Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
As gladdened as I am that the Food Section of the L.A. Times is back, I opened the Food Bowl schedule with trepidation. Beer is not usually on the menu when it comes to this month long event. I found one beer dinner, with a Colorado brewery and a movie about tequila. Wine had a page of dedicated events and spirits were on practically every page. As they say in sports, “Wait until next year.”
Stone is getting in on the branded jerky though I don’t know how beer, even one as strong as Arrogant Bastard will come through into jerky. Personally, I would have gone with one of the big imperial stouts instead.
But I do like jerky, so I may have to grab a bag for nibbling.
Neither cask nor nitro has taken a firm hold in craft beer world, but that has not stopped Pepsi from…..
Maybe this means that hazy Pepsi or Brut Pepsi is on the way in 2023.
The premium ice cream-er Häagen – Dazs has a line of “spirits” ice creams and one of the five is beer related. (Quite frankly it looks to be the best flavor combo overall)
I am pretty scattershot with my coffee buying. Most times, I get the latest seasonal offering from Trader Joe’s but when I saw this bag at my local Whole Foods of the Amazon, I decided to give it a whirl since donations to charity always work on me. And this was really good. I will have to look around to find the Hard Wired beer from Left Hand to compare but this was light and a bit fruity without too much acidity to it.
Even though Bell Marker is looking for a new home (?), the ABC group and their New Original Breweries are expanding.
I visited under cover of press, the upcoming pizza project from Tony Yanow and crew, California Sun.
Sunset Junction has a new pizza player with a healthy side of beer. California Sun will be opening for business of February 11th and this has vaulted into the top 3 of pizza places and I haven’t even tried the non Detroit-style pizzas yet.
This ABC Group outpost slots nicely in between the snugness of Tony’s Darts Away and the expansiveness of Mohawk Bend. It has the vibes of both but also breaks new ground. CalSun straddles the to-go and eating in line with a large cooler (with cans only) of a wide ranging amount of beers. The whole layout is fun with arrows pointing the way to the order counter and a zig-zag communal table that can allow for new conversations or to stay insular.
The 12 taps will pour the typical Yanow split of IPA and Non-IPA. Russian River was seen on both sides with Pliny the Elder and STS Pils and you will see a smattering of New Original beers on tap as well. The cooler had a little of everything from cider, kombucha, foreign and local beers at a slightly elevated price point but if you are there to get a pizza to go, getting one or more cans won’t hurt, especially if it is something you haven’t seen or want to try. Considering Flagship February, tall Duvel cans were sighted so that would work especially well with the food.
And the main draw will be that vegan and meat eaters (count me in the latter) will both have pizzas to choose from and some weird ones at that. (taco pizza anyone) By the slice or whole pies on offer. The Detroit style had a lovely light bready and carmelized cheese taste to it. My harsh pizza judge and significant other deemed them excellent which is high praise. She also wants to schedule a return visit which is another feather in the pizza makers cap.
Wanna get some ice cream with your beer and you want to get some SF with that?
Humphry Slocombe has you covered with….. (my personal choices are in bold)
“From February 1st to February 10th, LA craft beer aficionados and ice cream lovers alike can get a taste of the special boozy flavors created in collaboration with key Bay Area Brewery partners at the Venice Shop. The flavor lineup includes:”
Drake’s Brut Rosé (Drake’s Brewing, featuring Rosé Beer Ice Cream with Lemon Zest)
Oolong Saison (Barebottle Brewing, featuring Oolong Saison and Pear Ice Cream)
Animal IPA Ice Cream (Fort Point Brewing, featuring Animal Ice Cream with Hop Caramel and flavored with Mango, Orange, and Passionfruit)
Coffee & Cigarettes (Cellarmaker, featuring Smoked Hops, Coffee Ice Cream, and Chipped Chocolate)
Fish & Chips (Hen House Brewing, featuring Red Rye Ice Cream with Goldfish Crackers and Chocolate Covered Potato Chips)
Anchor Porter with Fluff and Cookies (Anchor Brewing, featuring Anchor Porter Ice Cream with Chocolate Wafer Cookies and Marshmallow Fluff)
I was lucky enough to make an early pizza visit to the new El Segundo Brewing, Slice & Pint.
Here are some glamour shots of beer and pizza…
The pizza was really good. The ingredient balance was just right and you could tell that thought had been put into each one. I mean, they tasted a lot of pepperoni to find one that had the right flavor and size and would look good too. The space is really nice. Lengthy, with well defined areas including a spot that could be used for private parties with its own taps.
The next time ESBC has a beer release that I am in the area for, I will probably stop here either before or after.
This might be interesting to search for in your grocery store, Columbus Craft Meats now has an IPA salami. I don’t know if the spice to hop balance will showcase both but this looks to be a fun item to pair with your favorite hazy.
Of course I learn about a great beer gift, after Christmas. But hey, everyone has a birthday. Theo Chocolate has a 4-piece collection with Washington beers for the good price of $11.00.
Immersion Amber Peanut Caramel – Two Beers Brewing
Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout Marshmallow – Fremont Brewing
Hive Five Hopped Honey Ale Pate de Fruit – Pike Brewing
Bodhizafa IPA Syrup Confection – Georgetown Brewing