Winter Calendar of Events

We have come to the end of the first decade of the century. To help you plan the first season of the second decade of the century, here is our San Miguel de Allende Winter Calendar of Events. Remember to drop the "O" before the "10" when referring to "2010"!

• Dec 16-24 – Las Posadas – Celebrated in neighborhood homes throughout San Miguel de Allende

• Dec 24 - Christmas Eve

• Dec 25 - Christmas Day

• Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve

• Jan 1 - New Year’s Day

• Jan 6 - Three Kings Day

• Jan 17 - Blessing of Animals at the Parroquia - St. Anthony’s Day

• Jan 21 – Birthday of General Ignacio Allende

• Jan 24 - Departure of Pilgrims for San Juan de los Lagos

• Feb 2 - Candelaria Day - Sale of plants and Seeds in Juarez Park

• Feb 5 - Constitution Day (National Holiday)

• Feb 14 - Valentine’s Day

• Feb 24 - Flag Day

• Feb 25 - Ash Wednesday

• Mar 5 – Chichimeca Indian dances in front of the Parroquia on the First Friday of March

• Mar 12 - Two Sundays before Easter the Image of El Señor de la Columna (Lord of the Column) Departs Atotonilco and is carried to San Juan de Dios Temple in San Miguel de Allende

• Mar 15 - El Día del Divino Preso (Day of the Divine Prisoner)

• Mar 17 - St. Patrick’s Day

• Mar 18 – Viernes de Dolores – Church altars and street fountains are decorated

• Mar 19 - Feast of San José

Mark Taylor - San Miguel de Allende Craft Brewer

Mark Taylor is a craft brewer that spends his winters in San Miguel de Allende with his wife Susan. He has a very interesting blog chronicling his personal brewing adventures and other beer related topics. In a recent post, Mark discusses his attempt to make malted barley, a key ingredient in beer making, from barley he found at a San Miguel de Allende feed store.

We first met Mark when Francisco attended his 5-week home brewing course at Cabrillo College near Santa Cruz, California. This winter, to Francisco’s delight, Mark and his wife Susan moved in three doors down from us. Mark recently came over to hang out as he and Francisco brewed the first batch of “local brew” ever made at Antigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast, a very dark wheat beer from ingredients brought down from the States. With some luck and a little patience, the beer will be ready to drink just in time for Christmas. Our guests will most certainly have the opportunity to taste it!

Mark is a maverick when it comes to home brewing. He breaks many rules of “traditional” home brewing in his quest to produce quality beer in the shortest amount of time. For example, Mark will often bottle his beer in 3-liter plastic screw-top soda bottles commonly found in Mexico so as to not bother with the puny 12 oz glass bottles.

We have sampled several of Mark’s craft beers, including an American Pale Ale and a Dry Stout, and they are excellent. Mark will be going into production mode in the coming weeks and should have several varieties to sample in early 2010.