Category: About the Search Party

General information about the blog.

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Resolved

My better half asked me before 2024 finished up its run if I had any resolutions for 2025 and I cheekily responded that I would try to be less great this year to give others a chance.

When it comes to craft beer, I do not really have resolutions either just what I call mindfulness.

With that in mind, here is what I will be paying attention to this year…

  • buy more direct at the brewery cans
  • buy more 4-packs at those taprooms
  • visit the farther flung L.A. breweries that I have not been to at least once
  • keep spreading the style love and not just buy IPA
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The Annual Disclaimer

Each and every year, I start the blogging calendar with a disclaimer. As a beer blogger, I feel it is important to be clear about my rules and morals.

Every beer, brewery, event, restaurant reviewed on this site whether paid for or complimentary will get the same treatment when reviewed. If I don’t like the beer, it will be described as a beer that I did not like, even if it was handed to me by the brewer and I like the brewer.

If I forget, (which probably will happen, because it has before) to mention how I got a beer or a pass to an event, then go back and read the previous paragraph.

I clearly want the Los Angeles local beer scene to continue to flourish and I want craft beer in general to do so as well. So, my reviews will also take that into consideration. Some points in 2025 once past the doom of Orange Mussolini and their “project 2025 loss of rights” will require cheerleading and others require harsh sentences. I am not subtle in any way, so I am sure you will figure it out quickly.

I will be as impartial and truthful as I can be while also staying as opinionated as usual.

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In the Tap Lines for January 2025

Strap in folks, there is gonna be some turbulence in 2025. I have mentioned, just yesterday in fact, that economics are going to be bad and the now annual Dry January will not help the beer world so be kind and helpful to counteract the bad vibes that are sure to be spinning.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from Hop Culture’s Best of List

~ special featured reviews

~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 Knife by Salman Rushdie

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Sherlock Holmes Short Stories

~ Sports & A Beer returns with teams that are easy to hate

~ 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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In the Tap Lines for December 2024

Well, 2024 was going along pretty well for 10 months. We will need to really enjoy the living hell out of what may be a final American holiday season. Sorry, not sorry for being so dark but do your best to truly live the sentiment of the season. Christmas is a time for EVERYONE to be happy. I am happy for the great Christmas beers and will be for each of these 31 days.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from the Best of issue of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine

~ special featured reviews of Christmas Ales

~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 Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Shift Meal on the Ringer Food podcast

~ Sports & A Beer returns with what to do with the excess bowl games

~ 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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3 Quarters Down

Time to take a peek at my beer drinking statistics as we are now in the last quarter of the beer drinking year.  

I have been doing a pretty good job of keeping it local. 180 out of 431 were from the greater Los Angeles area with 353 total from California. My foreign beer game jumped too to 20 with my home state of Oregon notching 44.

Most of the beers were IPA with 212, 108 being straight up West Coast style and a dip in hazies to 36. Maybe I am just not as into them as in the past. I drank slightly more Pils (37) than lagers (31) maybe to our plethora of hoppy pils here in L.A. and there has been a respectable amount of barrel-aged beers as well, more than hazies at 38 tasted.

The average ABV is not super high at 7.10% but considering that my highest ABV week was 10.22%, I feel that there must be a lot in the 7% to 8% range,

Brewery wise, Firestone Walker is the big leader at 50 and even if I don’t visit the Propagator again this year, will probably win the year still. Stone ranks second with 18 beers and Santa Monica Brew Works at 15. There are a few at lucky 13: Beachwood, El Segundo and Smog City.

Expect a jump in non California beers since I will be in Colorado for enough days to make a dent in the total 2024 numbers.

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In the Tap Lines for November 2024

It is peak holiday season with Halloween decor still up (probably) and Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching. As with previous years, the elves, reindeer and I will start highlighting holiday beers, but only AFTER Turkey Day.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries inside airports for those flying this holiday season

~ special featured reviews of two beers from The Rare Beer Club

~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 Wool by Hugh Howey

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to My Unsung Hero

~ Sports & A Beer returns with the coaching carousel

~ 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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12 Best

Being the opinionated fellow that I am, I do like to express my opinions and now Chowhound readers know that too as I put in my two cents on good beer cities around the U.S.  Read it HERE.

Everyone has a different set of opinions as to what makes a beer city a Beer City but I believe that certain criteria need to be met: A wide variety of beer styles, a good amount of breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, some GABF medals would be nice, a scene in the suburbs of the city is good too.

Thanks to Fiona Chandra for reaching out and listening.

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In the Tap Lines for October 2024

We have entered Q4 of 2024. As always, the year just swings by before you know it. Before the calendar switches, we need to pack in fun like a trip to Colorado, which I will be posting about later.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries that won at this year’s GABF

~ special featured reviews of Halloween inspired 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 Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Blocks with Neal Brennan

~ Sports & A Beer returns with WNBA and NBA expansion to Portland and maybe Seattle

~ 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 September 2024

Gonna go very trivial here. But it is a bee in my bonnet. In my internet beer wanderings, I see videos and photos where beer is spilled, intentionally.

I know that there is only so much new beer content when making beer content is very much second, third or fourth place behind making craft beer but whenever I see spilled beer, I think that the beer could be given as a taster to a new customer or an old customer.

Then another part of me just moves to who has to clean up that mess because beer is sticky as hell. What cleaners are they using? I just start thinking of anything other than the beer.

Instead of the pranks and hijinks, this beer fan would like more about the brewery and the beers.

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In the Tap Lines for September 2024

Here in Los Angeles, September is the last real dry and hot month and I am so happy to see fall on the horizon. Except that fall brings the always too soon Fall Y’all Pumpkin Spice nonsense, followed concurrently by always too soon Christmas. So let’s do our best to stay in the present and keep our eye on all things Oktoberfest.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries in Colorado in anticipation of GABF

~ special featured reviews of Oktoberfest beers + tips on Fest Biers to buy in SoCal

~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 Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to the NPR 4th Grade Podcast Challenge

~ Sports & A Beer returns with beer prices in the Premier League

~ 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.