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The Firkin for April 2024

Whenever economic figures for craft beer are powerpointed and then later dissected, it always seems to be in a tone of grimness.

Maybe people thought the high flying double digit days were never going to cool or that another alcoholic beverage would ever possibly have its time in the sun.

But that somber news story is exactly that, a story, one of many. And the side of the story that I wish would be focused on more is that of the sheer amount of breweries in the United States now.

The number is close to 10K. And that is amazing. Who would have thought back on 2000 or 2010 that there would be that many. Remember that back in the 80’s that there were barely any and the regional players were on life support. Even if this is the plateau, that is such a turn around.

Yes, closures may soon outpace openings but even so 10K! I have one taproom that I can walk to and three breweries that are super short drives to.

It may not be confetti in the air but this is still a good time for craft beer fans.

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Best Beers of April 2024

Time to look back on the 30 days of April and come up with some best beers of the month.

I need to start with the stovepipe can of Imperial IPA from Lagunitas that is Tiki Fusion – Zombie. I did not expect to like it as much as I did. It had a plethora of ingredients to Tiki-fy it and although it was a touch too sweet it had the hallmarks of a cocktail inspired IPA.

Switching gears, if not ABV, the Infinite Wishes – Almond Joyous variant from Smog City was really good and a nice counterpoint to the Strawberry Whipped variant. Both had sweetness that was knocked down just enough to avoid being treacly.

Another winner was the 2024 American Reinheitsgebot Helles Lager from Enegren Brewing in collaboration with Bierstadt Lagerhaus. Crisp and clean with just a wee touch of pear to it made for a really good Sunday starter.

The winner for the month came from an unexpected source. Not the brewery. Firestone Walker has been tagged in my monthly round-ups a few times. But it was the fact that it was Wookey Jack. A beer I have a few of in my life and liked but for whatever reason, on draft at the Propagator it really shined. The hops were there but the malt was not sidelined at all. Fresh on draft can sometimes make a big difference.

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San Diego Area Brewery Tour # 3 – Barley & Sword Brewing

Our last stop in the San Diego area is at Barley & Sword Brewing. They are located on El Cajon Boulevard just north of the North Park area and have a refreshing change of style pace in their beers on tap.

Let’s order up a taster flight..

Fiddler’s Green Mild – “A sessionable pub ale that will keep you coming back for more.”

Orkney Ale – “San Diego International beer competition Silver medal winning. Referencing the Orkney Islands, a remote Scottish archipelago where the brewing of strong, malty ales has a long history. A malty beer with light caramel, toast, toffee, and even light stonefruit flavors. The sweetness is offset by roasted malt characters balance the bitterness and provide a dynamic and lasting experience. Toast, roast, bread, and caramel-toffee notes full this medium bodied beer, finishing with a slightly roasty dryness.”

Edwin Fox English IPA – “A clear departure from the abundant West Coast IPA style. This English IPA is intended to be a window into the genisis of the IPA style. Broad and bold malt characters are well balanced with a trio of English Hops to give a unique and delightful experience in aroma and taste. While not as bitter forward, this traditional IPA is enjoyable to both hop heads and less hoppy beer drinkers.”

Wheeler’s Patent Irish Dry Stout – “Everything you look for in an Irish Stout. This pint of black is dark, creamy, and full of malty and roasted flavors. Do not miss this when it’s on cask!”

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1st Visit – Audio Graph Brewing

Yes, this is a bit of a cheat since Audio Graph Beer Co. is the same brewery just with a new name but I thought I would re-1st visit anyway.

I started with a flight comprised of the fairly new Ambient Amber Lager, Flathead Hazy Pale, Noise Violation DIPA, finishing with Bass Clef Barrel-Aged Barleywine at a whopping 15.45% ABV.  The last was rich and boozy and I am glad I savored that at the end.  

Of that group the amber, a throwback to microbreweries past was my pick.  Malty and filling and just great for a cloudy day.

I also got small tastes of the pils, the berry sour and the fermented michelada which was super savory and spicy (for a wuss like me) and really tasty.

And despite the LAFC contingent offending my Timbers vibe, it is still the same cool DTLA space that many don’t know about but should.

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Review – Luponic Distortion 2024 from Firestone Walker

Seems like forever ago when Firestone Walker started their quarterly hop adventure, Luponic Distortion. I believe I collected them all and even reviewed quite a few as well.

LD was a rotating IPA with each version utilizing different hops on the same base beer. Now, it is back as part of a variety pack in cans or bottles.

The new blue canned Distortion is pretty close to pale ale strength and pours an orange-y / yellow color. Aroma is quite strong. I set the glass down and could smell it from over a foot away. I get a bit of sweet tart followed by a bready malt note in equal measure. Berry fruit in particular on the second sip and a bit of a rough hop bite which I like. But still quite light on the palate and the malt keeps this from tasting watery which is an issue I have encountered a bit lately.

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Well Told and Designed

I am the last person who should suggest getting more glassware seeing as how I have more than I can ever use myself but I did like the design and the concept of these glasses from Well Told.

You get a Gatsby look and a little fun facts about the beer style. Maybe a good gift idea or if you can make room in your pint glass collections.

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Schreiners for German Beer

Glendale is in the middle of a lot and places that have been around forever can be missed, even places close to me like Schreiners Deli in Montrose which has old school German beer to buy in single cans or packs.

…and sandwiches and German treats like my favorite Haribo Gummi Bears. Or you can get your Oktobefest sausage here.

Here is a snapshot of the beer selection…

…it has a tilt towards Alkohol Frei but they also have Weihenstephan and Kostritzer though not much in the deep cut vein. Think stalwarts. Think more than you will find in even good bottle shops.

I grabbed a Gaffel Kolsch can to pair with my sandwich.