Category: Beer in the news

Great articles that you should read.

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Blue Palms Situation has Me Blue


The craft beer scene in Los Angeles had an eventful weekend. First, the news that Angel City was now owned by Alchemy and Science and then following that the distressing news that Blue Palms Brewhouse might be forced out of their location through no fault of theirs.

Thankfully, the beer community has rallied to the aid of one of our favorite beer spots and the new landlord has given a three day extension to work things out after seeing the outpouring of support. The hope is that they won’t have to close down and find a new location after building such a loyal clientele in the Hollywood community.

I was there last night because, if it was the last day, I wanted to occupy Blue Palms one more time. I ordered up a Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer called The Dude. A cherry accented brown ale. Quite nice and fitting since the first Beer Camp beer that I ever had was at this spot. It was good to see a large crowd there including the Steeler fans who were not having a good day.

To stay in a celebratory mood, I cracked open an expensive wish list beer. Almanac 2011 Plum Ale. It was good and lived up to the price and my high expectations. I have now added their Blackberry beer to my wants/needs list.

If you haven’t paid your respects, I strongly suggest heading over on one of these three nights to show the powers that be that a new agreement would be beneficial to everyone.

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Angel City + Alchemy & Science =

Big news for the Los Angeles beer world, Alchemy & Science which is a new division (?) of Boston Beer Company has purchased Angel City Brewing which had recently moved to downtown LA last year.

Before I opine on the matter, here are the posts from the great BeerNews.org that detail what happened. # 1. # 2. # 3.

This seems to be uncharted territory as far as I know in the beer world. There is the Craft Brewers Alliance and the Magic Hat group where there is a pooling of resources but those are different from what appears is going on here with Angel City and A&S. The first question that I have is, and should always be the first question in any analysis of a business deal, will the beer quality improve? If Michael Bowe is allowed to just brew and someone else does the marketing and distribution, will that be a change for the better? Only time will tell, but my initial gut instinct is that it will.

Angel City, in recent years, had been eclipsed by Eagle Rock, Strand and El Segundo in buzz and number of tap handles. And Craftsman beers were always more highly regarded especially from a keeping the craft beer flame lit in Los Angeles perspective. Will the big business and dollars behind the new Angel City be a turn off to the craft beer crowd? I think it might.

One good thing is that the craft beer spotlight is now shining on Los Angeles for a bit. Can we as consumers and bloggers and lovers of craft beer keep that focus on LA?

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The Barman’s Fund


Times are tough but it looks like the world inside the bar is still welcoming, if not more so than in the past. Breweries are as charitable as ever with time and beer and now a group of bartenders in New York are pitching in to help.

The Barman’s Fund pools the money of bartenders to be given to a charity. I think that each city with a thriving cocktail or beer or wine scene should get in on this idea. And maybe get one of the 1% to throw down some matching money too.

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Brooklyn Home Brew – the book

I have posted about Brooklyn Brew Shop’s home brew kits that you can either purchase online or get at a Whole Foods and now they have the companion book to go along with it!

Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Better Beer Making Book, by Erica Shea and Stephen Valand.

Here is the blurb from the press release: “Brooklyn Brew Shop’s Beer Making Book takes brewing out of the basement and into the kitchen. Erica Shea and Stephen Valand show that with a little space, a few tools, and the same ingredients breweries use, you too can make delicious craft beer right on your stovetop.”

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Beer Paper

If they can make a shirt out of milk, then why not paper out of beer? And not just any beer, from the spent barley of famed Upland Beer in Indiana.

Here are the details from Twisted Limb paper:
“Cheers! woodcut by Darian Goldin Stahl on front of card. Text on the back of card lets receiver know the special ingredient and beer name. Cards include matching handmade beer paper envelopes.

Colors match your favorite beers–wheat, pilsner, amber, and porter. Set of four cards and envelopes includes one card in each of the four beer colors.

We can print your brewery’s logo on the front of these cards on orders of 50 or more cards. (50 logo cards for $195/100 logo cards for $375)”

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Eco Cans


I saw these “earth friendly” cans in the Uncommon Goods catalog and it got me to thinking if these “cans” could be used to transport your bottled beer to the beach. That is if you really wanted a certain beer that wasn’t canned yet. Read the description and decide for yourself.

“Quench your thirst for sustainable goods and high design with this reusable, earth-friendly can made from corn-starch based polylactic acid. A convenient tab and twist-off cap with double walled construction securely totes and insulates your daily sips. Replace your water bottle or on-the-go coffee mug with this bright idea that’s ideal for everyday use.

BPA-free. Dishwasher and microwave safe. The double wall construction allows for temperatures from -20 to 110 degrees Celcius.”

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Timbers Soccer + Homebrew Competition =

I cannot wait to hear the names of the entries for these MLS soccer inspired beers….

“In the dark days of 2010 the Oregon Department of Justice had declared homebrew competitions illegal. A few bold brewers of the Timbers Army brought their homebrew to a tailgate and held a people’s choice competition. In 2011 the Timbers have gone MLS and the Oregon Legislature re-legalized homebrew competitions. If that’s not enough reason to celebrate, Lompoc Brewing will produce a full size batch (7 barrels) of the winning entry. (Organizers are working with other local breweries to produce the 2nd and 3rd place entries as well).

The Second Annual Timbers Army Homebrew Competition will be judged at Lompoc Sidebar Sunday August 14th, prior to the Timbers match at Houston. The winners will be announced at a tailgate prior to the match against Vancouver at home August 20th.

In order to keep the competition focused, organizers have limited it to three overarching categories: “Summer Beers,” “Pride of Cascadia,” and “Lagers.” The competition will help raise money for the Timbers Army 107 Independent Supporters Trust.”

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Top 5 IPA’s


Happy #IPADay!

Last month, I tallied some figures about my first 1,000 beers that I have rated. So you know that my highest ranked IPA was the canned version of Punk IPA from BrewDog and that my favorite DIPA was the Kern River Citra.

Here are the other IPA favorites of the last two years…..
Russian River Blind Pig – better than PtY and more plentiful
Hair of the Dog Blue Dot – when fresh this has a great bite to it
BridgePort Hop Harvest – 2009 was a great year. Looking forward to 2011
Mikkeller Single Hop Nelson Sauvin – grape and IPA. And it works!
Mammoth IPA 395 – super spicy and herby.

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IPA Day

Tomorrow is social media IPA day!

Below is how you can play along at home – courtesy of the Beer Wench…..

“International #IPADay is a grassroots movement to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers, and brewers worldwide through social media. On Thursday August 4th, craft beer drinkers across the social sphere and across the globe will raise pints in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles: the India Pale Ale. This celebrated style represents the pinnacle of brewing innovation with its broad spectrum of diverse brands, subcategories, and regional flavor variations – making it the perfect style to galvanize craft beer’s social voice.

#IPADay is not the brainchild of a corporate marketing machine, nor is it meant to serve any particular beer brand. #IPADay is opportunity for breweries, bloggers, businesses and consumers to connect and share their love of craft beer. Getting involved is easy; the only requirements are an appreciation for great beer and the will to spread the word. Anyone can participate by enjoying IPA with friends, making some noise online with the #IPADay hashtag, and showing the world that craft beer is more than a trend!”

Tips on How to Take Part:

1. Organize an #IPADay event at your brewery, brewpub, restaurant, bar, home, or office (Ex: An IPA dinner/cheese pairing/comparative or educational tasting/cask night/tap takeover…). Share your events on the official #IPADay forum at http://www.ratebeer.com.

2. On August 4th, share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes, and thoughts with the world. Be sure to include the #IPADay hashtag in your posts Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WordPress, RateBeer, Foursquare, Yelp, Untappd or any other social media site.

3. See what other people are saying by searching “#IPADay” on Google, search.twitter.com, et cetera…

4. Track down your favorite IPA’s, ones you’ve been meaning to try, and ones you’ve never heard of; share them with friends and share your thoughts with the world.

5. Have a good time and know that by sharing your experiences online, you’re strengthening the craft beer community at large.