I will state up front that I write a column for FoodGPS and I do the weekly Beer Blast (which you better subscribe to if you are in L.A.) so I am biased when it comes to the Beer Float Showdown.
Plus it was a brutally hot day in the valley so ice cream (and beer) were a welcome relief. There were (5) breweries paired off with (5) different chefs as is the now custom.
My favorite of the day (when I wasn’t volunteering) was the White Dog IPA with Simcoe sorbet from El Segundo Brewing. The beer was refreshing and hoppy. The ice cream had a nice bite to it and there was little fruit pearls in it too. Lovely. Plus it had a nice cookie floating in there too.
But there was a tie at the top of the leaderboard at days end. Reigning champ Eagle Rock with the Oinkster/Maximilliano was dead even with Strand Brewing and Short Order.
Team Eagle Rock concocted a Beer-imasu complete with Ladyfinger cookie.
Team Strand paired Ito-Weisse Berliner with a cherry ice cream for a cute red float that was simple but paired fruit against tartness.
If these photos don’t convince you that craft beer and craft ice cream go together then nothing will except for next year’s edition. Which you better attend.