Publication: Icy Bay IPA

Alaskan Brewing Co. | Icy Bay

Glacier water must help to create crispness because each of my senses were piqued by a bursting crisp quality. A colorful blast of sun is the best way to translate this good-looking IPA. The aroma brought to mind memories of the first time trying new fruit. Icy Bay's great color and nostalgic aroma crawl out from under an airy layer of foam. 

Apollo, Bravo, Cascade, Calypso and Summit hops create an elaborate arrangement with 2-Row and "specialty" malts. Reducing a six pack to zero is a legitimate concern—it paired well with our garden-grown, roasted vegetable chili. Try it with any dish that has a little kick. Icy Bay is an ample IPA rooted in the spirit of the journey. Alaskan Brewing Co. 6.2% | 65 IBUs

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Thug Kitchen

Thug Kitchen serves up tasty recipes and on point humor—just watch the video (explicit language).

Thug Kitchen Cookbook


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Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

It's pert near time for the annual San Francisco free festival, better known as, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Thanks to Mr. Hellman and his ongoing philanthropic estate for spoiling the Bay area with a trove of music each October. In anticipation of the event I've been checking in on the individual artists' sites to get a better idea of which day to attend. For all of the comments out there that moan about the belated release of the schedule; a) it's free and b) do a little homework or click on the hyperlinks. Now that I'm done with that...

When Hardly Strictly was in its infancy I couldn't get enough, now I brave the masses for only one day. Choosing which day is dictated by the artists I'm most interested in seeing. More often than not Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are at the top of said list. Having seen them a bunch of times, I will probably pass on their Saturday offering. The other acts I'm intrigued by or have yet to see, play on Sunday. So I'll be making my way into Golden Gate Park for my own version of church.

Sunday it is. Hopefully there won't be too many conflicting set times. Here's a list of who I'm interested in (the first three are personal faves): Anderson East, Neko Case, Devotchka, Mandolin Orange, Charles Bradley, and The Blind Boys of Alabama. It's pretty amazing that six of the ten performers I had initially marked to see play on the same day. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is well worth the effort and it's free. Enjoy the tracks below. 

Anderson East | "Satisfy Me"


Neko Case | "Night Still Comes"


Devotchka | "The Winner Is"


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Future Islands @ The Fox

New music always has potential, it's whether or not it's stimulating. Future Islands is capitalizing on that power as they posses the ability to command attention. Earlier this spring they released, "The Chase." This single put words around the questionable momentum of a relationship. There's still that  recognizable whirl of melodic redundancies that help to cool the senses—a helpful contrast to the theatrical delivery of the vocals. The B side, "Haunted By You," reaches at companionship or interaction, like feeling your way in the dark. The surroundings may be familiar, but not without hazard. Future Islands play September 25th at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Enjoy the clip below.

Future Islands | "The Chase"



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PUBlication: Alpha Centauri

Alpha Centauri | Hop Valley

The first brewery to get two PUBlication reviews is Hop Valley, one of the many craft beer establishments in Eugene and one of my personal favorites. Alpha Centauri is their Imperial IPA, the big brother to Alphadelic. This "Binary IPA" was far more delicate on the nose than expected. It possesses a nice level of carbonation, an unheralded trait that can make or break an ale. My partner in crime called it, "strangely effervescent." A bubbly white foam caps the almost school bus yellow hue. 

The entire interaction on the palette is much softer than the alcohol by volume would have you assume. Which makes this Imperial kind of dangerous. It's smooth going down with a slight bite in the aftertaste. Full of flavor and bursting with Oregon hops, this is a crisp IPA with a clean malt profile. Look for Alpha Centauri in 22oz bottles at your local market, or look to the heavens. 9% | 100 IBUs

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Russian River Blues Festival

First of all Taj Mahal is going to be there. Second, it's on the Russian River in the Redwoods. Third, there's a beach and tickets are reasonably priced. The Russian River Jazz and Blues Festival is celebrating 39 years of music this weekend. Temperatures in the Redwood Empire have been sweltering as of late, hopefully the forecast for the weekend holds true and the mercury will drop. Guerneville's the spot for a weekend of soaking up some sun, cooling off in the river or just getting your musical fix. The lineup includes War, Jackie Greene, Taj Mahal Trio, Buddy Guy and more. Keep in mind that Saturday focuses more on jazz and Sunday is all about the blues. Enjoy.

Taj Mahal | "Leavin Trunk"

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