For the Love of California

So, why am I so excited about a trip to California? I am already quite clear that living in Iowa really makes no sense for us, but as I look ahead to this trip things only become clearer. It’s not like I don’t know what great beer and food riches exist outside of Iowa. I’ve lived in quite a few places over the years. Minneapolis for instance was a wonderful food and drink town. DC, another great food city. Even small town Brattleboro in Vermont was a beer mecca with Three Dollar Dewey’s morphing into McNeill’s Brewery. So it’s not like the drinking riches that exist outside Iowa is news to me. But sometimes it’s just all too clear that I’m in a wasteland. For instance, I figure the local pizza places are a great indicator of a food culture. See, for instance, Satchel’s in Gainesville. Or Pizza Luce in Minneapolis. Here in Cedar Rapids we do actually have some okay pizza. Zoey’s for instance is a fabulous deep dish experience. But here is their beer “menu”: Bud, Miller, Icehouse, Killian’s, Goose Island, Guinness, and Boddington’s. OK, I’m a Guinness fan and quite enjoy a Boddington’s once in awhile, but I’d hardly call it a beer menu. So, I’ve been checking places I might visit in California and I discover a little pizza place in Fort Bragg. This is not even considering the Brewpub experience I’m searching for, this is just the little pizza place up the coast. Here’s their current beer menu:

On Tap
20 oz Imperial Pints $4.25 10 oz 1/2 Pints $2.75 “Hoppy” Hour (Monday through Friday 4 pm – 6 pm) $3.25 20 oz Imperial Pints
Widmer Hefeweizen	4.7% abv
Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland, Oregon brewmasters Rob and Kurt Widmer www.widmer.com
Arrogant Bastard Ale	7.2% abv
Stone Brewing Company, Escondido, California brewmaster Steve Wagner www.arrogantbastard.com
Kilt Lifter	8.0% abv
Moylan’s Brewery, Novato, California brewmaster James Costa www.moylans.com
Poppy Jasper Amber Ale	5.3% abv
El Toro Brewing Company, Morgan Hill, California brewmaster Geno Alevedo
Trumer Pilsner	5.0% abv
Trumer Brauerei, Berkeley, California brewmaster Lars Larson www.trumerbrauerei.com
Death & Taxes Black Lager	5.0% abv
Moonlight Brewing Company, Windsor, California brewmaster Brian Hunt www.moonlightbrewing.com
Hop Rod Rye	7.5% abv
Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsberg, California brewmaster Joel Johnson www.bearrepublic.com
Old Rasputin Imperial Stout	8.9% abv
North Coast Brewing Company, Fort Bragg, California brewmaster Mark Ruedrich www.northcoastbrewing.com
“IPA of the Moment” – recent selections
Marin IPA	7.0% abv
Marin Brewing Company, Larkspur, California
Racer 5	7.0% abv
Bear Republic Brewing Company, Healdsberg, California www.bearrepublic.com
Jamaican Sunset	7.0% abv
Mad River Brewing Company, Blue Lake, California http://www.madriverbrewing.com
“Beer of the Moment” – recent selections
Purple Haze	4.2 % abv
Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs, Louisiana
Full Sail Wassail
Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River, Oregon www.fullsailbrewing.com
Moose Drool	4.2% abv
Big Sky Brewing Company, Missoula, Montana www.bigskybrew.com

	Belgian-style Beers
	Allagash Brewing Co. Portland, Maine
		Grand Cru	25.4oz.	7.2% abv	$8
		deep golden color with a full, malty palate and gentle fruit spice aroma.
		Dubbel	25.4oz.	7.0% abv	$8
		dark mahogany color with complex malt and nutty taste; can develop port and sherry characteristic.
		Tripel	25.4oz.	9.0% abv	$9
		golden hued ale with a passion fruit and herbal aroma and suggestions of bananas and honey.
	Brewery Ommegang Cooperstown, New York
		Ommegang	25.4oz.	8.5% abv	$8
		rich mahogany colored; a fruity, aromatic Burgundian brew.
	Russian River Brewing Co. Santa Rosa, California
		Damnation	25.4oz.	7.0% abv	$8
		golden ale with banana and pear aroma and citrus, malt and earthy hop flavors.
		Salvation	25.4oz.	9.0% abv	$11
		dark brown ale with bananas and spice, subtle malt flavor and fruity characteristics.
		Temptation	12.7oz.	7.25% abv	$10
		blonde ale fermented in chardonnay barrels; intriguing, with a pleasant sourness.
	Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Bonneville, California
		Brother David’s Double	22oz.	7.2% abv	$7
		abbey-style brown ale; malty, tangy and a little wild. Because man cannot live on bread alone.
	Unibroue Brewery Chambly, Quebec
		Don De Dieu	25.4oz.	9.0% abv	$10
		triple-wheat beer with vanilla and fruit aroma; smooth and creamy, delicately spiced flavors.
		Maudite	25.4oz.	8.0% abv	$10
		strong red ale with light coriander spice and a hint of hops.
		Trois Pistoles	25.4oz.	9.0% abv	$10
		strong dark ale, dusky black, with wild fruit, chocolate and an aftertaste of port.
	Hearty Ales
	Bison Brewing Co. Berkeley, California
		Chocolate Stout	12oz.	6.0% abv	$4
		rich, roasty stout brewed with cocoa
	Lagunitas Brewing Co., Petaluma, California
		Cappuccino Stout	22oz.	6.0% abv	$7
		ale brewed with Hardcore coffee from Sebastopol
		Gnarly Wine	22oz.	6.0% abv	$7
		a unique, vintage-dated barleywine
		Imperial Red	22oz.	7.6% abv	$7
		limited release, big malt, silky texture with plenty of hops
	Rogue Brewing Co. Hood River, Oregon
		Imperial Pilsener	26oz.	8.8% abv	$18
		medium-bodied with malty aroma and crisp hop bitterness
	St. Peters Brewery Co. Suffolk, United Kingdom
		Cream Stout	16.9oz.	5.0% abv	$6
		a strong dark chocolate cream stout with bittersweet aftertaste
	Buckerfield’s Brewery at Swans Hotel Victoria, British Columbia
		Oatmeal Stout	22oz.	5.4% abv	$8
		rich, full-bodied stout with strong roasted character and creamy smooth finish

Now, I’m not saying this is the best list I’ve seen–not by far. But, come on, this is the little local pizza place. Arrogant Bastard, Hop Rod, and Old Rasputin on tap? Give me a break. Allagash and Russian River Belgian bombers? Once again, I ax myself: what am I doing in Iowa? Some days I really think I need to give up academia, find a nice town where people love good beer, and reignite my old dream of opening a brewpub. Then other days, I guess I’ll just settle for enjoying the fruits of others’ brewing dreams.