Well, not quite done and ready but there is another brewery coming to DTLA in the future. Skyduster Brewing was pointed out to me by Food GPS.
As further news arrives, I will keep you updated.
Done and Dusted
“Old” Brewery Tour # 2 – Great Lakes Brewing
Another, more descriptive term for old is heritage and that applies well to Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland.
Dortmunder Gold Lager – “A classic award-winning balance of sweet malt and dry hop flavors, proudly waving the flag for Cleveland and refreshing beer drinkers everywhere since 1988.”
Conway’s Irish Ale – “A pint for Pa Conway! Our co-owners’ grandfather and policeman who’d likely uphold that an Irish Ale with full-bodied caramel malt flavors is just the ticket.”
Lake Eerie Monster Imperial IPA – “Issue a small craft advisory: this South Bay Bessie-inspired brew launches an intense hop attack amid torrid tropical fruit flavors.”
and of course…
Edmund Fitzgerald Porter – “Robust and complex, our Porter is a bittersweet tribute to the legendary freighter’s fallen crew—taken too soon when the gales of November came early.”
Driving to Pasadena
It looks like a brewery is on progress for Pasadena. Social media shows a bit of life to Driven Beer.
Automotive themed from the looks of it. Joining Upshift and All Season in search of car hop pubs and beer names. More to follow.
“Old” Brewery Tour # 1 – The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Well, it is right in the name ain’t it? Our first March stop is at Charlotte, North Carolina’s oldest brewery, Olde Mecklenburg.
They have a line-up filled to the brim with old(e) school beer styles, so let’s dive in…
Fruh Bock – “Our seasonal “Spring bock” captures the promise of warmer days ahead, combining a slight malty sweetness with a refreshing touch of citrus aroma from its noble bavarian hops. The result is an amazingly fresh, crisp beer that masks a higher alcohol content in its smooth character.”
Copper Altbier – “OMB’s flagship, Copper, is an authentic Düsseldorf-style Altbier (German amber ale). Its full-flavored start suggests notes of graham cracker, toffee and caramel, transitioning to a smooth and balanced finish. Altbier is a “hybrid” beer – although it’s brewed as an ale, it is “lagered” (stored on the yeast at very cold temperatures) for several weeks after primary fermentation. The result is a beer that combines the full flavor of an ale with the crisp, clean refreshment of a lager. Copper is great by itself or as a complement to any cuisine.”
Hornet’s Nest Hefeweizen – “A German classic, Hornets Nest hefeweizen is the original hazy, unfiltered ale. This subtly sweet wheat beer is rich in body and finishes with notes of banana and clove from the unique hefe yeast. At OMB, we love our local history almost as much as we enjoy brewing our premium local beer. While most people think Hornets Nest is an ode to Charlotte’s basketball team, it’s actually the nickname England’s General Cornwallis gave Charlotte after 16 futile days of trying to take the city during the Revolutionary War – “Let’s get out of here, this place is a damned hornet’s nest.” Raise a glass to the spirit of rebellion in the Queen City!”
Fat Boy Baltic Porter – “a bold, full-bodied, dark beer that wraps a rich malty sweetness in notes of caramel, toffee, dark fruit and rich chocolate. Despite the higher ABV, this porter drinks smooth, owing to the use of lager yeast and extended cold conditioning. With a beer this good, every season is dark beer season! Fat Boy is a tribute to our original brewer’s passion for his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which could often be seen parked outside of the brewhouse in the early days of OMB. Winner of a GOLD European Beer Star.”
Premier League Brewery # 3 – Chalk Hill Brewing in Norwich
Norwich has has a rough go this year, it seems that the green and gold brings goals for the opposing side but you can head to Chalk Hill to have a pint and plot how to escape relegation.
Start with…
CHB Bitter – “A copper-coloured beer with a malty aroma, fruity sweetness and bittersweet hoppiness towards the finish.”
Gold – “A straw-coloured and malty golden ale with gentle sweetness.”
Flintknappers Mild – “A mild that’s black and malty, full of flavour. Available in Autumn and Winter.”
Pump Action – “Pumpkin spiced ale”
Premier League Brewery # 2 – Love Lane Brewery
Our next featured Premier League club is Everton, who have a new manager in former Chelsea midfielder and manager, Frank Lampard as well as two new high profile signings in Donny Van de Beek and Delle Alli.
We head to Love Lane Brewery for this e-tour. The brewery (and distillery) is based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle.
They took an old rubber factory and turned it into a 18,000 Hectolitre brewery where they also create Gin.
My taster tray would start with the Baltic Haze, then move on to the Oatmeal Cookie Brown before the third beer which would be the Pale Ale followed by their take on a West Coast IPA and finishing with their big Sgt. Peppermint at 12% abv.
Premier League Brewery Tour # 1 – Wylam Brewery
We head to new big spenders Newcastle United with Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood newly added to the side. Our brewing stop is Wylam Brewery. And boy oh boy is this a beauty of a building they reside in.
Let’s dive into a sampler tray…
Hickey the Rake – “A Limonata Pale… An Ultra Pale which emulates almost toxic levels of citrus zing. A nuclear sherbet dib-dab of lemon, lime and tropical pineapple.”
Jakehead Supercharged IPA – “Supercharged India Pale Ale…. Rich/bright & amber/bronze with lots of American hop aroma. Distinctly bittersweet on the palate with a massive hop complexity fashioned deep within the IPA tradition.”
Poundage Porter -“A hark back to bygone days with Poundage Porter… Brewed with heritage malt, oats and driven with brown malt, giving out mellow tones of raisins, pipe tobacco, freshly ground coffee and dark chocolate.”
Big Trouble Al’Owa – “A behemoth of an Imperial Stout mashed in with toasted malted oats, toasted wheat, malted rye, manuka raisins, black currants, figs and pecan nut.
Fermented out using dark Canadian maple syrup with a late addition of toasted coconut flakes and dark cacao. Monumentally monstrous with chewy notes of mixed granola, vintage fruit cake, port wine, dark chocolate torte, coconut and roasted pecan nut.”
1st Visit – La Bodega Brewing
You walk past the windows of La Bodega Brewing in Whittier, seeing the fermenters and other brewing equipment but then you enter and if you are slow like me, you might be confused, is it a butcher? Then you might not take the neon hint of what is the password or lack of entrance before being carefully led in by one of the many kind staff to the easy speakeasy behind the cooler door.
Inside is one of the swankiest environs for a brewery that I have been into. Blue lights, movie house ceilings, low light. Prohibition vibe.
And lagers. Mexican, dark, regular plus a blonde ale. The Mala Suerte was a solid start, the Pale Ale was dialed in. Bright and citrus. The Hazlitt Hazy was a little letdown from the first two. Creamy and hoppy but lacking a dominant flavor. Toma, the Double IPA was in between. Better than the hazy but dull compared to the pale. I wish I had gone for the three lagers and the pale for the taster tray.
Plus food that is steakhouse meets LA plus Fosselman’s ice cream makes this brewery more of a special night out
Want To Visit in 2022 Brewery # 3 – Drake’s Dealership
Who doesn’t like a beer garden, especially now when you can tuck yourself away in a corner with a beer and if you happen to be at the Drakes Dealership in Oakland, you can have a wood fired pizza along with your choice from over thirty taps.
Here are a few to tempt you to the bay…
Parma Pils – “Our Director of Packaging and Logistics, Anthony FINALLY brewed a beer. BIG PARMA created an Italian Pilsner for the masses. Enjoy this crispy dry-hopped pilsner which included a hefty dosing of Penne in the mash. We selected a gorgeous Noble hop called Saphir to dry-hop with. This hop gives aroma and flavors of tangerine, and a subtle herbal spiciness.”
Idaho 7 Days a Week – “Idaho 7, one of our brewers’ favorite hops, is going to be presented in a brand new way! Double dry-hop? Triple dry-hop? This extremely dry-hopped beer will explode your mind with the pungent fruity flavor you’ve ever had!”
Smashing Grass DIPA – “Enjoy pound after pound of sticky, resinous, high quality hops in this super dank West Coast Double IPA, including Delta, Simcoe, Citra, Cascade and Nelson Sauvin.”
Death of the Sun Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout – “Death of the Sun came the day the world went black. A beast of an Imperial Stout aged for over a year in the cosmic dark of Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels. Notes of layered malt, dark fruit and chocolate tame its heat. A beer so good you will rejoice in its perpetual darkness.”
A Spark
Looks like Ventura is getting more beer if that is possible. Welcome Bright Spark Brewing!
I do like the logo. Nice and cheerful. I also have a guess as to the brewer so I figure the beers will be quite solid from the jump.
Keep an eye out for opening dates.