Tag: beer shopping list

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Sean Suggests for September 2023

Small town breweries can get lost when you live in the big city of Los Angeles but sometimes you have to drive away and find the out of the way spots. Here are three worthy of trying….

Heater Allen Bobtoberfest – 5.6% – from my college town of McMinnville comes this excellent example of a festbier from brewer Lisa Allen.

Bright Spark Good Natured Saison – 6.6% – giving off flavors of clove, yarrow flower and peach from a family owned brewery just south of downtown Ventura.

RT Rogers The Crystal Gazers Hazy IPA – 6.7% – The Monrovia brewery tucked up in the mountains has joined the haze craze with this new IPA.

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Sean Suggests for July 2023

Los Angeles Ale Works Leisureland Lager – 4.7% – “Classic, crisp and clean at 4.7% ABV, you could say that this is “beer flavored beer” featuring subtle cracker flavors, floral aromas and minimal (but lingering) bitterness.”

MadeWest TRZ Flip Pale Ale – 6% – “X Games are coming to town and have inspired this brand new West Coast Extra Pale Ale hopped with Mosaic and HBC 586 from @yakimachief! This epic duo delivers bright citrus and ripe tropical fruit with notes of passion fruit and papaya.”

Trademark Brewing Neon Enigma DDH West Coast IPA – ??% – “A bright, flashy can bursts open – popping aromas of raspberry and white wine – while a dazzling trio of Enigma, Simcoe, and Cashmere dance with nuanced flavors of mango, tangerine and a touch of stone fruit.”

As a summer bonus, be on the lookout for this anniversary beer from Beachwood….

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Sean Suggests for June 2023

We are going full on L.A. Beer Week beers for this month’s shopping list. From two Freaky Friday South Bay friends to a Crenshaw collaboration.

El Segundo Squirrel-Toothed Tiger – 6.7% – “We went hoppier, Americanier, and, dare we say, downright more majestic than a pre-historic squirrel on their best day. Sure, the tiger may look friendly, albeit a little funny, but it remains a tiger with an inherent instinct to kill nonetheless!”

Crowns & Hops / Los Angeles Ale Works Down Crenshaw IPA – 7% – Mosaic, Nelson and Enigma hops headline this dank West Coast IPA Boulevard.

Smog City Smogberry IPA – 7.2% – Smog City re-imagines the iconic Mayberry IPA.

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In the Tap Lines for May 2023

It has been a colder than usual spring here in L.A., heck the whole West Coast. No joke but it snowed in Portland on April 1st. Let’s dive into a month of beer fun with shorts on.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from the upcoming Firestone Walker Invitational

~ special featured reviews of whatever is new in my ‘fridge

~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events

~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark

~ A Book & A Beer reads Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Doctor Dante

~ Sports & A Beer returns with the proliferation of team jerseys

~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month

~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

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Sean Suggests for April 2023

We are going to stick to SoCal but let the styles wander all over the place this month.

Ogopogo Outnumber the Downs Pilsner – 4.5% – A West Coast Pilsner brewed with Northern Pine Brewing.

Trademark Morning Drive Coffee Cream Ale – 5% – “light in body with an aromatic coffee punch.”

Societe Flashback Time IPA – 7.2% – “a virtual collision of juicy flavors and hoppy infatuation.”

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Sean Suggests for March 2023

This month’s trio is brought to you by the letter S for Spring. Also the letter C for California.

Riip Brewing Solo Triip IPA – 6.8% – “The next adventure in our single hop series focuses on one of the most ubiquitous hops in the world, Mosaic.”

Beachwood / Urban Roots Steely Jam IPA – 7.1% – “A collaboration between Beachwood and Urban Roots, Steely Jam is a hoptacular riffage using sustained chords of Strata, Mosaic and Mosaic Cryo hops.”

HiDef Brewing Spring Reverb – 7.45% – “Barrel aged mixed culture fruited sour with a mild pleasant funk, tart and crisp. Fruited with peach, raspberry and passion fruit.”

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Sean Suggests for February 2022

This month, heading into lighter beers. Even the over 7% choice is guava-fied putting it into more refreshing territory. To either ease out of big barrel-aged beers or into beer after a month off.

Westmalle Extra – 4.8% – “Golden blond ale, refreshing, loaded with flavor, fairly light-bodied.”

All Season Brewing Are We There Yet? IPA – 6.7% – the new IPA project for the Mid-City brewery.

Figueroa Mountain Guava Point Conception IPA – 7.2% – “One of our favorite IPAs amped up with fresh guava.“

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Sean Suggests for January 2023

Let’s take a little drive around SoCal to taste all sorts of hops from Noble to un-named and Pilsner to IIPA to start the year off right.

Bottle Logic – Semplicitá Italian Pilsner – 5.2% “Saphir and Saaz hops tout delicate aromas of pine and white flowers and transition to the palate with an up-front bitterness. It lingers for a moment and folds into the fresh bready sweetness of the malt base with a medium-light body and effervescent carbonation.”

El Segundo Brewing – Simcoe West Coast IPA – 6.8% – “Once again, we love a hop so much, we had no choice but to name a beer after it. Simcoe’s been around since 2000, making it a classic hop of the West Coast IPA. There’s been plenty of hops that have made a splash since then, but Simcoe has a certain… je ne sais quoi that keeps us coming back for more.”

Ogopogo Brewing / Harland Beer Co. – Merlion 2 DDH Hazy IIPA – 8.5% – “With Citra, Incognito Citra, HBC 586 and HBC 586 Cryo.”

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Sean Suggests for November 2022

Three beers that will have you traveling all over SoCal. But each of these three beers would work well with your Holiday meal choices.

Malibu Brewing Company Railway Rye Pale Ale – 5.6% – “This gorgeous ale boasts rye-spiced richness and balanced bitterness, the perfect transition from Summer to Fall.”⁠

Trademark Brewing Get Toasty Hot Chocolate Porter – 5.8% – “Get warm and toasty with this Hot Chocolate Porter made with Letterpress Chocolate cacao nibs.  A roast-toasty body and silky smooth finish will carry you away.”

Radiant Beer Co. Home With You Hazy IPA – 6.8% – “This fresh & fruity hazy will bring cheer to any table.  Featuring a lush combination of Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Amarillo & Cashmere hops, this juice bomb hugs you with notes of mango, tangerine, peach and a hint of strawberry.”

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Sean Suggests for October 2022

Staying in Los Angeles this month with three pretty big beers.  One is the definite outlier but fits the spooky season for sure.

Angel City Saisonic Ritual – 7.2% – “Featuring 1,000 pounds of Pinot Noir grape must and skins fermented with a demonic farmhouse saison that is just in time for Halloween. We aimed to blend beer making and the dark arts to bring about a dry saison with just enough wine grape flavor to keep the ritual going.”

El Segundo Octo Brew Hazy DIPA – 8% – the final beer in the Octo series is a hazy DIPA loaded with Citra, Simcoe and CTZ Cryo hops.

Common Space Hey Big Guy Triple IPA – 10% – “lemongrass, kiwi, dank.”