I had the good fortune to be taken up mountain to Tommyknocker during my last GABF visit and I enjoyed both the atmosphere of the surrounding area and the beers. And add in the use of local hops for their latest terroir style IPA and I just might visit their booth at this year’s GABF.
Event Review – Firestone-Walker’s Wild Ride
My favorite event from last year was the massive Deconstructed dinner put on by Firestone-Walker. Great beer and great food with a cool twist on their blended anniversary beer.
This year, they came up with yet another great hook for a beer event. They brought five sour beers to five different L.A. bars. Did not tell the bars which beer they had and then had David Walker drive the Firestone-Walker emblazoned rover from spot to spot to reveal which sour they had on tap.
I skipped the first stop at Golden Road because the Better Weather Festival (to be reviewed later by my special westside correspondent) was in full swing. I headed for the Verdugo first and was treated to Lil Opal which poured a light yellow color and had a touch of tartness. And out on the patio after watching my Dad’s Oregon State team win over UCLA, was the full F-W entourage including brewer Matt Brynildson.
Then the next stop beckoned. While they headed to Alhambra and 38 Degrees, I jumped to the 4th stop, Far Bar. All because of a dirty hippie (aka, the 6th anniversary beer from Kern River) It’s good to have two beer events in one spot. Makes my job easier plus that Imperial Red is quite good and a beer you should search out. Notes of Citra hit the nose but the beer doesn’t try to tackle your palate. It is soft and strong. As the time approached for the 4th sour, many familiar beer geeks filed into the now expanded space on 1st for the reveal of SLOambic.
A red hued beauty with a light fruit taste and a nice bit of tart to it. Firestone sours are not the mouth contorting puckery kind but on a hot day where lighter beers seemed more appropriate, they really fit the bill and it was great to see the bar filled with snifters of the strawbeery in everyone’s hands.
Events can be hard to pull off. Events that involve L.A. traffic, a skosh harder. But this worked like clockwork. People could get one beer or all five. The taps flowed when promised and the group was more than willing to talk with everyone. It is a model L.A. Beer Week event. And whatever crazy idea they have for next year. I will be there.
Then the rover was off to Blue Palms for it’s final stop.
Really Portable Beer
Friend of the blog, Steve Zuback sent me this niche beer link last week.
Craft quality beer concentrate!
“Beer is typically about 95% water, which makes it heavy, cumbersome, and expensive to transport. But with our innovative and modern brewing process (patent pending) we can create a nearly waterless beer concentrate that contains all the great flavor, alcohol, and aroma of a premium quality micro brew. Our beer is not dehydrated beer!
Pat’s Beer ConcentrateUnlike other concentrate processes, this is not just about making the beer and then “removing” the water afterwards (which is extremely energy inefficient). Instead, our process (patent pending) allows us to start with almost no water, and carefully control the environment of the fermentation. The result… concentrated beer with all the same great taste you’re used to in a premium micro brew. All you do is add water, carbonate (check out our carbonator), and enjoy.”
I checked the website and I could not find a spot where I could see a range of styles that you could rehydrate. So I can’t comment on how they might taste. I would suspect that maltier beers with low alcohol would do best and IPA’s probably wouldn’t work at all but that is just guesswork on my side.
Event Review – Rocket to Flanders
Story Tavern is new this month to the craft beer scene and they have joined the fun that is L.A. Beer Week so I headed over to Burbank for the first chapter of the story.
The theme was Rocket to Flanders. Belgian beers and punk rock. The locale was all Craftsman styled except for the fake fireplace below a big screen TV. They had the cool Beer Week posters up though so I sauntered in and since the bar seats were filled grabbed a seat at one of the communal tables.
The prices were a bit high for Burbank but they had Beachwood’s Uno Belgian single so that is where I started. I ordered the Belgian stew that promised vegetables and delivered onions only which was a bit of a letdown but it was from the special appetizer section so not a total loss.
A decent flight to celebrate Belgian beer but I didn’t get much in the way of “selling” the flights or L.A. Beer Week. And it looked like the flight was from bottles which meant extra work for the bar staff and beer that might sit for a bit waiting for the next flight order.
All in all, I didn’t get a vibe of special event nor much education. (I went without saying that I was a beer blogger just to see what sort of help I would get). So I can only give a very mild thumbs up. The beer list was fine. No complaints. Just pricey and below standards that I have set for L.A. beer bars.
Maybe they will grow and upgrade but Golden Road is just down the road and better so they need to up their game.
Past Masters
Dogfish Head has resurrected a few ancient recipes but it is good to see that the folks at Fuller’s (teamed with Ron Pattinson) have dug into their own backyard to bring back some old recipes from their archives.
As their website explains, “The Brew Book has been the bible of brewing at Fuller’s since 1845. Every recipe of every beer ever brewed at the Griffin Brewery has been recorded in meticulous details, documenting the profound skills of generations of Master Brewers.
Today’s Master Brewer, John Keeling, will be recreating a number of epic ales, named ‘Past Masters’, with those precise recipes from the Brew Book.
Sourcing ingredients as close as possible to those originally used, each Past Master will be brewed with traditional techniques to recreate a truly authentic taste.
Only one Past Masters beer will be brewed in a single batch for each release. Each will be unique in its character, and will be a very special opportunity for beer lovers to taste the beer of our forefathers.”
And these are the first two beers made:
“XX Strong Ale
The first beer in the Past Masters series we have chosen to recreate is XX, a strong ale which is perfect for bottle conditioning. Brewed at 7.5% ABV, with the original recipe first used on September 2, 1891, it is dark, rich and full flavoured, with a distinctly warming character.
XX is deeply satisfying, and an unforgettable experience for those who love traditional English beer.
Double Stout
Past Masters Double Stout is the second in the series, brewed to a recipe from 4th August 1893 – a time when ‘stout’ meant ‘strong’. Its signature ingredient is Plumage Archer barley, carefully malted and kilned using 19th Century methods. Dark, brown and creamy this beer is brewed to 7.4% ABV and balances a rich fruity aroma with smoky, bittersweet chocolate notes.”
Event Review – Stone Store in Pasadena
My L.A. Beer Week kicked off in Pasadena at the brand spanking new Stone outpost. An event so popular that they extended the event by a couple of hours to accommodate all the folks who wanted to get a first look at the arrogance.
Upon entering the Del Mar station of the Gold Line. (Yes, it is literally steps away from the train), I got my customary “bracelet” and a ticket for (4) beers and food. Now I could have saved some of the boxes for a growler fill or a tasting flight at a later date but I wanted to try the special beers that had come up from Escondido.
I started off with Ruination dry hopped with Motueka hops. This version tasted softer to me. Which is a good thing. I did not need to have my palate “ruined” one beer in. It still had a hearty kick of bitterness, don’t get me wrong, but a little more fruit notes rose to my attention.
Faithful readers of this blog will know that I prefer the lighter side of beers and I generally disdain the cult of the imperial stout but the beer that I was looking forward to the most was a big beer. Suitable for Cave Aging was created in honor of Danny Williams who passed away this year. He was one of the quirky legends of the craft beer world and I don’t know what his style preferences were but this beer was quite nice. Strong but not overpowering bourbon notes. A little sweetness. Overall a good after dinner sipper.
The other beer of note was an espresso bean version of Sublimely Self-Righteous. That coffeehouse aroma was in evidence but it faded into the beer which was more malt driven than coffee or chocolate. But it went really well with the beer cookies that were offered.
One day down and 10 to go!
September Brewery # 2 – Throwback Brewing
New Hampshire doesn’t have the same hops and malts growing area that the Pacific NW does but that isn’t stopping the optimistic folks at Throwback who are trying to push for their own “beer-oir”
The beers that struck my fancy are the Maple Kissed Wheat Porter which “is a medium-bodied porter that tastes amazingly smooth and velvety. The rich and creamy mouthfeel is a result of the wheat used in the brewing process. Local maple syrup gives this beer just a hint of palate-pleasing sweetness as well as a nice depth of flavor.
We call this beer “maple-kissed” because we use just the right balance of maple syrup to impart a delicious flavor without the beer becoming sweet.”
There is also the Spicy Bohemian a “pilsener and “dry-hopped” it with roasted jalapenos. The result is a well-balanced beer with a very intoxicating peppery-type aroma, great jalapeno flavor, and just a bit of lingering heat. This beer pairs extremely well with any type of Mexican food, as well as many types of hard cheese.”
L.A. Beer Week – It has Arrived!
Now is the time to grab your L.A. Beer Week passport and a pocket for bottlecaps so that you can collect the right ones to get a L.A. Beer Week Cap and start hitting events!
Today on FoodGPS, I picked some can’t miss parties for you. And here on my blog, I will delve into how to navigate the 10 days of fun.
First off, you need to generate a list of events. Put each one into either a “must see”, “should see” or “not this year” list. You do that by scoping out the events over at LA Beer Week website then you look at my picks and then cross-checked against what you enjoyed last year.
Now take the “must see” events and put them onto a calendar. If you have one every night, that’s great! But if you want to truly enjoy each event, you may want to scale back and have a couple days to drink water and rest. You do not want to enter the gates of Union Station on that final day, have a couple samples and be filled up because of all that you had before. Trust me, that is what happened to me last year.
The other criteria that I use to whittle down the field are as follows:
~ Is it a one of a kind event? Last year’s Firestone-Walker Deconstructed dinner was epic and this year Firestone is doing a one day Sour beer blitz through L.A.
~ Is the event at a bar or brewery that you haven’t visited? Use the fest as an excuse to hit places that you don’t normally go to.
~ What beer style is on display? You don’t want to have three IPA-centric events in a row. Spice things up. Go Berliner Weisse one day and change up the next.
Use my suggestions or your own criteria and then as a final step, make sure you have back-ups for some events. You may be tired or traffic is awful (405 closure time coincides with the final weekend) and you may have to go to a Plan B that is either closer to home or work.
But whether you attend 1 event or 10, have fun. As famous publican Don Younger put it, “It’s not about the beer. It’s about the beer.”
The Beer Allowance – September
I did not dawdle when it came to selecting my special September beer. I did take awhile to post here on the blog though.
You can tell by my happy face that I have grabbed another cellar beer to add to my collection…..
Here is what Deschutes has to say about this special anniversary beer…”XXIV. 24 years after Black Butte Porter’s debut, our potent, layered, imperial tribute returns. As usual, it’s a jazz riff, guided by the brewer’s muse and the lure of exotic ingredients. Artisanal dark chocolate nibs. Deglet dates. Mission figs. It may, possibly, hopefully, be the best edition yet. But, as it should be, you’ll be the judge of that.”
FoodGPS Teaser – Fourth time’s a Charm
Tomorrow on FoodGPS, I will be giving you the top picks of where to go and what to drink as L.A. Beer Week unspools. Here is the initial info blast to prep you before then….
“LA Beer Week makes its triumphant return a little early this year! Now its fourth iteration, this epic celebration of local beer culture will take place throughout Los Angeles & Orange Counties (and their respective environs) from September 20-30, rather than in October as in years past.
LA Beer Week aims to present a large number of events all around town, with focused tastings, educational seminars, and beer pairing dinners that will please craft beer aficionados and neophytes alike. These resplendent activities will culminate with the signature LA Beer Week Festival on September 30, from 12-4pm at the historic Union Station. $50 pre-sale tickets for the flagship festival are available now, which entitle attendees to unlimited 4oz. tasters of beer from over 70 of the world’s most respected craft and artisan breweries, including some rare and special releases. Gourmet food trucks and local artisans will also be on site to peddle their tasty treats.”
And here is the list of LABW Brewers that are participating in the Prickly Pear collaboration project:
• Eagle Rock Brewery
– Berliner-Rye with Red and Green Prickly Pear Fruit
– Available throughout LABW activities & at Union Station
• Golden Road
– Honey Blonde with Cactus Honey and Mesquite-Smoked Prickly Pear Fruit and Pads
– Available throughout LABW activities & at Union Station
• Cismontane
– Hefeweizen with Hand-Pressed Prickly Pear Juice
– Available throughout LABW activities & at Union Station
• Ladyface Ale Companie
– Prickly Pear-Infused IPA
– 1-2 kegs available at Union Station event only
• Beachwood BBQ & Brewing
– Belgian Golden Strong
• Smog City Brewing
– Prickly Pear-Infused Saison
– 1-2 kegs available at Union Station event only
• Monkish Brewing
– Belgian Dark Wheat with Prickly Pear
– Not sure of quantity
• El Segundo
– Not sure of style or quantity to be brewed
• Hangar 24
– Not sure of style or quantity to be brewed
• Kinetic Brewing
– Not sure of style or quantity to be brewed