For the month of June, the Beer Search Party is reviewing beers from Iron Fist in Vista California. The last to be reviewed is Velvet Glove…
Tap It Brewing
Their motto is “Tap it, taste it, love it”
Tap It is based in beautiful San Luis Obispo.
They have two offerings on draft or in bottles:
APA
“Truly a handcrafted original, our American Pale Ale is a distinctive, crisp beer that’s delightfully easy to drink. Its deep golden color, full-bodied mouth feel and robust flavors combine to create a smooth finish with just the right amount of snap, presenting the perfect pour. 5.5% ABV”
IPA
“Our traditional India Pale Ale is continually hopped throughout the brewing process to provide the distinctively rich, aromatic flavors associated with this brewery classic. Made with four different varieties of light, citrusy hops, the flavors harmonize and combine with the initial sweetness of the malt to create a full-bodied beer that’s smooth, satisfying and exceptionally drinkable. 6.5% ABV”
California Growler Challenge – June Update
Here is what has happened in the first half of the year. It may not seem like much, but considering that I am brand new at this and I can’t devote loads of time to it, the progress ain’t half bad.
-started an electronic petition
-got a Facebook page up and running
-created a letter to your representative template
-raised awareness
Now it is time to try to get some bigger guns in the fray. So here is where YOU come in (yet again). If you know anybody in the following areas: recycling, California tourism, beverage container manufacturers or a politician, start telling them about the “Brewed in California” growler idea. Ask for their feedback. See if the idea has a fatal flaw or needs to be tweaked. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, sign them up and get them involved. If we can get a coalition of people and groups and businesses, we stand a better chance of succeeding.
I am going to start by reaching out to the Container Recycling Institute and see what she thinks of the California growler.
And to make the conversation clear, here is what I perceive as the need.
To change current law so that any participating brewery can sell a “Brewed in California” growler alongside their own branded growler. This growler could be legally filled by any participating brewery in the State of California as long as the beer information is attached to the growler via a sticker or other means.
and the why?
Two reasons. To create craft beer tourism options for the State of California while also creating an incentive to re-use one container repeatedly thus helping the recycling cause.
And if you haven’t written your state representatives, then do so! It can be done online! Let them know you care.
colLAboration in July
If this can happen…
…then what may happen when the colLAboration takes a month long residence in West Hollywood?
Check out the website HERE to get all the details because you don’t want to miss the beer or the people at these events.
But for starters here is the general where and when….
Saturday, July 9th
12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 16th
12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 23rd – A Salute to Belgian Beers!
12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
8950 Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA 90069
The new Duvel/ColLAb glasses are $15. Those who purchased the $10 glass from the first or second event can use that as their admission; most beers will be $5 to $6.
Stone SourFest
My beer buddy Richard and I traveled to Escondido for the pleasure of puckery sour beer at Stone Brewing. And at 10am no less.
We arrived and quickly received are elegant sampler glasses, our 15 taster tickets and the menu…..
I started with Sang Royal from famed (and often mentioned on this blog) Cascade Brewery in Portland which had (6) sours on the menu. Of which I sampled two. The Vine with it’s big white grape taste and milder acidity was my favorite. We found a rock wall to sit on at the lowest level and plotted our sour choices on the sunny day…
My plan was to alternate between fruit sours and barrel aged sours. Mostly to keep the acidity level in check. (Even though I brought some Tums in case). And because there were so many choices, 53 on tap plus 49 bottles, it was easy to do.
There were only a couple of duds in the 11 that I sampled but they were far outweighed by two from Cantillon that were simply amazing. The Lou Pepe Kriek and the Iris.
The kriek was like a spiced cherry pie. It was a cloudy red with excellent aroma. My number one choice of the day.
If you went this year or last, what were your favorites?
City Tavern + Cismontane + TAPS
Last Thursday, I had the great pleasure to partake of another great night of beer and food at City Tavern in Culver City. Great vibe and great location in Culver City.
Anyway, here is the menu from the night. Try to guess the theme….
To me, the best pairing of beer and food was course # 2. The spiciness of the pork and the hushpuppies worked really well with the amber maltiness of the steam beer. I mean California common. The Blacks Dawn with the salted Caramel ice cream played well together too but since I am not a big pecan pie fan, it comes in a notch lower.
TAPS and Cismontane give us the rationale behind the pairings. It is essential to have this before beer dinners. Victor from TAPS really explained the choices and even how to eat and drink. A little of each food on the fork to catch all of the flavors.
The TAPS witbier that paired with the first course of ambrosia and cream. And below are the buttermilk fried chicken and the dessert at the end of the night.
The portion size was good for both the beer and the food. But even so. I was stuffed by the end. And a little filled with salt. My only course correction would be to subtract either the pork or shrimp dish for a soup or a salad one to give the breweries a chance to choose a beer that would work with different food and also to lighten the meal.
If you haven’t been to a beer dinner, you certainly should and if you get the chance to try one at City Tavern. Hop on the opportunity.
1,000 – part 4
I have now rated 1,000+ beers on RateBeer. and so I have been looking at the figures to see what I have been drinking.
Last week I covered which cities make the best beer according to what I have rated. This week I take a step up and look at the states that are doing it right and which ones I have been sipping. As with last week, this is based on the RateBeer information.
Of the 1,000, 388 are from California and 157 from Oregon. So well over 1/2 of my ratings are from 2 states. That is something I hope to remedy. The 50 Beers from 50 States challenge helped but didn’t close the gap. Predictably Colorado was 3rd and Washington state was 4th.
Here is the average rating breakdown:
California – 3.20
Colorado – 3.10
Massachussets – 2.92
New York – 3.34
Oregon – 3.17
Pennsylvania – 3.18
Washington – 3.06
beer at 30,000 feet
The next time you are on a plane. Don’t judge that craft beer to harshly. It might just have been the wrong craft beer to have on a flight. Check out this (admittedly old) L.A. Times story
So when you are past security and shopping in an airport that is smart enough to sell local beer. (Thanks Laurelwood at PDX.) Make sure you get a big hop bomb.
That’s just my opinion. What style do YOU think would work best in the airplane environment?
Why we buy what we buy
I heard this story on NPR a couple weeks back and wondered, what if they took me to the beer aisle and strapped this…
…on me.
Would I ignore pricing? What colors would attract my eye. Just something to think about the next time you are perusing the craft beer choices.
Watching out for the small guy
I am not usually to inclined to the power of positive thinking when the government is involved. They have the habit of nosing into business that they should stay away from and shying away from protecting people from bigger interests with bigger pockets.
But this press release might be a cause for some hope in the craft beer world….
“The Brewers Association (BA) shared the news today that the Senate Small Brewers Caucus has been established. The formation of the Caucus was led by Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who support the role of America’s small and independent brewers as an engine of economic growth in the country.
In a Dear Colleague letter, Senators Baucus and Crapo noted, “In recent years, the more than 1,700 craft brewers all across America have met growing consumer demand for their products by brewing flavorful and innovative beers which they encourage Americans to enjoy in a responsible manner. These small and independent brewers…generate more than $3 billion in wages and benefits, and pay more than $2.3 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes.”
Mirroring the House Small Brewers Caucus, formed in 2007, the Senate Small Brewers Caucus provides a forum for members of the Senate and their staffs to discuss the issues important to small brewers while exploring what lawmakers can do to strengthen the growth and role of these small businesses in local economies across the country.
The caucus will also provide opportunities for Senators and staff to learn about the science and art of brewing beer, and the unique cultural and economic contributions made by small brewers to their communities.
Currently, the 1,700+ small American breweries account for about five percent of all the beer enjoyed in the United States and 50 percent of brewery jobs—-totaling some 100,000 good-paying part- and full-time positions across the country.
“Montana’s small brewers don’t just make great beer out of the best Montana grains—-they also support good-paying Montana jobs,” said Senator Baucus. “I’m so proud to create the bipartisan Senate Small Brewers Caucus—-because as the state with the second highest number of craft brewers per capita in the country, Montana small brewers need a voice in Congress who’ll keep looking out for them.” Montana boasts a strong brewing community, which generates and pays taxes on approximately $20 million of revenue, according to the Montana Brewers Association.
“As a major producer of barley, wheat and hops, Idaho has a growing role in the craft brewing business,” Senator Crapo said. “While advocating for the excise tax relief bill, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many of Idaho’s small craft brewers and heard firsthand from local entrepreneurs about the opportunities for economic growth and job creation that the industry can provide. This caucus will provide Senators with a better understanding of all aspects of small brewing and the positive impact it has on their communities.” Senator Crapo, along with Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), introduced this session’s Senate bill S. 534, which would recalibrate excise taxes on America’s small brewers. Joining Senators Kerry and Crapo were 17 of their Senate colleagues who signed on as original co-sponsors.
“Small craft brewers are growing, creating jobs and contributing in small and big ways to the recovery of the American economy,” said Charlie Papazian, president, Brewers Association. “The bipartisan establishment of the Senate Small Brewers Caucus reflects the collaborative, grassroots community spirit in which the nation’s small brewers contribute to their local communities.”