Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Tomorrow’s first of 2013 Brew and You columns over on FoodGPS features our local stalwart, Craftsman Brewing and a beer of the week from a newcomer to the L.A. area, Boulevard Brewing!
Here is a list of my favorite beers from these two icons of the craft beer world. With one caveat. I have obviously had more chances for our local Pasadena beer than one from St. Louis.
Craftsman
1. Point 5 IPA
2. 1903 Lager
Boulevard
1. Sixth Glass Quadrupel
From the amount of Kickstarter posts that I do you would think that I have a stock option in the company or something. But no, I truly believe that this crowdsourcing is a way to gauge the interest in a brewery and also the dedication of the brewers behind the offering.
So, yes, I will continue to pitch any Kickstarter projects to you, dear reader. If they revolve around the world of beer.
So check out the video for L.A. River Brewery and check FoodGPS tomorrow for my beer of the week and my homework assignment. Oddly enough, it involves Kickstarter too!
Followers of this blog will know that I have helped back many a Kickstarter project. For beer in far away (to me) Missouri and beer documentaries set in Oregon. Now I (and you) can help out some locals!
So now head over to their Kickstarter page, HERE and donate a little. We need more craft beer in Los Angeles.
Your L.A. Christmas needs are ironically met at Eagle Rock Brewery where you can wear an ugly sweater and toss some fruitcakes
We start on December 20, 2012 from 4pm to 9pm
“You’ve got it and we want to see it! Get dolled up in your finest….. fugly sweater that is!
We want to see large Santa faces, glitter, bells, lights, multi-colored yarn, pom-poms…. the WORKS. Also welcome is any kind of talented creativeness that in some way resembles our product/crew.”
Judging will go down around 8:30pm so be sure to get here and get fancy before then. Winner will receive a fabulous prize and full fugly bragging rights.
Then on December 27, 2012 from 7pm to 9pm
“Did the holiday season approach and along with it some delicious (ahem, gross) fruit cake? Well we’ve got the BEST solution for you.
1st ANNUAL Fruit CAKE TOSS! BYOB fruit cake and see how far you can toss it into our parking lot. Furthest toss wins a prize and of course FULL bragging rights.
It’s seriously a win even if you don’t toss it the furthest since you get rid of that nasty fruit cake and all your holiday aggression. Haha. We’re always here to help you out. Oh, and there’s always beer here too.
Tossing will begin approximately 7pm so be sure to be here and be ready. Remember….fruit cake not provided so be sure to bring one with!”
I wish Redlands was a little closer to Glendale. But then again, it is probably why their special events are so much fun and with little to no lines even during a great barrel aged beer event at Hangar 24.
They are known for their excellent Orange Wheat (now in cans, along with their Helles) but beer geeks know them for their “Barrel Roll Series” of beers. It started with Immelman’s five years ago and this year they released Chandelle. And then re-released Pugachev’s Cobra from year three.
I was finally able to catch up on Immelman (in two versions) as well as Roll # 2, Humpty Bump. And even though I missed the apricot accented Chandelle, there was plenty to choose from, especially if you like rye whiskey barrels.
Immelman (the bourbon version) was my co-favorite of the day in a tie with a rye whiskey barrel version of their 4th Anniversary Dopplesticke.
The staff was friendly and helpful. As mentioned, lines were practically non-existent from the time I arrived two hours in until I left two hours later. Some of the bottled offerings were running dry but you could spend your six drink tickets on multiple versions of Pugachev’s or sit at one station and have an enjoyable time and get your $25 worth. The pours were very generous considering the weight of some of the beers and you could gaze upon their new canning line and huge tanks in the newest part of the facility.
So keep your eye’s peeled for their next event. You will not regret it.
Angel City has been quietly plugging away in the background of the Los Angeles scene. Sure they have been at the L.A. Beer Week and other events and you can find their beer especially downtown. But the tap room is still in process and the beers and the beer names were in R&D for awhile.
But now, here are some label images for what you will be seeing on store shelves….
I like that they are evoking the grand movie palaces of downtown with these looks. It ties in with the Hollywood theme and plays nicely with the Angel City logo. All of a retro L.A. Noir piece but with room to grow and be creative.
Count me as a Beachwood fan. It seems like everything that Julian brews has such a lovely balance without sacrificing huge flavors and now you can grab some Tovarish to go because Beachwood is bottling!
The 1ST BOTTLED BEER:
TOVARISH RUSSIAN IMPERIAL ESPRESSO STOUT
Here is the news straight outta Long Beach, “Well craft beer fans, you asked for it and it’s finally here—Beachwood Brewing’s first bottled brew, Tovarish Russian Imperial Espresso Stout will be released on December 14, 2012 at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.
For the first time Beachwood Brewing fans will be able to sip this limited edition stout, available in 22oz bottles. “We are so excited to start bottling Beachwood’s beers for customers to take home, enjoy, and share with their friends,” explains Beachwood’s co-owner, Gabriel Gordon. “This is just the first of many more to come.”
Tovarish was carefully crafted by Beachwood Brewing’s brewmaster and co-owner, Julian Shrago. Brewed on Beachwood’s 10-barrel system, Tovarish is a highly coveted beer! Tovarish is a bold Russian imperial stout brewed with a base of British Maris Otter barley, heaping amounts of roasted barley, and specialty malts. It is finished with a touch of blackstrap molasses along with a custom roasted coffee blend by Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa, CA. “Tovarish is a very special brew to the Beachwood family and we’re looking forward to sharing the love,” concludes Shrago.
This remarkably rich and complex beer is not to be missed! Savor the layers of roast, coffee, and dark fruits with every sip!
Tovarish bottles will also be available at various local Los Angeles and CA retailers.”
Count me as happy too!
Tovarish Russian Imperial Espresso Stout
Brewed & bottled by Beachwood Brewing, Long Beach, CA
11.2% ABV
Retail Price: $20/22 oz. bottle
www.beachwoodbbq.com
Starting tonight you have three chances to get some of this year’s 16th anniversary ale from Firestone-Walker.
Chance # 1
BottleRock in Culver City 7-10pm Firestone flight with XVI TONIGHT!
Chance # 2
We are also having XVI poured at the Daily Pint on Nov 29th. 8+ Firestone Beers on tap plus XVI and DDBA. Beginning at 7pm
Chance # 3
We’re doing a XVI party at Steingarten on Nov 30th around 7pm. Dave Watrous has stocked up some goodies to pour alongside XVI.
Deschutes Reserve Series 2012 Pouring Monday, December 10th 6pm
“We will be pouring all three of Deschutes 2012 Reserve Series releases for this event: Black Butte XXIV, The Abyss and The Dissident (bottles). BB XXIV and The Abyss will be on draught while we will have very limited amount of The Dissident pours from the bottle. The Dissident we’ll only be offered on a flight of all three, while the other two will be available by flight or individual pour. We’ll have other Deschutes beers available on draught as well. So come out and join us for a very rare chance to taste this amazing line of beers all at once.”
Fifty / Fifty Eclipse Release Party Thursday, December 13th (Time TBD)
“We are very proud to announce that we will be hosting the LA area release party for the Fifty/ Fifty Eclipse series. The Eclipse Series has become one of the most elite and sought after Barrel-aged lines in the industry over the last four years. Every year the multiple time award winning brewery from Truckee, CA sources out some of the finest used oak bourbon and rye whiskey barrels then take their award-winning Totality Stout and age separate lots in each brand unique barrel for six monthsWe will have* Elijah Craig 12 year * Evan Williams Single * Rittenhouse Rye * Old Fitzgerald Bourbon * Bernheim Wheat Whiskey will all be pouring from the bottles as well as a couple of the treatments on draught (we’ll announce once we know which we’ll be receiving). We will also be pairing each treatment we receive with the corresponding whiskey from which the barrel it was aged.”
Hangar 24 has been growing at a furious pace and one reason is their barrel roll series of limited beers. One of them, Pugachev’s Cobra is returning along with a celebration of all of their beers….
Celebrate the “return of winter ..and… bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout, Pugachev’s Cobra on Saturday, Dec. 8. Hangar 24 will also be marking the occasion by hosting an inaugural Barrel Aged Beer Tasting Event that day with twelve different beers to choose from for sampling.
Pugachev’s Cobra, which won gold at the 2012 California State Fair, is an intense assault on your senses. This Russian Imperial Stout, with a thick caramel head, is bursting with aromas of chocolate, vanilla, oak, bourbon, licorice and dark fruits. Flavors of chocolate-covered plum, sweet malt, bourbon and roasted coffee explode on the pallet with every sip. Pugachev’s Cobra features three different-dark roasted malts and rich maple syrup in a truly unique brewing process to create complexity and depth. Once fermented, it’s then aged for eight months in freshly emptied bourbon barrels. While Pugachev’s Cobra can be enjoyed the day it is purchased, Hangar 24 recommends cellaring the bottle for up to three years to receive the full flavor effect.
Pugachev’s Cobra gets its name from an aerial maneuver where a pilot suddenly raises the aircraft nose to near vertical before dropping back to attack mode. Pugachev’s Cobra was first released on Dec. 10, 2011 with 3,495 bottles; due to the extremely popular demand for the craft beer, Hangar 24 has increased its production for 2012 to an estimated 6,000 bottles.
Attendees of the inaugural Barrel Aged Beer Tasting Event will be able to sample six, 4oz pours of any of the following Hangar 24 Barrel Aged craft beer:
· On Draught:
o 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra
o 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra
o 2012 Hammerhead
o 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra aged in Rye Barrels
o 2011 Immelmann aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels
o 4th Anniversary Dopplesticke Alt aged in Rye Barrels
· In Bottles:
o 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra
o 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra
o 2012 Chandelle
o 2012 Hammerhead
o 2011 Humpty Bump
o 2010 Immelmann
Pugachev’s Cobra will be available for sale in 750mL bottles ($20 each, limit 6) and draught in Hangar 24’s Tasting Room in Redlands, California. Limited Southern California distribution to on- and off-premise locations will begin on Monday, Dec. 10.
Tickets are available on Dec. 8 for $25 in the Tasting Room. The first 250 participants will receive a complimentary, Hangar 24 Barrel Aged Beer taster glass. Hangar 24’s Tasting Room will be fully open on Dec. 8 and will be serving all of its craft beer styles.”