The Tripel + Smog City =


In one of my homework assignments over on FoodGPS, I implored people to sample some Smog City beers. Well, lo and behold, now you have a chance….

“To celebrate the culmination of American Craft Beer Week, Smog City Brewery and The Tripel are teaming up for a night of big brews and fantastic food. The evening kicks off with a cocktail beer hour, followed by a special four-course tasting menu created by Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts. Each course will be paired with a limited edition Smog City beer, all on draft. This special evening on May 21st begins at 6:30 p.m., and seating is extremely limited! For those unable to make the ticketed event, The Tripel will offer the special menu à la carte along with the limited selection of Smog City beers from 9pm to close.
Selection of Hors Oeuvres”
The cost is $65.00

Little Bo Pils

Hot and Sour Cockle Soup with Saison Runnings,
Sweetened Egg Omelette, and Wood Ear Mushrooms
L.A. Saison

Black Bread with Rabbit Pâté and Pickled Icicle Radish
Sabre-Toothed Squirrel

Beet Pasta with Wild Boar Ragout and Porcini Mushroom
Oaked Penumbra Stout

House Made Box of Candies
Groundwork Coffee Porter

System of a Stout

Here is your teaser to what you will be reading in the Brew & You column tomorrow on FoodGPS….
DioNicEss has reached the # 10. And to go along with that momentous landmark, there is a special beer made specifically for the event by Julian at Beachwood Brewing in Long Beach. And I was lucky enough to see and taste System of a Stout before it was finished….

And here it is…. …before the aging with coffee and Armenian brandy are added to the mix.

And guests at the event will walk away with this custom growler…. To ensure that you try this beer (Oh and have a spectacular and extreme aged menu crafted at Beachwood BBQ), you will need to buy tickets HERE or grab a rare glass that will escape the brewery at select southland locations.

This will be a night of great beers and great food and I know this because I have been to a couple of these events and Gev keeps topping himself and because I really enjoy Julian’s beers. That + Beachwood food is all the reason you need to snap up one of the remaining tickets.

One Week in May


It is that special time of the year where we celebrate craft beer even more than we usually do. American Craft Beer Week!

So, get out there and show the craft brewers that you appreciate that they offer you so many great choices in beer!

Here is a snapshot of where I will be headed.

Monday, Maximilliano for pizza and Craftsman beer flight

Tuesday, I will be at Tony’s Darts Away for a Firestone-Walker night. Maybe snag some more Wookey Jack.

Wednesday, On to Beer Belly to taste Fruet from the Bruery for the first time.

Saturday, the Farmer’s Market themed event at Blue Palms. Followed by Eagle Rock for their annual Session Fest. Low ABVs with big flavors.

Beer by the pool


Tomorrow night is the opening of the summer season (which is pretty year round down here) at the Beer Hotel. Here is the skinny….

“Our Beer Appreciation Night for this month shifts to Saturday May 12 with our first ever daytime event. Starting at noon and going until 5 pm we will celebrate the seasonal opening of the Brewster’s Pool Bar. We will also be announcing our First Beer Hotel Advisory Board and our search for three California residents to join the Board.

We expect to have beers from the following brewers: Strand, Cismontane, El Segundo, Monkish, Golden Road, Taps, Bootleggers, Hanger 24, Eagle Rock, Smog City, and Bruery. Some of the breweries will have representatives on hand.

As you arrive you will purchase a wristband and 12 “wooden nickels” for $24. Be sure to bring your ID. Each “wooden nickel” is good for a three ounce taste. When you run out you can purchase more. We’ll also have the barbeque going with food for sale a la carte.”

Farmer’s Market FestivALE

Tomorrow there will be a post on FoodGPS about the proliferation of beers with vegetables and spices in them. But why talk about it now? Because of an inventive day of beer called the Blue Palms Farmers Market FestivALE!!!

is next weekend on May 19 from 2:00pm until May 20 at 1:30am. Here is all the event information:

“The tap list sprouting new additions constantly… [ can’t lay off the puns with this one 🙂 ]

This is the newest addition to our seasonal festival lineup…
Summer: Flip Flop Fest / Autumn: Pumpkin- Palooza
Winter: Jingle Bell Jubilee / And … THE FARMERS MARKET FESTIVALE!

You can expect 12-16 (or more?!) Tasty & seasonally themed brews available to order individually or in flights, ALL of which will include a Fruit, Vegetable, Herb, or Spice.

Growing taplist:
-Stone Mixtape #1 (A blend of Stone Levitation IPA, Smoked Porter and Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, plus library beers including 2011 Imperial Russian Stout and Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout brewed the same year… infused with sage, peppers and lemon thyme)
-Almanac Spring Seasonal (Biere De Garde with Fennel)
-Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme (Sour Strong Belgian Dark Ale brewed with Cherries and Aged in Bourbon Barrels)
-Karl Strauss 21st Anniversary Ale (Strong Belgian Ale with Zinfandel Grapes)
-New Belgium Valentine’s (saison, brewed with raspberry juice, orange peel, and rose hips)
-Speakeasy Vendetta (IPA brewed with curacao Orange peel)

No need to buy tickets, simply show up, order what you’d like to enjoy, & MOST importantly, have a GREAT time!

Ode to Lambic


Beachwood BBQ’s Ode to Lambic at the Downtown Long Beach location will be presenting an Ode to Lambic today! Here is the scoop and more importantly the beer list…..

“Spontaneous fermentation, local microbial micro flora, 100 year old oak barrels, Wild yeast, brewing traditions that have been preserved since the middle ages….”a taste of history” according to the late, great beer writer Michael Jackson. Lambic is truly a window into the past, a craft that is still subject to the forces of nature and perhaps the best example of terrior that the beer world has to offer. It is a unique representation of a brewery’s environment, an intricate expression of the brewers craft and still to this day, one of the most mesmerizing categories of beer being produced. Come join us for a celebration of lambic and the amazing beers that they have continued to inspire, unique food pairings and guest speakers. For those of you that have been squirreling away your favorite lambic beers, in hopes of sharing them with like minds, this may be your opportunity. We’d like to extend the celebration with a bottle share of your favorites.”

Draft List:
Cantillon Kriek
Tilquin Gueuze
St. Louis Gueuze
Bockor Oude Lambic
Boon Framboise
The Bruery Sans Pagaie Kriek
Jolly Pumpkin Bambic

Bottle List:
3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek
3 Fonteinen Oude Gueuze
3 Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek

Brew for the Cure

I saw this one of the e-mails that I got from the Yeastside Brewers homebrew club. Looks like a fun way to try some of the great homebrew that is flowing in the L.A. area and support a good cause.

“The Brew for the Cure Homebrew Festival is happening May 13th. This is a call for entries. We need the great homebrewers of Southern California to jump into the fight against cancer and help us throw a kick ass party! It’s a chance to hang out with friends compete for prizes and get your beer out there to see what people think. There will be music and food, and the home brew will be flowing. Prizes will be awarded to the winning beers chosen by the public.

Entrants as well as attendants will not be charged, but there is a suggested donation of 20 dollars that will go directly to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help fund cancer research. All proceeds from the festival will be donated to charity. It’s a great excuse to drink beer for a good cause.”

Grilled Cheese + Craft Beer


Can you believe that the 10th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational is upon us? How time flies. And this year, Beer Belly is in charge of the beer. And that means a great list of breweries. So check out the information and head to the Rose Bowl for some inventive sandwiches and a serious beer selection….

“The Beer Belly family is happy to announce that we will be participating in this year’s Grilled Cheese Invitational (Saturday, 4/28).

Not only will we be hawking our infamous 4×4 Beer Belly Grilled Cheese, but our very own Chef Wes will be competing in this year’s competition.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that you folks love having a fine craft beer to accompany your grilled cheese. Well to that point, Beer Belly has been working with the GCI to organize/curate a Craft Beer Garden with proceeds benefiting Big Sunday. Show your support for your local brewers and for Big Sunday by swinging by and having a beer. We will also be selling our BB GC inside the beer garden, so come by have a bite and drink craft beer!”

Here are some of the breweries that will be participating:
Craftsman
Ladyface
Eagle Rock
Hangar24
Bootlegger’s
TAPS
El Segundo
Black Market
Golden Road
Stone
New Belgium
Lagunitas
Firestone
Monkish
Oskar Blues
Maui
Great Divide
Duvel
Ommegang
…and more being confirmed

Two L.A. Beer Events to choose from (or do both)

Option # 1
Beer may be one of the only liquids whose popularity outpaces that of the now ubiquitous, spicy, sweet rooster sauce. It’s only fitting then, that we bring the two together for a good cause. On Thursday, April 26th from 6-9PM, Library Alehouse will play host to The Sriracha Cookbook author Randy Clemens and El Segundo Brewing Company for an amazing evening of Sriracha-infused dishes and tasty adult beverages, all while raising money for charity.

These special food items, adapted from and inspired by The Sriracha Cookbook, will be available for the evening, and can be purchased a la carte:

– Honey-Sriracha Glazed Buffalo Wings
– Jalapeño Poppers stuffed with Sriracha Cream Cheese and Bacon
– Sriracha-Cucumber Hummus
– Plus a unique Sriracha-infused dessert (TBD)

From the folks at El Segundo Brewing come the following beers:

– Blue House Citra Pale
– White Dog IPA
– Hyperion’s Stout on Rum-Soaked Oak Cubes

These three El Segundo beers will be available for purchase individually or they can all be enjoyed together as a flight. 50% of all Sriracha Tasting Menu purchases, $1 from every beer and $2 from every El Segundo flight will be donated to Share our Strength, a non-profit focused on ending childhood hunger.

Option # 2
West 4th and Jane and Brewery Ommegang will host a unique event thatpairs five craft beers from Ommegang with modern-American cuisine from Chef Ryan Turner. Menu items like Hamachi Tom Ka Gai Crudo, Blade Runner Beet Salad, Chicken Fried Quail and Waffle and house made dessert will be paired with Witte, Hennepin, Abbey Ale, Rare Vos and Three Philosophers from Ommegang.

WHERE:
West 4th and Jane
1432A 4th Street (between Santa Monica and Broadway)
Santa Monica, CA

WHEN:
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
7 p.m.

COST:
$65/person, not including tax or gratuity.
Reservations are required and can be made by calling 310.395.6765