Beer # 1 of the September reviews is Pure Wit from Upright Brewing….
the countdown to LA Beer Week begins…
In 1 month the festivities start. If you haven’t gotten your ticket to the Union Station finale, what are you waiting for? Go to the WEBSITE and do it now!
And once you are there, check out the events. I will be giving my best of the fest recommendations later this month.
Enegren Brewing
I got my first chance to sample some new Ventura County Brew from Enegren Brewing last night at the crowded but AC filled tasting room at Wades Wines.
My final Verdict was that the X1 Valkyrie was the best followed by the Protector IPA, regular Valkyrie and then the Summer Session.
If you are in Santa Monica next Wednesday, Enegren will be at the famous Library Alehouse.
The Companion
There are beers to pair with record labels, Elysian with Loser fro Sub-Pop. There are beers brewed for city beer weeks. But this is the first beer made to pair with a book. But then it is Garrett Oliver the renaissance man of the beer world. Read on for more from Brooklyn Brewing….
“For the past four years, brewmaster Garrett Oliver has been working on a massive project. It’s the ultimate beer collaboration, but it’s not a beer. Published this September by Oxford University Press, it’s The Oxford Companion to Beer, the most comprehensive book on beer ever published, featuring 160 experts covering more than 1,100 subjects. It’s a momentous thing, so Garrett (Editor-in-Chief), Horst Dornbusch (Associate Editor, writer, scholar, man-about-town) and Thomas Kraus-Weyermann (writer and master maltster) hatched a plan. Together, they brewed our next Brewmaster’s Reserve beer, called The Companion.
Thomas created special new floor malts for The Companion, which is brewed in an old style called ‘wheat wine,’ a wheat-based equivalent to barley wine. The floor malts give this beer a juicy malt character of considerable depth, 55% malted wheat gives it a surprising lightness on the palate, while our house ale yeast lends a gentle fruitiness. The Oxford Companion will impart knowledge, while The Companion imparts conviviality. Maybe you really can have it all?”
I wonder how many people will read the book whilst drinking the beer?
Chicago – Lake Bluff
Our first stop in the Windy City is Lake Bluff Brewing. Theirs is a common (and great) story about home brewing that grew into a brewery. I don’t know who is luckier? The people who received the home brew gifts and were the de facto R&D department or the people who now get to sample beers that are really dialed in and perfected.
A couple of the beers that caught my attention are…..
‘Tis the Saison
“No matter what the season, ’tis the season for our Saison. Historically a summer seasonal beer, ours is golden in color and flavored with coriander, cardamom and orange peel to give slightly spicy notes. Finishes nice and dry with the yeast providing much of that classic Belgian flavor.”
Softtail IPA
Hardtail’s little brother. Same great flavor and aroma, but easier drinking and not so heavy on the alcohol. A great summer beer.
Book review – America Walks into a Bar
I am a sucker for beer history so when I saw this book pop up for instant Kindle download. I snapped it up.
I am glad that the author has focused on just America because there is a lot of history to be unearthed. The first few chapters though were a little dry and repetitive but with enough thought provoking historical facts to keep me going. Especially when it details the place that the tavern or saloon had in a community and how it evolved in different points in history.
I must say that I was mentally comparing this book to the wonderful Last Call by Daniel Okrent about Prohibition and in most instances it was falling short of that high bar. But that could be due to prohibition being such a juicy historical event vs a longer timeline of bars and saloons over 200+ years.
A warning though. Don’t go into this book hoping to learn more about beer. This is (as promised) about the place where drinking happens and the people that inhabit it. This is more a book that leads to reading other books. You will want to read about the Five Points in New York city. You will want to read more about Shay’s Rebellion and many other tangents.
Look in the mirror for a fresh hop
Part of the Deschutes Bond Street Series comes this fresh hop version of Mirror Pond, “This noble, fresh hop version of our classic American Pale Ale arose from a single plot of heirloom Cascade hops, revived by our brewers from the original rootstock developed at Oregon State University, grown by Goshie Farms in Oregon.”
These may be some of the hops that I saw harvested during the beer blogger conference in August. Boy did they smell good.
Two events for the short week – Los Angeles
at Far Bar in Little Tokyo:
“We welcome our friends from the beautiful Agoura Hills of North LA County for a eclectic Five Course and Beer Dinner and Meet the Brewer night.Ladyface is currently brewing some of the finest Craft and Belgian-Inspired style ales in Southern Ca and they’re still in their infancy mind you! (Under 2 years old). Come out and meet Co Founder/Brewmaster Dave Griffith and Co-Founder Cyrena Nouzelle for a night of great company, delicious food and outstanding beer!”
at the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica
“Put down your pencils and put on your drinking hats! Over here at the Library Alehouse we’ve been quietly building up a serious archive of Dogfish Head beer and with our recent receipt of a certain continuously-hopped, extremely high-ABV IPA, we thought we’d throw a party and put them all on at once!”
Far Bar
Recently, I made my first visit to Far Bar in the Little Tokyo section of downtown Los Angeles.
I like the chill outdoor vibe with the view of the sky above hemmed in by buildings. You feel hidden and out of the way, until you see the beer list and realize the most of the good breweries must know about this place too.
I had chicken satay and ended the evening with Mach 10 Double IPA from Bear Republic but first I had to try the Pumpkin,sour,cranberry “Kick” from New Belgium. It was slightly sour and the cranberry was there all right. But no pumpkin or earthy squash notes came through. A fine beer but I was expecting more I guess.
My beer buddy Richard had the Stone 15th concoction and this uniquely served Belgian strong ale from Kwak.
If you haven’t been to Far Bar then add it your beer itinerary.
The Big Board
One of my must stops during the trip to Portland for the Beer Bloggers Conference was Bailey’s Taproom.
Not necessarily for the beer or ambience (which it has both of!) but for this……
….an up to the minute beer list!
As someone who helps put together a weekly tap list of what’s pouring in Los Angeles (see FoodGPS if you are not already signed up). This is a godsend. Easy to read. It has all the pertinent information, from price to style to glassware and most importantly, the keg level!
To make life even easier, near the cashier is a computerized list of nearby bus lines with the times.
I am no technology apologist but this is something that I wish every bar had on the wall.