New Oregon Brewery # 1 – Tiny Giants Brewing

Each year, usually in February, I pore over the anticipated brewery openings list compiled by the fine folks at The New School Beer blog. Go HERE to read the full list.

My first pick is Tiny Giants Brewing which will be heading to SE Ankeny with former Cascade and Fracture brewer Steve Beadouin in the lead. That resume is one reason why I chose it. The other is that they are using a space used by a former brewery while they search for a forever home.

Hobbits in Santa Monica

Merry and Pippen.  Sorry, let me start again.  Billy & Dom and their travel / food program, Eat the World stopped off in Santa Monica and went through the brewing process of the Westside (not Middle Earth) brewery.

Santa Monica Brew Works is in the California section aka episode three but the series is not yet streaming here in the U.S. but keep checking for when it does.

Return Visit – Mt. Lowe Brewing

Ever since I read the distress post from Mt. Lowe Brewing in Arcadia, I wanted to go back and re-visit.  On a recent gray, rain threatening Saturday, I braved the always sluggish 210 Freeway to have a few beers to see what was up.

And I saw pitcher after pitcher going to the Pasadena Rugby Club who apparently are cool with no aroma, flat beer which hopefully helps this at risk brewery out.  I tried out a coffee version of their Hills Are Alive IPA which I quite liked.  A nice balance of coffee notes to hops with neither getting the upper hand.  The two following tasters were less successful and I think I may have gotten the same beer twice and not two different tasters.  Though they were filled right up to the brim.

The beertenders were working hard and there was a steady line to order so maybe folks are in supportive help mode which is good to see.

Not Tickled by Pickled

I was in a fancy cafe and market recently (looking at you Joan’s on 3rd) perusing the rather desultory craft beer choices and the biggest inventory was a pickle beer.  I almost belted out, “stop with the pickles” in the middle of the store. And the dill doesn’t stop with beer, it has invaded spirits as well.

To backtrack a bit, I do not mind savory elements in a beer nor do I hate on experimentation but can it be explained why there are so many pickle beers?  It reminds me of the pepper beer kick way back in the early days where spicy beers were the rage.  Those beers are not around anymore and the peppers are going into hot sauces with horrifying and painful names and I feel that pickle beers are set for the same fate of being a forgotten footnote in craft beer history.

Perhaps this is the zenith of pickle popularity, I have not heard much Pickleball talk either.

Ones to Watch in 2025

There is a lot of draining news from inside and out of the craft beer world but it is not all bad out there and Hop Culture has turned the spotlight onto some people who are really making waves large and small but all for good.

Read it right HERE and then tell me you do not want to go to the Barrel & Flow Festival or have a truly pastry driven beer from Brown Girl’s Brews.

A Podcast & A Beer – An Arm and a Leg

I am not a true crime podcast fan but I have started an NPR podcast that is all criminality. An Arm and a Leg hosted by Dan Weissmann.

From profiteering to charity care it can be depressing but the podcast is also trying to be empowering as well by getting knowledge out about inner workings of the vast medical business.

With additional labeling being recommended for alcohol a possibility and with Dry January in the rearview, I would say that for beer to drink with this, go find some session IPAs or some low alcohol British-style beers with low ABV

Magazine Review – Imbibe 75

While reading the latest edition of Imbibe magazine with their 75 movers and shakers in beverages, I quickly noticed a glaring tilt. Over 30 of the people and places featured were in the realm of cocktails while both wine and beer hovered around 10. If you add in distillery and spirits the total rises to easily over half.

I am not against cocktails or any of the specific bars at all nor do I require an even count across all beverages but damn that is glaring and it makes me wonder if anyone in the room brought it up..

It does track with media spotlighting tendencies though. When something is uncool, and craft beer is uncool at the moment, instead of building it up, the common practice is to ignore it and heap praise on what is cool.

‘Zine Review – Final Gravity # 7

Issue # 7 of Final Gravity arrived last month with 8 new pieces of beer writing that I greedily read in one sitting.

The three stories that garnered my most interest were regarding the Swiss Beer Cartel which sounds more ominous than what it was, a state sanctioned monopoly of beer. My first exposure to Archival Brewing which re-creates historical beers and the tale of the revolutionary dive bars which takes place way back in, well, revolutionary times in Philadelphia. This was a really solid all around issue. I heartily suggest getting it.