…you could choose to head to Burbank and Lincoln Beer Co. for their 7th Anniversary party…
You just might find the right beer for Thanksgiving pairing or a gift for Christmas.
2 Days from Now…
Book Day – Boozy Book Fair
Ambitious Ales is teaming with Bixby Knolls neighbor Bel Canto Books to present the 3rd Boozy Book Fair on Sunday, November 17 from 12-5PM. The third B along with beer and books is BBQ as Smoked and Salted will on site with their Filipino Fusion-Texas Style BBQ.
Would Love to Try Day #1- Pipeworks Adding El Unicornio Wood-Aged Horchata Ale
Yes, the following beer might be a few rungs above over the top but that is par for the course from Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago.
The beer is El Unicornio and it will be an Amburana Wood-Aged Horchata Ale with rice, lactose, vanilla and cinnamon.
L&C
We gotta super strong collaboration IPA today from Green Cheek Beer Co. and Beachwood Brewing. It has Nectaron, Mosaic and Mosaic Cryo but the most interesting ingredient in Adventures of Lucky and Cheeky is that it uses Canadian Pilsner malt.
Featured Review – The Last Sipper from Lost Abbey via The Rare Beer Club
Every once in a while I will get a happy email from the Rare Beer Club wanting to highlight some of their great beers that you can get.
I will be reviewing two of them this month and if it sounds good, you should check out the club.
It has been a bit since I have had a blended ale and I could not have picked a better beer and brewer to return with than The Last Sipper and Tomme Arthur.
This is a mix of quadrupel and strong ale. The aroma is candied dark fruit and hints at the texture of the beer which is not thick as some big beers are but has a minerality, along with chocolate and coffee. There is a brightness at both the beginning of the sip as well as the end. It is a complex beer for sure.
Pub in the Woods
As SoCal finally cools down into our approximation of fall, I do long for a serene outdoor spot to drink craft beer like the full introvert that I am and this spot, Pub in the Woods, has the right idea….
…there are spots like Stone HQ where you are in a garden atmosphere or a similar feel at Topa Topa and their HQ but what I wouldn’t give for a short hike to a secluded area with even just a tiny good beer selection.
Colorado Report # 3
After walking through Sloan Lake Park, I emerged in the Edgewater District and on the corner was Joyride Brewing. Opened in 2014, this local is kitty corner to the park. I went with two IPAs, a fresh hop and an experimental IPA. Their 35th one. Both tasted super fresh.
Also near the lake is the pilot brewery of Odell Brewing. Earlier in the trip, I had the flagship IPA and the flagship 90 Shilling and neither were on the menu here. I opted for a flight. Where I went all over the map from table beer to fruited lager to pumpkin beer. The five beers got better as I moved along with the pumpkin, double IPA and sweet stout being the best of the bunch.
For the third point in the beer triangle, head to Toast – Wine and Spirits a truly lovely little curated neighborhood shop. I got a sixer of Lady Justice Sandra Day IPA but man, if money and airport security were no object, I would have bought more. Leopold Brothers and Laws Whiskey and a whole pumpkin beer section.
In a week of ticking beer bucket list items, heading to Hops & Pie was a coupe de grace. A real “peach” of a final hurrah as I got to taste the Peach version of Weldwerks Brewing’s Juicy Bits IPA. I did not order the hoppy fries but the pumpkin soup and roasted pear salad were great.
To conclude, a special shout out to Chip and Erika for shuttle service and helpful tips.
Best Beers of October 2024
This is going to be the all Pumpkin, all Colorado vacation edition of the Best of the Month.
Here are the contenders:
Bristol Brewing Pumpkin Ale weighing in at 5.9%
Our Mutual Friend Porch Pumpkin at 8.8%
Odyssey Beer Works Fluffy Pumpkin lowest at 5.6%
4 Hands Pumpkin Ale at 6%
Odell Brewing Pumpkin Spice Dottie 6.4%
Fluffy Pumpkin edges out Bristol Brewing because that marshmallow and pumpkin combo just had the Halloween vibe, even though Bristol has the most gourd to it.
Colorado Report # 2
Took a Lyft from LoDo to Novel Strand Brewing for a first visit to a truly neighborhood spot. Houses on the other three corners. Looks like a typical pub or coffee house, which it also is in the AM. Had the Ninja Shit and Green Showers on the beertenders recommendation. Both were easy drinkers.
After a Vieux Carre cocktail night, it was time to hit a really good brewery triangle centered on Larimer Street. First point was Our Mutual Friend Brewing where I taster tray-ed a few beers from their selection that held quite a few Belgian and funky choices like their two time GABF winner Biere Ovale. Which was quite a tart burst. I also quite enjoyed the Industry Appreciation IPA. You can’t miss the space as it is brightly colored outside.
Ratio BeerWorks is the punk brewery and again, Denver surprises with an eclectic beer list including a scotch ale and multiple saisons such as the carrot and elderflower that I chose. Bigger footprint than OMF but familiar garage door, indoor-outdoor set-up just one block up from OMF.
A slightly longer walk of three blocks led me to the very large industrial space of Bierstadt Lagerhaus where I had to notch the beer bucket list item of a slow pour pils at the source. The presentation, after the requisite time had elapsed, was spot on with the fancy gold embossed glass and the little paper doily and the parfait of foam is something to see. And of course to taste.
Rip City 2024
Part of the NBA pre-season for me is seeing who The Portland Trail Blazers have teamed up with for a Blazer beer. This time it is Rogue Ales & Spirits bringing out the Rip City IPA.
Gonna have to send my mom to one of the Rogue pubs to get me a can so that I can root on our youngsters as they hopefully take the first steps towards a future NBA title.