Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
The California Craft Beer Summit started yesterday but the first full day of events in Long Beach start today and to celebrate 30 years of California brewing, there is a celebratory beer, 30 Years Strong brewed with a group led by Three Weavers.
Our first California stop, in honor of the California Craft Beer Summit in Long Beach is Flat Fish Brewing Company of not-so far away Camarillo.
Here are some of their IPA choices with the last two scheduled to be on tap at the CCBA Fest.
Long Drift IPA – ” Get a fresh bite of peach fuzz out of this one as the Mosaic comes forward through the aroma and enhances its juicy palate. The Citra provides a refreshing citrus-forward, west coast signature. Don’t miss the Simcoe bittering addition that gives a hint of berry!”
Pelican Bay IPA – ” This beer is a showcase for Simcoe and Amarillo hops used throughout the brewing process. The combination delivers a clean light tropical profile with plenty of bitterness for a nice finish. The Pelican Bay malt bill is a little lighter than the Long Drift IPA.”
Turbot Charge Double Red IPA – ” Bite into the dense layered hops in this Red Double IPA. Clocking in at 95 IBUs of well-integrated hops and a solid malt backbone!”
You have less than a week to jump on the Early Bird pricing for this year’s California Craft Beer Summit. This is a great chance to learn, try a wide range of California brewed beer or to visit the thriving Long Beach beer scene.
I know you are probably tired of Festival info by now but for those in SoCal who are looking into going to the California Craft Summit Beer Festival, this brewery LIST should be perused.
And here is my choice of breweries to check out that day…
Bike Dog, Burgeon, Moksa Brewing, Seabright, Seaward, Temescal and Urban Roots have me the most interested.
I do not envy the people at the CCBA who have to read through the muck of legislative bills and even in California there are those who seem willing to slide bills in that benefit the big corporations over our plucky little band of independent brewers.
Head over to this PAGE to see what is afoot in regards to the brewer and retailer relationship. If you are the kind that calls their local politicians, then you might want to raise your voice here.
With the California Craft Brewers using Long Beach for their annual Summit, we will be getting an influx of breweries in town. Here is the 1st post of many events that will be outside the meeting… (this one at Long Beach Beer Lab)
Looks like a flight to the state capital will NOT be needed next year. Why? The annual California Craft Brewers blow-out will be held in Long Beach in 2019!
I went to the 1st ever Summit and it was great. Sacramento has a terrific beer scene. One that I will visit again. But flying and hotel’ing is not as easy as say, riding the Blue Line to Long Beach.
Even if I don’t get a media pass, I will be there. The discussion and brewing topics are great. The convention floor is filled with a tremendous amount of beer from across the state and the food and beer pairing is always strong. And a shout out to Bart Watson, he is always great with his presentations. If he is there, you should be too.
Beer is in the California chambers of Sacramento power again. Two different bills are wending their way through the Senate and Assembly.
As the Brewbound website reports….
“Senate Bill 1283 would allow brewpubs with “Type 75” licenses — retail restaurant licenses with brewing privileges (between 100 and 5,000 barrels annually) — to sell their products for off-premise consumption. The bill would also give brewpub operators the chance to donate product to nonprofits, for beer festivals and other community events. The measure would also tighten the requirements for obtaining the license, however.”
Meanwhile, under Assembly Bill 2573, on-premise retailers would be allowed to accept up to 10 cases of free glassware per year from beer manufacturers. The bill caps the amount of glassware a bar or restaurant could accept at five cases per brewery, and prohibits retailers “from conditioning the purchase of a beer manufacturer’s product or products on the giving of retail advertising glassware.””
Thankfully the California Craft Brewers group has been involved to make sure that these bills would close loopholes and not give too much power to one set of constituents.
That first bill is being backed, in part, by the ABC group who would be able to sell their beer to-go. West & 6th beer in crowlers or Bluebird Brasserie Belgian beers in bottles. It also makes the benefit of that license tilt toward actual beer producers as opposed to being a back door to liquor sales. I read the latter bill thinking that someone at SABInBev had tried to sneak through a much higher glassware count and had their hand slapped to a much smaller amount, and that is exactly what happened. They will push wherever they can and hope no one is watching.
Look for these to be voted on sometime this month.
Sometimes you need the bargaining power that a group can bring. And seeing as how, I am in the seat of California power, Sacramento, it seemed fitting to talk a bit about how the California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) has used it’s weight to to get health care benefits for member breweries (if they so want). Thus helping small businesses gain access to coverage that nna have been too costly on a single brewery basis.
I tout the community of craft beer and I usually mean between brewery and customer. But that community extends to brewery to employee as well. Per Tom McCormick, the executive Director of the CCBA, there are over 15,000 people working to make beer. And I, selfishly, want them in top health and making me beer.
To learn more visit right HERE.