Friday, Feb. 18
You've been wearing your party hat all week. On Day Eight of SF Beer Week, it's time to prove you're a gentle(wo)man and a scholar. Throw on that tweed jacket with suede elbow pads ― today's all about taking a scholastic approach to beer.
First up, you'll be playing archaeologist. Magnolia Pub hid some kegs so well they went undiscovered for ages. You'll need to help excavate the ruins ― and sample the remains:
Beer From the Vault
Where: Magnolia Pub, 1398 Haight (at Masonic), 864-7468
When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Pay per drink
What: Taste five rare beers from the Magnolia archives. Chat with the owner and head brewer as part of your aged beer "research."
Most archaeologists fancy themselves Indiana Jones. It's only natural. Pack up your survival gear and strike out for an Alaskan beer adventure:
Forge the Final Frontier: Midnight Sun Brewing
Where: City Beer Store, 1168 Folsom (at Eighth St.), 503-1033
When: Noon-10 p.m.
Cost: Pay per drink
What: San Francisco is lucky to be one of the few places in the lower 48 that receive shipments of the most celebrated beer in Anchorage, Alaska. Join Midnight Sun's cofounder in sampling some of the brewery's bold creations, including oak-aged XXX Black IPA and Monk's Mistress Belgian Strong Ale served from a nitro tap (a la Guinness). Sample too much and you're pretty much guaranteed to see the northern lights.
All globetrotting adventures must come to an end. You need to hit the books and research your next trek. Channel your inner professor at the library:
Library Beer Tasting
Where: 21st Amendment Brewery, 563 Second St. (at Bryant), 369-0900
When: 7-10 p.m.
Cost: Pay per drink
What: Head to the Brewer's Loft for some vintage beer selections, while supplies last. Highlights include multiple vintages of Lower de Boom Barleywine and an oak-aged version of Baby Horse Belgian Quadrupel.
