(SOURCE: 2012 Jason E. Kaplan)

The Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego last week was many things: exhilarating, thought-provoking, educational and inspiring. With a multitude of seminars, hospitality suites, city-wide events, and private conference functions it was a whirlwind of controversial topics and ideas swirling. Not to mention, there were thousands of great minds in town from craft breweries across the country and around the world.

Among the many topics of discussion were sustainable barley and hop farming, specialized brewing techniques, business and human resource management and craft beer sales and marketing strategies. Sources from every aspect of the industry weighed in with valuable experience-laden advice and expertise.

A popular concern among brewers, however, seemed to be the burning question: Is the rapid growth of the craft beer industry sustainable? Have we or will we reach the ceiling?

Well, the resounding answer is: No! Even Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association, opened the conference with this ‘State of the Industry’ declaration: “We are not in a bubble. We are knee-deep in foam and the foam is still rising.”

(SOURCE: 2012 Jason E. Kaplan)

Craft beer continues its climb for market share in America. Hooray! With hundreds of new breweries popping up around the country, the most important take-away from CBC was the concept of solidarity. There is truly no other business besides the craft beer business where brewers can come together and fight for the common good- the success and prosperity of craft beer. There is a real sense of camaraderie and fellowship among America’s small breweries. And they’re not going anywhere!

A big congratulations goes out to San Diego’s breweries who took home a combined 16 awards at this years’s World Beer Cup.

Support your local craft breweries. Visit their taprooms, tour their facilities and seek out their beers at your favorite restaurant or pub. Let TapHunter be your guide for finding the craft beer you crave!

Download the new iPhone & Android apps today.

Bourbon and beer buffs mark your calendars for June 16^th.  The Best Damn Beer shop in conjunction with Taphunter.com and The Beer Company will be holding a bourbon and beer tasting at The Beer Company in downtown San Diego.  The bourbons and beers involved are some newly dusted-off finds! Spread your palate across multiple rare bourbons without having to pay hundreds of dollars.  Get your $45 tickets ASAP, seating will be limited and the price will rise starting May 20^th.

Some of the rare bourbons include Old Rip Van Winkle 107 Proof (“remarkable find, ranks with the best of the whiskeys” – Spirits Journal), Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year (“No. 1 whiskey of wonderful complexity, 3.5 stars” – NY Times), Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 Year (the only 23-year Kentucky Bourbon in the country and only 3,000 bottles made), and Eagle Rare 17 Years (96 Rating – Wine Enthusiast).

Some of the rare beers include Goose Island Bourbon County Imperial Stout 2010 (Perfect 100 – ratebeer.com), The Bruery Mother Funker (96 – ratebeer.com), Uinta Cockeyed Cooper Bourbon Barleywine (98 – ratebeer.com).

Hosted by TapHunter, Best Damn Beer Shop & The Beer Company

Sponsored by Heaven Hill Spirits

SEE THE LINK BELOW FOR THE FULL BOURBON AND BEER LIST

ENTRY – $45 via TicketDerby.com – Until May 20^th, then $50

SAMPLES – 5 tasters of bourbon, 5 tasters of beer.

PLACE – The Beer Company  602 Broadway, San Diego 92101

TIME – 5:00pm – 8:30pm

LINK/TICKETS – www.drby.tk/bourbonbeer

Download the new iPhone & Android apps

We launched TapHunter in April 2009 with a simple WordPress template design, and we looked forward to the day it could be a beautifully designed and fun to use app. We’ve learned a lot about what makes a user friendly and useful app. We took everything we learned and, today, after many late nights for Team TapHunter, we’re proud to unveil TapHunter 2 for iPhone and Android. Our mobile web version will still be available for all other smart phones.

With TapHunter you can find out what’s on tap at bars, restaurants, bottle shops, tasting rooms and all other locations where great craft brew is served.

Search by beer, location, or brewery and see what’s on tap where!

TapHunter is currently available in a limited number of markets, but we’re adding more all the time.

Features:
- View craft beer locations by proximity or on a map
- Find out what’s on tap at any listed location
- Save a beer to your favorites and get alerts when that beer goes on tap
- Save a location to your favorites and get alerts when that location’s list is updated
- A location’s list isn’t quite right? Update it right from the app. Earn points and win prizes.

Current Markets:

- Austin

- Chicago

- Denver/Boulder

- Los Angeles

- Orange County

- Philadelphia

- Portland

- San Diego

- SF Bay Area

- Seattle

- And many more markets to follow soon! Suggest a market.

THE NEW TAPHUNTER LOGO

You might notice another big change for TapHunter. Our new logo! We decided it was time to enhance our brand and really stand out from the pack. We’ve received a ton of great feedback and will have t-shirts available soon.

CELEBRATE WITH US! 

It’s TapHunter’s 3rd birthday and we’re excited how far the app has come. We hope you’ll celebrate with us by downloading the new app, sharing the news with a friend and continuing to support us as we expand to other thriving craft beer cities. As a token of our appreciation post a fun TapHunter story or experience on Facebook and you’ll be entered to win a new TapHunter t-shirt.

Cheers,

Mel, Flash, Katie, Gilles, Jimmie

(SOURCE: grizzlygrowler.com)

Let’s take a moment and talk about the important things in life- work, kids, school, spouses, oh and MOM! She spent many long years raising you, teaching you, giving you wings and sending you off into the world. She is a hero to many of us and for all her giving we take one day out of the year (and hopefully more) to show her a little appreciation.

This Mother’s Day, May 13th, give something back to your mom that she will cherish- the love of craft beer. At TapHunter, we can attest that there are some very hip moms out there who already have an obsession with quality brews. Sadly, there are also many Moms whose generational gap has taught them only about yellow fizzy beer. She deserves better!

Want to know the best present you can give that special mom in your life? An enlightening, satisfying and delicious beer experience! Bring Mom Out For a Beer this Mother’s Day. Here’s what you do:

1. Reserve a spot at your favorite local craft beer bar or brewery.
2. Order sampler rounds with beers she has never tried.
3. Do your research! Know a few key tasting notes and style guidelines to usher her through the process. Teach her the basics on how to taste and appreciate craft beer.
4. Pay attention to her likes and dislikes. Help her pick some favorites.
5. School’s over! Now turn her loose and encourage her to order a full delicious pour of something wonderfully craft-brewed.
6. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up the tab. This day is all about Mom!
   

   (SOURCE: dinedelish.com)

In case you need a cheat sheet, here are a few resources to help you plan the day perfect day.

Find Craft Beer Bars & Breweries from TapHunter

Beer Styles Explained from CraftBeer

How To Taste Beer from BeerAdvocate

Enjoy a special day with Mom and give her the gift of craft beer appreciation!

(SOURCE: craftbrewersconference.com)

Next week, May 2-5, marks the gathering of breweries from around the world for The Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America. The annual conference is held in rotating cities across North American and hosted by the Brewers Association. 2012 is a very special year for the CBC because it is will be the last time for a long time that the event will take place in San Diego. Also, the biennial World Beer Cup will happen in conjunction with the CBC and we just can’t wait to see which outstanding brewers will take home medals.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind about CBC week:

While the conference itself is closed to brewing industry members,  there will be no shortage of fabulous public events throughout San Diego. Amazing beer dinners, tastings and meet the brewer nights will be taking place all over the county. Check TapHunter’s Events Page on the web and mobile app for iPhone or Android to see it all on the go. (BTW, new apps are now available in the Apple Store and Android Google Play for free!)

Also, some of the world’s most famous brewers will be in town for the conference and awards ceremony. So don’t be surprised if you run into the likes of Adam Avery from Avery Brewing, Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head or Garrett Oliver from Brooklyn Brewery.

The World Beer Cup awards ceremony will take place at the closing of the conference on May 5th. At the 2010 World Beer Cup, there were a whopping 22 medals awarded to breweries from San Diego County, compared to only 7 medals awarded to Belgian brewers. That is huge San Diego! Let’s do it again!!

(SOURCE: worldbeercup.com)

Check out some of the great beer events happening around San Diego:

-5/1: Firestone Walker Night @ Monkey Paw

-5/2: Shmaltz Brewing Night and Jeremy Cowan Book Signing @ The Beer Co

-5/3: 50/50 Fifty-Fifty Brewing Night @ Hamilton’s

-5/4: Rodenbach Meet the Brewer Night @ Sessions Public

-5/4: Green Flash & Founders Linchpin Collaboration Release Party @ Hamilton’s

Go out next week and drink some amazing beers and meet the world’s most talented brewers in San Diego’s finest craft beer bars. We’ll see you out and about!

Here’s a key for all those beer & bar searches you’re doing on TapHunter:

Attention TapHunters! Share this freshness key with your friends and be sure to tell your local bar owner/manager too. It helps keep them motivated to update on TapHunter so they don’t get caught in loserville with an outdated list!

(SOURCE: bottlecraftbeer.com)

Hey craft beer lovers, want to know where to find your favorite bottled beers? Do you want to know about all the new arrivals at your favorite local bottle shop or the killer bottle lineup at your favorite craft beer bar? TapHunter has you covered!

We now showcase full beer lists for featured bottle shops & bars on our website and on the free mobile app for iPhone or Android! You can thumb through the selection of brews on your mobile device before you head out to hunt down those tasty libations.

Check out all the new features on Bottlecraft, The Bruery Provisions, Neighborhood, The Beer Company & Urge on TapHunter.

Now featured locations can also list their on-deck beers like Main Tap Tavern and upcoming calendar events like Sesions Public. We want you to have more TapHunter information at your fingertips, including all the great beers and events at your favorite bottle shops and bars!

The new iPhone app is now available. You can download it here from the Apple store for free!

Do you have feedback or suggestions for us? If so we would love to hear from you! Please leave comments below.

That’s right, this Sunday April 1st marks the return of the Mission Valley Craft Beer & Food Festival! MVCBF Fest brings together local food, local beer, & local music at The Handlery Hotel.

Come for the beer, stay for the food. Come for the food, stay for the beer. Either way, you need to be here. Most beer festivals are all about standing in line to get your taster and then standing in another line for another taster. Food is almost always an afterthought. That’s not how it goes at the MVCBF Fest. Beer AND food are natural partners and MVCBF Fest offers a wide variety of both. The 20 food vendors are all chefs who bring their “A” game to the table. 25 confirmed breweries will be on hand to serve up tasty libations. Add to that, 3 fantastic bands and a partnership with Fresh Start Surgical Gifts and Wounded Warrior Homes, and you have a spectacular day of food, beer and fun for a great cause.

General Admission: $40 pre-sale, $45 at the door. Doors open at 2:00 PM. (unlimited tastings of food and beers)

VIPAdmission: $50 pre-sale, $55 at the door. VIP hour from 1:00-2:00 PM.

Designated Driver Admission: $20 pre-sale, $25 at the door.

Purchase Tickets Here & use promo code “taphunter” for $5 off your ticket price!

Kick off the spring with a weekend of fun at the San Diego Brew and Crew.  Enjoy the beautiful views of Mission Bay while sipping your favorite local brews and listening to the sounds of incredible music.  The inaugural event will feature 15 local craft breweries, gourmet food trucks as well as live entertainment. Brew & Crew will be set against the backdrop of The Crew Classic which attracts over 4,000 participants from colleges and rowing clubs competing in more than 100 races over the course of two days to row over a 2,000 meter course on Mission Bay.

Come out and enjoy some of the best beer, food and entertainment San Diego has to offer.

Session One:  Saturday March 31, 2012 / 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Session Two:  Sunday April 1, 2012 / 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Location: Ski Beach (Mission Bay), San Diego

General Admission: $40 (On-line/Advance): Includes ten (5oz.) beer tastings, a commemorative taster cup and live music. Food and full pours are available for purchase.

Designated Driver: $20 (On-line/Advance): Includes bottled water and live music. Food is available for purchase.

Purchase Your Tickets Here & use promo code “taphunter” to get $5 off!

(SOURCE thebeerchicks.com)

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, let’s consider a quick history of this holiday. 1600 years ago, a young Roman boy living in modern-day Wales was taken by Celtic savages and enslaved in Ireland. Upon his escape 6 years later, young Patrick returned to his English homeland to become a missionary, eventually traveling back to Ireland. During his mission work there, he converted many Irish to Catholicism. Legend has it that he used the 3-leaf shamrock as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity and the 4-leaf shamrock as a metaphor for another holy quest: the building blocks of good beer.

Barley, Hops, Yeast and Water represent the 4 lucky clover leaves in the beer world and St.

Example of Food-Coloring Altered Green Beer

Patrick would want you to spread that good word to all those surrounding you today. Craft beer is all around you, but there is an impending threat out there lurking on St. Patrick’s Day: fizzy yellow beer, disguised with green food coloring! Don’t let this twisted concoction lure you this holiday; instead stand up in solidarity for the pursuit of craft beer! Preach that holy lesson to all your friends and family on St. Patrick’s Day. Find a delicious  Red Ale and revel in its roasted caramel maltiness and beautiful copper color. Or get lost in the mesmerizing, cascading head of a nitrous-poured Stout. Whatever you do, spend this St. Patrick’s day preaching the gospel of good beer and drink something lovingly handcrafted and full of rich flavor. Have a safe and happy weekend and above all- drink the beer St. Patrick would want you to drink on his day!