Category: Guide to better beer

how to discover new beer to try

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Best Beers of March 2025

I have had quite a few We Love L.A. beers this month, and will probably have more next month too so it seemed kinda inevitable that my favorite beer of the month might fall under that banner of worldwide beers.

But the one that sparkled the most to me was from Stone Brewing. They went the hazy IPA route and it was bursting with fruit flavor while also having a back and forth between soft mouthfeel and a bitter bite.

Also earning plaudits this month was the St. Patrick’s Day themed Aged With Luck Sour from Far Field Beer. Guava and lime were the headliners but the vanilla added a nice counterbalance to this chardonnay barreled beer. El Segundo took inspiration from an IPA sub-style that has fallen out of favor, the Belgian IPA. It had a wonderful estery note that worked in tandem with the hops.

Lastly, I quite enjoyed the hazy IPA marking the 11th anniversary of Highland Park Brewing, their High 11 was nice and frothy and had me eagerly wanting to have the High 11 West Coast and the High 11 Pils.

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Down but Not Out of Stock

Brouwerij West may have closed down their brewery and tasting room in San Pedro but if you see their beers on the shelf, they may not be old, just brewed at a partner brewery.  Per social media, “15 years ago we started as a traveling production, brewing our beer at our friends’ breweries, and now we’re returning to our roots. Brouwerij West beers will continue to be distributed by our awesome partners at Scout Distribution.”

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Mother Earth – Part 2

Firestone Walker is really Paso-fying their latest release, a golden lager named Sunglider that uses grain from Paso Robles.  The label also points out what visitors to the brewery have either seen or toured around, their solar capability and their extensive energy and waste reduction efforts.

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Primal-Apple

Firestone Walker has a new Primal Elements sour ale out now.  This time around it is filled with pineapple, passionfruit, orange and guava that is aged in french oak barrels.  As a fan of passion fruit, this sounds delicious.

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Best Ticked

Earlier this month, Untappd unveiled its best of the best. There were lots of individual beer winners like this…

…which show that stout life is still bankable for high scores but for me the breweries with most medals is of more interest because it shows a wider breadth of admiration.

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Review – She’s The Brewer DIPA from Stone

Picked up a crowler of She’s the Brewer, the new Stone Brewing IPA since I both hadn’t had a crowler in a bit and because of the Pink Boots connection.

This is the 8th year of a Pink Boots hop blend and when I popped the tab, instantly pine scents sprung out. It is labeled a West Coast IPA but it is a DIPA for sure. Pine and tropical notes are the first to show but they yield the stage to a heavier alcohol and woodsy bitterness. There is still some tropical hanging around but it moves more towards papaya than the lighter, brighter fruits.