Jack Kerouac Alley, once a side street known for frequent garbage dumping but is now a little gateway of culture connecting Chinatown and North Beach. Formally known as Alder Alley, this convenient little connection was renamed after Jack Kerouac, the famous beat writer who used to hang out there. The walkway is now filled with engraved Western and Chinese poems from many poets including Kerouac himself.
At the end of this alleyway on Columbus street is a little bar called Vesuvio, known for being a hangout to beat celebrities like Jack Kerouac, Dylan Thomas, and Neal Cassady. Inside, cluttered with art, posters, and artifacts, was a funky little bar with balcony seating and a decent drink menu. We had arrived early in the afternoon so the place was fairly empty when we got there, but after a casual drink and some conversation, the regulars seemed to trickle in.
It was here I had my first beer from Rogue, a craft brewery from Newport, Oregon. This was a nice little break from the heavy I.P.A. consumption I had been doing in San Francisco. This would be a great beer to have with food as it is relatively mild in flavor intensity. The beer poured a nice orange/amber with little head. It had a refreshing smell of fruits like apricot and citrus but with faint smells of malt. This was a good casual beer to have, my only suggestion would be to intensify the flavor a bit as I found it to be a bit too mild.
Rating: 7/10
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 40
