First and Hazy

Usually for a collaboration, one brewery takes the lead with the label design and canning.  But sometimes, two beers come out of a collaboration.

Smog City and Ogopogo got together and now there are two IPAs out for craft beer fans to try…

  1. First Stride “a magical concoction bursting with enchanting flavors of ripe strawberries, juicy mangoes, and tangy grapefruits so incredible you’ll hardly believe it’s a West Coast IPA until that nice dank undertone hits you.”
  2. Hedorah Hazy IPA another mythical monster monikered beer from the San Gabriel brewery.

Short Lived but Not Too

Usually when I post about MadeWest Brewing Company and collaboration and IPA, I mean the latest installment of their Short Lived series.  But Wave Pattern is different.

Yes, it is “an easy drinking IPA, over-flowing with aromatics of guava, bubblegum, ruby grapefruit zest and pine resin! And with a malt bill consisting of Rahr Northstar Pilsner and flaked wheat” but this is an El Segundo Brewing beer done with MadeWest and not vice-versa.

This new West Coast IPA is filled with Strata, Simcoe, El Dorado and Riwaka hops.

Brandied About

Chimay has been putting some of their classic Belgian ales into barrels and this year, the new Barrel-fermented Grand Reserve is aged in “barrels of Brandy sourced from one of the oldest wine regions in the world”.  It is certainly on my extra long wish list.

Not 42 Yet

Science, along with agriculture underpin beer and a brewery who is deep into both has another experiment coming out.  Actually two as Russian River Brewing recently released RnD IPA #40 & #41.  

They “were born from a collaboration with Omega Yeast for a special discussion at the 2024 CCBA Summit. Similar in taste yet distinct in appearance – one embraces a subtle haze while the other stands clear, all due to a genetic variation in the yeast.” 

Verdugo

As the rain recedes and sunny days intrude, it becomes lighter beer season in Los Angeles and one that is out again now from Lincoln Beer Co. should be on your radar, Verdugo Pilsner named after the mountain backdrop for Burbank where the brewery is located.

DTLA de Mars

Angel City Brewery has a new Artist Series beer out and inside the pretty label is a not often brewed or canned style, Biere de Mars.

The DTLA version of “this Belgian-style table ale is a lightly veiled, crispy springtime refresher brewed with a medley of natural herbs like purple sage, Yerba Santa, yarrow & California bay leaf, giving it a mixture of fruity and herby notes on the tongue alongside floral and earthy aromatics.”

Saffron

It has been a bit since I have mentioned Firestone Walker and Buellton but a new beer is coming out that changes that trend and it is a unique one, Saffron Saison a wild saison ale with (take a guees) saffron, sweet orange peel and Indian coriander. It is a Batch No 1 release.