This is a story that I felt needed to be written – about a story that I feel never should have been. Anyone who was born and raised in Sacramento, or has spent a considerable amount of time living here, is forced to recognize one unfortunate yet immutable truth: Sacramento has long had, or has at least been perceived to have, an inferiority complex to larger cities. In particular, to San Francisco. I’m not saying everyone in Sacramento has it – but if you don’t crack a laugh while trying to tell me that you don’t know anyone in Sacramento that does have it, then I will certainly crack one before you finish your sentence. It’s the age-old mid-size city paradox, often one that’s entirely

Over 200 people stopped by the Sac Press table at the Capital Beer Fest on Saturday. Here are a few of the photos we took to document the occasion. An article is in progress.  Cheers!

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

It’s hard to avoid this thought from creeping into your head while waiting in line for the elusive and supremely heralded Pliny the Younger: It’s Beer Week in Sactown. There are beer events all over the place. Why the hell are we waiting in line just for six ounces of one beer? Because you can’t unstick it from the roof of your mouth for hours, that’s why. Such is one of many allures of Russian River Brewing’s bellcow triple IPA, annually available only in February at the Santa Rosa brewpub for the first two weeks of the month, and thereafter as one-and-done kegs at select locations in what has become an annual triple hop treasure hunt for beer aficionados – or anyone that just wants to

Are we all ready for the weekend? Whether you're rocking Beer Week or Fashion Week, splitting time between both or playing it a bit more low key, before you get started make sure to check out the list of The Sacramento Press's most-viewed content of the past week. Community Contribution: 5. Former Crest Theatre manager shares history by Alex Cosper -- 4. Cookbook author event series launches in Sacramento by Dawn Balzarano -- 3. Bless Me, Ultima plays at Downtown Plaza's Century Theatres by David Alvaraz -- 2. Kris Allen comes to Sacramento by Edgar Alejandro Hilbert -- 1. Holy Helvetia! Broadway brewery draws packed house by Aaron Davis   Overall: 5. Kris Allen comes to

It's gratifying how quickly Sacramento's newest brewery has developed a regular customer base, and how instantaneous the feedback on its latest batch is given and received, said New Helvetia owner David Gull. "Like clockwork they're showing up, and it's cool," he said. "And it's an honest reaction – either they like it or not so much."  After opening on a soft scale in December 2012, the brewery on Broadway and 18th Street is now in full production mode, and ready to share its latest craft creations with beer lovers, Gull said. The brewery/taste room is celebrating this Friday night with an official grand opening – from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. – and soon-to-be expanded hours, uust in time for

In case you didn't already know: it's a great weekend to be in Sacramento. In addition to the arrival of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) at the Convention Center, it's also the finale weekend of Sacramento Beer Week. Both were epitomized at Thursday's Art Bike Kick Off Party at Hot Italian. Hot Italian was serving their Beer Week special--a Moretti in a glass you get to keep--and Sierra Nevada was on site giving out samples of their beers. Three Art Bikes were on display (have you seen the other nine around town?): a Trike (that you were encouraged to climb on for a photo opp), a Shark Bike, and a St. Patty's Day Bike. The crowd was asked to submit their vote for their fa

The local Two Rivers Cider Company recently delved into offering sour ciders, and the newest Two Rivers Sour Apple Cider was released Friday. Hot City Pizza in East Sacramento will stock the cider this weekend, and Samuel Horne’s Tavern in Folsom will carry it next weekend. Plans for Pangaea Two Brews to possibly stock a different sour batch this weekend were being worked out Friday, according to Nick Vellanoweth, production manager. The businesses are hosting events with sour brews as part of Sacramento Beer Week. “Sours are always hit and miss, so my biggest challenge was if it would work,” Vellanoweth said, adding that he was very happy with the sour ciders. After two weeks of ferme

Sacramento Beer Week officially starts today, but those who wanted an earlier start gathered last night at the Sacramento Grand Ballroom for “The Art of Beer: A Celebration of California Craft Beer and Fine Art.” Sponsored by the Northern California Brewers Guild, Bokeh Box Media, Eben Weisberg and the California Craft Brewers Association, the event drew several hundred people together to check out art exhibits and taste craft brews and food. Over 20 breweries and 10 restaurants served their beer, ale and food to an energetic crowd of beer enthusiasts. Proceeds from the Art of Beer event will help support the UC Davis MIND Institute, an international research center dedicated to studying

The third annual Sacramento Beer Week (SBW) is nearing, and the week will start off with a bigger bang than ever. Friday marks the official start of SBW and already Saturday, beer enthusiasts from all around will gather for the Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest at Cal Expo. The Brewer’s Showcase, previously held at the Crocker, will be held at the Cal Expo Pavilion this year and will begin at noon on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets are $20, or $55 when paired with the Capital Beerfest. The Beerfest, also located at Cal Expo, will begin at 3 p.m. and will feature over 80 breweries. Tickets can be purchased online or at various businesses in Sacramento, at Samuel Horne’s in Fo

Not only does this weekend hold the majority of Sacramento's Mardi Gras events (Mardi Gras is officially Tuesday, February 21 this year), it is also a three-day-er for many, given Monday's Presidents' Day Holiday. If your weekend's not already action-packed, or if you're looking to add a little bit more to your plate, here are a few viable options. If you're the type to get up and dance, head to The Park Ultra Lounge for their Mardi Gras Weekend Celebration, featuring two nights of decorations, masks, and beads galore. Friday night features DJ Scene and Saturday celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Bacardi Rum. If you prefer to hop around from spot to spot, there are two great pub crawls

Sacramento Beer Week culminated with The Capital Beerfest, held at Cal Expo on Saturday. Upon entering the exposition hall, there were professional brewers, organizations of home brewers and several distributing companies present, with volunteers buzzing around with a camaraderie that can only develop while working a beer festival. Beer drinkers and enthusiasts of all ages were there enjoying the event to the fullest. The only downfall was the weather. It was so nice outside that everyone was wishing they could be sipping outside rather than inside a hall. The VIP session began at noon and was terrific in the fact that the brewers pulled out all the stops and brought out their best from

Old Ironsides was packed to the gills Saturday night for an epic three-band bill. Two of Sacramento's best young rock bands, Honyock and Walking Spanish, bookended San Francisco darlings Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers. All three played inspired sets, as you would know if you were there. If you weren't, well, you would be well served to attend their next Sacramento gigs.  Honyock is bringing their rare blend of folk, classic and new age rock to the Luna's on Friday, March 4. Walking Spanish will be bringing their searing high-energy indie rock, fronted by Jackie Greene's virtuosic kid bro Alex Nelson, back to Old I for their CD release party on March 25. And Nicki Bluhm and the Grambler

Sweet Jesus, I’ve finally done it – the biggest Sactown Rundown in history. It’s just that kind of a week here in Sacto, friends. With no disrespect to the amount of local talent that pours blood on the stages week in and week out, there were way too many “can’t ignore this” shows coming through town this week – and we’re not even talking about Eric Clapton at Arco or Escape the Fate over at Ace of Spades. Harlow’s is packed, and you’re going to have to pick at least one week night to go to work smelling of cheap hooch and leftover sweat. Did we mention that the initial High Sierra lineup is up? Too much to talk about this week, heads will explode! And much of this coincides with Beer W

Looking to make Beer Week an out-of-body experience? Add a moustache to the mix. Thursday, The Golden Bear in Midtown is hosting “Moustache Party,” with DJ Shaun Slaughter playing Disco music and drink specials on the Lagunitas Sacramento Fusion, which was made specifically for Beer Week.  They will be serving $3 pints of Sac Fusion, also known as the Paradime Sac, from 9 p.m. until close, or until it runs out. There will also be a surprise whiskey pairing, which will be announced at the event. Read Adam Saake’s article in Submerge for more info on the Paradime Sac. Bring your own moustache or slap one on – Golden Bear will have plenty of cookie dusters to go around. There will be prize

Museums, beer, live music and cheese. If I were to make a list of my favorite things on earth, all four of these would figure prominently therein. Conveniently enough, all four of these things also figured prominently in Thursday night's Sacramento Brewers Showcase, the kickoff event to Sacramento Beer Week. The showcase, featuring nearly every local brewery offering samples of their wares, was held from 5 to 9 p.m. in the spectacular two-story atrium of the Crocker Art Museum. I arrived five minutes before 5 p.m., ‘cause I like to party. The breweries had set up their kegs along a large L-shaped table that wrapped around the east and south sides of the atrium. When I arrived there we

There are many kinds of beer drinkers in this world, and Sacramento Beer Week caters to each and every one of them. Starting Friday, restaurants, bars, cafes and brewpubs all around Sacramento will be stocked with great beers for great prices. Beer Week will continue through Sunday, March 6. Until then, the citizens of Sacramento and the surrounding areas will be able to satisfy their liquid palate with regional and local brews, world brews and even a few rare and vintage brews. While their website is a wonderful place to browse for the perfect SBW event, it can be difficult to orient yourself among the 300 or more events. In hopes of eliminating any stress the plethora of drinking event

Learning How to be Hoppy by Amber K. Stott   Who knew? Beer is educational! As part of Sacramento Beer Week, Hoppy Brewing Company held hourly brew tours Thursday. In 40 minutes, brewing operations manager Ed Kopta imparted the wisdom of the beer gods to interested listeners.   If you’ve never been on a brew tour, you might expect a quick howdy-do peek at machinery followed by gallons of libations. On the contrary, Hoppy’s tour focused solely on the learning. If you’ve ever appreciated the fine complexities of a microbrew, then you won’t be surprised that the brewing process is also multifaceted.   First, Kopta provided hands-on insight into the world of beer grains. From tiny cups, visito

    Prepare yourselves my pilgrims, the hunt is on, and to the victor go the spoils.  The waiting is over and Beer Week Scavenger Hunt is here at last!   Sacramento Beer Week kicks off on Monday, Feb 22 and for seven days Sacramento will live and breathe beer.  Though numerous are the ways to taste, sample, imbibe, and revel, the Scavenger Hunt is the ultimate cure for what Ales you.  On the surface The Hunt seems simple: journey through Beer Week and collect tokens during your travels, but a deeper meaning lies below.  As the Knights of the Round Table proved worthiness through feats of courage, daring, and ingenuity, so must it be for those who aspire True Brew.   Ponder the clues, se