10 Smoggy Years

I bet that if the 10th anniversary had fallen in 2020 that would have been hard. Thankfully Smog City gets to celebrate this milestone with a better semblance of reality as well as a new special IPA. Plus, you know they will be finding some special goodies from the cellar to offer.

Belgian Stuffed

You still have most of this month to plan a trip to the OG beer garden of Los Angeles. Below is what should tempt you.

“The month of May is very special for the Stuffed Sandwich. The Stuffed Sandwich opened in May of 1976 – 45 years ago.

We always celebrate with Belgium Beers on draft.”

Here is this month’s selection:

BROUWERIJ ST. BERNARDUS – WATOU, BELGIUM
ST. BERNARDUS WIT ‘2020’
Traditional Belgian White Ale developed and brewed in collaboration with the Legendary Master Brewer Pierre Celis (known for the original white ale recipe- Hoegaarden White) wheaty, apple-like tartness with notes of coriander & orange, very refreshing

BRASSERIE ST. FEUILLIEN – LE ROEULX,HAINAUT, BELGIUM
ST. FEUILLIEN BLONDE – ‘2020’
Belgian Blonde Ale brewed with spices & citrus, nice mix of Belgian yeast, malt and coriander, slight bitterness on the finish

BROUWERIJ BOSTEELS – BUGGENHOUT, EAST FLANDERS, BELGIUM
KWAK PAUWEL AMBER ALE ‘2020’
Belgian Strong Ale with a nice taste of caramel, malt and dried fruit; has some sweetness with a hint of vinegar on the finish

BRASSERIE D’ACHOUFFE – ACHOUFFE, BELGIUM
LA CHOUFFE GOLDEN ALE ‘2021’
Belgian Golden Ale an unfiltered blonde ale brewed with coriander & invert sugar syrup; hints of fruit, spices, sugar and caramel

SCOURMONT ABBEY TRAPPIST BIERES DE CHIMAY – BAILEUX, BELGIUM
CHIMAY PREMIERE RED ‘2019’
Belgian Red (Dubbel) Ale brewed by monks at their monastery; nice blend of dried fruit, candy & caramel; slightly sweet/slightly tart

BROUWERIJ DE HALVE MAAN – BRUGES, WEST FLANDERS, BELGIUM
STRAFFE HENDRIK BRUGS TRIPEL ‘ 2020’
Belgian Tripel brewed in the city of Bruges since 1856. Top fermented and is still brewed according to the original recipe all these years later; has taste of spices, cloves, coriander, ginger and black pepper, semi-bitter finish

BRASSERIE DUPONT – TOURPET, BELGIUM
DUPONE AVEC LES BONS VOEUX ‘2020’
Belgian Saison brewed for the holidays – Bons Voeux means Good Wishes; higher alcohol for a Saison than most saisons, hints of apples, spicy and floral

BROUWERIJ VAN STEENBERGE NV, ERTVELDE, BELGIUM
MONK’S CAFE FLEMISH SOUR ALE ‘2020’
Belgian Sour Flemish Ale – it’s a blend of young and older beers, taste of wine, dried fruit, berries and caramel; has a sweet/sour finish

BROUWERIJ DE BRABANDERE NV – BAVIKHOVE, BELGIUM
PETRUS AGED RED ALE (SOUR CHERRY) ‘2019’
Belgian Red Ale aged in oak foeders; the base is a double brown ale 15% Petrus Pale Ale is added to provide a dry character andslight sour flavor, fresh cherries are added towards the end ofbrewing; nice blend of sweet and sour

Coming Next:

June: LA County Beers on Draft!
July: Summer Beers on Draft!!
August: Sweet and Sour Beers on Draft!!!

LAFC Party

I am RCTID (Portland MLS fans will get it) but it is still quite the coup for Party Beer Co. just off the Expo Line in West Adams to gain LAFC official status. That means when football action starts back up, you will have a nice new craft beer to have while watching and cheering the Timbers, oops, LAFC.

Benny and the Fund

Today, Benny Boy Brewing is launching crowdfunding campaign on (the new to me site) IFundWomen with the goal of raising $50,000 to help launch their brewery this fall. Per the press release, “money raised during this campaign will be used to build out Benny Boy Brewing’s beer & cider garden, a dynamic space under open skies where craft beer, cider and wine unite with innovation, pop-up food vendors and a culture of good times.”

Here is a rundown of what is on offer:

Available exclusively through the crowdfunding campaign is year-one membership ($300) to Benny Boy Brewing’s beer & cider club called “Friends with Bennyfits.” Among other rewards offered as part of the campaign:

  • Put Your Name on an Apple Brandy Barrel ($35) – Reserve your bottle of Benny Boy Brewing’s first vintage of Pippin Pommeau
  • Thirsty Locals Card ($75) – For Lincoln Heights residents only, get your first pint every Friday on the house
  • Private Tasting & Tour for 4 ($150) – Go behind the scenes with Benny Boy’s founders for a private tour of the brewery and cider house
  • Slip N Suds for Your Backyard ($5,000) – Think Slip N Slide, but with a beer sprinkler
  • HopStatue in Your Honor ($50,000) – Contribute $50K to the campaign and Benny Boy will commission a statue of you made of hops and malt, glazed in resin, proudly displayed in the beer garden

Crafting a Conversation 2

Angel City Brewery is back with a second conversation, this time gathering together beer industry women to talk about their beer journeys, should be an interesting discussion, so grab a beer (perhaps a Pink Boots Collab brew) and listen. March 28th is the date of you want to catch it live or follow Angel City on YouTube to stream at your convenience.

2 Ambitious

Long Beach (specifically Bixby Knolls) is an L.A. beer hub and one of its members is turning 2. Now, there will not be a big ol’ party but there will be special can releases so check out the Ambitious Ales social media to stay in the loop.

ERB11

That is right! Groundbreaker LA brewery, Eagle Rock has turned 11 and has fun in store for us in March. But in the meantime, how about buying this throwback treat….

“It’s been a while since we had all four of our core beers packaged together, but we’re back baby! These beers were some of the first beer brewed at ERB and were available year-round for our first 5 years in existence. These beers were chosen to start our brewery because they each showcase a major brewing ingredient, and each represents a category of flavor in beer: Solidarity with Malt, Populist with Hops, Manifesto with Yeast, and Revolution with balance.”