2008 Craft Brewers Conference: San Diego

Held in San Diego this year, the Craft Brewers Conference provided a chance to explore and enjoy great beer (and wine...and OK...tequila).

First day in Southern CA, Mark and Barb explored Temecula's wine country, about an hour's drive north of downtown San Diego. We experienced wonderful wine and eyed these beautiful barrels...possible future homes for our eccentric beers? Oh YeaH!

Another Temecula winery's tasting room. We found these flowers painting the hillsides PiNK all over the area.

This was Baily. Yummy Brett in several of their wines. We brought some home.

If only we could grow grapevines in AK...you know we would!

After checking out Pizza Port Solana Beach then Temecula on TUE, we hit SD's best beer bar, Obrien's Pub. The line-up each night focused on some extreme brewery's offerings plus at least one Firestone-Walker beer...PLuS other fab beers from AK, Belgium and beyond. Here is Obrien's owner extraordinaire Tom Nickel and MSBC head brewer Gabe Fletcher. [The mini tank is the new Best of Show award that will be given out at the San Diego County Fair. How CooL is that?]

WED morning, Ocean Beach, 9 AM. This little American-diner-with-a-Tiajuana-twist melded standard diner fare with Mexican favorites. It was called Margaritas and we were the youngest folks in there. We had enchiladas and chili rellenos topped with fried eggs and fresh salsa. Of course Corona was called for...but no LiME, baby; this ain't a yuppy joint. And, yeah, we were the only ones imbibing at 9 AM...

Walking off breakfast, we headed down to the pier. The weather was perfecto!

Surfer dude at the same pier - bet he doesn't have a BeeR belly.

Speaking of BeeR bellies... but well-deserved, I might add!

Then...fresh guacamole made tableside to accompany gigante "Perfecto" margaritas at Gringo's in Mission Beach. We hit this place twice during our visit to SD. The next time we had swordfish tacos, lobster enchiladas and killer carnitas. So if you go, go GrinGo...

A very happy MSBC crew--Barb, Gabe & Mark--visits the incredible multi-award-winning cellar room at Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, CA. My fave...Cuvee de Tommee, which I was lucky-ducky enuf to enjoy several times during my visit to SD, including during the World Beer Cup awards ceremony on SAT when CdT won GOLD in the Wood- and Barrel-aged Sour Beer category.

Next stop--this is still WED--Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, CA. One word: holy-eff'in'-WoW. This place is amaZing. Stone always sets and resets the standards in all areas: brewery, restaurant, grounds, events, merchandise, marketing impact, sales force...and, oh yeah...BeeR. Just visit and you'll see/feel/drink what I mean.

Hanging out at Stone, Tom Dalldorf, Celebrator Beer News publisher/editor; John Burket, Odom Distributing in Anchorage; Mark Staples, MSBC Founder/Prez; Jeanne, Haines Brewing owner; and Port Brewing/Lost Abbey's beertender.

Still at Stone...Barb; Mark; Mollie Bigger, former prez of Seattle Brews Brothers homebrew club and now a San Diego resident; and Alan Moen, NorthWest Brew News editor.

Inside Marty Jones of Oskar Blues and Tom Dalldorf of Celebrator play an accoustic set--first LiVe music at Stone--while Gabe watches. [Barb and Mark ended up being the first ever LiVe dancers at Stone. Sorry no photos as we were too busy cuttin' it uP.]

Sleeping Lady Brewing head brewer Clay Brackley raises a pint with Snowgoose Restaurant/Sleeping Lady Brewing owner Gary Klopfer and MSBC'er Marko.

Next day Gary and Mark wait for beer-in-gigantic-cup service at Tin Fish in downtown SD right before we head to what would end up being a history-making Padres game.

Great seats--a bit over the visitors dugout on the 3rd base/home line. The initial plan was to leave after 7 innings but instead we stayed to The End...

First run of the game didn't happen until the top of the 14th. It was becoming a long [and DRY because the park stopped selling beer after the 7th inning] night.

Late into the game the AK crew hangs in there: Curtis and Ann from Alaskan Brewing, Gary from Snowgoose, then Barb, Matt and Gary from MSBC. [Some dude is in the shot between Matt and Gary but just ignore him.]

And when oh when have U seen this? By the 21st Inning Stretch, we nailed "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" like we'd been singing it ALL evening. We might have sounded better--at least to ourselves--if we'd been a little lubed up. Whatever...we really did need a forced break from beer at this point in the trip.

Final score. Most innings ever played for the Padres. Most dry innings for MSBC.

Next day--FRI, for those of you keeping track--we have a keg of Obliteration III Double IPA to deliver to Karl Strauss for a BBQ that evening. We rented a panel van from Enterprise--all they had in stock but it was appropos for the cause--and headed down the highway.

Sales Manager Matt, who was leaving SD later that day, sat on his suitcase for the beer delivery trip to avoid rolling around in the back with the keg.

Later at Karl Strauss, AK folks enjoy the beer and BBQ: MSBC head brewer Gabe Fletcher; Kassik Brewing's owners/brewer Deborah & Frank Kassik; MSBC VP Barb Miller; Kodiak Brewing owner/brewer Ben Millstein; and MSBC Prez Mark Staples.

Final night...SAT...Gabe takes a water break to hydrate before the CBC craft dinner and World Beer Cup awards ceremony.

MSBC GM Gary Busse and Kodiak's Ben Millstein enjoy the first course.

Alaskan's Curtis Holmes helps Snowgoose owner Gary Klopfer cook his scallop carpaccio over the table votive.

Alaskan Brewing's Ann and her husband Mack enjoy the evening.

MSBC'ers Mark, Gabe and Gary graciously accept a WBC bronze award for Pride Belgian-style Strong Ale, aged in French oak Chardonnay with Brettanomyces in the Other Belgian-style Ale category.

Alaska breweries racked up 6 awards (left to right): Curtis Holmes and Ann of Alaskan Brewing (4); Mark Staples, Barb Miller, Gabe Fletcher and Gary Busse of Midnight Sun Brewing (1); and Frank and Deborah Kassik of Kassik's Brewing (1).

Barb, Gabe, Mark [ hidden] and Gary cheese it up once more.

Alaska's Breweries win World Beer Cup Awards
Top: ___, Moose's Tooth; next row: Curtis Holmes, Alaskan Brewing; Tyler Jones, Moose's Tooth; Paul Wheeler, Haines Brewing; David, Snowgoose Restaurant/Sleeping Lady Brewing; Gary Busse, Midnight Sun Brewing; Frank Kassik, Kassik's Brewing; Deborah, Kassik's Brewing; Marty Compton, formerly of AK Distributing but just recently of Bell's Brewing. Next row: Dave, Moose's Tooth; Jeanne Wheeler, Haines Brewing; Barb Miller, Midnight Sun Brewing; Gabe Fletcher, Midnight Sun Brewing; Gary Klopfer, Snowgoose Restaurant/Sleeping Lady Brewing; Mark Staples, Midnight Sun Brewing. Kneeling: Ben Millstein, Kodiak Brewing; Ann, Alaskan Brewing; Mack, Ann's husband.