Category: Where to go…

bottle shops, pubs and breweries

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a new(er) BoHo

BoHo is one of the beer places that are integral to a craft beer eco-system. They provide a solid list of overlooked beers that go well with food (which they do well, by the way).

So when I saw what looked like a move in the works, I worried at first that they would be going away or morphing into a more mainstream establishment.

Thankfully, they have kept the decor, menu and great beer list with recent taps being Anchor Summer, Cismontane Citizen and Oskar Blues G’Knight to a new location in the Hollywood & Highland complex.

So now tourists will be able to grab an authentic American craft brew while visiting us and if you are in Los Angeles, you should give it a try. Chris Sobolewski does an excellent job with 24 taps and is growing a bottle collection that will augment the kegs nicely.

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Session Fest

11 beers. All under 4.5 in alcohol. What does that equal?

A packed crowd at Eagle Rock Brewery.

the first flight

I was lucky enough to snag a stool at the crowded bar thanks to my buddy Johnny who got their before me. The first flight had my two favorites of the day. A Kolsch that was simply amazing and my gold medal winner and the Tarte Noir which was their Solidarity beer aged in wine barrels and soured with lacto. But there was a nice range of styles from a best bitter to saison to light red’s. Plus these were all homebrew, special 5 barrel recipes.

I am hoping that they continue doing these and that some of these end up on the regular menu.

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PS 612

I have visited the Public School 612 in downtown LA twice now. And both times, I have come away impressed.

I took different people each time to get their impressions. My wife and best beer buddy both commented on the really nice interior. Very calming. Both hip and modern at the same time.

The food has been quite good. The chicken was good and spicy for this scovill wimp and the burger with Huntsman cheese is not for the faint hearted. Bold flavors that you really need to savor and not scarf down.

Beer wise. This is a nice list. I would say you go here when people want something hearty but don’t want to sacrifice craft beer for good food. (Because of this, they have been duly added to my list of places to the right and under my cellar list and links)

The only downside is the noise level. As the evenings wear on, it can get loud. Not Bottega Louie loud but needing to shout loud.

Go early. Settle in and enjoy a great opportunity to pair food and beer.

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Get your Hops on!

71

As in 71 IPA’s in under one roof in Redondo Beach. A tremendous number brought together by the industrious Martin Svab and the Naja’s crew.

Here are some photos from the event.

the base of all hop bombs
the menu, well part of it
Iron Fist throws down the Gauntlet
Strand & Cismontane in the house

I sampled the Gauntlet from Iron Fist, the new Black IPA from Strand Brewing and Drake’s Symposium IPA. And I wish I could have had more.

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Best Damn Beer Shop

To me, the sign of a healthy craft beer scene is that all markets are covered. Breweries from large to small, beer bars dedicated to the breweries in the region, restaurants that serve up the good stuff and beer stores.

Which brings us to the Best Damn Beer Shop. Located in the Super Jr Market in San Diego. They carry the locals from Alesmith to Lightning and do tastings as well.

Looks like a great place to do some one-stop SD Beer shopping.

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Taps at the table

City Tavern in Culver City is going the tap within reach route.


They have three tables (that I am sure will be booked solid, so don’t wander in and get upset that you can’t get one) that have taps built in. You pay and off you go.

City Tavern are planning on local brews with a spectrum of choices on the three taps. Let’s hope that they keep that up. I would not want a Bud Light table for sure.

Check out this article in Urban Daddy as well for other information.

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Naja’s IPA Festival

“And so… It’s time for Naja’s Place to kick off our…

3rd Annual IPA Festival on Thursday, April 21st, 2011 for one week.

To mark our 30th Anniversary, this year we will feature somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 of the baddest, rarest, and resinous IPAs, DIPAs, and IIPAs on the West Coast (and a few beyond).”

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Deschutes Base Camp in LA

Woody and the Deschutes crew will be rolling into LA with a few stops including….

Tuesday, April 12th
Beer Tasting at Verdugo Bar (5-9pm)
“Our giant wooden barrel, affectionately known as Woody, and brewer Veronica Vega will be on site for this special Jubel 2010 tasting.”
Wednesday, April 13th
Specialty Beer Tasting at Surly Goat (5-9pm)
“Our giant wooden barrel, affectionately known as Woody, and brewer Veronica Vega will be on site for this special Jubel 2010 & Lost Barrels of Mirror Mirror tasting.”

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Extra! Extra!

Do you need an excuse to go to San Diego? Well, here’s one…..

For those unfamiliar with the event, here is the information…
“We are very excited to announce that this year’s San Diego County Fair will be hosting the San Diego International Beer Festival for the fifth year in a row. The festival will be held on Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26. The San Diego International Beer Festival has become one of the largest in the country and continues to grow in popularity each year. The festival hosts more than 150 breweries and as many as 350 beers and counting from all around the world.”

For more information and to see past Best of Show winners, click HERE

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Pop-Up Warning

If you live in Los Angeles and love craft beer, and you DIDN’T know about Saturday’s ColLAboration pop-up beer garden, then you are quite the professional hermit.

All pre-sales are now closed. There will be a limited amount of ColLAboration glasses (which are the admission ticket for this and future pop-ups) on sale Saturday.

I will be there enjoying the atmosphere and the beer and taking photos for a future post. To further whet your appetite, here is the first tweeted beers that will be there…”Bruery Gremlin, Russian River Redemption, North Coast Barrel Aged Old Stock.”