Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I am out of the glassware game. Got more than I can shake a fist at currently but if you have a craft beer geek on your shopping list this holiday, then maybe you should check out The Pretentious Glass Co. They have a good variety of unique containers for your fav hazy or crispy boi.
Kris Kringle time. Papa Noel. Klaus. Whichever AKA you choose, there is probably a beer for you. Today we stick with the first one with a McMenamin’s NW Winter beer…
Poking around the ol’ YouTube I saw the trailer, For When You Get Lost. Looks like a travel buddy film revolving around sisters and their familial issues. I would have moved on but there was beer drinking in the trailer. My first thought was that it is probably one of those scenes that makes the trailer but not the movie, but then the Washington Beer Blog posted about it saying that “craft beer and craft breweries are important elements in the story.” and that “The screenwriter and co-star, Jennifer Sorenson, has some background working in the craft beer industry so she brings some authenticity to the story.
You can stream the movie on Amazon Prime Video
Almost time to get truly festive, today with Northern Monk Brewery and their Festive Star.
“A silky and smooth Festive porter, wrapped in vanilla, cinnamon and chocolate flavours.”
Looks like 2024 is when yule logs jumped the shark thanks to the limited-edition Miller Lite YuleLager, described as “a digital, beer-pouring fireplace that offers fans a festive new way to savor the sights, sounds, and great tasting sips of the holiday season.”
With such “amazing” features like….
Not Needed – just buy good Christmas beers and get YouTube to play a crackling fire for you and yours.
Time to head back to colder climes and a traditional Old Winter Ale from Fuller’s…
“As the days become shorter and the temperature drops, this beer is a perfect accompaniment with its malt, cookie and liquorice aroma and nutty, biscuity flavours.”
Located in the University District of Seattle, Ladd & Lass Brewing was founded by wife and husband team of Jessie Quan and Nick Ladd ( hence the spelling in the name).
They were mentioned in the magazine for their Zoospaloos, a Czech- style dark lager.
Thankful for UDFB – West Coast IPA – “Brimming with some of our favorite New Zealand hops, Thankful for UDFB is a hearty celebration of the University District Food Bank and all they do for our community. Featuring Cryo Nelson Sauvin and Freestyle Peacharine, this IPA is a veritable cornucopia of ripe stone fruit, white wine grapes, and a beguiling piney note—all complemented by a pleasing bitterness and lightly bready maltiness.”
Olympic Peaks – NW IPA – “Our winter IPA is a garnet-hued celebration of the NW IPAs of yore. Expect a balanced beer showcasing hop aromas of grapefruit and piney resin set against a toasty malt backbone and crisp bitterness.”
A Minor Award – Winter Warmer – “At L&L, we have a nostalgic soft spot for the malty, heavily-hopped winter warmers of the early aughts. Harkening back to the seasonal warm fuzzies, A Minor Award is a holiday carol of nutty bread, deep caramel, and luscious toffee paired with a pleasing bitterness and citrus and pine aromatics.”
Deprived of Light – Imperial Stout – “This gnarly imperial stout may be deprived of light, but it still radiates with intense flavors of cacao, coconut, and vanilla. We took our decadent imperial stout and confectionized™ it—blasting your palate with a depth of flavor that saturates your taste buds while still managing to finish short of typical pastry stout cloyingness.”
It would be gross negligence to not include The Bruery in a holiday beer round-up. So let’s get out the brandy barrels for some frost…
The last of the pioneering Los Angeles breweries and the second this year has called it quits. Ladyface Ale Companie which changed over to Tavern Tomoko + Ladyface Brewery will be closing just before Christmas on 12/22.
Ladyface Ale Companie & Brasserie was established in late 2009 by Cyrena Nouzile. That year brought us Strand Brewing and Eagle Rock Brewery as well. Brewmaster Dave Griffiths was at the controls of award-winning Belgian, French and American style ales. La Blonde, La Grisette, Blind Ambition Abbey Ale, Trois Filles Tripel, and seasonal ales such as La Trappistine Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Blue-Belly Barleywine and Dérailleur Bière-de-Garde which was a favorite of mine.
Nouzile and Ladyface Ale Companie were proudly independently owned and operated and an active member of the Brewers Association, California Craft Brewers Association and especially the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild.
Pete Lee, turned from a Ladyface customer to owner when he bought the brewery and restaurant from Nouzile and channged the Brasserie to Tavern Tomoko while still keeping the beers under the Ladyface banner which I thought was a confusing choice.
Later beers such as Animé, a Japanese pale ale brewed with jasmine rice and Sorachi hops and Atlas Shrugged, a barrel-aged dark strong anniversary ale did not get wide distribution and much like the other ’09ers, they could not re-create the buzz they had in early years.
Back in my holiday neck of the woods at Glendale’s Paperback Brewing for a bitter Winter IPA.
A Citra, Mosaic and El Dorado hopped ale.