Here are your Weekend Plans for this sunny weekend in San Diego, March 2nd 2012 – an ongoing list of craft beer events each weekend.

Churchill’s Renaissance Rare Beer Fest 2012 – Saturday, March 3rd

As Brandon Hernandez from San Diego Magazine wrote:
“One such event is taking place this Saturday (March 3) at San Marcos’ Churchill’s Pub and Grille (887 W. San Marcos Blvd). Owner Ivan Derezin, who works like a man possessed to procure and archive some of the choicest brews in the world, is holding his annual open-that-bottle event. It’s an all-day affair called Renaissance where he stocks his 50-tap tower with the best he has to offer from his immense cold storage archives.

Renaissance’s drool-inspiring line-up includes gems like The Bruery Sour in the Rye, Dogfish Head 120-Minute IPA, Karl Strauss Queen of Tarts, Mikkeler Sur Munk, Russian River Consecration Batch 2 and Port Brewing Ad-Lib; aged versions of Rodenbach Grand Cru (2008), Firestone Walker Parabola (2010), Deschutes The Abyss (2008), Great Divide Chocolate Yeti (2010), The Lost Abbey Angel’s Share (2011), New Belgium La Folie (2010), Russian River Temptation (2011) and Ballast Point Victory at Sea (2011); plus the aforementioned Pliny the Younger.”

Hess Brewing w/ MIHO Gastrotruck – Friday, March 2nd

MIHO Gastrotruck will be out at Hess Brewing today starting at 5pm slinging out some seriously good food next to great beer. Hess will be tapping their Special Edition Grazias Induresco to pair with some favorites like Banh Mi.

Alright before you freak out and look for a In-N-Out food truck nearest you, I have to say that they’re for special events only and need to be booked for $1250 or more. Now that’s out of the way, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?! I will totally plan some sort of beer event with other San Diegans where we all chip in to have them cater the event. What’s better after a couple (4+) IPAs than greasy, delicious Double-Double’s? Seriously.

If anyone is interested in helping me plan such an event or has ideas, let me know in the comments or at shawn@foodrevu.com.

Here’s a link to more information from In-N-Out’s website:
http://www.in-n-out.com/cookout_trailer.asp

I’m going to do my best here not to sound like every other person who lines up for Pliny the Younger when it comes to town. We’ll see if I can pull it off – here goes.

Pliny the Younger brewed by Russian River is a rare beer only produced once a year for two weeks, usually right around February up in Santa Rosa, CA. Russian River distributes some kegs to lucky bar and pub owners and San Diego happens to be a major recipient. It’s not unusual to find lines out the door for this beer alone once a bar announces they’ll have it on tap. You might be wondering now, is the beer worth it?

Well…I…yes goddammit it is. Screw this I’m a fanboy and I’ll admit it. The beer is freaking delicious. Now I will say that it may not be 1 hour wait on a Tuesday at 3pm good (although I did wait at 11:30 in the morning for it at Tiger! Tiger!), but if you find yourself in the frenzy by chance, order the beer immediately. Ok enough of the sucking up, here are the facts.

Tickets at Pliny the Fundraiser put on by Tiger! Tiger! in North Park.

The Specs
Style: American Double IPA
ABV: 10.7%
Color: Golden, Burnt Orange

Aroma: Not as distinct as expected for a beer with this many hops but still aromatic. Smells of pine, fruit and a combination of hops.

Taste: This beer is very smooth and leaves a little bit of resin in your mouth but not too much. Everything about this beer is well rounded. Hops come through in the middle but the finishing taste is a slight sweetness of alcohol.

Overall: 5/5 - Trust me, I didn’t want to give this beer a perfect score but I just can’t resist. It’s not the elusiveness of the beer that makes me love it but the way Russian River masks 11% so smoothly and still delivers a complex taste.

Every Sunday off Lincoln and Normal streets in Hillcrest from 9 to 2, you will find a farmer’s market that always draws a crowd. Known for its fresh fruit, veggies and flowers, the Hillcrest Farmers Market is a great way to spend your Sunday morning browsing produce or artisan stalls selling jewelry and clothing. It also boasts multiple food vendors cooking their lamb or frying their tortillas with a smell that wafts down the street and will undoubtedly persuade you to eat. Every time I visit the market I go in with the mindset to only grab some apples or squash but wind up demolishing a cornish pasty or some gyro because of that smell. Not complaining though.

The market does do a good job of showcasing the produce though by separating the stalls into two lanes. Walk down the main one and you’ll see flowers of every color as well as specialty items like herbal teas and hummus dips. While browsing the main walkway last Sunday I stumbled upon some herbs that looked great and as I was perusing the owners walked up. Whitney and Suilin run the Whole Earth Acre farms up in Vista, CA and come to the market every Sunday. Nice as can be, this couple was quick to teach me about their best sellers and which plants fare best this time of year. Even though I didn’t purchase anything with them, I would recommend stopping by to learn more and look into growing your own spices or vegetables.

On the other side of the market you’ll find the source of that great smell with stalls offering everything from big pastries to warm curries. Being a sucker for Indian food, I got a lamb masala with a vegetable samosa to warm me up on a cooler morning than most. The curry wasn’t bad but I would stick to the guy cooking up his marinated chicken for those tasty gyros next time. Down the same lane you can walk by handbags, jewelry and clothing next to some live music as you enjoy your food. Not a bad way to start your Sunday.

Fresh herbs from Whole Earth Acre farms in Vista, CA.

Whitney and Suilin with Whole Earth Acre farms.

Pink ladies among the fresh fruit offered every Sunday.

Lamb curry with a vegetable samosa from one of many vendors at the market.

This guy knows what he’s doing. Marinated chicken kebabs with pita bread.

Live music entertaining a crowd at the Hillcrest Farmers Market.

Poured on draft at Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Mongo IPA is a double IPA with a hop-forward taste and plenty of bitterness to leave you smacking your lips like you’ve just eaten a grapefruit. Sound bad? In my opinion, it’s great! I love aggressive beers like this and even though it can’t be said this beer is balanced, I say who cares? The guys at Port Brewing certainly don’t and they do a good job of making a “West Coast” brew here.

The Specs
Style:  American Double IPA
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: ? (Most likely up there)

Aroma: Hoppy with citrus notes from the Cascade, Amarillo and Simcoe hops. Smells of grapefruit and pine.

Taste: There’s a strong resin left in your mouth after drinking a pint but it’s a good feeling. Flavors from the hops dominate the taste with very little malt coming through. The beer also has a big head that lasts for some time leaving tracings along the glass.

Overall: 4.25/5 - I liked Mongo quite a bit and even though it’s up there around 8.5%, I ordered a couple of these to see me through a pizza. Would definitely order this again.