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Venice Beach Brewing

As I was patiently waiting to see beer handles for El Segundo Brewing, another beach brewery was also bubbling away.


Venice Beach Brewing is headed by brewer Kerr Smith and has two beers ready….
Venice Ale
Our signature Amber Ale which we created right out of the gate. A unique blend of malt and hops crafted to perfection with love and lust. Not to mention a little help from the mighty Summit Hop.

June Gloom
Cloudy, like its namesake month, this superb Belgian White, a mix of half wheat and half barley, with a touch of coriander, makes this the perfect beer to chase those clouds away.

…..with two more (Dirty Blonde and Ink Chocolate Oatmeal Stout) in the pipeline.

There will be a release party sometime this month.

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In the Tap Lines for May 2011

The craft beer world just keeps expanding. Every time I think that I may have to post less, more beer and beer news arrives to save the day. Like Beer and Cupcakes. Here are the other highlights:

~ e-visits to three breweries in Indiana
~ video reviews of beers from New Planet
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my opinion on the craft beer world
~ my 2011 Beer challenge will enter the letter writing stage…
~ … and Session # 51 will pose an interesting view on the beer world
~ plus many more posts about new beers, beer products and breweries

Here are two events to get your May started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) May 2 – Library Alehouse with Stillwater beer and other exotic Belgian offerings

2) May 6 – Blue Palms Brewhouse with Triple Rock bringing SF goodies

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The Firkin for April 2011

Can a craft beer be crappy?

This was discussed back in February on the Appellation Beer blog. I could have made a snarky little comment on the post but I thought that I should let people know my full thoughts on the matter.

Yes, a craft beer can suck. It could be infected. It could be skunked. It could not taste the way the previous keg did and the next keg does. But that is the ONLY time that you can intelligently say that a beer is crappy.

All other times. And I mean ALL (sorry for the all caps, trying to be clear) the beer is not to your liking. It could use a hop that is not your favorite. The fruit could be too strong. The ABV could be too high. All problems of YOURS. The person sitting next to you loves that hop. It is his favorite. The fruit is that guy’s friends childhood memory of a tree in his parent’s backyard so the more the better and the beer geek next to him may think the ABV brings an additional note to the beer. So don’t loudly proclaim that the beer is crap.

Here is my suggestion. Tell everyone why you don’t like the beer. I don’t want you to lie and say that the beer is great just to keep craft brewers happy. I want you to explain why the beer isn’t to your liking. Those people that liked the beer(s) that you didn’t may have just had a beer that they didn’t cotton to. One that may be perfect for you.

Converse people. Don’t be a dittohead, don’t scream like a political pundit. Calmly verbalize your reaction to the beer. Then we all learn. I may find out that are tastes are similar and you had a great beer last month that I should try. But if you say, Wow this blows. I’m going to think you’re an idiot.

Seriously, if you can’t convince a fellow geek about a beer’s worthiness then how do you think you can tell your bartender, your publican, your distributor or you local brewer what to have on tap.

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Captain Sour

One of the many breweries that I wish I had more of is Captain Lawrence. And they have a barrel select series that I wish I could get a bottle from each release. Now they have cherry AND raspberry coming after 4 years of resting peacefully in oak.

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a new(er) BoHo

BoHo is one of the beer places that are integral to a craft beer eco-system. They provide a solid list of overlooked beers that go well with food (which they do well, by the way).

So when I saw what looked like a move in the works, I worried at first that they would be going away or morphing into a more mainstream establishment.

Thankfully, they have kept the decor, menu and great beer list with recent taps being Anchor Summer, Cismontane Citizen and Oskar Blues G’Knight to a new location in the Hollywood & Highland complex.

So now tourists will be able to grab an authentic American craft brew while visiting us and if you are in Los Angeles, you should give it a try. Chris Sobolewski does an excellent job with 24 taps and is growing a bottle collection that will augment the kegs nicely.

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Don’t put your tongue on it

Now that I have either intrigued you or disgusted you with that title. Here is worse news (especially for your palate).

Just read the website copy, “What is a Beer Froster? A beer froster is a specially-designed refrigerator (well, technically a freezer) that holds beer at 24 degrees… the absolute coldest temperature a beer can get without freezing! Not to be confused with any other appliance, the beer froster gets beer cold and holds it there at that exact, perfect magic temperature!

There are wine refrigerators for wine, and now beer frosters for beer. If you like chilled beer, and you like your beer at its coldest and most refreshing, a beer froster is your newest favorite appliance! For beer as it was meant to be!”

I like “perfect magic temperature” but the last line is the best “as it was meant to be”. Nope and nope. That line of copy is as brazenly wrong as the triple hopped whopper we’ve been served in too many commercials.

Just get a regular ‘fridge.

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Galaxy Quest

Here is the press release for the latest Brothers Reserve…
“Since 1984, Kurt and Rob Widmer have been dedicated to creating the deliciously American and European-style beers. The Brothers’ Reserve Series is a showcase fo their innovative skills and creative passion for craft brewing.

Galaxy Hopped Barleywine is a new take on an old favorite. This beer pours a dark crimson, almost mahogany color. The yeast and Galaxy hops(TM) deliver a big bang of red and yellow fruit aromatics like banana, pineapple, cherry and strawberry. The experience begins with a taste of toffee and darkened sweet caramel overlaid on subtle tones of vanilla. All to be punctuated by the floral and citrus dry hop character.

I like the sound of a big barley wine that has hop fruity-ness to it.

Galaxy hops were bred in 1994 by Hop Products Australia. This company owns a hop garden called Rostrevor in North Eastern Victoria where they were grown for the first time. It’s now grown in both Victoria and Tasmania. It is a cross between an Australian female and a male Perle hop.”

This is the first I am seeing the Galaxy hop used unless it is hidden in another beer that I have. If you have tried it, let me know what you think.

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Session Fest

11 beers. All under 4.5 in alcohol. What does that equal?

A packed crowd at Eagle Rock Brewery.

the first flight

I was lucky enough to snag a stool at the crowded bar thanks to my buddy Johnny who got their before me. The first flight had my two favorites of the day. A Kolsch that was simply amazing and my gold medal winner and the Tarte Noir which was their Solidarity beer aged in wine barrels and soured with lacto. But there was a nice range of styles from a best bitter to saison to light red’s. Plus these were all homebrew, special 5 barrel recipes.

I am hoping that they continue doing these and that some of these end up on the regular menu.