Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I admit that I do not have a poker face. If I did have one, it has since evaporated. Others have mastered subtlety and can eve pretend that they like that candle you bought them for their birthday even though they have not lit a candle in decades.
That is all preamble to this post about instant reactions to beer. Read it HERE.
Not too many beers are named after the glass you pour them into, but Super Bolleke (the bowl-shaped chalice in which beer is served) a collaboration from Ommegang with Brewery De Koninck from Antwerp, Belgium is.
The beer will be a Belgian-style amber ale (an imperial version of the classic Bolleke) that hits 7.8%-ABV.
The Los Angeles Zoo is presenting their first Sip & Stroll at the Zoo. on April 13th. The brewery list isn’t large but it does have a good sampling of local favorites plus some distillery action too and as I have said previously, it is a great location to drink at.
Here is the basic info: “It’s a playful parade of specialty cocktails, craft brews, and mocktails and other nonalcoholic delights, all paired with live beats, pop-up animal keeper talks, food trucks, and more! This celebration of beverages, melodies, and wild encounters will be an event to remember.”
Usually for a collaboration, one brewery takes the lead with the label design and canning. But sometimes, two beers come out of a collaboration.
Smog City and Ogopogo got together and now there are two IPAs out for craft beer fans to try…
The last few years have brought to light women in brewing (finally and belatedly), the latest being The Devil’s in the Draught Lines: 1000 Years of Women in Britain’s Beer History by Dr Christina Wade.
It is from the publishing arm of CAMRA and is described as a “new groundbreaking book that delves into the history of women in brewing, explaining the real reasons why women brewers became marginalised, while also debunking some tired old myths along the way.”
Since I am a beer history fan, you know I will be ordering this one.
If you are past the enthusiast phase and want to know more technical info when it comes to distilling, there is a new podcast for you, Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast, with hosts Sydney Jones of FEW Spirits and Molly Troupe of Freeland Spirits.
I haven’t had a FEW spirit but I really liked the gins from Freeland and their bottles are way cool so I will certainly check this podcast out. Find it from your podcast app of choice.
Los Angeles has been on a bagel kick over the last couple years and my wife has had me driving from Highland Park to Culver City and points beyond for taste tests.
On a recent Saturday, I was on the road to Calic Bagel for another round when I noticed that there was a featured beer named K-Town Lager. I scanned and saw a few Common Space Brewery beers and deducted that they had made this beer for this bagelry. So, does this lager pair well an everything bagel?
Pours a bubbly and fairly dark yellow color. Got a nice zip to it. A burst of floral hop notes from the German Magnum hops. Followed by a full but not slick mouthfeel with a good corn taste to it without being sweet at all. One of those where the glass is empty before you know it beers.
Spring sprang a day early this year and SoCal has been getting actual weather with slight variations instead of 80 degrees and dry as hell, so time to celebrate the season and bottom left corner of the country.
~ e-visits to (3) breweries from San Diego
~ special featured reviews of Spring beers
~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzales James
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to A Crispr Bite
~ Sports & A Beer returns with
~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.
Maybe it should be changed to seller beware. Cigar City Brewing in Florida famous for Jai Alai IPA and Florida Man beer has had brewing shifted out of state to Brevard, North Carolina. With a lamentable loss of jobs as Monster Brewing Company shifts production.
As much as I understand the desire to flee that state, this shows yet again that no amount of assurances before an owner signs on the dotted line can be expected. Owners have to foresee that new owners will do what they want and you have to be ready to either buy back or walk away, both at a moments notice.
It is 2024 and corporations keep telling us they don’t give two shits by raising insurance rates, selling our data or shrinking packaging to barely anything so we simply cannot be surprised when a corporation chucks away people and brewing history.
My suggestion for brewery owners about to sell is to lawyer yourself a way to retaining ownership of the brand name if certain conditions occur such as moving brewing or changing mission statements.
Time to get into the time machine and tab the top beers of March before we head into the April drinking session.
Honorable Mentions go to Long Beach Beer Lab for their Brewte (Brut) IPA, good to see this sub-style pop up on tap and this was a nice executed crisp, dry and pear version. Next to mention is the pilsner High 10 from Highland Park Brewery. The menu board had re-brews of past years and there were many High 10s to choose from but I really liked the West Coast Pilsner. I also quite liked the latest Short-Lived IPA from MadeWest brewed with Firestone Walker. Crisp and biting with nice fruit notes.
The March winners was the strawberry whipped Infinite Wishes from Smog City Brewing. Filled with berry notes and a slight touch of vanilla, it was luxury when paired with a bourbon barrel imperial stout.