Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
bottle shops, pubs and breweries
A long time ago, I briefly mentioned on this blog that the Sage Vegan Bistro in Echo Park was in the process of creating a little brewery at their restaurant thereby brewpub-izing it.
A cursory search did not find the name or background of the brewer but the location now has a full bar with 36 taps and down the road, fairly soon now, we should be seeing Sage beers like a habanero pilsner and a rosemary-beet amber.
A 1st visit will be happening soon with a report to follow.
I am quite picky about beer festivals but when I saw that the Pink Boots Society was going to have a 10th Anniversary Craft Beer Festival at Liberty Station in the temperate clime of San Diego, I clicked on the link and read on.
They have secured a nice roster of breweries with an emphasis on locals from SD and there will be music and food and most importantly beers brewed by PBS members.
The event is on Saturday, June 3rd from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm with tickets ranging from $45 in advance and $60 for Day of Sales
All proceeds from Festival will benefit the Pink Boots Society Scholarship program that helps women in the brewing industry advance their careers.
Looks like the Glendale / Montrose area is getting a bar / gastropub by the name of John Sparr Tavern. I will update you on what beers they are pouring and how many. They have a high bar since We’re Pouring has taken craft beer and food up a big notch.
It is getting close to beer geek Christmas. The beer list dropped today and it proves (yet again) that Firestone Walker knows how to throw a festival. With app downloaded and wish list created, here is what I am personally looking forward to when I get to Paso Robles this year for the 2017 edition of the FWIBF.
As far as breweries go, I know that Arizona Wilderness will be jammed but I hope to get a quick taste of what is creating the hype. Foreign beers have the shortest lines but some really cool stuff that you just do not see so I will be hitting up both Bamberg and Beavertown. Oregon has a few entrants this year and I will be glad to try some Boneyard, Ecliptic and Gigantic bringing both a gin barrel beer and a Macallan aged beer with them.
Other breweries that I have already circled are:
Creature Comforts
Fonta Flora
Highland Park
Rare Barrel
Surly
As far as way too popular, I predict that the lines for Trillium and Other Half and Side Project will be swamped. A zoo of whale humanity. But another question is How will Wicked Weed be treated? Lines or none?
After a suitable recovery period, expect reports and photos from the fest as well as a 1st visit to Silva Brewing and if I can squeeze it in a distillery and winery too since I will be surrounded by wine.
Add another brewery to the list for the L.A. area as Long Beach Beer Lab has a hoped for opening date this year. in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach. And not only will they have beer on tap but artisan breads as well.
Here are some of the proposed beers that could come to taps:
ALES
Table Bier
Azzacca XPA
Lil Harmony
Hoppy Harmony
Dry Stout
Secondary Focus
Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Barrel Aged Barleywine
Barrel Aged Farmhouse
SOURS
Milk the Mustache
Needs More Cherries (Best in Show Winner – Pacific Brewers Cup 2016)
A Tart Table Bier
Flanders Red
Golden Sours
Secondary Focus
Lambic inspired fruited sours
Dark Sours
Beer-Wine Hybrids
TONICS
Ginger Bier
Tart Watermelon
Cold Brewed Coffee
This country’s Belgian beer importers such as Artisanal Imports, D&V International, Global Beer, Merchant du Vin have announced the the first annual National Belgian Beer Week this year to be held between July 14-21. According to the press release, “The week is a joint effort between the nation’s premier, and the breweries they represent.”
There are a pair of bookend events, nowhere near us in Los Angeles, but as we get closer to July, events in our little beer city will probably start popping up so that we as a nation, can get together to celebrate the spectrum of Belgian beers.
I rode the rails to Azusa a few days back to check out the current state of the mega complex that Lagunitas is building since they now have opened up a temporary taproom, to taste their wares in.
Here is my report in photos….
I will talk more about my OK first visit on Food GPS.
In honor of today’s cask ale opening of Yorkshire Square right next to the big Honda HQ, here are some photos from the inside….
Pop-Ups are not just for restaurants and fashion, they can also be for beer as Lagunitas is proving with their Azusa Pop-Up TapRoom which opens April 8th. This will be the temp while the permanent space is being constructed with a hoped for opening date of August this year.
Here are the details….
– TapRoom hours: Wed-Sun 3pm – 9pm
– Live music begins at 4:20 and goes til 7:30-ish
– Local food trucks will provide tasty food until our kitchen in completed
No news on whether brewing is happening yet or is also set to begin later this year.
So this good news dropped onto Facebook…
Starting in under two weeks, you can get an early look at what Yorkshire Square Brewery will be like when fully open.