Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Before the beer revolution struck Los Angeles, One of the few places that served good beer was Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena. Truth be told between them and Crown City and Craftsman. Pasadena was the place to be for beer.
Now Lucky is in three spots. Old Town, Sierra Madre and now the Trappiste Pub near Pasadena City College. The last being my favorite of the trio.
So to whet your appetite before you visit, here are a couple of arty brew shots from the third Baldwin……
The ever growing Oakshire Brewing has a new Baltic Porter a brewin’: “Axe of Perun is strong dark lager with hints of chocolate and licorice in the aroma. It has a sweet middle with a touch of roast and chocolate flavors that keep it in balance. 7.4% abv.”
I traveled out to El Segundo to sit in the sun after a rainy LA stretch of days to try some Italian beers and meet the brewer Iacopo Lenci.
I am writing about the beers at FoodGPS but that won’t post until Thursday so in the meantime, here is the photographic proof:
Thanks to Brandon at Rock N Brews for hosting!
Do I see a new trend or micro-style in the offing? EIP. East India Porter.
I applaud the Pretty Things Ale Project for resuscitating a beer recipe that we probably don’t see enough of these days.
Proud of British Beer from Society of Independent Brewers on Vimeo.
I am a fan of each of these short craft beer manifestos and the British “Pride” video is another great addition. I love that they talk to the farmers and the store keepers as well. It really is a chain of people and I like that they bring them into the fold too.I
I know there is backlash at the craft beer videos. I think it is misplaced though. For a couple of reasons, each one is a snapshot of where we are and where we might go in the craft beer industry and secondly, there are still way too many people drinking crappy beer. So if each of these videos add more to the ranks of the good beer drinkers then they do the job.
So be snarky about the line readings or say the music is too melodramatic. But the heart of being proud of craft beer is beating in these videos.
Here is the Facebook announcement of this new beer series…..
“Heavy Seas Beer announces Plank – a series of beers showcasing unique wood ageing treatments to add flavor and nuance. Our first, Plank I, features an Olde Style English Ale.
Over a year in development, Plank boasts a new and revolutionary way of adding wood to the brewing process. The beer is allowed to mature on the wood during secondary fermentation. Combinations of many different woods, beer styles, yeasts and aging times were tested. We quietly gathered feedback at pint nights featuring Heavy Seas firkins containing ‘mystery wood’. Outside taste testers gave their reviews and a final recipe was written to bring out the unique essence of this wood.
Plank is the first beer to ever use yellow poplar. Prepared in a not so traditional way, it will change the how you perceive wood-aged beers. A revolutionary thermal process releases the compounds in the wood through controlled heat in a way that “toasting” cannot do. This thermal process can be applied to any species of wood, creating something truly unique. Have we created an entirely new genre for wood-aged beer? You decide.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more about this innovative way of wood aging beer and the crew who developed it. Plank I will be the first, but not the last of its kind as we continue to explore the possibilities. Watch for its release in the Mid-Atlantic area in time to celebrate American Craft Beer Week in May. Plank will join the Mutiny Fleet portfolio of beers available in 22oz bottles and very limited draft.”
Sneak previews will be available at the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston next weekend. Look for them under the alias One Eyed Woody (Plank I) and Two Eyed Woody (an experimental recipe).
There is a new westside beer stop. Steingarten LA.
Check out what the UrbanDaddy blog introduced them as….”Introducing Steingarten, a bold new German hall of unusual meats, regal cocktails and strong European beers, opening Tuesday on Pico.”
Sounds a little medieval but any LA Beer Bar is a friend of mine. (not just FaceBook friends either.) They will also be showing up on the FoodGPS beer blast so you can get the beer scoop.
Here is the location and hours:
10543 W Pico Blvd. Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA, 90064
Mon – Sun: 11:00 am – 2:00 am
More great beer books! You should really pick this one up if you are in the great Northwest or if you are planning on going there.
Lisa Morrison knows the good stuff. That’s why she has a radio show about beer, she writes for Beer Advocate and All About Beer and she is a member of the new Barley’s Angels as well!
So go HERE and grab a copy!
Don’t be scared off by the labels on the Dieu Du Ciel beers. Yes, they are a little freaky but they match the beers quite well.
Here a couple to whet your appetite…
“Corne du diable aka Horn of the Devil IPA is a contemporary interpretation of the classic English India Pale Ale. This new style, born on the west coast of North America, is characterized by stronger and hoppier beers. The result is a red ale expressing caramel flavours coming from the malt, sharp bitterness and powerful hop aromas, thanks to dry hopping”
“La Rescousse (To The Rescue) is a noble Altbier that celebrates life in all its diversity. Malty up front with accents of toasted bread, the well-balanced hops provide a tongue-tingling finish and give this copper ale with mahogany highlights its freshness, complexity and unique character. Dieu du Ciel! Brewers will donate 11 cents for every bottle sold to Fondation de la faune du Québec, in support of efforts to save endangered species such as the wolverine, the copper redhorse, and the western chorus frog. “Liberté, égalité, biodiversité !”
You may have noticed last year that there was something other than Newcastle Brown on the market. A summer Newcastle. Well it was only the start.
Coming this fall (maybe in time for Halloween) will be Newcastle Werewolf…..
“What better way to toast the fall than to have a bottle of this formidable, dual character brew. At first, smooth with mellow overtones of sweet berry fruit, a bite of bitterness suddenly cuts through, long, deep and lingering. Brewed with rye malt, it is naturally ‘blood red’ in colour. Unlike te mythical wolf-like creature said to roam the bleak moorland surrounding Newcastle, this is real, so consider yourself warned!”