Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Black Star is coming out for spring. I reviewed this beer a few months back and I recommended it with some reservations about the double hop claim.
But these 24 oz cans priced around $2.00 bucks is a steal. Now you can have a great lawnmower beer and not sacrifice the taste.
If you live in Los Angeles and love craft beer, and you DIDN’T know about Saturday’s ColLAboration pop-up beer garden, then you are quite the professional hermit.
All pre-sales are now closed. There will be a limited amount of ColLAboration glasses (which are the admission ticket for this and future pop-ups) on sale Saturday.
I will be there enjoying the atmosphere and the beer and taking photos for a future post. To further whet your appetite, here is the first tweeted beers that will be there…”Bruery Gremlin, Russian River Redemption, North Coast Barrel Aged Old Stock.”
Stone knows how to throw a party. I have been to SourFest once, Winter Storm once and their Anniversary party for the last two years. So when I saw this, I had to post it up for the greater beer world….
Barrel-aged and wood-infused beers are some of our favorites, and it’s so refreshing to know that there’s no shortage of craft breweries making them. (Knock on wood!) So imagine our delight in hosting the second annual Oakquinox, an entire festival that celebrates the combined works of brewer and cooper. It makes us want to let out a righteous “Hallelujah!” in a most angelic timbre!
“Last year’s Oakquinox was a raging success, but we’re taking it up to another level this year,” says “Dr.” Bill Sysak, resident bon vivant and Beverage Supervisor at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens. Oakquinox brings over 100 different beers (from 9 different countries) out of the woodwork to converge upon our splendiferous event, making it one of the largest wood-aged beer festivals in the country. “We’ve got some very special beers lined up from around the world,” explains Sysak, “and plenty of treats right from our neck of the woods.”
Sunday, April 17, 2011 10:00am to 6:00pm A $40 ticket ($45 beginning April 1) gets you a commemorative glass and 3-ounce pours of 15 ligneous libations of your choosing. Not to mention Chef Alex and his crew will be whipping up tasty edibles for purchase to help stave off your hunger. We don’t know about you, but that’s more than enough to get us to lumber out of bed on what would have been an otherwise lazy Sunday.
Tomorrow, get your Hitachino…..
Thursday, April 7 · 11:30am – 2:30pm
Brewco Manhattan Beach
124 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA
“Join us Thursday, April 7th to help raise funds for the Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami relief efforts. $20 gets you a flight of 6 different brews from the Hitachino Brewery. All proceeds are donated to the Red Cross. Since the earthquake, the good folks at Hitachino have stopped brewing and are focusing all their efforts to bottle water for those in need. Come in and enjoy these great beers while they are still available and drink for a good cause!”
I recently had their White beer and it was excellent. Tasted of chamomille tea. Buy some to show not only support but give them a reason to brew again.
UPDATE: You can also do this at Blue Palms on Thursday the 7th.
This new special set of beers was brought to my attention by Mike Besser at Brewdad. You can re-cap his tweets of the event HERE.
This is what the brewery had to say about the beers: “The Dedication Series includes; Imperial IPA, Imperial Red Ale, Scottish Style Ale and what we call Double Danger, an Imperial Dark Ale. The Dedication Series will be available in 22oz bottles and also on draft starting April 1st, 2011. With each beer coming in at over 8% abv, and each with its own unique twist, we feel Dick would be proud.”
How many beer books have I talked about in 2011 alone? Quite a few. And add this one to the list.
“As Ben Franklin said, beer is a sign that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Now beer lovers everywhere can hoist a cold one while browsing this informative guide to their favorite beverage. For each day of the year, beer expert and homebrewer Jess Lebow lists a beer, information on its history, taste, price, and where to find it. He suggests food pairings and includes trivia, brewing tips, and information about beer-related events, as well as quotations about the ease and contentment beer brings to our lives.
Every state in the union is represented in this book, which unlocks the secrets of stouts, lambics, IPAs, and porters. The Beer Devotional offers you an inspirational daily guide to the joys of beer.”
Here are some photos from the recently opened City Tavern in Culver City. You know the one. It has the tableside taps.
I have yet to try any beers from this new-to-me brewery which brews in Modesto and is headquartered in Tarzana. Hopefully their Seismic IPA, Angelino Pale and Red Carpet will make their way into one of my local beer bars.
They have a nice website and a good roster of beers (even though some aren’t produced yet) They also have a charitable bent to them which is a plus in my book. Count me as cautiously optimistic.
Have YOU tried SoCal’s beers? If so, let me know your opinion of them.
UPDATE
I sampled the Seismic IPA and Red Carpet Ale last night at Blue Palms. Part of the SoCal tour that takes them to a beer bars here in LA. I and my beer buddy, Richard both preferred the IPA over the red but both made us hopeful for the rest of the line-up.
Here is all the information you need about the upcoming ……
2011 Rustic Canyon Spring Beer Bash
Featuring Deschutes Brewery
“The long-awaited Beer Bash is back at Rustic Canyon Winebar & Seasonal Kitchen. Hosted by Beer Sommelier and Author Christina Perozzi and Proprietor Josh Loeb and featuring a beer inspired menu from Chef Evan Funke & Pastry Chef Zoe Nathan, paired with craft beers from Oregon’s preeminent craft brewery, Deschutes Brewery.
The menu will feature as well as the award-winning, highly limited, hard to get Deschute’s specialty beers The Dissident and The Abyss 2010.”
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
$75 per person
Rustic Canyon Winebar & Seasonal Kitchen
1119 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Because space is limited,
PLEASE CALL 310-393-7050 for available reservations.
Tax and gratuity not included.
Credit card is required to hold spaces.
Menu
Amuse:
Fried Oyster
First Course:
Shaved Asparagus and Artichoke Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano
Paired with Black Butte Porter
Black Butte is rich in flavor yet easy to drink, with a creamy, smooth mouth feel with distinctive chocolate and roasted finish.
Second Course:
Beer Laquered Free Range Wings with Farmers Market Carrots & Homemade Buttermilk Dressing
Paired with The Dissident
This limited beer brewed in September of 2010 spent eighteen months in isolation. A wild yeast Flanders-style brown ale made with whole cherries
Third Course:
Chestnut & Buckwheat Mandilli with Braised Vittellone
Paired with Inversion IPA
Named for a local Oregon weather phenomenon where the clouds hug the base of the mountain revealing clear skies further up, Inversion is Deschutes’ answer to the siren call of the hop.
Fourth Course:
Crispy Pork Belly with Southern-style Veggies
Paired with Green Lakes Organic Ale
A finely balanced certified organic ale with a mellow malt profile and subtle hop leading edge that you can enjoy in good conscience.
Dessert:
Vanilla Napoleon
Paired with The Abyss 2010
This highly coveted, rare specialty beer was brewed in November of 2010 and makes its Southern California debut this week in Los Angeles.Full-bodied with hints of molassas and licorice.