Beer Adventure: Harry's Hoffbrau. Part of SF Beer week. Feb. 15, 2012

Sadly, this was the only activity during Beer week that I was able to attend, but, at least it was better than nothing, and was well worth while.

Harry’s Hofbrau: Deschutes Night. This was a short solo adventure. I usually don’t go out during the week, but Harry’s is in San Jose and it was a one-night event, so I headed over to sample some of the Deschutes offerings they had. I was able to try the Stoic (Excellent Quadrupel. Well balanced between the hops and malt. Bright citrus flavor, very complex, yet approachable), and the Hop Henge ( Mega hoppy and delicious. Very floral character. It was even better than in the bottle on tap). I also had small samples of the Chain Breaker White IPA ( Very similar to the Stoic, but a bit lighter and definitely lower alcohol. Bright citrus flavor with a hint of the yeasty taste that you get with Belgian beers), the Red Chair Pale, and the Obsidian Stout on Nitro. I am a dedicated follower of Deschutes, and so far they have never done wrong.

The great thing about these events is that is more than just about the beer. Even though I was by myself, in the short time that I was at Harry's, I found two different groups of people to hang out with and discuss beer. I generally keep my passion for American craft beers somewhat under wraps, so it is always refreshing to unleash the totality of my inner beer fanatic. There are so many wonderful beers that invariably I turn somone on to one of my favorites that they haven't tried, and I learn of new beers to try. The biggest tip of the night was for a place that sells a wide array of craft beers in Fremont, called Mission Liquor. I'd heard of it before, but the way that other rave about it makes me think that I need to go there at some point soon.