Tomorrow Drake's Brewery and I team up for one of my favorite events of the year- our annual  beer and cheese pairing for SF Beer Week. We take this very seriously. Not only do we meet to discuss things ahead of time, we taste, and we take notes for the first hour (or the first five beer samples, but who's counting).  Photographic evidence follows. What is SF Beer Week, you ask? Well, SF Beer Week is a time when breweries shower the San Francisco Bay Area with massive amounts of beer- we're talking storms, not a light drizzle. It's a time when people are thankful for public transit and designated drivers are celebrated in high form. This is the third year I'm teaming up with Drake's, and once again I'm honored to be pairing with one of the best craft breweries in California.

As you can see from the photos above which reflect the state of the table prior to us even sitting down to taste, Drake's and I are very thorough in our sensory evaluations. We tasted about seven different cheeses with twelve different Drake's brews (that's at least 84 different blasts of flavor). We consulted with each other. We tasted again. We talked some more. We ate from a third to three-quarters of a pound of cheese each. We considered making pairing grids. We did all this to find the perfect pairings for you (and maybe for us too).

The tasting will feature mainly all domestic cheese (mainly Cali), but most importantly funky and old cheese- paired to Drake's beer (mainly seasonal, special releases)- five cheeses, six beers. Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk makes an appearance, as does an earthy Montgomery's Cheddar, and Drake's Kreik. To start.

So, stop by if you'd like to join me in general beer and cheese revelry. I'd love to see you there. Tickets available here.

Jan 28th 6 pm, Drake's Dealership, Oakland. And yes, it's blocks from BART! Strongly suggested to get tickets ahead of time.