Beeeeer

This past Tuesday night was magical. MAGICAL. It was the Sierra Nevada beer dinner at Bar Crudo, which meant seafood and beer deliciousness at one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. The dinner was so magical that this was the only photo I took.

That's one of Sierra Nevada's brewers explaining one of the beers. I was so enraptured that I forgot to take photographs, which is unprecedented. This was a Beer Week event, so the beers were carefully paired with each course. For those interested (i.e. no one), these were the beers we had:

• Glissade Pale Bock
• Kellerweis Wheat
• Liquid Sourdough Lager (a Beer Week special)
• 2x4, a quadrupel/dubbel mix
• Fritz and Ken's Ale, 30th Anniversary Imperial Stout

Anchor Steam is my go-to beer, so I loved that Sierra's imperial stout was named after Anchor's vaunted former owner Fritz Maytag. And the 2x4, which it sounded like they made off the cuff, knocked my socks off. It wasn't too sweet, it finished clean, but it packed a punch.

There was a table of Sierra Nevada brewers there, including the founder's son, and I exchanged business cards with the assistant brewmaster, who was excited at the possibility of doing a tasting and a talk at the Goog. For me, this was like Lady Gaga agreeing to perform at a 16th birthday party. It was just. too. much.

So I insinuated myself into the group that had been sitting next to Vanessa and I at dinner and followed them to a bar, glowing with a creepy energy that they gamely tolerated. I felt like crap the next day, but the elation stayed. Beervana.