Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
If you are like me, there is always another book needed. And if you need more cider info then I have a book recommendation for ya’. It is American Cider by Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo which gives “a new wave of consumers the tools to taste, talk about, and choose their ciders, along with stories of the many local heroes saving apple culture and producing new varieties.”
Craft beer went through (as did I) a keepsake / cellar phase but when you talk Bourbon the shit gets real weird and in Dusty Booze: In Search of Vintage Spirits by drinks writer Aaron Goldfarb you get story after story of the hunt for old bottles of you name it, whiskey, tequila, rum, and even chartreuse.
I heard Goldfarb talk about “dusties” on the Bourbon Pursuit podcast and the stories are wild so I am heading to my local library to order.
In a little over two weeks, El Segundo Brewing will unleash their 13th anniversary upon Los Angeles craft beer fans so get that calendar updated either paper or digital or both.
With the Craft Brewers Conference in the rear view, it is time to prepare yourself for summer beer festival season. Though not as busy as in past years, there will be plenty to do and plenty of souvenir cups to collect. Below is what is currently planned for the month of May here on the blog.
~ e-visits to (3) breweries from the Central Coast of California in advance of the Firestone Walker Invitational
~ special featured reviews of whatever is in the refrigerator throughout the month
~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Tales from the Tardis
~ Sports & A Beer returns with Drafting for QB1
~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.
Whenever economic figures for craft beer are powerpointed and then later dissected, it always seems to be in a tone of grimness.
Maybe people thought the high flying double digit days were never going to cool or that another alcoholic beverage would ever possibly have its time in the sun.
But that somber news story is exactly that, a story, one of many. And the side of the story that I wish would be focused on more is that of the sheer amount of breweries in the United States now.
The number is close to 10K. And that is amazing. Who would have thought back on 2000 or 2010 that there would be that many. Remember that back in the 80’s that there were barely any and the regional players were on life support. Even if this is the plateau, that is such a turn around.
Yes, closures may soon outpace openings but even so 10K! I have one taproom that I can walk to and three breweries that are super short drives to.
It may not be confetti in the air but this is still a good time for craft beer fans.
Time to look back on the 30 days of April and come up with some best beers of the month.
I need to start with the stovepipe can of Imperial IPA from Lagunitas that is Tiki Fusion – Zombie. I did not expect to like it as much as I did. It had a plethora of ingredients to Tiki-fy it and although it was a touch too sweet it had the hallmarks of a cocktail inspired IPA.
Switching gears, if not ABV, the Infinite Wishes – Almond Joyous variant from Smog City was really good and a nice counterpoint to the Strawberry Whipped variant. Both had sweetness that was knocked down just enough to avoid being treacly.
Another winner was the 2024 American Reinheitsgebot Helles Lager from Enegren Brewing in collaboration with Bierstadt Lagerhaus. Crisp and clean with just a wee touch of pear to it made for a really good Sunday starter.
The winner for the month came from an unexpected source. Not the brewery. Firestone Walker has been tagged in my monthly round-ups a few times. But it was the fact that it was Wookey Jack. A beer I have a few of in my life and liked but for whatever reason, on draft at the Propagator it really shined. The hops were there but the malt was not sidelined at all. Fresh on draft can sometimes make a big difference.
We all now, at least here in L.A. that Highland Park Brewery is the place for a world class pilsner but in May they are bringing in the burger kings to pair with their award winning beer.
You might scoff but Goldburger, Bub & Grandma and Yellow Paper say No.
Follow the social to see what creations arise.
Our last stop in the San Diego area is at Barley & Sword Brewing. They are located on El Cajon Boulevard just north of the North Park area and have a refreshing change of style pace in their beers on tap.
Let’s order up a taster flight..
Fiddler’s Green Mild – “A sessionable pub ale that will keep you coming back for more.”
Orkney Ale – “San Diego International beer competition Silver medal winning. Referencing the Orkney Islands, a remote Scottish archipelago where the brewing of strong, malty ales has a long history. A malty beer with light caramel, toast, toffee, and even light stonefruit flavors. The sweetness is offset by roasted malt characters balance the bitterness and provide a dynamic and lasting experience. Toast, roast, bread, and caramel-toffee notes full this medium bodied beer, finishing with a slightly roasty dryness.”
Edwin Fox English IPA – “A clear departure from the abundant West Coast IPA style. This English IPA is intended to be a window into the genisis of the IPA style. Broad and bold malt characters are well balanced with a trio of English Hops to give a unique and delightful experience in aroma and taste. While not as bitter forward, this traditional IPA is enjoyable to both hop heads and less hoppy beer drinkers.”
Wheeler’s Patent Irish Dry Stout – “Everything you look for in an Irish Stout. This pint of black is dark, creamy, and full of malty and roasted flavors. Do not miss this when it’s on cask!”
Yes, this is a bit of a cheat since Audio Graph Beer Co. is the same brewery just with a new name but I thought I would re-1st visit anyway.
I started with a flight comprised of the fairly new Ambient Amber Lager, Flathead Hazy Pale, Noise Violation DIPA, finishing with Bass Clef Barrel-Aged Barleywine at a whopping 15.45% ABV. The last was rich and boozy and I am glad I savored that at the end.
Of that group the amber, a throwback to microbreweries past was my pick. Malty and filling and just great for a cloudy day.
I also got small tastes of the pils, the berry sour and the fermented michelada which was super savory and spicy (for a wuss like me) and really tasty.
And despite the LAFC contingent offending my Timbers vibe, it is still the same cool DTLA space that many don’t know about but should.
Seems like forever ago when Firestone Walker started their quarterly hop adventure, Luponic Distortion. I believe I collected them all and even reviewed quite a few as well.
LD was a rotating IPA with each version utilizing different hops on the same base beer. Now, it is back as part of a variety pack in cans or bottles.
The new blue canned Distortion is pretty close to pale ale strength and pours an orange-y / yellow color. Aroma is quite strong. I set the glass down and could smell it from over a foot away. I get a bit of sweet tart followed by a bready malt note in equal measure. Berry fruit in particular on the second sip and a bit of a rough hop bite which I like. But still quite light on the palate and the malt keeps this from tasting watery which is an issue I have encountered a bit lately.