Anchor Steam 2009 Christmas Ale: Good Beer & Classic Design

I recently read an article in the Chronicle Newspaper (actually on SFgate.com) that was a small expose on the Designer of the Anchor Brewing Company's beer labels, Jim Stitt. This is a gentleman who has been designing the labels for roughly 4 decades! A true graphic artist. In his own words, "It is a hand made beer, so the label should be hand drawn.". This in the age of computers - very refreshing.

Each year Anchor Brewing Co. comes out with a slightly different recipe for their "seasonal" Christmas Ale and a unique label that typically highlights, illustratively, a specific tree type. In the past they've had Redwoods, Pines, Palms and Birch Trees. This year, to commemorate their 35th season of their Christmas Ale they chose a very special tree. They chose the Cuppressus Macrocarpa, or the Monterey Cypress (pictured below).

Now this is not just any old Monterey Cypress that Jim Stitt chose to draw, he selected a very special one. This year he drew the Cypress that is located at the intersection of Stanyan and Fell streets here in the City. A tree that is lit up every year just after Thanksgiving and known as the unofficial Christmas Tree of San Francisco. This basically is the Gateway into the Sunset District and I pass by this tree every night - saw it about 2 hours ago!

So you might be saying, that is a lot of typing without any mention of the brew itself. Well it is the season for darker heavier beers (at least for me) and this one does not disappoint! A spicey brew that is about as dark as they come. I could barely get the kitchen light to show through my pint glass when held up to it. I find it to be best when poured into pint glass and let sit for a few, warm up a bit and let the spicey flavor come out. If too cold, I find the full flavor can be a bit masked. It has a mild carbonation that enables the brew to go down smooth.

There you have it, good beer and good design coming together with a dash of Sunset Pride!!! Happy Holidays to you and yours.

DISCLAIMER: This in no way nullifies my declaration of beer loyalty to the BOONT Brewery out of Anderson Valley who by far crafts the most sublime beers on Earth. Sorry Anchor, you are my home town brewery, but only a close second to BOONT!!!

 

SUNSET PRIDE: Hess Surfboards

The San Francisco Chronicle is assisting me in highlighting yet another person of interest and source of SUNSET PRIDE, Danny Hess of Hess Surfboards. A true artisan when it comes to making hollow core, wood and epoxy surfboards. A nice guy as well - I've only met him once through a mutual friend. Read all about his boards and the lifestyle he has created for himself as a full-time surfboard maker right in the heart of the Sunset District - click here to read the article.

The shot below is of a friend of mine that I took last Summer. He is hiding behind a Hess "Handplane" he was using for bodysurfing. Little buggers are $150.00 - YIKES! But worth it as I am told by those who have bodysurfed with them - I have not.

Do you own a Hess surfboard or handplane? Would love to hear if you do and why you chose Hess over other board makers.

Eureka! The GREEN RUSH is on!

So I'm speculating that some day I might look back at my life and say to myself, "you damn fool why on Earth did you not grow weed (marijauna, cacker, green buds, da' kush, buddha, ganga) when you had the chance to make a fortune?". Well of course being the law abiding parent and citizen of this great state of CA, the risk is not worth it. 

Not so for everyone in this City or even this neighborhood I choose to raise my daughter in. You heard it here first the Sunset District can now be referred to as Sunsetsterdam! There have been several articles recently on the growing number of busts on "grow houses" within this neighborhood. Just today an article in the San Francisco "Chronic"le caught my attention and focused on this very subject:

Pot Growers settle into the Sunset District

Tough one to call. Having spent five years of my life in Humboldt County as a student at Humboldt State University (Art Major / Speech Comm Minor / '94) I have learned to live around and respect those who choose to indulge in the ever so fragrant weed known as Mary Jane. But then again, not sure if I need my daughter walking past a "grow house" run by individuals not necessarily "our neighbors".

One thing is certain though, people are currently making a FORTUNE and those who wish to get in on the GREEN RUSH better hurry up before our local governments start to legalize it, tax the hell out of it and drive the selling price down significantly. This will be very interesting to watch as it unfolds and I'll just be watching from the sidelines.

If you by chance have never run into marijauna before and are curious as to what it looks like and the culture surrounding it I suggest that you go to High Times, a leading periodical on the subject.