Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

Posted on

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?
Capture
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.”

Posted on

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)
IMG_6532
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.
IMG_6534
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.
IMG_6533

Posted on

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….
Capture
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! “

Posted on

Scholb adds to Torrance count

Capture
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.

Posted on

Duck Re-Set

I had the chance a week past to talk beer with one of the founders of Venice Duck Beer, Christian Warren
IMG_6446
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.
IMG_6445

Posted on

Inside Indie

IMG_6438
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
IMG_6439
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.
IMG_6441
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.

Posted on

Craft in Controversial States # 1 – Wooden Robot from Charlotte, North Carolina

I try not to be too political on this blog. Opinionated, yes, but I try to keep the outside world outside this blog. But when commerce collides with politics, even craft beer becomes involved.

But with a political season in full on wacky mode, I find it hard to divorce the two. So this month, I will combine them but like church and state, they will be separated. I will first touch on a political topic in a state and then we can cleanse our palates with a look into a brewery from that state. Sort of a good news-bad news type of post.

Astute readers will probably notice that I am not a fan of Republicans and may notice a streak of Libertarianism that I inherited genetically from my Dad. That leads us into North Carolina where apparently people are afraid about peeing. To me, this seems to be a whipped up controversy in response to federal marriage laws. The equivalent of losing a ball game but instead of taking the ball away, you take away the bathroom for the players to use. Frankly, I prefer to take a bathroom break in peace from EVERYBODY because a bathroom break is just that. A break. But now, due to politicians, the bathroom apparently is to be scary because we don’t know who the hell is in there. I don’t want government in the ‘loo but others seem to like Big Government telling people where to do their business. Fear of the different is as much a part of America as apple pie and is alive and kicking in 2016.

Those are my views, now, lets go to Charlotte and have a beer and maybe a polite exchange of ideas too.
Screen Shot 2016-04-05 at 8.58.28 PM
We head to Wooden Robot now to check out their offerings.

Here are my choices for a taster tray. (Hard choices to make just to get down to five!)

Universal Automaton Sour Farmhouse Ale
“Universal Automaton is the first release that has completely fermented in our 30 BBL oak foeder. Brewed with local malts from Riverbend Malt House and fermented with our house mixed culture, this beer displays notes of tart citrus, decadent stone fruits, and a dry, slightly funky, finish.”

Extra Good Gluten Reduced Pale Ale
“Extra Good starts off with a similar malt bill to Overachiever Pale Ale. We then hop it generously with Citra and Equinox in the kettle and fermentor. This beer is treated with an enzyme to reduce gluten, resulting in a deliciously hoppy brew for everyone, whether you’re sensitive to gluten or not!”

Paranoid Android Deux Farmhouse IPA
“A collaboration with our friends at Bird Song, Paranoid Android Deux is our second version of our Farmhouse IPA. Paranoid combines citrusy and fruity American hops, with light malt backbone from 100% local malt, and a funky, spicy hop character from Wooden Robot’s mixed farmhouse yeast culture.”

Good Morning Vietnam COFFEE VANILLA BLONDE ALE
“A collaboration with our neighbors at Charlotte’s own Enderly Coffee. We combined fresh roasted Madagascar vanilla beans to produce an eye opening, enjoyable ale.”

Hop Boulders Sour Double IPA
“The bigger boulder version of our Return of Hop Rocks Sour IPA. Hop Boulders takes the tart, grapefruity hop character of it’s little brother, and turns it up a notch.”

PS – I do not know the views of Wooden Robot. So maybe they don’t want to be drawn into it. Don’t complain to them. Direct questions to me.

Posted on

2nd Visit – Iron Triangle

IMG_6435
Take 2 for Iron Triangle. I was pleasantly surprised by the beer the first time around and as I walked in to the brewery on a warm Saturday, I hoped that the beer would stay consistent.

I bought a sampler tray of four beers with only one holdover from the previous visit which was the …..
1581 Pale Ale – a little too sweet tart for me. A little pull back might help. Better as it warms.

New this time were the….
Land of Fire Red IPA – good hop presence here. A touch of sweetness. Not as dark as expected.
Wheat and Rye Ale – certainly malty. Kind of a weird mix. Accumulated hops from previous two beers.
Royal Claytons ESB – again fruity. Not really an ESB to me. Not enough malt here. The least favorite of the group for me.

The brewery was overstaffed for the teeny amount of customers in early afternoon. Tables were added to the loading dock area perhaps as a nod to the lack of seating at the bar.

Overall, the beer is solid but my sampler lacked a little differentiation. Maybe I should have ordered a something dark instead of the ESB.

Just as an aside: What is it with grains in jars at breweries? How often is it used for education or is it just window dressing? May as well have a jar of water too.

Just as another aside: It is weird that most of the taps say specialty when there were only three specialty beers on the blackboard.

Posted on

NW Cidery # 3 – Outlaw Apple

Screen Shot 2016-03-20 at 10.52.56 AM
Our final destination as Johnny Appleseed takes us to Outlaw Apple with the rebellious raccoon logo are former Californian’s now tending orchards in Oregon.

Here is my cider taster tray, starting with the Original…

“Apple Outlaw Original is our flagship cider. This sparkling, golden, semi-sweet cider has strong floral and fruity aromatics with a long finish. Just one taste and you’ll understand why the Bandit is wanted in every state.”

Then…. “Ginger Bite spices up this band of Outlaws! Made with a delicious blend of apples and Peruvian yellow ginger at our family-owned orchard in the Applegate, Ginger Bite is bursting with apple aromas and the spicy zing of ginger. The combo packs a punch sure to reward your rebellious palate, should you be so adventurous.”

Third up is….Expertly crafted with apples, tangerines, and hops, Tangerine Twist was made to revive tired taste buds. This hopped cider balances bold citrus flavors with floral aromas and crisp apple overtones.”

Then finish with…”Rabid Dry is for the experienced outlaw; its intense flavor so infectious, you’ll be left craving more. Apple aromas persist in this slightly acidic, dry cider, creating a bold flavor with no residual sweetness.”

Posted on

Crafted Chapman

Capture3
When Haven Brewing exited Pasadena it was an unexpected loss especially of the talented brewing skills of Brian Thorson. But now from the ashes comes the Chapman Crafted Beer Company.

Per the Orange County Register the new brewing operation will be near the Orange Depot in Old Towne.

According to the article, “The brewery will include a tasting room open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.”

On the downside, despite two other breweries in the area there are 34 conditions added to the permit. The most egregious being “tastes are limited to five samplers of two or three ounces, depending on the alcohol content of the beer.” And weirdly, sales (which I assume means bottles) are limited to a ratio of overall sales. Which will hamstring the tasting room more and probably mean that the nearby Haven Gastropub and Provisions will be better outlets for the beer.

We will see how this plays out but hopefully once the dust settles and the community gets to visit the 34 conditions can be lessened.