Category: About the Search Party

General information about the blog.

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In the Tap Lines for April 2020

header_attractionsMarch was not a good month.  I wish I had my receipt so that I could get my money back on those 31 days.  Hopefully April will be full of washed hands and six feet of distance and less bad posts on social media.  I will keep up the parade of good beer news while talking about what will happen when the virus dust has settled

~ e-visits to (3)  breweries from states hit hard from CoronaVirus
~ special featured reviews of canned IPAs from Strand Brewing
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events (Far in the future events)
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Gangster Capitalism
~ Great Beer names 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 March 2020

header_attractionsEnough of Oregon blog posts.  Well, I don’t say that but after a trip north, it is time to re-focus on what is happening here in Los Angeles, along with the following fun….

~ e-visits to (3)  Las Vegas breweries – Able Baker, Banger and Crafthaus
~ special featured reviews of beers from the Wheel O’ Styles.
~ 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 Tightrope
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Dead Eyes
~ Great Beer names and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your March started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) March 14th – Select Beer Store 8th Anniversary
2) March 21st – Common Space 2nd Anniversary

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In the Tap Lines for February 2020

header_attractionsFebruary will find me back in Astoria for the second time in as many years.  This time to visit during Stout month.  Reports from the Oregon Coast as well as birthday beers are to be expected but first there will be a little bowl of Super…

~ e-visits to (3)  off the beaten path breweries like Everybody’s Brewing in Washington State, Taos Mesa Brewing in New Mexico and Zillicoah Beer Company in Asheville.
~ special featured reviews of beers that are low alcohol and/or low calorie
~ 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 Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to The City – Season 2 – Reno
~ Great Beer names and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your February started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) February 3rd – Brew Lab at Dry River Brewing
2) February 15th – Los Angeles Ale Works 3rd Anniversary

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The 2019 Statistical Breakdown

Time to gaze back at the drinking stats that I kept for 2019. Starting with the big picture and then drilling down a little bit.

2019 saw an average weekly consumption of 159.95 ounces or 31.99 ounces per drinking day. I do not have alcohol two days out of every week. This was a 7.86 ounce drop in consumption from 2018 and 44.36 less then when I first started in 2016.On average the ABV for the year was 6.74% and I spent around $45.32 per week on beer.

Over the year the high week of ounces was 247 and the low was 124. Highest ABV week was 8.33% and lowest 5.37%.

There were 738 beers on the spreadsheet with 358 being IPA (48.5%), there were 58 Barrel-Aged or Sours (7.9% which is too low and needs to be rectified in 2020) as well as 36 collaboration beers.

These beers were distributed geographically as 57 from Los Angeles breweries, 70 from California, 17 were foreign, 23 from Oregon (my home state so I track it separately) and 25 from the other 48 states.

Most popular breweries begin and end with Firestone Walker which had the most check-ins at 53 and ounces at 584. Other repeated favorites were Sierra Nevada, Eagle Rock Brewery, El Segundo Brewing, Angel City Brewery, Stone, Smog City Brewing and Beachwood. All of which are old-school not the hippest breweries around.

Overall, I was 3oz on average below my target goal. A goal that I am keeping steady for the next year. I really felt it when I overdid it and that is because I think my body had re-calibrated to the lower amount. Trying to dive lower might result in even more headaches. Also the easier way to reduce at this point would be to remove another drinking day from the week.

Now onto 2020!

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The 2020 BSP Disclaimer

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

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 2020 will require cheerleading and others require harsh sentences. It shouldn’t take a reader too long to see where I stand. (Probably by January 5th)

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 2020

header_attractionsA new year lies before us.  What beers will amaze us?  What new brewery will blow us away and what beers will we push away after one sip.  Good and bad are coming and this month, I am covering it all including…

~ e-visits to (3)  Welsh breweries to honor the newest season of Doctor Who. Gwaun Valley Brewery, Conwy Brewery and Nant Brewery.
~ special featured reviews of beers from American Trappist, Spencer Brewing
~ 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 Fire is Upon Us by Nicholas Buccola
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Binge Mode: Star Wars
~ Great Beer names debuts this month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your January started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) January 18th – Transplants Brewing 4th Anniversary
2) January 25th – Infinite Wishes Day at Smog City

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In the Tap Lines for December 2019

header_attractionsNow we get into the meat of the holiday ales.  Each day until Christmas there will be a new holiday beer to learn about along with other beer-y tidbits from both Los Angeles and the world.

~ e-visits to (3) from the Craft Beer and Brewing magazine Best Of Lists
~ special featured reviews of Christmas beers of course!
~ 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 Night Boat to Tangier
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to The Battle of 187
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your December started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) December 7th – Brewyard’s 4th Anniversary Pajama Jammy Jam
2) December 8th – El Segundo Christmas Parade

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In the Tap Lines for November 2019

header_attractionsWe are close to the end of the decade but we have two big holidays left on the calendar.  So some holiday beers will be seen popping up plus a bunch of other fun stuff.

~ e-visits to three breweries from Portland, Oregon to honor the start of the Portland Trailblazers 50th season in the NBA
~ special featured reviews of Saison Dupont matched against other Saisons
~ 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 Full Throttle by Joe Hill
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Startup to Storefront
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your November started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) November 2nd – Field of Drafts Festival in Lancaster
2) November 16th – Highpoint Brewing 1st Anniversary

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In the Tap Lines for October

header_attractionsHave we entered Fall?  L.A. has seen 90+ then practically shady temps, then back up again.  The weather whipsaw might be best suited to those lighter Oktoberfest beers.  Now onto what is coming up this month….

~ e-visits to three breweries from Ohio (see A Book & A Beer below)
~ special featured reviews of the Firestone Walker Hoppy Lion Variety Pack
~ 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 Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Eaters Digest
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your October started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) October 1st – MacLeod Ale night at Tony’s Darts Away
2) October 13th – DTLA Brewers United Fest

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In the Tap Lines for September 2019

header_attractionsThis month the big event is in Long Beach as the California Craft Beer Summit comes south for their 2019 iteration.  There will be tips about the festival as well as events surrounding the gathering of the state’s brewers in the coastal town.

~ e-visits to three breweries coming to Long Beach for the Summit Beer Festival
~ special featured reviews of beers in the tall chimney hat can format
~ 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 Kafka by the Shore
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to 30 for 30 – The Sterling Affairs
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your September started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) September 21st – Craft Beer LB Festival
2) September 21st – Oktoberfest Kick-Off at Rasselbock Long Beach