It’s time for our second weekly installment of Tuesday Brewsday, this time based on the USC-Stanford matchup from this past Saturday. Since USC decided that scoring was optional, Stanford cruised to what amounts to a snooze-fest 17-3 victory. So, let’s head to Palo Alto for this week’s featured beer scene.
There are several breweries in the greater area, including one of our favorites (21st Amendment.) But I’d like to stay a little closer to campus – so we’re going to focus on Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company. At first glance, they have a nice selection and really solid variety. I mean, their year-round beers include a Hefe, Scotch ale, amber, rye IPA, blonde, and a kölsch. (And seriously, the Full Boar Scotch Ale sounds stupid good.) This blogger personally loves seeing diversification like this, instead of a brewery going all in on IPAs, sours, or any one style. Show some creativity and diversity – offer something for a broader spectrum of tastes!
And that’s not even to mention the seasonals that are available right now. Barrel of Monkeys Barleywine … a Bourbon Cherry Stout … and a Coconut Porter. So, I’m ready to give the thumbs-up on this place until I saw … this barrel-aged series. Yes, please. I am a sucker for some barrel-aged beers, but these descriptions? I’m just straight copying their language … and I want all of these. All of them:
This. I need this in my life. |
- VSAA (Very Special Amber Ale). Our amber ale aged in cognac barrels with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
- Cherry Lambic. Belgian-style lambic with West Coast cherries aged over one year in cabernet barrels
- Imperial Stout. Imperial stout aged for six months in bourbon barrels
- Bière Brut. Sparkling Ale aged for sixteen months in cabernet barrels
- S.O.S. (Scotch Ale.) A blend of our Full Boar Scotch Ale aged for nine months in Scotch Whisky barrels
- Divine Provisions. Amber ale aged with cherries in bourbon barrels. Collaboration brew with John Fearless Craft Hops & Provisions.
And everything I read says that it’s all about the vibe. Friday nights feature happy hour specials, food trucks, and live music. Sounds like a triple threat winner to me! To top it off (top it off … more beer in the glass … see what I did there?) I keep reading comment after comment about the staff being friendly and open to talking about their beer. I LOVE that in a brewery! And no, before you say it, it’s NOT true everywhere you go. To wit, we were recently in Chicago visiting a well-known brewery with several friends. While agonizing over the menu, trying to choose 4 beers for the flight from an extensive menu, our ‘kind’ server said, “Why are you spending so much time? It’s just beer.” It’s just beer? No – it’s not. Shame on you! It’s much more than that. But that diatribe is for another post.
Tune back in next week as we find beer near the winner as the #17 Boise State Broncos travel to Stillwater to take on the #24 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Cheers!
Time to plan a trip to Palo Alto!!
Amen!