You have one week to ready your bank account and find a super-fast computer if you want to get in this craft beer futures action from 50/50 Brewing…
…..I will probably wait (and hope) for another tasting night like the Library Alehouse had.
The Tripel + The Bruery =
The Tripel and The Bruery Team Up for Birthday Brews and Bites on Monday, April 16th from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.. Cost is $65.00.
“In celebration of their one year anniversary, The Tripel invites beer lovers down to the beach for an evening of sumptuous suds & a delectable dinner. The Bruery’s own Ben Weiss will be on hand, guiding a tasting of some of their most hard-to-find brews. To complement the beer, Brooke & Nick have created a sublime four-course birthday tasting menu. This special evening on April 16th begins at 6:30 p.m. for a “cocktail beer” gathering, with dinner and tasting starting at 7 p.m. Act fast though, because there are only 30 seats available! For those unable to make the ticketed event, The Tripel will offer their new menu along with the limited selection of Bruery beers from 9pm to close.”
Check out the best of what The Tripel and The Bruery have planned, below:
Selection of Hors Oeuvres
Mother Funker
Over-The-Top Sour Blonde Ale Aged in Chardonnay Barrels
Coconut and Lime Leaf Bouillabaisse with Bourbon Shrimp Toast
White Oak
Blend of a Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheat Wine with a Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Duck Breast with Black Soybean and Black Trumpet Mushroom Sauce, Duck Leg Confit and Beet Taro Cakes, Wilted Bacon Infused Greens
Smoking Wood
Rye Barrel Aged Imperial Smoked Rye Porter
Selection of House Made Sweets
Sans Pagaie
Wine Barrel Aged Sour Blonde Ale Fermented with Cherries
Saison De Lente, 2010 Vintage
Earthy, Dry Belgian-Style Farmhouse Ale
Holy Water
Breweries can be known for pushing name boundaries (especially hop puns) but this maibock from Southern Oregon Brewing has such a cheeky name, Holy Water.
Good to see another Maibock in bottles.
Deschutes in L.A.
Tomorrow is the start of 6 days of Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Week here in Los Angeles. And below is the press release information that talks about the why, what and where of Base Camp. In addition to the Steingarten event which I highlighted earlier…
“Deschutes Brewery brings its Base Camp campaign to Los Angeles for an amazing week of specialty beer tastings, beer and food pairings, and appearances by Woody, the giant beer barrel on wheels. Deschutes brewers, ambassadors and fanatics will be on hand to provide some in-the-trenches insight into our courageously crafted brews.
What is Base Camp you may ask? It’s a place where Deschutes Brewery offers beer fanatics a spot to “pitch a tent” of sorts – and find their footing with the cornerstone of Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Week is a celebration of Mirror Pond’s easy-drinking goodness, along with many more of the brewery’s passion-heavy, pioneering brews. The Deschutes Brewery team is traveling around to cities all over the west this year, providing passionate fans with a seriously fun exploration of beer. Make the trek to Base Camp. It all begins here…”
Planned Events
Mon, 4/9, 6pm Deschutes Brewery Scavenger Hunt (Far Bar)
No one will deny it: scavenger hunts equal good times! Couple a scavenger hunt with some damn tasty beer from Deschutes Brewery and you have pure fabulousness. Join us and start the hunt at Far Bar – we’ll give you a list of several things you need to find and take a photo of with your smart phone. Send the photos to Deschutes Brewery as you take them – they’ll be judged on correct completion of all tasks, best photo and best team name. So gather your friends and take up the gauntlet to win prize packages from Deschutes Brewery for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. You could even be strutting home with the coveted Golden Growler. See you here!
Contact Joey Pleich (jpleich@deschutesbrewery.com) to sign up your team.
Mon, 4/9, 8-10pm Base Camp Kick-Off Party (Mohawk Bend) Woody!
Join us as we kick off five whole days of celebratory beer drinking made possible by Deschutes Brewery’s Base Camp. Our featured brewery of the month for April, we’ll be whooping it up with the Deschutes Brewery team this evening as they share with us such brews as Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Chainbreaker White IPA, Hop Henge Experimental IPA and even The Abyss. Pair some of this hand crafted goodness with our specially selected appetizers, and you’ll have a night to remember.
Tues, 4/10, 6-9pm Hats Off to Homebrewers (Steingarten LA) Woody!
Attention homebrewers…come hone your craft with the gang from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. The Deschutes crew, including brewer Robin Johnson, are heading to Los Angeles for Base Camp Week and will be giving away clone recipe booklets and bags of whole flower hops to use in your next homebrew. Specialty beer tastings of rarities like Black Butte XXII, The Abyss and The Stoic paired with some tasty appetizers will whet your palate. And that’s not all…five more Deschutes beers will be on tap including Obsidian Stout on Nitro and Chainbreaker White IPA. Robin will also be leading a deconstruction of the never-released Black Butte XXII, providing tastings of some of the specialty ingredients. We’ll even have commemorative glasses to give away while supplies last. Hope to see you here!
Wed, 4/11, 6-8pm Beauty, Bloggers & Beer Private Media Event (Makeup and GO!)
Los Angeles Magazine’s Best Beer Sommelier Christina Perozzi, aka ‘The Beer Chick,’ will be on hand to discuss Deschutes’ yummy Black Butte Porter, the popular Mirror Pond Pale Ale, the almost-impossible-to-find, never-formally-released Black Butte XXII, plus endless complexities of The Abyss. Of course, there will be a chance to get some beauty pampering like eyelash extension and custom makeup application too. And did we mention the delectable desserts? This is an intimate private media-only event, RSVP is required – please email christina@thebeerchicks.com to reserve your spot
Thurs, 4/12, 3-5pm Deschutes Brewery Two-Bit Tastings (Silverlake Liquor) Woody!
Clean out under the couch cushions, break open the piggy bank and dig around on those car floorboards – you’ll be surprised at how you can utilize a mere 25 cents tonight at Silverlake Liquor! Let us surprise you while you visit with Deschutes brewer Robin Johnson, and frolic around the brewery’s giant traveling beer barrel, Woody – all while drinking Deschutes Brewery’s damn tasty year-round line-up of beers.
Thurs, 4/12, 6-8pm Deschutes Brewery Tasting (Whole Foods, Fairfax)
Deschutes Brewery will be visiting the Fairfax Whole Foods Thursday evening to talk with craft beer fans and provide samples of their award winning beers. A brewery representative will also guide you through a cheese pairing with The Stoic, a barrel-aged Belgian-styled ale. There will be special offers on beer in the store, plus you’ll get a free collectible pint glass when you buy a 6-pack to take home.
Thurs, 4/12, 6pm-close Beer-lesque: Tastings & Tassels (Skinny’s Lounge) Woody!
What’s better than an evening full of craft beer from Deschutes Brewery? An evening full of craft beer coupled with intriguing Burlesque dancers and Vaudeville variety acts. Each act will feature a different Deschutes Brewery beer equaling a night of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable fun.
Fri, 4/13, 4-6pm Deschutes Brewery Snacks & Sips (The Village Idiot) Woody!
Thank goodness it’s Friday, and it’s time to wind down after a long week with some damn tasty beers and snacks. That’s right, we’re welcoming the gang from Deschutes Brewery as part of their Base Camp for Beer Fanatics. What does that mean for you? You can spend Friday after work chatting about hand-crafted brews with the experts, while sipping on hard-to-find beers like Hop Henge Experimental IPA and Chainbreaker White IPA.
Fri, 4/13, 7pm-close Grab Beer by the Horns (The Surly Goat) Woody!
Not only will the giant Deschutes Brewery barrel on wheels, Woody, be here, but you should be too! We’ll be pouring a limited amount of some Reserve Series brews like Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss and The Stoic along with the brand-new Chainbreaker White IPA. With live music on our back patio to help you get your groove on, and a Deschutes beer in your hand, you’ll kick off the weekend right and change your mind about the possible pitfalls of Friday the 13th.
Sat, 4/14, 7pm-close Base Camp Finale (House of Blues) Woody!
Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery’s been in LA all week celebrating a fanatical love for craft beer, and the celebration is wrapping up with a grand flair at House of Blues. Guests will have access to the members only Foundation Room, where Nitro Obsidian Stout will be on tap and sampling of all of their year-round beers such as the infamous Black Butte Porter will take place. Paired with the beer will be a special selection of scrumptious appetizers. Downstairs in the music hall Mirror Pond Pale Ale will be on tap, ready to rock it to the reggaeton sounds of Prince Royce. Contact Lisa Aranda at Lisaaranda@livenation.com or 323-848-5146 to buy your tickets in advance.
Chime in and listen to the Base Camp chatter on Twitter using #BeerBaseCamp and by following @DeschutesBeer.
Session Day!
This post is another of the read THIS first, then come back variety.
So are you gonna do it? Can you stay below the 4.5%? Is there anything at your local that is that low? Or are you going to have to find something bottled (probably from England) to celebrate with.
I will do my level best to stay below the limit and I will add an update to this post with what I have found.
Strand Tasting Room Opening Party
I haven’t mentioned Strand Brewing in awhile. Very remiss of me. But now I have an excellent reason. April 14th and 15th will be the opening shindig for the new tasting room next to their brewery.
If, like me, you haven’t had a Strand beer in awhile. This will be the perfect opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the delights of the Atticus IPA or, my personal favorite, the Beach House amber. Both of which I had while checking out the new space and both are as good as ever which isn’t surprising with their exacting quality standards.
And like at the new Monkish tasting room (which is also a must stop location nearby), the atmosphere is very convivial and laid back. Easy to sit and stay and enjoy.
Session # 62
Angelo from Brewpublic is the host for the April session (#62) and here is the topic….
“The title question really gets to the heart of the matter: “What Drives Beer Bloggers?” It is apparent that blogging in general serves the authors in a variety of means. First and foremost, it is important to look at what a blog really is. A portmanteau, or a blending of two words, “Web” and “log”, blogging is defined as “a Web site containing the writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.” Sounds a tad narcissistic to some. In fact, the popular, often humorous collection of modern day colloquialisms and turns-of-phrase that offer a somewhat democratic glance into our culture known as UrbanDictionary.com has an interesting series of takes on the matter. Submitted definitions on the site are rated by readers and ranked according to popularity. Here, the most popular definition of “blog” is: “A meandering, blatantly uninteresting online diary that gives the author the illusion that people are interested in their stupid, pathetic life. Consists of such riveting entries as “homework sucks” and “I slept until noon today.” You can see what we mean.”
….AND…..
“But why do people decide to start a blog (Okay, so not all “blogs” are personal. Many breweries have recognized the value of social media in modern society)? One thing seems true of most blogs: they are easy to start. All you need is a a computer and a rudimentary understanding of the Internet to initiate your meanderings. The difficulty resides in keeping up with content and reaching an audience. What draws folks to your site? And, what makes you think people want to read what you write?”
Willfully ignorant. That is what I am when it comes to my readership. I know that there are some but that is as far as I will peer into the void. And that should be in no way construed as anti-reader or above it all. Far from it.
But I started this blog for me. Partially so that I would not bore my non-alcohol drinking wife to tears with news of this collaboration beer or what she thought of this brewer starting a new place. The other partially was that I was unemployed. I had time on my fingertips to type away or simply post a photo of a beer or L.A. craft beer spot that I frequent.
But the big partially in all this was that I wanted to talk about what I love about craft beer. Me. Selfish, I know. I wanted control. And even though this blog has evolved in quality (hopefully), in look and in other areas (again, hopefully for the better), the constant is me writing about what has caught my eye. Not the eye of a search engine that will reach a huge audience.
I do not have it in me to write a blog post simply to attract readership. I am not adding words that are SEO’d. And I am not going to write something inflammatory just to start a word riot. That is not my joy or my strength. And if there is a life lesson that I have slowly learned is that there are already enough to-do’s on my list that are not my joy or strength and why add another one to the pile. I would like to compare my blog to a beer that wasn’t made for a target market but was made with love and because the brewer liked that beer.
I simply want to express the large role that craft beer plays in my life. Because that is so much more invigorating than the random flotsam and jetsam of a normal day. So to answer the question. Content for me is easy. Sometimes it is a photo and a “This beer looks great”. Some days, I am promoting some beer event in Los Angeles. And other times I talk about the label artwork. The process of hitting the enter button is the final burst of fun that starts with a kernel of an idea for a post. Anything after that is just gravy. Maybe a gravy with a nice porter in it.
Which could be a post for next week.
Canned Hawaiian collaborations
Maui Brewing has been busy. Canning collaborations with Jolly Pumpkin and Dogfish Head before going all Mayan at the end of the year.
“Maui Lillikoi and Michigan Cherries? Saccharo-fermented in Maui while Brett-fermented and barrel-aged in Michigan – and all to get released during Savor in our nation’s capital in June? What’s that crazy name they’re calling this by? The Sobrehumano Palena’ole? Superhuman and without limits? Sounds about right…
If you think that’s not super enough, we plan to really blow some socks off with the third installment our 2012 canned seasonal series. This time, Dogfish Head superstar – Sam Calagione, will be our fearless collaborator! The result – a beer-epiphany never before innovated called Liquid Breadfruit!
To celebrate the cornucopia of a Maui-grown harvest, we will ingeniously combine local breadfruit (or ulu) & toasted papaya seeds into the recipe of an imperial golden ale fermented using Dogfish Head’s DNA ( Delaware-Native-Ale) yeast. You won’t want to wait until October to try it, but oh it will be worth the wait!
The forth and final seasonal of 2012 will be inspired by an indigenous people not so different from those of the ancestral kingdoms in Hawaii. The Mayans of Central America were civilized hunters and gathers who used a long count calender that measures the increments of time according to celestial movements they observed in the sky – the longest period indicated by the passage of a B’ak’tun (or approximately 394 Gregorian years). On December 20th, 2012 – the 12th such B’ak’tun will end and on the 21st, the 13th will begin.
To honor such an enduring occasion, MBC will release a Brussels-style Stout brewed with Mayan chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne – to be called the Aloha B’ak’tun, with aloha carrying both the meaning of farewell and greeting. It’ll be a beer that you’ll want at your side no matter what happens…”
Christian Albertson from the Monk’s Kettle
Tomorrow over on FoodGPS, I will have an interview with Christian Albertson from the Monk’s Kettle in San Francisco about aging beers, what to buy and tasting dinners. But to borrow the Hollywood movie lingo, here is a teaser of one question and one answer….
Q. What are your recommendations for beer geeks to cellar for themselves?
This advice goes out to not just people at home, but also other restaurants that are doing a vintage beer program. I think the most important thing that I’ve learned first-hand is that if you’re going to do it, you need to do it right: you need a cool constant temperature between 55 and 60. Good cellaring conditions make all the difference. We have had the opportunity (due to the large number of different beers in our cellar) to test other cellars/warehouses: there were a few times when a beer came in and I realized that it’s the same batch that we housed, and did a side by side tasting. Hands down, every time, the beer is better in the bottle we cellared—sometimes it’s a slight difference, and sometimes the contrast is stark (in some cases, it’s not the same beer at all). Get a “wine cabinet” and keep it in there at cellar temp—or at worst, your fridge (it will slow the aging process, but it won’t ruin it as much as a fluctuating, too-high temp will). We are talking here about the best beers in the world, some that can last 20 years and keep improving—it is necessary that the conditions are right. Wine enthusiasts are not putting their ’96 Burgundies in the back of their closet—don’t do the same with beer’s equivalents.
Collage
For those of you who were scratching their heads at Conflux # 2. Here is the info on # 1!
“The beer is a blend of two Deschutes beers, The Stoic and The Dissident, as well as two Hair of the Dog beers, Fred and Adam. All four were brewed at Deschutes’ facility in Bend in March of 2010. All four were then aged in a variety of wooden barrels for two years including Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, used American Oak which previously held beer, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak.”