One of the keys to recycling is to make it easy to do. People will go an extra yard or two to help the earth which is why THIS program is so cool and I hope maltings will copy the plan of action.
Don’t Toss the Bag
Helios
More hops are on the way! Next from the Hopsteiner breeding program is Helios™.
Here is a brief summary, “the next super high-alpha hop king. Helios™ is one of the most agronomically sustainable hop varieties grown today thanks to its unrivaled yield and powdery & downy mildew resistance genes.”
Yes, that is mostly ag talk but until we see how brewers use it and with what other hop combinations, we won’t really know if it will have a signature shorthand like Citra does with, well, citrus and Strata has a tea like note to me.
Un-Liberated
Sad news to report, Liberation Brewing in Bixby Knolls has called it a day.
Here is the info from their social media post, “We are closing operations at 3630 Atlantic on April 30th. The financial impacts of COVID were significant and impacted our ability to negotiate a lease extension.
Thanks to all our employees past and present, brewers & breweries, local orgs and beer clubs, friends, family, and beer drinkers like you. You made it such a brilliant ride. Much love.”
I would suggest buying some of their bottles, yes bottles, of some of their Belgian-styled beers, they are quite fun and out of the normal for L.A. breweries.
One Pint at a Time
First, I want you to head to HERE to watch the trailer for One Pint At a Time.
And then make sure to check the website, like I have to keep tabs on possible future showings in Los Angeles.
April Fool’s Reviews
Classic April Fool’s jokes are rare, most bring only a double-take and a chuckle. Which is how I rate each one, on a scale of 1 to 5 Chuckles. Time to review the 2022 crop…
What makes this work is the accent on the letter E. Plus it is close to real so you can see be taken in. 4/5 Chuckles
Minus marks for the tired trope of “we made a food beer” jokes but plus for working with your beer style to make it funnily plausible. 3/5 Chuckles
I saw two versions of beer in a box but this one gets the mention because of the rhyme. Not really funny but the design is done well. 2/5 Chuckles
I don’t know if I just hang with the right people but vaping seems to have lost steam so this seems a bit too late to the party. 2/5 Chuckles
The classic H2O joke in seltzer format. Again, seems a year late for this though pairing with plain bread brings a wry smile. Get it? Wry. Bread. 2/5 Chuckles
The Firkin for March 2022
Fungibility, metaverse, virtual. Words that have morphed in recent years and to me sound almost as bad as the overused, ‘unpack’.
So of course big beer has to enter this make believe land like Heineken has HERE. But what is a innovative way to create a community around your beers when literally, you want people from the community to visit and try your beers?
I am no Luddite wailing against social media nor do I inherently disagree with the idea of virtual currency or virtual art. But beer is meant to be enjoyed in the one real world that we know of.
That does not mean I will buy a token (or is it Tolkien?) in a restaurant or brewery start-up. That seems a step removed from not getting anything on a Kickstarter or Indie-Go-Go.
But there can be a fun way to get, say, a virtual brew day tour. Or get a VR canning day followed by a special 4-pack later. There are creative ways to use an NFT that also includes beer.
The Sun is Setting
**unverified rumor alert**
It looks like, barring some late save, that Sunset Beer Co. will be forced out of their corner bottle shop and bar in Echo Park. Personally, “losing their lease” is both worded wrong and makes it a little too bloodless. And those who rally around the no gentrification cause should spend more energy here.
Back to beer. This shop has been my main go-to. I buy beer elsewhere but Sunset Beer Co. is where I can find the widest selection. I look forward to their weekly newsletter every Friday and usually have to fight the urge to just leave work and browse.
L.A. beer fans should send this iconic beer spot out on a high. Amp up your beer runs over the next couple months.
On the Vista
Don’t go out looking for a single hop pale or IPA just yet but there is a new hop varietal in the pipeline to look forward to, Vista
The link above is for a dedicated website just for it. You can even buy Vista merch. As for the hop itself, melon and stone fruit are the hallmarks of what it brings to the mash kettle.
Two A’s
Take a look at the attributes of these two new (in hop breeding time) from Glacier Hops Ranch.
I posted about Alpenglow already and it is still limited but the words Pina Colada attached to the Ahhhroma (still not sold on that name) hop seem likes one that could really take off. Maybe in a year or two we will see if either become popular.
Tweaks
The Brewers Association made no big waves in their 2022 beer style guidelines. Clarity, spelling and grammar being the key words in their press release.
“As the craft beer landscape continues to evolve, we want to ensure that our Beer Style Guidelines continue to be a trusted resource worldwide and are in stride with the innovation that continues to be brought forward,” said Chris Swersey, competition director, Brewers Association. “We took 2022 as a year to focus on housekeeping, to address some discrepancies within the exiting beer styles, and for a small number of significant updates to certain beer styles.”
Stay tuned for GABF in the fall to see who comes up with medals.