It's that time of year again: Get high and drink some beers. There will probably be no getting high at the Riverside Market and Cafe, but there will be lots of beer-drinking this April 20 with a special tapping of a Lagunitas Waldo's Special Ale.
As expected, the keg-tapping will begin at 4:20 p.m. There's plenty to go around with 15 gallons, but it probably won't last long. Pints are going for $5.
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"Four-twenty" is a term we all probably learned as a teenager without knowing what it ever meant. Unverified definitions of the term ranged from the number representing a California police code for marijuana smoking to the day that presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both planted hemp.
There is no police code for marijuana smoking, and we will probably never know the exact day our forefathers first planted weed. Still, 4/20 is a code, and the true story behind it is uniquely American.
According to Steve Hager, an editor from High Times, 4/20 was code used by a group of high-schoolers from San Rafael, California, known as The Waldos. The kids originally used the term "4:20 Louis" to meet at the statue of Louis Pasteur at 4:20 in the afternoon. Hearing a rumor of a hidden patch of cannabis in the Point Reyes Forest, they would venture out from the statue to search for the secret garden while getting blazed the entire time. They never did find the plants, but the term was shortened to refer to pot smoking in general.
Lagunitas brews Waldo's Special Ale to commemorate the Waldos and their contribution to American history. Being less than a 30-minute drive from San Rafael, it's not hard to see why the Petaluma-based brewery tapped into the story.
Riverside Market owner Julian Siegel also acquired a keg of Lagunitas Lucky 13 and Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas representatives when they paid him a recent visit but will probably not tap those kegs until a later date, as he does not expect the crowd to be that rowdy for Easter Sunday. Check their Facebook page or website for upcoming events leading into American Craft Beer Week, which Siegel promises to be many.
Being a huge fan of Cigar City, Siegel's been hoarding cans and bottles for an upcoming event. "Our lineup for American Craft Beer Week is out of control," he said. "Our calendar is beyond my comprehension."
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