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Ambitious Ales and Far Field Brewing has put a spin on the traditional collaboration with their new West Coast IPA, Gold Brothers. It is the “Same recipe. 24 hours. Two different brew systems.” And two different labels for the brew hopped with Citra, Nelson, and Citra Dynaboost.
Some months, the best of is better than others. This month, I had three beers that just bowled me over. And they were not one style, they were all over the spectrum. I will go in order of drinking them and not rank since they are within a hair of each other.
First was the 2024 version of Topa Topa Brewing’s Howler DIPA. No ordinary hop attack, this is a coffee DIPA with beans from Dune Coffee and it was a two-pronged attack of coffee and hops in equal measure.
Second is a three way collaboration from Brewyard Beer Co., Ambitious Ales and Five Point Five Brewing. The beer is a fruited pastry beer. No stout, no sour just a Filipino driven ode to JolliBee named Jolli beer and it was spot on. Crust and mango combined.
Finally, Long Beach Beer Lab had an excellent winter ale named Amburana for the wood the beer was aged in. Spiced up with cinnamon and hearty without being overly heavy. A great example of a winter warmer.
It has been a bitter November so let’s dive into some hops to console ourselves. And let’s keep it in the Los Angeles family and within low 7% abv too.
Los Angeles Ale Works Steady Coastin’ West Coast IPA – 7% – “Crisp with notes of juicy melon, berry, sweet fruit, and fresh pineapple.”
Brown Soul Brewing Juguito Hazy IPA – 7.1% – “inspired by our very own Chef Hugo, who many have come to know affectionately, as “Juice”, this hazy IPA packs a punch”
Ambitious Ales Frodo Foggins Hazy IPA – 7.2% – “we took the base of our NZ style Pils and beefed it up into a mighty foggy one! Pillowy soft with lots of juicy character the Freestyle Hops Motueka and Kohia Motueka Hop Kief are bursting with notes of lime sherbert, starbursts and tropical fruit.”
Ambitious Ales is teaming with Bixby Knolls neighbor Bel Canto Books to present the 3rd Boozy Book Fair on Sunday, November 17 from 12-5PM. The third B along with beer and books is BBQ as Smoked and Salted will on site with their Filipino Fusion-Texas Style BBQ.
Three Filipino American-owned Los Angeles breweries, Ambitious Ales in Bixby Knolls, Brewyard Beer Co. in my hood of Glendale and Five Point Five Brewing in El Segundo have tri-collaborated to brew a new beer in celebration of Filipino American History Month.
It is Jolli Beer a peach and mango lager inspired by the one and only Peach Mango Pie.
This might not be a one-off either as the “MaBrewhay Collective” aims to “continue to contribute to the ever-evolving Filipino American Story.”
More Oktoberfest beers from SoCal? You read my mind. We head south to Bixby Knolls and then further south to Orange for two more to look for. First up is Ambitious Ales and right below that is the Chapman Crafted seasonal…
This month we are staying in California for our beer shopping list but we will travel far when it comes to different styles so buckle up.
Enegren 13th Anniversary Czech-Style Amber Lager – 4.8% – This lager features a perfect blend of malt sweetness and mild bitterness, offering flavors of caramel, toasted bread, and a hint of spice. Crafted to honor our legacy, it boasts a clean, crisp finish that leaves you wanting more.”
21st Amendment Hell or High Twilight – 5.6% – “a citrus wheat ale brewed with sweet orange peel and natural flavor.” The latest in the Hell or series.
Ambitious Ales / Riip Beer All in the HIIPS – West Coast IPA – 7.2% – “Making a WCIPA that was truly a balance of both our house brewing styles. Starting with a super pale malt base to showcase the massive punch of Mosaic and Riwaka we threw in both the kettle and dry hop, then just a kiss of Hop Kief to round it out! Booming with big notes of dankness, pink grapefruit, melon, and fruit from the tropics!”
Loston Bahger new from Ambitious Ales is a bit of a tongue twister and spell checker but is also a nice homage to the OG amber lager from a certain East Coast brewery. Might be a good choice for those that want a summer beer but with a little more heft to it.
Ambitious Ales is coming up on anniversary # 5. They have a lovely taproom in the Bixby beer corridor that you should really visit, especially if you are an IPA fan or a fan of fives.
I bet feathers weren’t flying but obvious hops were when Ambitious Ales met up with ISM Brewing.
Inside the colorful cans is a “West Coast IPA with El Dorado Incognito, HBC 586, Simcoe, Nectaron and Terpenes.”