Do you ever get off the craft beer train and talk about average swill — like beers for baseball, or Asian beers?

This question from someone I work with has bugged me for the last three days. Best word I can find to describe my condition is “flummoxed”. My first thought was, “Sure, and let’s get our wine columnist to write about the “best of Gallo and other ‘great’ jug wines.”

Why is it that the idea of a wine columnist writing about jug wines seems utterly absurd, while a beer columnist writing about crappy beer seem normal and appropriate.

Damn you Budweiser, Coors and Miller and all the rest of you corporate lager-sellers and your funny, sexy commercials. You’ve stolen the soul of beer.

After an initial burst of sarcasm and consternation, I got serious. If the beer we like is so good, then why are American beer drinkers still imbibing cheap lager?

This isn’t a rhetorical question. I’m asking all of you reading this to tell me what you think. Post a comment here or shoot me an email at whatsontap@sbcglobal.net.

For research, I turned to one of my kids, who is grown, teaches film at an Oregon university and has traveled the world and is very sophisticated.

Basic answer: Alcohol delivery vehicle in an unobjectionable format. He admitted to drinking 10 beers this past Saturday night out with his friends: 2 Japanese 22-ouncers (equals nearly 4 beers) plus, 6 or so Coronas. I guess when you’re fairly young, are 6-1 and weigh 240, 10 beers is nothing.

But, I persisted, why not drink something decent?

He thought about it for a minute. “I don’t like dark beer,” he said. “I really like Corona, because -” he thought for a minute - “it doesn’t leave a bad taste. It’s not bitter.”

Whew. What can you expect from someone raised on Slurpies.

I gave that some thought.

I believe we can expect a lot, but until very recently, we’ve left the discovery of good beer to chance. That’s why craft beer and other good beer has somewhere between 4 and 10 perrcent of the total beer market and swill lager has the rest.

I grew up much like him, drinking sodas. I hated beer. Coors tasted like water and Budweiser tasted bitter; it burned my tongue. I went into the Navy right out of high school and did my share of under-age beer drinking, but like our kid, it was just being social. The beer — all bland lagers — was tasteless.

My epiphany came at a German restaurant in Washington, D.C. when I was 19. I got served a glass of Wurzburger, a Bavarian lager. Still remember it: rich, golden, silky malt that flowed across my tongue and just a bit of spicy tingle from what I now know were Hallertau hops. I became a convert. I realized there was beer and there was real beer.

It was pure chance. The waiter might not have served me, I could have decided not to go into downtown Washington that Saturday. We need to stand up and shout about good beer, I think. The way it’s going is way too slow.

What do you think? Opinions anyone…

It may be too late, but probably there’s still time to sign up for what promises to be a magnificent beer dinner at the Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco.

The host, Beer Chef Bruce Paton calls this Dinner With the Brewmasters: Five Guys and a Barrel. It might be called From hops to Belgium and back.

Consider the five guys: Rod Todd, Allagash, Portland, ME; Adam Avery, Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO.; Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head, Milton, DE; Tomme Arthur, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA.; and Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River, Santa Rosa, CA.

The date is Sunday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. Cost $95. For reservations, go to www.beer-chef.com. Hint: Do it now. This baby’s gonna’ sell out.

Here’s the menu:

THE BEER CHEF
Presents
Dinner with the Brewmasters
Sunday April 20, 2008
The Cathedral Hill Hotel
Featuring
Five Guys and a Barrel
Allagash, Avery, Dogfish Head, Lost Abbey and Russian River

Reception
6:30 PM
Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre Selection

Allagash White and Russian River Blind Pig

Dinner
7:30PM
First Course
Citrus Cured Curraun Blue Sea Trout with Accoutrements

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA and Avery The Maharaja

Second Course
Selection of Artisanal Cheeses with House Made Condiments

Allagash Interlude and Russian River Supplication

Third Course
A Study in Duck

Port Brewing Cuvee de Tomme and Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Fourth Course
Warm Chocolate Mocha Cake with Blood Orange Sabayon and Fig Syrup

Avery The Beast Grand Cru and Lost Abbey Older Viscosity

Toast
Isabelle Proximus

$95 per Person Inclusive of Tax and Gratuity
Please Make Reservations by April 10, 2008
At www.beer-chef.com
Bruce D. Paton CEC
Executive Chef

What’s new in beer and brewing…Among other beer blogs I read regularly is Pete Brown’s Blog. He’s English and something of an adventurer. He recently took a cask of India Pale Ale from Burton on Trent to India on a sailboat, replicating the original journey of this now famous beer style.

Today, he’s blogging about an International Real Ale festial at the J.D. Wetherspoon pub chain. Part of what made it an international fest was the presence of Stone head brewer Mitch Steele ( who used to be the head of Anheuser-Busch specialty beer section) and another brewer from Stone. Brewing, Escondido, CA. Together, they made a beer for the fest….Here’s the nut graph of Pete Brown’s post…

I went to the launch of the festival on Thursday and met Mitch Steele and Steve Wagner from Stone, who packed a bag of Centennial and Simcoe hops and came to Kent to brew Stone California Double IPA at the Shepherd Neame brewery.

Mitch said it was a privilege to brew at the brewery, and obviously enjoyed matching North American vision and invention with English brewing tradition.

The resulting beer is utterly beguiling: the hoppy punch that you only really taste in North America, countered by the smoothness and depth exclusive to cask-conditioned ale. READ MORE....

Cask Stone. Now I’d drink that.

Hi Bill, Have you been out to Wunder Brewing in San Francisco ? Barry and I went to Wunder Brewing at 9th and Irving yesterday. Beer is much improved from the Old Eldos. Very clean, good session beers. The brewer John Wonder knows what he is doing, since he made an excellent Pilsner.

Food is good too, great garlic string beans It is easy to get to, just get off BART at Embarcadero and get on the MUNI undergroung and take the N Judah line. It will take you right to their doorstep. Get off at Ninth Ave stop at Irving. Got to love the place, they advertise on KPIG. Cheers, Paul

Hi Paul. No I haven’t been out there. But I talked to John Wonder on the phone and I got to try their beer at a Commonwealth Club beer event in San Francisco in February. I agree. It was excellent. I also wrote about Wunder Brewing late last year. Find that report here.

Bill-- Avery Mephistopheles’ Stout is out of season a bit (website says made in November) but I was just recently able to find it at Total Wine & More (this store in Roseville has a nice beer selection and they let you buy singles instead of a whole six pack).

Check out these stats… This is obviously a huge beer but it is truly great.
It also cost $8 for a single 12 ounce bottle but was worth it. Take it easy, Sean

SEARCHING FOR OLD VISCOSITY

Bill, I wrote you a while back about Port Brewing Co. Old Viscosity Ale. You gave me a copy of the Norcal Retail Beer Store List with a store in Pleasant Hill that may carry it. I will be in Pleasant Hill today and would like to walk in and look around. If you have a minute could you please re-send me the list and let me know which store that was. Neil

HI Neil. It’s Monument Wine & Spirits in Concord, CA. And they had Old Viscosity yesterday. Good hunting. They do have an impressive supply. I always spend too much when I visit, which I did yesterday.

Bill, That place was phenomenal. I had two other “non beer shoppers” with me, and we were late for a dinner party, so I had to get in and get out. But I am already planning a trip back to spend some serious time in there. The beer was just as good as I had remembered it! Cheers, Neil

BEER FROM FRANCE? YES

Bill, I’ve only recently discovered your blog and beer column… There’s a great wine shop I visit periodically on my way from San Francisco to Palo Alto, Weimax. They’re in Burlingame. Anyway, they have a good range of really nice beers and I bought a couple of unusual ones from France the past two visits.

One I called Goat Beer as it’s got a weird label with grain and goats on the bottle. Brasserie Lebbe. The other I just bought is from Normandy and it’s called Northmaen. Odd Viking-like label. Both are imported by Charles Neal Selections out of San Francisco, whose work I know more for good French wines.

If you see these beers in your travels, you might want to check them out. The Lebbe is nicely fruity and the Northmaen has a touch of a grain quality. I’m by no means a beer expert, but I enjoyed these. Dennis

Hi Dennis. Thanks for the note. I know about Weimax, haven’t visited, but lots of friends tell me it’s a great place to find interesting beer. There are a number of new craft breweries in France. I have a friend who lives in the south near Cannes who makes beer. The French beer I’m most familiar with is from the north, near the Belgian border; it’s in a style called Biere de Garde, usually bottled Champagne style: rich, fruity, malty, fairly strong.

Looked up Northmaen. It’s a small craft brewery in Normandy. The Web site is in French. They seem to make a usual assortment, a blonde, a brown etc. One sounded particularly interesting a red (rousse) with chestnuts added. Hmmm.

Which Northmaen did you get? wb

Bill, The Northmaen is a medium-bodied beer…I gather it’s a ‘blonde’. Chestnuts? Sounds curious! I’ll have to ask next time I’m at Weimax.

I’ve tasted some biere de garde and farmhouse brews. I bought a bottle of something called Deus a few months ago. It’s a Belgian beer in a champagne-like bottle. Quite good, but very costly. Oh well…

Dennis, The French beers tend to be somewhat cheaper, but not much, considering the state of the dollar. Look for Jen Lain or 3 Monts or Castelain.

If you have even the faintest interest in real ale — that is, beer that is served fresh, unfiltered and non-pastuerized and not pushed by gassy CO2 or nitrogen, then the place to be next Saturday, April 5, is Triple Rock Brewery, 1920 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. Doors open at 11 a.m,. and the festival runs into the early evening

The event is the 5th annual Firkin Gravity Festival, which was conceived by Triple Rock head brewer Christian Kazakoff. So far more than 25 craft breweries, are bringing real ales. Cost is $20, which gets you in the door and provides a fest glass and five tasting tickets. Additional tastings are $1 each or six for $5. No reservations. Show up at the door.

The Firkin Fest is a benefit for the Alisa Anne Ruach Burn Foundation. More info here,

What in the hell, you ask, is a firkin. A firkin is/was a small, wooden British ale cask containing 9 imperial gallons (about 10.8 U.S. gallons.) In the UK, firkins are closely associated with real ale. Here in the U.S. we love the term and the chance for alliteration. Great firkin ale!
The American definition of real ale follows the English example. Unfiltered, non-pastuerized beer, allowed to ferment in the cask, or container or keg. It’s also not pushed out by CO2 or nitrogen. The trick is natural flow. The variety at the last Firkin Fests has varied tremendouslym, from chocolate black beers to uber hoppy pale ales.

“Hi William, Just wanted to let you know that I like your articles so much that I’m starting to post them on my bulletin board. You’ve actually inspired me to try and educate my Concord customers to some of the finer brews made… and away from the Bud style beers. I’ve got people turned on to Arrogant Bastard and Brother David’s Double and Triple. They are moving slowly, but definitely picking up of late. And if worse comes to worse, I’ve got something good to drink for myself.” Andy Steinberg, Proprietor

With a note like this one, I had to visit. So late Saturday afternoon my daughter, who is 21, and I dropped in. It’s AJ’s Sports Pub & Grill, 4633 Clayton Road, Concord, CA 9521, 925-459-0574

I was hesitant for one reason: Before Andy Steinberg bought the place, it was an established called Mr. Pickwicks, one of those mock English pubs. It had moved here from a spot near I-680 in Pleasant Hill, where it was well-regarded. Well, the Fuller’s ESB on tap had turned. The hot dog was hmm. I left, and never returned.

The place has changed. The hot dog and garlic fries we ordered were first-rate. I asked for Fuller’s ESB. again and was told by the young woman wait staffer that they were “out of ESP. ” Except for Anchor Steam, the rest of the beer list was corporate: Bass, Bud Lite, Boddington’s, Harp, Guinness, Newcastle Brown, plus Lagunitas IPA and Fat Tire.

But my daughter spotted a note that said: “Ask about our seasonal specials” Turned out it was Stone Arrogant Bastard, which was gone. But the young woman said, “There’s one more. Anderson something…” Turned out it was Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple Abbey-Style Ale. Wow. I ordered small glass, my daughter ordered a pint. It’s 10 percent, I drove home.

Andy Steinberg was there, said he got tired of working for other people and took over the pub 16 months ago; he’s added a dart board - a customer built it for free beer. There’s a pool table in the back room and the local homebrew club – Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts – DOZE – meets here monthly.

He has a karoke night, an acoustic music jam night on Wednesdays, live music with lcoal bands on the weekend.

Steinberg admits he’s a wine guy, originally from New York. So he’s getting into good beer cautiously. Bud Light and Bud are big sellers; so is Stella Artois, the Belgian lager from InBev, he said. He replaced Arrogant Bastard with Brother David. My advice: Put ‘em both on and four more, let’s see: Maybe Lagunitas Censored, Gordon Biersch Dunkelweizen or Marzen and the IPA from his neighbor EJ Phair Brewing. Dump the slowest moving corporate beers and go for it. The DOZE folks alone will spread the word that there’s good beer on Clayton Road (an official beer desert) and so will I.

One othe note. He got tired of trying to run a pub and a kitchen, so he leased the kitchen to a Peruvian family. They offer a full menu of interesting dishes. Going to go back again and try it.

PHOTOS: Top: The bar at AJ’s Sports Pub & Grill.

Above: Brother David’s translucent copper triple Damn, it’s good.

OK, I don’t like to gamble. I grew up in a family of gamblers, mostly horse races and bridge (You don’t think bridge is gambling. Trust me, it can be.) I guess I’d rather drop my coins on beer.

Therefore, I’m immune to sports gambling and to the growing furor about the NCAA Sweet 16. In the last few years it’s spread to beer, with people nominating favorite beers and everyone voting for their favorite with the most votes for the final two deciding the winner.

Ho hum. We all know if ALL beer drinkers participated, Bud Light would win or maybe Corona. Yuk.

Well, the Washington Post has a twist on this. Their beer columnist (and author of a number of books on beer) Greg Kitsock and Post Sunday Source (Guess it’s their mag. or a section of the Sunday paper) editor Joe Heim start out with 32 beers; then enlisted a tasting panel and worked their way through the beers, flight by flight.

Now they’re down to the simi-finals, the final eight:
Lagers: Flying Dog Old Scratch vs, Raven Lager from Baltimore-Washington Beer works
Ales: Stone Pale Ale (Escondido, CA) vs. Troegs Hopback Amber, Troegs Brewing, Harrisburg, PA.
Specialty & Fruit: Ommegang Hennepin, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY. vs. Oxford Raspberry Wheat, Clipper City Brewing, Baltimore, MD.
Dark Beers: Sam Adams Honey Porter vs. Hook & Ladder Backdraft Brown, Hook & Ladder Brewing, Silver Spring, MD.

Unfortunately, the popular vote doesn’t decide the winners. They’ve already been chosen, but you can vote for your favs anyway and then tomorrow, Monday, March 23, they’ll post the results and we have the Final Four. That round will be announced March 30 and the grand winner will be revealed April 6.

They’ve posted details on all the 32 original beers, plus tasting notes and and transcript of a live Q&A earlier this month.

OK, OK, it’spretty neat and I’m interested. Check it out.

As regular readers of this blog know, I’ve been scouting for good beer pubs in the South Bay. It’s been a difficult search. Lots of corporate beer down there: InBev, Guinness, Scottish & Newcastle. It’s strange, pubs don’t seem to tap the wealth of good craft beer available, from local brewers like Gordon Biersch, Firestone Walker and Sonoma County brewers like Bear Republic. Did see a bit of Lagunitas, mostly the IPA.

It’s been a sobering hunt and it’s far from over, but to remind myself that we live in a true beer nirvana in the northern Bay Area, at least, I checked the offerings of three local pubs. These are just the draft beers available. Check out the next three posts and remember, we have lots more: Lanesplitter, Luka’s, Bistro, Barclay’s, Jupiter, Albatross, Ben & Nicks, Cato’s Ale Hose, Pete’s Brass Rail, Hoptown...the mind reels.

As most of us know, the Toronado, 547 Haight St. in San Francisco, 415-863-2276, is about as close as we’re ever gonna’ get to Beer Nirvana.

Consider the current “on-tap” list: Wait, first a message from proprietor David Keene. Two beer nights coming up:

March 25, Firestone Walker night: On draught that night
1. Parabola 2 year old Russian Imperial Stout
2. Abacus Barrel aged Barleywine
3.Union Jack IPA
4.Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout
5.Double Barrel All Wood on Cask

March 26, Lagunitas Night: They promise some special beers. Can;t wait.

And now, the “Regular” on tap list:

Brewery Beer Location
Anchor., Anchor Steam S.F.,
Anchor . Liberty Ale S.F.
Anchor Old Foghorn S.F.,
Anderson Valley . Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout Boonville, CA
Anderson Valley Belks E.S.B.
Boonville,CA
Anderson Valley Boont Amber
Boonville, CA
Anderson Valley Triple Naught 000 Boonville,CA
Ayinger Celebrator Germany
Bear Republic Racer 5 Healdsburg,CA
Bitburger Pils Germany
Cantillion Apricot Lambic Belgium HANDPUMP
Cantillion Rose de Gambrinus Belgium
De Kluis Hoegaarden White Hoegaarden,Belgium
De Koninck Ale Belgium
Erdinger Hefeweizen Germany
Guinness Stout Ireland
Humboldt Victorias Triple Arcata,CA
Huyghe Delirium Nocturnum Belgium
Lagunitas Satinugal Petaluma,CA
Liefmans Goudenband Belgium
Lind Brewing Bacchus Ale San Leandro,CA
Lind Brewing Drakes Real Ale San Leandro,CA HANDPUMP
Lindemans Framboise Belgium
Lindemans Cassis Belgium
Lost Coast Brewing Co. Doppelbock Eureka,CA
Marin Mt Tam Larkspur,CA
Meteor Blanche de Meteor France
Moonlight Bombay By Boat IPA Windsor,CA
Moonlight Death&Taxes Black Windsor,CA
Moonlight Twist of Fate Windsor,CA HANDPUMP
Moortgat Maredsous Breendonk,Belgium
Ross Valley Triple Fairfax,CA
Russian River ESB Guerneville,CA
Schneider Aventinus Germany
Seabright IP Ripper Santa Cruz,CA
Sierra Nevada Pale Bock Chico,CA
Spaten Hefeweizen Germany
Speakeasy Big Daddy IPA San Francisco,CA
Speakeasy Prohibition Ale San Francisco,CA
Stella Artois Lager Belgium
Stone Arrogant Bastard San Diego,CA
Thomas Kemper Root Beer Seattle,WA
Two Rivers Apple Cider Sacramento,CA
Van Honsebrouck Kasteel Dark Ingelmunster,Belgium
Weltenburger Asam Bock Germany
Wyder’s Raspberry Cider Canada

The Trappist, 460 8th St., 51-409-3427, is the greatest gift to downtown Oakland since Luka’s opened five years ago and Pacific Coast Brewing opened back in the 1980s.

This is an authentic Belgian beer cafe smack in the middle of Oakland. Except that there’s no smoking and language is English, you could be in Brussels or maybe Brugge.

Here’s what’s on tap tonight:

1) Koningshoven Trappist Quadrupel 10% ABV 25cl $8

2) Brasserie d’Achouffe Houblon Chouffe 9% ABV 25cl $6.

3) Chimay Cinq Cents Triple 8% ABV 30cl $6.

4) Brouwerij St. Bernardus Prior 8 8% ABV 33cl $6.

5) Het Anker Gouden Carolus Tripel 8% ABV 25cl $6

6) Brasserie Silly La Divine Triple 9% ABV 25cl $6

7) Lost Abbey Lost And Found Abbey Ale 7.5% ABV 33cl $6

Konig Pilsener 4.9% ABV 33cl $5

9) **Russian River Beatification ?% ABV 25cl $10 ** May not be tapped till 3/20 or 3/21 call us.

10) Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Brigand 9% ABV 25cl $6

11) Avery IPA 6.3% ABV 33cl $4.

12) Flying Dog Double Dog pale Ale 11.5% ABV 25cl $6

13) Van Eecke Poperings Hommel 7.5% ABV 33cl $6.

14) North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout 9% ABV 25cl $6

15) Allagash White Ale 5% ABV 50cl $5.

I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Amen.