credit Phil Mansfield

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Half Moon Bay Spring Happenings

HALF MOON BAY BREWING COMPANY MARCHES INTO SPRING WITH NEW BREWS, BEER & GRILLED CHEESE PAIRINGS, ST. PATRICK’S DAY SPECIALS AND THE NEW HOP TROTTER

Half Moon Bay, Calif. – February 29, 2016 – The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, a popular Coastside destination best known for its award-winning, house-brewed beer, sustainable seafood, live music and an expansive, dog-friendly patio, welcomes the spring season with five new beers, a month-long beer and grilled cheese pairing series and St. Patrick’s Day specials, as well as a new and improved Hop Trotter, a custom beer catering trailer.

SPRING BREWS
For the past several years, Brewmaster James Costa has crafted a wide range of compelling, critically acclaimed beers at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Spring 2016 will see the release of his most enthralling beers yet, including the unveiling of the newest brew in the popular Alection beer series.

  • The Man with One Red Shoe Red IPA: Seven malts combine with five hop varieties to create a big red IPA that fulfills your palate every step of the way. The use of Citra, Centennial, Mosaic, and El Dorado in dry hopping gives the beer a great IPA aroma. The assortment of grain gives a pleasant but not overwhelming caramel flavor, allowing the subtle sweetness of the hops to become layered within. Available starting March 4. ABV 7.5% & 100 IBUs
  • Apricot Belgian Blonde: A non-traditional Belgian style beer using mostly pilsner malt combined with 5% rye malt. This light, easy drinking beer has the luxury of a mellow addition of apricot puree, which brings its own fruit flavor as well as pulling out the fruity esters and spice from the Belgian yeast. Available starting March 4. ABV 5.5% & 20 IBUs   
  • Amarillo Pillow IPA: On tap now at the Brewing Company, this IPA is brewed with jasmine rice to lighten the body and let the hops shine through. Mosaic, El Dorado and Citra hops are used in the boil and in the first dry-hop addition. The beer is then dry-hopped again in the bright tank with a whole-leaf “pillow” of Amarillo and Chinook hops. Melon, tropical fruits and pine dominate the aroma and flavor of this beer. ABV 6% & 87 IBUs.
  • Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Sneaky Peat Scotch Ale: Now available for a limited time on tap, this Scotch Ale is a big malty winter warmer brewed with peated (smoked) malt. With a dark mahogany color and full body, this beer displays flavors of caramel and roasted malt with a lingering hint of smoke on the back end. With barrel aging, the heavy peat flavor has subsided to be replaced by oak and a slight char, combined with a subtle bourbon essence. After three months, the taste of this scotch ale is reminiscent of a fine Islay scotch. ABV 8.3% & 30 IBUs
  • Alection IPA: In honor of the 2016 presidential election, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company once again will hold its traditional Alection this fall. Starting March 1, the Brewing Company’s Primary release of the Alection beers will be available on tap, featuring portraits of the current candidates for president from both parties. The official Alection launches this summer once the final nominees are selected. The West Coast IPA is bursting with aromas of grapefruit rind, resinous pine, and lemon zest as well as a malt backbone that enhances the hop bite. ABV 6.1% & 80 IBUs

BEER AND GRILLED CHEESE MONTH
March 1 – 31

Starting March 1, the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company will offer a different grilled cheese paired with various brews every week. Executive Chef Federico Godinz partnered with Brewmaster James Costa to create unique and delicious flavor combinations that perfectly compliment each other. Each grilled cheese is served on housemade beer bread. $16 per panini; $20 with beer pairing.

Caprese 
Available March 1-7 
Slow roasted Roma tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese topped with fresh baby arugula dressed with olive oil and basil spread. Paired with Kölsch, a brew inspired by the brewers from Köln, Germany – an easy drinking, lightly hopped beer with a spicy, floral finish from German Noble hops and Pilsner Malt. ABV 5.0% 20 IBUs

Prosciutto, Apple & Cambozola Cheese
Available March 8-14
Balsamic marinated grilled apples, prosciutto, baby arugula and fresh strawberry marmalade. Paired with Amber Ale, a well-balanced, full-flavored amber brew. It has a rich, malty body with a pleasant caramel character from specialty Aromatic and Melonoidin malts. In addition, the beer boasts a complex hop aroma with hints of floral and citrus from a combination of Summit, Cascade and Chinook hops. ABV 5.0% 20 IBUs

Pepper Jack, Cheddar and Linguiça
Available March 15-21
With sweet and spicy red onions, seared linguiça topped with spicy cilantro spread. Paired with Full Swing, a special edition IPA made from Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra, Galaxy and Magnum hops. With aromas of tropical fruit and a bitter bite on the finish, this is an IPA for the IPA fanatic. ABV 6.6% & 80 IBUs.

Cochinita-Queso Blanco
Available March 22-31
Provolone, pepper jack cheeses, fresh jalapeño, red onion, mixed bell peppers, cochinita and baby spinach with honey-lime vinaigrette. Paired with a West Coast IPA bursting with aromas of grapefuit rind, resinous pine, and lemon zest, with a malt backbone that enhances the hop bite. ABV 6.1% & 80 IBUs

ST. PATRICK’S DAY
Thursday, March 17

Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Brewing Company in idyllic Half Moon Bay. Stop by for a brew and hear live Americana/country music with a bit o’ the blues from the talented Keller Sisters from 5:30 to 8 p.m. In addition to live music, guests can enjoy a taste of Ireland with the following special menu items:

  • Butter Lettuce Apple Salad: Local Ouroboros Aquaponic Farm Organic Butter lettuce with sunchokes, beans sprouts, candied pecans and jicama, topped with basil strawberry vinaigrette. $15.25
  • Corned Beef & Cabbage: Fresh slices of marinated corned beef with cabbage in pickling spices, served with fingerling potatoes, baby carrots and beer mustard sauce. $19.50

CRAFT BREW TO YOU PROMOTION
March 1 – 31

Through the Craft Brew to You program, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company allows companies and individuals to easily offer beer on tap at any greater Bay Area location with Hop Trotter, its custom beer trailer. The refrigerated beer trailer will come to your next outing or happy hour at the office, complete with ten award-winning beers and a beer enthusiast bartender. This unique catering experience offers guests an opportunity to just sit back and relax as the package already includes the catering and permitting licenses, set-up/breakdown costs, compostable pints or tasting cups and any other event needs. Book the Hop Trotter by March 31 and the $200 delivery fee will be waived. This offer is valid within 50 miles of Half Moon Bay, Calif. For additional information and to book the Hop Trotter, call 650-728-2739 ext. 3. Pricing is subject to location and guest count; please ask for a custom quote.

ABOUT THE HALF MOON BAY BREWING COMPANY
Selected by Coastal Living magazine as one of America’s Best Coastal Breweries, Men’s Fitness as one of America’s Top Ten Craft Breweries and Travel + Leisure magazine as one of America’s Best Beach Bars, the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is situated on picturesque Pillar Point Harbor overlooking the Marina in Half Moon Bay. The Brewing Company expertly pairs a family-friendly, come-as-you-are atmosphere with a winning combination of fresh, sustainable seafood, craft beers, live music and an expansive, dog-friendly patio area with blazing fire pits to keep patrons warm on the waterfront. The Brewing Company is a casual coastal venue that has become an institution in the Half Moon Bay area for locals and visitors alike since opening in 2000. With its warm, wood-toned interior, expansive windows to the ocean, and walls dotted with surf memorabilia, the 6,000-square-foot restaurant and bar is reminiscent of a typical California surf shack. Behind the restaurant lie the 1,200 square-foot Mavericks Beer Garden and on-site brewery, where hand-crafted, award-winning Beers & Ales are piped directly to the bar. The Amber Ale won a bronze medal in the 2012 World Beer Cup, and the Ocho Barril Saison won Best in Show for session beers and the gold medal in the Wood/Smoke Ale category at the California State Fair in June 2013.

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is located at 390 Capistrano Road in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to close; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to close. To book a reservation, please call 650-728- BREW (2739) or visit Dinnerwire.com. Additional information may be found at www.hmbbrewingco.com.

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company also manages the neighboring Mavericks Event Center which overlooks the picturesque Pillar Point Harbor and is the ideal setting for weddings, celebrations, retreats and corporate events. Named for the famed surf break just up the beach, the Mavericks Event Center sits on a large oceanfront bluff, with an indoor ballroom that can accommodate up to 150 guests, plus a spacious outdoor deck and harbor view garden. For more information please visit www.maverickseventcenter.com.