Post-Election Refreshments Courtesy of Imbibe Magazine

Leave it to the bright and creative minds at Imbibe Magazine to give us some brilliant refreshment choices to help us celebrate the election of President-elect Obama, or at the very least, the end of this grueling campaign season. If you taste them, pass on your thoughts, and I'll have some new recipes of my own to pass along soonest.

Imbibe Magazine Loves San Diego And Santa Rosa!

After a few hard days at work and much blogging, yours truly had worked up a powerful thirst. So you can imagine my happiness when I found the newest issue of Imbibe Magazine in my mailbox two days ago! I was anticipating a host of new recipes to try when I saw the cover touting "100 Best Places To Drink Beer In America."
Thirst, get thee gone!
The Jess and I have had a blast recently in our exploration of various Belgian ales, and I believe I have finally found my long sought-after niche in the world of hops and malt. This issue was destined to be a guide book for us to keep handy should we make sojourns out of our hometown.
But wait! I start the list, broken into 10 different categories, and immediately find a San Diego offering, then another, and OMYGOODNESS there's one from my hometown of Santa Rosa! On and on I went, and began laughing out loud at how cool this was turning out to be.
At final count, 5 of the listed venues are in San Diego and 2 are in Santa Rosa. Awesome! To help illustrate, Santa Rosa has a population just over 120,000, so it's not a major metropolis by any stretch, yet here it is hanging with the big boys. Civic pride indeed!
Here are the local listings:
Best Locally Brewed Offerings: Hamilton's Tavern (SD), Liars' Club Alpine Tavern (just outside SD)

Best Beer Shops: Bottle Barn (SR)

Best Bottle Lists: O'Brien's American Tavern (SD)

Best Irish-Style Pub: The Field (SD and the site of my 29th B-day party), The Black Rose Irish Pub (SR)

Best Gastropubs: The Linkery (SD and my favorite restaurant)
The Jess and I beat feet to Hamilton's last night where we were joined by Mr. Triathlon for a round at one of America's greatest. The Jess found her beloved Piraat on tap, Mr. Triathlon went with a Belgian called Gulden Draak, and I found a Belgian reminiscent of my alma mater; Petrus oud Bruin. The atmosphere was perfect, the beer delicious, and the table occupants behind us were discussing where the best hops are grown.
Consider our thirst quenched, and cheers to Imbibe for another wonderful issue! Also, if you finally cave in and subscribe, you can spend a few bucks extra and buy up all the back issues you want, including this newest one.

Imbibe, My Friends, Imbibe

This is not a post designed to encourage you, dear reader, to consume alcohol or any beverage for that matter (though it is summer and the physiologist in me wishes to remind you to take plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration). No, this missive is actually an introduction to a most spectacular publication called Imbibe Magazine.
I have long been a magazine enthusiast, as my 24 year collection of Sports Illustrated and my mandatory trip to the newsstand when at the airport will attest. Imbibe, which I subscribed to one year ago and will now be discussed here is one of the single most wonderful and tempting periodicals out there.
If you haven't guessed by the name or clicked on the link, Imbibe is dedicated to all liquids fit for human consumption. The focus is on cocktails and spirits, but there is plenty of discussion on beer, wine, tea, coffee, and soft drinks. Basically, if you have ever been thirsty in your life, there is something for you in the contents of Imbibe. There are also pages and reviews of all the accoutremonts required for the preparation and consumption of your chosen bevvy, so not only can you learn what you want to drink, but how best to get it down.
Each issue is a whirlwind tour of beverages: their preparation, their origins, the cities where they are popular, and the recipes and dealers you need to get yourself some. There are tons of appetizing pictures, the writing is quite solid, and the breadth of coverage is just amazing. From Amsterdam to Seattle, from absinthe to vodka and all destinations between, it's all there.
Perhaps you're feeling that, as a teetotaller, there isn't going to be enough here to tickle your tastebuds, but I can happily divulge that I was introduced and continue to learn about home coffee roasting through this mag. I've bought root beer selections for friends and picked out crazy plates for The Jess. The newest issue has a huge feature on tea in all of its permutations. As I said before, if you've ever been thirsty, Imbibe will slake it for you.
The best and most titillating part of this magazine has got to be it's timing. It only comes out every two months, so each issue must be carefully savored and rationed ensuring that the fun isn't over too quickly. Oh, and archiving is particularly important so you have back issues for a reference. I usually skim the whole mag and read the reviews section on arrival, then do one article every few days with more than one sabbatical in between. I got the newest issue a few weeks ago and still have about 1/3 left to enjoy. See, Imbibe even encourages moderation!
It's entertaining, it's incredibly diverse, it'll broaden your horizons, it's Imbibe. Check it out!