Categorically speaking, a flip is a cocktail in which a whole egg is deployed, the reason being to impart a richness, body, and a silky texture to a drink. Because of how rich these drinks are, they are considered more appropriate during the chillier months (unless you’re like a certain photographer for The PDT Project, in which case you enjoy them all year round).

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A simple blend of Byrrh (a fortified aromatized wine similar to a sweet vermouth with quinine), Crème de Cassis (a black currant liqueur), and soda water, the Byrrh Cassis was among a number of light aperitif style cocktails that were in vogue in Europe during the early 20th century, especially during the spring and summer months. Unlike the American cocktail tradition, these European concoctions veered toward the lighter side, both in terms of booze and body.

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After a long hard day of work, sometimes all you want is a beer and a smoke. Unfortunately it’s no longer possible to enjoy those two pleasures simultaneously if you’re in a bar (at least in most American cities), so Jim Meehan of PDT devised a clever way of joining them together in a drink that’s aptly named Beer and a Smoke.

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This summer has been a whirl of social engagements, what with friends visiting, me visiting friends and everyone congregating in London. And to crown it all, my friends and I decided to go to Oktoberfest in Munich. Lucky for us, two of my friends actually live in Munich and they managed to snag a table at one of the tents on the first day of Oktoberfest, an almost miraculous feat as most tables are booked months in advance.

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I’ve traveled around most Central American countries over the past few years on surf trips and have tried pretty much all the local beers in each country I’ve visited. Right now I am in Panama and the beers here, like in other Central American countries, are all the same American-style pale light lagers. I have not found much difference among the varieties of beer, as it’s all pretty bland.

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If you are not convinced that beer pairings work with upscale dining, this post may change your mind. Recently I attended an amazing event put on by Stag Dining Group who partnered with Magnolia Brewery to create The Brewmasters Dinner. Stag Dining Group puts on communal dinners while partnering with vineyards, hunters, musicians–this time they collaborated with Magnolia’s Brewmaster Dave McLean.

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If you are getting tired of using beer kits or following other peoples recipes and are ready to start creating your own beers, this post is for you. When I first moved out to San Francisco I started putting Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in my keggerator on a regular basis. I was impressed by how fresh the kegs were and most of my friends liked it as well.

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Let’s end February with a heavily hungover BANG! and guzzle down as much as we can, while we can, of San Francisco’s Strong Beer Month.

Please join the Bay Area Umamimart crew (Yoko, CJ + myself) on Sunday 2/27 at 3pm, as we will be posted at Magnolia Pub for some epic beers. I am personally dying to try the Rye Rye Coco, the Tweezer Tripel, and the mainstay beer that has never let me down: Old Thunderpussy Barleywine.

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As you might expect after seeing my last post on Strong Beer Month, I went on quite a bender last week and tried out all six strong beers at Magnolia and five out of six at 21st Amendment. Last night, I had the final hole punched (the Lord and Master, from 21st Amendment) in my Strong Beer Ticket and the bartender kindly wrapped up a clean 2011 Strong Beer Glass in newspaper for me as my prize.

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February is upon us, and for those of us in the Bay Area it brings Strong Beer! If you have not heard, February is Strong Beer Month in San Francisco, a time when two of the local microbreweries Magnolia and 21st Amendment each feature six strong beers (all over 8% ABV). When you drink all 12 and have your Strong Beer Month Card punched (pictured above), you get your very own 2011 Strong Beer Month Glass (to add to your collection, or start one if you have not already).

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