Category: About the Search Party

General information about the blog.

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Brutke to BSP – Part 1

Following the path of my Grandma Johnson involves lots of borders and boat rides. I wish that she were around today that I could talk to her about it. First, her family moved from Germany to the Russia (well Ukraine) before she was born, then when things got a might unstable there, my great-grandfather George Brutke took the brood of 8 to Bremen to sail to New York. But they didn’t stop there. They moved onto to Galveston and then into the interior of Texas. But they were not done. They then took the train to Portland but did not stop there either. Instead moving further west to Amity, Oregon. Close to where I went to college in McMinnville.

The geo-politics and the sociology of immigration is current now and was current then as well. I went in search of beer (on the internet, not going to Ukraine right now, being an American and all) that came from the Rivno (now Rivni Oblast (basically a state).

There is a bit, not much in what we call craft Rіvnenskiy Pivovarniy Zavod Riven produces a few beers with the Bergschloss name which harkens back to the 1900 Bergschloss Steam Beer Joint-Stock Plant and a wave of Czech immigrants who brought their beer love to a new country. (Sound familiar?) Nationalization of commerce under the Soviet government probably dulled the growth though.

Throughout the year, I am going to post about the places that my grandma landed and stayed and try to find some beers to taste from that trail that led to me.

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In the Tap Lines for February 2016

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We head into the second month of the year and more beer around the L.A. area. And a trip to Portland as well to do some new brewery hunting.

~ e-visits to three breweries from the pages of All About Beer magazine (again, but from England) including Brew By Numbers, Tiny Rebel Brewing and Howling Hops.
~ special featured reviews of beers from Founders Brewing of Michigan + a pair of Gose’s
~ 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 a novel co-written by Laker legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 108 covers the topic, “Snowbound”

Here are two events to get your February started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) February 4th – Bell’s Hopslam release at the Surly Goat
2) February – 10th – Bells’ Hopslam at the Glendale Tap

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The Yearly Disclaimer

Each year, I start the blogging calendar with a disclaimer. #BeerBlogDisclaimer will never catch on, I know, but I feel it is important to take the tiny amount of time each year to set the ground rules.

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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) to mention how I got a beer or a pass to an event, then go back and read the previous paragraph. (I should just “If” “Then” chart this out.)

I clearly want the Los Angeles Craft Beer Scene to flourish and I want craft beer in general to flourish. So my reviews will also take that into consideration. Some points in time require cheerleading and others require harsh sentences. It shouldn’t take a reader too long to see where I stand.

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 2016

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A new year. A new start. Time to resolve to be a better and more varied beer drinker in 2016. Hopefully, this blog will help you achieve that.

~ e-visits to three breweries from the pages of All About Beer magazine including Smartmouth Brewing Co., Saltwater Brewery and Black Mesa Brewing Co.
~ special featured reviews of IPA’s from Green Flash.
~ 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 returns!
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 107 covers the topic, “Let’s Be Friends”

Here are two events to get your January started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) January 12th  – Founders Brewing Comes to LA at Far Bar
2) January 23rd  – Transplants Brewing opening

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In the Tap Lines for December 2015

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I hope that you survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday and any other days of the week in this holiday season and are ready to sample all the Christmas beers out there. Here is what is on tap for December on the blog.

~ e-visits to three breweries that brew beers with figs
~ special reviews of holiday beers plus a special Anchor Holiday Ale review
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ Holiday Beer Daily started last month and continues up to Christmas.
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 106 is all about the holiday ales

Here are two events to get your December started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) December 5th  – Smog City + Vagabond Cheese pairing
2) December 17th –  Beachwood 9th Anniversary

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In the Tap Lines for November 2011

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We are nearing the end of the year and the holidays come at us fast and furious. Each time this year, starting AFTER Thanksgiving, I start posting up the labels of different holiday winter warmers but before then, the same great mix of news, events, reviews and opinion.

~ e-visits to three breweries from Canada.
~ special reviews of beers from my recent trip to Solana Beach.
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ Beer-centric podcast review, …..
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 105 asks us to compare and contrast in Double Feature.

Here are two events to get your November started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) November 15th – Local Craft Fest at Rock & Brews El Segundo
2) November 21st – Stout BeerFest for Beer Geeks.

P.S. – You may have noticed that the Golden Road logo is no longer part of the “My Locals” graphic. I made that decision due to the fact that Tony Yanow is not involved anymore. That departure saddens me because, for me, he was the beer lover/IPA fan in the ownership group. That is gone and been replaced by ABInBev. That crater sized hole, I am afraid, will not be filled by people with that same Tony attitude.

I did not make this decision lightly and I know that it won’t matter a whit in their popularity but I have to draw line for myself and Golden Road crossed it, and crossed it without apology in their awkward video and other interviews that instead of promoting craft beer became salvos against home brewing and playing for the winning team. It’s as if they were sneering at where they came from instead of celebrating it.

Their beer may not suffer in quality and yes, it will be available in more and more places but it has lost the “craft” and become just “beer”.

Now, where can I find a “Craft Beer is the Winning Team” t-shirt?

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In the Tap Lines for October 2015

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You are now free to roam about the cabin and talk about pumpkin beers. The embargo can be lifted because we are in the actual month of Halloween, also the NBA season kicks-off! So let’s look at what else to come….

~ e-visits to three breweries that you may not have heard of that won Gold at GABF
~ special reviews of beers new to bottles from Ladyface Ale Companie including their new Flanders Red, Flamberge
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ Beer-centric podcast review, Brew Bloods
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world
~ … and Session # 104 will converge bloggers onto a single topic, this month on hiatus.

Here are two events to get your October started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) October 1st – Elysian Pumpkin Beers @ the Federal Bar
2) October 3rd – Sunset Beer 4th Anniversary Party

P.S. – You may have noticed that the Golden Road logo is no longer part of the “My Locals” graphic. I made that decision due to the fact that Tony Yanow is not involved anymore. That departure saddens me because, for me, he was the beer lover/IPA fan in the ownership group. That is gone and been replaced by ABInBev. That crater sized hole, I am afraid, will not be filled by people with that same Tony attitude.

I did not make this decision lightly and I know that it won’t matter a whit in their popularity but I have to draw line for myself and Golden Road crossed it, and crossed it without apology in their awkward video and other interviews that instead of promoting craft beer became salvos against home brewing and playing for the winning team. It’s as if they were sneering at where they came from instead of celebrating it.

Their beer may not suffer in quality and yes, it will be available in more and more places but it has lost the “craft” and become just “beer”.

Now, where can I find a “Craft Beer is the Winning Team” t-shirt?