Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
We do not have enough Belgian-style table beers in the world, so I am glad to see that The Bruery has canned up their La Petite Provision, an “easy-drinking and full of flavor thanks to additions of Thai basil and lemongrass to the brew. Herbal, floral, and slightly sweet…”
Dalliance Beer Project is a unique brewery start-up in the hop country of Yakima, Washington. Led by Andrew Pytel and Tristan Karosas of Single Hill Brewing with artist Jamaica Zoglman. Art will be the driver and the beer will be made to match.
There will be no core beers, everything will be one and done starting with their Tarot Project. (beer and tarot are a trend, as will be my confusion with tarot)
First pulled from the deck will be The Fool, a German-style Pilsner, and Five of Wings, a hazy IPA. The release schedule is two beers at a time until all the cards are done.
Smog City Brewing does a lot of IPAs and a lot of IPA series as well to keep hop lovers coming back to their Torrance brewery or their other L.A. locations. For 2024, their experimental series is Haze Craze and the # 1 is Moonbow.
Time to haze…
Moonbow pours a darker yellow color with a nice amount of haze to it without being too murky. Light overall tries to be a bit fluffy on the palate but has a bit of strength to it. First note that I get is apricot which is not the usual fruit one finds in a hazy. Getting a bit of green melon as well.
In a few days, Las Vegas will be filled with football revelers and maybe some will find their way to Able Baker Brewing and taste this…
I know that I usually turn my nose up at adjuncted beers. But for some reason this weird concoction sounds good to me. I can imagine the banana being too sweet but that peanut butter should complement it. Plus bourbon barrels will help there. I also like that the mood on the label doesn’t veer into outright IP theft.
I bet feathers weren’t flying but obvious hops were when Ambitious Ales met up with ISM Brewing.
Inside the colorful cans is a “West Coast IPA with El Dorado Incognito, HBC 586, Simcoe, Nectaron and Terpenes.”
I am not a deliver me my stuff person. Especially when you hear all sorts of stories about gig workers being exploited and the companies like Amazon and Uber making money hand over fist but it doesn’t seem to trickle down.
Which leads me to the Uber which announced that they were shitcanning Drizly, techincally labeled as an “alcohol e-commerce deliver platform. Uber bought them three years ago and is just now deciding that all orders should just come through their app.
Will this affect craft beer? A bit. Your bigger players like New Belgium and Sierra Nevada might lose some trade but those who are ordering booze online will migrate to Uber and do it there. And you weren’t really finding local beer on it so it will be the same as before for them.
What it probably means longer term is that alcohol delivery, which should be a higher margin business, looks to be another delivery business casualty because it doesn’t make sense financially when you factor in infrastructure and potentially slows down in-store sales.
Black is Beautiful is back with Volume 2 of their Hazy IPA recipe, this time brewed with association with the National Black Brewers Association.
Below is one of the Crowns & Hops labels and it looks really classy. Hope to see lots of breweries taking this recipe on this year.
My bad. I was late to posting about the Lucky Baldwin’s Belgian beer salute. But there is still time to head to Pasadena to check out what is pouring. It will probably be either an old favorite you can re-visit or a perhaps a new sour to sip.
When Bludso’s BBQ opens near you and by you I mean a brewery, then you do have to collaborate. It’s an L.A. given and if you don’t believe me then read on to this beer description from Santa Monica Brew Works, “pecan wood was chosen for its delicate and slightly nutty flavor characteristics. After spending an afternoon in the smoker, the malt acquired the desired charred & toasted notes.
Yet, despite its smoky character, this beer is not dark – it’s light and easy-drinking. The German word ‘helles’ means ‘pale’ in color – it’s a style defined by a brilliant golden hue and smooth, clean finish. The beer clocks in at a sessionable 4.9% ABV.
The smokiness is soft – not overwhelming. The goal was to enhance the base flavors of the brew rather than mask them. This beer pairs perfectly with food. It’ll go great with barbecue, pizza, and even salad.”
There is recipe tinkering for most beers. For various reasons, supply of specific ingredients being one but some beers are designed to be updated.
One that has that built into the very name is Blank Slate Witbier from Radiant Beer Co.
Here is the story – “Every year our house witbier gets a bit of a facelift, maintaining the same base recipe while adjusting the botanicals. For 2024, Blank Slate takes inspiration from a subtle Southeast Asian spin, blending the traditional wit spices of coriander and bitter orange peel with a few more citrus varities and hints of other regional botanicals like lemongrass, basil, ginger, and a few secret spices. We’re getting the same lovely wit aromas and flavors as always; Belgian esters, light phenols, coriander and citrus taking center stage, but now with more of an herbaceous, floral character, and an ever-so-slight warming spice.”