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A concise brewery bio
We head to New South Wales in Australia via the Firestone Walker Invitational to meet Wildflower Brewing & Blending.
Now they have a lot of barrel-aged goodies on their current menu and will probably have some on hand in Paso Robles but this section of the menu intrigued me the most…
Our last stop in the Evergreen State is dreamy, El Sueñito Brewing in Bellingham.
Founded by Dennis Ramey and Osbaldo Frelard of Frelard Tamales in Seattle. The couple have visions of an inviting space for queer and BIPOC beer fans.
Here are some beers to taste from a recent tap list:
Alemania – “A Kolsch-style ale, this beer is based on the traditional beer style from Koln, Germany. While not *technically* called a Kolsch unless brewed in Koln, this beer sticks to the traditional style with additions of Vienna malt, giving light bready malt notes. German noble hop additions in the kettle and whirlpool give a balanced grassy/resinous aroma. Fermenting on the cool side with German ale yeast gives a unique ester profile that compliments the style.”
Cerveza Blanca – “Belgian style Witbier, brewed with lots of malted and unmalted white wheat. Unmalted wheat provides a higher protein content than malted wheat, which helps keep Cerveza Blanca nice and hazy as intended. Oats smooth out the mouthfeel, but this beer still finished fairly dry and crisp. Hopped with Pacific Jade, a New Zealand variety that gives notes of melon, lime, and orange. Whirlpool additions of ground coriander and dried orange peel play well with the hops to give a little extra boost of citrus notes. Best served with an orange slice!”
Güerita Blonde Ale – “This is a simple, no frills, crushable light beer. Biscuit and Toast notes from Vienna malt provide sweet, bready flavors that are balanced by light-handed additions of Chinook and Cascade hops, that provide some slight bitterness and notes of pine, grass, and grapefruit.”
New Friends Pale Ale – “Being a hoppy, American Pale Ale, Cascade hops couldn’t be left out of this brew! Complimented by Citra, Mosaic, and Idaho 7, this beer has lots of citrus and tropical fruit notes. It has a distinct and balanced hop aroma and flavor, but more subdued and less bitter than a typical IPA.”
Stop number two is at Hildegard Ferments and Botanicals. Co-owners Rosa Vissers and Howard Kuo have created half herbal remedy shop with a brewery that follows the seasons.
Here are some beer choices to consider…
Lux Table Bier – “A well hopped golden table bier fermented cold with a touch of dry hop that is endlessly drinkable and balanced with an unexpected depth. Lux exhibits a fine bitterness and lightly warmed ciabatta bread downwind from an herb garden.”
Tula Saison Batch # 2 – “With the cold snap we experienced back in November, our little brewery got cold. As all of our ferments slowed to a crawl, we had to get creative in order to brew a saison to our liking.”
Viriditas Jun Nettle – “Our newest recipe, this one is a keeper. Tastes like lemonade, sandalwood, a little earthy, some fresh pine. Picture yourself taking a stroll outside on one of the first sunny spring days…the sun kisses your face, the air smells amazing, the birds are singing, and you are feeling yourself. That’s how this Jun tastes.
In addition to Stinging Nettle (ethically gathered by us), there’s Lavender and Geranium from our Hildegarden. Inspired by our recent trip to Baja California Sur, we also added Damiana, which is indigenous to BCS.”
We head first to Spokane where long ago Bert Grant was one the craft beer pioneers. Today we are e-visiting Uprise Brewing.
Vienna Amber Lager – “Munich malts highlight this beer to create a biscuity, crisp amber lager.”
Steady Juicy Pale – “Loaded with Strata, El Dorado and Mosaic for a bright malt character with huge notes of grapefruit, and tropical fruit resulting in a juicy, easy drinking pale ale.”
Saison Farmhouse Ale – “Notes of coriander, pepper, candied orange peel and a hint of clove create a complex, dry and effervescent farmhouse ale.”
Color Theory Cold IPA – “A perfect blend of styles taking an American IPA and cold fermenting it like a crisp lager. Citrusy, fruity and dank with a clean, bright bite. Dry hopped with Citra & Strata.”
I stumbled upon this Sonoma County brewery at Loyal Legion in Sacramento where I tasted their One Way IPA.
Here are some more Old Caz beers to sample…
Bukovany Pivo – “Tom’s great grandparents used to run a pub out of their house in the small Czech town of Bukovany. There is so much amazing brewing culture in that area that this beer was brewed specifically to pay respects to that. The beer showcases an array of noble hops, and the result is a light, well-rounded, easy to drink pilsner.”
Acreage Hazy IPA – “Named after another incredible road in the wilderness of west Sonoma County is a classic hazy IPA. We’ve used the Mosaic hop extensively in the West Coast IPAs but this was a first for the hazy. The result is a soft, brightly flavored hazy, full of tropical, dank character!”
Catastrophe Rye IPA – “Rye tends to be an ingredient that is rather polarizing with beer drinkers, and there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground—you either love it or hate it (we are fully of the former). Catastrophe has the bones of a West Coast IPA, and the rye adds just enough spice to set it apart from the crowd.”
Cavedale Porter – “Tom and Bryan used to ride Cavedale Road while studying at Sonoma State University, and it is one of the most wickedly steep and windy paths in Sonoma County. Unlike our stouts, which tend to be bigger bodied and sweet, Cavedale is more restrained and light. This is a great beer to session while still getting in plenty of chocolate, nutty character.”
Landed in the rain of Sacramento with time to visit breweries before the main event of the California Craft Beer Summit. First up was Urban Roots and their BBQ.
A great selection of beers and boy did that smokehouse smell good. I had the 10 Degree Czech Lager in a big ol’ mug and it was fantastic. I followed that with Mizzenmast a gin barrel aged Saison was good too. The food was excellent and the space was well run and nicely decorated.
Next up is a return visit to the Midtown Sacramento outpost of Fieldwork Brewing. Since last I visited, the space was much smaller and minus the pizza. The beer, especially flagship Pulp was fantastic. The two Belgian beers were a little below par to me. And an imperial stout was wicked marshmallow overload.
Last spot for the day was Loyal Legion, the Sacramento outpost of a Portland beer bar. Damn, it was a long beer list and the first two I picked were empty. Third choice was a brand new brewery to me, Old Caz. Decent IPA but not a Wow!
Stop # 2 is in Pomona where Neon Bear Brewing resides next door to a neon museum storage facility, hence the bright name.
Let’s shed some light on their beers…
….I would start with Honey Laundrin’ a rather hefty honey blonde ale at 7.5% then move on to the Near Dark Schwarzbier before going back a bit to their cream ale, Near Light. Gotta try an IPA so Beach Beer their WC IPA is my choice before finishing with a sour stout, Sweet Sorrow.
Since it is the month for the California Craft Beer Summit, I thought we needed to go around California even though February was centered in Sacramento.
Our first stop is in Oakdale, Grains of Virtue who probably need to collaborate with Grains of Wrath in Washington State.
Here is a sample sampler tray…
Papi Chulo – “Dark Mexican Lager Our take on a medium bodied lager with slow-roasted caramel malts brewed for a rich, smooth taste.”
Welcome to the Machine – “Triple Hazy IPA with Mosaic, Riwaka, Nectaron and Waimea hops.”
Peanut Butter Solution – “Chocolate peanut butter dry stout perfect for winter nights.”
Death by Cheesecake – “Red Velvet Cheesecake Sour”
Our final stop in the state capital of California is on 16th Street, the home of Pipeworks AND Touchstone Brewing Co.
Time to choose a taster flight…
Off Belay Low Alcohol Pale Ale – “We were asked about non-alcoholic beers, so we decided to give one a go! A little bit above the 0.5% ABV threshold, Off Belay is still very low in alcohol at under 1%. We dry hopped it with Citra to keep it fresh and a little bit hoppy.”
Arete Amber – “Arete is brewed in the style of a classic Northern German Altbier with all North American malts, the bulk of them grown right here in California. A delicate balance between malty and bitter, this beer is very approachable no matter your style.”
Deadpoint Black Pilsner – “Traditionally referred to as a black lager or schwarzbier, this clean & dry lager has notes of milk chocolate and dark roasted barley. So take a sip, relax, and reach for that distant hold.”
Mayor of Indian Rock Imperial Stout – “Known as the Mayor of Indian Rock for his knowledge of every element and willingness to share beta, we brewed a dedication beer for our friend, Dave Altman. Dave was a part of the Touchstone Climbing family for more than 2 decades. This Imperial Stout stands strong, with roasted notes of chocolate and coffee, finishing very smooth and silky.”
Oak Park Brewing, like me, enjoys an acronym or two but the most important one to remember is “ABCs, which stands for (A)rt, (B)eer, and (C)ommUnity.”
Below is my idea of a great taster tray from OPB…
We Are Sacramento Pilsner – “Amber Pilsner dedicated to the hard working, creative people of Sacramento.”
OPB IPA – “Pours golden yellow with bright white head. Nose is filled with tropical fruit and ripe papaya. Each sip begins with dank hoppiness and ends with notes of grapefruit peel lingering on the tongue. West Coast, clear and refreshing.”
Hazy Lush Sky – “The hazy counterpart of our Lush Tropical Sky IPA. Very dry and clean. The flavor nuances are light citrus, slight plum tartness, pineapple, and grapefruit pith. The nose has a tropical pineapple presence.”
Cherry Strong Ale – “Cherry Stong Ale with hints of Lemon.”