Did you know that there is only one artisanal cheese maker in Southern California that can actually sell cheese? It seems almost impossible, but any cheese you get at the farmer's markets around here is from a far off land, unless it's from Winchester Gouda.

Fortunately, their cheeses are some of the best. It's authentic Dutch style gouda, a creamy white to yellow cheese made with raw milk that can be either soft or hard depending on how long it's been aged. We'll be featuring a cheese plate of 5 different types of Winchester gouda starting August 1st. The cheese melds perfectly with flavors like garden herb, jalapeno, and cumin.

On Thursday, August 5th at 7pm, Jeffrey Smoot, expert cheese maker at Winchester Gouda, will be joining us for a 5-course gouda tasting menu. If you've ever wondered about how great cheeses are made, this is your chance to learn and indulge. Chef Christy will be making 5 special menu items to highlight the flavors of each cheese which will be paired either with a taster size local draft beer or half glass of wine.

The price for the dinner will be $45 per person and include a short presentation about how Gouda is made! Reservations for this event are required. Please call or e-mail Elena at 619-997-8043 or elena@searocketbistro.com to hold your seat. A credit card is required and $10 will be charged per person for any no-shows the night of.

Here is the scrumptious menu that Christy is planning:

Garden Herb Gouda Cracker Bread with Susie's Farm Heirloom Tomato Salad
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Susie's Squash Blossoms Filled with Mild Gouda, brown rice and summer squash
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Jalapeno Gouda Nachos with Brandt Ground Beef and Cunningham Farms Avocado Guacamole
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Cheesy Local Mushrooms from Golden Gourmet & Mountain Meadow Farms with Smoked Gouda
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Local Farms Fruit Plate with Super Aged Gouda

I recently went up to Santa Barbara (actually north of there near Goleta) to visit Craig Makela, owner of the Santa Barbara Olive Company. We've had their olives on the menu and wanted to share with you (through a video) why we think they're so amazing.

Part 1 of the Santa Barbara Olive Video

Keg capacity rules of thumb

Full Keg = 1/2 BBL = 15.5 gallons = 160-175 pours (pints)
Half Keg = 1/4 BBL = 7.5 gallons = 80-85 pours (pints)
Full Cask = Furkin = 10.8 gallons = about 80 pours (can't drain entire cask so just over half as many pours as a full keg even though it's almost 2/3rds the capacity)
Half Cask = Pin = 5 gallons?? = 40 pours (pints)??

Local Breweries

in alphabetical order

Airdale
Tony Clarke, Owner: 619-822-0769, tonyclarke@airdalebrewing.com
Mark Schell, Sales Rep: 619-708-2401, markschell@airdalebrewing.com

Ballast Point
Ryan Glenn, Distribution Manager, (858) 695-2739/fax (858) 695-2734/cell (619) 571-3314, bpbrewerryan@sbcglobal.net
Also available through Crest Beverage (see under Green Flash below)
10051 Old Grove Road suite B, San Diego, CA 92131
Jeff 619-571-3039

The Bruery
John, Director of Sales, 714-996-6258
715 Dunn Way, Placentia, CA 92870

Coronado Brewing Co.
Available through Crest Beverage, David: (714) 445-3380 or main: (858) 452-2300

Rick Chapman runs beer distribution, brother Ron runs the brewery restaurant, 437-4452.
They've been in business for 12 years and have a 5,000 barrel capacity now but are opening a new, larger facility which will about triple their capacity. Standard beers distributed by Mesa (recently bought by Harbor Distributing): Coronado Golden, Islander IPA, Mermaid Red Ale, and Hefeweizen. Other beers available on rotating basis, including Orange Avenue Ale (w/clover honey), Lincoln Lager (a beer taking 4-5 weeks instead of 2 using a different kind of yeast than ales), double Red or double IPAs bottled seasonally, and others...

Green Flash Brewery
Chuck DeSilva, brewmaster: 760-597-9012 x302 or cell 619-991-0267, chuck@greenflashbrew.com

Available through Crest Beverage, David Martinez: (714) 445-3380 or main: (858) 452-2300
Order Mondays before 4pm for Tuesday deliveries
As of 5/17/10 they only have West Coast IPA, 30th Street Pale Ale, Hop Head Red & Trippel Belgian in full kegs and no bottles of anything

Karl Strauss
Jinna cell 858-518-3139

Lightning Brewery
Michael Beck (Mike), sales rep: 858-413-5722, office: 858-513-8070, mike@lighteningbrewery.com

Mission Brewery
Distributor: Jen at Wine Warehouse: 619-726-8300
Mike Mellow 619-571-3313
Dan, Owner, 619-818-7147. Business partner Ray. Bill from Focus Distributing is sales rep.
Dan was amateur brewer for 20 years then went pro and revived historic brewery off of freeway near airport, one of first breweries that got wiped out by prohibition, they bought it a year ago- was turned into office space- equipment was in such poor condition that they couldn't use it and took up space in Miami Cafe @ UTC. Are building out a new facility (Ritual Tavern has their Blonde on tap- their second best seller). Helles and IPA have taken prizes. Recommends trying Kolsch (authentic German style from Koln) or Hefeweizen to start to go with seafood.

San Diego Brewing Co.
10450 Friars Road Ste L
San Diego, CA 92120
619-284-2739
Dean, Brewer

Stone Brewing
(includes Port Brewing, AleSmith, The Bruery & Paulaner N/A beer)
Mark Zimmerman, 760-644-0134, mark.zimmerman@stonebrew.com

Co2 Refills

Fuller's kegguys.com, 3896 Rosecrans, 92110, 619-296-5347
Liquor Locker, 2521 Morena Blvd, 619-276-5055
Air Gas Inc, 9010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, 858-278-2050
Stoody Industrial Welding Supply, 3316 National Ave
Pelot's Bev Service, Kearny Mesa, 858-565-7580
West Air Gas & Equipment, 8025 Arjon Dr, 619-562-1880
Beer King, 5037 Shawline St, 858-292-9210
B's Keg Beer, 1429 E Main St, El Cajon CA 92021, 619-442-0265

Ballast Point Brewing: Mesa distributes their regular 5 beers and they distribute their specialty beers themselves.
858-695-2739 Main Office/Sales, 619-298-2337 Brewery, Linda Vista

Regular Beers: Wahoo Wheat, Yellowtail Pale Ale, Calico Amber, Big Eye IPA, Black Marlin Porter- all are available both in kegs (1/2 barrel & 5 gallon) and bottles (22 oz.) Pale Ale, Amber & IPA are also bottled in 12 oz.
Specialty Beers are available on a rotating basis, mostly just in kegs, but some limited quantities are bottled.

Twin Oaks Valley Winery is located in San Marcos. This is a little bit unusual considering that most north county wineries are in either Temecula or Ramona, but Jacob Kappeler and his business partner Frank Bons, also neighbors, have found a niche for grapes on their combined lands. Jacob runs T&H Prime Meats & Sausages, an extensive butcher shop that makes a wide array of sausages made from chicken, turkey, pork, beef and even lamb. Frank used to grow roses but was eventually pushed out of the flower market by cheaper imports from South America.