American Craft Beer Week – Beer Search Party

American Craft Beer Week starts tomorrow!

I tell fans of #independent beer to make a point of visiting one brewery and one quality beer bar during the week. You can hit up the website HERE, to find specific events in your area.

May 14, 2017August 28, 2018

Directions for Craft Beer Week

Time to celebrate local, independent craft beer. Here is one way to do that…

Have a great American Craft Beer Week!

May 16, 2016August 30, 2018

All 50

Maybe this is an idea that could become a yearly endeavor with a new set of 50 breweries each year.
Screen Shot 2016-04-30 at 12.39.24 PM A single recipe is produced/procured/part of a contest? and then each chosen brewery makes their particular version. Ambitious whale hunters could try to track them down and (nab the bottle caps for their American Cap Map). A new charity could be picked each year and maybe have a tour across America or have a separate booth at the Great American Beer Festival.

Why am I spitballing ideas? Because of this cool project started with Declaration Brewing Company that has teamed up the Brewer’s Association that has recruited over 105 breweries in all 50 states to brew a beer for American Craft Beer Week which runs from May 16th to 22nd this year. Under the hashtag of #biggestsmallbeerever it will be brewed to honor a Colorado brewer Paul Ogg who was diagnosed with peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma.

May 16, 2016August 30, 2018

Guess What Starts Today?

CraftBeer.com's American Craft Beer Week from Brewers Association on Vimeo.

May 11, 2015August 31, 2018

Craft Beer Week 2015

I have never been super clear about what American Craft Beer Week is supposed to accomplish. Here in L.A., the festival season is starting to swell by the time the week rolls around. This year ACBW is from May 11-17th. But there are events aplenty before, during and after that would still go on whether there was an ACBW or not.

No knock on the idea but I think it needs to be more about celebrating the beer weeks that are everywhere nowadays. The ACBW should be the place to go for information on what makes a beer week great, what should be avoided, how a consumer should navigate the myriad of events and the like. Plus an up-to-date schedule of nationwide beer weeks would be nice.

Maybe I am one of those guys that is too jaded and hates the fact that every day has some obscure celebration attached to it. Frankly, I don’t give a crap about May the Fourth Be With You Day or National Stapler Appreciation Friday. If I like craft beer, I like it all year. Not just for a week.

You can check out the fancy graphic created for the week HERE. Below is the USA Today style blurb on California.
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May 14, 2013September 11, 2018

Firestone-Walker gets Surly

Two things that will convince you to be at…

1. David Walker in attendance.
2. He has kegs of XIV, XV, and XVI.
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Be there at 7pm sharp!

May 21, 2012September 12, 2018

#ACBW12 in review

The week began in flight. A flight of Craftsman beers in Highland Park at Maximilliano. Three of which I hadn’t had before including Ochre (a sour ale), Point Five (the session IPA), Juniper (made with, you guessed it juniper) and the new Maximilliano House beer which is on a 1903 lager base but with oregano added. It is the one on the far left in the photo below.

Tuesday was a double shot. Finished at the Pub at Golden Road and had some Double Jack and Parabola from 2010 in Burbank at Tony’s Darts Away during Firestone-Walker night.

Wednesday was Beer Belly and the Bruery, hello again Fruet!

I also got a taste of Carmen with cranberries. Though not as sour as Filmishmish this was two distinct sour notes. One from the beer and one from the fruit.

I took Thursday and Friday off in preparation for two events on Saturday. First was the Farmer’s Market FestivAle at Blue Palms and second was the Eagle Rock Session Fest.

Blue Palms put quite the menu together in honor of fruit and vegetables. . Of the beers that I sampled the Honey Bee Hefe from nearby Golden Road was my favorite. Lost some of the hefe-ness but made up for it with a strong honey and pollen taste. And it was beautifully cloudy. I was a bit disappointed by the Almanac Fennel Biere de Mars and the Magnolia Gruit but the Ballast Point Winter San Salvador with all San Diego ingredients was quite nice though heavy on the bay leaves.

Then lastly on to Session Fest at Eagle Rock and boy was I shocked by how much I enjoyed the two beers that I had. By far the most flavorful and interesting of 2012. I started with the Citrus Basil Party and it was just that. Both ingredients there in ample amounts but not over the top. Light and refreshing and a pretty yellow. (Though not as pretty as the pink Kolsch). I followed that up with the Brett-a-Colada which was fantastic. Funky light farmhouse nose and initial taste followed by a wallop of coconut and fruit and then a gentle cooking spice note. Really interesting take that I enjoyed.