Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

Posted on

New Mexico Brewery # 2 – Kaktus Brewpub

a154f53a451848d0a3f1ebb9bb1bd8c4_180x313

Kaktus Brewing Company is (as the website boasts) “the only brewery in Bernalillo, New Mexico.”  But since this town is around the 8,300 mark, you can take that as great or sign that another should join the fun.  Because this is a true nano.  Only 500 barrels annually and eight beers on tap at any given time.

Anyway, this is the place in the SW to go for some lagers.  They have a Dunkel and a Green Bottle (a nod to a certain foreign lager) as well as a Cream Stout that caught my eye.  But what really intrigued me was their Basil lager.

To add to my initial taster tray I would try their Oyster Stout and their Gunslinger Smoke beer.

Posted on

Enegren is Growing, check them out

Enegren-Brewing

Enegren Brewing Company is sometimes out of sight and out of mind for the L.A. Beer savvy but they have been plugging away since 2011 and they will premiere their new 15-bbl brewery on January 24th, 2015.  They are spoken of in terms of their tech savvy and their engineering prowess and now they have quadrupled the brewery’s brewing capacity. while also doubling the tasting room size!

This might be the time to either acquaint or re-acquaint yourself with their wares because they will have a special beer on tap….

“The brewery has partnered with The White Heart Foundation charity to commemorate this milestone. The White Heart foundation serves the needs of our wounded warriors through direct community support. A special White Heart White IPA brewed with Cascade, Citra and Galaxy hops will be for sale exclusively at the brewery with 100% of the revenue donated to charity.”

Posted on

New Mexico Brewery # 1 – Boxing Bear

boxing-bear

We make our first stop along the Rio Grande River in NW Albuquerque. Boxing Bear Brewing Company has a goal of establishing Albuquerque as a national destination for raft beer.  And they also do wines!  Aside from the cool logo.  Here is what I would have in my initial taster tray

Uppercut IPA | 7.6% ABV, 100+ IBUs
“Big citrus aromas dominate this hop forward beer while providing a nice bitter punch. Brewed and dry hopped with an assortment of American hop varieties, this beer holds up to the standards of hop lovers everywhere.”

Hairy Mit Hefe | 5.4% ABV, 12 IBUs
“A classic Hefeweizen with flavors and aromas of banana, clove, and vanilla. Smooth and easy to drink, this beer is perfect for summer sippin’.”

Paw Swipe Pale Ale | 4.9% ABV, 45 IBUs
“This American style pale ale is bright and bitter with nice pine and citrus notes. Punchy hop character with a clean finish make this beer a real crowd pleaser.”

Ambear Ale | 5.2% ABV, 35 IBUs
“This lightly hopped beer has just enough malt to balance the spicy aromas and flavors of the East Kent Golding variety of hops. Refreshing and flavorful, this beer is a great pairing with a sandwich from our food menu.”

Standing 8 Stout | 6.3% ABV, 45 IBUs
“Dark and delicious, this malt forward beer is perfect for those who enjoy the darker side. A full-bodied stout with a fabulously roasted character.”

 

Posted on

Fictional

Screen Shot 2014-12-27 at 8.27.05 PM

Fiction Beer Company is not made up.  It is non-fiction by definition. Founded by a book fan and a beer fan their tag line is “Crafting liquid literature”. And I love the branding via book styles:

The Classics:
“Like a good book you read over and over, our classics are beers you may be familiar with such as an IPA, Wit, or a Scotch Ale. Just because they are classics doesn’t mean they have to be boring; our brewers utilize their creative license to alter the same old stories to create a new experience.”

Mystery & Adventure:
“Think of a page-turner. Something to keep your attention, keep you guessing and keep you wondering what is coming next. Interesting flavors, varying styles, seasonal elements, all coming together to keep you drinking.”

Fantasy & Science-Fiction:
“Imagination is the only limit here. As an author might dream up a far-away world full of magic and outlandish creatures, these beers are conjured using a variety of techniques and ingredients to create a complex elixir for those who wish to try something out of this world. Sour, barrel aged and brett beers are just the beginning …”

Choose your own Adventure:
“Beer flights. Choose what you want to drink and in what order. We may suggest an optimal path of consumption; however, we leave it up to you—choose wisely.”

Makes me want to grab a good book and sit down with a pint. But what to pair with a romance?

Posted on

Dallas Design District – Brewery # 2 – Noble Rey

e7647a_40f49def44994653de79c2c3c71813b2.png_srz_215_271_85_22_0.50_1.20_0

This brewery is also “in the works”.  In fact Noble Rey Brewing just got their boiler a couple weeks ago and keg collars recently arrived as well and they should be fully operational in 2015 if not sooner.

You will be able to taste beers such as “B.A. Baracus (an American brown ale), an amber ale called Steam Punk, and a 7.5 percent ABV German IPA dubbed Lorelei Rock, as well as a seasonal Day of the Dead-inspired brown ale brewed with piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), cinnamon, and ancho and guajillo chiles.”

Hopefully the distribution woes that Texas government has recently imposed won’t impede this new brewery.

 

 

Posted on

Dallas Design District – Brewery # 1 – Texas Ale Project

TAP_LogoFINAL_Web

T.A.P. as they are calling themselves, literally began pouring this month with a kick-off party that included the start of their beer line-up: Fire Ant Funeral Amber Ale, Naked Truth hoppy American Wheat Ale + Somethin’ Shady Porter.

They have also toyed with some experimental beers in the form of Party Like it’s 1773 Patriot Ale that is ‘Dry Leafed’ with tea, golden in color and an Imperial IPA that clocks in at “9% ABV, around 100 IBU.”

Currently they are draft only with a canning line being readied for the future.

Right now the best place to find their ales are at the Dallas Beer Kitchen.

Posted on

NBA Contenders – Brewery # 3 NoDa Brewing

Charlotte has an eclectic roster.  Two Indiana rail thin forward-centers.  The mystery that is Lance Stephenson.  The mystery that is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s shot and a grear workhorse in Al Jefferson. But they might have enough to win their division with Miami losing LeBron.

photo

And NoDa is a perfect fit because of one beer: Jam Session. “The evolution of American Pale Ale—still a session beer but it sacrifices nothing—clear hop flavor shines through without being too dominant, and there’s a great malt flavor uncommon to the variety. The backbone of this beer is the balance of imported Maris Otter and Caramunich malts with the pine and citrus flavors of Centennial, Simcoe, and Citra hops.”

And here are the other brews to taste while watching the Hornets:

Hop, Drop ‘n Roll – “2014 World Beer Cup® Gold Award Winner, American-Style IPA. Hops in your face. Crisp, mouthwatering, American citrus hops dominate for an ideal IPA character. It’s hopped before, during and after the boil with late boil additions of Citra and Amarillo for a complex flavor profile. The rich golden color comes from a blend of English and American base malts accented with substantial amounts of Vienna and Wheat malt. This is the beer that started it all for NoDa Brewing.”

Cold Crash Winter Ale – “Crash through the cold weather with our malty, hearty ruby red ale! Cold Crash offers a malt-forward and dark fruit-accented flavor profile with a distinct winter spice sharpness, subtle hop presence, and a warming 6.3% ABV. Perfect for the cooler months or just warming the soul.”

Midnight Madness – “This is our version of a Cascadian Dark Ale, more commonly known as a Black IPA. Made with six hop varieties: Cascade, Centennial, Columbus (Tomahawk), Chinook, Simcoe, and Warrior it has a nimble complexity surprising for it’s style. Sweet malt notes linger in the finish and despite its opacity it’s fairly medium-bodied and smooth.”

 

 

Posted on

NBA Contenders – Brewery # 2 Faction Brewing of Alameda

Klay Thompson stayed.  A new coach has arrived.  Can the slightly re-jiggered Warriors take it up a notch in a hyper comptetitive Western Conference?  So far the answer is a resounding yes.

Maybe they can if they don’t split into groups and instead have beers together at Faction Brewing in Alameda.

2a0c7331fe25c4e4bf0c0238b0f50945

I would start my taster tray with:

Pilsner – A Traditional Czech-Style Pilsner with Castle Pilsner malt & Saaz hops

2 Hop – Instead of single hop ales.  They mix and match a pair of hops to see how they blend together.

Defcon V Belgian Table beer – A merger of English hops and Belgian yeast and hops.

Barleywine – An American-Style Barleywine with American 2-Row, Crystal 77 & Chocolate malts and Chinook & Centennial Hops

 

Posted on

Wolves & People

Screen Shot 2014-11-11 at 12.46.11 PM

Now that is a brewery name!  A little odd but centered on a personal story from the past.  And though I usually just drive right through Newberg on the way to McMinnville.  That story and the actual farmhouse where the farmhouse ales will be brewed would be too tempting not to stop at.  Plus there is a Jester King brewing connection and they already have done collaborations with another pair of favorite breweries in Odell’s and The Commons.

So check out their CrowdBrewed appeal video and help another Wolves & People to open.  I will be bugging people to get the bottles down here to SoCal.

Posted on

NBA Contenders – Brewery # 1 Empirical Brewing of Chicago

Da’ Bulls chances rest on the health of Derrick Rose. If he stays on the court, then Chicago with the added offensive power of Paul Gasol will be in the hunt for the Eastern Conference championship.

You could say that is an empirical fact. And a brewery too, Empirical Brewing.

logo2-214x300

I love the use of the word Empirical throughout their website and because I like that they are upfront that some recipes are being “refined”, those are the beers that I would put in my taster tray first.

πR/2 Beers

Atomic Amber Ale:

“Moderate hop aroma with a nice malty nose. Reddish Amber color with an off-white head. Malty sweet flavor balanced with American and German hops and a caramel malt presence.”

Infinity IPA: 

“Prominent hop aroma. Dry hopped to give it intensity. Reddish-copper color with a persistent white head. High bitter hop flavor with a support of malt sweetness. Smooth but definitely hoppy and bitter.”

Event Horizone Oatmeal Stout:

“Roasted coffee-like with a slight hop aroma. Black with a persistent tan colored head. Sweet medium dry flavor with a complex oat and dark roasted presence. Nutty and earthy full-bodied flavor. Rich silky mouth feel.”