Category: About the Search Party

General information about the blog.

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In the Tap Lines for August 2019

header_attractionsINTRO

~ e-visits to three breweries with “bear” in the name
~ special featured reviews of beers for super hot weather, from Angel City
~ 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 Porpoise by Mark Haddon
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Noble Blood
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your August started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) August 2nd – Brew at the L.A. Zoo
2) August 4th – New Original Breweries Beer Tour

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Drinking Stats – Q2 2019

1/2 of the year is past and now is the time to check in on how much I have drunk, what are the favorites and other statistical tidbits…

I am on course to meet my ounce restriction goal. Sitting at an average of 158.97 ounces per week which is 3.03 ounces under the max. Boring ABV is stuck (in perpetuity it seems) in the 6.6% range.

I am also pleased that the IPA intake is at 51.47% of all the beers so far this year. If I can keep that in the 1/2 range, then I will be happy. What is not so good is that the barrel and sour beers are under 10%. At 8% even. That number needs to be double-digits in my mind.

Two of my favorite beers in the last quarter came at the Sour Friends Festival at Cellador Ales. Pyrus Rustique from Beachwood and Pleasant Pils from Highland Park were my two winners and will probably be on my Top 10 for 2019 list. Secret Agenda a Pale Bock from Lagunitas and Moonlight Brewing was excellent as was the blended cocktail beer Old Man Hattan from Firestone Walker. The most surprising was The Man with the Golden Churro from J. Wakefield. I thought this brewery was all hype, turns out this beer was quite good. On the flip side, Pineberry Milkshake IPA from the normally reliable Mumford Brewing was like mainlining sugar.

Now onto the 2nd half of the year!

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In the Tap Lines for July 2019

header_attractionsIt has been an up and down climate change type of weather year here in SoCal.  Lots of cloudy and not hot days leaving one free to not just desire lighter beers but heck, even barrel-aged north of 10% beers.  I can’t predict the weather but here is what is coming on the blog…

~ e-visits to three breweries with 4th of July patriotic ties such as Talea Beer Co., Backwards Flag Brewing and 14th Star Brewing
~ special featured reviews of Topa Topa canned 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 This Searing Light, the Sun and Everything Else
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to 13 Minutes to the Moon
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your July started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) July 4th – 4th of July at Angel City Brewery
2) July 13th – Lagerville at Figueroa Mountain

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In the Tap Lines for June 2019

header_attractionsJune is a busy beer month for me.  Firestone Walker and a trip to Paso Robles at the beginning and then the LA Beer Week takes over in the 3rd Week.  Expect lots of coverage of both.

~ e-visits to three breweries from England like Affinity Brew Co., Boxcar, Anspach and Hobday
~ special featured reviews of Paso Robles beverages
~ 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 Becoming Dr. Seuss by Brian Jay Jones
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your June started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) June 1st – King Harbor Brewing 5th Anniversary
2) June 11th – Beer – Cheese – Chocolate at Eagle Rock Brewery Public House

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Rip City

I want to congratulate the Portland Trailblazers on making the Western Conference Finals!! That is a huge accomplishment. You can say that they were in the “easy” bracket but neither the Thunder or Nuggets were “easy”. Yeah, the Thunder and Paul George have no idea what a good shot is and the Nugs were a little too sassy but having to win on a last shot and survive four overtimes is tough.

You may ask what this has to beer. Well, I have a few pieces of glassware that is bedecked with Blazers past and logos past and it is playoff time when I dust it off and start pouring beer into them again. Last year, I had to put them away all too quickly but this year, they will be out for a nice long spell. And though they are not beer glasses, the beer tastes real good after a win nonetheless.

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In the Tap Lines for May 2019

header_attractionsYesterday, I re-capped the 3rd Anniversary of the Propagator branch of Firestone Walker and that was just a small taste of the FWIBF coverage that will appear in the run up to the 2019 festival as well as my coverage of the actual fest itself.

~ e-visits to three breweries that will be pouring at FWIBF 2019
~ special featured reviews of from Four Corners 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 Best Mystery Stories of 2018
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your May started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) May 4th – Yorkshire Square 2nd Anniversary
2) May 15th – May 22nd – Naja’s Place IPA Festival

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Q1 Drinking Statistics

Didn’t think that I would continue on in my ever OCD quest of cataloging what I drink? Well, another quarter in the books and this year the goal is to get the drinking finally down to the amount that it will stay. Basically (2) pints a night or less with (2) no drinking days each week. The latter has been in affect since this time 2016.

Previously on Sean’s drinking stats, I started in 2016 with over 200 ounces a week and as of last year was done to 168.  The goal for 2019 is to hit 163 and through March 31st, I am at an average of 159.13 with my highest week being 166.  Four weeks of 160 was the final total.  So all good on that front.  The most boring stat is still ABV which is currently at 6.41% compared to 6.31% from last year.  Either I need to add way more high ABV beers because trying to go low will not be as easily done.

Where I am really falling down is variety.  A hair over half of the beers drunk are IPA.  A mere 14 being Sours or barrel-aged beers.  75 don’t fall into those three broad categories.  But maybe heading to the Smog City Anniversary this month will boost that sour number a bit.

Lastly, the following are the best beers that I had each week.  Some beers may be on this list that would not win any other week than the one they happened to but that is luck of the draw.

8 Bit Brewing – Oregon Pale Ale

Allagash – White Ale

Brooklyn Brewery – Stonewall IPA

Eagle Rock – Plan 9 Imperial Pilsner

El Segundo / Pizza Port – Surfin’ Bird DIPA

Firestone Walker – Auld L’Enzyme Brut IPA

Firestone Walker – Mind Haze IPA

Fonta Flora – Check the Cheers

Fremont Brewing – Winter Ale

Russian River – Shadow of a Doubt Porter

Russian River – Happy Hops IPA

Three Weavers / Coedo – Komorebi Tart IPA

Topa Topa – Dozer Line Black Lager

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In the Tap Lines for April 2019

header_attractionsHope you are ready for pranks today.  I fell for one briefly already before catching myself.  Hopefully, the beers you have this month are not pranks.

~ e-visits to three breweries that made the Fastest Growing Breweries like Werner Brewing of Tillamook, Oregon, Humble Sea of Santa Cruz, California and Oak Road Brewery of Summerville, South Carolina
~ special featured reviews of Orange County beers since it is there month for beer week.
~ 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 Milkman by Anna Burns
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your April started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) April 9th – Tuesday’s at Tonys features the beers of Enegren Brewing
2) April 20th – Smog City Anniversary Party

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Near Beer Paper LA

When next you are at a brewery taproom or bottle shop picking up a local beer, make sure to look for the latest Beer Paper LA….

…why? Because page 4 has a piece of mine about the soon-to-come rise of the Non-Alcoholic beer style. Check it out!

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In the Tap Lines for March 2019

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We have entered the last month of the first quarter.  How are you doing on your craft beer resolutions?  Visited new and re-visited old?  Made a beer trip out of your comfort zone?  Tried a new style of beer?  Well time to get crackin’!

~ e-visits to three breweries from small towns like Double Barley Brewing, Mackinaw Brewing and Mountains Walking
~ special featured reviews of more Figueroa Mountain beers including their new Point Conception IPA
~ 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 Traveling Cat Chronicles
~ 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 2nd – Border X Grand Opening
2) March 9th – Select Beer Store’s 7th Anniversary