What’s Happening

A very Happy Thanksgiving from the O’Brien’s crew.  The pub will be closed on Thrursday, 11/27 and Friday, 11/28 so that we may all spend some time with our friends and family.  We will be open normal hours over the weekend – Noon to Midnight on Saturday and Noon to 6 pm on Sunday.  The Chargers face Michael Turner and the Falcons on Sunday at 1:15 pm.

Even in these seemingly trying times, there is much to be thankful for, not least that we live in a great city, in a great country.  There is much that is wrong with America, but that has always been the case throughout our history.  But the good far outwieghs the bad and we are still the greatest nation on earth.  There is no other nation where individuals can achieve so much.  I would like to post here the creed of John D. Rockefeller, which I recently saw at Rockefeller center in New York.  I think it best sums up the hope that we should all have on this day of thanks.  

We hope the holiday finds you healthy and happy (even if you can’t get a Pliny today).  Heartfelt Cheers, Tom, Lindsey and the O’Brien’s Crew

I believe that every right implies a responsibility;
every opportunity, an obligation;
every possession, a duty.

I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law;
that governmentis the servant of the people and not their master.

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand;
that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man a
n opportunity to make a living.

I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living and that
economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure,
whether in government, business or personal affairs.

I believe that truth and justice
are fundamental to an enduring social order.

I believe in the sacredness of a promise,
that a man’s word should be as good as his bond;
that character — not wealth or power or position
– is of supreme worth.

I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty
of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of sacrifice
is the dross of selfishness consumed
and the greatness of the human soul set free.

I believe in an all-wise and all-loving God, named by whatever name,
and that the individual’s highest fulfillment,
greatest happiness, and widest usefulness are to be
found in living in harmony with His will.

I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world;
that it alone can overcome hate;
that right can and will triumph over might.

 

 

Our cask for Thursday the 20th will be Lightning’s Black Lightning Porter.  This beer was the clear standout at the Lightning Anniversary party and I can’t wait to try it again at the pub.  Friday the 21st I have a night of local specialty beers lined up.  I have three great local beers to tap – Ballast Point Barrel Aged Piper Down Scottish Ale, Coronado Coffee Stout and Karl Strauss Double IPA.  We will also have the Stone Double Bastard on tap. 

 

Sunday the 23rd we will be staying open late for the Chargers vs. Colts game which has a 5:15 pm kickoff.  We will stay open until the end of the game and the kitchen will be open until half-time.

 

We will be tapping a cask of Alpine Pure Hoppiness on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 25th and 26th since there will be on Thursday cask.  We will be open late on Wednesday the 26th until Midnight.  We will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday so that we and our employees may spend it with family.  We will be open normal hours Saturday and Sunday, the 29th and 30th – Noon to Midnight on Saturday and Noon to 6 pm on Sunday (Chargers play at 1:05 pm that day).  The UEFA Champions League will also pick back up on the 25th and 26th with live games at 11:30 am.

 

New Bottles

 

New bottles out for sale include Scaldis Noel, N’ice Chouffe 2007, St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel, Scaldis Presitge and Saison Dupont.  We also have the new Dupont Avril Table Beer.  It is thoroughly delicious and only 3.5% alcohol.  Probably the best sub-4% alcohol beer on the planet.  Delirium Noel and Gouden Carolous Noel are also available in bottles right now.  Speedway Stout from AleSmith is currently out of stock from the brewery, but we will have it back soon.  Try the Riptide Stout from brew Dog in Scotland.

 

The incredible Danish meads from Dansk are back in stock on.  We have the Klapojster (with caraway seeds), GI Dansk (with hops and ginger) and a new one called Old Danish Braggot.  It is a braggot, which is made from half malt, half honey so it is a beer/mead hybrid.  It has plenty of beer flavor and plenty of honey notes without finishing too sweet. 

 

We also now have 6 liter bottles of St. Bernardus Abt 12.  Yes, you read that correctly – SIX liters.  For those unable to imagine just how big that is, it is 1.6 gallons!  The bottle comes in a beautiful wood box – these bottles are very limited.
 
Pub Crawl to Europe

 

We are pleased to announce that The 2009 O’Brien’s Great Belgian Beer Tour brochures are now available at the pub and also at the Ciao! Travel website: www.ciaotravel.com.  Our guide, friend and pub patron Bill Snider from Ciao! Travel has created an amazing 5^th edition of O’Brien’s “2009 Great Belgian Beer Tour & Ultimate Pub Crawl”  The dollar is up, the Euro is down and so are prices on the pub trip – check the Ciao! Travel website for the latest pricing.

 

Choose from 4 different terrific GBBT’s: 5 nights in Belgium at $1499,  2 nights in London and 5 nights in Belgium at $1849,  5 nights in Belgium and 2 in Paris at $1849  or 2 nights London, 5 nights Belgium and 2 nights in Paris at $2249. The Great Belgian Beer Tours depart from March 01^st to 9^th or 11^th, depending on which package you choose.

 

The GBBT include visits to St Bernardus, Westvleteren, Rodenbach, Cantillon breweries (with options to visit up to 12 breweries), 3 castles, The 24 hours of Beer Festival, Master Chocolatiers, London pub crawls, Paris Absinthe cafes, French Champagne houses and more. Bill has also worked in a few castles, great pubs and other bits of culture to help keep us from drinking every waking hour. 

 

The buzz from the 2008 GBBT was that it was great value, great fun and “exceeded all expectations”!  Collect your 2009 GBBT brochure at O’Brien’s and save $200 per person, per tour from the Ciao! Travel web page prices!  If you love Belgian beer are curious about it or just wish to explore Europe, be sure to check out The Great Belgian Beer Tour
 
Looking Ahead
 
The 12th San Diego Strong Ale Festival at Pizza Port Carlsbad is coming up on December 5th and 6th.  The festival will feature 75 beers all over 8% to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition on December 5th, 1933.  VIP tickets are on sale at Pizza Port’s website – www.pizzzaport.com.  The tickets are more than 75% sold, so if you want to go to the VIP session from 1-4 pm on Friday the 5th, buy your tickets soon.  There will be at least 20 extra beers on tap just for the VIP session from all over the country. 

 

And of course, we will have our annual Strong Ale Fest Pre-Party at the pub on Thursday the 4th.  I already have some great beers lined up and more are on the way.  We will have a cask of Ballast Point 3 Sheets Barleywine for sure and probably a second cask as well.  On tap you can look for Stone 11^th Anniversary black IPA among other great specialty beers – I will have more news the week of in the email.

 

No email next week – enjoy the holiday.  We’ll see you soon for a great winter beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Soccer Fans!

The USA men have their last game of the year tomorrow (11/19) in Colorado vs. Guatemala.  The team is already secured a spot in the final round of World Cup Qualifying, so expect to see a lot of the younger players get some time on the field.  Also on Wednesday, we will be showing the Germany v. England (un)friendly at 11:45 am on GOL TV.  It is not often that we get a live England game at lunch time.  This weekend, ABC will have the MLS Cup Final from the Home Depot Center in Carson.  We will also have a full complement of league games from Europe.

Next week sees the return of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 25th and the 26th.  The pub will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th for Thanksgiving.  But we will be open Saturday and Sunday to show more games.  The Champions League final match day will be December 9th and 10th.

On the beer front, we will have a cask of Black Lightning Porter on Thursday the 20th at 5 pm.  Friday the 21st we feature some local specialty beers including Coronado Coffee Stout, Ballast Point Barrel Aged Piper Down Scottish Ale and Karl Strauss Double IPA (it is really quite good).

Here are the upcoming games:

Wednesday, 11/19:

11:45 am – Germany v. England – GOL TV – also at 6 pm

Noon – Ireland v. Poland – Setanta – also at 5:15 pm

12:30 pm – Qatar v. Japan – WCQ – FSC

1:30 pm – Greece v. Italy – ESPN2

5 pm – USA v. Guatemala – ESPN Classic – on at 7 pm on ESPN2

5 pm – Bahrain v. Australia – WCQ – FSC

Saturday, 11/22:

On Tape – Chelsea v. Newcastle, Aston Villa v. Manchester United, Liverpool v. Fulham

11:30 am – Inter Milan v. Juventus – FSC

1 pm – Sevilla v. Valencia – GOL TV

2 pm – Manchester City v. Arsenal – Setanta – also at 7:15 pm
5 pm – Stoke City v. West Brom – FSC

5:30 pm – Liverpool v. Fulham – Setanta

8 pm – Chelsea v. Newcastle – FSC

Sunday, 11/23:

On Tape – Sunderland v. West Ham, Tottenham v. Blackburn

11:30 am – Torino v. AC Milan – FSC

12:30 pm – New York Red Bull v. Columbus Crew – MLS Cup Final on ABC

Monday, 11/24:

Noon – Wigan v. Everton – Setanta – also at 6:30 pm

Tuesday, 11/25:

11:30 am – Villarreal v. Manchester United – ESPN2

11:30 am – Arsenal v. Dynamo Kiev – Setanta – also at 6:15 pm

2 pm – FC Bate Borisov v. Real Madrid – ESPN Classic

2:45 pm – Fenerbahce v. Porto – Setanta – also at 8 pm

4:30 pm – Fiorentina v. Lyon – Setanta

Wednesday, 11/26:

11:30 am – Liverpool v. Marseille – Setanta – also at 6:15 pm

11:30 am – Bordeaux v. Chelsea – ESPN2

2 pm – Sporting v. FC Barcelona – ESPN Classic

2:45 pm – Inter Milan v. Panathinaikos – Setanta – also at 8 pm

4:30 pm – CFR Cluj v. AS Roma – Setanta

5 pm – Houston Dynamo v. LA Firpo (SLV) – Concacaf Champions League – FSC

Thursday, 11/27:

3 pm – Schalke 04 v. Manchester City – UEFA Cup – Setanta

Saturday, 11/29:

On Tape – Middlesbrough v. Newcastle, Sunderland v. Bolton

11:30 am – Juventus v. Reggina – FSC

1:30 pm – Stoke City v. Hull City – FSC

2 pm – Aston Villa v. Fulham – Setanta – also at 7:15 pm

3:45 pm – Wigan v. West Brom – Setanta

5:30 pm – Sunderland v. Bolton – Setanta

8 pm – Middlesbrough v. Newcastle – FSC

Sunday, 11/30:

On Tape – Manchester City v. Manchester United, Chelsea v. Arsenal, Inter Milan v. Napoli, Portsmouth v. Blackburn

11:30 am – Palermo v. AC Milan – FSC

11:55 am – Rennes v. PSG – USA Captain Carlos Bocanegra on Rennes – Setanta

1:30 pm – Tottenham v. Everton – FSC

December 9th and 10th:

More UEFA Champions League action at 11:30 am LIVE.

Those are the games for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great beer and some of the beautiful game.  Cheers, Tom

Hello Good Beer Fans!
 
It is that most wonderful time of the year when all of the breweries begin to roll out their winter releases.  And though we may not get much of winter around here, it doesn’t mean that we enjoy these great beers any less.  We will have six different Belgian Christmas beers on tap this Friday, November 14th.  And in addition to these great beers, we will also have a very special draft keg of the new Alpine Boris oak barrel aged Imperial Stout.  I have had the pleasure of trying it, and Boris is a great beer.  Reminds me a little of Bell’s Expedition Stout from Kalamazoo, Michigan.  BUt first, let me update you on what is happening before Friday.
 
New Bottles, etc…
 
Tonight, Wednesday the 12th we will have a little preview party of our Beligan Holiday Ales with St. Bernardus Christmas and Affligem Noel on tap at 5 pm.  We also have some new bottles out for sale including Scaldis Noel, N’ice Chouffe 2007, St. Feuillien Cuvee de Noel, Scaldis Presitge and Saison Dupont.  We also have the new Dupont Avril Table Beer.  It is thoroughly delicious and only 3.5% alcohol.  Probably the best sub-4% alcohol beer on the planet.  Delirium Noel and Gouden Carolous Noel are also available in bottles right now.  Speedway Stout from AleSmith is currently out of stock from the brewery, but we will have it back soon.  Try the Riptide Stout from brew Dog in Scotland.  And the infamous and wonderful Danish meads from Dansk will be back in stock on Thursday the 13th including Klapojster (with caraway seeds), GI Dansk (with hops and ginger) and a new one that I have not tried called Old Danish.  It is supposed to be a braggot, which is made from half malt, half honey so it is a beer/mead hybrid.  Also on Thursday we will release the 6 liter bottles of St. Bernardus Abt 12.  Yes, you read that correctly – SIX liters.  For those unable to imagine just how big that is, it is 1.6 gallons!  The bottles come a beautiful wood box and are very limited.

On tap we still have the Horizon Hefeweizen and Homecoming Porter from the new brewery Airdale.  Pizza Port Carlsbad’s award winning Port Truck Stout is on our nitro (Guinness-style) tap.  If you like Guinness, this is your new favorite beer.  Sierra Nevada Celebration is incredibly hoppy this year – it is always one of my favorite winter beers.  AleSmith’s Nautical Nut Brown is back after a long hiatus.  Drake’s IPA is on tap and Port Brewing’s fresh hop High Tide IPA continues to flow.
 
Thursday the 13th we will tap a rare cask from Lagunitas.  They sent us down a cask of the wet hop IPA that was sooo good at the wet hop festival.  We will tap it at 5 pm and do not expect it to last through the night.  As always, all local beers will be on special Thursday night including strong ales like Alpine Pure Hoppiness.
 
Winter Beer Weekend
 
Friday the 14th is the beginning of our Winter Beer Weekend Extravaganza.  We will have six Belgian Christmas beers on tap along with the aforementioned Alpine Boris.  The line up will include Affligem Noel, St. Bernardus Noel, Delrium Noel, Gouden Carolous Noel, St. Feuiliien Cuvee de Noel and one of my all time favorites – Dupont Avec les bon Voeux (it translates to “with best wishes”).  This will be one of the best line ups of Belgian beers we tap all year.  I have already tasted the St. Bernardus on tap and I can tell you that it is fantastic.  We have multiple kegs of many of the beers, so I expect them to last through Sunday.  I also have some other winter beers lurking in the wings including Stone Double Bastard, Sam Adams Chocolate Bock, the surprisingly good Pyramid Snow Cap and Anchor Christmas.  Look for Chimay Cheeseburgers, our great Jerk Chicken and the sublime Spicy Steak Sandwich on special from the kitchen.  If you can’t make it by on Friday, be sure to drop in on Saturday to drink some of these great beers.
 
Sunday the 16th, the we can’t seem to blow anyone out even if we should Chargers play at Pittsburgh at 1:15 pm.  Perhaps they won’t play down to their opponents and offer up a good solid game.  We all know they can, they just don’t seem to believe it.  The pub will be open from Noon to 6 pm and we will have Fish and Chips, Fish Tacos and our great Chipotle Fish Sandwich all on special.  You can find our fish specials on the menu every Sunday and Monday.  And we will have our weekend special of 10% off all bottles in effect as well.
 
This weekend is also the Green Flash Anniversary Party on Saturday the 15 from 12-4 pm.  Tickets are available on line at the brewery’s website and if you need a ride, check out Brewery Tours of San Diego – they are even picking people up from O’Brien’s at 11:30 am.
 
Next Week
 
Our cask for Thursday the 20th will be Lightning’s Black Lightning Porter.  This beer was the clear standout at the Lightning Anniversary party and I can’t wait to try it again at the pub.  Friday the 21st I have a night of local specialty beers lined up.  I have three great local beers to tap – Ballast Point Barrel Aged Piper Down Scottish Ale, Coronado Coffee Stout and Karl Strauss Double IPA.  I may well add to this line up by next friday – I will post up on the website when I know for sure.  Sunday the 23rd we will be staying open late for the Chargers vs. Colts game which has a 5:15 pm kickoff.  We will stay open until the end of the game and the kitchen will be open until half-time.
 
Pub Crawl to Europe

We are pleased to announce that The 2009 O’Brien’s Great Belgian Beer Tour brochures are now available at the pub and also at the Ciao! Travel website: www.ciaotravel.com.  Our guide, friend and pub patron Bill Snider from Ciao! Travel has created an amazing 5^th edition of O’Brien’s “2009 Great Belgian Beer Tour & Ultimate Pub Crawl”

Choose from 4 different terrific GBBT’s: 5 nights in Belgium at $1499,  2 nights in London and 5 nights in Belgium at $1849,  5 nights in Belgium and 2 in Paris at $1849  or 2 nights London, 5 nights Belgium and 2 nights in Paris at $2249. The Great Belgian Beer Tours depart from March 01^st to 9^th or 11^th, depending on which package you choose.

The GBBT include visits to St Bernardus, Westvleteren, Rodenbach, Cantillon breweries (with options to visit up to 12 breweries), 3 castles, The 24 hours of Beer Festival, Master Chocolatiers, London pub crawls, Paris Absinthe cafes, French Champagne houses and more. Bill has also worked in a few castles, great pubs and other bits of culture to help keep us from drinking every waking hour. 

The buzz from the 2008 GBBT was that it was great value, great fun and “exceeded all expectations”!

Collect your 2009 GBBT brochure at O’Brien’s and save $200 per person, per tour from the Ciao! Travel web page prices! 

If you love Belgian beer are curious about it or just wish to explore Europe, be sure to check out The Great Belgian Beer Tour

 
Looking Ahead
 
We will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th for the Thanksgiving holiday so that we and our employees may spend it with family.  We will be open normal hours Saturday and Sunday, the 29th and 30th – Noon to Midnight on Saturday and Noon to 6 pm on Sunday (Chargers play at 1:05 pm that day).  We will be open late on Wednesday the 26th until Midnight.  We will be tapping a cask of Alpine Pure Hoppiness on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 25th and 26th since there will be on Thursday cask.  The UEFA Champions League will also pick back up on the 25th and 26th with live games at 11:30 am.
 
The 12th San Diego Strong Ale Festival at Pizza Port Carlsbad is coming up on December 5th and 6th.  The festival will feature 75 beers all over 8% to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition on December 5th, 1933.  VIP tickets are on sale at Pizza Port’s website – www.pizzzaport.com.  They are at least helf sold out, so if you want to go to the VIP session from 1-4 pm on Friday the 5th, buy your tickets soon.  There will be at least 20 extra beers on tap just for the VIP session from all over the country.  And of course, we will have our annual Strong Ale Fest Pre-Party at the pub on Thursday the 4th.  I already have some great beers lined up and more are on the way.
 
That is your good beer news for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great winter beer.  Cheers, Tom

Hello beer loving Americans!

Today is Election Day in this great country of ours.  Please take the time to vote and make your voice heard.  O’Brien’s will even bribe you to do so by giving you your first craft or local beer for just $2 if you bring in your I Voted sticker or tab from your absentee ballot.  We’ll keep one of the TVs on local news so that we can keep track of what happens, but I promise you I won’t turn the sound on so we won’t have to listen to it.

On Wednesday, November 5th we have a very special celebration – 25 years of Chimay in the United States.  We will have Chimay on tap and all three Chimay beers in the bottle – White Cap, Red Cap and the Grand Reserve along with magnums and 3 liters of the Grand Reserve.  There will also be specially engraved 25th Anniversary Chimay glasses for sale.  The kitchen will have Chimay cheeseburgers and Chimay cheese plates featuring three different Chimay cheeses.  The celebration starts at 6 pm and goes until closing.  Our Chimay representative for California, Jay Baum, will be on hand to answer questions, share beer and talk soccer.  Chimay is one of the most recognizable Belgian beers and this is a great milestone.  Chimay was a forerunner of the good beer movement in this country.  O’Brien’s is proud to host the 25th Anniversary party for Chimay in San Diego.
 
On Thursday, November 6th we will have a cask of the aptly named Green Flash Palate Wrecker double IPA at 5 pm.  Friday the 7th we will feature the beers of Airdale Brewing Company, a new San Diego based outfit.  The guys are making their beer at Bayhawk in Orange County, but unlike other contract brewing company’s, they have a head brewer and their own recipes.  David Lusk, formerly the brewer at Backstreet Vista, is the head brewer for Airdale and he goes to Orange County to make the beer.  The company does have plans to open a brewery in San Diego in the future.  We will have a Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and Porter from Airdale.  So be sure to check out these newest beers in San Diego.  Sunday the 9th, the Chargers and new defensive coordinator Ron Rivera face Kansas City at 1:15 pm. 
 
FESTIVAL NEWS

Saturday the 8th is the annual San Diego Brewers Guild Festival.  This is always one of the best beer events of the year.  It features beer from every single San Diego brewery and only San Diego breweries – though there will be San Diego county wines.  Most of the breweries bring out great specialty beers that aren’t regularly available.  There will also be some food pairing with the beer from pub members of the Guild and live music.  The festival is at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park – it is the funky looking round building you pass before getting on the freeway.  It will run from 7-11 pm with a special VIP session from 5-7 that will feature a line up of VIP only beers.  Tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance, which you can do through the Guild website at www.sandiegobrewersguild.org. 
 
And while I am on festivals, the Green Flash Anniversary Party is coming up on November 15th.  It will be at the brewery in Vista from 12 – 4 pm.  For complete details visit http://greenflashbrew.com/2008celebration.html.  If you are looking for a safe way to get up to Vista, consider Brewer Tours of San Diego.  They are driving folks round trip for $20 and will pick you up at O’Brien’s at 11:30 am.  For more info visit: http://brewerytoursofsandiego.com/ridegreenflash.html.  And VIP tickets for the San Diego Strong Ale Festival are sale now through www.pizzaport.com.  This session always sells out, so don’t delay in buying your tickets.

Next week you can look forward to a cask of Lagunitas Wet Hop IPA and the first of our draft Christmas beers on Friday the 14th.  And as always, we will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving, November 27th and 28th so that we all may enjoy the holiday.
 
That is your good beer news for now.  We’ll see you soon for a great beer.  Cheers, Tom