Mission Mission

At 9.5% ABV, this was a gnarly thing to try to drink on such a summery summer weekend, but I just had to try this rare variation on the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Its full name has something to do with the 25th anniversary of Celebrator Beer News, so I suspect it won’t be widely available, or available for long, but it was on tap at Zeitgeist as of a couple days ago.

Basically, it tastes like they crammed two or three classic Sierras into one small goblet: lots of hops, lots of sweetness, lots of texture. And lots of alcohol. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of the original, though it’d be more fun to drink in the winter months. (Good thing June is coming soon.)

Drink of the week is brought to you by Poachedjobs.com.

Man, seems like we posted this exact news like a jillion years ago. When will this actually happen???

(Thanks, Devin!)

Our pal Carlos saw someone who looked like Woody Allen in front of Esperpento at 22nd and Valencia. Turns out it was him, along with his wife Soon-Yi Previn, confirmed by the NY Post (whose logo font kinda looks like ours… coincidence?).

I smell field research for Vicky Cristina Barcelona II: Vicky Cristina San Francisco.

Update: Woah, Esperpento owner Carlos Muela, who’s apparently a good sport about my gratuitous “overpriced small plates” jab, just sent us this:

If there’s any good time to throw the devil horns, it’s when you’re taking a picture with Woody Allen.

Update 2: According to tablehopper, he’s in town filming a new, untitled movie with Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, and Louis C.K!

Countdown till a “Cate Blanchett having a beer at Zeitgeist” post.

Last Saturday, a car crashed into the bike rack area in front of Zeitgeist, destroying a bunch of bikes and breaking some poor guy’s leg. Uptown Almanac has the scoop and some more bike snuff pictures.

In case you bailed early, dragging your useless pile of spokes and gears home while sobbing uncontrollably, you’re entitled to an insurance claim from the car’s owner. That’s right, bikes are vehicles too, and are covered under standard collision policies. The SF Bike Coalition informs us:

If your bicycle was one of the bikes damaged in the crash, go to the Mission Police Station and provide a description of your bike. You will receive a case number and details to file an insurance claim.

[photo via Uptown Almanac]

This exchange:

[via KimiYuki]

First she came up with the idea for coconut water (as you can see in the “Man Down” video below), and now she’s hanging at Zeitgeist. Rihanna is cool.

UPDATE: I think it’s true, based on how badly this guy wants us to think it’s not.

Ever since the legendary Bike Basket Pies folded up shop last year, I figured the heyday of bike-powered anything in SF was over. Not so. The Bold Italic last week profiled a handful of locals who do business on their bikes, such as Brad from Boozely’s:

Brad began his pickle peddling two years ago in the street food scene, with his DIY goods laid out on a blanket for passersby to stumble upon. Soon SF-dwellers caught on – as Boozely’s products started flying off the shelves (blanket, rather), Brad commanded the attention of some major SF institutions. Zeitgeist now features his pickled green beans in their infamous Bloody Marys, and Bi-Rite, Cheese Plus, and Tony’s Market have picked up his signature cukes, green beans, okra, and Brussels sprouts.

Read on for coffee, banh mi, flowers and curry!

A 2 alarm fire is raging at Valencia and Duboce, at a multi-story apartment building across the street from Zeitgeist.

I can smell it from 22nd and hear the sirens. I hope everyone’s OK.

Update (1:35pm):

It was upped to a 4 alarm fire. Witnesses reported an explosion prior. The blaze is under control now. 37 people will be displaced and there were 5 injured including 3 firefighters who were victims of a collapsed staircase. Scary stuff. Read on at Mission Loc@l.

[photo by nancymancias]

From our pal Plumpy:

I was doing laundry on 14th & Valencia, when I walked out and there were about 100 Occupy kids in face masks and bandanas marching down the middle street without a cop in sight. I was waiting on the corner to see what was going on when they just started smashing windows. The Taca Airlines place on the corner and few businesses next to it got their windows obliterated, as well as the new condos across 14th. Eventually I noticed they were being followed by three cop cars, who apologized for being too outnumbered to do anything.

They headed up to Zeitgeist and stood outside, seeming to briefly ponder smashing the windows of a busy bar before thinking better of it. They headed down Duboce, smashing car windows, throwing trash in the street, and spray painting anything that seemed interesting. After breaking Brick & Mortar’s windows, the riot cops finally showed up on 14th & Mission, right outside my apartment.

The cops were shoving them back towards Duboce, but when they got there, a cop car ran into another private car. I think in the chaos the anarchist weirdos mostly got away into SOMA, presumably to wreak havoc on more undeserving people.

Then, I guess, a silver lining? A small coalition of neighbors and the local homeless joining together to pick everything back up. Yay, community? But ugh.

UPDATE: I’m pretty sure this was not an Occupy action. I apologize for the misleading headline. Plumpy wrote it in the heat of the moment, and I posted it in the heat of the moment. More on the origins of the demonstration here.

They played Soft Bulletin in its entirety, fueled in part by at least one trip to Zeitgeist.

Rolling Stone was on the scene:

Before launching into it, [Flaming Lips frontman Wayne] Coyne invited Noise Pop’s producers onstage and presented them with a certificate that came directly from San Francisco Mayer Ed Lee, declaring February 21st- 26th Noise Pop Week. As if local music fans hadn’t known that already, for the past 20 years.

Read on for the full review.

[Photos by C'mon Pony and Drew Beck]