to brew. And nothing new is on the tap, according to SABMiller. A-B InBev offered more than 42 pounds a share on the London Stock Exchange, above the pre-offer price. Miller … [Read more...]
Premium Rum Consumption On The Rise
Tiki Bars & Drinks Not Part Of This Spirits Trend There are always shifts in the spirits industry when one liquor becomes the trendy thing to drink. Recently it was bourbon. And now it's rum. High-end rum. According to the IMSR, a liquor and wine information source, high-end rum sales increased by 7.7 % to just more than $2 billion in in 2014. IWSR predicts this … [Read more...]
A Battle Is Brewing With A-B InBev’s SAB Miller Takeover
First Offer Is Rejected Setting The Bar Higher, So To Speak So much for sitting in a bar afterward, holding up bottles of both Budweiser and Miller and toasting to a deal. SABMiller has rejected A-B InBev's first formal takeover offer as too low. A-B offered 40 pounds a share – more than what the shares were trading – on the London Stock Exchange where SABMiller is … [Read more...]
Nightclub & Bar Show 2016 Registration Now Open
Las Vegas Again The Site For The Alcohol & Nightlife Industry's Biggest Event The 31st annual Nightclub & Bar Show, the premier trade show for the nightclub, beer and spirits industries set for March 7-9 in Las Vegas, is now open for registration. Showcasing more than 700 exhibitors, the 2016 expo features product launches and demonstrations, spirit, beer and new … [Read more...]
Rum Should Be the Next Trendy Spirits Liquor
With All The Vodka, Tequila and Whiskey Available in Bars, This Blogger Wants to Know Where's The Rum!? Blogger's note: This was originally published a couple of years ago and guess what - it's happened! Go to any bar – be it a dive or a high-end nightclub – and brands and kinds of vodka are plentiful, there's a choice of tequilas and there is likely also a variety of … [Read more...]
A-B InBev Offer To SABMiller Expected This Week
Brewing Giants May Soon Be Toasting A Deal The A-B InBev takeover move of SABMiller is coming to a head, as an offer is expected to come this week. According to industry reports, it will revise an initial informal offer it previously made, which was about $40 a share. This is why more formal offer is being anticipated by analysts. The company has until Oc.t 14 to … [Read more...]
Why A-B InBev Craft Beer Purchases Are Good For Beer Drinkers
#BeerLovers Get More Choices In More Bars When A-B InBev purchased Chicago craft beer maker Goose Islands, many beer lovers cringed. Here was another big company buying up the competition to silence it. This once-beloved beer would now became a watered-down Budweiser. But that's not been the case. While significantly increasing production, Goose Island has maintained … [Read more...]
A-B InBev Moves Closer To Miller Takeover
Rival Beer Companies May Become Partners Anheuser-Busch InBev has gone from flirting with SABMiller to making a real pickup move, like a guy in a bar who spots a hot girl. It has asked banks to underwrite $70 billion in debt financing. This means A-B InBev is getting serious about acquiring what was once a primary rival. A takeover would not be completed until late … [Read more...]
James Bond Film A ‘Spectre’ Of Marketing For Belvedere & Heineken
Shaken Not Stirred Martinis Mix With Beer In Ad & Promotional Campaigns James Bond, a man who has always liked his alcoholic beverages, is being wooed like a Bond girl for the latest movie. In “Spectre, to be released Nov. 6, Bond – played by Daniel Craig – will be drinking vodka martinis. Shaken not stirred. And sponsored by Belvedere. Yet like keeping Goodnight … [Read more...]
The $45 Free Dinner: A Food Blogger’s Experience
How A Comped Meal Cost Nearly 50 Bucks Here's how I got a free dinner at an outstanding restaurant yet it still wound up costing me $45. And before I start, I'm not complaining. It's common for comped dinners for journalists and food bloggers to cost you some money. That's because unless you are part of a group with a PR person, you're expected to tip. And because … [Read more...]
Great American Beer Festival Underway In Denver
Beer Lovers Try To Tap Into 3,500 Beers For beer lovers who can't be at Oktoberfest, there's another option – the Great American Beer Festival. And thousands are in Denver the last weekend of September for the 2015 event. As a result, downtown Denver is buzzing and the LoDo bars are packed more so than usual. It's a convention scene with people here to drink … [Read more...]
How AB InBev Acquisitions Will Affect Beer Drinkers
The Impact Of Golden Road Brewing Purchase & Potential SAB Miller Takeover Anheuser-Busch InBev is tapping the kegs of other breweries, yet how does this affect the people that count – us beer drinkers? The company's purchase of Los Angeles craft brewer Golden Road Brewing. And, like a guy in a bar who sees a cute girl at another table he wants to approach, it has its … [Read more...]
A Guide To California Wineries And Wine Tasting Rooms
To experience wine tasting in California, you no longer have to go to the wineries. Instead, a number of wineries have opened tasting rooms in smaller cities and towns, and that is something that gets a big "cheers" from PubClub.com. The cool thing is that it's not just one tasting room, but several. So you can bounce around to four, five or, in the case of Santa Barbara and … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Guide To Buying & Drinking Wine
Tips For Men On How To Seem Like A #WineLover You love beer. So, too, does PubClub.com. But there are times when you – we – need to drink wine. Corporate gatherings, a private dinner party, a friend's birthday celebration at a restaurant, weddings and, of course, trying to act classy with the wife, girlfriend or attempting to impress a new date or even the boss or … [Read more...]
The Changing Attitudes About Pairing Wines With Food
White Wine With Fish And Reds With Meat Not A Drinking Rule There's a long-standing philosophy that says "white wine with fish, red wine with meat." The theory has been white wine paring with fish, chicken and turkey, while red wines were better suited for dark meats; steak, ribs, etc. But in reality, that's not the case; it was more about matching colors than … [Read more...]
The Single Guy’s Guide To Meeting Girls At Wine Festivals
Tips For Beer Drinkers At Wine Events Don't be turned off going a wine festival just because you are a beer drinker. There are several reasons to go to wine festivals – other than being dragged to one by a spouse or significant other – and the #1 reason is that wine festivals get a lot of girls! But you just can't show up to these things. You have to look the part … [Read more...]
Super Bowl 50 San Francisco Names Sonoma County Official Wines
Wine Lounge To Be Part Of Fans Village Sonoma County, not Napa Valley, has been awarded the title of Official Wine Supplier of the 2016 Super Bowl 50, taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area Feb. 7 of that year. With so many wine areas to choose from – including Monterey to the south and Mendocino to the north – it's a win-wine situation for the Super Bowl and fans. This … [Read more...]
September Is California Wine Month, A Fine Time For #WineLovers
Wineries, Tasting Rooms & Events Highlight Harvest Season In the eyes of some, every month in wine month in California. After all, the state has several wine growing regions – Napa, Sonoma, emerging areas in Monterey and Paso Robles, as well as Santa Barbara, Temecula and even Malibu in Southern California – and has thousands of wineries. But the Golden State's … [Read more...]
Gettysburg Has Not Only Civil War History But Wineries & Wine Events
A Guide To Events, Tastings & Wineries At An Historic U.S. Destination One of the most historical cities in the United States may be best known for a famous Civil War battle, but things are much more civil these days. In fact, Gettysburg, PA, is a place where you can go on scenic drives, walks or bike rides through its vast apple, peach, apricot and pear trees, … [Read more...]
CellarPass Your Ticket To California Wine Events & Tasting Rooms
Putting A Cork On The Worries Of Visiting Wineries Wine is a drink for relaxation, but it's easy to have an anxiety attack when you're trying to get tickets to a wine festival and even wine tasting rooms at popular wineries. But with a website called CellarPass, you can put a cork on the worries, as it is a tasting room and food and wine events search and reservation … [Read more...]
#WineWedneday Hashtag A Good Excuse For Midweek #WineLovers
I'll Drink (Wine) To This Weekly Social Media 'Holiday' Sometimes, I get the feeling that certain social media hashtags were created not because there is something important to share, but as an excuse to justify behavior that normally would seem a bit off kilter. Or, in the case of #WineWednesday, a midweek celebration of wine when such a thing is usually reserved … [Read more...]
How To Win Tickets To A San Diego Beer Week Tasting Pairing
Craft Beers, Chefs From Local Restaurants And Live Music At Tom Ham's Lighthouse Drink craft beer and eat for free! You can do it – if you win, of course – by entering a contest for two free tickets to a craft beer pairing during San Diego Beer Week. This takes place at Tom Ham's Lighthouse on Monday, Nov. 10, from 6-9 p.m. Called Brews, Views and Chews, it … [Read more...]
LA Bars Pouring Ninkasi ‘Pints For A Cause’ Beers To Fight Autism
Simmzy's, Hopscotch Tavern & Matt Denny's Participating On Nov. 12 Simmzy's in Manhattan Beach and Long Beach, Hopscotch Tavern in Fullerton and Matt Denny's Ale House in Arcadia are taking part in a promotion with Ninkasi Brewing beers to help cure autism. These Los Angeles bars and the brewery have teamed up for "Pints For A Cause' on Wednesday, Nov. 12. A … [Read more...]
A Night Of Luxury At Vendange, Carmel’s Wine-Themed Hotel
Savoring Unique Accommodations In Monterey Bay, CA Wine and Carmel, CA, go together like golf and Pebble Beach. But to put them together in a hotel? A themed hotel? In Carmel!? What a brilliant idea! That's what the owners of Vendange Inn & Suites have done and much to their credit the execution is as grand as the idea. I can tell you this because I've had a … [Read more...]
Stella Promos In Gaslamp Bars Previews San Diego Wine & Food Festival
McFadden's, Whiskey Girl And Lucky Bastard Saloon Bring Beers And Cheers What better way to get primed up for the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival – which includes fine Belgian beers, as well – than to tag along with a promo night for Stella Artois in the bars of the Gaslamp!? Not much that I can think of, quite frankly. And so I did it on Thursday night. And it … [Read more...]
Looking Forward To The 2013 San Diego Wine & Food Festival
Annual Event Features Great Wines, Food, Beer – And Socializing It is upon us again. One of San Diego's top events of the year – a "must-do" on anyone's social calendar – is taking place the weekend of Nov. 21-22. It's the San Diego Wine & Food Festival and it is something I look forward to each and every year. Even though I don't even live in San Diego! Yet I drive … [Read more...]
Enjoy Great Belgian Beers At The San Diego Wine & Food Festival
Stella Artois, Leffe And Hoegaarden Also Served With Stella Hosting A Beer Luncheon You don't have to drink wine at the the San Diego Wine & Food Festival. Beer lovers can feast, too, with premium Belgian beers Stella Artois, Leffe and Hoegaarden. The beers are poured at the two main events, Friday night's The Vault tasting and Saturday's Grand Tasting, and a Friday … [Read more...]
El Segundo Rock & Brews Hosts Goose Island Craft Beer Dinner
Menu Pairings From Gene Simmons And Paul Stanley Restaurant With Premium Chicago Beers Here's a tasty temptation that will rock (and roll) your dinner world. Rock & Brews in El Segundo, CA – the original of the Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Zislis Group rock-themed restaurants – is hosting a dinner featuring items from its menu specifically selected to be paired with … [Read more...]
It’s Party Time At An Australian Wine Festival
A Day On The Green At Siromet Winery In Brisbane More Like A Music Festival I'm going to a wine festival today. In Australia! And this is not just any wine festival, it's a rock concert with wine. There are several local bands playing, the event takes place in a big field. It goes from 3-10 p.m. It's called A Day On The Green at it takes place Siromet Winery In … [Read more...]
Manhattan Beach Beer Garden Party Review At Hometown Fair
Lively Crowd Enjoys Singles Socializing With Good Craft Beers And Friends The combination is as natural as the beach and the ocean, as dominating as Clayton Kershaw with a baseball in his hands. The first weekend of each October, the gorgeous Los Angeles beach community called Manhattan Beach holds an event that sounds as if belongs in a small town in Iowa, Hometown … [Read more...]
Budweiser Introduces 25-Ounce Beer Can
A King Can Of The King Of Beers In Time For Football Season Here's a way to keep from getting off the couch to make a mad dash to the refrigerator for a beer during critical moments of football games: Budwieser has introduced 25-ounce cans! The bigger can adds an extra ounce, for the same price, to the existing 24-ounce can. "It's more than just a new can or some new … [Read more...]
Get Your Tickets Now For The 2013 San Diego Wine & Food Festival
Grand Tasting On Embarcadero Highlights 10th Annual Event Nov. 18-24 You know you want to go, so get out the dough. Or, rather the credit card. The dough – and what's made with it – comes later. The 10th annual San Diego Wine & Food Festival is Nov. 18-24. And while it may seem a bit of advance planning overkill to get tickets in October, before you've even thought … [Read more...]
Goose Island Craft Beers Pairing A Winner At Rock & Brews Redondo Beach
Special Five-Course Dinner Highlights Good Beer With Good Food At LA Restaurant Chicago's craft beer Goose Island has come West and - like many transplants from the Windy City - has landed in the fun Los Angeles Beach Cities of Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach. And on a weather-perfect Tuesday evening, the kind of gentle night where you want to have a few … [Read more...]
Craft Beers Enhance Redondo Beach Lobster Festival Scene
Goose Island And Shock Top Specialty Brews Blend Perfectly With Bands And Bugs In 2013 Always a fun event, the Redondo Beach Lobster Festival elevated itself in 2013 with the addition of a craft beer garden. In an enhancement to the usual selection of beers, there were also several selections from Chicago craft brewer Goose Island and and also a wild variety of flavors … [Read more...]
Redondo Beach Lobster Festival 2013 To Feature Craft Beer Festival
Shock Top, Goose Island Among Taps At Sept. 20-22 Event Lobsters and beer go together like water and waves, yet this takes it to a new beer-lovers level. The 2013 Redondo Beach Lobster Festival – Sept. 20-22 at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach, CA – includes a craft beer festival. It features more than a dozen selections. Some of the beers are: • Shock Top Lemon Shandy • … [Read more...]
Oregon Brewers Festival Attracts 85,000 To Portland’s Craft Beer Party
Annual Beer-Lovers Event Sets Attendance Record Three words come to mind when it comes to the 2013 Oregon Brewers Festival held the weekend of July 24-28 in Portland: Wow, cheers, and darn! The wow is for the fact that it attracted 85,000 people this year. The cheers is for the organizers for putting on another great event and for setting an attendance record. The darn … [Read more...]
Trump National Wine & Beer Festival 2013 Date is Aug. 25
Tickets Now On Sale For 5th Annual Event Featuring Craft Beers And California Wines Get out your smart phone, put in the date and set the reminder. The Trump National Wine & Beer Festival is Sunday, Aug. 25. Now in its fifth year, the Trump Wine & Beer Festival has become one of the top social events of the South Bay, as well as parts beyond. People go not just … [Read more...]
Oregon Brewer’s Festival One Of The USA’s Top Craft Beer Events
Portland's Annual Waterfront Party Is About More Than Great Beers When I tell you that the Oregon Brewer's Festival – held the last weekend each July in Portland, Oregon – is one of the top craft beer events in the USA, then beer aficionados are likely to start wondering about what kinds of beer are served, the breweries, the varieties, etc. In short, all things … [Read more...]
Michael’s On Naples Brings In Italian Winemaker For Dinner Pairing
Vietti Wines To Be Paired With Six-Course Meal At Long Beach Restaurant This sure is going the distance to make a wine pairing with dinner memorable. Winemaker Luca Currado Vietti of Vietti Wines is coming in all the way from Italy to be on hand for a six-course dinner at Michael's On Naples in Long Beach, CA. The event takes place July 17 at 6:30 p.m. This seemed so … [Read more...]
Budweiser’s Red, White & Blue Cans Make For Patriotic Beer Drinking
Grabbing A Bottle Or Can Brings Out The Blogger's Pride In America With baseball bats cracking around the nation's ballparks, summer here and the Fourth of July approaching, Budweiser has struck up a patriotic tune with red, white and blue beer cans, plus similar labels on its bottles. The cans, especially, make you want to reach out and grab one. They have white stars on … [Read more...]
Venetian Las Vegas Featuring Rum, Tequila & Wine Events For Carnevale
Italian Summer Festival Comes To Vegas With Several Fun Cocktail Happenings Carnevale, the biggest of the numerous festivals that take place in the small villages and towns of Italy throughout the summer, is coming to the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. It's a three-month celebration running from May 27-Sept. 8. The highlights, at least for me, are events featuring rum, … [Read more...]
Anheuser-Busch’s Stella Introduces Belgian Style Cider Called Cidre
New A-B Product To Quench Thirst Of Growing Cider Market Stella Artois, the word's top-selling Belgian beer, is bringing a cider to the U.S. market. It's called Stella Artois Cidre and A-B describes it as "a crisp, distinctive European-style cider made with apples hand-picked from wine growing regions." Initially it will be available in 26 U.S. states, with further … [Read more...]
Be Kid Rock’s Bartender On Tour By Entering This Contest
Jim Beam's 'Mix For Kid Rock Contest' Rewards Winner With Three Concert Stops This Summer Of all the brand promotions, this is one of the most creative. At least, it offers one of the best prizes for those of the PubClub.com type of mind. Jim Beam is offering fans to be Kid Rock's bartender on tour! It's called Jim Beam’s "Mix for Kid Rock Contest" and you can … [Read more...]
Monterey Brewery Peter B’s Celebrates American Craft Beer Week
Guest Brews, A Beer Wench And National Toast Highlight Events American Craft Beer Week is May 13-19 and Monterey Bay craft brewery Peter B's – which has won several awards for its beers – is participating with events each night of the week. It starts on Monday, May 13, with the release of Alvarado Street Raspberry Wheat Ale (Alvarado Street is just out the door of Peter … [Read more...]
Galante Is My Favorite Tasting Room On The Carmel Wine Walk
Good Wines Combine With Friendly Conversation In This California Gem Of all the fine wine tasting rooms as part of the Carmel Wine Walk, Galante is my favorite. That's because the hostess, Jenna, is lively and lovely, mildly sassy, loves Jimmy Buffett, will have wine herself with you, breaks out cheese and crackers and doesn't mind giving you an extra pour if you are … [Read more...]
Budweiser Bowtie Cans Make It Easy To Grab Some Buds
Design Ideal For Getting Beers On The Go In The Summertime Budweiser has made its advertising slogan of "Grab Some Buds" much easier to achieve with promotional bowtie-shaped cans of the King of Beers. The cans are actually in the shape of the beer's bowtie logo with a small crinkle in the middle. I got a hold a few and whenever I show them to people they all say … [Read more...]
Wine Tasting In The South Bay Goes From Bottle Inn To Baleen To FishBar
A Tasting By The Beach, Half-Priced Wines By The Harbor And Reverse Happy Hour I went on a wine tasting tour recently in California. It was not in Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Ynez Valley or even Monterey or Mendocino County. Instead, it was a tour of my own design and right here where I live, in the South Bay Beach Cities of Los Angeles. Inspired by a Tweet … [Read more...]
Beer vs. Wine: When To Choose Which One To Drink
Beer Is For Partying While Wine Is For Reflecting Beer and wine, two great things in life to be sure. But beer verses wine? I love them both, but sometimes I feel like having a beer and at other times I prefer to be drinking wine. So what determines which will be quenching my thirst's desire? Well, it's really a mood thing. When I'm in the wild whoop-it-up frame of … [Read more...]
San Francisco Craft Beer Lovers Should Flock To Boonville Beer Festival
Bay Area Breweries Pour It On At This Annual May Event Attention Bay Area brew lovers! There's an event you should check out in your area. It's the Boonville Beer Festival. That's up in Mendocino County, at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds, in fact. And I can speak from a personal experience that this is a great event, a craft beer drinker's paradise! There are 80 … [Read more...]
Corks And Oak Barrels Are Things I’m Learning About Drinking Wine
This Beer Drinker's Palate Is Starting To Adapting To Vino I'm a beer drinker who is learning about wine. And two things I have learned of late have nothing to do with what I know about the taste and quality of beers. Oh, these wines are indeed so complex! One has to do with corks. And the other is the oak barrels in which the wine is stored. One I inquired about and the … [Read more...]
Where To Find Goose Island Chicago’s Craft Beer In South Bay Bars
Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach Bars Are Pouring These Good Brews Looking for a new craft beer to try in the South Bay? Then let me suggest Goose Island, the Chicago specialty brewery that is making a big splash nationally. Currently the bars serving it in the South Bay are: BrewCo and Shellback Tavern in Manhattan Beach and American Junkie in Hermosa Beach. At the … [Read more...]
MarchFest 2013 Is A Craft Beer And Music Festival In New Zealand
Hop-Growing Area Of Nelson A Celebration Of Hops, Craft Beers And Bands You don't normally associate New Zealand with craft beer, but an event called MarchFest just might get you raising a pint and toasting the Kiwis. It features 15 local and regional craft brewers in a festival that also includes bands and grilled food. Held in Nelson, N.Z., the 2013 event is April 6 … [Read more...]
Spirits Industry Nightclub & Bar Show Is America’s Best Trade Show
Wishing I Were There And Not Here Some of the best party times of my life have been at the Nightclub & Bar Show, the annual gathering of everyone who is everyone in the bar, nightclub, beer and spirits industry. It's the middle of March every year and takes place in the ideal place for such a thing: Las Vegas! It's two days of the best trade show in America. And … [Read more...]
Tennessee Votes Down Wine In Grocery Stores By One Vote
A Rocky Failure For Rocky Top's Arcane State Liquor Laws My first reaction when I learned that Tennessee – my home state – had failed by one vote a provision that could have allowed wine to be sold in grocery stores was "why are they still living in the 1800s!?" Then I saw that the one vote that was expected to have put it over the top came from a representative from … [Read more...]
California Party Weekend In Carmel, Santa Cruz And Wine Tasting
Four Fun Days In Three Great And Gorgeous Coastal Cities As great as the beach life is in Southern California, I also enjoying heading up the coast on occasion to the upper central coast of the state. And so on this particular weekend I was invited on a press trip for two nights in Carmel. Well, it's a 6-hour driver from Los Angeles on the 101 Highway (a scenic six … [Read more...]
Whiskey Tasting Dinner At Five Crowns Restaurant Corona Del Mar
Five-course Meal Being Paired With Gordon & MacPhail Scotch Whiskeys Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, CA, is having a Scotch whiskey dinner. On Monday, March 4, it's having a a five-course meal created by Chef Greg Harrison with select whiskey pairings for each dish from the award-winning Gordon & MacPhail and their personal distillery, Benromach. Derek Hancock, … [Read more...]
Goose Island Beer Having A Tap Takeover At BrewCo Manhattan Beach
Chicago Craft Brewery Pouring Brews In The South Bay Goose Island, the Chicago craft brewery that has exploded onto the beer scene, is doing a "tap takoever" at BrewCo in downtown Manhattan Beach on Tuesday, Feb. 25. It goes from 5-close (about 11) and will feature four "classic" beers and three "vintage" selections, as well as the 22-ounce bottle of Pepe Nero. The beers … [Read more...]
Happy National Margarita Day Feb 22!
The Perfect Day To Be Wasted Away in Margaritaville! Blended Or On The Rocks? Salt Or No Salt? Break out the blender. Put on the signature Jimmy Buffett song. The only questions for today are: Blended or on the rocks and salt or no salt? Personally, I prefer on the rocks and no salt. This, above all times, is the day to be wasted away in Margaritaville. … [Read more...]
Beer Helps Bone Density So Let’s Drink Another Round!
India Pale Ales Provide The Most Benefit According to Cal Davis Study Got milk? Heck, got beer may be better for you! The Journal of Science and Agriculture has published a study that looked at 100 beers and concluded that brews can increase bone density. The study comes from the University of California at Davis, which has a class in brewing beer. And the conclusion … [Read more...]
Monterey Craft Brewery Peter B’s Brews A Valentine’s Day Beer
Bravarian Style Hefeweizen To Help Save Our Shores Organization Good brewmasters never rest. They keep brewing new beer. Kevin Clark is at it again, and he's come up with a Bavarian-style Hefeweizen that will debut on Valentine's Day in his craft brewery, Peter B's in Monterey, CA. This is a limited beer, just 12 barrels. In the past, Clark has created beers … [Read more...]
Sipping Scotch Whiskey Sets The Mood For Queen Mary’s Scotsfest
Previewing The 25th Annual Scottish Festival In Long Beach, CA By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Los Angeles Blogger I love media events where they serve you alcohol. Wine with a luncheon or dinner is fine, of course, but at the press preview for the upcoming Scotsfest, a full-on Scottish festival Feb. 17-18 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, we got … [Read more...]
Mixing Alcohol With Diet Soda Survey Lacking In Evidence
Only 16 People Participated And They Used Squirt, Not Coke Or Pepsi Did you see the survey – it made the national news shows – which claims that using diet sodas as a mixer in alcoholic drinks makes people drunker? It’s because, according to the in the April edition of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, people drinking Diet Squirt tested higher on a … [Read more...]
Monterey Craft Brewery Peter B’s Wins More Beer Awards
Russian Imperial Espresso Stout Takes Gold At World Beer Championships As Monterey, CA, continues to gain notoriety for its wines, a craft brewery is brewing up award-winning beers. Peter B’s Brewpub won a Gold medal for its Russian Imperial Espresso Stout at the World Beer Championships and two Bronze medals for its Barrel Aged Stout and Whiskey Barrel Aged Stout. Peter … [Read more...]
First-Time Germany Travel Lessons: Pilsner Beer & An Ex-Girlfriend
The 7-Minute Beers, Karlsruhe And Finding The Correct Restroom The memories flowed as quickly as the beer. Well, a heck of a lot faster than the Pilsner was poured. But more on that later. I was at a media luncheon in Los Angeles hosted by Tourism Germany for us Southern California travel journalists. The new German public relations representative, a friendly frau by … [Read more...]
Looking Forward To Drinking The New Budweiser Black Crown Beer
Gold Lager Debuting For Super Bowl Parties XLVII When The King (Budweiser) introduced a new beer for The Queen (Bud Light) it was like The King of Queens, so to speak. Bud Light Platinum, which hit the market this time last year, proved to be right in my wheelhouse. It's got flavor, is as smooth as a James Bond line (Sean Connery) and has a stronger kick than David … [Read more...]
Price of Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Wine Rising In California
Increase Goes From $1.99 to $2.49; Well It Was Good While It Lasted Two Buck Chuck, the Charles Shaw signature wine of the affordable and loveable gourmet grocery store Trader Joe's, is now Two-And-A-Half Buck Chuck in California. Effective Jan. 16, the price of a bottle rose from a buck-99 to $2.49. “We work hard to have every item in the store at an intersection of … [Read more...]
Portland’s Jupiter Hotel Promotion Includes Pizza And Beer
Oregon Brews and Sizzle Pie In The City Of the Microbrew This is a great idea, the perfect promotion, right up there with complimentary Internet, and far better than bagels in the morning. The Jupiter Hotel in Portland, Oregon, has launched a hotel promotion that features free beer. And late-night pizza! In Portland, no less, home of the craft brews. It's called the … [Read more...]
James King Shows Wine The Fun Way at LA Travel & Adventure Show
Learning How To Drink Wine Before Enjoying A Wine Tasting Is wine complicated? Intimidating to order in a restaurant? It can be, but doesn't have to be, says wine consultant James King. In fact, he's got a simple solution. "The only way to learn about wine is to drink wine," he said. "So the more you drink, the more you learn." Now that sounds like instructions the … [Read more...]
California Cultures Mix at Mendocino Crab Wine & Beer Festival 2013
It goes without saying that cracking crabs and drinking beer go together. That's commonplace along the East Coast, particularly in Maryland, home of crab cakes and beer. But it also happens in California. Except people in this part of the country – in particular in the northern part of the Golden State – must always put their own special touch on things. So when they host a … [Read more...]
Anheuser-Busch Introducing Goose Island Beer Nationally in November
Chicago Craft Brewery Expands Honker's Ale, India Pale Ale, 360 and Matilda Chicago's popular craft beers arc coming to the rest of the USA. Thanks to a purchase by Anheuser-Busch nearly two years ago, Goose Island will now be available across the nation. Utilizing the vast distribution network and increased brewing capacity of A-B, it is being introduced to bars and … [Read more...]
Anheuser-Busch Wants Budweiser Pulled From Denzel Washington’s Flight
This Is Not The Movie Product Placement The Beer Company Covets Normally, product placement is a great thing for a company. Junior Mints on "Seinfield," Charlie Harper drinking Coronas on "Two And A Half Men." There's a huge business of product placement, in fact, in which companies pay big money to have their products featured in movies and TV shows. It does go … [Read more...]