Destinations: Magnolia Pub and Brewery

Sarah Jessica Parker's Magnolia Bakery has cupcakes, but One Woman's Magnolia Pub and Brewery in San Francisco has the great bubblies. There's a lot to love about Magnolia Pub. For one thing, it's one of the most lady friendly bars around. One Woman has spent many a late afternoon or evening at Magnolia reading a book and sipping on some lovely handcrafted house-brewed ale after a shift at the Women's Community Clinic around the corner (FYI - ladies, the place is a FREE clinic for you, staffed by some of the smartest, coolest women around). Another reason to love Magnolia is their selection. By that, I don't mean more is better. Actually, on any given night, they'll only have about a dozen beers on tap -- most of them brewed in house, with a few guest beers from near-by places like Green Flash or Speakeasy Ales and Lagers. Part of the homemade charm of this place is that even if you order the same beer, it could taste substantially different. Finally, $3 beers all day and all night on Tuesdays! Do it.

The beer of the evening - Bonnie Lee's Best Bitter, cask conditioned. This beer is an English bitter, which is typically, a mild beer that's more about mellowness than being a knockout supermodel beer. The "best" is an indicator that loosely describes the bitter's strength - around 4% ABV for this one. The color of this beer is amazing. It has a dreamy golden ruby color with a little haze in soft focus. More about balance between the creamy, a nice dose of gently hopped bitterness, and a hint of buttery caramel, Bonnie Lee is a cozy beer that also lets you focus on your food, the music, or whatever else you want to enjoy in the moment -- like the conversation with an old friend from high school (this one I had not seen in 15 years!!). Cheers, JG.

Musical pairing - Smashing Pumpkins, "1979" off of their 1996 album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.  The other hits like "Today" and "Tonight, Tonight" on that album are more obvious hit material, but there's something a little bit softer, gentler, and touching in its way. It's just something about that little guitar riff...

P.S.
Did you ever notice that somewhere between the video for "Today" and "1979," Billy Corgan shaved his head?