Tours of beers in L.A.? Who would have thunk that years ago? But now you can hop on a bus (after reserving and paying of course – gas ain’t free) and let LA Craft Beer Tours drive on.
They have three separate tours. The LA, the LA to Orange County and the LA to San Diego. Might be a good Christmas gift for the beer lover in your life.
Christmas Beer of the Day – Ode to a Russian Shipwright
The Brewery – Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company
The Beer – Ode to a Russian Shipwright
The Details:
from The Four Firkins newsletter, “…a stout porter brewed with spruce tips, rye and unmalted barley for texture (estate grown), is just as impressive as his first.
The spruce tips were all harvested on the farm or in the surrounding area of Rollingstone. Instead of lending a gin flavor to the beer, the spruce tips add a berry-like tone… sort of like a blueberry/raspberry hybrid. When it melds with the light chocolate flavors of the stout porter, it is absolutely brilliant.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Out Cold Winter Ale
The Brewery – Sawtooth
The Beer – Out Cold Winter Ale
The details:
“For the long winter nights. Brewed with a hearty grain bill, molasses and using British yeast and hops; this beer will likely have you “out cold”.
American Beer Blogger
When I saw this come through the beer blogosphere, my first thought was about damn time. Blogging in general is somewhat sneered upon and beer bloggers get a share of that disdain too. But this might actually get people to see at least one of us in all three dimensions and humanize the lot of us a little. So if the video moves you, then head to Kickstarter and donate a dead president or two.
“AMERICAN BEER BLOGGER is a half hour television series dedicated to all facets of the ever growing craft beer market. From home brewing, to micro beer; viewers will experience the very best of the craft beer culture. In each episode, Lew will visit a different brewer, each of which has their own sets of quirks and ways of doing things. Lew will talk to these brewers, get to know them, will show us first hand the various methods and techniques used in creating a craft beer. From the tiniest bottler to the largest manufacturer, Lew
will get his hands dirty. Topics such as bottling, food pairing, manufacturing, distribution, history, technique (and so much more) will all be touched upon
AMERICAN BEER BLOGGER sets out to entertain the viewer as well as educate on this rapidly growing industry. Through humor and a charming, hands-on host, our show will not only be entertaining for the microbeer enthusiast, but also enjoyable for the average viewer as well.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Winter Warmer
The Brewery – Harpoon
The Beer – Winter Warmer
The Details:
“Winter Warmer was Harpoon’s first seasonal beer. It was designed to be enjoyed during the holiday season.
When you bring a glass of this dark copper ale to your lips to take your first sip you will notice the aroma of cinnamon. There is no aromatic hop added that might overpower the distinct spice scent. The medium body of this beer is formed from caramel and pale malts. These create enough body to support the spices without making the beer excessively rich. Bittering hops are added to counter the sweetness of the malt and spice. The finish of the beer is a blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The combination of these two spices results in a balanced, pumpkin-pie flavor.”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Bonaparte’s Retreat
The Brewery – Laurelwood
The Beer – Bonaparte’s Retreat
The details:
A Franco-Corsican version of the traditional Laurelwood holiday release of Vinter Varmer with chestnuts.
Christmas Beer of the Day – Old Crow
The Brewery – Crow Peak
The Beer – Old Crow
The details:
“A high gravity old ale with deep amber color. It has a malty flavor with hints of raisin. It radiates an alcoholic warmth just in time for the holidays!”
The Beer Chicks save Christmas
Count me as a big fan of the Beer Chicks and now with the holiday’s fast approaching they have multiple ways to help out the holiday craft beer shopper.
1 – “By popular demand and for a limited time (and a limited price), you can now buy a private 2 hour customized Beer Tasting for up to 8 people with one of The Beer Chicks as your guide! Its the ultimate foodie gift experience.”
2 – “Already bought your pain in the a, hard to shop for brother all the gift cards you could find at Costco? Well, now you can stop worrying and click right here for our new online gift certificates for the 8th Street Bottle Shop. You can buy them online to print out or email immediately, or request that we send out a pretty and enveloped copy to your very lucky so and so.”
Or you can just get your special beer someone this…..
Christmas Beer of the Day – Biere de Noel
Brewery – Snake River
Beer – Biere de Noel
The Details:
“A spiced Belgian style Ale for cozying up with, BDN has grains of paradise, Anise and dried figs added for festive revelry. Only available at the pub, we also have an extremely limited amount of bottle conditioned Biere De Noel which makes for a great present. Stop in and grab one before they’re all gone!”
Christmas Beer of the Day – Bad Santa
The Brewery – Pelican Brewery
The Beer – Bad Santa
The Details:
“You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, the brewers at Pelican are telling you why: Bad Santa will arrive November 3rd. This mysterious dark elixir is filled with complex malt flavors and aromas with toasted malt and roast character, blending seamlessly to the alluring herbal hop aroma that comes from copious amounts of Fuggle hops. Bad Santa doesn’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice, he wants this beer on your list.”