Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
how to discover new beer to try
I am not an island guy, not big on cruises either, but I understand the allure of a tropical getaway especially if the company behind a resort is going ecological with it.
That said, when I saw this…
…on the Culture Cut Instagram, my initial thought was, could I bring my own beer? Corona is what it is but there is a reason why you shove citrus into it to flavor it up. Then I saw that…
…the Corona was unlimited and I am now firmly on pass.
New Belgium’s, well, Belgian Collection seems more a historical afterthought now in VooDoo Ranger 19.2oz times but the Colorado and North Carolina breweries are adding to their namesake with the new Belgian Style Pilsner. It may not be hip like the Italian, hoppy or Czech dark pilsners but it is a welcome addition to me.
I have been quite dismissive of hard seltzers on this blog for what I think are good reasons but one outlier has been on my mind, Bottle Logic Brewing and their barrel-aged versions.
I made a beeline one Saturday to finally try one and settled on…
Miehana Madness part of their Lightning in a Bottle series of cocktail-inspired spirit barrel-aged hard seltzers. It is a rum barrel-aged seltzer in honor of famed Anaheim tiki bar Strong Water that has “layers of juicy orange, lush coconut, a zing of pineapple and lime, and the familiar warmth of rum. With a light, cocktail-like mouthfeel and intentionally low carbonation…”
There is coconut and orange and very much a rum texture to this. Fairly slick on the tongue and not seltzer bubbly at all. abv is well hidden. Some vanilla sneaks in at the end.
Not many places sell home brewing supplies, as well as craft beer to-go, as well as having a well curated beer bar too but Windsor Home Brew Supply does and has two locations to boot.
It is a Swiss Army Knife of shops just across the road from Bottle Logic Brewing but totally without the noise level. There is a small but mighty selection of craft beer, the tap list utilizes clip boards and bright yellow 8 1/2 by 11 paper to showcase an eclectic selection of beers for those looking for a deeper cut and less IPA than is normally seen.
I did not leave with any bottles but I did grab an ISM meets Threes beer, plus another collab beer from Highland Park and Pinthouse as well as a Czech Pale Lager from Solaris.
Topa Topa Brewing has a new Solitude Series IPA Mixed pack out with three new hops…
• Nelson Sauvin hops offer notes of gooseberry, white wine, and the tropics
• Simcoe hops showcase stone fruit, citrus zest, and piney tasting notes
• NZ Cascade hops present flavors like honeydew, grapefruit, lime
My first pick would be the Nelson Sauvin since it is such a unique hop.
If you could go back in craft beer time to see today’s brewing legends, you would probably be parking the Tardis near White Labs. They were integral to the growth of San Diego beer and from there all over the U.S. and now they are celebrating 30 years.
To catch up on their journey, I strongly suggest reading this piece from the San Diego Beer News HERE. Then maybe plan a visit to their HQ and sample some of their beers, it is worth the trip.
I have been hankering for big IPA’s and Ogopogo Brewing has a new one, O Elbereth, a Triple Dry Hopped West Coast Double IPA with Mosaic Cryo and Columbus Cryo that lands at 8.5% . It was brewed with help from Ventura’s Bright Spark Brewing.
I posted earlier about Trademark Brewing opening an outpost in Torrance, further filling that suburb into the craft beer place to be, now here is what I found at The Enclave.
Trademark is tucked into a small corner of this mostly open air food hall that was hopping on a recent sunny Sunday, especially the coffee shop Nook which never has a line less than then people. There is lots of different seating areas and environments at the Enclave but one of the best is a stool at Trademark’s bar counter where you can do some serious people watching.
You can buy four-packs to go from their selection of beers or get a draft from the basic / popular choices that Trademark brews such as the Viking Blonde or A La Playa Mexican lager.
I am not a dad, nor have I ever cared to be one but I can understand that if you are on toddler patrol or ferrying a teenager to the mall (do parents still do that?) that it doesn’t leave time to enjoy a 9% DIPA which is where Dad Strength beer comes in to fix “a classic dad problem that needed a dad solution.”
Enter sub 3% beer contract brewed at Atlas Brew Works in Washington DC. And the first two beers are IPA’s and not as one might guess, a pilsner or light lager.
They are supposed to be in distribution at Trader Joe’s so I will see if mine has this and see if it is a better solution than the N/A beers which are only OK at their best.
Epic Brewing has quite a stable of Brainless beers and now they may have one of their most unique yet, Brainless on Sake. It is a “Belgian-style ale is made with plum, black currant, & blackberries and aged in Sake barrels.”
I do not remember have a Sake barrel-aged beer before and it makes me wonder how easy that aging process is or if it requires extra special care.