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End of the Whale

Whale Hunting. It was a phase of craft beer that we remember either fondly or with white hot hate for people hiring people to stand in line for beers or those mercenaries who were only buying to sell.

Now pick your side before reading this short Punch article.

And we are back, with the hindsight of 20/20 vision, I would have put all the FOMO in a box and set my energies to selecting those beers that I wanted to hunt for vs the ones that if I tasted, cool, but that I wasn’t going to be out running for and then sat back and watched the show.

To an extent, I did that, I had a next best beer available mentality for the most part. But I did chase afield sometimes when I could have drunk local and done almost as well, if not better.

My other regret was not being strident enough in my denunciations of the re-sellers. I was clearly against them but I probably could have said harsher words and maybe even pranked them a bit as well.

My gut does tell me that craft beer whales will be back and I will get a second chance with it. Collecting is a unique American vice that never goes out of style, see Stanley Tumblers, see Bourbon now.

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Beer & Chocolate

I mention the writer David Nilsen recently in talking about non-alcoholic beers and now I get to highlight his new book, Beer and Chocolate which gives you…

– “The basics of both beer and chocolate for folks coming to this topic more familiar with one or the other.
– The process for successfully pairing beer and chocolate.
– Instructions for how host a beer and chocolate pairing in your own home.
– Style by style pairing guidance for dozens of beer styles. In each style chapter, we talk about the style’s basic flavors and ingredients, how it pairs with chocolate (including challenges and types of chocolates to seek out and ones to avoid), commercial examples of beers in this styles and specific chocolate to seek out, and example pairings to illustrate the principles.
– Each style chapter also includes space to take pairing notes of your own.”

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House Made

I am sure everyone has encountered the issue of being at a taproom of a brewery and getting a bit peckish, only to discover that the food truck cancelled or is running late.

One way to get around that problem is to bring food in house which is what Angel City Brewery has done with a new food truck – House Made by Angel City.  It promises “craft-beer-worthy bites out of a trailer situated in our brewery’s parking lot…”

Next time in DTLA, you might want to check it out.

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Ahead & East

Each year Firestone Walker finds a partner and concocts their own Festbier and the style has run the beer gamut. Now we know this years beer is….

“Trailing West is this year’s Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival signature, collaborative release. A limited-edition pilsner made with our friends at Half Acre Beer, the recipe pairs a decoction mash of an Austrian barley variety over 100 years old with old-world Hersbrucker and Hallertaur Mittelfruh hops.”

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Beer & BBQ

Here in Glendale we used to have an old school hardware store named Virgils. They had a little bit of everything and people who actually helped and because the store wasn’t a mammoth, you could actually find those helpful people.

Alas Virgils got priced out. Somewhat luckily a new Ace, sensing a market, opened up and I wandered in to see what they had. And what did I see but rack of spices and rubs for BBQ. Some in a familiar can shape…

…apparently under the Spiceology banner is Derek Wolf BBQ Rubs and some that are beer “flavored”. Don’t know how beer-y these are or if they are any good overall but might be a fun host gift for summer backyard BBQs.

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Santa Monica ReNo

Santa Monica Brew Works always has a big weekend crowd on their large patio. People dart in to order and then return to the sun and their parties.

New to me was the traffic flow changes as the brewery and Emmy Squared Pizza expanded. Now there are two bars to order from, more interior seating and the noise level has been spread out.

the original interior space
the second bar

Just the slight amount of extra space makes all the difference. And I really prefer the electronic signage of the beer list than the one that is used on the first bar. It allows for a bit mor creativity as well as just being cleaner and more clear to read.

And I also quite liked the Posh London Lager. Super low ABV at 4.1% but it was not a water bomb at all. There was a lovely malt note that filled you up while not filling you up.

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Review – Two from ISM Brewing

One of the breweries that I am hyped about is ISM Brewing in Long Beach. I grabbed a couple in cans recently and it is review time.

Coastal Curves is the hopped up West Coast Pilsner and it pours a bright and bubbly yellow. Aroma is definitely hoppy. Getting a bit of Simcoe, I think. There is a bit of berry here. also a peppery note as well. Not super crisp but there is a minerality there that keeps this from veering into pale ale territory.

Sonic Substance a collaboration with Creature Comforts and it too pours a bubbly, vibrant yellow color. Getting a bit of a soft pine near a citrus grove feeling from this one. Not dank but not a fruit bomb either. Tastes heavier than the 6.66% listed ABV.

If forced to choose, I would go toward the pilsner. But it is a close race.

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Sean Suggests for May 2025

This month the theme is unique and hard to find and I have three that will test your mettle as both a beer shopper and a beer drinker.

Homage Brewing – The Flower Called Nowhere Barrel Aged Saison – 6% – “This marks the 5th blend of one of our favorite beers to make. A few years ago we conceptualized a Saison with delicate nuances of flowers. We trialed various flowers and settled upon Europe Rose for its soft and fragrant aroma, as well as Osmanthus, which has a unique fragrance of peach and apricot that compliments the stone fruit qualities of the wild yeast. Lastly, we added Chrysanthemum, which has a sweet, hay, and honey like quality that supports the aged hops in the beer, adding a rustic touch.”

New Belgium – Tart Lychee – 7.5% – ” sour ale brewed with lychee and a hint of cinnamon that combine to create a beautiful balance between sweet and tart.”

The Bruery – Cire – 18.9% – “Produced through painstaking care and attention from our Bruers, Cire is more than just a beer; it’s our Solera Blended Anniversary Old Ale. Blended from the best of the Bruery’s stock each year & aged in Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels, Cire carries a deeply complex, layered flavor profile. The perfect way to commemorate 16 years of leadership in the industry.”