And here you thought scratch-and-sniff stickers were the purview of tots.
Brooklyn beer writer Justin Kennedy is putting his nose — or rather your nose — to the hops, pine and gooseberries in his new “Scratch & Sniff Guide to Beer: A Beer Lover’s Companion” (Harper Design, 160 pages, $22). The stickers are a gimmick, of course. (But you knew that.) They’re a creative way to propel you through the pages to see why on earth there are gooseberry or demerara sugar stickers in there.
Whether this volume was directly inspired by Richard Betts’ “Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-it-All” and “Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert” or simply part of some odd boozy scratch-and-sniff trend is open to debate.
In any case, “beer lover’s companion” is a much more apt descriptor for Kennedy’s book than “guide,” which implies a comprehensive and cohesive exploration of a topic. Instead, this bro-friendly book — which opens with a jolly foreword penned by San Francisco master cicerone and biergarten fan Rich Higgins — dabbles here, there and everywhere, hop-scotching through hops, beer styles, beer label artwork, bottle closures, beer cellar how-tos, glassware, brewery-centric travel, recipes (beer cheese!), puzzles (brewdoku!), quizzes and colorful stock photos.
In short, it’s a beer blog in book form — and there’s nothing wrong with that. We wouldn’t buy it for ourselves (or for a cicerone, for that matter), but it’s tailor made for beer-loving-BFF gifting.
NorCal beer news
There was a time when February was one of the slowest months of the beer year. Then came SF Beer Week — this year’s events run Feb. 9-18 and we’ll take a deep dive into those events next time — plus enough other major brew-centric events to keep you busy throughout the shortest month of the year. Here’s what’s new:
Strong Beer Month: February marks Strong Beer Month, the 18th annual collaboration event between 21st Amendment Brewery & Restaurant and Magnolia Brewery. This time, they’re celebrating their greatest hits by bringing back the most popular beers from previous years. Each brewery will brew six special beers — strong ones, each with 8.5 percent or more ABV, or alcohol by volume — to serve at their four Bay Area locations. Try them all and you’ll receive a commemorative glass. Details: 21st-amendment.com and magnoliabrewing.com.
Pliny release: Early February brings the very limited release of Russian River Brewing’s cult fave, Pliny the Younger. If you don’t want to camp out in line the night before the Feb. 2 release, you’ll still have two weeks to get a taste of this year’s version of the highly sought-after triple IPA. Details: russianriverbrewing.com
Hopocalypse Day: Yes, the end is beer. On Feb. 3, Drake’s Brewing (drinkdrakes.com) will be celebrating Hopocalypse Day with the annual bottle release of its Hopocalypse Green Label Double IPA and Hopocalypse Black Label Triple IPA. Both beers are usually hard to come by, but you’ll have a good shot at tasting them both at the brewery. And if that wasn’t enough hoppy goodness, they’ll also be hosting a mini-imperial IPA festival, offering double IPAs from at least 20 other breweries, including Fieldwork Brewing, Alvarado Street Brewery and Beachwood Brewing.
New sips: Fort Point Beer Co. (fortpointbeer.com) just released its latest beer in cans. Resonance is billed as a blended saison, with tropical fruit aromas and a tart, dry effervescence. The new beer will be available on draft and in cans starting Jan. 31, although you find it at the brewery now.
And Marin Brewing (marinbrewing.com) just released its latest politically-tinged beer, called F.B.I.P.A., a hoppy double IPA with 85 IBUs — International Bitterness Units — and 8.4 percent AVC. It joins their previous beers, Not Your President IPA and Dotard IPA, a trio the brewers are calling Marin Brewing’s “trifecta of beer.” You’ll have to visit the Larkspur brewery, across the street from the ferry landing, to taste it.
Jay R. Brooks is a Bay Area News Group correspondent
