Category: Where to go…

bottle shops, pubs and breweries

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Birthday Beercation part the first – Stout Month in Astoria

Back to Astoria and a birthday month excursion for Stout Month!

So, no, I did not go inside Fort George on festival day, I was pretty close though. Despite a chill and consistent but not heavy rain, there were lines at the start but I ran across many people who were waiting to go in, a thing I had not seen before.

I started my day at Reveille Cider with a Breakfast in America apple and pear cider with botanicals, orange and grapefruit zest. Lovely tart citrus mix. Fruit punch notes.  Almost like orange juice.

Next door, Reach Break was pretty busy too. Only two IPAs on the board. They also had a kolsch and coastal hefe on tap. Here is a quick rundown of the five beers, I sampled…

Duane Street Wild Ale – gin botanical collab with Pilot House.  Really nice.  Bready with botanicals spicing

Merlot Veraison– wild ale with Merlot grapes. Nice red color. Very red wine, tannic. 

Evolution of an IPA 9 – hazy dipa. Wood chips. Sawdust. Quite bitter with some creamy softness. 

A Storied History – dopplebock collab with Buoy. Sweet and malty.  Just tastes Germanic to me. 

Hessian Aggression – collab with Rowley from NM. Barleywine. Smokey. Real nice. 

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Beer & Magic

I have been harsh in the past about breweries auto-piloting entertainment. Trivia, yoga, comedy rinse and repeat. When I saw that a group of magicians will do close up magic at breweries or beer-centric events, I was happy to see it. It sounds like it could be an interactive way to get customers involved. Check out Beer & Magic and see if they will be at a brewery near you.

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1% Tap

Smog City will now have a permanent handle dedicated to their 1% For the Planet advocacy. And because the percentage is right there on the tap handle, all you have to do is point and you can help contribute a little good back into the world. Look for it at their main location and brewery.

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Vroman’s 1894

One of my favorite bookstores to just wander through. Making loops to make sure that I don’t miss anything is Vroman’s. And now they are adding a bar! Up 1894, named after the year the bookstore opened, will serve wine, cocktails and of course beer. Now that a few days have passed since serving, most of the kinks should be worked out. Time to sip and read.

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February 2020 – Anniversaries

Here are your lucky numbers for February….

1st Anniversary – Wingwalker in Monrovia on 2/8

3rd Anniversary – Los Angeles Ale Works in Hawthorne on 2/15

2nd Anniversary – State Brewing in Gardena on 2/22

1st Anniversary – Ambitious Ales in Long Beach on 2/29

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Where Mumford At?

I forget when I posted with happiness a sign in a retail space at the ground level of the Legendary apartments/condos in Glendale that had the Mumford Brewing name on it. It was a while back. Sigh, the sign is there and nothing else.

And alas, their across Alameda location in the Arts District is much further along…

Those are much better signs to see. When they will open is unclear but I would guess 2020.

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Player One – NoHo

Since I have written about both Button Mash in Silver Lake and Barcade in Highland Park, I figured I should complete the trilogy with Player One in North Hollywood.

As you can see, it is quite purple. The inside leads into a bar and seating area that I can see filling up quickly. No taps. This is a package bar replete with White Claw for the hipsters. But if they continue to stock Allagash White and the Belgian table beer, River Trip (which I quite like), then the other beverage choices won’t matter that much.

The game selection tilts to the pinball but there was a good selection to choose from though they could use some game side cup holders. I beelined to a Star Wars game and quickly lost all shields and exploded above the Death Star but there was also quite a cool Jurassic Park seated game with some crazy good graphics. Overall, I would give the beer and game nod to Barcade and if you need food, Button Mash has you covered better. Both are better beer selection wise too. But then again, right across the street was Brews Brothers so you can get a beer then come back for games.

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Feb. 11 and May 30

Tickets on sale: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 at 9am PST

Main event: Saturday, May 30, 2020 | 12pm-5pm (beer stops at 4pm) in lovely Paso Robles, CA

Play nice on ticket day please! Additional details can be found right HERE.

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FO3

For those youngsters in the room Father’s Office was one of the OG LA beer bars. It also happened to have an impressive and unchangeable burger. Now for a 3rd act, Arts District will get an outpost. (they are slowly moving closer to me). 2020 is your chance to re-acquaint yourself with their excellent beer selection.