Category: LA Craft Beer Events

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Terrible Two’s

Can you believe it? Eagle Rock has entered the terrible two’s! It is amazing to think of the L.A. beer scene before and after. So, you had better be on the eastside next week….

“Come join us for our 2-year anniversary celebration at the brewery! We’ll be celebrating another amazing year by featuring many of our special beers on tap in the taproom and an outdoor beer garden (Sorry, no pets or children permitted.). Grill Em’ All and Mandoline Grill will be at the brewery to celebrate with us and serving up some of our favorite eats.

Need more of a reason? It’s only $12 for admission and all attendees get a commemorative taster glass to take home (while supplies last)! Come out and celebrate with us!”

UPDATE
The celebration has been moved to the Verdugo Bar. Same time and food and beer and good times too.

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Welcome to Canland!

Yesterday was a big day at the yellow building at Golden Road Brewery. Not only were the cans ready to be sold and taken back home to ‘fridges across the southland but four new beers made their debut yesterday.

But back to Canlandia for a moment. These are really well designed. The first and most important part is that they hold a full 16ozs. You are getting your full pint. Second, these have a lovely design that really says Los Angeles on it in a James Cain’s “Paradise” sort of way. Wistful and evocative of an earlier time in L.A. And I love the personal note from Jon on each can. I am a sucker for a well designed label and these are great but it wouldn’t matter all that much and I certainly wouldn’t blog about it if the beer inside wasn’t worthy of it. It is. Point the Way is a great session IPA that doesn’t over bitter the senses and still makes room for a strong malt taste. I heathenly had one straight out of the can and it tasted great. Nice and fresh. The hefeweizen is strong too. Especially on the banana flavor side. You can get both at the brewery or later this month at Whole Foods down here.

On to the new. There was a wide spectrum of styles unveiled. The oft-overlooked brown ale was represented by Get Up Off that Brown and there was an alternate world IPA called Lost its Way. Both of which I will have to sample another day because I went with the cheekily named Either Side of the Hill Strong Ale and the El Hefe Anejo. Either Side is like the hefeweizen in that it is very much on point style wise. It was strong with a raisin, plum and candi sugar swirl of flavors. And like the other Golden Road brews, isn’t at all harsh. Very controlled. A nice winter warmer. The El Hefe sounds like a weird idea. Put Hefeweizen into a tequila barrel. But it works. You get a strong vanilla flavor at first that blends into a banana taste. And then there is a hint of spice at the far back. It did not remind me of tequila but it was extremely tasty.

Thanks to Meg, Jon and Tony for throwing a great introductory party for the tallboys!

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Beachwood + Pliny the Younger

Now I am not a big fan of the over-hype of Russian River’s Pliny the Younger. I have railed about it before HERE. But I like the tack that Beachwood BBQ has taken with it. I would even go so far as to charge more for each raffle ticket.

Here is all the info you need: PlinytheYoungerV5 copy but suffice it to say, I much prefer a laid back atmosphere to enjoy any beer. Some people get a rush from the crowds but not I. So plan ahead to go to Beachwood sometime between the 17th of January and the 20th of February to get your chance to win a taste in peace (or at least donate to charity).

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Knuckle Sandwich

Tomorrow night, you hop heads might wanna be at….Steingarten LA

Please join us for a special night featuring:

FIVE AMAZING Bootleggers Brwery BEERS:

• KNUCKLE SANDWICH DOUBLE IPA
• ELIMINATOR INDIA PALE ALE
• ROCCO RED
• GOLDEN CHAOS
• OLD WORLD HEFFEWEISEN

We will have a representative on hand from the brewery to talk about the beers. A special pairing menu will be available so come hungry.

7:00 PM Monday January 9th 2012
Steingarten LA

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to ring in 2012

If you haven’t settled on a party for New Years Eve, here are two in the Los Angeles area that you can try (if tickets are still available)


1) Tony’s Darts Away will have one 9pm seating featuring an abundance of vegan and non-vegan fare and beers. $95 for you all you can eat AND drink, plus a commemorative glass (tax and gratuity included).

Tony’s will also be raffling prizes throughout the night, including vintage California craft beer; gift certificates for Tony’s Darts Away + Mohawk Bend; Golden Road Brewing swag; and the grand prize: brewing a batch of beer with Golden Road Brewing’s brewmaster, Jon Carpenter. For reservations, email NYE2012@tonys.la

2) City Tavern in Culver City will be hosting a “Brew Years Eve” Beer Garden. From 10pm to 1:30am, $68 will allow patrons to enjoy unlimited beer, wine & champagne, plus a glass an extra special toast at midnight; a reduced $56 price tag will be extended to guests with an accompanying dinner reservation (full kitchen ‘til 10pm).

In addition, City Tavern’s notorious table tap booths can be reserved for $100 per person (each booth seats 6-8, 10 if you’re determined/overly friendly), and includes unlimited table taps, wine & champagne, plus an extra bottle of champagne to toast at midnight.

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Hangar 24 + Tony’s Darts Away =

What you see in the glass is the third in the barrel roll series from Hangar 24, Pugachev’s Cobra. It was in attendance last night at Tony’s Darts Away along with a bevy of beers from Redlands.

Joe Savage & Rafael Hurtado from the brewery were in attendance too. Talking to the crowd that grew as the night progressed. (Side note – It has been good to see large turnouts for this and last night’s Library Alehouse FiftyFifty night. Especially in a holiday week)

I started with a sampler tray….From left to right, you have the winter warmer, Amarillo Pale Ale, Anja and the Helles. I was most surprised by the Helles. It was light and bubbly and filled with grain notes from start to finish. It really tasted fresh and alive. But my favorite of the tray was the Anja, a pro-am Belgian ale that had that light bubbly-ness with some fruit and spice notes and a touch of vanilla. I will order that again.

I did not partake of the Double IPA, yet. I am heading to the brewery itself on Christmas Eve to pick up a bottle or two but I did end the night with a bang. The aforementioned Pugachev. It was thick and viscous. Poured a dark black with an espresso colored head. It was maple syrup sweet at first and then some roasted notes and bourbon crept in to balance. It did not taste like 16.5% alcohol though some aging will probably smooth it out even more. I am glad I have a bottle to store away.

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Strong Ale Festival at Library Alehouse

When the shopping and tree trimming start to get you down, you need something strong to lift you back up and the Library AleHouse probably will have it on tap during their strong ale festival. Below are the details:(truncated a bit because the list was soooo damn long!)

“It’s our favorite time of year for beer at Library Alehouse. The weather cools down and the ABV goes up. It’s as though the universe is telling us to stay in inside and sip strong, dark beers. To that end, we are proud to announce our 2nd Annual Strong Ale Holiday Fest, running December 19-31, 2011. We’ve been stashing away big beers all year long and we’re finally ready to unleash them upon the drinking public. We expect the list to include the following beers:
• FiftyFifty Totality
• FiftyFifty Eclipse Elijah Craig 12
• FiftyFifty Eclipse Four Roses Single Barrel
• FiftyFifty Eclipse Elijah Craig 18 (Bottle Pour)
• FiftyFifty Eclipse Brandy (Bottle Pour)
• FiftyFifty Eclipse Grand Cru (Bottle Pour)
• FiftyFifty Eclipse Rittenhouse Rye (Bottle Pour)
• Lost Abbey Ad Lib
• Eagle Rock Jubilee
• Stone Double Bastard 2011
• Karl Strauss Two Tortugas
• North Coast Grand Cru
• Alaskan Smoked Porter 2010
• Alaskan Smoked Porter 2011
• Scaldis Noel 2011
• Bootlegger’s 78 Anniversary Ale
• TAPS Barleywine 2010
• Ommegang Adoration
• Ommegang Three Philosophers
• N’ice Chouffe
• Bruery Cuir
• Bruery 4 Calling Birds
• Bruery Melange #3
• Bruery Burly Gourd
• Bruery Smokin’ Wood
• Anchor Our Barrel Ale
• Anchor Christmas 2010
• Anchor Christmas 2011
• Anchor Old Foghorn
• Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Brewers Reserve Grand Cru
• Deschutes Black Butte XXIII
• Deschutes The Stoic
• Deschutes The Abyss
• Uinta Labyrinth
• Oskar Blues ODB
• Ballast Point Victory at Sea
• Ballast Point Indra Kunindra
• Dupont Avec Les Bon Voeux
• Evil Twin Christmas Eve in a NYC Hotel
• Emelisse Jack Daniel’s Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
• Emelisse Jack Daniel’s Barrel-Aged Barleywine
• De Dochter van de Korenaar Oak-Aged Embrasse
• Great Divide Hibernation

But we couldn’t stop there. We’ve also got an amazing series of events
lined up during the fest:

Monday December 19th, FiftyFifty Brewing Kickoff Event:
For our Strong Ale Holiday Fest Kickoff Event on December 19th, we welcome FiftyFifty Brewing from Truckee, CA and local ice cream
producer Sweet Rose Creamery to the Alehouse. We will we have FiftyFifty Owners Andy and Alicia Barr in the house, along with several
varieties of their much sought after Eclipse Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout and the base beer, Totality. Here’s what we’ll be pouring and serving:
DRAFT:
-Eclipse Four Roses Single Barrel
-Eclipse Elijah Craig 12
-Totality
BOTTLE POURS (Extremely Limited):
-Eclipse Elijah Craig 18
-Eclipse Rittenhouse Rye
-Eclipse Brandy
-Eclipse Grand Cru
FROM SWEET ROSE:
-Bacon Bourbon Sundae
-Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream
-Salted Caramel Ice Cream
But we didn’t quit there. Any Alehouse customer who purchases any serving size of any variety of Eclipse on the 19th will be given access to a special menu just across the street at our new neighbor Areal (2820 Main St). We’ve partnered with them to bring you the opportunity to taste the whiskeys that came out of the barrels in which Eclipse was aged. They have prepared a special menu, allowing you to taste a full flight of spirits, or try them a la carte. They’ve even prepared some special savory pairing bites for the occasion. It promises to be an excellent evening.

Wednesday December 21st, Ommegang & La Chouffe Keep the Glass Night:
On Wednesday, December 21st, we’ll play host to Ommegang and Brasserie d’Achouffe. Sales Representative Stuart Knight is bringing
three strong dark Belgian beers with him: N’Ice Chouffe, Three Philosophers and Adoration. We’ll have a limited amount of glassware
for you to take home with the purchase of any of those beers along with an available flight of all three.

Friday December 23rd, Horrible Holiday Music and Ugly Sweater Party:
We couldn’t just have an ugly sweater party, so we decided to dress it up with some terrible holiday music too! Come revel with us in the cheesiest fashion possible, listening to elevator music renditions of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and glam rock versions of “Frosty the Snowman.” Don’t forget to don your most hideous of holiday garments as anyone who sports an ugly sweater that evening will receive. $2 off their first draft beer.

Tuesday December 27th, Anchor Our Barrel Ale Release:
You know Anchor for their classic Christmas Ale, but they’ve also quietly started a superb barrel-aging program. They’ve blended together some of those barrel-aged beers to make “Our Barrel Ale”, a beer previously only available for purchase at the brewery. We’ll have a small keg of Our Barrel Ale along with Old Foghorn, Christmas 2011 and Christmas 2010 for this special event. A flight of all four beers will be available. We also welcome LACBC to Alehouse this night, with 10% of sales going to the charity. So if you love bikes and beer, or just one of the two, make sure you come by on the 27th.

Thursday December 29th, The Bruery Belated Christmas:
A Strong Ale Fest wouldn’t be complete without a visit from those masters of all things high-ABV, The Bruery. We saved a keg of Autumn
Maple for this event and we’ll also have Melange #3, Smokin’ Wood, Burly Gourd, 4 Calling Birds, and Cuir (Anniversary Old Ale). Beer
flights will only make the evening tastier.

As though all this weren’t enough, we’re holding a Glassware Garage Sale for the entire month of December. We’ve amassed quite a collection of tulips, pokals, pint glasses and goblets over the years and we’re giving you the opportunity to add them to your collection (or to someone else’s as a gift). Premium glasses will be $4 each and all others will be $2 each. Spend $25 (before tax and gratuity) in a single visit to the Alehouse and buy up to two premium glasses for $2 each or any two others for $1 each. Spend $100 or more in a single visit and buy as much as you want at the reduced rate. Also, be on the lookout for keep the glass promotions littered throughout the Beer Menu during the garage sale. The glassware selection will change every day so make sure you visit often.”

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A Christmas ColLAboration

Who says L.A. can’t do Christmas? We may not have the biting cold, or frost, or snow and we may be able to walk around in shorts on Christmas Day but we can do the winter warmer.

Just in beer garden style, one week from today, thanks to the hardworking people behind ColLAboration. “This time around, the garden will feature a selection of winter and holiday brews (including 2 special releases from Golden Road), along with old favorites from: Golden Road Brewing, Eagle Rock Brewery, Cismontane, Hangar 24, Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, Eel River, Firestone Walker, Stone, Russian River, Lost Abbey, Dogfish Head, Oskar Blues, Avery, New Belgium, Bootleggers, TAPS, Bruery, Beachwood, Smog City and many more.”

Check out the details on the attached flyer below.

PLUS – Golden Road will be premiering two new beers from their Brewer’s Choice line!

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Holiday beer at Sunset

In a little over a week, one of the new craft beer hot spots in Los Angeles, Sunset Beer, will be hosting a ……

“Kinda-Sorta Holiday Beer Class A.K.A. Our Inaugural Beer Tasting Class!

Here at Sunset Beer Company, we plan to host many beer tasting classes, but we can only have one first! For this one we will be exploring some of our favorite year-round beers along with some of the best for the holidays. And they’ll be paired with cheese!

A little about that whole cheese thing: When most people think about cheese they think about wine. Yet most of the cheese experts I’ve met swear that beer is a much better match. So we’ll be exploring just how great of a match they can be. Hurry up though, as this is already filling-up very quickly!”

Here is part of the line-up Gouden Carolus Noel, Alesmith Yulesmith,
Avec Les Bons Voeux de la Brasserie Dupont and Port Santa’s Little Helper . . . and maybe some rarities from their new and growing cellar.

Here are the details if you want to check and see if there is still room.

Tuesday, November 29th
$35/person or $60/couple
7-9 pm

RSVP TO: (213) 481-2337

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L.A. Beer Week 2011 Wrap-up


L.A. Beer Week – Year # 3 is now safely in the books. I careened from one part of town to another in search of great beer and here are my impressions.

It is hard to top the Deconstructed event that Firestone-Walker put on with the Home Brew Chef, Sean Paxton. Damn good (and exclusive) beer, excellent food and gracious hosts in a cool Hollywood venue.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Beer Float Showdown as well. For some of the same reasons as I enjoyed Deconstructed. Great beer paired with creative food. I could see that the float makers were both working hard and having fun.

I also enjoyed the three year vertical of Ten Fidy that Boneyard Bistro provided. The array of stouts and big beers they had that night was amazing and I wish I had more nights to have tried out a few more.

The big, big plus of the last two weeks was the sheer volume and variety of events. There were huge pairing dinners and simple meet the brewer nights, there were new beer releases and celebrations of our local brewers. There was something for every beer geek across the area. But within that bounty were some missed chances.

I would love to see a “New to craft beer” event that roved from bar to bar. A welcome mat of an event that would encourage people to try a variety of beers to acclimate palates to the good beer of the world and be able to get questions answered.

I would also like to see more signage with the L.A. Beer Week logo that could catch the eye of the passersby, if you will excuse the rhyme. Maybe an official L.A. Beer Week stop sign to hang in a business window or a sandwich board outside. Having an Untappd badge and the other social media kicking are great but I would like to see outreach to the non “in-the know” folks. And if people see enough of them as they drive around L.A., they might get curious.

Lastly, as much as I liked the plethora of beer, two weeks was a bit much. I know America is the land of outsized ideas but by the end on Sunday, I had heard the lament of “ready for Monday” many times and not just from myself. I am a proponent of the 10 day week. Coming on the heels of the Great American Beer Festival and before the November San Diego Beer week, ten days allow some rest for the wicked. Not that everyone attended an event a day like me but I think that L.A. has enough of a craft beer culture where we can start having mini-festivals throughout the year to augment the many other events that are happening so that beer can gain a momentum that a once a year event cannot generate.

That being said, kudos to all the organizers for taking on the extra workload and less sleep and loads of driving to bring beer to me and to all of the people of L.A. The city is better for your efforts.