Author: Sean Inman

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First and Hazy

Usually for a collaboration, one brewery takes the lead with the label design and canning.  But sometimes, two beers come out of a collaboration.

Smog City and Ogopogo got together and now there are two IPAs out for craft beer fans to try…

  1. First Stride “a magical concoction bursting with enchanting flavors of ripe strawberries, juicy mangoes, and tangy grapefruits so incredible you’ll hardly believe it’s a West Coast IPA until that nice dank undertone hits you.”
  2. Hedorah Hazy IPA another mythical monster monikered beer from the San Gabriel brewery.
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Draught Devil

The last few years have brought to light women in brewing (finally and belatedly), the latest being The Devil’s in the Draught Lines: 1000 Years of Women in Britain’s Beer History by Dr Christina Wade.

It is from the publishing arm of CAMRA and is described as a “new groundbreaking book that delves into the history of women in brewing, explaining the real reasons why women brewers became marginalised, while also debunking some tired old myths along the way.”

Since I am a beer history fan, you know I will be ordering this one.

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Distilled Into a Podcast

If you are past the enthusiast phase and want to know more technical info when it comes to distilling, there is a new podcast for you, Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast, with hosts Sydney Jones of FEW Spirits and Molly Troupe of Freeland Spirits.

I haven’t had a FEW spirit but I really liked the gins from Freeland and their bottles are way cool so I will certainly check this podcast out. Find it from your podcast app of choice.

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Review – K-Town Lager from Common Space

Los Angeles has been on a bagel kick over the last couple years and my wife has had me driving from Highland Park to Culver City and points beyond for taste tests.

On a recent Saturday, I was on the road to Calic Bagel for another round when I noticed that there was a featured beer named K-Town Lager. I scanned and saw a few Common Space Brewery beers and deducted that they had made this beer for this bagelry. So, does this lager pair well an everything bagel?

Pours a bubbly and fairly dark yellow color. Got a nice zip to it. A burst of floral hop notes from the German Magnum hops. Followed by a full but not slick mouthfeel with a good corn taste to it without being sweet at all. One of those where the glass is empty before you know it beers.

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In the Tap Lines for April 2024

Spring sprang a day early this year and SoCal has been getting actual weather with slight variations instead of 80 degrees and dry as hell, so time to celebrate the season and bottom left corner of the country.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from San Diego

~ special featured reviews of Spring beers

~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 Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzales James

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to A Crispr Bite

~ Sports & A Beer returns with

~ 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.

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The Firkin for March 2024

Maybe it should be changed to seller beware.  Cigar City Brewing in Florida famous for Jai Alai IPA and Florida Man beer has had brewing shifted out of state to Brevard, North Carolina.  With a lamentable loss of jobs as Monster Brewing Company shifts production.

As much as I understand the desire to flee that state, this shows yet again that no amount of assurances before an owner signs on the dotted line can be expected.  Owners have to foresee that new owners will do what they want and you have to be ready to either buy back or walk away, both at a moments notice.

It is 2024 and corporations keep telling us they don’t give two shits by raising insurance rates, selling our data or shrinking packaging to barely anything so we simply cannot be surprised when a corporation chucks away people and brewing history.

My suggestion for brewery owners about to sell is to lawyer yourself a way to retaining ownership of the brand name if certain conditions occur such as moving brewing or changing mission statements.

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Best Beers of March 2024

Time to get into the time machine and tab the top beers of March before we head into the April drinking session.

Honorable Mentions go to Long Beach Beer Lab for their Brewte (Brut) IPA, good to see this sub-style pop up on tap and this was a nice executed crisp, dry and pear version. Next to mention is the pilsner High 10 from Highland Park Brewery. The menu board had re-brews of past years and there were many High 10s to choose from but I really liked the West Coast Pilsner. I also quite liked the latest Short-Lived IPA from MadeWest brewed with Firestone Walker. Crisp and biting with nice fruit notes.

The March winners was the strawberry whipped Infinite Wishes from Smog City Brewing. Filled with berry notes and a slight touch of vanilla, it was luxury when paired with a bourbon barrel imperial stout.

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NWSL City Brewery Tour # 3 – Level Crossing Brewing

We place a cross into the Utah Royals box by visiting our third and final NWSL themed brewery, Level Crossing Brewing Co.

Let’s check out a taster tray…

Dallas Alice Belgian-Style Blonde – “An easy-drinking Belgian ale with subtle yeast complexity giving off floral, citrus and light honey aromas. The smooth and clean pilsner malt pairs well with the honeydew melon and floral hop flavors. The beer finishes dry with a lingering lemon zest flavor.”

Look Up! Amber – “A well-balanced amber ale with toasted biscuit malt flavors complimented with subtitle earthy pine and floral hop aromas.”

Suss It Out Rye IPA – “A complex and hop-forward rye IPA with three types of rye and a blend of hops to give the beer a resinous and spicy hop bitterness and grapefruit, berry and piney aroma.”

Soul Rex DIPA – “Intense citrus, melon and dank tropical fruit hops flavors and aroma. Medium body and firm yet juicy hop bitterness.”

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Short Lived but Not Too

Usually when I post about MadeWest Brewing Company and collaboration and IPA, I mean the latest installment of their Short Lived series.  But Wave Pattern is different.

Yes, it is “an easy drinking IPA, over-flowing with aromatics of guava, bubblegum, ruby grapefruit zest and pine resin! And with a malt bill consisting of Rahr Northstar Pilsner and flaked wheat” but this is an El Segundo Brewing beer done with MadeWest and not vice-versa.

This new West Coast IPA is filled with Strata, Simcoe, El Dorado and Riwaka hops.