Category: Uncategorized

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a little sourness


As great as the new tap room is at the Bruery’s brewery, I miss picking up beers at Provisions but now there is an excuse to return….
“SOUR WEEK!!!! Running from next Monday, August 13th and lasting until Sunday, August 19th, we will be featuring daily flights of very rare and delicious sour ales. Cantillon, Cascade, Lost Abbey and The Bruery, just to name a few of the amazing breweries that we have lined up. Be sure to follow us on facebook, twitter and instagram to find out what is being released each day!

Can’t wait? Come on in today and pick up a bottle of The Bruery’s Sans Pagaie, a sour blonde aged in wine barrels with cherries or Otiose, a sour brown ale aged on guava. Both are $20 for a 750ml bottle and will age gracefully for several years. We also have a selection of sour ales from Belgium, Switzerland, Norway and beyond, so get in the Olympic spirit and try them all!”

This will be an excellent chance to try those great Cascade beers and some classics from Cantillon and compare them to the Bruery offerings.

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The Beer Allowance – August

So this month, not that I was in dire need of beer. I just received the Stone 16th Anniversary IPA. But the $20 was burning a hole in my pocket and I had just learned via Beer of Tomorrow that a liquor store near me stocked craft beer so I headed to Bill’s Liquor in Atwater Village and took my $20 to spend.

And this is what I got….

Now, I wish to explain the reasoning behind this choice. I could have picked up the Ommegang Biere de Hougomont. (spell check that beer lovers) but that would have shot the wad on one bottle. They had Golden Road’s Wolf Among Weeds but I had already tried that. Some nice foreign beers as well but I decided to stay semi-local and try an offering from IE that I had at last year’s Brew at the Zoo and the anniversary ale from Bootleggers. Risky? Yes. But that is what this monthly allotment is for. To buy the beers that you have walked past before. Reviews will be up on both Untappd and Ratebeer when I decide to crack them open.

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Guiness Brats


I still haven’t seen these in my local supermarket but it might make an instant pairing with some cheese and Guinness.

Or you could head over to Gilt Taste and order some even more gourmet beer bratwursts for your next BBQ.

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Year 2 of LambicX

Tell me that these two versions of LambicX do not sound good. I just wish I could have found one last year. But I will be on the hunt for these so you may see me prowling around the local beer shoppes.

“Aroma of white grapes, sweet apples, fruit, tobacco, honeysuckle and hay. Restrained tartness.Bright, but not acidic, round and soft body, some chardonnay butteriness. Fine astringent finish with hints of quinine. Slightest hint of carbonation. Not quite cask still, but almost!”

“Aroma of sweet grass, smoke, peaches, sour apples all spiked with a background barnyard funk. Big, round acidity in the mouth with notes of lemon, tangerine and grapefruit melting to a rich, sour-sweet finish, balanced by the full presence of tannic and wood notes. Slightest hint of carbonation. Again, not quite cask still, but almost!”

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The Beer Allowance – July

Each month in 2012 I have an extra $20 (courtesy of my wife) for craft beer and this month, I decided to go all Widmer….

I have tasted all of the Rotator series of IPA’s and so far, my favorite of the bunch is the Spiced IPA. Primarily because it was sooo different from the normal IPA. I first encountered Shaddock at the Oregon Brewer’s Festival a couple year’s back and was mildly impressed but I wanted to re-visit thinking that the recipe may have been tweaked.

I had two Omission choices. Lager or Pale Ale. I went with the lager simply because I don’t normally buy lagers and it was a hot day when I bought it. We shall see if that decision pays off.

You can check out what I bought in June (also from Oregon) HERE

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Venice Beach Beer Company


The L.A. brewery boom continues on and in expensive land prices, Venice of all places. I like the SoCal specific beer names of AWOL and June Gloom too. I will attempt to get a taste and report back.

But first, here is the full press release…..
“Known for it’s laid back vibe and artistic culture, Venice is home to some of L.A.’s leading restaurants, galleries and cutting edge business. The Venice Beach Beer Company, launched in June 2012, is the latest addition to this culture, and the first beer company to call Venice home.

Started by Tim Benedick and Kerr Smith, longtime friends, Venice residents and beer connoisseurs, Venice Beach Beer Company brings a passion for good beer and the beach to life in two new ales available exclusively in Venice, California. With a slogan of “Shut Up and Drink It,” the beers offer a distinct flavor profile that reflects the local culture.

“Our beers are specially brewed for the Venice Beach life,” says Smith. “We have lived here for many years and realized that there wasn’t a beer in existence that captured the essence of our unique city, so we decided to put ‘Venice’ in a bottle.”

Smith is a longtime Venice resident and notable Hollywood actor. Benedick is a bar manager with over 20 years in the bar business.

“Venice” is a unique, American amber ale with a blend of caramel and biscuit malts, jammed packed with five different hops, creating an eclectic war between bitter and sweet. “June Gloom” is an untraditional, White Belgian beer combining the taste of coriander and orange peel.

“Our take on a Belgian White with a bit of a twist. We decided to get away from the traditional yeast selection on this one,” says Benedick. “By using a much cleaner yeast, this beer becomes about the delicate blend of coriander and orange peel instead of the traditional clove and banana notes, producing an easy to drink wheat beer that is quite refreshing on those hot summer days. Our June Gloom beer will take those clouds away.”

Venice Beach Beer Company plans to produce approximately 1,000 barrels in its first year. “Venice” is currently available in Venice, CA at The Venice Whaler, Hinano Cafe, Larry’s, Chaya Venice, Venice Beach Wines, Bin 73, Mercedes Grill, Ozumo and Whole Foods on Lincoln Blvd and will be quickly followed by “June Gloom.” The third VBBC beer, A.W.O.L. IPA (Always West of Lincoln), an American IPA, will be available next year in 2013. Plans for a storefront and retail location are on the horizon.

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TAPS + Far Bar


Tonight, yes tonight at Far Bar in Little Tokyo of L.A. ! Get your fix of some rarely seen in Los Angeles TAPS beers from the wonderful Victor Novak….

Here is the List:
Remy w/Balinese Coffee ( Espresso infused Bourbon-Barrel Aged Stout)
Taps Double IPA
Obscura (Euro Dark Lager)
Crystal Pils and
Cream Ale

I highly recommend ALL of these beers. But if I had to pick one. Get the REMY!

Join us for a night with Victor Novak and his award winning beers. We’ll be tapping a very special keg of Remy (2010 GABF Silver Medal Winning Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout). We’ll have five other Taps beers on as well this evening. So come and enjoy some outstanding beers with one of our favorite brewers.

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Brew with Jeremy of Eagle Rock


HOMEBREW DEMO w/ OWNER & BREWMASTER JEREMY RAUB

“Curious about making your own beer at home? Looking for new friends to brew with? Wanna hone your brewing skills? Or just looking for new brewing techniques or recipes to add to your repertoire? We’ve got just the solution!! And, since we’re in a brewery, as opposed to the garage, the batch we brew will eventually go on tap in the tasting room!

Come watch ERB Co-Owner & Brewmaster (and Maltose Falcon) Jeremy Raub brews up a batch from 9am to 4pm on June 2nd.

The cost is $12 and will include a simple lunch and a pint of one of our house beers. The taps will be available at their usual prices if you’re still feeling thirsty. You’re also welcome to bring your own homebrews to share or to get objective opinions.Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP to save your spot soon! It will be a full brew day, so be prepared to spend some quality time with your favorite brewery staff and to make some tasty beverage!”

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Buzz Wine and Beer

I slowly am visiting all of the new and (at this point, not so new) L.A. beer locales. And last Tuesday, I finally checked in at Buzz Wine and Beer in Downtown L.A.

The Beer is just inside the front door to the left and all chilled as well with many a style including what I purchased, Adnam’s Broadside and Grand Teton’s Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse as well as locals like Eagle Rock and Golden Road.

And if you are not grabbing to-go, you can also take a seat at their small beer and gaze upon the taps.

I went with the new 2012 Hoptimum from Sierra Nevada which to my palate tasted better than I remember from the past.

Good to have another addition to not only Downtown LA but to the L.A. Craft Beer scene in whole.