Category: LA Craft Beer Events

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Italy + Tomm Carroll + Beer Belly =

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This Sunday at Beer Belly (that’s tomorrow) it is time to VIVA LA BIRRA ITALIANA

“Come join beer writer and collector Tomm Carroll of the Celebrator Beer News for “Viva la Birra Italiana,” a crash course in Italian craft beer at Beer Belly from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Enjoy flights of innovative beers from the country’s ever-growing birra artigianale scene, which grew out of Italy’s Slow Food movement. Featured will be brews from such birrificios as Amiata, Baladin, del Borgo, Brûton, Grado Plato, Italiano, Montegioco and Troll.”

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What’s an Adjunct?

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Wanna get some book learnin’?  Well then sign up for this class at Eagle Rock!  And you can find out why adjuncts (when used correctly) can bring a whole new side to beer.  And Jon will have all sorts of knowledge to drop on you.

“Beer School is in session! This month’s class is all about Adjuncts. Come learn all about this funny/fancy word for the “stuff that you add to beer outside of the 4 main ingredients (water, malt, hops & yeast)” from Jon Carpenter (you might know him from his time at Dogfish Head, Golden Road or now Alchemy and Science). All that experience has lead him to brew many different styles of beers with every ingredient under the rainbow. Find out what adjuncts work well for beer and what additions are a totally bust. Taste, learn and enjoy this highly knowledge friend of Eagle Rock Brewery who’s excited to share what he knows and is a rare person to sit down with in this industry.
The class will take place in the Eagle Rock Brewery taproom on Tuesday 7/20/13 from 7pm to 9pm. As usual, the taproom will be open at 6p for those registered in the class to come in to pickup the course materials and enjoy a pre-class beer. Cost will be $30 per person.”

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Battle of the Barrel

(I am sneaking this post in despite my hiatus because I love Ladyface so much…)

The Battle of the Barrel  2013 at Ladyface is coming up!

Kick-Ass customized van photo from the Ladyface Facebook page.
Kick-Ass customized van photo from the Ladyface Facebook page.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 – SUNDAY, JUNE 30

“It’s wine versus beer as Semler Wines puts their 2012 Viognier up against Ladyface Ballista, an imperial grisette aged in Semler Viognier barrels.

The battle will rage from June 22nd through the 30th at Ladyface, Malibu Family Wines and, new this year, Kings Row Pub in Pasadena.  A music and fun-filled finale will take place Sunday, June 30th at Malibu Family Wines’ outdoor tasting rooms where picnicking is welcome. We’ll be calling on all craft beer fans to help us invade and bring the golden barrel trophy home to Ladyface! ”

And for the record, a Ballista is kind like a trebuchet.  It shoots things.

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Hoppy Daze at the Four Points

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On Friday June 14, it is the Hoppy Daze of Summer IPA Fest and Poolside Beer Dinner starts at 6:30 pm at the Four Points Sheraton near LAX

The Price $40 (2 extra tasting chips with the Twitter Code)

Tastes of 12 Hoppy Beers – Sessionable, Big, & Huge

on draft:
Alesmith Summer Yulesmith Double IPA
Avery Twenty XX India Pale Ale
Flying Dog Imperial Citra
Anderson Valley Heelch O’ Hops
Clown Shoes Muffin Top Trippel IPA
Mystery – You’re going to love this one!

Bottles/Cans:
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
Uinta Hop Notch IPA
Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA
Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet
2 more special bottles

Dinner Menu:
Tomato, Watermelon, Cucumber & Jicama Salad
with Mango Vinaigrette
Potato Salad with Grilled Red Onion & Basil Mayo
Chipotle Baked Beans
Grilled Zucchini with Balsamic & Parmesan
Bourbon Glazed Salmon with Roasted Pineapple
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

RSVP Requested
Email: phil.baxter@fourpointslax.com

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Today is the Day!

Summer Camp w/ Sean Inman is TODAY!!
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To prepare you before you leave for Beer Belly, (because I am assuming that you will be there) here is the initial beer list:

Eagle Rock Umlaut Kolsch, Monkish Dat Moi, Ladyface La Grisette, Bear Republic Double Aught Czech, Golden Road Cabrillo Kolsch, Trumer Pils, and more!

And if you can’t decide, then come grab me and ask for a suggestion! I will set you up a fantastic flight of beers

 

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Coffee + Beer + Dad

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Los Angeles Craft Breweries & Coffee Roasters Team Up with Leading Chefs at Lot 613 on June 16 Los Angeles, CA—Even the gnarliest of old-school dads needs an occasional change of pace from instant coffee, industrial lager and $5 breakfasts… That’s why you’re going to treat your dad to the Father’s Day “Collabrewtive” Brunch on Sunday, June 16 at Lot 613, where his taste buds will be tantalized by leading Los Angeles craft brewers, coffee roasters and chefs—including coffee-flavored beers created specially for the event by each brewery and roaster.

Presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company and Food GPS, the Father’s Day “Collabrewtive” Brunch will feature six stations showcasing brewery-roaster duos, as well as six food stations helmed by several of L.A.’s most talented chefs. Seating will be communal, with guests free to chart their own culinary adventure, at their own pace.

Brewery + Coffee Roaster Collaborations

· Firestone Walker Brewing Co. + Intelligentsia Coffee

· Golden Road Brewing + Handsome Coffee Roasters

· Eagle Rock Brewery + Tierra Mia Coffee

· Beachwood BBQ & Brewing + Portola Coffee Lab

· Cismontane Brewing Company + Caffe Luxxe

· Ladyface Ale Companie + LAMILL Coffee

with Featured Chefs · Genevieve Gergis & Ori Menashe (Bestia)· Daniel Mattern & Roxana Jullapat (Cooks County)· Zoe Nathan (Huckleberry + Milo & Olive)· Jason Travi (Littlefork)· John Sedlar (Rivera)· Steve Samson & Zach Pollack (Sotto)

The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and isn’t limited to fathers. The cost is $50 ($60 at the door if available). Children 12 years and under are admitted at half price. A portion of the event proceeds will go to Share Our Strength, an organization that’s dedicated to battling childhood hunger.

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4 + 38 Degrees

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If anything on this list grabs you by the lapels and shakes you…..

Alesmith Barrel Aged Speedway
Allagash Odyssey Oak Aged Dark Wheat
Ballast Point Barrel Aged Indra Kunindra
Ballast Point Coedo East To West IPA (Fresh batch brewed in San Diego)
Beachwood Hop Ninja
Craftsman Ursa Minor
Dogfish Head Immort Ale
Eagle Rock Tart Noir
Eagle Rock Templeton Rye Barrel Aged Threes Anniversary Ale
Firestone Walker XVI Anniversary
Firestone Walker Sucaba
Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Hebrew Funky Jewbelation
High Water Old & In The Way 2011
Ironfire Coffee Stout Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels
Ironfire Merlot Barrel Aged Dead on Arrival DIPA dry hopped in barrel
Kern River Just Outstanding
Logsdon Oak Aged Seizon Bretta
Lost Abbey Brandy Barrel Aged Santa’s Helper
Lost Abbey Deliverance
Lost Abbey Older Viscosity
Lost Coast Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial 8 Ball 2012
Nectar Black Xantus
New Belgium La Folie 2012
Noble Ale Works Naughty Sauce
North Coast Old Rasputin XV
Russian River Consecration
Russian River Pliny The Elder
Russian River Sanctification
Stone 15th Anniversary Aged In Scotch Barrels
The Bruery Melange #8
The Bruery/Beachwood Mrs. Stoutfire

Then you best head over to Alhambra and 38 Degrees for their blowout 4th anniversary bash.  The only caveat is that you have to come to Beer Belly tomorrow and tell me about it at my Summer Camp with Beer Belly.

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Firestone-Walker Invitational (the recap)

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As threatened here is my recap of the Firestone-Walker Invitational that was held on Saturday……

With a beer stained shirt, I left the 2013 Firestone-Walker Invitational Beer Festival dizzy from the variety of beers and breweries on display and maybe the triple digit heat too.

The Mid-State Fairgrounds was hopping with crowds attracted by an impressive worldwide brewery list with beers that are rare within miles of their home breweries, let alone seen in California. Dark Lord from Indiana’s Three Floyds or Hunaphu from Peoples Choice winning brewery, Cigar City from Florida.

Both highly rated beers and both excellent but in my opinion, three others made my Best in Show List (plus an honorable mention in Tipo Pils from Birrificio Italiano).

#3 – Dos Osos IPA from Revolution Brewing. A collaborative hop bomb between the 3 year old Chicago brewery and Firestone-Walker. Was super fresh with a great bouquet.

#2 – Nefarious DIPA from Boneyard Brewing. For a big DIPA this (again very fresh) Double was light and nimble.

# 1 – Prickly Passion Saison aged in Peach Whiskey barrels from the venerable New Belgium. My first beer of the day and one that struck a chord that I measured all the rest of the days beers on. Had a bright fruit note that balanced with a smooth and light barrel flavor.

OK, on to my beer festival check list:
water: plentiful (they also had cool zone blowers and misters at most stations to keep things cool)

food: plentiful (and free with admission) I certainly enjoyed the cupcakes but you could really do some great beer pairings.

crowds: There were long lines but that was to be expected. You could easily move about the fairgrounds and if one line was too long another fantastic brewery was close by.

Considering the heat and the massive beer geek popularity of the beers on hand this was well-run and smooth operation. (Which was not a surprise to me)

This will be an annual pilgrimage for me.