…to a stange filled with Kolsch from Project Barley and Far Field Brewing.
Take the 405…
June Brewery # 2 – Barnaby Brewing Co.
North to Alaska and JUNEau to visit Barnaby Brewing Co.
Let’s grab a couple taster trays to try out the following from the BBC.
OMG I Love Trees – Imperial Spruce Tip Blonde
Theresa’s Meadow – Altbier
Jiggle Jiggle Wiggle Wiggle – Tropical Stout
Rodeo Clowns – Flanders Red
Slack Tide – BA English Barley Wine aged in Cherry Brandy Barrels
Guava Blood Orange – Imperial American Sour Aged in Tequila Barrels
Review – Humans Vs. Wizards
Time to choose a side. Wizards and Hazies or Humans and West Coasties?
This challenge comes to us from Smog City and Three Weavers and their two IPA’s…
We start with…
More Wizard Than Human Hazy IPA – fruit plus Sweet Tart on the aroma. Soft on the palate. The bitterness is there but more lurking than upfront. The spell of hops is from Strata, Cashmere and El Dorado. I get some tea like notes from the Strata plus a little twisted malt note.
More Human Than Wizard West Coast IPA – according to the label art, much bigger hops used. Though really it is the same big three just expressed differently. Tilted more British in styling with a bready note. More earthy and woody and no fruit.
Verdict – I like the fruity notes in the hazy over the earthy in the West Coast. I also like the wizard over the Thor like dude with the big H mash paddle.
LABW13 – Cellador Friends Festival
I actually went to a beer festival! The first one since 2019! Cellador Ales hosted the kick-off event for the 2022 L.A. Beer Week and here is my rundown…
Before I start with my best beers though, I want to say that I love the fact that Cellador has embraced magnum pours. They had a whole “magnum island” booth plus bottles were being walked around the festival alley.
On to the beers, this was not a sour only event as in years past, but there were sours aplenty. Rare Barrel had Space Jellies with Strata hops, Craftsman had some barreled Flors and many others had bottle or can pours at the ready.
That said, some of my favorites on the day were from North Park who brought their historically named DIPA’s …
Probably a notch above was the Green Cheek version of Timbo Pils which was bright and hoppy and refreshing on a hot day.
Another stand-out was Craftsman Brewing, OG in L.A. bringing their famous 1903 Lager as well as three barrel-aged ales including 3rd and 4th Flor. I tasted 3rd which used Sherry yeast and was different from every other taster I had.
I like the set-up lots of colorful branded pop-up tents in a row with food at one end and wine and cider inside. I was hoping for more seating and shade options. It was telling that the slim strip of shade near the building quickly became a hang out spot.
I will need to get my festival legs back. I was like a kid in a candy store who hadn’t had sugar in a bit but was also was too wary of crowds. But, my pacing and technique will improve as I get back in the swing of things.
Thanks to Kevin and Fran for setting up a great return to festival action in Los Angeles.
Summer of Lagers – Part 1
My computer tells me it is 90 degrees as I type this. Summer is here and that means lagers and pilsners. A good start is this Helles from Smog City…
South Bay is #1 in the Torrance based brewery lager series so grab it and collect them all.
Buoy Beer Building
Scary images from Buoy Beer in Astoria, Oregon..
It makes me think about the sexy topic of infrastructure. I have been lucky enough to visit Buoy a couple of times and the combo of beer and river view is amazing but when the Columbia is surging it becomes scary.
And with a business that is capital intensive already, improvement checklist items for days, weeks and months can be pushed. This collapse is probably not due to that but it is a wake up call to make sure everything is, pun intended, ship shape.
Glendale to Tokyo
Little Tokyo that is as Brewyard Beer Co. of Glendale has teamed up with the Little Tokyo community for a plum and rice lager.
LABW13 – Rundown
Milky
A mug full of beer foam? I admit my pouring skills are a bit crap but apparently the internet thinks my poor pours are cool. It’s called a Mlíko pour. It can only really be poured from a Czech Side Pull beer faucet which are not at most beer bars. According to City Beer Store, an expert tome, “A “milk” pour is like drinking a velvety cloud of sweet foam. The faucet creates a creamy, highly drinkable beer froth which is best enjoyed quickly before it settles.”
So check out a bit of history HERE about this dispense method. Then Google image Mlíko to see the photos.
APL BBQ @ SB
It is not often that I am jazzed about the food options at a brewery in Los Angeles. It is usually not about food quality either. It is mostly that I pick a weekend destination based on the beer. So I end up with whomever is there when I am.
All preamble to the exciting news that APL BBQ from noted chef Adam Perry Lang will be on hand each weekend at Strand Brewing in Torrance from Father’s Day weekend until September.
In the holy trinity of food that pairs with beer, pizza, tacos and BBQ would be my choices and to get the buzzworthy BBQ is an added inducement to head to Torrance.