Category: Guide to better beer

how to discover new beer to try

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Fall Travel

I am a beer traveler. When I go to a destination, part of my prep is a list of breweries to visit. That list will always be too long. Part of the reason why is that there are guides like San Diego Beer News that put a lot onto a plate.

And since fall is a great time to travel with fares down from summer highs until the holidays hit, you should check out the guides again since I have already told you about them before.

There are new ones out though!

You can start HERE with the local San Diego breweries.

Then head HERE for the rest of the U.S.

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Firkenstein 2024

One of the most unique beer festivals out there is Firkenstein, the ghoulish themed cask ale festival from Greg Nagel.

It has a great location in the park area between the Anaheim Packing House and Monkish Brewing. It always has a great roster of brewery attendees and is always a well run event.

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Two of Two

Even the most optimistic of Sean’s looked askance when not one but two breweries opened next door to each other on Maple Drive in Monrovia.

Unfortunately, first Wingwalker Brewing called it quits and now Over Town Brewing is pouring its last beers on October 5th. So, if you want to make a last visit, make it soon.

I was able to visit both and they were fine but they never seemed to break out further and were behind the more established Pacific Plate in Monrovia and even they are sadly no longer with us. With those three losses comes an opportunity for a brewery since that city is no clear.

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Extra Coast Please

Topa Topa Brewing Co. Brewmaster Casey Harris got together with San Diego’s Craft Coast Beer + Tacos Head Brewer Blake Masoner to collaborate on a new beer, and went with the little seen XPA, one they named Extra Coasty.

The duo “developed a selection of hops and explored different processes to create a beer showcasing clean hop bitterness without the hard, bitter bite nor an aggressive alcohol content that comes with other popular hoppy beer styles.”

And here are those Hops: Mosaic, Strata, Nectaron, Krush; Mosaic Cryo and Mosaic Dyna Boost, oh, if you were curious about the malt, that is Pure Idaho Pilsner, White Wheat, and Carapils.

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Review – 2 from Replicant (and Germany)

Replicant Beer of Pasadena has found a mystery German brewer to assist with a duo of Oktoberfest appropriate beers. One – a German Pilsner and second – a Kellerbier.

Let’s talk Uhaml first, it pours a bubbly mid yellow color. The first sip gives that refreshing note and minerality. Getting a slight melon notes as well. Bit of excess slickness in the mouthfeel, I would like a shade more crispness. Small issues though because this tastes really good.

Rübezahl, the mountain spirit, pours a yellow / orange mix. Big malt notes here that lead into an initially sharp mouthfeel that turns slippery by the end. Earthy is the best descriptor that I can give to it.

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Spa Day

There is always room for a first in the craft beer game and I have heard about one that is in the start-up phase in North Carolina that I would have thought would be way more of a stereotypical California thing, a craft brewery and wellness center combined.

BrewWell will have beer for your liver and a variety of mindful services for the rest of your body.  As you can tell from that last sentence, I am a bit dubious about this concept.  But maybe it is something where you have a group of people that split up into, team beer and team spa.