Outside Lands is San Francisco’s annual ode to all things awesome. The summertime festival has blossomed into one of the premiere entertainment events in the country and this year’s lineup—headlined by Metallica, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young—is nothing short of legendary. But there’s so much more to OSL than just 3 days of incredible music in the middle of August. Consider their Summer Pairings Series. Beginning on July 22nd, these three events showcase notable standouts of local flavor and firmly entrench Outside Lands’ distinction as an all-encompassing cultural phenomenon.  This Sunday, from 5:30-8:30PM, the series kicks off in the bucolic town of Healdsburg, CA. Sustainably grown wines from Medlock Ames will be served alongside the verdant hills of Sonoma county. While sipping on their award-winning Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, attendees will be serenaded by live music from The Easy Leaves. It all goes down at their very own Alexander Valley Bar, a short [...]

San Francisco Beer Week just wrapped up last Sunday and during that time I drank more beer than I think I ever have over any seven days of my life.  All this drinking led me to thinking: could there possibly be any better beer-oriented events in the World today?  Let’s put on our trusty beer-goggles and get down to a little investigative science… 10.) Constatter Volksfest–Stuttgart, Germany Oddly enough, the world’s 2nd largest beer drinking event isn’t even technically a beer festival at all, so much as it is an autumnal celebration.  But it seems as though the Germans can’t celebrate the fall–or any other season, for that matter–without significant amounts of suds.  Despite countless attractions, and endless access to some of Europe’s most sough-after brews, the most appealing aspect of the Volksfest is it’s timing: one week after Octoberfest, affording beer adventurers the opportunity to attend both events in rapid succession. [...]