When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, it’s a good core workout. If you’re sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More
Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More
December is almost over - the New Year is coming up and everyone is busy drying off from the rain or holiday shopping. Let's take a look at what's happened this month.
The queer group Gay Shame was the bane of DPW workers everywhere this past year, using "wheatpaste" (wheat + water = irritatingly hard-to-remove glue concoction) to post flyers targeting everyone from astroturfing pro-development group SFBARF to its capitalist benefactor, Yelp founder Jeremy Stoppelman (lest ye forget his epic response to now-fired Yelp staffer Talia Jane's Medium post complaining about the cost of living in SF: "Move to Phoenix!").
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
I enjoy my whiskey neat, my beer hoppy, and my meat medium rare. I have been covering craft spirits, suds, and gourmet cuisine for a decade, with work published from New York, across Montana, and up and down the Pacific Coast.
In less than 20 years, Woodford Reserve has rocketed towards the upper echelon of the Kentucky Straight Bourbon market. It many ways, the journey is a testament to the vision of Master Distiller Chris Morris. Regarded as the "frou-frou"…
Class is in session next Tuesday, Nov. 11th, when 21st Amendment hosts a Belgian Beer School in conjunction with Dave McLean of Magnolia Brewing. The evening event is built around a beer and food pairing designed to give guests…
Japanese whisky is among the most sought-after booze on the planet. It's also some of the most intimidating. And how could it not inspire uneasiness, when a 35-year-old bottle of the stuff can fetch northwards of $28,000? But not all…
WhistlePig Rye is a premium, 100 percent rye whiskey, aged for ten years, and bottled on a farm in rural Vermont. Already unique for its mash bill and age statement, the brand expanded its inventive flavors earlier this spring…
'Straight' bourbons and ryes are among the most tightly regulated spirits on the planet. To carry the term on the label, the juice inside can't contain any additives or coloring, and it must be produced from grain consisting mostly…
Caley Shoemaker isn't your average vodka maker. Which is fitting, because she's not making an average vodka. Hangar 1's Head Distiller, who came to the Alameda operation from the world of whiskey, is now overseeing a frenetic expansion. Over…
Thirty years is a long time. More than a third of a lifetime. Thirty years ago, you could purchase any number of sizable properties in the SoMa for well under six figures. It was around that same time that…
If you haven't finished your holiday shopping by now, you could surely use some booze to help calm your nerves. Happily, that same magical liquid also serves as a sensational gift for those that you're shopping for. It's like…
To earn the title of legend in the booze business, you need carry some serious credentials to the table. Enter Sausalito native, Bobby Lozoff. A Bay Area bartender with some 50 years of experience behind the stick, the man…
Anchor Brewing, the City's largest beer producer, announced the opening of a temporary beer garden in Giants Parking Lot A in Mission Rock. Set to open in March, The Yard will feature a parade of shops and vendors operating…
The 2015 edition of San Francisco Beer Week is just days away, and it promises to be the most action-packed iteration to date. The official site currently lists no less than 550 events over the 10 day period. There…
Even though bottle shops dedicate increasing swaths of real estate to America's native spirit, threats of a bourbon shortage continue to loom over us. Considering the time and space necessary for proper barrel-aging, it's nothing short of a small miracle…
Precious, little lambs. They are so cuddly and adorable. And delicious! But as one of the world's most heavily consumed meats, lamb is surprisingly underrepresented on American dinner plates. Seeking to change that, the American Lamb Board (yes, that's…
Like all great things in life, Scotch is often misunderstood. An alarming number of casual drinkers actually fear the liquid, assuming it to be a smoky spirit, its flavor akin to licking the working end of a chimney. This unshakable…
Although the regenerative effects of alcohol have been debated around the world for generations, the French have long made it clear where they stand. In their native tongue, spirits are known as "eau de vie," which translates as "water of…
There's that age-old adage about moderation: the whole "marathon, not a sprint" thing. While most clichés induce eye-rolling dismissal, it will behoove you to hold this one to heart as you navigate the id-filled excesses populating the Outside Lands Festival…
Autumn turns a touch sweeter as Hudson Whiskey sets to release a supremely limited batch of their Maple Cask Rye throughout the Bay Area. The slightly caramelized notes of this particular expression come courtesy of careful aging in maple-cured…
Dave McLean is a busy man these days. The owner and head brewer at Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery in the heart of the Haight launched a second production facility in the Dogpatch earlier this Spring. His new location also…
A specific style of beer carries with it a specific set of expectations. Merely mention the words "wheat beer," and my palate recoils slightly, as it reluctantly prepares itself for a swig of something light, banana-laced and usually accompanied…
Predating the term "craft beer" by a hundred odd years, Anchor Brewing has been producing high-quality suds in San Francisco since the turn of the 19th century. Its flagship Steam beer is the only widely consumed example of California Common…
Score a trifecta on the trail tomorrow at the Peak Hike for Prevention. For nearly two decades the annual event to the top of Mt. Tamalpais has benefited the Breast Cancer Fund while offering an active day of sweat-inducing…
Late last year, Taco Bell announced the introduction of an all-new breakfast menu, whose arrival made national headlines faster than you could say "indigestion." Perhaps it was the audacity of a waffle-wrapped taco that stoked people's imagination (or horror). But…
Ever ahead of the curve, San Francisco was thirsty for sour beers long before they became cool. A landscape defined by adventurous drinkers allowed daring brewers to pursue a style often intimidating to the casual consumer. As a result,…
To any grown adult with respectable taste buds, Sriracha hot sauce, and finely-aged whiskey are high on the list of life's finest flavors. So for the two to collide into one mouth-watering mashup seems beyond sensible, but inevitable. Yet…
Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"
