If you live in the Sacramento area, there is a good chance you have ridden your bike while commuting or for pleasure, and you have probably indulged in some locally made craft beer. Living in an area with an abundance of beautiful weather and locations to feed an appetite only increases the chance you have combined outdoor recreation with beer and cuisine. In honor of springtime in the Sacramento valley, why not hop on your bike and explore what’s brewing near you. Biking and Beer offers a perfect yin and yang experience between the indoor and the outdoor, the intimate conversation that sharing a freshly poured pint encourages, and the freedom gained through traveling on a bicycle. Not on

Now is the time for a semi-local brew road trip. Pick a couple of friends, find a designated driver, promise him or her a growler of choice – beer to go, fresh from the brewery tap – for the end of the trip, and visit one, two or all of the mouthwatering breweries just west of Sacramento. Road trip! Starting from home, you might want to first hit up your favorite growler stop, though this all depends on where you plan to spend the night. Don't let it get warm! Track 7, Hoppy and Berryessa all have growlers. Toss a cooler stocked with ice in your trunk for growlers and 22-ouncers that you pick up along the way. Did you remember to find a designated driver? Be sure to do so – and not just

Last month Chef Adam Pechal and Feeding Crane Farms partnered to host the first in a series of Second Saturday classes at Lulu's Kitchen. Pechal will be holding another class this Saturday, April 13. This week’s class features wine and cheese pairings and recipes with Sean Minor Wines. If the March event is any guide, expect a good time and some delicious food. With Pechal’s gregarious personality and proven skills, you may even learn a little about about cooking along the way. Here's how things went down during the March class. The event was appropriately billed "Beer, Beer, Beer," and a variety of brews from Berryessa Brewing Company did indeed flow freely throughout the evening.  Gue

We all love IPAs, but what else out there can ease us into the warm spring afternoons? The answer is the saison. On cool nights, get your last few sips of the beers that are going out – barley wines, porters and sweet stouts. These rich varieties tend to go out of favor after the temperature gets above 80. To be clear, there is no need to get rid of these beers. Strong, dark beers generally age very well. Find a dark, cool place to store them for the summer and they will be even better next fall. Heed the warning on storage though; both light and drastic temperature changes are dangerous for beer of any style. Now on to the saison, a farmhouse ale. Lately, I just haven't been able to st

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Seizoen Bretta is a specialty organic farmhouse ale from Hood River, Oreg. For a saison, the beer is alcoholically strong (8 percent ABV) and slightly sour, owing to the use of wild Bretta yeast. The yeast that is used results in slightly sour undertones, countered by the ample use of sweet crystal malts. Together, the beer is incredibly complex, at the same time sweet, dry, sour and fruity. The color is a rich and unfiltered golden straw yellow. The large bottle is perfect for sharing; open a bottle with a couple of friends and drink it together while comparing opinions. Seizoen Bretta is so complex that everyone will notice something different, while someone will

Hollywood band Black Veil Brides performed at Ace of Spades on Wednesday night in support of their new album "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones." The air was thick with anticipation as support bands Overwatch and William Control played their sets. When Black Veil Brides finally took the stage, the packed venue erupted with the defeaning squeals of teenage girls and made me very thankful I had brought hearing protection. I can say with complete confidence that it was an entertaining show. Want to see what shows are coming up at Ace of Spades? Click here.  

Saturday afternoon visitors from all over the region headed to the Capital Beerfest for beer, fun and food trucks. Like last year, there were tons of local breweries pouring, but unlike last year, the locals were the stars this time around. Move over Sierra Nevada. Highly enthused visitors streamed into Cal Expo starting at noon. At 2 p.m. when general admission opened there was a flood of new people and the exhibition hall was soon packed. The first two hours of the festival food was available, but it came with a price – a long line and precious pouring time wasted. Thankfully, there were also more than enough great food trucks, so no one went home hungry. The selection of beers poured

Matt Zberg, a 45-year-old East Sacramento resident who works downtown, has been coming to the Pyramid Alehouse on K Street for the last 15 years, and planned to go there for lunch Monday. Then he received a text from his wife saying, "I'm here for you in your time of need as you morn the lose of a dear friend, Pyramid Alehouse."   Zberg's wife got the news after Pyramid Alehouse announced Monday on its Facebook page that it would be shutting down its Sacramento operation, effective immediately.  According to a statement made in the comments section, "Trust us, this is just as much of a shock to our employees as it is to you all. We are devastated by this news." Zberg said he worried ab

Pliny the Younger, Russian River Brewing Company's 10.25 percent ABV triple IPA, was featured on another local tap Thursday afternoon. One of the coveted 5-gallon kegs was tapped at Burgers & Brew in Davis on Thursday afternoon. Lines began forming around noon, although at 2 p.m. there were just around 70 people. Burgers & Brew had given Pliny enthusiasts plenty of time to prepare - they had posted the release date and time already on Monday on their Facebook page - so there was plenty of talk of rearranging work schedules. It might come as a surprise, but beer lovers can be quite organized and resourceful when it comes to limited-release brews. Around 4 p.m. it seemed that the keg was ru

Don't let the party stop after you've had your fill of beer and fashion this week, Sacramento! How do tattoos, black face paint, and tight, black leather sound? Good? Then check out Hollywood rock band Black Veil Brides at Ace of Spades next Wednesday, March 6. While seemingly more known to some for their visual aesthetics than their music, these wild-haired bad boys in eye shadow are continually refining their musical style and have seen it evolve from screaming heavy metal to a more anthemic rock sound. They're making a play for the big time with their third album, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones," an ambitious rock opera à la My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade.

Sacramento Beer Week kicked off on Friday, and since then our region has played host to plenty of fun and real social contact in the name of beer. Fests, happy hours, tap takeovers, brunches, dinners and exclusive tastings – it has all been happening and there is more to come. Some great local breweries have been featured and new collaborative brews released. The Knee Deep in Beer Week Track 7 collaboration, a really great Belgian double IPA, was both fresh and rich. Try it at Track 7 while it lasts, at Final Gravity on Thursday or at Capitol Beer and Tap Room on Friday. Remember that author and brewing scientist Dr. Charlie Bamforth of the University of California, Davis, will be at New

There is no more exciting time in the Sacramento craft beer scene than right now, a mere five days before Sacramento Beer Week. Starting Friday, SBW will consume bars, restaurants, breweries and tap rooms in the area and bring in new SBW brews, rare treats and more. The fourth annual week of fun will continue until March 3, when the week will conclude with a delicious brunch after a full Saturday at the Capital Beerfest on March 2 at Cal Expo. Come from noon to 5 p.m. for beer and food tasting and 2 to 5 p.m. for beer tasting only. Tickets are $75 and $45, respectively. Like last year, the number of events scheduled on the official SBW calendar is in the hundreds and continuing to grow. W

We’re on the cusp of an important week – not only is Valentine’s Day just around the corner, The Sacramento Press is gearing up for our Journalism Open 2013 Awards Celebration. You’ll be there, right? Don’t forget to order your presale tickets and RSVP so we know to save you a spot. But before you get to shopping for boxes of chocolate or a new ascot to impress your favorite Community Manager, make sure you haven’t missed anything awesome this week on The Sacramento Press. Check out our most-viewed content of the week. Community Contribution: 5. Obituary: Sheila was a regular presence in the central city and beyond by Bill Burgua -- 4. Old Sac Mardi Gras 2013 this weekend by Mike Ibe

The second annual Art of Beer brought together great craft brews and art at the Fusion International Arts Center on Friday night. The event highlighted the more artistic aspects of beer – the fermentation tanks, the wort and simply the love of beer. This year 24 breweries were present, some of them serving up to five types of beer to the 500 guests present. Absolutely delicious bites were everywhere – as long as you came early. Tuli Bistro and Roxie Deli, in particular, were very nearly attacked each time a plate of sandwiches, apps or pizza was set out. The art on display ranged from crystal clear pictures of the brewing process by Rawi Nanakul to a piece by Eli Trujillo illustrating th

Friday evening, Feb. 1, the Art of Beer marked the start of what might be called beer season in the Sacramento area, and where better to get warmed up for the season than the bottle shops and tap rooms in the area. Taylor Ramos of The Davis Beer Shoppe and Capitol Beer and Tap Room’s Ken Hotchkiss weighed in on the beer scene and Sacramento Beer Week, coming up Feb. 22 through March 3. Before it all gets started, it might be advantageous to take a look at the last few years, and notice and appreciate how far the beer scene has come and just how richly it has developed. To name a few, New Helvetia Brewing Co., Ruhstaller, Track 7, Berryessa Brewing Co., Black Dragon Brewing Company, Loomis

Lowbrau, the new German beer hall at 20th and K streets, will be holding its official opening with a New Year's eve show. St. Lucia, a Brooklyn based electronic pop group, is headlining. Their most popular track on SoundCloud, "September" is an atmospheric and danceable elctro track: Tickets run $20 and can be purchased at Ace of Spaces site. Lowbrau's beer menu is still coming together, but here's what they had prepared for their soft opening last week. LowBrau The idea for Lowbrau was partly inspired by other businesses with similar concepts – Wurstküche in Los Angeles and Suppenküche in San Francisco, and co-owner Michael Hargis said he hopes Lowbrau will see the same success i

If you want to grab a beer while waiting for a table at Dad's Kitchen, you may have to enjoy it while standing in the waiting area, surrounded by other hungry, anxious patrons.  Two very vintage pinball machines (from the 60s and 70s) take up one corner, adjacent to a front-house reception station, while a few cushioned seats line the opposite wall. A doorway to the kitchen is nestled between the waiting area seats, and the restrooms are behind the reception area. It's a quaint place, mind you, and the beer selection is eclectic to say the least. On Tuesday, the Land Park eatery had suds from several California breweries on tap, as well as some from across the country, and even one from

Sacramento has a new brewery inspired by the region's once-famous Buffalo Beer. If you want a taste, you better mark your calendar. New Helvetia Brewing Company, at Broadway and 18th Street, opened its doors to the public last week. Founder David Gull is considering December the brewery's "soft opening" month. He'll announce a grand opening in 2013, hopefully to sync up with Sacramento Beer Week. "We're a big place with not a lot of brewing happening," Gull said on a recent sunny morning, as contractors worked in the brewery. "I definitely recognized the opportunity and market." So when can you grab a brew? Right now, and until Gull announces otherwise, tasting hours are Thursday throug

On Wednesday the holiday season officially began at the UC Davis Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. “An Nollaig in Éirinn,” or “Christmas in Ireland,” was the theme for the evening of entertainment by award-winning Irish ensemble, Danú. The performance was all about sharing Irish Christmas traditions – both those that include music and those that don’t.  Christmas in Ireland must be a whole lot of fun. The six-member group shared the stage throughout the night, each taking the mic on different occasions to introduce a song, story or joke to educate and amuse the Jackson Hall audience. Lead vocalist Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh had a voice that was powerful, smooth and entirely enchanting.

At a time when the microbrewery business is booming and specialty ales are sought-after, Midtown Sacramento is falling behind trend in a major way. Although one can find any number of bars and restaurants offering an array of beers on tap or in bottle on any given block, single bottled beers for purchase remain elusive. Midtown residents are often puzzled by the lack of single beers in grocery stores and liquor shops stretching from Front Street to Alhambra Boulevard and 2nd Street to Broadway. Unbeknownst to many, this deliberate lack of single bottled beer is due to an outdated ordinance law from the 1990s. In an attempt to decrease open-container and public intoxication violations in