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A concise brewery bio
More L.A. brewed beer is coming, Maltitude Brewing, winner of an Anchor Brewing brewing competition, have spun out of the SoCal Cerveceros.
Phil Limon and Sandra Toledo are the team behind the recently brewed Ruby Sun Saison – a Hibiscus Saison that is on tap at Anchor and will probably make the tap list when their brewery is up and running.
Updates when opening gets closer.
Feel like I am close to knocking out all the new Long Beach breweries as I visited Ambitious Ales recently.
Ambitious Ales is located in the former home of Tuttle Cameras. The concrete floor is offset by the wood striped chairs and bar and the beams high above in the ceiling. Good use of a cool splash of primary colors opposite the taps. There are quirky signage touches and the requisite barrel display.
The beer menu signs are classy and simple if a skosh too small. Would have been good to have some paper menus around to use. I like the bright white backdrop for the unadorned taps and the wordless logo on the glassware as well.
Fleurs
Heavy on the chamomile but real nice. The lavender pokes through but not so much the strawberry. Mocktail adjacent
I Like Tuttles
Simple Saison with California grown wheat. Has the Belgian character right. Clove and tiny banana note.
Hopped on Phonics
Big grapefruit notes. Real nice aroma. Quite hoppy for a session IPA
I have 1st visited a few new breweries this year but this is the first one that has really impressed me. All three beers were excellent, the staff were helpful and they had cold brew coffee and a soda option as well.
This month, I am featuring breweries that made the yearly Fastest Growing brewery list from the Brewers Association and out first stop is in the coastal cheese town of Tillamook in Oregon, Werner Brewing.
And here is what I would sample first….
Backroad Blonde – “a light bodied blonde ale with a sweet finish that makes it perfect for a hot summer day.”
Hazy Pale – ” our hazy hop monster creation. Well balanced and our massive addition of dry hops shines through with a dominant citrus profile.”
Coastal Brown – ” an exceptionally smooth very drinkable ale with hints of chocolate and caramel lingering in the background finished with a slight NW style hop bite.”
Trask Mountain IPA – ” a refreshing light bodied hop forward ale finished with citrus and tropical aromas.”
The last stop in March is at Mountains Walking in the Bozeman, Montana region. I liked what I saw from both the branding design and from the beer making ethos, “Our goal is to make beers that pretty much couldn’t come from anywhere but Bozeman. The climate, the altitude, the native yeasts—all these things make up our terroir, which will impact our beers.”
Here are my choices for what to put on a e-taster tray….
Nice Fella Italian Pilsner – German you see and Czech as well but rarely the Italian genre. If it is close to Tipo Pils then it will be good.
Here, Friend Cream Ale – I almost always add a cream ale to a taster tray if one is on tap.
Digger Beer Honey Rye – If the balance is right, this duo of ingredients could really work well.
Last Best Pineapple IPA – This is a bit of a flyer because pineapple (like coconut) can be way too sweet but if the tropical hops are up to the task it could work well.
We head to Traverse City in Michigan to e-visit Mackinaw Brewing. Welcome to Mackinaw Brewing, which has been brewpubbin’ since 1997. Known for both food and beer. Below are my choices for an initial taster tray…
G.T. Golden – “Our lightest beer we brew that goes down clean and smooth, a quick fix to a thirsty day. Great with burgers and fries or soup and a sandwich.”
Red 8 Ale – “A Mackinaw Brewing Favorite…we wouldn’t dream of changing this auburn beauty. A rich malty red ale that goes great with any dinner or appetizer.”
Cherry Heritage Lager – “(available during cherry season) A crisp easy drinking lager, cold brewed with local cherries, a taste that is pure Traverse City.”
Belgian Whitecap – “This amazing beer is a true example of a Belgian style wheat ale. Brewed with Coriander for a unique aroma and a delicate fruity finish…this almost white golden colored ale will satisfy the occasional craft brew drinker or beer snob.”
East Bay IPA – “Big Bold and Beeautifully Hoppy. Just like this India Pale Ale.”
Usually, I don’t make 2nd visits so soon after a first one (unless I really, really like a brewery) but since I was literally next door, I sauntered over to Wingwalker for round 2.
I used the lucky number method in ordering a beer this time. WingWalker had 10+ taps going and I went with #9. Barnstormer Rye IPA. Not a hazy, though the photo might lead you to believe. Instead, it was another example of a beer that wasn’t quite right. It had the hallmarks that I associate with a beer that was plucked onto tap to soon. Hazy as heck. Blunted aroma. Vegetal in taste. I did not pick up any spice or rye notes and the hops were very muted. Due to choice of hops available? Don’t know but that beer made me stop and decide that I will check back in with this and Over Town much later in the year. More progress needs to be made in my opinion.
I jumped over to my valley town to another (Glendale to Monrovia) to check out yet another new brewery, Over Town Brewing. Here are my thoughts….
I had high hopes upon entering Over Town Brewing for the first time. The outside had the logo high and proud. Nice color scheme. Inside the space is filled with little and big signs of beach and road culture of Los Angeles. Highlighted by a big wooden Hermosa Beach sign that is a prime selfie spot.
Smartly, they were not doing flights or other odd sized pours. Just half’s and fulls. So I went down the list and selected what I thought would be easy hits. Pale Ale, West Coast IPA and a white ale. I skipped over the overly fruity and since it was hot, I also skipped the bigger beers. The plan was sound but the beers were all below mediocre. The Pale Ale had a tangerine puree quality to it. The White Ale needed extra spice push and the IPA tasted young to my palate.
Hopefully, the recipes will be honed with time and feedback.
Our first small brewery stop is at Double Barley Brewing in Smithfield, North Carolina with the tag line “Small Town, Big Beer”. Here is what I would drink in an initial taster tray…
Starting big with
Double Dubbel – “A classic Belgian Dubbel brewed with Belgian Pilsen, Munich and wheat malts along with the addition of the darkest Beligan Candi Syrup. Fermented with a Belgian yeast strain, starting at a lower than typical temperature, creating subtle classic Belgian phenols without overwhelming.”
Field of Dreams – “American style wheat beer with peaches grown in NC. Finished with Sorachi Ace hops and lemon zest to add a refreshing boost of citrus.”
Abby’s Amber Ale – “A dark copper, medium bodied beer with a nice malt balance. Maris Otter and Crystal malts give this beer a rich character while not being overly malty.”
Wilma’s Wandering Eye IPA – “A very drinkable Imperial IPA. Pronounced but nicely balanced hop profile. Pours amber red with a thick white head. Subtle notes of orange are present but fade quickly.”
Mark visiting a brewery in the City of Bell off my list as last weekend, I made my 1st visit to Border X Brewing.
Right across the street from the Bell House is the expansive corner space of San Diego born, Border X Brewing. The brewery opened this weekend with a slate of festivities from political speakers, a blessing ceremony, some serious drumming skills and big crowds.
The big space has a large balcony a long bar stacked with branded merchandise and lots of great art on the wall. There is actual parking in back too as well as some unfinished sections of the space.
There were 13 taps flowing at the start and only one was an IPA. But there was Horchata, hibiscus, pepino, agave and a laundry list of ingredients that you don’t normally see in beer and certainly not in one space outside of say, Pacific Plate.
I should have ordered the taster tray of four. The tray was well constructed and gave a bridge effect. I went straight for the Biere de Garde since I so rarely see that style then went back and waited in the slow moving opening day line for the Horchata Golden Stout. Below are my little capsule reviews:
Biere de Bohrder
pours orange, Big sweet agave notes, Caramel, notes of nuttiness, ABV kicks in with each sip
Horchata Golden Stout
Cinnamon, spice, Big ABV tasting, Not as sweet as expected, A bit
silky.
I look forward to seeing their beers on tap around town and to sampling a wider range of their beers.
Our last stop in San Diego is electrifying… Kilowatt Brewing. With Locations in Ocean Beach and Kearny Mesa.
Here are the beers that I would add to a taster tray….
Easy Crusher American Pilsner Pre-Prohibition style Lager – “Straw colored Pilsner based on recipes brewed before the Volstead Act of 1919 using Pilsner malt, flaked corn, and German noble hops.”
Wir Trinken! Festbier - “A smooth, pale German-style lager with a strong malt presence balanced with a light hop character.”
250 kWh IPA American IPA - “Features Kohatu, Rakau, and Falconer’s Flight hops, with piney, fruity & citrus notes.”
350 kWh IIIPA Triple IPA – “Triple IPA brewed with 40 lbs of 7 different citrusy and tropical hops.”
Coconut Chai Porter American Porter -” Brewed with chai spices and conditioned on toasted coconut.”