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Starting tonight you have three chances to get some of this year’s 16th anniversary ale from Firestone-Walker.
Chance # 1
BottleRock in Culver City 7-10pm Firestone flight with XVI TONIGHT!
Chance # 2
We are also having XVI poured at the Daily Pint on Nov 29th. 8+ Firestone Beers on tap plus XVI and DDBA. Beginning at 7pm
Chance # 3
We’re doing a XVI party at Steingarten on Nov 30th around 7pm. Dave Watrous has stocked up some goodies to pour alongside XVI.
I had the fun opportunity to steward at a home brew competition last weekend. And after doing so, I highly recommend that other beer geeks do the same.
It was the Pacific Brewers Cup…..
As the website explains, “This year marks the 16th-Annual Pacific Brewers Cup Homebrew Competition. The competition is hosted on a rotating basis by the Strand Brewers’ Club, Pacific Gravity in Culver City, and the Long Beach Homebrewers.”
I was stationed at this table….
There was three sub-categories to this group and it was my job to keep the beer flowing to the judges and to do the other little things to make their jobs easier like having enough water and cups and bread on the table. And since I had only two judges (some tables had six!), that job wasn’t super stressful.
It is interesting to watch others judge a beer so specifically to style guidelines and then be able to taste it yourself to match it up against what comments the judges were making. This style is not wide with many variables so it makes the job somewhat easier if the beer doesn’t hew to the norm. But it also means that you will get many beers that are closer together taste wise.
Thanks to the home brew clubs for putting this event together and letting me see behind the scenes.
Best of Show
Congratulations to Kingsley Toby & Brian Holter for their Belgian Dark Strong Ale! (You may know them as Pipe Dream Brewery)
High Point Club
Congrats to this year’s High Point Club winner Pacific Gravity!
You can check out the full list of winners HERE. (You will notice that Kip from the forthcoming L.A. Ale Works and Chris who is new at the recently new on tap Ohana have numerous mentions!)
“Stone Brewing Co. may be celebrating its sweet 16 this year, but true fans know that the brewery’s aggressively-flavored bitter ales are anything but sweet. To commemorate the happy (hoppy?) day, Stone is releasing Stone 16th Anniversary IPA on August 13, and will hold its annual 16th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival August 17 and 18. One hundred percent of the profits from the festival will be donated to local charities including: Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, Fight ALD, Palomar Family YMCA, and Surfrider Foundation.
The two-day event begins Friday, August 17 with the Brewers Reception held on the grounds of California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). The $75 ticket price includes a commemorative glass, tastings of special beers, meet and greet with the world-class brewers featured at the festival, and complimentary gourmet fare and live music. The Stone 16th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival is also held at CSUSM and tickets are $40 per person, per session – Session A is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Session B is 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Festival features more than 40 breweries and 100 beers, as well as the infamous Arrogant Bastard Ale onion rings, complimentary homebrewed sodas, and samples of Mike’s Beer Cheese. Ticket holders will receive a commemorative tasting glass with 10 four-ounce samples. All Access Pass/Rare Beer Section tickets have already sold out.”