Archive for July 16th, 2006

Vino Locale

Sunday, July 16th, 2006

Ealish (the official PlanetSeth wife) & I called into Vino Locale last night for a drink before deciding where to eat. Vino Locale (which for the language challenged means local wine) may sound a unconventional place to talk about in a beer blog but it is certainly worth a visit. When Ealish & I first started going to Vino Locale they were sticking closely to their aim for serving local wines and local foods, where local means about a 50 mile radius. They also exhibit local artists. Once we got to know the owners I began to suggest that they should also stock local beers. Whether or not my efforts were a factor I don’t know but they now stock a range of high quality local beers.

I forgot to note down their entire beer menu but managed to sample two different ales on this occasion. Both were from the Farmhouse Brewing Company in Gilroy. I had the Two Tractor Ale & Ealish had the Saison 7. Two Tractor (I love the name) is an American style pale. It is coppery in colour with a hoppy aroma with hints of citrus that suggests Cascade hops. It’s flavour is hoppy without reaching IPA levels though the bitterness of the hops stands out more the aroma. I enjoyed it but Ealish found it a little too bitter for her tastes. Saison 7 as you may guess from the name is a saison; a Belgian summer ale. It had a floral smell, almost like a Belgian wheat beer such a Hoegaarden. Light and indeed summery it had a nutty rather than hoppy finish. Very refreshing.

Vino Locale is well worth experiencing whether for the beer or for the wine which is also excellent and well priced. Their food is exceedingly tasty though at the nibbly end of the scale so if you have a real hunger you may need to order several items. The place has a great ambience with a lovely patio to the rear which is just perfect for relaxing on a summer evening. To top it all off, the owners Randy & Harry are two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, their staff being just as equally amenable & efficient.

I guess I’ll have to pop back to record the remainder of their beer menu. I suppose I can have one whilst I am there.

Posted in Bars, Beer | No Comments »

‘Brewing Up A Business’

Sunday, July 16th, 2006

Picture of the bookI recently read Brewing Up A Business written by Sam Calagione, the founder of the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Dogfish Head is an innovative micro brewery based in Delaware that professes to brew ‘Off-centered ales, for off-centered people’. They are known for making strong beers with bold flavours.

I’m reading all the beer books I can get my hands on at the moment as research for ‘the plan’. Brewing Up A Business is the first book I’ve read that deals with the business side of brewing. It is clear in reading the book that Sam is very passionate about his company and the beer that they produce. His book however is predominantly a business book that just happens to use stories from a brewery for it’s real life examples. Whilst not exclusively about starting a brewery its advice is definitely aimed at entrepreneurs starting a business in a field that they are passionate about. There are a lot of lessons that I can take from the book but there would be just a many if he had instead started a company making chocolates. The greatest thing it gives me though is inspiration. That it is possible.

The book did also give the thirst for some Dogfish Head ale but unfortunately they’re not distributed in California so I’ll have to manage with something else. I wonder what I’ve got in the fridge.

Posted in Books, Brewing | No Comments »