If you look for the mini-kegs of Hopslam from Bell’s, you will need to look for flying saucers and robots because the packaging has been sent out of this world…
… one of the classic craft beers.
HopSlam a Robot
S&S
I totally understand that despite recent Delta setbacks, having a proper pint at a taproom is back and most people just want to enjoy that simple pleasure.
But this is a good time to really evaluate beers again, get back into practice. A good primer is HERE from the always fabulous Beervana blog.
I want you to focus on the two S’s. Subtlety and Surprise because I find that is what really vaults a beer into memorable territory.
We have all had beers that blasted us with one distinct flavor. But how often do we have beers that start with pine, say, but has a layer that you can taste but not quite put your finger on that accentuates the pine note?
Or what if that hazy in front of you has a big pine note, that would not be expected at all but now you have a disparate pair of notes that makes you notice what you are drinking.
What is normal is to get a perfectly fine middle of the pack IPA (insert other beer style here) that ticks boxes but doesn’t have the Easter egg tucked away.
So find those S&S beers.
Scratch
Dogfish Head doesn’t specify which hop oils were add to the box of their latest variety pack but each one has a hop cone to smell. I think it would be even cooler to have people guess the hop as well to see who has the hop expertise.
Weinhard RIP
Weinhard has been given the ax. You can read about it HERE.
These regional brands really suffered in the transition to where we are now which is a few big conglomerates and a ton of smaller breweries underneath. The Weinhard’s of the world were stuck in a nether realm of too small and uncool to the SABInBev’s of the world while also not being small and nimble or cool to the craft sector. So they got bounced around like an NBA player during free agency.
I wish people (like myself too) could have one more bottle of the beer from its heyday before it left.
The Firkin for July 2021
France has recently passed quite the unpopular law that bars unvaccinated people from going inside cafes. Los Angeles has many bars that are requiring proof of vaccinated to enter.
At this point, I would require it to come into my home as well. The vaccine is free, it is available and you have no excuse. You buckle up to drive to a bar. You obey street signs on the way. A jab in the arm seems an easy one and done proposition to me.
But of course, it is not. Now bars and taprooms will have to have bouncers at the door and endure negative Yelp reviews based on not being allowed in.
This may be the only way though to get our vaccination numbers up. Keep denying entry to various fun activities until enough people finally give up this weird “hesitancy”.
Plant a pop-up vaccination center next to a brewery and see if the lure of beer will get more needles in arms.
Apply Within
Kudos for creativity on this label from Bolton Landing Brewing Company.
But it makes me question the following paragraph from the NY Post…
““Like most businesses this year, we are looking for help in our taproom,” says the ad from the brewery, which is located less than a mile from Lake George and about a 20-minute drive from the popular summer resort’s main drag.”
My guess is that summer vacation tourists might be the bigger driver when it comes to jobs not being filled. You can read this NPR piece HERE where that comes through loud and clear.
Safe Bars
I am not a fan of consultants imposing their procedures on a business. Why? They usually don’t know the business or employees working there.
But I am glad to see programs like Safe Bars out there that can be accessed by owners wanting to make their establishments, well, safer.
It is more of a DC area program but maybe variants can start in L.A. with letter grades?
Brave Noise
OK. Two things for you beer fans to do and they are both simple.
One – Read THIS. Do not TL:DR it. Read it.
Two – Buy the beer(s) when they come out.
Recycle Artistically
Wouldn’t it be cool to see a large recycling bin like this?
Of course, for breweries it would need to be a rendition of a 16oz can but I would love to see recycling and art to meet at each and every LA brewery.
Eliqs
Small orders are not economically sound. Economies of scale is where it’s at. That is why you have to buy a certain amount of cans and bottles if you are a brewery.
But Eliqs (no idea what that name even means) wants to corner a market of small custom label orders. You can choose a template or go full creative and the price isn’t half bad.
The beer or seltzer is LA brewed but unknown as to which brewery is doing it so it is hard to tell if it would be beer nerd good or just passable with the hope that the label is funny enough.