El Lúpolo And St. Patrick

After reading this fun piece on the cocktail El Lúpolo

I started to think about the beer fads like beer cocktails that came and went but should still be part of a beer fans repertoire. First to come to mind was beer floats which would work especially well today with St. Patrick’s not being the brewery party this year. Get some Guinness or a nitro stout and pair it with some artisanal ice creams.

Another MIA fad is pairing beer and chocolate . On the few occasions that beer pairings are talked about, it is usually with cheese but chocolate needs to get a few more chances to intermingle flavors.

Keep experimenting even without the fad seal of approval.

#LABW5 Pick of the Night – Friday 9/20

Screen shot 2013-09-07 at 8.04.35 AM

Each morning throught L.A. Beer Week, I will give you my Pick of the Night.  The ONE event I think rises to the top of the list.  Some days that choice will be harder and there might be 1A and 1B’s (if I get wishy-washy).  I will endeavor to pick events you can just head out to.  But if tickets are required, I will mention it.  But expect crowds.  Craft beer and craft beer in L.A. is popular.

Friday Night and I am ready for a float, a beer float at….

Peddler’s & Ales at Verdugo Bar

The Beer list of the Verdugo + Peddler’s hand crafted ice cream + the outdoor patio on a September Night = a fun time.

LA Beer Week – Report # 2

The 2nd Beer Float Showdown presented by FoodGPS and held at the Verdugo was a rousing success with a bunch of people taking the leap into the realm of beer and ice cream.

Four competitors created really original floats with most involving fruit beers. Here are the four floats in pictorial form.

# 1 from Ladyface Brasserie

# 2 from Simmzy’s

# 3 from Boneyard Bistro
Here is the description of the winning float, “Boneyard Bistro bar manager Rory Snipes made a float using Floris Apple, Bourbon-salted caramel-cinnamon ice cream, and a garnish of green apple coated with caramel cinnamon crumble.” Since it was such a hit, it may end up on the regular menu.

# 4 from Tony’s Darts Away

float photos courtesy of the Rosen Film Institute

Since there is no such thing as too much ice cream or too much beer, next stop was Scoops on Monday night for some incredible artisanal ice cream made with beer as a highlighted ingredient. I had the apricot/Chimay which was really good. You got a both fruit and beer solidly. The Hazelnut Lost Coast combo also worked wonders.

To further tempt you to go, here are some photos of the deliciousness… (Double click the photos to see the combinations)

Beer Float Showdown

ticket

All I had to do was sample (4) Beer floats for charity. The most interesting was the Bruery Berliner Weiss with Raspberry Yuzu sorbet. The best overall was the Old Rasputin with Brown Bread ice cream.

Beer Float

I am so ahead of the curve. I have a beer & dessert tasting with floats made with HUB 7 Grain Stout and Maui Coconut Porter now this is happening….

The Golden State/Scoops vs. BottleRock/Milk in L.A. Beer Float Showdown

Posted July 3, 2009 at 9:50 am on FOOD GPS

The Golden State caused a sensation when co-owners Jason Bernstein and James Starr introduced beer floats to Los Angeles. They combined Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout with Scoops ice cream. BottleRock LA recently entered the float fray when resident beer expert Alex Macy decided to mix-and-match Milk ice cream with beers from their 18 taps. One of his signature floats: Ommegang Rouge with cherry sorbet.

On July 26 at 3:30 PM, come to Blue Palms Brewhouse and help to choose a champion in the first L.A. Beer Float Showdown. Everybody who attends is allowed to vote on two beer floats from each competitor. Four total. A score sheet will allow every attendee to judge the beer floats according to flavor and originality. The competitors are currently working on their flavor combinations and won’t reveal them until the showdown.

Tickets cost $23 if you RSVP to joshua@foodgps.com prior to the event. Pay in cash at the door. Day-of admission is $28, but there’s no guarantee we’ll have space left, so be sure to RSVP now.

Proceeds cover the cost of the beer and ice cream, but the bulk of the money goes to charity. The L.A. Beer Float Showdown benefits 826LA, the non-profit writing and tutoring program for kids 6-18, founded by author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari.

Hope to see you at Blue Palms Brewhouse as we continue to build the L.A. beer community.