San Francisco Beer Week: Chocolate & Beer Events

San Francisco Beer Week is upon us. January 22-January 31. San Francisco is home to over 100 breweries who produce some of the best beer in the U.S. I recently attended a launch for Beer Week, and I tasted a lot of Chocolate Beers and Chocolate Ales, as well as beers that have definitely chocolate notes. I liked them all. Since I often pair chocolate with beer for tastings, I thought I'd mention a few events coming up, as well as some special Chocolate Ales. They're going to be lots of other Beer Events, too, all over the Bay Area in Bars, Breweries, restaurants, movie theatres, and even the Pinball Museum. San Francisco knows how to throw a party!

The San Francisco Brewers Guild organizes SF Beer Week, and people come from all over the world. This great festival is usually held in February (so mark your calendar for next year), but because San Francisco is hosting the Super Bowl, SF Beer Week was moved up. Brewers traditionally release their new beers during Beer Week, and I certainly tasted a lot of them at the press launch. Fabulous. Here's a short-list of fun ones.

CHOCOLATE AND BEER EVENTS:

January 23:  Chocolate Making and Beer Pairing for Charity! TCHO Chocolate Company, Pete Slosberg (Pete's Wicked Ale and Cocoa Pete's, and Thirsty Bear Brewing Co. team up for a chocolate making and beer pairing evening. Learn to make your own unique chocolates. Specialty cask conditioned Panda Bear Ale (brewed with TCHO organic coca nibs and more), and other organic ThirstyBear and SF Brewers Guild collaboration brews and taste chocolates while making your own. Proceeds benefit the Institute of Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research. ThirstyBear, 661 Howard, San Francisco. 6-9 p.m. SOLD OUT.

January 26: Chocolate & Beer Pairing. Dandelion Chocolate and Speakeasy. This is a 5-part beer and chocolate pairing featuring Dandelion Chocolate's single origin bars, paired with unique brews from Speakeasy Ales & Lagers.  Note: Speakeasy uses Dandelion chocolate nibs in their Black Hand. No tickets necessary for the event, just visit the Tap Room to purchase a flight of beer & chocolate. Flights available starting at 1 p.m. until they run out. Speakeasy Tap Room, 1195 Evans Avenue, San Francisco.

January 28. Chocolate & Beer Pairing Dandelion Chocolate and Anchor Brewing.  San Francisco's oldest brfewery and Dandelion's single origin chocolate. Pairing features new and limited-release brews from Anchor Brewing and a special selection of chocolates to compare and contrast with the beer. Chocolate making demo, too. Free. 6-9 p.m. The Chapel, 777 Valencia Street.

One of my favorite Chocolate Beers is Speakeasy's Black Hand. It's made with TCHO Ghanaian Roasted Cacao Nibs. It's a chocolate milk stout that's full-bodied and creamy, with chocolate notes. I also love the brewery graphics.. but then I'm a mystery person.

Chocolate and Beer

This is Beer Week, and Beer and Chocolate are a great match. Lots of ways to celebrate this duo.

There are Chocolate Ales to drink:
  
Boulevard's Chocolate Ale
Rogue's Chocolate Stout
Bailey's Chocolate Ale
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout
Kelso's Chocolate Lager
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Steelhead Brewing's Chocolate Kiss
Imperial's Choklat Stout
Harpoon's Chocolate Stout
Lips of Faith's Series Cocoa Mole
New Glarus's Chocolate Abbey
Lagunitas's Bourbon Barrel Cappuccino Stout (not exactly a chocolate stout but tastes like it)
Samuel Adams' Chocolate Bock

Or you could attend the Third Annual Chocolate and Beer Festival (info below).

Want to do your OWN Chocolate and Beer Tasting? Do a beer tasting with a few of the stouts above.  

Want to do a Chocolate/Beer pairing? Pair a malty beer with a fruity truffle or tea truffle. Switch it up and take notes. Decide what you like or don't like.  

Chocolate/Beer Truffles to Buy: 
Socola makes an awesome All Shakespeare Stout Truffle (using Rogue Brewery's Shakespeare Stout)

Or make your own Beer/Ale Truffles: Chocolate Guinness Truffles

**
 The Third Annual Chocolate and Beer Festival brings together local Chocolatiers, breweries and bands to raise money for a good cause: The Children's Learning Center.
Saturday, February 11, 2012, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Craneway Pavilion, Richmond, CA

This sweet spot in SF Beer Week pairs suds (including the debut of Rosie the Riveter Ale and selections from Drake's Brewing, Anchor Steam, Moylan's Brewing Company, Lost Coast, Trumer, Marin Brewing Company, Triple Rock, Linden Street, and more) with cacao and confections (provided by Coco Delice, Galaxy Desserts, and Bittersweet Cafe) and live jazz music (The Emperors's Jazz, Beam and several other local musicians).

Tickets $30 in advance online, $40 at the door.
"The Works!" Entrance ticket include four (4) sample sized chocolates and four (4) sample sized beers. Additional beer and chocolate available for purchase inside event. 
Chocolate Only Tickets $15
Ticket includes Entry, four (4) sample sized chocolates. Great for kids 10 years or older, guests not of drinking age, designated drivers, guests who do not like beer.

Chocolate & Beer during SF Beer Week

It's no surprise that Chocolate and Beer go well together. You can drink a good stout with a nice piece of dark chocolate at home, or you can attend one of the two Chocolate & Beer specific events coming up in the San Francisco Bay Area as Part of San Francisco Beer Week. February 5-14, 2010. Lots of great tastings, dinners, and more!

February 6: Chocolate & Beer Festival at the Craneway Pavilion, Richmond

A fun afternoon of exquisite chocolates and local brews at the Craneway Pavilion at the Richmond Marina, part of SF Beer Week. Chocolate and Beer Festival tickets get you multiple product samplings, live entertainment, and raffle prizes.

Tickets are $18 in advance (with free event parking or free BART shuttle from Richmond. $25 day of festival at the door, with additional $5 parking -- make sure to plan ahead and get your tickets early!
The Chocolate and Beer festival benefits local charity. For info, go HERE.

February 12: Beer and Chocolate Dinner by The Beer Chef, Pavilion by the Bay, Treasure Island. Chef Bruce Paton C.E.C brings you the best in pairing chocolate-inspired dishes and beer at Treasure Island's Pavilion by The Bay. More details to come.

During San Francisco Beer Week, Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream will collaborate with local breweries to create a beer ice cream explosion. Any chocolate?

Want to do a 'formal' chocolate and beer tasting for your company? Contact Frank from TeamBuilding Unlimited.