Strange Brewed Awakening: Now on Sale!

Want a beer, eh?

My friend Gabriel likes movies. And beer. And gobs of grilled food too. The synthesis of all these elements is known as BBQ Films, a fun-loving outfit that hosts one-of-a-kind nights throughout our fair metropolis. For his latest film night, he and I combined our thoughts, Volton-like, and devised Strange Brewed Awakening.

On June 2, at a secret spot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I’ll be helping BBQ Films host one heck of a hullabaloo featuring loads of donuts, rare beers, the movie Strange Brew and copies of Brewed Awakening sold for a super-duper discount. Curious? Nab tickets here. UPDATE: To get $20 tickets, use the code keeprickcompany.

Father’s Day Sale!

Buy dad a present! P.S. Isn’t this father-son face swap creepy. P.P.S. That is not me and my dad.

Forget the tie: For Father’s Day, why not get dear old dad a copy of Brewed Awakening? In honor of the June 17 holiday, I’m discounting copies of my book to just $19.95, shipping included. Sweetening the deal, I’ll sign whatever dedication your heart desires. Want to nab a copy and directly support an author? Click here to buy my book. After all, little Sammy Bernstein needs to eat.

Where to Drink Beer in the Bay Area

Meet Oakland’s Beer Revolution. Photo: Push/Facebook

Mention San Francisco to someone, and they’ll likely conjure up images of streetcars, fog, sourdough bread and the Golden Gate Bridge. To this list of icons, allow us to add the humble pint of beer.

In recent years, San Francisco has become a suds powerhouse. The Bay Area boasts excellent breweries and brewpubs such as Dying Vines, Drake’s, Almanac, Trumer, Speakeasy and Magnolia, as well as Russian River and Lagunitas located about an hour’s drive away. Long story short, it’s no sweat to find a first-rate beer in the Bay Area. Here are five of our favorite places to knock back a pint — or four. What are yours? Continue reading

Minneapolis by the Mouthful

Quinoa waffle, why are you so good to me?

Whenever my wife and I told our friends and coworkers of our recent travel plans, we were met with blinking eyes, chased by an incredulous question: “Why are you visiting Minneapolis?” Uh, why wouldn’t we visit Minneapolis? Bike-friendly and packed with great breweries, restaurants and more cheese curds than one man should eat in a lifetime, it’s like catnip for culinary tourists.

Though we did little dining exploration in neighboring St. Paul (next time!), Minneapolis offered us plenty of food and drink to fill a weekend — and our bellies to bursting. Here are favorite things we drank and ate in the North Star State.

Continue reading

Welcome to the Cult

Care for a glass of nice, cold Kool-Aid?

Today, I’m touching on the subject of cults. Instead of the Jonestown–David Koresh corner of this conversation, I’m more concerned with beer—that is, rare beer that people crave beyond all common sense. Three Floyds Dark Lord, the Bruery Black Tuesday, Russian River Pliny the Elder and Younger: Beer geeks would gladly give at least a piece of their pinkie for an unlimited supply of these limited-supply beers, which are often sold for exorbitant sums on eBay.

From the lambics of Cantillon to the Alchemist’s insanely hoppy Heady Topper, I’m in the process of compiling a list of the rare brews that cause drinkers to go gaga. And I need your help. Which beers do you see as being the rarest, most irrationally—or rationally, if the brew is really, really good—craved ales and lagers on the market?

Here’s Why Boston Made Me Fat

Hello, precious. A lobster roll from Island Creek Oyster Bar.

I liken living in New York City to being trapped in a cocoon surrounded by a force field. There’s so much to eat and drink in the metropolis that it’s tough to break out. Weeks and months pass before residents escape the city limits.

This brings us to Boston. It had been too long since my wife and I had driven the 220 miles north, so we decided to spend a weekend diving face-first into the city’s food and drink scene. Here’s how we happily came back five pounds heavier. Continue reading

Where There’s Beer, There’s a Whey


For the latest issue of Imbibe, I took on the tough job of diving into the world of beer and cheese—namely, how dairies are washing their cheeses in beer, or even incorporating craft beer directly into the dairy stuff. It’s a tasty, tasty trend filled with plenty of bacterial hijinks. Curious? Check out the full story…right here.