Tag: brewery tour

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December Brewery # 3 – 2 Row Brewing

For our final e-brewery tour, we head out to Utah and 2 Row Brewing in Midvale that began life as both a bottle shop and nano brewery.

24K Golden – this golden ale is “Well balanced, clean and crisp with soft malty sweetness.”

Tastes Like Citrus IPA – “The first of its kind in Utah and winner of the Utah Beer Blog Best Beer in Utah Award in 2017. The “New England-style” IPA is designed to have every bit the amount of hop character as any IPA, but with little to no bitterness. The result is the perfect balance of juicy and citrus flavors.”

Dangereux Farmhouse – “A strong saison but dangerously smooth for its ABV. Belgian yeast character that is both fruity and spicy. Notes of wheat and citrus.”

Divine Lunacy Barrel-Aged Belgian Quad – take a big Belgian quadrupel and age it in bourbon barrels.

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December Brewery # 1 – Blackjack Brewing

Santa Claus is making a stop in Manchester, England for our first brewery tour of December at Blackjack Brew Co.

Here are some options for Mr. Claus that might be better than milk….

Irk Street Pale Ale – “Quenching citrus hop flavour balanced against a simple malt bill.”

Jack in the Box Blonde Ale – “Pithy, earthy citrus notes with a slight caramel malt backbone.”

Dancing Saloon Hazy Pale Ale – “Big juicy flavours, in particular Sunny D orange, give way to a sweet malt body.”

Irwell Depths Nitro Stout – “Bitter malt flavours, suggesting bitter chocolate and coffee.”

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GABF Medalist Brewery # 3 – Zeus Brewing Co.

Our last stop of November is in Poughkeepsie, New York and Zeus Brewing Co. which was brewery of the year in the smallest size category.

Let’s sample a few of their brews….

Second Wind – “A Golden Saison brewed with Pilsner, Wheat, and Honey Malts, a blend of French and Czech Noble Hops, and fermented extra dry with a clean, expressive French Strain of yeast. Bright and effervescent, offering subtle Citrus and Pepper-y Esters as a result of Free-Rise Fermentation.”

Urban Oasis: Lime Gose – “A classic German Sour Ale brewed with Lime and a touch of Sea Salt.”

Redwood – “A West Coast Double IPA brewed with a blend of 2-Row Barley and a handful of lightly kilned malts. This batch is dry-hopped with the classic Simcoe, and complimented by a new experimental hop from the team at West Coast Hop Breeding in Oregon, making for a Citrus & Pine forward beer with a dry and complex malt profile.”

Sleep No More – “A Coffee Stout Collab with our good friends at Area Coffee in Kingston, NY. Brewed with Chocolate, Caramel, and Biscuit Malts and Twice Infused with Area’s Fairchild Espresso, sourced from Chiapas, Mexico & the Guji Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.”

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GABF Medalist Brewery # 2 – Westbound & Down

Our second stop could be at any of the four Westbound & Down locations in Colorado. The brewery with locations in Denver, Lafayette, Idaho Springs and Basalt won six medals the most of any at GABF this year.

Here is a e-taster tray to whet your whistle….

Italian Pils – “A bright, floral hop aroma meets crisp crushable Pils from the use of Hallertau Blanc, Saphir, and Saaz with Italian grown pilsner malt.”

The Coloradan Mexican Lager – “Refreshing, clean and crisp. Brewed with South of the Border lager yeast, flaked maize and German Hallertau hops.”

Juice Caboose Hazy IPA – “Hazy IPA dry-hopped with copious amounts of Idaho 7, Mosaic and Strata. Oozing with notes of juicy pineapple, cara cara oranges and mango Hi-Chew candy.”

Coffee Porter – “Our American Porter with the addition of Sweet Bloom Coffee. Chocolate, roast, and espresso flavors inherent in our porter match up beautifully with the caramel, toffee and Tootsie Roll notes of Sweet Bloom’s coffee.”

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GABF Medalist Brewery # 1 – Upp Liquids

First stop Bend, Oregon and the medal powerhouse on the brewdeck, Tonya Cornett. The new brewery is Upp Liquids and they won Brewery and Brewer of the Year in the 251-500 Barrels size category.

Upp was formerly Immersion Brewing earlier this year but have found a new path with cheeky social media posts and obviously great beer like…

Dollar Kitten Rice Lager – “A crisp, clean lager with a light body & whisper of sweetness that makes it deliciously easy to drink. Brewed for balance, it finishes dry with a touch of floral hop character.”

First Upp Hazy IPA – “A juicy, hazy IPA with tropical fruit flavors and soft bitterness from Eldorado, Strata, and Simcoe hops.”

Chasin’ Sunsets Yuzu Ginger Tart Ale – “Bright, tangy, and spicy sour ale with yuzu and ginger.”

Buzz Box Honey Tart Ale – “An ale blended with Ulmo, a rare Patagonian honey. Appreciate the complexity without the heaviness. This is a vibrant expression of place and craft.”

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In the Tap Lines for November 2025

We are heading into the silly season of American holidays from the just completed Halloween to Thanksgiving and then the grandaddy of them all, Christmas. As per protocol, once Thanksgiving has been given its proper due, we will start in on the Christmas seasonal beer celebrations.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from GABF Medal Winning breweries

~ special featured reviews of random beers from the ‘fridge as well as a Winter Ale or two

~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, well, still deciding which to pick from the TBR pile

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Doctor Who – The Missing Episodes

~ Sports & A Beer returns with underwhelming Premier League teams

~ 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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MLB Playoff Brewery Tour # 3 – Here Today Brewery and Kitchen

Brewery # 2 this month was from Milwaukee which had just been eliminated by the Dodgers. Brewery # 3 is from a city that had the same fate, Seattle who fell in seven games to the Toronto Blue Jays (see brewery # 1 of this month tours).

The brewery is Here Today Brewery and Kitchen. Here are some beers for the Mariners fans who are in need of some consoling after a great season.

Patino Pils – “A snappy Bohemian-style pilsner, malt kissed and aromatic. Inspired by our friend, bar industry luminary Chris “Turtle” Patino.”

Milpa Especial – “Mexican Lager brewed w/masa harina & heirloom corn from Milpa Masa“

Jaguar Jade – “Hazy IPA brewed with corn, flavored with lime and salt”

Vector Shift – “Hazy IPA brewed w/ naturally captured yeast”

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MLB Playoff Brewery Tour # 1 – Left Field Brewery

We start at the #1 seed in the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays and what better place to start then at the Left Field Brewery.

Time to set the line-up of tasters…

Ice Cold Beer – “A crisp and refreshing all-natural craft ale made with 100% Ontario ingredients that’s seriously great.”

Mr. Oktober Fest Bier – “a smooth and clean, pale German lager with moderate malt flavour and light hop character. Showcasing elegant German malt flavours like bread crusts, honey, graham cracker, and lightly floral Tettnanger hops, with easy spice and citrus notes. Crisp and balanced.”

Home & Away Hazy IPA – “has aromas of guava, pineapple and grapefruit with pine and spice hop flavours up front, finishing with white peach and citrus pith flavours and a smooth, light mouthfeel.”

Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale – “This American Brown Ale finds its sweet spot with aromas of roasted malts, toasted nuts, a touch of bitterness, and a surprisingly creamy, smooth taste.”

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In the Tap Lines for October 2025

We are heading into back-to-back-to back holidays until the end of the year and we are heading into the same for craft beer. From Oktoberfest to Fresh Hop to Winter Ales, which should not be on shelves, Lookin’ at You, Deschutes.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from Baseball Playoff Cities

~ special featured reviews of two drastically different choices from Sierra Nevada Brewing

~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 The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to The Water Road

~ Sports & A Beer returns with NFL teams that have Regressed

~ 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.