Category: Brewery Tour

A concise brewery bio

Posted on

Let’s Tour – 8 Wired

Our final stop of New Zealand breweries is 8 Wired.

Here is what they have to say about themselves:”8 WIRED BREWING is inspired by the legendary Kiwi can-do mentality and fellow craft brewers who have dared to challenge the masses and show us all that beer is no longer “just beer”! Crafted by Søren Eriksen, a nomadic Danish brewer who has finally found permanent ground in Marlborough, New Zealand. Expect unique brews, expect ingenuity in flavour.”

And here is their brew listing:
ReWired – Brown Ale
HopWired -I.P.A.
The Big Smoke – Smoked Porter
iStout – Imperial Stout

Posted on

Let’s Tour – Mac Brewing

Our second beery stop in New Zealand is at Macs.

I heard about this brewery from one of my friends parents who was traveling there and just raved about the stout and asked me if they could buy it here in America. Alas, I have not found it here, yet!

Here are some of their signature brews:
Black Mac – they call it a dark beer. a porter
Currant – yup, made with currant berries
Sassy Red – English style bitter.
Hop Rocker – you would think IPA but it’s their pilsner

Posted on

El Segundo Brewing

There are reports on the food blogs such as Grub Street about a new brewery in El Segundo (near LAX).

They have the prototypical initial beers: a pale ale, a red ale, an IPA and a stout under the Blue House name plate.

They may be opening soon but as faithful readers will know, these openings are never set in stone.

More news and reviews when the beer becomes available.

Posted on

Let’s Tour – Epic Brewing Company

This month, I am focusing my e-brewery tour focus onto New Zealand. And our first stop is Auckland’s Epic Beers.

Here are some of their unique offerings:
PORTAMARILLO
“A collaboration, a Festive brew and the world’s first tree tomato beer. A sorta-Porter fermented with New Zealand grown Tamarillos, which were smoked using wood chips from the sacred Pohutakawa tree (also know as the NZ Christmas tree).”

PALE ALE
“You can only drink so many beers in a lifetime, so you better make each one count. That’s where we can help. Because at Epic we’re obessed with creating big hop-fuelled beers. This takes a shed-load of skill. It also takes a shed-load of hops. In fact there are 23 crammed into this bottle. Many brewers would call that ‘insane’. We call it flavour.”

ARMAGEDDON IPA
“In the beginning, there was nothing. Then an impish brewer piled a ludicrous amount of hops inot a batch of beer. This zymurgical big bang is Epic Armageddon, an apocalyptic assault on your preconceptions and taste buds. It may be too huge for this fragile planet so enjoy this beer like it was the last one on Earth”

Posted on

Pau Hana with Kona

Here are some photos from the release party of the new Kona Brewing beer, Koko brown named after (and seen in the label) a distinctive part of Hawaii.

You know you are in the right place when you see this van.
A new beer in the Aloha series
Hawaiian for relax
Coconut!
Posted on

High Water Brewing

Thanks to the Beer Wench for alerting me to this bit of Northern Cali beer news…..

“After a short absence, brewmaster Steve Altimari and John Anthony burst back onto the craft brewing scene with the launch of a new brewery called High Water Brewing and the promise of some “seriously good beers.”

Award-winning brewmaster Steve Altimari has begun production on the flagship product for his new venture, an artisanal craft brewery, High Water Brewing.

The flagship brew – dubbed “Hop Riot IPA” and described as an “American IPA with a definitive ‘Left Coast’ attitude” – will be among the first offerings from High Water Brewing. It will be joined by “Retribution Imperial IPA” and “Old and In the Way Barley Wine”.

“Our goal is to pour High Water’s first beers, Hop Riot and Retribution, at the San Francisco Beer Week’s Gala opener on February 11,” said Altimari.

He promises the initial offerings “will be followed by other innovative and exciting brews.” Beer fans can expect that promise to be fulfilled because creatively brewed beers with playful flavor surprises are hallmarks of Altimari’s style.”

“Altimari will craft High Water beers at Drake’s Brewhouse in San Leandro, CA, and fermentation will occur in High Water tanks at the same location. High Water beers will be available in 5.0 and 15.5 gallon kegs and also bottled in 22 oz bombers.

Building on a relationship that Altimari and the Anthonys have developed over a number of years with that brewery, “Drakes seemed a natural fit for us because each of us has worked with them in one capacity or another, from distribution to collaborative brewing,” said John Anthony. “When Drakes owner John Martin agreed, we were ecstatic.”

Posted on

Let’s REALLY Tour – Strand Brewing

Foreword
Usually my tours are of the electronic variety, I wish I could tour breweries and write about them for a living but that is not the case (yet!). But today is different. An actual visit, with photographic proof.

I have met the fine people (Rich and Joel) behind the Strand Brewing enterprise at a few events over the last few months. And two days ago, I got to visit the brewery!

The iconic Strand logo on the door to the brewhouse
How about a hoppy IPA?
The beer bubbling away
Tap Handles that are made by the brewer!
A keg ready for the road

There is no one successful model in creating a brewery. But there is one constant. Caring about the quality of the beer first. Yes, the branding is important. Yes, the customers are important. And I learned a lot from talking to Rich about his views on those topics. But I could tell that the beer really comes first at Strand. They want a product that is up to their expectations and it is why Rich is especially proud of his re-order rate (100%).

I can assure you that Strand will be talked up even more this year as more people taste the Beach House, Atticus and 24 Street.

Posted on

Tudor Brewing

As I have mentioned before, and I will mention it in the future (that is a promise). We cocky Yanks need to remember that ours is not the only country in the world and that we are not the only craft beer pioneers. The revolution is in Italy, Australia and in England too.

Which brings us to the Tudor Brewery in Wales.

They have three beers named after the peaks that surround the area that the beer is brewed in. And it’s real ale. Not the watered down Stella’s you will see in some pubs.

Here is their description of themselves and the beers…

“Our 2 barrel micro brewery is sited at the Kings Arms Inn on Tudor Street, Abergavenny. The brewery can be viewed from within the Inn. The 6 barrel brewery is located close by on Merthyr Road, Abergavenny.”

Skirrid
A robust medium strength dark hoppy beer at 4.2% abv. Appeals to real ale buffs and lovers of strong beer flavours. Great with seafood and cheese.

SugarLoaf
An amber medium dry beer with sweet aroma at 4.2% abv. A well rounded full bodied caramelised beer using local ingredients. Suitable with rare charbroiled steak and fresh hamburger.

Blorenge
A light summer ale with fresh scents and a clear blonde appearance. A session beer at 3.8% abv Appeals to the lager drinker if chilled 2 degrees below normal cask temperature. Lads and Lasses love it. Wonderful with hot curries and spiced dishes

Posted on

Societe Brewing Company

It seems like every week a brewery is either opening in Portland or San Diego. Well, here is another one to watch for in the coming months; Societe Brewing.

Check out this piece by the esteemed Jay Brooks about this
new entrant into the SD beer community.

Then join their Facebook page to track the developments.