By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Trigger-free Budweiser cans
Right-wing conservatives still seething over Budweiser’s use of trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney on its Bud Light label last year can take solace in the company’s latest can designs — and maybe drink in harmony with their fellow LGBTQ Padres fans.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) season kicked off with a can design by Budweiser that honors the San Diego Padres and Petco Park. It shows off the team’s logo hovering over a silvery photo of Petco Park occupied by fans. The company actually rolled out beer can designs unique to all 16 teams across the league. They are limited editions available in their respective team cities wherever Budweiser is sold.
In addition, the beer giant introduced a general “league can” for baseball fans who might not align with any particular team — or who might be closet fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Budweiser last April partnered with trans entertainer Mulvaney for a commemorative can design supporting trans awareness. The backlash from conservative groups was swift. The fallout continues as Bloomberg News and reps from Columbia Distributing recently reported that Budweiser is poised to lose 10 to 18 percent of its retail shelf space across the nation this year because of ongoing boycotts. us.budweiser.com.
Say ‘cheese’
Imagine an exhibition space brimming with more than 100 different types of cheeses that you can consume without limitation. Ditto for the mescal, tequila, local beers, ciders and coffees, also in the mix.
Look no further than the fourth annual Cheese Expo to fulfill that dream.
Presented by locally-based Liquid City, the soiree will welcome attendees in two separate sessions on April 28 at Liberty Station’s 5,000-square-foot Brick event hall. The expo will operate that day from 1 to 4 pm, and 5 to 8 pm. The cost for either session is $95.
“There will be a mix of cheeses from around the world, with about nine of our vendors from Wisconsin,” said Edwin Real, who co-founded Liquid City with business partner and cheese monger Rob Graff of Venissimo Cheese. Real is also the creator and moderator of the Facebook group, Eating and Drinking in Diego.
Real says the expo is a fitting launch into National Cheese Month in May, and that it will attract up to 1,000 people.
“But there is an intimate feel to it,” he added. “It’s about exploring cheese and talking with many of the cheese makers who come here to take part because of our bubbling food culture. We’re at about 40 vendors. You can rightfully say that it’s one of the more unique culinary events in San Diego.”
Venissimo and the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin are among the main sponsors. Some of the cheese and “liquid” merchants will include Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Central Coast Creamery, Emmentaler AOP, Bivouac Ciderworks, AleSmith, Vino Carta, Tequila Don Fulano, and Casa ZG Coffee. Tickets can be purchased at the door (2863 Historic Decatur Road) or by visiting liquidcitysd.com.
Eating for a good cause
April is Earth Month. As a result, seven San Diego establishments are taking part in Bites for a Better Planet, a campaign that will directly benefit the anti-litter organization, I Love a Clean San Diego. The businesses taking part have pledged to donate portions of their sales from various dishes to the local organization through April 30.
Spill the Beans, for example, is giving a percentage of its general sales to the cause, plus $1 from every cup sold of cold brew with orange peel. The coffee roaster receives the citrus from Olivewood Gardens in National City. In turn, the coffee grounds from the cold brew are given to Olivewood as fertilizer for its community gardens.
At the Original 40 Brewing Company in North Park, 50 percent of sales from their mint-kissed “Patou’s summer salad” will be donated.
Other participants include George’s at the Cove in La Jolla, Arely’s French Bakery in Clairemont, The Smoking Gun in the Gaslamp Quarter, and Music Box in Little Italy. For more details about Bites for a Better Planet, visit altstrategies.com/bitesforabetterplanet.
All about cider
Expansion is the name of the game at the “women-powered” Bivouac Ciderworks in North Park. The established tasting room and restaurant recently debuted a 5,700-square-foot venture next door called Ciderworks Adventure Lodge, which features a general store stocked with signature sundries and ciders.
The “lodge” itself greets with a communal seating area and a curvy bar, where visitors can imbibe on house-made ciders ranging from dry pear and mixed berry to orange and pineapple flavors. Each rings in at 6 percent alcohol by volume. The rotating tap system also gives way to ciders from local, national and international companies. A limited selection of wine and local beers are also available.
Bivouac is owned by Lara Worm, who launched the first phase of the business six years ago at 3986 30th St. Her new Adventure Lodge is located at 3980 30th St. 619-725-0844, bivouaccider.com.
Calendar item: Taste of Hillcrest
One of San Diego’s favorite “taste of” events continues to bounce back after taking a punch from the pandemic that began four years ago. Today, the upcoming Taste of Hillcrest will spotlight more than 25 neighborhood establishments doling out their latest and greatest culinary offerings. The event will be held from noon to 4 pm, April 13.
Look for tantalizing sips and nibbles such as wine slushies from newcomer Cork & Stem; sweet and savory crepes from Creme de la Crepe; allergen-free chocolate chip cookies from Starry Lane Bakery; strawberry-lemonade cocktails from AWOL; chicken wings from Hillcrest Brewing Co.; and more.
Tickets are $40 per person. They can be purchased online at fabuloushillcrest.com or at either of the two check-in stations: the Hillcrest Business Association, on the east side of Hillcrest at 1601 University Ave., and Hairspray Salon, on the west side, at 141 University Ave.
–Frank Sabatini Jr. has been writing about food in San Diego for over 35 years. He launched his own food blog during the pandemic, called, “The Hash Star,” which you can follow at thehashstar.com. He can be reached at [email protected].
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