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It is going scorch today in the valley, so best to have beers ready, and instead of running around from brewery to brewery, you can head to MacLeod Ales (I suggest online) to get a valley variety pack. You can help out multiple breweries in these tough times all at once.
Readers of the blog know that I hold a particular scorn for government in these times since they insist on charting a zig zag path to the Corona Virus. With one hand shutting you down and with the other not providing any financial relief so that your local brewery can stay alive.
L.A. County and their Board of Supervisors seem intent on hobbling the craft beer industry. Their fine to eat but not to drink ethos has stuck most of our breweries in a to-go only mode. The food plus alcohol mandate is a load of crap but it would give a little help at least. Here is the one slide that you should read and post.
The word came down today that the Simmzy’s mini-chain was closing up in Venice and in Burbank. Both not good news but the latter is the stinger. That means a brewery loss to Burbank due to the Corona Virus.
The remaining restaurants will still have a house beer because beer guru Greg Bechtel will be moving over to Smog City with duties including supplying beer to the restaurants.
The brewing operations were shoehorned into an already weirdly shaped triangle corner property but maybe when we reach the daylight of the virus tunnel, I hope that the space can resume brewing operations under a new team.
The California Craft Beer Summit is on virus hiatus but you can get a simulacrum of the experience with Summit Experience. Head to the link and you will see a nice amount of beer and extra goodies including access to info from the brewers themselves.
The Bruery is trying to keep the spirit of the toast alive, if just over the interwebs with their “digital drinking experience” You head over to YouTube to watch along with Patrick Rue starting at 5pm.
Here is the tasting line-up:
13 locations across California will be tapping both the 2020 version of Power Plant the notorious Triple IPA from El Segundo Brewing as well as a Hazy, Radioactive Fallout.
Thankfully, Glendale will be covered by We’re Pouring. And on the 17th of the month, I will drop in for a pour. You can find more information, right HERE.
I will be sitting on a couch, not watching football, nope Thanksgiving is time to binge some TV and this year, the wife and I will be eating turkey and watching….
Have a great and restful weekend. And give thanks to all the brewers who make the good stuff all through the year.
Move over hard seltzer, I bring you the next big thing in beverages. Vintersaga. “A Swedish-style festive drink, carbonated malt and hops flavored beverage”. Straight from the Ikea marketplace of primarily lingonberries. This winter seasonal does not have a good aroma. Off- putting cherry cola would be my guess. First taste is straight up cough medicine. Woo boy this is sweet. The ingredients list says natural hops flavor and natural barley malt flavors but neither is in much evidence. I think that even kids would blanch at this amount of sugar and ask for water afterwards.
This looks like a fun beer from the Woodwork Series from Eagle Rock for whenever cold weather decides to grace Los Angeles with its presence, “Dovetail is an oud bruin inspired sour ale, with notes of semi-sweet chocolate, unripe plums, and black cherries. This complex yet smooth dark ale will pair handsomely with robust holiday feasts.”