North Coast Brewing Company

I just got back from a weekend in Mendocino, and let me tell you that one of the highlights is North Coast Brewing Company, located in Fort Bragg, California.

Fort Bragg is a small coastal town in Northern California (not to be confused with Fort Bragg, North Carolina); it is called Fort Bragg because it was established as a military fort during the Civil War. It later found use as a center of trade for dealing in lumber, though just recently Georgia-Pacific has given up its massive lumber mill there. Like many quaint, rural, scenic towns, it is struggling for (but on the verge of finding) a renaissance as an artist's community and seaside resort/getaway/vacation spot. I can safely say art galleries and B&Bs outnumber lumber mills in the area by a vast ratio.

In any case, currently Fort Bragg is most famous for (in no particular order... I think): Glass Beach (an old ocean-side dump which has now seen the force of nature pummel and recycle old glass into a beach strewn with smooth, worn shards/pebbles of sea-glass), California Western Railroad (the "Skunk Train" which started in 1885 as a lumber train and now runs tourist rides through the local redwood forests to Willits, CA), and... North Coast Brewing Company.

The North Coast Brewing Company is unassuming enough -- located at 455 North Main Street (aka. Rt. 1 along the Pacific coast of California) -- but makes some fantastic beer. In fact, I'm drinking an Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout as I write this -- and I'm lamenting that I only bought a 4-pack of it while up there!

I didn't get a chance to visit the brewery (free tours Saturdays at noon; no reservations required) or store (they have some nice, albeit overprices, merchandise), but I did stop into their Taproom & Grill for dinner (and a 2nd time the next day to take some beer with me to go!)

On a Saturday evening at around 7:30 (half-hour wait), the food at the brewery was fine -- some of the dinner entrees seemed overpriced ($20-$30/plate), but I saw several people ordering them and I have to say that they looked good, even though I never gave them a try. I debated on ordering one of the specials of the night -- coconut shrimp with red curry sauce -- but I'm glad I didn't, as I saw another patron order the dish and it looked skimpy and untempting. My girlfriend and I opted for the beer-battered calamari appetizer (not the best calamari I've ever had, but very good) and a 1/2 lb. burger with cheddar cheese and garlic waffle fries. Everything was fairly standard pub fare, though the garlic fries had a generous helping of garlic (unfortunately it was all concentrated in one pile, and we were not informed that opting for garlic fries was $1 more than regular fries, bringing the total bill to about $11 for the calamari appetizer and $15 for the burger with fries, or $26 total for food.) For beer, I had randomly tried their Red Seal Ale at the Hydro Grill in Calistoga and enjoyed it (though a bit hoppy for my usual taste), so I decided to order a sampler; you can get four 4-ounce sample servings for $5, or 10 samples for $12. Since both my girlfriend and I are big fans of Belgian trappist ales (and they have some variations thereof on offering), she ordered a glass of La Merle saison ale, and I ordered samples of: Pranqster Belgian-Style Golden Ale, Brother Thelonius Belgian-Style Strong Dark, Old Stock Ale (English old ale), and Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Ale.

In short, I tasted some of the strongest, most flavorful beers on the menu. (a little tip: some of these beers are far cheaper to get in a sampler than they are by themselves! For example, Old Stock Ale -- a very strong English Old Ale at 12%+ abv -- was $4-$6 -- sorry, I don't remember -- per 6 oz. serving. But I do remember that, in the sampler, I obtained 4 ounces of it for about $1.25) I love Belgian-style beers and the fact that North Coast Brewing Company makes so many of them -- and does it so well, at such an affordable price -- is part of the reason I love them. All of their trappist/abbey-syle ales were superior to other American ones I've tried (including New York's Ommegang brewery as well as some Canadian ones, as well), second only to some varieties from the Netherlands and Belgium itself. My favorites of the North Coast beers I tried (in order of preference) were:

1. Old Rasputin: Amazing. If you love Belgian abbey/trappist ales (malty/syrupy and strong alcohol content, with perhaps a bit of spice) and traditional stouts (Guinness/Murphy's, etc. - dark, creamy beers with strong roasted flavors of malts) then this is THE beer for you. And since I like them both... it's the beer for me! Fantastic. A little bit like the flavor of Dogfish Head's Raison d'Etre beer, but a slightly-stronger, slightly creamier version.
   
2. Old Stock Ale: This one claims it is a good one to "lay down" (save for later; let it age), and I for one am curious, so I've set a bottle a side. It's "vintaged" as a 2008 brew/release, and at $3/bottle (12 oz. -- and that's right in Fort Bragg!), it's not cheap, but it IS strong and complex. Hoppy, AND malty, AND syrupy (and a bit sweet ... a little like a Scotch ale, minus the smoky flavor)
   
3. La Merle: Saison ale, and a fantastic one at that. Slightly-strong, slightly spicy-sweet, a little bit complex. This holds its own against the best of the Belgian brews... and at $8 per 750 ml bottle!
   
4. Brother Thelonius: Similar to La Merle, but a bit darker and heavier. Another beautiful abbey-style ale; you'll probably like this if you like Chimay.
   
5. Red Seal Ale: a hoppy red-amber ale, if you like that sort of thing; like a mix between Killian's, an IPA, and an ESB
   
6. Pranqster: A Belgian-style golden ale, stronger than your average beer but lighter than most Belgium trappist/abbey ales. Good, but doesn't have the richness or complexity of most. In my opinion it is comparable to Duvel.
   

I haven't tried all of their beers (sadly, I never got a taste of their more-typical Blue Star unfiltered wheat or Scrimshaw pilsner), but I can safely say that North Coast Brewing Company is my favorite West Coast brewery (my favorite for the East Coast would be Delaware/Maryland's Dogfish Head brewery); and this is coming from someone who has tried an array -- not all, but quite a variety -- of California, Oregon, and (a few) Washington beers.

Tea Review: Silk Oolong (Red Blossom Tea Company)

In general, I like oolong teas, but I've found they tend to have quite a wide range of flavors and textures and aromas (perhaps the variety and complexity is why I love Oolong.)

Red Blossom Tea Company's Silk Oolong is a milk-infused variety; as soon as I opened the canister and took a whiff, I was hooked. The smell is mild, rich, creamy, smoky, and musky all at once, perhaps a little bit like cavendish pipe tobacco; earthy and sweet at the same time.
Brewed up, this tea imparts a flavor very similar to the aroma: rich and complex, natural and sweet with a balanced oxidation providing just the right hints of musk or smoke to the flavor. I am going to come right out and say it: this is the best tea I have ever had in my entire life so far.

Tea Review: Jade Chai (Red Blossom Tea Company)

Just like any chai, Jade Chai by Red Blossom Tea Company combines tea with various spices such s cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, etc. The difference is that most chai teas are made with black tea; this version uses fresh green leaves instead, giving it a slightly less smoky/rich flavor and more of a light, tart flavor.

Tea Review: Lavender Green Tea (Red Blossom Tea Company)

As described, the Lavender Green tea by Red Blossom Tea Company is a blend of lavender spikes/blossoms and loose green tea. This one has a nice, floral, almost-perfume flavor as you would expect, but the problem is that it is difficult to brew; like most green and white teas, you need to be sure to steep it in water that is not too hot, and also don't steep it too long. Unfortunately, however, if you do this the flavor of the lavender is very faint, since flowers and herbs tend to require hotter water and/or a longer steep time to bring out the flavor.

Tea Company Review: Red Blossom Tea Company

The Red Blossom Tea Company, based in San Francisco's Chinatown at 851 Grant Ave, is a great little boutique tea dealer.

While their website is simple, well-designed, and you can certainly place a mail-order purchase from it, I highly recommend visiting the actual little brick-and-mortar shop in Chinatown if you get the chance. Nestled amongst the other wonderful tiny stores that Chinatown is known for -- cheap toys and knick-knacks, Asian-themed clothing and cookware, jade jewelry and fresh fish and dim sum and roasted ducks -- Red Blossom has an attractive, cozy tea shop right in the heart of it all.

When you first walk in, one shelf will be adorned with the large canisters of various teas (sorted by type: green, white, oolong, black, herbal blends, etc); on the other side of the room they have small tables with tea spreads for pouring tea.

As you walk through the room, you can open the canisters of loose-leaf tea to view and whiff the contents. If you love tea, it's like a tiny-but-well-appointed candy shop of delights. The teas are priced by the pound and are competitively-priced, but generally not cheap (rare greens and oolongs run most expensive, as is usually the case, and herbal blends tend to be cheaper -- again, this tends to be the norm)

I cannot speak for all of the variety of flavors they carry, but I managed to purchase 3 on my first visit:

• Lavender Green


• Jade Chai


• Silk Oolong
(my favorite tea in the world!)

Starbucks-style Green Tea Latte -- MINUS the pricetag!

As much as I slam Starbucks for their overrated, overpriced coffee and mediocre ambiance, I have to admit to one guilty pleasure: green tea lattes. The fact of the matter is that green tea, in and of itself, is not hard to find. These days, with Oprah evangelizing its weight-loss value, and with the focus on all things "all-natural" and "green", green tea has really found a market!

However, there is a difference between "regular" green tea (ie. loose-leaf tea) and Japanese-style powdered green tea called "matcha" or "maccha." The type of green tea Starbucks uses in its lattes and frappuccinos is matcha (powdered leaf) green tea, not loose-leaf tea. The difference in color and flavor between these two varieties is astounding.

If you have ever seen green-tea flavored pastries, truffles, ice cream, or other sweets, you will notice a vibrant green color and a distinct flavor like a slightly floral mix of grass and nectar. This is due to the use of powdered green tea, or matcha. More specifically, matcha comes from tea leaves that are grown in the shade (imparting a slightly different flavor) which are then hand picked, "deveined", dried and powdered; this means the only thing you get in matcha is pure leaf (no stems or veins.) To prepare matcha, you do not "steep" it like loose-leaf or bag tea; instead, you mix the powder directly in and so you end up consuming the actual leaf (in powdered form)

Well, since plenty of people are on the green tea bandwagon -- but NOT so many places offer matcha (because it is quite a bit more expensive), I had become quite addicted to Starbucks green tea lattes for my "green tea fix." (What held me back, though, was the pricetag... nearly $4 for a 20-ounce serving!)

Many times I simply crave green tea instead of coffee. Why? There may be several reasons, but in general, let's suffice to say that green tea is better for you than coffee is: Green tea does contain caffeine (called "theine" when it comes from tea), but not nearly as much as the same amount of coffee does; in addition, there are elements of green tea which act as calming or relaxing agents which, unlike coffee, actually calm you down and serve to counteract the caffeine a bit. Because of this, when I drink green tea I feel alert but relaxed; coffee will often make me feel jittery or wired, sometimes to the point of even causing disconcerting heart racing or panic attack symptoms, since I recently appear to be caffeine-sensitive.

Enough of the background story about matcha and green tea, and on to the good stuff --
how to make your own for a fraction of the price!

The first step, of course, is to order your own matcha. To get the Starbucks Green Tea latte/frappuccino flavor, it must be matcha, not sencha or loose-leaf green tea (which are much cheaper.) Now, matcha is not cheap... if you do a search on the Internet you will find plenty of suppliers, but many of them will charge $30-$60 for just 100 grams of matcha (admittedly, matcha varies in quality, but I would never pay that much... not even for the good stuff.)
What I've found to be a pretty reasonable deal is to order the bulk/catering-sized bag of matcha from Inpisa, a Texas-based Asian import company on eBay. They sell a 500 gram (1.1 lb.) bag of matcha for $50... quite a bargain, if you compare to other matcha prices. One "serving" of matcha (for example, 1 cup of tea) requires 1 teaspoon of matcha, and according to the approximate calculator at GourmetSleuth, 500 grams would yield over 100 servings. So, for $50, you will be getting over 100 cups of tea! That's 50 cents per cup!

Now, for green tea lattes and milkshakes you will need a few extra ingredients, so you can count on the cost being closer to 80 or 90 cents per cup... which is still WAY cheaper than buying a Starbucks latte or frappuccino! Plus, you get the added bonus of having your own matcha available for making green tea cookies, green tea cheesecake, green tea ice cream... you name it. If you like green tea flavor, you'll be in heaven.

Green Tea Latte (1 cup)
1 tsp matcha
1 tsp sugar
1-2 oz. hot water
8 oz. milk, soy milk, or rice milk (I like to use a blend: 4 oz. 2% milk and 4 oz. vanilla soy milk)

Scoop matcha and sugar into cup. Heat water to boiling or near boiling. Pour 1-2 ounces into the cup and stir thoroughly (if you have a matcha whisk, it might help break up and mix in the matcha powder pieces so they do not clump together too much.) Once mixed, add the milk or milk alternative. This may cool the temperature lower than your liking, so if you prefer you can heat the milk over stovetop OR microwave the final mixture for 30-60 seconds. What will work even better is if you happen to be lucky enough to have a milk steamer or frother (usually part of a latte/cappuccino/espresso machine)

Green Tea Milkshake (1 serving)
1 tsp matcha
2-4 scoops vanilla ice cream (depending on size of scoop and how much you want)
4-6 ounces milk or milk substitute

Throw ingredients into a blender or smoothie maker (start with the ice cream, then add the milk, and sprinkle the matcha on top; otherwise it may clump together at the bottom.) Blend on medium, then high, until smooth. Pour and enjoy. :)

Tips for living "The Gud Life"

Before reading the reviews and recommendations for fine experiences, adventures, and luxurious creature comforts (hotels, vacations, wine, beer, tea, restaurants, etc), it is important to understand that all good things come at a price.

That price, often (but certainly not always!) is proportional to the value of the product or service. Many times you do, truly, "get what you pay for." As much as I can, I am going to write honest reviews of things that are worth what you pay -- or more -- and to steer you from things that are not worth the price.

However, the first thing you should be aware of is that, for many of us, the finer things in life feel "out of reach"; unless we dig into credit and debt (which I highly don't recommend, any more than is necessary), we must find some way to "make do" with the income, finances, and free time we have.

But that is where you often have choices and more freedom than you may realize:

1. to spend your free time in time-wasting activities, or to choose to spend it productively, or to choose to engage in leisure activities that are healthy for your body, your mind or, perhaps, even your soul.
2. to spend your money on small frivolities, or to scrimp and save it for bigger, more memorable or more valuable things.

It seems that most travel and lifestyle guides out there cater to two types of people: 1) the privileged few who can afford the exorbitant prices of travel and fine dining; or 2) young and/or underfunded bohemians who would like to experience the world on nickels a day, and don't mind "slumming it" in order to do so. This is where Gudie Guides are different: they are designed for those of us who don't want to "slum it" and want to experience "the high life", but can only afford to do so by finding the best deals, making some sacrifices, and "trimming the fat" -- ie. prioritizing what is most important to us.

In the travel itineraries that will be posted, you will see that they are often a balance of "the high life" and "the low life" -- ie. the same trip may include a stay in a hostel and a $6 pasta dinner, followed by a stay in a 4-star hotel with a top-notch 3-course meal. Thus by saving money on one day or in one area, it can be applied to something extravagant or otherwise out-of-reach. The alternative would be to take the "average" or "middle" road each and every day... which is fine for many people, but not for those of us who want tastes of what nobility or privilege feels like, or for those of us who want memories that will last a lifetime.

In this vein, I will provide a few tips which you can use every day of your life that will ensure efficient use of your money and/or time, which can ultimately enrich the experiences you have and open the door to many you never knew you could have.

1. Go to the grocery store instead of the restaurant. I will be writing restaurant reviews on here -- for those special occasions when you decide to eat out, so that you can make the most of your time and money and really get a memorable, enjoyable experience. But "eating out" all of the time really adds up. By cooking or creating your own meals, you will be spending 50% -- or less -- of the money you would spend at a restaurant. Now, I'm not saying to never go out and enjoy yourself. But if you do it sparingly, you may find it more special and memorable, while saving enough money to purchase larger, more fabulous items or experiences, travel, etc.
   This includes going out to lunch. For the sake of simplicity, let's say that a typical lunch meal is $10. That is a lot of money. If you went out to lunch every day, you would be spending $3650/yr on lunch alone. By comparison, that $10 would be enough to feed you for about a 5-day work week if you bought the ingredients at the store and made your own soups, sandwiches, veggie snacks, or other well-balanced lunch meals. Suddenly, your annual lunch expenditure drops from $3650 to $730. The extra $2920 would easily cover the cost of a wide variety of wonderful purchases... you could go on a 1-2 week vacation, or buy a nice computer, or a plasma TV... you name it. And going out to dinner is even more expensive. You can figure an easy $25+/person (including taxes and tips, dessert and drinks, etc.) Obviously, this is out of the range of most people, but how many people go out on average 2 or more times per week? Even that adds up to $2600/year. Now, one could argue that the cost of the dinner meals is justified because they generally have larger portions and more expensive ingredients (steak, seafood, etc); this is all true. However, with a minimal amount of work, you can purchase and prepare these same ingredients at home. A sauteed-scallop dinner, even prepared by yourself at home, is not cheap... but you would be spending about 1/3 of the cost that you would at a restaurant, for food that is on par (or, I've found, often better than many restaurants); when I discover superb recipes for such meals, I will post them in Gudie Guides, complete with where to find the ingredients and the approximate prices of the ingredients.
   
   
2. Cut out the junk foods. Junk food is not only bad for your health... it's bad for your wallet! Potato chips, tortilla chips, snack cakes, etc. are not only high in fats, sodium, processed sugars, and even nastier things (like preservative chemicals), but they are also much more expensive than making your own snacks! A bag of corn chips -- weighing less than 1 lb. -- could cost $3 or more. For 1/2 that price you can buy some sweet potatoes/yams, slice them into chunks, drizzle with a little oil and salt and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until they become "yam fries." (BAKED yam fries -- even healthier!) Instead of buying Toaster Strudel or Little Debbies, you could spend 1/2 the amount of money and create your own fruit-and-yogurt smoothies in a blender (I will post some various smoothie recipes on here... and I guarantee they will be a FRACTION of what you would pay at Jamba Juice or other smoothie joints)
   
   
3. When you do eat out, look at the menu carefully. Often times, certain items on the menu will simply be much better deals for what you get than others will. I'm not saying to avoid ordering what you really want to eat (the whole idea of cutting back on the frequency of dining out is so that you can splurge and enjoy whatever you'd like to enjoy)
   
   However, there are some examples where you can get food that is practically identical to another part of the menu, for far cheaper. For example, at McDonald's a double cheeseburger is about half the price of a Quarter Pounder with cheese... yet contains practically the same ingredients. At Starbucks, a flavored latte is about twice the price as getting a house coffee, asking for whatever syrup flavor you would like, and adding your own milk or cream (in which you end up with pretty close to the same result.) But, going back to #1, getting a coffee maker and making your own lattes at home is even less expensive and not very difficult at all.
   
   
4. Save money on energy costs. This is just plain common sense whether you plan to follow the Gudie Guides or not. It's good for your wallet and it's good for the environment. If you are not using lights in a room, turn them off. Don't leave the water running when you brush your teeth. In cooler times of the year, keep the thermostat set lower than normal and in warmer seasons set the thermostat higher.
   
   
5. Find out where the best local prices are. This might seem like a piddling detail and you might be thinking "okay, this is going too far... I'm not going to drive around town taking notes and keeping tally of everybody's prices." Fair enough. However, for a few basic goods (groceries and gas, for example), there are often multiple suppliers in a small area. If you live in a suburban area like me, you will likely have several different supermarkets and gas stations within a few miles of each other. It's not hard, as you're driving around, to keep an eye out for the gas prices of the different stations you pass on a regular basis, see which one is lowest (sometimes significantly) and make it a habit to frequent that station.
   
   
6. When you do decide to splurge on something enjoyable... you should still keep an eye out for discounts, savings, and deals! Just because you have saved up some money and decided that it's time to treat yourself -- with a bottle of wine, a fine tea, a meal at a nice restaurant, or a well-deserved vacation getaway -- doesn't mean you should just go an blow your money on the first thing you see! Sometimes altering your plans just a little bit or spending just a little more time planning and exploring can lead to big payoffs. In many cases, it may be difficult to find lower prices for high-quality food. But some things you can almost always find better deals for comparable purchase include: airfare, car rental, and other transportation options; hotels, B&B's, and other lodging; tour excursions and outdoor/adventure packages. There are even sites like TravelZoo (no affiliation or sponsorship with this site) which can send you email updates of special discounts, packages, and promotions going on. Sometimes travel agencies can provide better packages than you could put together on your own -- especially at off-peak travel seasons. I've found such deals like this at Gate1 Travel. The bottom line is: do a little research, and you can save yourself valuable money or valuable time during your trips experiencing only the very best and not wasting time or money on overrated, overcrowded, or just-plain-not-worth-it activities.