Get your tickets while they last….

…because you do not want to be on the outside looking in.

Here are the details from the press release:
Local beer culture has really come into its own in 2009, as exemplified by the virtual explosion of beer festivals in the greater L.A. area over the past several months. And now comes the crowning event: LA Beer Week, to be held at venues all over the Southland October 15-25, highlighted by the closing weekend celebration, the L.A. Beer Week Festival, at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge Saturday, October 24 from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Over 70 craft and artisan breweries from across California and throughout the world will be pouring their wares –– many of them special release and esoteric beers –– at the L.A. Beer Week Festival, which will be held in the unique setting of the five-acre Rosarium at Descanso Gardens, beautifully landscaped with plenty of shade trees, roses, streams, ponds and even hop vines! High-quality artisan food will be available from Patina Catering, including grilled meat and seafood, sandwiches, salads, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. There will also be live Gypsy Jazz, courtesy of Gonzalo Bergara Quartet.

Tickets for L.A. Beer Week Festival are now on sale only at www.labeerweek.com/tickets.php, and are selling swiftly. Admission is $40 and includes entrance to the historic Descanso International Rosarium, the live music, and unlimited 4 oz. pours of beer. Food is not included in the ticket price, but is available to buy at the event, CASH ONLY (ATM or credit cards will not be accepted). Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance; they will not be sold at the door. Proceeds will benefit the non-profit Spero Foundation, which raises awareness and capital for charities that bring hope to people in need.

The 11-day L.A. Beer Week is a far-reaching celebration of beer culture in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, as well as surrounding areas, and will feature a palate-pleasing array of breweries, local taphouses, tastings, pairings, examples of beer cuisine, meet-the-brewer events and culinary and home-brewing demonstrations.
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news from 961 beer

1. We are selling out of beer completely and as a result we are now finalizing our plans to introduce a bigger brew house which should allow us to meet the demand in time for next summer. We want to apologize to all those of you who are finding difficulty sometimes in finding our beers, but we hope that will soon no longer be an issue. We want to thank everyone for their support and it is your drinking of the beer that is allowing us to continue to grow and improve.

2. Our beers will be available in the UK starting next month. 961 Beer has shipped its first batch of Lager to the UK and we expect to be available very soon.

3. We have successfully grown our first hops in Lebanon. These are historic times for us as it is the first such project in the whole region. We aim to go full scale next year and this is all part of our policy to brew a totally Lebanese beer. Go local!

In the future, I hope we can get some of their stuff here in the US. Would be a kick to have a Fresh Hop Lebanese IPA.

the festivals keep coming

Fresh Hop Beer Tastival Overview

It’s your once-a-year chance to taste what Oregon’s finest brewmasters can do with just-picked hops. Sample some of the more than 30 fresh hop beers from Oregon’s top craft brewers, large and small.

October 10 – Oaks Park, Portland
October 17 – 948 Olive Parking Lot, Eugene
Admission is free;
glasses are $5, and individual tastes are $1 each.
Noon to 9pm.

Here is the tentative list for Portland:

4th Street Brewing Co. Fresh Hop Pale
Alameda Brewhouse Failing St Fresh Hop
Astoria Brewing Co Hoptimus Prime 2.0
Barley Browns Brewpub Roadside
Beer Valley Brewing Co. Leafer Madness
Beer Valley Brewing Co. Black Flag
BridgePort Brewing Co Hop Harvest
Caldera Brewing Cascades Alpha Beta
Cascade Brewing Cascadian Fresh Hop
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co Harvest Ale
Deschutes Brewery Hop Trip
Deschutes Brewery-Portland Pub King Cone
Deschutes Brewery-Portland Pub Fresh Hop Mirror Pond
Double Mountain Brewery Killer Green
Double Mountain Brewery Fresh Vienna
Fort George Brewery Cohoperative
Full Sail Brewing Co Lupulin
Golden Valley Brewery Mt. Hood Fresh Hop
Hopworks Urban Brewery Crystal Method
Hopworks Urban Brewery Oktoberfest Fest of Fury
Laurelwood Brewing Co Organic Goodness
Laurelwood Brewing Co Hop Bale Pale
Lompoc Brewing Harvest Man Red
Lompoc Brewing Crystal Wheat
Lompoc Brewing Crystal Missile
Lompoc Brewing Millenium Imperial IPA
Lucky Labrador Brewing Mutt Ale
Lucky Labrador Brewing Mutt Lager
MacTarnahan’s Brewing Fresh Hops Amber
McMenamins on Monroe Hop Bud-E
Ninkasi Brewing Co. Nugg. E Fresh
Oakshire Brewing Fresh Hop Ale Harvest Ale
Oakshire Brewing Red Nugget
Pelican Pub & Brewery Elemental Ale
Rock Bottom Brewery Intergrity Hoodwinked
Rogue Ales Revolution Wet Hop Ale
Three Creeks Santiam Hop Harvest
Upright Brewing Fresh Hop of Bel Air
Widmer Brothers Brewing Co Hopturnal

Review of Older Viscosity

The Defense against the Dark Beer reviewer tested a bottle from Port Brewing.

12% abv 12 oz bottle
Old viscosity aged on bourbon barrels. Super dark in color, no head. Smells like booze not beer. Tastes the same. It’s smooth but it has lost all the beer qualities in the bourbon. I’d much rather have a special old engine oil.
It holds the balance between the two better.
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Beers I missed at GABF

Top 10 beers that I should have tried…

Ommegang – Adoration
Alpine – Willy Vanilly
Cascade – Vlad the Imp Aler
Hollister Brewing – The Pope
Oakshire – Collaborative Evil
Pizza Port /Carlsbad – 547 Haight
Short’s – Strawberry Short’s Cake
Surly – Coffee Bender
Weyerbacher – Double Simcoe IPA
Chuckanut – Vienna Lager

Where to go in Denver

While I was in Denver. I took the opportunity to visit some area beer institutions. Here are the reviews (from best to lesser best).

Great Divide – Small interior with outside seating. Great atmosphere. Good amount of taps and really friendly servers. Prices are fair for the quality. Many growlers were filled before the Rockies game.

Falling Rock – Set back from Blake Street. Tap handles and empty bottles adorn the walls and rafters. Dark inside. Nice downstairs with a snug and a pool room. Good amount of taps but no updated list. Some servers more helpful than others.

Breckenridge – Nice, large sports bar type of place. George Wendt from Cheers was here when I was sipping an Agave Wheat. Good sized selection of house beers.

Tommyknockers – Nice place on Miner Street. You could buy bottles to go or have one with dinner or at the bar. Buffalo burgers were good.