![]() ![]() With a bottle share planned in the evening, we had to cut things off in the woods and head home, but by the time we were done, I learned a lot about foraging and how to spot wild, edible mushrooms. This was something I had never done and wouldn’t have thought to do, but I like to incorporate at least one of those activities into a trip, its good to get out of your box and typically make for a good story. When we arrived at the park, I had no idea what to expect or what I was supposed to look for. The drive from Oakley, CA where I was staying with Sonny (people who I had never met, yet welcomed me into their home with open arms) to the coast and Highway 1 was a beautiful sojourn that took Jeff and me through all kinds of topography. After finalizing plans for said day trip, we moved on to finish off the night with the aforementioned bottle of Cable Car Ale and to celebrate being together. He and some friends of his had arranged for a day trip to Salt Point State Park to go foraging for mushrooms. We added one last member from the beer group at Cellarmaker, Jeff, who would also be my guide for the next day. (L-R) Myself, Samson, Sonny, Jeff, Craig at Cellarmaker The most popular item was a toaster that toasted “Hops to the dome” into your bread, but sadly that sold out the day of the release. There was some savvy merchandise on sale from a release the week before, a collaboration with Alvarado St Brewing Co (who I had plans to visit Tuesday) called Big Lots. My favorite, and maybe just because of the Talking Heads reference, was Hop Making Sense. It was standing room only when we arrived at 7 pm on a Friday night, and after a short wait to get in, we were able to get ourselves situated with some pours. The next stop and my first brewery for the trip, was Cellarmaker Brewing Co, a small shotgun style bar/brewery maybe 25 feet wide. Sonny would be my host for the week, as he invited me to stay with his family to avoid the burden of boarding in the city. As the theme of adding another member from our group at each new bar continued, we were met by Sonny. Tommie was recently voted one of the best new brewers in the world 2017 by. ![]() Opal from Tommie Sjef Wild Ales, a plum, lambic-inspired beer brewed by a mostly unknown brewer and blender named Tommie Sjef. ![]() Although the bottle list had some great options, there was a selection I did not expect to see, and couldn’t order fast enough. The area surrounding the Mikkeller bar was not the safest, but once inside, I was immediately transported back to Copenhagen. Beers and charcuterie/cheese plate at Mikkeller SF This is when the plan is established to both head to Mikkeller SF, and end the night by returning to Toronado for a Cable Car Ale, a beer brewed by Lost Abbey, specially for the Toronado. Not long after we gained another member of our group, Craig, who I had actually met when he previously stayed with me on a vacation to Colorado. After a sausage from Rosamunde Sausage Grill, an eatery that is essentially inside of the Toronado, we were ready for some beers. Sausage case at RosamundeĪfter a quick east coast/hazy IPA (which became a theme on this trip) Samson and I headed for Toronado SF to begin the night in downtown San Francisco. To my delight upon landing and regaining service, I was notified by the group of friends I was meeting, that Wednesday we’d be travelling a little over an hour south of SF to visit Sante Adairius Rustic Ales (SARA), a perfectly timed trip to coincide with their second incarnation of We Are You, a Saison brewed in collaboration with Side Project, Jackie O’s and Tired Hands. He was messaging to inform me not to concern myself with a ride from SFO to his place in Mission, because he had arranged for his mother to transport me. Minutes before shutting down into airplane mode on the DIA tarmac, I received a message from Samson (a member of the aforementioned group) whom I was planning on meeting after arriving. Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip.” “Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship. With SF Beer Week in progress and more than a half dozen faces I had yet to meet in person, I “sailed off for the San Francisco Bay”. While the group mostly allows us to maintain connections online and send each other beers as presents, surprises, and BIFs (beer it forward, essentially chain mail but with beer as presents) recently I have focused my domestic travels on meeting these people in person. Luckily, through my own beer journey, I’ve been fortunate enough to find a small group that acts as a family. Fortunately, there are still areas free from the shackles of “me first” mindset. For most, the foray into the world of beer trading is swiftly met with an introduction to the secondary value world, as that perceived value tends to drive the trading market.
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