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Celebrate Mother's Day at Ritual
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Mother's Day, 2013
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Complimentary Organic Strawberry Shortbread for Mom 
On Sunday May 12th
Third off Thursdays
 Save 33% off any bottle of wine every Thursday in May. Enjoy thirst quenching savings!
Now Serving J'Baile Ranch Avocados
 The Bailey family farms avocados spray and pesticide free. This is local avocado season, and Ritual is serving them up proper. Link to Rancho J'Balie.com
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Brunch begins at 11:00 a.m. Every Saturday & Sunday
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Hello Friends,
You’ll do everyone a favor by treating Mother with a visit to Ritual Tavern this weekend.
In addition to our regular menu, we will also be serving a 3 course Prix Fixe menu. Start with the included glass of Prosecco. Then enjoy roasted young asparagus spears, poached Da-Le Ranch egg & shaved parmesan. Next enjoy Scallops with local J'Balie Avoccado, Oro Blanco Grapefruit, blood orange over english pea puree. Dessert is Strawberry Shortcake. All this for $30 per person plus tax and gratuity
$4 Ballast Point Bloody Marys, as well as $3 Mimosas are available from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm both Saturday and Sunday every weekend.
Eggs Benedict and Strawberry and Cream Cheese Stuffed Brioche French Toast are just two of our brunch offerings. You may also enjoy 2 Eggs any style with Bacon & Sadie Rose Ciabatta Toast, or Pulled Pork Hash and Eggs too.
All of this can be enjoyed in our patio garden settings if outdoor dining suits Mom. Ritual takes all guests on a first come first serve basis, there is no need for a reservation.
New kegs being tapped this week include Alpine Duet, Rough Draft Vanilla Stout, Speakeasy Prohibition Amber, Lost Abbey Devotion, Widmer Kill Devil Barrel Aged Brown, and more!
May DrinkAbout raises money to feed San Diego children over summer break.
 Proceeds will benefi t Feeding America San Diego. Many schoolchildren depend on the School Lunch Program, which is not available during summer break. Feeding America gets lunches to these kids. Now is the time to participate. Thanks to a generous donor matching program, every dollar raised by Ritual will result in 18 meals provided. Stop in and raise a glass, for every draft sold Ritual donates a dollar!
Cheers from the folks at The Ritual Tavern, Kitchen & Beer Garden!
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Oyster Boys, Cask IPA, Live Blues
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April 24th, 2013
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AleSmith IPA Cask
 Cask Conditioned AleSmith IPA will flow on Saturday, May 4th at 4:30. Check out the Oyster Boys pop up oyster bar while you enjoy your IPA. AleSmith Website
1/3 off Thursdays!
Join us every Thursday for 33% OFF WINE BOTTLES :)
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Ritual Tavern & Beer Garden Events
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Howdy Neighbor,
With so much going on in May, we've got a lot to tell you about!
But first, remember we've got Trio Gadjo and their hot gypsy inspired jazz for your enjoyment every 1st, 2nd and 4th Wednesday (that's tonight!) evening while you dine or enjoy beverages in the garden or at the bar.
Dine Out 4.25 Tomorrow, Thursday April 25th help us support The Center’sHIV/AIDS services and prevention programs. Every year Ritual participates in ‘Dining Out for Life’ and 25% of that evenings proceeds will benefit the programs. Dine Out. Fight AIDS. Participating restaurants
Oyster Boys and Cask AleSmith IPA 5.4
Spend the first Saturday happy hour of May at ‘Oyster Boys’ pop up oyster bar on May 4th. Join Chris, one of the fastest oyster shuckers in town, on his patio bar from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Chris will offer three (of whichever oysters are best that day) varieties of oyster and shuck each one to order for $2 each. (Cash only direct to Chris for the oysters)
To complement the oysters, Ritual will tap a fresh Cask of AleSmith IPA at 4:30 pm that Saturday. Cask pours will be $4 until it's empty.
Third off Thursdays
Every Thursday in May will be ‘Third off Thursday.’ Save 33% Off All Bottles of Wine! This will be the perfect opportunity to fall in love with our new wine list. Among the additions are Amberhill ‘Secret Blend’ of California Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscato grapes. This is a bright zesty and refreshing white. Also new on the list is a South African Chenin Blanc. Secateurs (South African for pruning shears) from Badenhorst Family Wines is a refined dry white, excellently structured with a balance of citrus and spice. You'll definitely be looking forward to another evening of Secateurs!
On the red side of the wine list are two new robust heavy hitters. Shebang! Fifth Cuvee is a blend of just about every grape in the North Coast. This blend is full bodied with a hint of sangria and robust clove spice. Another darling is Pedroncelli Dry Creek Valley Petit Sirah. The Pedroncelli family has been growing grapes there since 1937, so you can imagine they are practically defining the Petite Sirah style in this bottle. This is an immensely robust, full flavored and memorable wine. We are all about the quality and value within these wines, and we can’t wait for you to come in and enjoy them.
O.B. Blues Band 5.19
Then on Sunday, May 19th, enjoy Blues from the veteran and storied muscians O.B. Blues Band. All three have played since the 1960s, and have converged around Ocean Beach. These ‘Old Boys’ consist of Dene Davidson, who trained under the legendary Chet Baker. Willie Kellogg played with John Lee Hooker, and gave lessons to Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones. Spyder belonged to the Spyder Blues Band of the Bay Area 1960s era. Simply put, these guys are pros, and this show will be memorable. What a great way to spend Sunday Evening. As usual there is no cover to enjoy our musicians, its a free show.
Avery Brewing visits Ritual 5.25
Finally, Avery Brewing will present a strong showing here at Ritual on Saturday, May 25th. We will feature rare and seasonal drafts in the Belgian style. Two seasonal offerings will beKarma Belgian Pale Ale and The Reverend Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale. A very rare version of White Rascal will also pour from our taps,Lilkoi Kepolo, a version of White Rascal made with Hawaiian passion fruit. There will be lots of Joe’s Premium American Pilsner, Ellie’s Brown Ale, and India Pale Ale ice cold in cans. Chef Kyle will offer a Scallops pairing for the Karma Ale, and Avery’s own Katie Barns will be on hand so you can get the inside story about Avery Brewing.
Cheers from all of us at your Ritual!
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Societe's Finest
Mazurek: featuring Lou Fanucchi
 Sunday from 6-8pm catch a great free show with us. Read on to see Lou's amazing bio.
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April Show(stopp)ers
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Meet Societe Brewing Company Founders and Brewers this Thursday.
We are excited for the opportunity to introduce you to Travis Smith and Doug Constantiner. We are marking the occasion with a special Chef's Pairing menu and a tap tower takeover.
Both of these gentlemen have worked for breweries that have made brewing history. Travis worked at Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa, CA) then moved to The Bruery (Placentia, CA) where he worked alongside Doug. We're hoping they will be pleased we have The Bruery's White Oak barrel aged blend on draft next to their own fine ales.
The Societe draft lineup will focus on their Belgian inspired beers, but we will also have their Russian Imperial Stout 'The Butcher' as well as a single batch of single hopped ale 'The Bachelor' with Cascade hops. We recommend having 'The Bachelor' and then sitting down with Travis and Doug for Chef Kyle's four course pairing. It will be a night to remember!
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Join us at 7pm Thursday for this special night. Our first dinner and pairing event with local favorites Societe Brewing Company*! RSVP asap :) Give us a ring at 619-283-1618 or email us at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Our own Chef Kyle Bergman has created the perfect pairing for four of Societe's best beers.
Smoked Young Asparagus Tips and ‘Bacon’
Fava bean panacotta
‘The Butcher’
Grilled Halibut Hot Pot
Sous vide artichokes & spring onions saffron pork broth. carrot noodles
‘The Harlot’
Roman Style Roasted Duck Breast
grilled nectarines with mustard greens
& cauliflower mousse
‘The Debutante’
Apricot Gelato and Lemon Shortbread
‘The Madame’
Tomorrow, Wednesday night, Trio Gadjo will be performing for your pleasure. Then on Sunday April 14 one-third of the Trio will be performing with accordionist extraordinaire Lou Fanucchi + tap percussionist Claudia Gomez. We all had so much fun when they played in February we just had to invite them back! Imagine yourself on a musical journey to through many of the countries associated with celebrating life, accordion and tavern culture. Last time Mazurek played, we reveled in accordion music commonly associated with Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Tex-Mex, and out of this world!
Cheers!
From all of us, at your local tavern :)
Mike, Staci, Chef Kyle, Kyle W., James, Carrie, Samantha, LisaMarie, Kaitlan, Julio & Alvin
* Louis Fanucchi is a dedicated ambassador of the accordion for all genres of music. He studied classical/free bass accordion under international accordion icon Anthony Galla-Rini for eight years, developing a virtuostic technical command and understanding of the instrument as well as a noticeable powerhouse left hand ability rarely displayed by accordionists. He received a B.M. degree in accordion performance from San Diego State University in 1985. While he maintains one schedule as San Diego’s premiere accordion instructor, he has become the San Diego music community’s “hired gun”, soloing with ensembles ranging from the San Diego Symphony to punk and hard rock bands. Some of the artists with whom Lou has collaborated include Luciano Pavarotti, Bette Midler, The Gypsy Kings, Jerry Vale, Frankie Lane, Frankie Avalon, Queen Ida, Bob Geldof, The Beat Farmers, The Dave Matthews Band, Frank Yankovic, El Vez, Frankie Valli, The St.Louis Symphony and San Diego Symphonies, The American Ballet Company (New York), Mediterranean and Pacific Cruise Lines, The San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Starlight Opera, The Old Globe Theater and all major theatrical companies in San Diego.
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Love is on the Menu at Ritual
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February 2013
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AleSmith My Bloody Valentine is Here
 Ritual has just tapped a new keg of this delicious seasonal ale. We will also serve Cask Conditioned My Bloody Valentine on our 2.14 Chef's Pairing. Visit the AleSmith website
Lou Fanucchi this Sunday
 Sunday at 6pm catch a great free show with us. Read on to see Lou's amazing bio.
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February is for Lovers: (of craft beer, music & great food)
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Greetings and salutations!
Ritual makeover update; fresh patios and plantings!
We've been busy working on a few upgrades to the building and surrounding patios. It will be warm & sunny again soon, & when it is you'll love our patios & back beer garden as much as we do! This season we've enlisted the professional help of Karen Contreras and her team atUrban Plantations to design an amazing edible garden that will surpass any we've grown thus far. Chef Kyle Bergman is anxiously awaiting the upcoming harvest ;)
Also on deck is the makeover of our 30th Street patios. New concrete decks, plants, furniture, bar counters and fresh paint have all come together over the last couple of months.
We're here for you! Also to make you look good this Valentine season. 3 events that will either make you look thoughtful to your date, or help you celebrate your singleness.
- Sunday February 10th 6pm, Swing, Waltz, Tango and Polka to The sounds of Mazurek! Featuring the accordion of Lou Fanucchi*
- Wednesday February 13th, Trio Gadjo, candlelight, no reservation required.
- Thursday February 14th: AleSmith dinner & pairing, (wine pairing available this year)
6th Annual 'My Bloody Valentine' Dinner with AleSmith menu here.
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* Louis Fanucchi is a dedicated ambassador of the accordion for all genres of music. He studied classical/free bass accordion under international accordion icon Anthony Galla-Rini for eight years, developing a virtuostic technical command and understanding of the instrument as well as a noticeable powerhouse left hand ability rarely displayed by accordionists. He received a B.M. degree in accordion performance from San Diego State University in 1985. While he maintains one schedule as San Diego’s premiere accordion instructor, he has become the San Diego music community’s “hired gun”, soloing with ensembles ranging from the San Diego Symphony to punk and hard rock bands. Some of the artists with whom Lou has collaborated include Luciano Pavarotti, Bette Midler, The Gypsy Kings, Jerry Vale, Frankie Lane, Frankie Avalon, Queen Ida, Bob Geldof, The Beat Farmers, The Dave Matthews Band, Frank Yankovic, El Vez, Frankie Valli, The St.Louis Symphony and San Diego Symphonies, The American Ballet Company (New York), Mediterranean and Pacific Cruise Lines, The San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Starlight Opera, The Old Globe Theater and all major theatrical companies in San Diego.
Cheers! From all of us at your Ritual!
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10/16/2012
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Fall Treats at The Ritual
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October 16th, 2012
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Cask Conditioned AleSmith Evil Dead Red this Weds 10/17
 This year the Ritual will unleash it's cask of AleSmith Evil Dead Red on the DrinkAbout. This Wednesday while the cask lasts, drink Evil Dead Red for just $3 per glass.
Saturday Night: Live Bluegrass
Join us 11pm Saturday Night for live Bluegrass with The Big Decisions. It's a lively free show that's not to be missed! Toe tapping & hand clapping fun :)
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Rare and Seasonal Craft Beer and Cuisine
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Hello {FIRST_NAME|Neighbor}, Fall is the festival season, and we here at The Ritual are celebrating. Rare and seasonal drafts are our specialty. We are currently offering Port Brewing High Tide Fresh Hop IPA. Hops are normally kiln dried after harvest so that they can safely be used in brewing year round. Only once a year, immediately after the harvest, can fresh hopped beers be made. High Tide has an explosion of hop aroma and flavor. A more robust and complex seasonal IPA is Avery DuganA. Both are on tap now!
Cask Conditioned AleSmith Evil Dead Red gets tapped this Wednesday for DrinkAbout We are so seasonal it's spooky.
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Lobster Platter this Saturday
 Southern California Lobster season is here. Come in this Saturday for a 1/2 spiny lobster platter. The lobsters are live at Catalina Offshore Products, then come straight to the Ritual on Saturday. The platter comes with an array of mussels, clams and boiled potatoes, all drizzled in drawn butter.
Celebrate San Diego Beer Week at the Ritual with a special Lost Abbey Rare Beer DinnerOn Thur  sday November 8th at 6:30pm, join the Ritual and Lost Abbey for a menu specially created by Chef Kyle featuring Rare Lost Abbey Beers, including;
Red Barn
paired with
Crisp Fried Black Cake with Bacon & Local Pastured Hen Egg
Framboise de Amorosa
paired with
Poached Duck with Mashed Black Eyed Peas & Confit Onion
Angel's Share
paired with
Coco Dusted, Mesquite Roasted Beef Brisket with Gratin of Pumpkin & Winter Kale
Saint's Devotion (Devotion spiked with Brett)
paired with
Honey Strudel Scone stuffed with Pumpkin Butter
http://www.lostabbey.com
Saint's Devotion was awarded a Gold Medal this weekend at the Great American Beer Festival. This is an extremely rare release, and you can discover it by signing up for this dinner. Just phone us at 619-283-1618 or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
for your reservation. Dinner pricing is $65.00 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Cheers from the folks at The Ritual! p.s.
Planning your holiday parties? Contact us soon to reserve the date.
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Chef Kyle Bergman joins Ritual Tavern as Executive Chef
Kyle Bergman formerly of The Lodge at Torrey Pines has signed on as Executive Chef at the Ritual Tavern in North Park. Graduating from the California Culinary Academy at the top of his class, Chef Bergman honed his skills at San Francisco’s famed The Fifth Floor under the guidance of George Marrone. Upon return to his home town of San Diego in 2002, Bergman was among the opening staff of the Lodge at Torrey Pines. At the Lodge for 10 years, Bergman working closely with famed farm-to-table chef Jeff Jackson, Bergman developed his simple, clean approach to plating seasonly derived ingredients with natural, understated elegance. While at the Lodge, Bergman also implemented their craft beer program, creating imaginative beer & food pairings at the The California Restaurant Association’s Gold Medallion Award Best Hotel Restaurant for Casual Dining- The Grill 2011, 2010, 2009.
Ritual Tavern Restaurant History
Established in 2007,the Ritual Tavern has a reputation for honest, ingredient-driven and reasonably priced food paired with local and imported craft beer. Utilizing fresh local seafood and organically grown local produce, the Ritual serves wholesome meals, using traditional recipes. Nearly everything from the condiments: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickles all the way to soups, stews & Signature Shepherd’s Pie, is made in house.
Diners can continue to enjoy to seasonally and responsibly produced ingredients presented with simple clean artistry. Chef Bergman’s hand made and honest creations are a natural match for the Ritual’s tradition of the finest and rarest ale offerings. Ritual is excited to bring renewed focus to whole animal cookery and organic urban gardening on site, bringing the freshest and most vital products to our guests.
Greetingsand Salutations!,
Summer brings another season to enjoy Ritual Brunch, Garden Dining, and the finest Ales. In draft news, we have recently come into possession of Dandy IPA from Societe, and Emboozlement Triple from Rough Draft, two of the newer breweries in town. Please come in soon if you'd like a chance at the last of our kegs of rare ales Port Hop 15 and AleSmith Summer YuleSmith, both incredible double IPAs. Next week brings several days of celebration pertaining to Belgian Independence. Ritual has accumulated its largest ever collection of Belgian draft for this occasion, and we want to make it all accessible to you in the form of flights.
Flights of Fancy (Ales)
Thursday July 19th $13 will get you five 5 ounce pours, one of each of the following; Maredsous 8 Brune, De Koninck Amber, and a special Ommegang release Belgian Independence Celebration Tripel, as well as two pours from the bottle; Liefman’s Cuvee Brut and Houblon Chouffe. This is a fantastic lineup and it’s a rare opportunity to taste so many distinguished Belgian ales at such a bargain of a price.
Two days later we will roll out three additional drafts in honor of Belgian Independence Day proper, Saturday 7.21. Saturday beginning at noon we will offer Wittekerke White, Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour, and Agustijn Blond, all four ounce tasters for $9. By the end of the week you can be an expert on eight Belgian libations. If you cant wait ‘til next week to begin an expedition of Belgian ales, come in now and have a glass of Blanche de Bruxelles white ale currently on draft just to get you in the mood.
Beyond ales and on to our July Saturday night show. This month we feature solo artist Eliza Rickman*. She just released her first full length album, and is just finishing a two month tour of the Midwest and West. Listen to her version of Nick Cave's "Into my Arms" here, and enjoy her FREE SHOW TOMORROW! Saturday 7.14 at 11pm. Can't stay awake to 11pm? Join us every weekend for brunch. We open at 11am every Saturday and Sunday for eggs your benedict and bloody mary drinking pleasure!
We look to serving you again, real soon :) Cheers! From all of us at your Ritual.
*"ELIZA RICKMAN is a singer, songwriter and pianist living and performing in California. Her unique and haunting sound combines the lilting sweetness of popular vocalists like Feist or Annie Clark with the gritty sensibilities of PJ Harvey and the playfulness of Kurt Weill." - myspace.com/elizarickman
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Live Music, Chimay Flights & Pints for Prostates Father's Day Daytime DrinkAbout Fundraiser!
Join us for great music, great beer, a great cause for great guys ;)
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Wednesday June 13th, 2012
A little reminder that Trio Gadjo is playing tonight. (1st, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays 7-9pm) At times their shows are jam sessions, and unexpected guest musicians have been showing up when least expected. Recently vocalist extraordinaire Miss Erika Davies dropped by and joined the band. We’ve also seen guest appearances by other musicians and vocalists and tap dancer too, making for a lively interaction. Come on by this evening for tonight’s chapter in the evolving Trio Gadjo story. We've got 2 events planned for you this Saturday June 16th. Join us in the daytime for a garden party featuring flights of fancy beers for $10! Chimay White label on tap, & Schneider Edel Weisse & Aventinus make for a tasty trio of taps :) Afterwards 10 ounce pours will be available for each. (Links to descriptions of the beers to the right :) Later in the evening, after the kitchen closes, we're turning the dining room into a jazz club again! This time we are extremely pleased to host a duet performance of Glibert & Lorraine Castellanos. If you've listened to jazz in San Diego, you know his trumpet. This special performance starts at 11pm. We do hope you'll join us for 'Songs in the key of love'

"Southern California trumpet virtuoso, Gilbert Castellanos, makes music that sounds effortless . . . Recognized as a new American master by Downbeat magazine, Castellanos has established himself as one of the nation’s most inventive improvisers in stirring live performances . . . Now, Gilbert joins forces with his wife Lorraine Castellanos — a skilled classical guitarist and vocalist in her own right. With a molasses-like tone quality and astute phrasing, Mrs. Castellanos is quickly gaining a reputation as a dynamic musical presence in her hometown of San Diego, California. Together, Gilbert and Lorraine present their audience with a cozy and intimate evening featuring an assortment of jazz, latin music, and much more." D.A. Kolodenko for San Diego City Beat Father's Day, Sunday June 17th: In addition to serving food and beverages dads love, we're joing forces with the DrinkAbout crew to raise money and Awareness for Pints for Prostates. All we ask of you is to purchase a beverage of three at one or many of the participating locations. Join us, won't you? (One of our dinner specials that night will be braised Niman Ranch St. Louis cut Pork Ribs in smoked BBQ sauce) CHEERS! From all of us & your Ritual: Michael, Staci, Adrian, Maureen, Donavan, Carter, Julio, Jose, Brian, Nicole, James, Laurel, Andrea, Farrah & Jennifer
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APRIL 11th, 2012
Greetings !
Don't let the rain get you down. If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? * A little reminder that Trio Gadjo is playing tonight. (1st, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays 7-9pm) At times their shows are jam sessions, and unexpected guest musicians have been showing up when least expected. On a recent night prominent trumpet player Bill Caballero dropped by and played a set. We’ve also seen guest appearances by other musicians and vocalists, making for a lively interaction. Come on by this evening for tonight’s chapter in the evolving Trio Gadjo story.

If you are planning on going to the Real Ale Festival, may we suggest you attend a session on Friday the 13th so that you'll be available to join us on Saturday! Lost Abbey will make a Ritual appearance this Saturday, April 14th for an event literally years in the making. Specifically, three barrel aged kegs will be tapped that fine day. These rare releases are all barrel aged at Lost Abbey, two of the kegs have been secretly stashed away deep inside the Ritual walk in cooler for many months waiting for this occasion, the third arrives from Lost Abbey this week. The selection of draft is; Cuvee de Tomme, Deliverance, and Red Poppy. Ritual has never offered such a spectacular lineup. If you have ever looked for these selections in the bottle you may recall it could easily cost you over $50 to get all three of these small bottles. The appearance of these on draft here at the Ritual gives you the rare opportunity to instantly become a Lost Abbey connoisseur. Saturday Ritual will offer four ounce pours of all three drafts in a flight for only $10. Afterwards 8 ounce pours will be $8 each. Links to descriptions of the beers up & to the right :) Adrian and Maureen have crafted a brilliant pairing for the Cuvee de Tomme. Freshly herbed Chicken Marsala over hand made Fettucini. No reservations are needed, stop by anytime for the flight, and/or full glass of Cuvee, and the pairing. Matt Wells from Lost Abbey will be stoping by to enjoy the festivities and speak to you about their wonderful brewing tradition. If you'd like to be more in the know about our goings on, please follow us on Twitter or 'Like' us on Facebook. We post updates more frequently than we write emails :) CHEERS! From all of us & your Ritual: Michael, Staci, Adrian, Maureen, Donavan, Carter, Julio, Jose, Brian, Kassandra, Nicole, James, Laurel & Andrea

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Red Poppy 5.5% ABV April 2012 release “Flanders Red” Learn More
Deliverance 12.5% abv Janurary 2012 release “Strong Ale” Learn More
Cuvee de Tomme 11% abv, 2011 release “American Wild Ale” . Learn More
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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26th
We're excited! You could say we're experiencing a little Delirium ;) We've got Trio Gadjo & their swinging jazz TONIGHT! Fresh shucked oysters tomorrow, Thursday. Friday is the start of Halloween weekend! Then Saturday night beer flights! Sunday daytime fundraiser DrinkAbout! Trio Gadjo & friends!
We have so much fun when they're here, that we've asked them to play more often! Now you can have your Trio Gadjo fix on the 1st, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays! (we give them the 3rd Wednesday off, so they can experience DrinkAbout ;)
Belgian Flights
The only thing we love as much as drinking great beer, is introducing others to the pleasure of drinking great beer ;) That brings us to our next flight night, Saturday October 29th. We're excited to introduce you to Huyghe Brewery.* 3 great beers, 1 low price!
Floris Apple: "Delicate, sour and light sweet fruity beer, with a soft note of cider and a sourish, green fruity sweet aftertaste." Delirium Tremens "Feels like the sound shot of alcohol is igniting the mouth. In reality the tongue and palate are warmed. The taste is characterized by its roundness. The aftertaste is strong, long-lasting and dry bitter." Delirium Nocturnum "Touches of caramel, mocha and chocolate. Spices such as liquorice and coriander are also present. . . . Towards the end a nice balance between bitterness, sour and sweet."
*(Dutch: Brouwerij Huyghe) is a brewery founded in 1906 in Belgium by Leon Huyghe in city of Melle in East Flanders. The site of the brewery has been in operation since 1654. However, the brewery has been modernized and expanded on several occasions since the founding of Huyghe. The brewery's most well known beer is Delirium Tremens, a blonde, Belgian-style trippel". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huyghe_Brewery"
Huyghe Brewery DrinkAbout + Keep-A-Breast + Halloween = BOObies BUS? This Sunday from 1-5pm the bars of DrinkAbout are working together to support Keep-A-Breast and their efforts to eradicate breast cancer by exposing young people to methods of prevention, early detection and support.
For every beer you purchase we will donate $1 to Keep-A-Breast.
October 30th is the day before Halloween. So, we encourage you to dress up, get out, have a drink or 3 and support a fantastic organization.
DrinkAbout Thank you! We couldn't do what we do without your help! You are the reason we're in this business, so many thanks to you for sticking with us for our first 4 years. Here's to continuing our relationship for another 40 years :)
Cheers! From all of us. (Mike & Staci, Brandon, Adrian, Julio, Rodrigo, Brian, Kassandra, Jerry, Laurel, Nicole, Mayra, James, Shawn, Julio & Yhover)
Wednesday September 28th
Many members of the craft beer community are headed to Colorado for the Great American Beer Festival. Here's to our San Diego breweries showing the rest of world how great craft beer can be! Fingers are crossed for another hometown brewery of the year :) We're headed into the weekend, swinging. As in swinging with Trio Gadjo's retro jazz tonight ;) On the 2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month, you can eat and drink to your heart's content, dinner & a show with no cover charge! Newly added heaters are available in the garden. Perhaps your dog likes live jazz too? :)
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Friday night is 30th on 30th! In addition to tapping a cask of an incredibly tasty autumnal seasonal beer from AleSmith: rumor has it we'll be serving some of Brandon's housemade bratwurst in Ritual celebration of Oktoberfest! (it's not just a rumor) (Stay tuned for details of next weekend's Weinenstephaner keep the glass night & Hofbrau mini-kegs too!)
Did we mention that we'll be pouring Evil Dead Red (ON CASK!) for 30th on 30th?
LAST CALL at 1:30 am FRI & SAT :)
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Come in and see us after you experience Tour de Fat on Saturday. Although we'd love for you to spend your whole day at the tavern with us, we don't expect you to pass up a great bike rally! So wear you costume, take lots of photos & tell us all about it when you get here :) For those of you who choose to join us at the Ritual this weekend, we'll have Bloody Mary's $4ea on Saturday & Sunday noon to 4pm!
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Cheers! :) p.s. Next Saturday is Taste of North Park! Get your tickets ASAP Prices goes up day of event! p.p.s Congratulations to local homebrewers, and gold medalists, Kevin Sheppard & Jason Fields! That Cherry Chocolate Stout collaboration with Stone and Troegs rocks!
Wednesday 9/21/2001
It's a great week to be celebrating our 4th Anniversary: DrinkAbout tonight, AleSmith tomorrow and a Friday night beer flight as well! Let's start with tonight's activities, shall we? DrinkAbout is great way to have a progressive dinner, pub crawl and leisurely neighborhood tour with free transportation. 'Hop' on and off as many times as you like with stops including Blind Lady, Ritual Tavern, Livewire, Toronado, Sea Rocket, Station Tavern & Hamiltons your night is guaranteed to be fun :) First Bus leaves here at 7:20pm / last one at 11:20pm To sweeten the deal, we'll be tapping a cask of Green Flash West Coast IPA tonight! We'll also have some of our famous 30th St. tacos for sale as well. Da-Le Ranch Yorkshire pork carnitas or Mary's natural chicken tacos 2 for $5 or 1/$3. For contrast we'll be serving an appetizer of local mission figs stuffed with goat cheese, served over organic apples, drizzled with honey & a balsamic reduction for $5
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Tomorrow night, Thursday Sept. 22nd is our Anniversary Dinner with AleSmith. This time, because it's our 4th, we're doing 4 courses with 4 beers for $44! Both Peter Zien & Bill Batten have agreed to join us in this celebration of tasty goodness. Hope you can join us. Did we mention that we'll be pouring Evil Dead Red? Reservations are still available so call 619.283.1618 ASAP. Don't want to commit to 4 course meal? Pairings will be available a la carte after 7pm.
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Friday night beer flight! Want to experience Belgian & Belgian style ales without commiting to whole bottles? We know that we like to try just about every beer at least once ;) Maybe you've always wondered what the top Belgian IPA tripel tastes like? or a Brune, Saison & a Golden? Join us Friday September 23rd for Ommegang Hennepin, Duvel, Maredsous 8, Houblon Chouffe & Liefman's Cuvee-Brut. One low price/5 great beers! If you check out these BeerAdvocate links, you'll see that the first 3 beers are #1 in their respective categories, the 4th is in top ten!
LAST CALL at 1:30 am FRI & SAT :)
Wednesday 9/15
As our 4th Anniversary celebration continues tonight, we are pleased as punch to serve up 4 special releases from Ballast Point & Colby Chandler at 7pm. We start with Smokescreen (smoked)Helles, then on to Roasted Serrano Pale Ale a spicy American Pale. The seafood course is paired with Ballast Point San Salvador, a saison made by Colby Chandler with local ingredients and help from our friends at the Linkery. Click the link for photos of the brewing & gathering process. Or you can ask Colby. He'll be here to answer your questions about the pairings and the brewing process. For dessert house made caramel ice cream will be served with Bourbon Barrel(!) Aged Piper Down :) Reservations are still available so call 619.283.1618 ASAP. Don't want to commit to 4 course meal? Pairings will be available a la carte after 7pm.
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Serving beers to our neighbors during last week's blackout was most entertaining. Thanks to all for making it a festive night. Some of you have even asked for a commemoration night of bar by candle light, we'll have to see about that. That might be the DrinkAbout's little brother, the 'BlackOutAbout'. In addition to electricity, this month's DrinkAbout on Wednesday 9/21 we'll have Green Flash West Coast IPA on cask!
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also
Mother Earth Brew Co. Nutcracker is on tap now! BrownLost Abbey Bourbon barrel aged Angel's Share is waiting to be tapped.
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Wednsday July 20th
AleSmith and the # 4
Believe it or not, the Ritual was pouring four drafts at this time four years ago. This is a good time to examine the numeral four.
Back then we had just four taps, two of which were AleSmith Speedway & Lil Devil. This week we'll have 4 AleSmith taps: Speedway, Horny Devil, IPA & Summer YuleSmith. Get them while they last.
Cask AleSmith YuleSmith & Drink About this Weds July 20th TODAY!
Cask of AleSmith Summer YuleSmith! To continue the '4' theme, cask pours will be $4 all month long :)
Cask Alpine Nelson Saturday July 23rd
There's a first time for everything. This week is the first time we'll tap 2 casks in 4 days! Join us for the triumphant return of the Ritual Firkin. We sent it to out to Alpine Beer Company for a few weeks. They sent it back filled with Nelson Rye IPA! Get yours for $4 while it lasts.
Its the perfect time to relax in our new Beer Garden
Feel like being outside? The new back patio is awesome for weekend lunch/brunch starting at noon. Summer nights are very conducive to outdoor dining. The back patio is open to 10pm. Although our kitchen closes at 10:30pm on the weekend, our 30th Street patios are open until midnight for your pleasure.
Join the night owls at the Ritual Bar
Our bar is now open til 2 on Friday and Saturday nights. Join your fellow night owls for a nightcap!
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Wednesday June 8th
Trio Gadjo in the dining room and Yappy Hour on the patio
All night happy hour on draft Manzanita Pale Ale, Coney Island Mermaid American Dry Hopped Rye Pilsner and Airdale Afterburner Amber.
Thursday June 9th
Carlsbad Aquafarm Blonde Oysters, and Baron Point Oysters from up North raw on the half shell, $8.50 for the half dozen.
Friday June 10th
San Diego Beer Week is a Huge event for San Diego beer culture. Its so big we cant fit it all into the 10 days in November. It spills over into San Diego Beer Week’end, which is this weekend. To celebrate, the San Diego Brewer’s Guild Restaurants are Pairing with San Diego Breweries on Friday, June 10 from 7pm to 9pm to present Beer Hall. Eight Restaurants and Eight Breweries will present pairings at the beautiful Lodge at Torrey Pines.
Visit the Link to The Lodge Beer Hall website
Ritual’s pairings are;
Cask Conditioned Stone Vanilla Bean Smoked Porter
Paired with Smit Orchard Organic Bing Cherry and Belgian Chocolate Brownie with Bottega Italiana Vanilla Gelato
Stone Cali-Belgique Belgian IPA
Paired with Local Catch Fish sourced from Catalina Offshore with Dill Beurre Blanc and Organic Summer Squash
Saturday June 11th
Real Ale Brunch. Cask Conditioned New English Brewers Special Brown Ale. Brewed in San Diego. $4 pours with the cask lasts!
Next Week, Wednesday June 15th
Ritual opens at Noon to celebrate the National Homebrew Conference hosted here in town at the Town and Country. 1800 attendees from all over converge on San Diego for the Conference, and next Weds busses will transport beer enthusiasts to and from the conference to North Park, and along the DrinkAbout route. All are welcome to join and ride the busses, which run from Noon til 11:30pm
Ritual will feature Black Market Brewing Co. Enjoy three Black Market drafts with food pairings as well as a Meet and Greet.
Fathers Day, June 19th
Remember Dads love the Ritual. Treat Dad to Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, or a gift certificate.
Cheers from the folks at the Ritual!
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WED APRIL 13th
Is there a connection between the domesticated dog and the arts?
Many believe they are inextricably linked. Make your own conclusion tonight at the Ritual. As you make your way past the patio, notice plenty of canine companions enjoying tasty treats courtesy of Natural Pet while their owners enjoy all night happy hour pricing on Mission Hefeweizen and AleSmith Anvil ESB, arguably the height of civilization. Yappy Hour occurs on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. But wait, the sounds of three talented young musicians plucking acoustic strings produce the sounds of Gypsy Swing just inside. (Music to calm the savage beast in each of us) Trio Gadjo performs Django Reinhardt-y music on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays monthly.
What about Applied arts? Information gleaned from Twitter suggests the possibility of a knitting/drinking multitasking demonstration tonight as well. Historically, taverns are well suited to ‘yarn spinning’ & the Ritual is no exception. (Team Hutch & friends, you know we love you :-) This week’s specials include the return of many of our most popular items ever! French Onion Soup Gratinee, spicy BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and drum roll please . . . Suzie’s Organic Strawberries with fresh whipped cream atop a Scottish style shortbread cookie. Allagash White Ale strawberry sauce completes this heavenly dessert ensemble. Get em while they last.
Ritual Fresh Oyster Thursday is still in effect. Join us for tasty local Carlsbad Aqua Farm oysters every week, Thursday only. Next Wednesday 4/20, for DrinkAbout, We’ll be featuring a cask of AleSmith IPA! Our plan is to finish the firkin in one night, At $4 a pint, we figure you’ll be able to help us reach our goal. We’ll also have wild boar sliders as an additional DrinkAbout special. Organic ‘Earth Thirst’ Earth Day with Ted Vivatson & Eel River Brewing Friday 4/22. Details to follow. We've started serving brunch on SAT & SUN at NOON. As the weather continues to improve, we expect are patios will become the best seats on 30th St. We'll be serving a special Easter Brunch Sunday 4/24. Menu TBD, beverage details include Goose Island Sofie!
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March 16th, 2011
The Ritual Tavern has been a St. Patrick’s Day destination since we opened, so we’re ready for anything this Thursday. We have lots of Niman Ranch Beef Brisket Corning. The beef will braise with Suzie’s Farm Organic Fingerling Potatoes and Cabbage for a traditional Corned Beef plating with a Ritual twist.
St. Patrick's Day revelry is always fun, but remember you can have a relaxed and eventful experience the day before as well. If you were to visit the Ritual tonight, for example, you might enjoy locally caught Corvina Fish and Chips, or our signature Shepherd’s Pie, paired with Avery Out of Bounds Stout, or Stone Levitation Amber Ale. Both of those beers are HAPPY HOUR ALL NIGHT! The DrinkAbout Bus runs TONIGHT WEDNESDAY 3/16, you can hop aboard FOR FREE and visit another neighborhood bar (or two) a day before the big crowds converge.
We OPEN at NOON on WEEKENDS, NOW SERVING BRUNCH :-) Open at 4:30 during the week! (We're still closed on Mondays.)
Later in March watch for Cask Conditioned Manzanita Ale on our beer engine. We're making plans to celebrate Earth Day, April 22nd, with rare Eel River Organic Ales and another one of our famously delicious Brewer's Dinners.
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Valentine's Day Weekend 2011
Relationships need a solid foundation of trust. If there is anyone you can trust for fresh new experiences and endearing memories, its The Ritual. Prequel the weekend this evening with Raw Oysters on the Half Shell. We've been shucking oysters straight from Carlsbad Aquafarm for four years now. Our approach is fresh; we shuck and serve within hours of the oysters arrival into our kitchen. Set the stage for a great weekend by enjoying sustainable ocean delicacies that are a foundation for good health. We've developed strong relations with key figures in the local and global beer community. We're committed to quality, focus on guest experience and the desire to explore old classics as well as obscure new gems. This commitment is what made The Ritual the showcase for some of the worlds rarest and most celebrated beers. Just one example is our delivery this week of cases of Trappistes Rochefort No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10. Still produced at a Monastary in Belgium after hundreds of years, these ales define the Belgian traditions of complexity and richness, and are instant favorites amoung novice and expert beer afficionados. AleSmith, our SweetHeart for this weekend, got a lot of love from the Los Angeles Times 'American Craft Beer Scene Goes Global' article. The story touches on AleSmith lending inspiration to Scottish Brewer James Watt of BrewDog. There's more to love, like AleSmith Wee Heavy's perfect score on ratebeer.com;
ratebeer.com's review of AleSmith Wee Heavy; Perfect Score
Timing is everything. All four AleSmith Drafts are available now; Speedway Stout, Lil Devil, My Bloody Valentine, and Wee Heavy. We are also offering a delicious Niman Ranch Skirt Steak to pair off with Bloody Valentine, we should have enough to last all weekend. Now here is where timing is essential, on Friday we switch from draft My Bloody to Cask Conditioned My Bloody Valentine. The last cask we served from AleSmith, Winter YuleSmith, emptied in just one glorious night. So if its cask you want from us, be sure to stop by on Friday night. Draft My Bloody resumes when the cask is emptied. For you folk who didnt make it in for our Brewer's Dinner with AleSmith on Monday the 14th, just know they will be enjoying Paso Robles Grass Fed Beef Shortribs with their My Bloody Valentine. They also get their own keg of Horny Devil.
Expanded Hours in March
Beginning March 1st, the Ritual’s expanded hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday open at 4:30, Saturday and Sunday open at Noon. Stay tuned for news on our Patio Style Daytime menu.
Cheers!
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Just in case you haven't heard, "San Diego has an exceptional slow food and craft beer scene" Just ask Alex Pulaski of the Oregonian. In an article published at OregonLive.com he goes on to say "the chorus of the San Diego area's dynamic food and beer scene sings most sweetly along the city's 30th Street Corridor" and name drops Alchemy, Linkery, Toronado and of course Ritual Tavern :-)
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Thursday December 23rd, 2010
Holiday Season is here, so we’d like to extend our warmest wishes to all of you. The cheer is alive and well at The Ritual. We are open this Friday the 24th, Christmas Eve. The Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi Keg is soon to be tapped, just after the Old Curmudgeon Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter empties. Friday night our holiday winter taps are on happy hour all evening. We’ll serve up a Niman Ranch Beef Ritual Dip Sandwich au Jus for the nightly special. Remember to wear your holiday sweater! Duvel Magnums’ are available now. Round up a few friends and celebrate with a 1.5 liter bottle of flawless Belgian Golden Ale. The Ritual is closed on Saturday, December 25th in observance of the Christmas Holiday, and closed Sunday the 26th for a private party. New Years Eve is always fun at the Ritual. We'll be finishing off a cask of AleSmith YuleSmith. A Magnum of Duvel is sure to crack open that night for New Years Toasting!! We’re off to putting the final touches on our stockings. Cheers from us to you!
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Tuesday December 14th, 2010
Drink About Wednesday December 15th! (and the 3rd Wednesday of each month :-)
As we gear up for the end of the Holiday season, 'Yule' be drinking Holiday Ales at Happy Hour prices all night and riding a free shuttle bus up and down 30th Street and Adams Ave. The super nice people of Brewery Tours of San Diego drive the bus, so after you eat dinner at Ritual Tavern, you can try out Blind Lady Ale House, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Sea Rocket and Station Tavern & Hamilton's without moving your car.
Ritual Tavern makes your Holiday Shopping as easy as ordering a beer. We've got gift certificates, house made condiments (ketchup, mustard & 3 kinds of hot sauce), as well as pickled cucumbers, beets and other farmers market vegetables too!
Friday December 24th we'll be open for a Warm & Fuzzy Christmas Eve. Happy Hour prices all night to people wearing sweaters. (If you happen to have been gifted an ugly holiday sweater, this is your night to wear it proudly :-)
30th on 30th falls on Thursday this month. AleSmith Winter YuleSmith on cask at Ritual Tavern!
Hassle Free New Year's Eve. No cover charges, no reservations, no preset menu, no problem. Here at the Ritual we think New Year's Eve is a time to be with people you like, doing something you love, in a place you enjoy. That's why we're happy to be spending the night at the Tavern with you! We will have a "Surf and Turf" special in addition to our regular delicious food and drink menu.
Cheers!
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Tuesday November 30th
Tonight is the 30th on 30th! We were thinking that maybe you'd like to see a new special for 30th on 30th. (Not that our natural pork carnitas tacos aren't insanely good). So tonight we'll be serving Mary's Natural Chicken in our house Buffalo sauce on Sadie Rose buttermilk silver dollar rolls. If you were fortunate to attend the Brewer's Guild Festival during San Diego Beer Week, then you know how addictive these can be! Two for $5 or one for $3. Our first ever 'Yappy Hour' is 5-7pm tomorrow night, Wednesday December 1st. We're joining forces with 30th Street's own Natural Pet Store to bring you an event you and your pup can attend together. Well mannered people and dog friendly pooches will be welcomed on our patios where we will offer happy hour food and drink specials. Santa Paws will also attend and offer photo opportunities. Sunday join the McKinley Elementary PTC in a benefit for Mickinley Elementary on Thorn St between 32nd and Bancroft for a giant Chili Cook-off. The Ritual and 18 other restaurants are donating Chili in order to feed hungry folks all day Sunday, see the details at the event webstite; SoNo Holiday Fest/SDCC 14th Annual Pottery Sale & Chilipalooza.Our back room seats 10-12 people. Have an intimate holiday gathering at your home away from home. We'll cook and clean, you eat, drink and be merry :-) Ritual pickling, condiments and gift certificates are now available to take home or gift to friends and family. Thats right, we've made your Holiday shopping as easy as having a pint. While you are here for a warm bowl of Shepherd's Pie, why not pick up a gift certificate for those on your list? We've also got pickled cucumbers, garlic, beets and other market vegetables in addition to our other housemade condiments (ketchup, mustard, and hot sauces) for that special gift basket.
Cheers!
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Wednesday November 3rd, 2010
Ritual Tavern is gearing up for 10 days of craft beer in America's Finest City! We start SDBW2010 with an opening event featuring one of San Diego's newest breweries, Manzanita on Friday November 5th. We'll pair 3 full size beers with 3 food courses for $30. (tax & tip not included) Please RSVP 619.283.1618 Saturday 11/6 We'll be at the San Diego Brewers Guild Festival in the VIP lounge serving up food from noon to 2pm. Ritual Tavern opens regular hours 5:30 for your dining and craft beer pleasure. Sunday 11/7 Featuring beers of Merchant Du Vin and Samuel Smith Brewery with importer representative Laird Butler. No reservations necessary. Tuesday 11/9 AleSmith Dinner & Paring with brewer Bill Batten. Four courses paired with 4 beers. Likely to sell out, please RSVP soon. Wednesday 11/10 Scottish, English and Belgian beers paired with food. Order one or all pairings, no reservations required. Live music from Trio Gadjo and it's DrinkAbout too! FREE Brewery Tours of San Diego bus transports you up and down 30th St. Thursday 11/11 Green Flash Progressive Dinner/Pairings. 3 potential small plate pairings at each participating location. Join us here at Ritual Tavern, Linkery, El Take it Easy, also Sea Rocket and Blind Lady Alehouse too! No reservations necessary. Friday 11/12 Avery Night! Colorado comes to North Park: 4 courses with beer pairings. Brewery representative Ted Whitney on hand to dine, drink & answer questions at the same time. RSVP Saturday 11/13 Ommegang Night! 3 course dinner with beer pairings. Brewery representative Brian Hackler on hand to inform and educate on Brewery Ommegang. RSVP We look forward to spending Beer Week with you! Be Safe, have fun & stay classy, San Diego :-) Cheers!
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Wednesday October 20th
Tonight is the DrinkAbout. So put on your rain gear and brave the elements. A free bus will transport you to/from eight wonderfully artisanal and crafty beer places. Start at here at Ritual where it's so warm and cozy. We’ll also be tapping the first ever cask of Fallen Angel for your enjoyment. From Marty Mendiola and Rock Bottom La Jolla, the Fallen Angel is a Belgian Style Golden Ale.
New or returning to our menu this week: French Onion Soup, Sweet Potato Custard Pie, and Sage Mountain Organic Produce. Coming soon are XXXX Steak with Spaetzle, Wild Boar Empanada, Dave’s Ranch Roast Turkey, and an extremely rare draught beer, Widmer Bros. BRRRBON. BRRRBON is their Winter Warmer BRRR aged in bourbon barrels and it tastes a lot like bourbon, which is awesome. When we say the beer is extremely rare, we mean it’s a specialty batch, a one time only brew that we were lucky enough to get with the help of John Carozza, thanks John!
Trio Gadjo continues to wow diners at the Ritual, their next show is Wednesday, 10.27. Their jazzy swing is the perfect accompaniment to our traditional tavern fare. The band gets started around 7pm.
Next Thursday we are celebrating October with a keg of Hobgoblin Legendary Ruby Beer. Join us on Thursday, 10.28 for the Hobgoblin pint night party, meet the Hobgoblin representative and take home the glass. There have been several versions of the Hobgoblin glass, all distinctive. It appears this year’s glass is etched with a hobgoblin. This beer is well received on beeradvocate.com, the Alstrom brothers give it an A-.
We recommend the Wychwood website for the brewery history and ‘crafty brewing movies’ (beer tab pull down menu and click ‘craft brewing’). Its safe to say you could spend an hour on this website and then wish you could get over to see the town and brewery in person. Wychwood has twelve seasonal beers, they cask condition, and they have beer engines in their tasting room, so you can see why we would like to go there.
Halloween is the next big thing. That’s because 30th on 30th falls on Halloween Weekend, and all of the participating restaurants are going haunted! Our corner of the Street is being invaded by Pirates, now there's a ghostly Pirate keeping watch over our Bar. Work on your costumes and join the neighborhood for a street full of Halloween revelry. We’re serving cask conditioned Stone IPA with Centennial. Rumor has it we'll also have a tasty "Night of the Living Red" Scottish Ale fresh from the brewer's tanks in La Jolla, straight to our taps.
On October 30th, Park-2-Park will run a special edition shuttle. For this one, they’ll start early (at 6:00pm) so you can enjoy the goodness of 30th on 30th before the Saturday crowds come. You’ll need to buy a ticket in advance! Go to their website to get your ticket and more details. http://sdpark2park.com/blog/?page_id=310
Just a couple of weeks away is the most Beertastic week of all, San Diego Beer Week! As you can imagine, the Ritual Tavern will be pulling out all the stops, tapping into the rare draughts and hosting phenomenal breweries.Yes, indeed we will! Our schedule is available on our website and at http://sdbw.org/
Cheers!
From all of us, at your Ritual
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Wednesday September 15, 2010
Ritual Tavern is proud to announce our 3rd Anniversary! In the three short years we've been in business, we've shared our love of local artisan beer and food with many of you. Now we'd like to share our love of the number 3 :-)
3 AleSmith Casks $3 pints of Cask Conditioned AleSmith X tonight, Sept 15th for our Twitter Followers! 3 Local Craft Brewery events with beer pairings.
Tonight is the first of the AleSmith Casks. It's also DrinkAbout! We'll tap the cask at 5:30. You'll have plenty of time to drink and dine here at Ritual before you hop on the first free DrinkAbout bus at 7:20pm and head to your next stop. (Blind Lady, Small Bar, Live Wire, Toronado, Sea Rocket, Station and Hamilton's)
A bonus afternoon DrinkAbout you can feel GreatAbout happens on Sunday Sept. 19th. Each of the 8 participating craft beer locations on the route will donate to "Pints for Prostates" We open at 1pm on Sunday, so come get your DrinkAbout on early. Free San Diego Brewery Tours buses will run the usual route from 1-5pm. Our normal all Sunday happy hour draft beer pricing will not be available on the 19th so that proceeds can flow to the fundraiser.
Wednesday September 22 Green Flash / St. Feuillien Collaboration limited release Biere De L'Amitie 9.5%abv Ale Brewed with Spices and Cask Conditioned Green Flash Stout Night (Featuring grilled oysters)
Thursday September 23 Lost Abbey / Da-Le Ranch Autumn Game Dinner including limited release Deliverance; a blend of Bourbon Barrel Aged Serpent Stout and Brandy Barrel Aged Angel's Share!! (By Reservation Only)
Saturday and Sunday 9/25-26 OPEN AT NOON BOTH DAYS! Cask Conditioned AleSmith Evil Dead Red and all day Jerk Cookouts
We are triple-glad to be celebrating three great years with you!
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Wednesday August 25, 2010
Trio Gadjo has been on vacation from the Ritual for a few weeks, tonight Wednesday August 25th we'll see their return performance here in the dining hall. Come for the music, stay for the air-conditioning, craft beer and tasty food.
This week we are offering Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Brandon's hickory smoked BBQ sauce. Served on a Sadie Rose foccacia bun with carmelized onions, Ritual coleslaw and cajun fries these sandwiches are BBQ perfection.
Great Summer beer tap line-up includes: AleSmith X-pale, Ballast Point Big Eye IPA, Lost Abbey Devotion, Alpine Duet (to be followed by Tuatara) and Victory Hop Wallop. Recommended hot weather bottles include Samuel Smith's Organic Lager, Blanche de Bruxelles and Karl Strauss Whistler Imperial Pils. Ritual wine drinkers enjoy the crisp refreshing qualities of Dry Creek Chenin Blanc, Tangent Sauvignon Blanc and Pedroncelli Dry Rose.
Make the most of San Diego's nearly perfect weather by dining on one of our patios, in the shade of an umbrella, amidst the flowering vines. We think our little slice of heaven (30th St) is the ideal place to enjoy a tasty Summer beverage or two.
30th on 30th Street is this Monday! While we are normally closed on Mondays, we will open to offer our famous '30th Street tacos' as well as our spectacular tap and bottle lineup. (Two tacos for $5: One for $3)
We are into the final days of the San Diego Food Bank's "food 4 kids" backpack program fundraiser. To participate, all you need to do is order the Niman Ranch Skirt Steak entrÉe and one dollar will be donated towards putting weekend food into the backpacks of hungry San Diego kids.
Vote for us on 10news Alist! This year we are in the running for "Best Neighborhood Bar" We all agree that North Park is the 'best neighborhood', we hope you find the Ritual to be the most 'neighborly' bar/tavern in town.
Next month the Ritual Tavern celebrates three years! We have special beer and food themed parties in store for you, stay tuned for more details.
Cheers!
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Friday July 16th, 2010
Thanks to you folks who dropped in earlier this week on your way back from the beach or from your poolside. We’ll help you cool off after cooking all day in the sun. Our outside patios have been filling up around sundown, we like to see folks enjoying the balmy summer evenings out there over tasty Ritual food and refreshing glasses of beer. In recognition of San Diego Pride 2010 the Ritual is opening at 2pm this Saturday and Sunday. Park 2 Park shuttles will provide transportation service from Ritual to the festival from 10am til 2 pm on Saturday. Here is a great story about Park 2 Park and Pride by Morgan Hurley on SDGLN.com. http://sdgln.com/news/2010/07/14/park-2-park-shuttle-announces-pride-line-service-weekend
Cool off with gazpacho served chilled and featuring organic cucumber from the farmers market. Then go big with an entrée of Niman Ranch Prime Rib. The Prime Rib will be roasted, then plated English Cut over Parship Mashed Potatoes with sautéed organic local carrots and tomatoes, and finished with beef jus. Another shuttle to catch is the DrinkAbout bus running on Wednesday the 21st. Towards the end of the month we are hosting a benefit for Outdoor Outreach. Outdoor Outreach empowers at-risk and underprivileged youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives through comprehensive outdoor programming. Have a look at the Outdoor Outreach website We here at the Ritual hope the good weather brings you the spirit of celebration and festivity. Cheers!
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Today Wednesday June 16th is Drink About. What could be better than free transportation up and down the 30th Street corridor? Enjoying some pure Decadence at the halfway point! The Ritual Tavern is crazy happy to have AleSmith's Decadence 2010 on cask. We'll crank up the beer engine it when we open the restaurant at 5:30pm on Wednesday.
AleSmith website explains . . . "In 2005, AleSmith celebrated its 10 year anniversary by introducing a new beer to our line-up: AleSmith Decadence Anniversary Ale. We decided to brew Decadence once a year, each time changing the style. The 2005 version of AleSmith Decadence was an English-style Old Ale, that went on to earn Gold Medals at both The Great American Beer Festival and The World Beer Cup in 2008.
For 2010 we revisit this classic recipe and will soon release AleSmith Decadence 2010, English-style Old Ale. We used an abundance of specialty malts and various sugars to produce a wonderfully rich and malty beer. English varietal hops lend the perfect balance and the four different yeast strains add complexity that is sure to increase as the beer ages."
Sunday is Father's Day! Informal studies have shown that dads love beer :-) We've got plenty of craft beer at Happy Hour prices all day, every Sunday. Bring the family and have a particularly tasty Sunday dinner at the Ritual Tavern:-) Cheers!
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May 18th, 2010
We are one week away from our next Brew Master’s Dinner with Marty Mendiola from Rock Bottom La Jolla. Marty is, in case you are not aware, the winner of a lot of gold medals! (Great American Beer Festival - 2 Gold, World Beer Cup – 2 Gold, and mind you, these are international competitions with thousands of entries. Marty also has lots of other medals from these same competitions; we just listed the Golds here ;-) He truly walks among the world’s beer elite, but when you meet him, he’s one of the friendliest, most down to earth people ever. That’s why were so pleased to present Marty and his beers in our first ever Rock Bottom La Jolla Brew Master’s Dinner Pairing.
The Brew Master’s Pairing is by reservation on Tuesday, May 25th at 7:30 pm. The cost is $40 plus tax and gratuity. The dinner is composed around Marty’s specialty beers, and consists of three paired courses plus an amuse bouche. As is the course for our pairing menus, there are plenty of local and sustainable delicacies on the menu!
(We have nice color menus printed up in the restaurant for you to show your beer pairing enthusiast friends)
The Brewers Association has declared this American Craft Beer Week. This is the group that puts on the aforementioned Great American Beer Festival. In celebration we have a of rare beer gem to showcase. The Bruery recently recreated a recipe that took honors at the Holiday Wine Cellar home brewer competition in Escondido, and they call this their Holiday Wine Cellar Imperial Porter w/Vanilla Bean & Bourbon Oak Cubes. We’ll be tapping this very soon. (The Bruery also took two gold medals at the Craft Brewer's conference too!)
This weekend is Cine Cucina: Italian Film + Slow Food + You, A Whole Day Party in North Park produced by the San Diego Italian Film Festival.
There is a lot to explain about this event. It has been months in planning and many, many folks central to craft food and beverage here in the neighborhood have gone all out to promote a huge celebration of food culture. Now the San Diego Italian Film Festival has already done a spectacular job of detailing this event, so we encourage you to see their presentation at their website: http://www.sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com/event-cine-cucina.php
Our special pairing for this event is described on the website, but since it went to print we have made our pairing even more fantastic: Cask conditioned Stone Smoked Porter on French Oak paired with Bottega Italiana Gelato!!! And yes you read correctly, this pairing is offered after the show Saturday Night for only for $3.
Thanks all for making our offering of 2009 AleSmith Decadence a success. Next month we’ll be offering an even rarer, possibly the rarest of rare AleSmith offerings; a three-year blend of Speedway Stout. Look for this during the San Diego Beer Weekend preview that begins June 10th. For all of you who were able to experience it, last years inaugural San Diego Beer Week was the biggest, busiest, who’s who of the beer week’est weeks ever. This June preview will be a sample of 2010 San Diego Beer Week taking place in November.
DrinkAbout is this Wednesday! (May 19th) If you don't already know: It’s a free bus to all the area’s best beer bars and restaurants, 'hop' on it at the Ritual!
Cheers!
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May 8th, 2010
Tonight is fresh oyster Thursday. We've got Luna and Baron Point from Carlsbad Aqua Farm, served raw on the half shell. (6 for $8.50)
Straight from World Beer Cup 2010 in Chicago to our tap at Ritual, Bronze Medal winner AleSmith 2009 Decadence Dunkel Weizenbock. How many of these kegs do you think are still lying around? We are tapping this beauty for you tonight!
While you are at it, crack open an epic ale from the bottle list, like Ballast Point Big Eye IPA, Consecration from Russian River, Victory Hop Devil, and we've even got another gluten free beer, Bard's as well.
Sunday May 9th Mother's Day!
Bring her down to the Ritual for a fun family dinner on the big day. Last Sunday the patio filled up quickly, so get here early if you want a seat outside. She'll love love you forever if you buy her some Jidori Chicken over Romaine with shaved parmesan or a Crab Cake Sandwich! Gift certficates are available as well ;-)
Every Sunday you can enjoy All Day Happy Hour (3:30-9:30pm) $3.50 tap beers $1 off selected glasses of wine. Also $5 Niman Ranch Meatballs & $6 Jidori Chicken Hot Wings Appetizers.
Friday May 14th
We've been hearing from quite a few visitors that we need to get more involved in social networking. (We thought that's what taverns do by there very nature) I guess they mean we should utilize the interwebs more. So, for those of you who foursquare, here's a game. If you happen to be the "Mayor" of Ritual Tavern on 5/14/10 at 5:14pm, we'll give you a Ritual Hoodie! We don't open until 5:30pm, but you can wait 16 minutes to claim your prize, right?
Sunday May 16th
"The North Park Festival of the Arts is an all day extravaganza for the senses, with a whopping eight hours of unlimited entertainment including the six stages of live music, spoken word, dance and poetry, over 100 vendor booths, the Artists Village with its thousands of paintings, sculptures and crafts, the International Food Court and the Kids Art Beat Area. So whether you walk, drive and take advantage of the free parking in the garage available at 29th St. and North Park Way, you absolutely must boogie on down to this amazing event! This year, Velo Cult Bike Shop has teamed up with the San Diego Bicycle Coalition to offer free Bike Valet Service on Iowa Street at University Avenue."
The Craft Beer Block is where you'll find us! From noon to 6:00 PM on Ohio Street, we'll be sampling local and imported craft beer as well as food from North Park's greatest restaurants. (We'll also be serving sample portions of Ritual food too) Limited tickets are available now for $25 in advance or $30 on the day of the event. Click the link to get your tickets before they sell out!

Cheers! from all of us, at your Ritual :-)
If you're not familiar with Jidori Chicken (or didn't read last week's email) The New York Times has some answers. |