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Review – Trailing West – Firestone Walker Invitational Collaboration

This year the special Firestone Walker Invitational collaboration beer partner is Half Acre Beer. And the beer is Trailing West Pilsner.

First off, I am so glad any time a summer beer festival chooses a lighter beer style for their marquee beer. It is just smart. That being said, this is the first year of the FWIBF beers that I have been really m’eh on.

Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe past beers have set a high bar. Either way this beer is not a favorite of mine. Firstly, it is labeled as a pilsner but it seems more a lager to me so right from the jump, I am on the back foot. It is also got a weird mix of corn and minerality that doesn’t mesh for me. If they called it a midwest lager, I would have rated it higher. But if pilsner was the target, they missed.

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Burton Unions New Home

Brewing history is important and that history includes both the knowledge and the equipment.  And earlier this month there was some positive news on that front as Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company has announced that they are taking some old Burton Unions and given them to Thornbridge Brewery and will also help with the set-up to get them going.

Burton-on-Trent was the Portland / San Diego and Asheville of its time. Basically the brewing town. You can go HERE to read all about Burton Unions.  (Firestone Walker used a modified tiny version up in Paso Robles.) Like most bespoke items, it was not modern day efficient and thus not being used by Carlsberg.

I have a feeling that Thornbridge will be able to make good use of the Unions.

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She Wore a Citra Beret

I did not see a single Hop hats on the Met Gala red carpet and that is just wrong.  But if you want to show your love to the Hop Alliance of Michigan and get a jaunty chapeau then head HERE.  They are hand knitted in Michigan.

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Belgian Beer Week

I know that it was an oversight to not post Craft Beer Week which happened earlier this month and then compound the error by posting about another countries special week.

But I am going for it anyway, why, because we could all do to talk more about Belgian beer and drink more Belgian beer. And maybe do it during…..

…so walk past the cold case of IPAs, then walk past the DIPAs and go get a Belgian beer.

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Streaming Thirst

I must be old because I have no clue as to who Shay Mitchell is or how she got herself a travel show that the penny pinching Warner Bros paid for but the topic is thirst and it might lead to some interesting beer, spirits and cider destinations around the world.

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Two Beer and One Spirit

Here in Los Angeles, we get our fair share of Prairie Artisan Ales, mostly the big stouts which leaves me hopeful that I will see this new release from the aforementioned Prairie Artisan Ales with American Solera, and the third member bourbon maker Pursuit United Spirits drop a 3 Way Beer Collaboration called Not Subtle. “an Imperial Stout aged in Pursuit United Bourbon barrels.”

I have listened to the Bourbon Pursuit podcast and hope to get my hands on a Pursuit bourbon since my visit to Louisville was too early to see their tasting room on Bourbon Row but this beer might be the first I get.