Recently, I had a chance to sit down with the Brand Manager of Rail Bridge Cellars, Michael Chandler. During our discussion, Michael explained to me the history of Rail Bridge, Some key decisions the winery has made recently, and where they are headed to in the next few years.
One scorching Friday night this June, my best friend and I were sitting on my front porch having our normal discussion of our crappy week. I had managed to get lost going to see the dentist that day, and I was in tears. My dentist had to walk over to the next parking lot and jump in my truck to rescue me from being lost. (What dentist does that? Thank you!) Back to the front porch: I had come up with a brilliant plan out of the clear blue sky, to head to Sutter Creek, in Amador County, the following day. I said it would be an adventure; we could go get lost together since the women in my family are so directionally dysfunctional. Did I mention my best friend is also my cousin? We planned on browsing the shops in this sleepy gold country town, and hitting some of the wine tasting stops.
Who’s down for Belgian beer tasting and learning something about what we’re drinking? That’s what I thought. Lucky for us here in Sactown, Total Wine and More puts on beer classes twice each month. Don’t worry, I posted the remaining 2012 schedule at the bottom of this article. So…I attended the January beer appreciation course, dedicated to the best Belgian beers that our hosts could dig up. I’ll admit I was jazzed at the prospect of tasting a dozen beers, but I really had no idea what to expect. Would this particular beer class live up to the hype?
Teri Porter is a spitfire and a whirlwind of energy. This is only the second time I’ve met her, and I can already see this clearly. As I conduct our interview, Teri answers the phone about five times, prints up tabs, and greets a customer. Such is the life for the manager of The Distillery, a Midtown Sacramento bar and restaurant. But I have a feeling there’s no where else she would rather be than behind the bar, making people right at home.
When it comes to liquor stores in the Sacramento area, there are two mega-powerhouses in the arena: BevMo and Total Wine and More. Since stocking up the home liquor cabinet is a practical concern for anyone reading this, we thought it would be fun to see how these two titans of intoxication stack up against each other. Without further ado, let’s call the ring announcer over and see what the tale of the tape is for our two combatants.
If there is debauchery taking place in a bar outside of Midtown, then it’s very likely occurring at Rocky’s 7440 Club. “The 40”, as locals like to call it, has been a Sacramento icon for a couple of decades now. Every Sacramento native that has ever gone through a bar-hopping phase probably has a few great stories about the 40 to share, and if not, they need to go make some! If you have out-of-town guests you want to take on a wild night out, the 7440 Club is one of your best bets, and here’s why…
Where: 670 Fulton Avenue.
When: Mon & Tues: 4pm–2am; Wed–Fri: 2pm–2am; Sat: 4pm–2am; Sun: 1pm–2am
On the Y is your typical headbanger’s party pad circa 1987, just greatly expanded upon. Retro posters of metal bands and swimsuit models such as Kathy Ireland, Apollonia, and Heather Locklear adorn the darkened walls and ceiling. As the evening progresses, I make a mental tally of how many of these posters either I or a close friend had “back in the day”. On the Y makes no bones about being one of the last remaining bastions for live metal, punk, and hard rock music. Many Fridays you can see quality metal bands for a decent cover, all while drinking the coldest beer in town.
