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LABW 2024 – Weekend Two

The second weekend of L.A. Beer Week for 2024 is done, here are some photos and recollections from me about what events that I went to….

El Segundo and Beachwood came to my neighborhood of Glendale to We’re Pouring (the best pizza in town according to my wife, with a fantastic beer list according to me). They brought in a few beers each of new to me beers.

I planned to have one from each brewery but the choice was hard. Pairs Well with Pizza from Beachwood would have been a solid, safe pick but I went with the Silver Fern IPA which was bith crisp and dank. For my second choice, the new DDH Citra Pale Ale which was so, so lemony and quite light even for a pale.

MacLeod Ales X Anniversary was one that has been in doubt but they made it to 2024 and threw a weekend party to celebrate 10 years. I tasted a cask ale first because, yeah, ya’ gotta. It was a New Zealand hopped ale, named The Crisis and it was delicious. I then ordered up the Triple Hazy IPA and was less than enthused. It had a bit of a weird taste to it and was not soft or pillowy or fruity. Had me looking at the cask menu again.

One of the events that I underlined twice in my mind was the Highland Park CanJam. They borrowed a similar idea from Threes Brewing on the East Coast and brought lagers in cans to their patio.

I started with Human Robot because esteemed drinks writer Lew Bryson has mentioned them plus when else am I going to get Pennsylvania beer? And it was real good. After that, went to Threes Brewing which was ok but not really a hoppy pilsner to me before finishing with Green Cheek for a bit of SoCal. The sign of a good event is that you leave wanting more, and CanJam did that.

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X Squared

San Diego’s Karl Strauss has added some math to their Tower 10 IPA with the release of Tower X² Double IPA on draft and in 16-oz cans.  The new variant is an 8.5% ABV bringing it in 1.2% higher than Tower X West Coast IPA.

Per tasting notes, “Tower X² has elevated notes of citrus and pine, a medium body, and a dry finish with a lingering citrus hop bitterness. Tower X was originally named in honor of collaboration partner 91X FM Radio and Karl Strauss’ origin story from Tower 10 in Mission Beach in 1989.”

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Needed or Not? – The Chill Pill

Setting aside that the Chill Pill is also the same name as a sleep aid, why would you buy something that requires you to add ice? Would that not mean that you have refrigeration handy? Gadgets that do not do bulk work, do not work in my world. Just get a regular cooler, there are plenty out there.

Not Needed!

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Ozempic & Alcohol

Ozempic has been in the news a lot though coverage was waning a bit to my untrained eye.  But now that drug is back with a new trial focusing on the liver.

The new trial is going to ascertain if Ozempic can improve liver health. How that will be determined is by the medicines’ effects on enhanced liver fibrosis, aka scarring, over a 28 week period.

Obviously, that is addiction adjacent and there are other studies about decreased desire for alcohol or nicotine in progress (and probably more planned).  And also obviously, alcohol and nicotine have big weight effects so being able to curb excess would help in weight loss.

This is another bit of a blow to beer though, since it is a high calorie alcohol. But the question is, are the people utilizing the drug in the beer buying camp?   Or will this hit another spirit or wine harder?  And of course, the main two questions are, does Ozempic work not just anecdotally against addiction and if so for how long? 

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A Ghoulish Dispatch

I took a pass on the last released One Batch Dispatch from Stone Brewing but a future one has me interested…

Screenshot

I think that the combination of maple and oak could really work especially on a lighter canvas like the base lager.

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Peel the Label – AI

I like cool architectural designs and home interiors. I am also a fan of nature photography. Both of which are easily manipulated or entirely created by Artificial Intelligence.

Don’t count me in the AI enthusiasts club but don’t count me in the scared of it club either. Mostly because both of those clubs seem to be talking not about AI today but about AI in some nebulous future. Because currently, AI be janky as hell.

How does this relate to beer you might ask. There have already been AI generates beer recipes and probably some AI labels as well. Some beer writers have toyed with tasking AI to write a beer piece.

But all that is predicated on earlier content. Much like this very blog, AI must draw content. I need a brewery to brew a new beer, or for there to be a festival or a silly gadget otherwise what do I highlight or comment on? And that is what AI needs.

For example, you can ask AI to design a taproom layout. All it can do is maybe (if it is actually learning) use a size dimension alongside examples of other taprooms it has scraped from the web to create an amalgam of a layout. It cannot take into account so many things. AI cannot know how customers in your area will behave in it. It cannot incorporate nods or Easter eggs about the community. It cannot find a happy medium between two owners.

The only way AI can be effective is if you plug so many variables into it that you won’t get an actual response OR you plug in a generic ask and then work from the response as a mere base. And either way, guess who will actually do the work? An actual person.

There are a lot of cool things that computers can do but they still cannot be an actual person.

Peel the Label is an infrequent series with no photos or links. Just opinion.

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Family # 2

I will be heading north to Portland in July and one spot that is on the must stop list is the new Portland location of Salem-based craft cider producer La Familia Cider Company  The Hawthorne location, formerly the Portland Cider House, opened on June 5th. 

There will be 29 taps that will pour 15 ciders from La Familia and other producers, and the remaining 14 taps will serve craft beers. There will also be Cider cocktails plus a small menu featuring Mexican food made from locally sourced ingredients.

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Sister City Brewery # 2 – Strange Fellows Brewing

The next Sister City of Los Angeles is Vancouver, Canada and the brewery I chose is Strange Fellows Brewing.

Time to check out some more Canadian beer…

Beldame Old World Pilsner – “Crossing paths with a crone is believed unlucky by some. Stooped and toothless, she’s a frightful specter of mortality. Those who can meet her gaze and see wisdom there have nothing to fear, but beware to those who scorn or overlook her. As Mother of Creation, she can wield her power in wicked ways, by nightmare, illness or a failed harvest. So next time you happen upon an old woman, pour her a glass of this bright and refreshing beer, look her in the eye, and toast to her good health.”

Rei’s Dark Lager – “This dark Lager balances the use of roasted malts and premium German pilsner malt. It delivers a clean character of a lager and offers a complex grain bill that blends aromas of chocolate, roast and has a crisp and clean lager finish.  “

Blackmail Northwest Stout – “Originally advertised as a nutritional supplement for new mothers, milk stouts contain Lactose sugar which gives this beer a rich round and slightly sweet character. Blackmail is only 4.5%abv and has a soft roast and chocolate character.”

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Three New from ESBC

You may think that El Segundo Brewing is just for big IPAs, bigger DIPAs, and biggest QIPAs but they can do just PA and surprisingly can do beers without a hop emphasis too.

So if you want to dial back the ABV…

…and if you want to do that and dial back the hops…

Or, if you are a Gelson’s shopper, you can fortify yourself before rolling through the aisles with Gelson’s Markets  “first ever beer collaboration with ESBC, Gelson’s Summer Blonde Ale. Beer lovers can drink in sunny vibes with this expertly crafted brew that promises a summer getaway with every sip. It’s only available on tap starting today at Gelson’s wine bars throughout Southern California.”