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We stay in Oregon for our second holiday seasonal but we switch over to cider and a rockin’ around the Christmas tree from 2 Towns Ciderhouse.
“Sled Zeppelin, a 6.9% ABV limited-edition cider. This seasonal headliner blends Pacific Northwest apples, Oregon cranberries, and a dash of cinnamon for a cider that takes your taste buds on a Stairway to Heaven.”
Time to unveil the best beers that I drank this month…..and it runs the style gamut.
#4 is the Trader Joe’s and Hardywood Joe Joe’s Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout. The beer equivalent of TJ’s Oreo simulacrum. Yes, it is sweet and yes a 12oz serving would be better but it did nail that cookie experience.
#3 is a Kilkenny brewed Irish stout from Sullivan’s, Black Marble Stout. Had the creamy pour and the roast notes that you would get from any of the Irish troika of Guinness, Beamish or Murphys.
#2 Cellarmaker had a lovely anniversary pale ale for their 12th orbit around the sun. It struck the correct balance of hops and malts.
# 1 is a Los Angeles collaboration between Ogopogo and El Segundo Brewing, what they call a small IPA Li’l Thunderbird. Bright and punch with hops but at a much more sessionable 5.5%.
Santa is bringing comfort and joy from McMinnville, Oregon with this first beer in the BSP seasonal beer advent calendar from Golden Valley Brewery.
“Our infamous Tannen Bomb has been aging a full year in whiskey barrels, adding complexity and contributing bold aromas of vanilla, toasted oak, and tobacco leaf.
The Tannen Bomb is brewed specially to bring warmth and cheer to the wet winter clime of the great Northwest, Tannen Bomb features rich notes of toffee, caramel, and fruit, balanced by a generous dose of locally grown hops.”
You can’t tell it is Christmas in Los Angeles by the weather (too hot) or by stores (too early) but you can tell when Arts District Brewing hosts their annual Schwarz-Mas.
They gather a bunch of local breweries for a just the right size festival for Schwarzbier and other dark lager variants. It is a great day out and you can Christmas shop after (or before).
Inglewood will be getting a party when Three Weavers Brewing celebrates its 11th Anniversary on December 6th so mark that paper or digital calendar now.
Think of it as a way to get in the holiday spirit.
It has been a long while since my last visit to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim but a dear friend was down and wanted to visit so off we went.
Since my last trip a lot has changed, you better be handy with their app because you will need it to get into the park, make dining reservations and see wait times for rides. Also, there are alcoholic options now available and there is a little thing called Galaxy’s Edge with Oga’s Cantina as part of the attraction, especially their beer options ( all craft!)
I had to ask at least two people where the Cantina is since signage is at a bare minimum so that the illusion of being on a galactic trading post can be maintained. I found it in time to get in a short line where I learned that you get 45 minutes and a max of two drinks. And there is not a lot of seating, mostly stand at the bar which is hard when the main activity at the park is standing.
The interior is really cool very lived in and designed to a T by the Imagineers and there is a robot DJ too.
I chose the Gamorrean Red Ale from New Belgium which was a winner and then the Jogan Blossom Ube Hazy IPA from Garage Brewing which the bartender warned me was coconutty and boy, howdy was it. The Ube, which is normally a strong flavor ingredient was totally subsumed by a massive and relentless Kylo Ren coconut attack.
For dinner and to rest my tired feet, reservations had been made in the morning for the Carnation Cafe so that i could have their festive Eggnog Old Fashioned. The not standing was great and the cocktail was excellent. Enough eggnog cream to give it an added dimension while letting the bourbon star.
And then, since it is the 70th Anniversary celebration year, I plumped for the Karl Strauss 70th Anniversary IPA which was the best of the beer bunch. Nice amount of pine and great to drink while the Christmas light show lit up Main Street.
One of the classic beer festivals is the Strong Ale Festival at Pizza Port in Carlsbad on December 5th & 6th. That is “two days of 60+ high-octane beers and rare bottles during VIP sessions.”
You can get your tickets via eventbrite.com.
Remember when craft beer had extra limited releases and people would line-up or hire people to wait in line for them? Well Innis & Gunn from Scotland have a beer that is only available through and online lottery for a re-creation of a 150 years beer that Samuel Allsopp & Sons brewed, called Arctic Ale for a British expedition to frozen climes. It is a “legendary 1875 beer, brewed using the original 19th-century recipe and even a preserved bottle of the original itself.”
Lincoln Beer Company is up to the anniversary number of 8 and on Saturday, November 22nd from 12-10pm. Look for new beer releases and a commemorative glass to put those new beers into.
Smog City Brewing is going to transition out of the Bixby Knolls Steelcraft spot and into Smog City Heights: Eats & Drinks “an elevated fast-casual food experience that brings the full Smog City story full circle.”
And having just recently been at Smog City, I can easily see how their beers which cover a wide spectrum of flavors will play very well with food.