Thanks all for coming out for the 2011 Tour de biere. To sum it up: great weather, great coffee, great beer, great people, great ride. Once again, thanks to all who participated – the riders, the bicycle coffee company, trumer braueri, linden street brewery, triple rock brewery, pyramid brewery, and of course, the EBBC. Serious generosity and serious good times.
Here are some photos from the tour.
January’s ride was probably our biggest ride ever. We had almost twice the people we were expecting. It was a surprisingly wet and rainy day, but the scenery and the beer and food afterward made it worth the sogginess.
bianchi, diamondback, cannondale in blue and silver and white
getting ready to roll out
cruising through santa rosa
the joe rodota trail
crossing through sebastapol
a short break at burnside road
Super foggy.
I think this is the “ready for beer inside” face
church in bodega from “the birds” on the extended route
well-deserved beer and food with a foggy haze due to my rainy camera
the flight of russian river beers was about 17 deep
Original photo by wonggawei
So you resolved to live a healthier 2011. You decided to get out of the city more often to enjoy the bay area’s beauty…well, The Grand Cru’s here to make that happen.
This month we’ll be doing our annual pilgrimage to Russian River Brewing – one of the most respected breweries in the world. We’ll be riding a 35 miles loop based out of Santa Rosa exploring the area west of Sebastopol. As an added bonus our path conveniently routes us in front of Hopmonk Tavern. (Probably a good place to rehydrate.)
As is often the case, I’ve set up a poll to determine the date that works for the most people. Please follow the link in the box below and mark your availability.
The poll will close the evening of Monday, January 10. That night I’ll post the finalized date.
I hope everyone’s new year is off to a great start and I look forward to riding with all of you in 2011!
Cheers,
Israel
P.S. Worried that those post-ride Plinys will blow your new calorie budget? Well, Vinnie’s got you covered with a new line of beers. Pliney-lite has the same hop wallop in just half the calories!
November’s ride featured a mellow 20 miles or so up Cull Canyon and back. The Bistro featured over 60 barrel-aged beers (as high as 13.2% ABV!) We even picked up a new friend to ride up and down the hill with us.
Here are photos from October’s ride starting and ending at Triple Rock in Berkeley. The ride started out foggy, cleared up a bit in time to see a gorgeous, albeit slightly foggy view of Oakland and a bit of San Francisco. Then it rained as we returned to the bar. Enjoy.
Original photo by ali.schmidt
This month we’re back in the East Bay to visit The Bistro. “But the Bistro’s not a brewery” you’re saying? Well, you’re right – but we’re going to cut them some slack because they’ll be hosting the 5th annual West Coast Barrel Aged Beer Fest on Saturday. If you’re unfamiliar with barrel aged beers – you’re in for a treat. The gamut runs from hearty imperial stouts aged in bourbon barrels to mouth puckering lemonade-like beers aged in oak. Tickets run a bit steep. I don’t know what the pricing will be this year, but I don’t expect much of a change from last year: $40 for ten pours and a tasting glass, with additional pours costing $2. If that seems expensive – well it is. But keep in mind that these beers take a long time to produce and are often labor intensive. If you’re hesitant about diving in, the Bistro will have a few non-barrel aged beers to be purchased individually.
Since we’ll be doing some advanced beer drinking I’ve tried to strike a balance with an easier 19 mile ride up one of the Hayward hills. It’s a long and gradual climb with a great decent back to barrel aged goodness.
As usual I would encourage everyone to take public transit over to The Bistro. It’s located just three blocks from the Hayward BART station. It’s extra encouraged this month as many of the beers aged in old spirit barrels clock in above the 10% mark.
Looking forward to riding and drinking with ya’ll on Saturday!
Cheers,
Israel
P.S. Please note that the roll-out time’s been shifted back an hour to 11 instead of the usual noon o’clock. I don’t want us to miss out on choice selections because of a late start.
Here are photos from our September 2010 ride that featured Mill Valley Beerworks and a cameo by Marin Brewing Company.
This ride WILL be happening as scheduled. Rain forecast looks favorable.
Original photo by Stewf
This month we’ll be heading to the East Bay to visit Triple Rock in Berkeley. They’re one of the first brewpubs in the US and earlier this month scooped up a set of medals at the Great America Beer Festival.
Prior to drinking their offerings, we’ll be riding the Berkeley Hills. The ride will be hillier than usual, but we’ve also shortened it to 20 miles. If the weather holds up, expect some challenging climbs paired with some outstanding views of the bay.
As usual I would encourage everyone to take public transit over to Triple Rock. It’s conveniently located three blocks away from the Downtown Berkeley BART station.
Right now there’s a 40% change of rain on the 30th. Keep a lookout on this site and our twitter feed (@thegrandcru) in case the ride gets rained out. The weather gods have been good to the Cru in the past, as we’ve never had to cancel due to weather. I’m hoping we can maintain the streak.
See ya’ll on Saturday!
Cheers,
Israel
P.S. If you’re one to plan ahead, next month’s ride will be on Saturday, November 13 in conjunction with the Bistro’s 5th Annual West Coast Barrel Aged Beer Fest.
