Eight Great Winter Beers

1. North Coast Brewing Company: Old Rasputin

This obsidian flavor bomb has a thick pour that releases aromas of chocolate-dipped raisins, yeasty bread, and espresso. Java also defines Rasputin’s rich, roasty flavor, with a balanced sweetness that masks the beer’s strapping 9 percent ABV. It all adds up to a dangerously drinkable imperial stout that’s best shared with a couple cohorts. (northcoastbrewing.com)

SF Beer Week: Feb 6-15, 2009

 America‘s craft beer movement began in the San Francisco Bay Area. With Anchor Brewing’s rescue by Fritz Maytag in 1965 and the founding of New Albion Brewing in 1976, craft beer grew into the Silver Age of American brewing, with over 1400 small craft breweries today. Northern California alone has more than most states and enjoys an unrivaled reputation for the quality and diversity of its craft beer.SF BEER WEEK will be a ten-day celebration of that legacy, showcasing the Bay Area’s brewing heritage with as many as 150 events. The week will be anchored by the Bistro Double IPA Festival, the Toronado Barleywine Festival and will end with a bang at the Celebrator’s Best of the West Beer Fest

. In between there will be beer dinners, cheese and beer pairing events, other gourmet food events savoring our world-class cuisine, meet the brewer evenings, homebrewing demonstrations, music, films, and even a museum exhibition exploring the history of Bay Area brewing, from Monterey to Sacramento and beyond.

Add to that a wealth of tourist destinations like Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Cable Cars and the Golden Gate Bridge, and there’s never been a better time to visit San Francisco and the Bay Area.