Not Doctor Who / Torchwood Cardiff but California Cardiff by the Sea is where the Lost Abbey has set down their 2nd location. And it is called….
…the Confessional. It is located in the Seaside Marketplace and will feature beers from (obviously) The Lost Abbey, Port Brewing and The Hop Concept. You will be able to try tasters, purchase pints and grab growler fills as well as bottle sales to-go. The Confessional will have 24 taps and a wide array of beers from the three brands and they are open starting at 11am Monday through Sunday.
Not the 1st or 2nd
Looks like Santa Barbara has added a new brewery to the mix with the cool name of Third Window Brewing and if a recent taproom list is any indication…..
l’Eveaire #1.0 Berliner Weisse co-fermented with Winter Raspberries.
Batch 002 #1.0 Light Lager
III #1.0 Belgian Blond
Saison #1.0 Farmhouse Ale
Walkabout #1.0 Stout with Foraged Oranges, 24 Blackbirds Cocoa Nibs and Madagascar Vanilla Bean
…they aren’t afraid to try multiple styles. Plus, if the website photos are to be believed, it has a rustic sort of wine tasting room charm that is much different from the usual industrial chic of many brewery taprooms.
When/if, I visit, I will duly report back on the quality of the beer itself.
Gluten Free Brewery # 1 – Holidaily Brewing
We begin our May tour of Gluten-Free Breweries with a stop in Golden, Colorado. And it is not the place you first think of, instead we head to Holidaily Brewing Company which was started by Karen Hertz who was forced by illness into a treatment plan that included a gluten-free diet. Instead of forgoing beer, she and her team researched ingredients and taste tested beers and followed what other breweries were doing in this niche market before launching her brand. And they mean gluten-free, they do not allow even one gluten-containing ingredient beyond their doors.
In looking at their list, I decided to go basic and try their standard bearers since they cover a nice range of styles:
Favorite Blonde
Buckwit Belgian
Beulah Red
Riva Stout
Double IPA
Homage Pomona
Looks like Pomona is becoming an even bigger beer town. Homage Brewing is setting up shop in the downtown Pomona area soon. To be more specific, May 14th.
Look, Smell, Taste, and Evolve is their tagline and with beer names like Reckoner, Unknown and Discovery, they are certainly aiming for explorers. There will be stouts and IPA’s but also sour and wild ale options as well as barrel aging.
More on this brewery coming in an interview with Brewmaster Mark over on Food GPS. And, of course, a report once I get a first visit in.
Craft in Controversial States # 3 – Reformation Brewing in Georgia
One should realize as a Governor that you serve many niches of people and what you do to charm one will cause another to rise up.
And rise up people did upon hearing of House Bill 757 which would have given faith-based organizations in Georgia the option to deny services and jobs to the usual bogeyman of the right.
Only after pressure was put to bear from corporations large did Governor Deal finally backtrack and come out with this statement:
“I do not think we have to discriminate against anyone to protect the faith-based community in Georgia, of which I and my family have been a part of for all of our lives,” he said.
Now as far as I can see, no one is abridging anyone’s right practice their religion. What can be regulated is when you interact with humans, in public. Much as you are not allowed to yell “Fire” in a crowded restaurant there are limits to your faith when you are not alone. It is not a parapet from which you get to yell hateful things or deny access. Yes, a person can buy a product from people who believe the same way you do (and probably should) but eventually that leads to a grocery store where every checker can deny people from buying something and you end up having to split your purchases among 10 lanes just so as not to infringe on religion.
If you want to see real religious persecution, how about heading to Syria, or any other number of countries where you can be killed for your beliefs?
Now that we are “free”, lets take the discussion to a suitably religously named brewery, Reformation Brewery in Woodstock, Georgia.
Named after Martin, the iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. Per their website Luther, “…developed the pastime of inviting students to his home after class to have conversations about theology, life, and culture while sharing a pint of his wife Katy’s home-brewed ale.” Seems appropriate if the discussion is light and frivolous or lengthy and serious.
I would start my taster tray with their canned line-up…
1. “Cadence Reformed Belgian Ale is a beer created to acknowledge that indeed there is a rhythm to life and that every day deserves a moment to give thanks and to enjoy the good gifts of life. We have also crafted fig into Cadence. Why fig? Well, it certainly combines well with the malt to produce a deep fruit aroma and caramel flavor. But in addition to that, fig trees are survivors. Its roots dig even through crevices and rocks to find water in the valleys of their natural habitat. It’s an ancient tree, providing shade in times of intense heat. So figs are not only delicious in beer, they have sheltered life’s cadence as long as history.”
2.”Atlas IPA is a celebration of an honest journey and a gathering of stories along the way. It’s an American style IPA as diverse as the Atlas.” Brewed using Columbus and Cascade hops.
3.“Union Belgian White is about relationships. Created for that moment when a stranger becomes a friend. When the fear of judgment becomes the freedom to become known. Union is Belgian style white ale you can pull up chair and spend some quality time around–with and for those who matter.”
4. “Stark Porter is a beer created to share life and moments with each other, accepting and celebrating the good gifts that bring us together in harmony amid the noise of everyday life. Originally brewed to share and raise support for Cambodian Heritage Camp (our brewmaster Nick is an adoptive father to two Cambodian children) the beer has been served to connect adoptive families from all over the United States to each other.”
then finishing with a big bottle of…
5. “Providence is a Belgian tripel. Deep gold in color, its aroma and flavor are complex with estery sweet and citrus finish which is largely produced during the marvel of fermentation and then dry hopped. The enchantment of the beer is that it packs 9.2% ABV that goes largely unnoticed, much like providence. Best served at 45°-50°F.”
1st Visit – Scholb Premium Ales
I e-mail corresponded with Scholb Premium Ales which you can read over on Food GPS. Now I actually visited. (After a side trip to Smog City and before a short jaunt to King Harbor)
Scholb is in the same complex as Absolution Brewing but at the latter I was unimpressed whereas Scholb is off to a good, strong start. The Columbia Street Pale Ale was bright and fruity and better than most in this crowded category. My second favorite was the Cherry Wood Smoked Brown which at first seemed thin but filled in nicely with a different smoke note that I found pleasing. Dad’s IPA was a strong third. My only clinker was the Bat Ray Red IPA. It seemed a little dimmer compared to the other hoppy offerings.
It’s s nice big space. Big logo on the wall and super cool taster trays made out of plastic piping. There are Wisconsin ties to the four part ownership group and maybe they can bring a Midwestern beer or three into the line-up for the out-of-state expats. As it stands, it is worth a visit to try the new kid in Torrance.
Craft in Controversial States # 2 – Mustang Brewing in Oklahoma City, OK
We head to the Sooner State for the next leg in our tour of controversial states and to make people a little less wary of wading into a political quagmire, this stop is strictly about alcohol sales legislation.
Up for a vote in November will be Senate Joint Resolution 68, which would combine several changes to the alcohol industry laws in Oklahoma into a single measure on the upcoming ballot.
SJR 68 would allow a wider range of retail outlets should be allowed to sell wine and high gravity beer (above a measly 4.0%) — and would allow small brewers to distribute that beer themselves.
The crux of the matter being that currently, alcoholic beverages checking in above 34% abv may only be sold by licensed liquor retailers and are not allowed to be refrigerated. (That last point boggles my flippin’ mind. It would be like telling local milk producers that they can’t keep the milk cold)
There is also a section that would tighten regulation of the three tier system as well that got watered down by SABInBevMiller.
The controversy stems from the fact that larger retail outlets will be able to put beer on shelves (hopefully cold cases) and that it will hurt smaller more craft oriented stores that can’t be as aggressive in pricing or in advertising spending. I know that small/local have hurdles to climb but the more beer that is out there the better, in my opinion. If breweries can sell more, they grow and create more beer to sell plus the larger retailers simply cannot fill the niche of the hands-on and curated beer lists that a craft beer shoppe can.
On to an Oklahoma brewery to talk beer….
For the taster tray at Mustang Brewing Company, I will stick with what they call the Unbridled Series.
First up is the Farmhouse Saison…
“A SILVER MEDAL WINNER AT THE 2016 WORLD BEER CHAMPIONSHIPS! How does one best describe a Farmhouse beer? Fruity aroma and flavor? Earthy, yeast tones? Mild to moderate tartness? A hint of spice with medium bitterness? Sure…that will work! Farmhouse Saison is all of that and more.”
…then onto the Udderly Awesome Peanut Butter Milk Stout
“A delicious milk stout with hints of peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. Creamy, smooth, and “udderly” delicious!”
…followed by Strawshitaw Strawberry Wheat Ale
“We took our three-time, gold medal winning, wheat recipe, added delicious strawberries, and made – what we think – is the perfect, summer beer”
…and finish with the Frah-Gee-Lay Sweet Potato Porter
“ A robust porter with hints of chocolate, graham cracker, vanilla, spices, and – of course – sweet potatoes. It’s like sweet potato pie in a glass! “
Scholb adds to Torrance count
The speed of craft beer growth leaves me behind the curve many a time. At first, I thought I was not paying enough attention but now I know that is not the case. I could spend hours combing the interwebs instead of watching Flash and Arrow and still miss events, beer releases or even the opening of a new brewery.
Which is where we come to the point of this post, catching up with a new brewery in the mecca that is Torrance. Scholb’s Premium Ales. I have sent interview questions out to the wife-husband x two group that will appear in Food GPS later this month.
So this is more of an announcement that their taproom is open with beers such as….
Columbia Street Pale – Honey Rye Pale Ale
Not Lyin’ Rye – Rye IPA
Bat Ray Red – Red IPA (RIPA)
Dark Void – Imperial Stout
Endless Kisses – Rye Saison
…on tap.
If you have visited their brewery and/or tasted their beers, let me know what you think. I have put them on the “visit” list and will report back what I find.
Duck Re-Set
I had the chance a week past to talk beer with one of the founders of Venice Duck Beer, Christian Warren
Starting a brewery is not easy business. And it seems like starting a brewery by contract brewing is even harder. Cases in point: Cosmic Ales and L.A. Ale Works. Both of which took long to come to fruition.
Add to that list Venice Duck. After speaking with Warren for an evening it became clear that without constant contact with your beer the business of running a brewery is multiplied.
If you are unaware of Venice Duck it’s because there plan to open a brewery in Venice ran into the harsh reality of cost per foot of space and also the lack therof. They are contract brewed in San Jose and have a large distributor but the beers don’t make it even as far as my ‘hood of Glendale. Their beers: an Agave Blonde, IPA and hemp ale won’t be setting the Whale Traders afire but are solid easy drinkers when you take the contracting into consideration.
But now they may be closing in on a space (not in Venice) and will be able to control their own destiny as it were and be able to tell the stories behind their labels which may seem, at first glance, a bit juvenile actually weave their experiences with some of the history and people of Venice.
And they have pushed through another beer that will extend their line-up and appeal even more to the hop lovin’ crowd, their spin on the SMaSH beer.
I can already hear the people who think that I am being too much of a cheerleader, berating me for being too soft. Here is the unvarnished truth: The beers of Venice Duck are “just enjoy ‘em” in my book with the potential to be better if they can be brewed and fussed over. And for LA to continue to grow, we need more beers that are built for bars that normally would serve the SABInBevMiller taps instead or bottles of Stella Artois.
Inside Indie
I headed down by the partially demolished 6th Street Bridge to see the future home of Indie Brewing in Boyle Heights south of the Arts District. Connor Forbes was my tour guide and patiently answered my questions.
Indie Brewing is hidden in a gem of a building that most people would just drive by. Nothing much to look at from the outside but once inside there is a long, cool corridor that in the future may house restaurants and other shops
Inside the brewery is in pre-tasting room mode. Space that will be tables and chairs houses equipment, boxes and the like. This isn’t one of those 24 hour a day brewing operations. Until the tap room is humming along and until a distribution deal is inked, the amount of beer being made is lower with the focus being on canning the XPA and getting the 7th Street Saison and Port(er) of Los Angeles into 22oz bombers.
I tasted both the Superfood Saison as well as both a can and off the fermenter Eastside XPA. The Saison had notes of blackberry underneath but a gripping and strong (to me) Saison base. There is a juice bar of ingredients in the beer but the actual style still leads the way. The XPA was more IPA to me but was tasting quite nice, especially fresh.
The coolest take-away from the afternoon was that Forbes (like many brew people) was complimentary about the growing group of brewers in DTLA and was excited about a DTLA event that would include all of the brewers showing off their beers.