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White Labs Educational Tasting Room


I saw this article over on the Brewbound site and nearly leaped for joy.

And what could make me do that? THIS. “The White Labs Tasting Room, featuring beers created on site, is open! The lineup of experimental beers change regularly and feature brews created with different yeasts and different brewing and fermentation techniques. The custom built tasting room features 35 taps.”

I checked out a tap list and it had 7 different IPA’s with yeast’s ranging from Australian to San Diego Super to Irish. What a great way to see the effect of yeast in a beer.

This tasting room sounds like a beer education you don’t want to miss.

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10th Anniversary of Ruination


Stone is not one to let an anniversary go by un-celebrated and the 10th year of Ruination is getting a special rendition of the popular BIG IPA.

A special label and amped up ABV along with what I assume will be plenty of hops will mark the occasion. I will be putting it on my to get list.

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criticism and beer bloggers


You may well be wondering why a Wall Street Journal article by a theatre critic is on this blog. It is for one of the highlighted words in the piece above (to see it better, double click the image).

That word is advocate and it is not used enough, despite having an entire website and magazine with that name.

Those of us insulated in the world of craft beer sometimes forget that despite phenomenal growth and an explosion of breweries and styles, that our world is still under 6% of the national market.

I firmly believe that we need more advocates for what Terry Teachout sagely saw in Ratatouille, “the discovery and defense of the new.” We can and should criticize bad beers or marketing ploys but the first and last thoughts before we hit enter on a blog post or Facebook update is that we are advocates first. If you give more bad reviews than good. If you have more cons than pros about the last beer event you attended. Well, then I don’t think you are in the right mind set or at the right bar.

You need to find the better brewery and become it’s champion. Make friends with your beer merchants and get better recommendations, let them know that customers care about what is being offered in the craft beer aisle. Don’t just slag a beer for the sake of more blog comments.

Don’t drag down the underdog. You give the underdog the rousing halftime speech. Be the advocate not the mud slinger. We will have enough of that this year to last for a long while.

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One Week in May


It is that special time of the year where we celebrate craft beer even more than we usually do. American Craft Beer Week!

So, get out there and show the craft brewers that you appreciate that they offer you so many great choices in beer!

Here is a snapshot of where I will be headed.

Monday, Maximilliano for pizza and Craftsman beer flight

Tuesday, I will be at Tony’s Darts Away for a Firestone-Walker night. Maybe snag some more Wookey Jack.

Wednesday, On to Beer Belly to taste Fruet from the Bruery for the first time.

Saturday, the Farmer’s Market themed event at Blue Palms. Followed by Eagle Rock for their annual Session Fest. Low ABVs with big flavors.

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Two 5 Left and Primero Ano


Two 5 Left is a new Double IPA from El Segundo Brewing. Release date and anniversary is on 5/20. And you will notice that this label has a LAX motif in the middle as opposed to the more bucolic house and dog normally seen. A nod to the large airport to the north of the brewery.

Below is the information you will need to know to get your first taste of this anniversary brew and others on 1st anniversary day….

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Abigaile


Hermosa Beach has another spot for beer, made in the South Bay too by a Stone Brewing alum no less.

Abigaile’s on Manhattan Avenue proudly pours the following brews:
Orange Blossom Blonde (orange blossom honey-dried orange blossoms) abv 4.7 /
West Coast Pale Ale abv 5.8
Imperial IPA (falconer’s flight dry hop) abv 8.4
Brown Sugar Porter (brown sugar, chocolate wheat malt) abv 6.8
Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Ale (honey, vanilla beans, charred oak) abv 10.2 / (10 oz)

All crafted by Brian Brewer who has done brewing stints not only at Stone but at Riverside Brewing as well and his philosophy for beer making is “Bring only the freshest, high quality ingredients to the process.”

Looks like I have yet another place to visit.

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Beer by the pool


Tomorrow night is the opening of the summer season (which is pretty year round down here) at the Beer Hotel. Here is the skinny….

“Our Beer Appreciation Night for this month shifts to Saturday May 12 with our first ever daytime event. Starting at noon and going until 5 pm we will celebrate the seasonal opening of the Brewster’s Pool Bar. We will also be announcing our First Beer Hotel Advisory Board and our search for three California residents to join the Board.

We expect to have beers from the following brewers: Strand, Cismontane, El Segundo, Monkish, Golden Road, Taps, Bootleggers, Hanger 24, Eagle Rock, Smog City, and Bruery. Some of the breweries will have representatives on hand.

As you arrive you will purchase a wristband and 12 “wooden nickels” for $24. Be sure to bring your ID. Each “wooden nickel” is good for a three ounce taste. When you run out you can purchase more. We’ll also have the barbeque going with food for sale a la carte.”

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Farmer’s Market FestivALE

Tomorrow there will be a post on FoodGPS about the proliferation of beers with vegetables and spices in them. But why talk about it now? Because of an inventive day of beer called the Blue Palms Farmers Market FestivALE!!!

is next weekend on May 19 from 2:00pm until May 20 at 1:30am. Here is all the event information:

“The tap list sprouting new additions constantly… [ can’t lay off the puns with this one 🙂 ]

This is the newest addition to our seasonal festival lineup…
Summer: Flip Flop Fest / Autumn: Pumpkin- Palooza
Winter: Jingle Bell Jubilee / And … THE FARMERS MARKET FESTIVALE!

You can expect 12-16 (or more?!) Tasty & seasonally themed brews available to order individually or in flights, ALL of which will include a Fruit, Vegetable, Herb, or Spice.

Growing taplist:
-Stone Mixtape #1 (A blend of Stone Levitation IPA, Smoked Porter and Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, plus library beers including 2011 Imperial Russian Stout and Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout brewed the same year… infused with sage, peppers and lemon thyme)
-Almanac Spring Seasonal (Biere De Garde with Fennel)
-Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme (Sour Strong Belgian Dark Ale brewed with Cherries and Aged in Bourbon Barrels)
-Karl Strauss 21st Anniversary Ale (Strong Belgian Ale with Zinfandel Grapes)
-New Belgium Valentine’s (saison, brewed with raspberry juice, orange peel, and rose hips)
-Speakeasy Vendetta (IPA brewed with curacao Orange peel)

No need to buy tickets, simply show up, order what you’d like to enjoy, & MOST importantly, have a GREAT time!

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Breakside + Hop & Vine =


I admit it. I watch the Portland scene with afar with a little jealousy. Not that LA is bad right now, far from it. But I do see beers and events pass by that I would so love to try and attend.

Thankfully, my mom is up there and every once in awhile, she will search out a rare beer for me. Last month she got me Roses on Roses from Fort George and this month, I have asked her to be on the lookout for this Berliner Weisse. And by on the look out, I mean go to Burnside Brewing and/or Hop and Vine to grab a bottle.

Because the southland summer approaches and I need a stock of quenchers to get me through the non-big beer season. And this collaboration between brewer (Burnside) and craft beer shoppe (Hop and Vine) would fit the bill.