Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
All right beer lovers. Time to pony up some cash so we can bring another craft brewery into the world. Mystery Brewing and Wilderness Brewing got funded and now it is time to help out Short Snout. With the other two being in the midwest, my chances of sampling their beers is small but Short Snout will be based in Milwaukie (my hometown!) I hope to sample their beers in the future!
Head over to Kickstarter and make a pledge!
My second visit to Golden Road brewing on a Sunday afternoon…
….as a big crowd lined up to get access to not only a mini-beer festival but also to scope out the three colorful buildings that make up the Golden Road mega-complex.
There were stations in each building and outside too to where you could get some Hangar 24, Eagle Rock (including Unity 2011), Stone, Dales, Avery, Firestone and of course Point the Way IPA and Hefeweizen from Golden Road.
All of which looked great in the grand opening glass. (That I very nearly broke on the way out). Aside from Point the Way my favorite was the Thrill Seeker IPA from Beachwood. Very herbal and piney aroma that was strong on flavor but not a hop wrecker.
There was quite the crowd from a sheer number perspective but also from the world craft beer luminaries. Let’s name drop! David Walker of Firestone-Walker. Adam Avery of Avery Brewing. Julian from Beachwood Brewing. Megan from Beer West. The guys from Oskar Blues.
But the biggest name drop was the third beer from Golden Road.
Burning Bush is a rauch-IPA that really brings the smoke and BBQ notes but then the hops kick in to balance things out. Quite tasty. Would get rauch fans to try IPA’s and IPA fans to try more Rauchbiers.
Thanks to Tony, Meg, Jon, Cole and Skipp for putting on the party.
Our middle stop on our tour of Australian craft breweries takes us to the alliteratively named Moo Brew.
As was the case with the previous two breweries on this itinerary, the details are courtesy of the Crafty Pint. THE place to go for Australian craft beer information.
What caught my fancy, beer-wise was the Hop Harvest a twist on their pale ale. But I really like the label art. Goofy and fun.
Friday was a day of rest. Two big events past and two on the weekend. Pacing myself. Anyway, here is my take on the 3rd Beer Float Showdown (full disclosure – I volunteered at this event and write for FoodGPS that was the presenter of the showdown)….
The challenge was set forth. Five floats created by a combo of brewer and chef. And not just any chefs. Ilan Hall and CJ Jacobson of Top Chef fame, the Trans of Starry Kitchen, Andre Guerrero of Oinkster and the new Maximlilianos and Laurent Quenioux of Vertical Wine Bistro. 
Serious fire power and the beer wasn’t from slouches either Ladyface, Eagle Rock, Beachwood, Firestone Walker and the new Smog City were all there.
I only tried three of the floats and in fact did not get to taste the eventual winner. But I was mightily impressed by the Ladyface / Starry Kitchen effort…..
….which had fruit, pop rocks and habanero! My personal favorite was the Firestone / Yard combo …
It had a rim of caramel and potato chips, the famous hemp ale and a nice light ice cream. Primo stuff from CJ and Jace. I also enjoyed the creation of Beachwood and Laurent Quenioux. Herbs with saison and another light ice cream.
Three creative and tasty floats.
But the winner was Andre Guerrero and Jan Purdy who were paired with the host of the event Jeremy Raub and Eagle Rock Brewery. Their secret ingredient? Bacon with Vanilla Bean Solidarity.
If you think this event looked fun then check the official website for more information on events during week 2.
Each month I highlight a different beer blog for you to check out and this month it is….(insert drum roll)
….the Not So Professional Beer Blog.
It’s a great place to catch up on Portland, Oregon beers but also just read up on some really great beers.
Here is your October themed shopping list…October 2011
Click twice and the PDF should magically appear. Print out and take to a reputable beer shoppe and see what they have!
Keep the Gastropubs flowing! I heard about the Local Peasant on the KCRW show Good Food.
You can tell that a gastropub is trying by quickly scanning the draft list. Any local beers? If so, the people are clued in. It is how you propel your craft beer culture forward, faster.
I certainly will be checking out the Local Peasant (probably after LA Beer Week)
As if last night wasn’t enough, back on the road to Whittier and The Bottle Room for Deschutes beer and chocolate….
Who needs dinner when you can start with dessert. Well, I almost did that last night. Placed an order for the chocolate dessert sampler and the two Deschutes beers (Black Butte and Jubelale) after sitting down. Then realized I should probably have some food first. And since I wanted to save the beer to pair with the desserts, I sampled Strand Brewing’s 2nd Anniversary braggot.
It was quite good. Braggots are hit or miss for me but this had a nice interplay of honey, vanilla and spice. A great fall beer for cool nights. (LA should get one of those in November).
Then it was on to the dessert.
. The cake was soooo rich. That was a wicked mixture of caramel and chocolate that came oozing out of the middle. I am much more a pie guy, but molten cakes rank really high too. The chocolates were also great. There was blue cheese lurking in the small square and it was good. Again, I shall close with the beer.
I had the Jubelale 2011 at the Beer Bloggers conference this year and this was a chance to see if my initial reaction would be changed. It hasn’t. But it doesn’t scream winter ale to me. The Black Butte was quite good and matched the richness of the desserts better..
As usual, I was wowed again by the food of Tony Alcazar and the great tap list.
This was the event that I was waiting for, the famed Sean Z Paxton, the Home Brew chef paired with Firestone-Walker’s 15th Anniversary Ale. Welcome to Deconstructed….
Mark off this bucket list item. Dinner created by Sean Paxton. And this was in grand style. All 8 beers that make up the XV anniversary beer from Firestone-Walker. Plus Pale 31 and/or Unfiltered DBA to start with some malted cashews or Moroccan themed popcorn.
The event was held at the Avalon theater across from the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. Great space with old timey movie theater architecture. The downstairs portion got real hot so beer buddy Richard and I hightailed to the more AC friendly upper space to enjoy the evening.
The food (as these photos will show) was plated with care and artistry and the food was just great. Even the items like scallops or peppers that I don’t usually like were done so well that you had to tip your hat even if it wasn’t your thing. 
The winner for me was the lamb tenderloin that was presented on a spoon and was just delicious. Second place goes to the chocolate covered bacon that was so rich and savory.Neither of which are pictured because I still want them all to myself.
So you had great food and then Matt Brynildson walked around and talked to everybody about the beers, David Walker (yes, the Walker) was pouring beer and Sean Paxton made the rounds. 
But let’s briefly get down to the beer:
Sticky Monkey – Big and brassy. Almost whiskey in it’s own right.
Double Double Barrel Ale – mellower but strong in different ways
HellDorado – dark golden gem that was my favorite other than XV
Double Jack – really excellent IPA. Paired well with the sausage
Bravo – another dark, big and bold beer
Bourbon Barrel Aged Velvet Merkin – I still prefer the regular of this
Good Foot – similar to Sticky Monkey but lighter and brighter to me.
Parabola – my least favorite of the night. too medicinal
Then the XV was unveiled. And if you are a fan of the Anniversary ales, this one will surprise you. The Double Jack cuts through the barleywine and barrel aged flavors to make for a demanding brew that is hoppy and hot and rich. I really enjoyed it but it is a huge beer and is best sipped in small portions.
LA Beer Week. The bar has been officially raised.
And they are all under the Andre Guerrero banner.
First, The Oinkster the always crowded (and with good reason) BBQ joint in Eagle Rock with a great beer list has been renovated from tables and chairs to menu board. If you didn’t already go for the beer, check out it’s updated look.
Next up is Maximiliano in Highland Park. It is yet to open but if Oinkster is any indication, this will be yet another spot for great beer and Italian food.
UPDATE – I just tried Maximiliano and I have to say that it is great. The interior is way cool. Great windows make it an airy space. I have tried a good chunk of the desserts which are great and the potato pizza that I had was really good. On the beer front, they are going to carry primarily Craftsman beers including a special beer made just for the restaurant. The place gets a thumbs up from me for sure after one visit.
Last is the news (now, not so new) that a third spot will be created downtown called Little Bear! With the always friendly and beer savvy Ryan Sweeney on board. Check out the details HERE. Thanks to Eater for always finding the latest scoop!