Nights at the Nat: beer, bugs and boisterousness

Or, crunk and crickets

The vigilant folks at the San Diego Natural History Museum invited 300 likeminded heroes to an evening of Bugs & Beer, part of its newly launched "Nights at the Nat" series.

Thursday, April 18,2013
Beer & Chees

I have found it—at Eureka! in UTC

Can a worthy pub shake a sinister curse?

By Ian Cheesman

I am not typically a superstitious man. I don't fear black cats or walking under ladders. I don't believe voodoo dolls are a means to bewitch others (though I have seen enough of the Child's Play flicks to know it's never a bad idea to stab dolls as a preventative measure).

Monday, March 25,2013
Beer & Chees

Stone’s newest beers for your consideration

These brews bring big (if not too big) flavor

By Ian Cheesman

The beer reviews you are about to read are true. The names of the beers have not been changed to protect the innocent.

Friday, March 1,2013
Beer & Chees

Societe Brewing tasting room is a party waiting to happen

Finally, a place where beer and air can coexist

By Ian Cheesman

Walking into Societe Brewing's tasting room at noon is akin to arriving a bit too early for a party. All the heady anticipation you felt on the drive over slowly dissolves into the awkwardness of appearing overly eager for festivities to begin.

Friday, February 8,2013
Beer & Chees

Cucina Urbana expands the microbrew experience

A little taste of Italy (without Little Italy)

By Ian Cheesman

By all accounts, Cucina Urbana (505 Laurel St. in Bankers Hill) is not a place I'd ordinarily select when time comes to enjoy a beer.

Friday, January 18,2013
Beer & Chees

Friendly faces and potent beers abound at Iron Fist Brewing

One-stop shopping for brews and brotherhood

By Ian Cheesman

The moniker “Iron Fist” has an undeniable severity to it. To me, it conjures images of a downtrodden populace weary from totalitarian rule. It also makes me think of Robocop, which is totally awesome, but really no less daunting.

Wednesday, January 2,2013
Beer & Chees

New Beer’s resolutions

How I plan to do better by you in 2013

By Ian Cheesman

New Year’s resolutions may be a bit of a cliché, but I contend that they’re still important. They can be remarkable tools for self-improvement.

Friday, December 7,2012
Beer & Chees

Selecting a beer to pair with oblivion

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel drunk

By Ian Cheesman

There’s been much made of the Mayan calendar declaring Dec. 21, 2012, to be the end of the world. It’s utter nonsense. Mesoamerican lore clearly details in the Popol Vuh that the 14th b’ak’tun marks the incarnation of the fifth world and not some cataclysmic scenario.

Friday, November 16,2012
Beer & Chees

Rough Draft Brewing soothes the weary office drone

Another new brewery in town delivers a final draft experience

By Ian Cheesman

Trying to keep up with all the newest breweries in San Diego County sometimes feels like performing a census on Tribbles aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Friday, October 26,2012
Beer & Chees

18 liver-battering San Diego Beer Week events

How to celebrate the brew, from La Mesa to San Marcos

By Ian Cheesman

Liver, I owe you an apology. I told you if you helped me survive the rigors of the Great American Beer Festival that I would take it easy on you for bit, maybe even send you off to a spa day for a massage and detoxifying seaweed wrap.