New Guidebook Unearths NorCal's Brewing Riches

Your mornings probably look something like this: Wake up, guzzle coffee, ignore dozens of emails, and spend two hours scouring the internet for the latest craft beer news updates. If only you knew a local brew enthusiast willing to visit every beer destination in NorCal and condense his findings into a user-friendly, 300-page tome. Allow us to introduce you to Ken Weaver, the beer geek you've been waiting for, here to streamline your burdensome morning routine.

Fact: there are over 150 breweries in Northern California (what?!). That's nearly one-tenth of the country's total breweries concentrated in our neck of the woods. Add in beer-centric restaurants, bottle shops, and beer bars, and it's enough to make your liver spin. Weaver's Northern California Craft Beer Guide, available later this month, takes readers on a curated tour of the entire region. Organized geographically, the guide is an easy reference manual for anybody interested in delving deeper into their local beer scene or taking a weekend trek to a neighboring area. Whether you're interested in brewery visits, bottle shops, or restaurants that value a proper pint, Weaver leaves no stone unturned or tap untasted.

The author is a certified beer judge, too, so there's no need to take his beer recommendations with a grain of...well, grain. Within each region Weaver identifies the brews to seek out -- including the experimental, the trendy, and the traditional. Whether you prefer a pilsner or a barrel-aged sour beer, the guide aims to please every palate. Moreover, the book doesn't stop at being a thoroughly-researched destination guide. With historical asides, festival schedules, and even a recipe from Sonoma's Homebrew Chef, the book feels like a celebration at every turn.

If you're new to the area or visiting, this is the definitive resource. If you're a local, you'll discover many new haunts and undoubtedly get re-inspired to explore. With a barrage of lovely, full-color photographs by Anneliese Schmidt, it also makes one heck of a pornographic coffee table book. And don't bother asking Mr. Weaver if he needs a "research assistant" on his beer tasting adventures. We already got first dibs.

Ken Weaver will be at City Beer Store on July 17th at 6pm to chat about his book, sip some local beer, and sign various body parts for fans.

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