By Steven Wandrey and Corey Jay //
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 8th-10th, 2014 //
When strolling through the polo fields at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, sometimes you need a refreshing beverage. Most of the beers listed here are so good that you’ll have a sip and be forced to stop walking to take in the overwhelming flavors, but don’t lose your friends. Located conveniently at the back of the main stage, Beer Lands has been getting better and stronger with (mostly) local craft beer selections. Here is a carefully curated list of beer/artist pairings that will even further accentuate each other at the festival.
The wind rips through the park at night with a chill from the ocean, which is why there is a focus on darker more robust beers here. While all of these beers may not be the exact selections offered on the days of the festival, there are sure to be plenty of tasty options from these tip-top breweries.
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View our Outside Lands night show breakdown!
Bitter American by 21st Amendment Brewery for Kanye West
Here’s Kanye on a review for College Dropout: “A horrible album with just Jesus Walks on it is a four! C’mon dog, the demo version was a five! You need to rate it again, but you’ll have to create a new rating system.” Bitter, Kanye? While he may not actually be the most bitter person around, I think we can all agree that he is always full of … confidence. In spite of Kanye’s overflowing self-love and general obnoxious behavior, we’re all plenty stoked to go see the production Yeezus puts on. Bitter American is a hoppy American pale ale with relatively low ABV that’ll be perfect for the polo fields during the rap king’s headlining set. Just remember not to be too bitter while he’s ranting about how incredible he is (in the third person), and have fun. -SW
Wookey Jack American Black Ale by Firestone Walker Brewing for The Flaming Lips
When subjecting yourself to the intense sensory onslaught of the Flaming Lips’ live show, you may need a hefty beer to anchor yourself down. That’s where the Wookey Jack comes in. This 8.3-percent beer will give your taste buds a grip with a balance of syrupy but crisp, roast-y, hoppy goodness. The Flaming Lips may decide to play a set deeply mired in psychedelia or a poppy one heavy with Yoshimi, and you’ll be dually covered with the Wookey Jack. -SW
Inception by Triple Voodoo Brewing for Typhoon
Only four years since their debut release, Typhoon is experiencing a breakthrough in exposure and popularity. Their anthemic indie rock is cathartic and widely appealing. Triple Voodoo is also close to its debut release, and the SF-based brewery has been making big strides as well. Inception is a Belgian-style Triple with a dry finish that neatly disguises its burly alcohol percentage of 8 percent. Hopefully both Typhoon and Triple Voodoo continue to grow in popularity, because both are well deserved of their acclaim thus far. -SW
Campfire Stout by High Water Brewing for Woods
High Water Brewing out of San Leandro, Calif., has been making some fine brews for a while now, and one of the best is their Campfire Stout. Made for the outdoors, roasty malts, vanilla, caramel and marshmallows will swirl around your palate as Woods’ psychedelic-folk swirls in the air around you. This beer is as close to eating a s’more in liquid form as you can get. Touring in support of their new album With Light and With Love, Woods has a hefty slate of shows on the docket, including a night show at Brick & Mortar the night before their Outside Lands performance. -SW
Kalifornia Kolch by Magnolia Pub & Brewery for Nikki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Nikki Bluhm is a local favorite in SF because of her powerfully soulful singing and classic feel-good rock. What better way to enjoy the show than with a beer most likely brewed within five miles from her? Magnolia is making fantastic beer with storefronts in the Dogpatch and the Upper Haight. Assuming this is a day time show, their Kalifornia Kolch will blend perfectly with some sun and dancing. Clearly a group of heady guys, whatever Magnolia decided to bring will be solid. Other favorites are their Proving Grounds Double IPA and the Weakapaug Gruit. -SW
Bigfoot Barleywine Ale by Sierra Nevada Brewing for Duck Sauce
Right as the true depths of the intensely flavored Bigfoot by Sierra Nevada surface, the non stop rhythm and beastly sounds of the “Big Bad Wolf” by Duck Sauce should be allowing your true inhibitions to surface. The pairing will create a plethora of robust favors, explicit undertones, and sensual excitement if given the chance to groove side by side. When you see “Barbara Streisand” on the dance floor, just make sure to thank the local Bigfoot by Sierra Nevada. -CJ
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