Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Distilling at the Beachwood Brewing location in Bixby Knolls is coming soon. As I have posted about earlier, the former Liberation Brewing space is to be the distilling HQ for Beachwood and a recent social media post had this to say…
“Get ready for specialty cocktails with Beachwood’s house-distilled gin, vodka, and rum, plus new delicious bites! And yes, we’re still pouring our award-winning craft beer.”
The team behind turning the the Leisure Town of Modern Times into Villains Brewery in Orange County will be giving the former Portuguese Bend space a do-over, with former Blinking Owl master distiller Massimiliano Stecca at the still.
The Mosaic / Promenade is getting a new wave of producers such as the softly opened Altar Society, ISM Brewing taking over the Beachwood BBQ space and now the return of distilling after the acrimonious departure of the Portuguese Bend.
Turn over just might draw me as well as others to day trip.
I do not have anything riding on emojis. Do I sometimes use them? Yes. But if they went away tomorrow, my life would go on as Celine says.
So when I learned of the alembic emoji I thought it would be cool to use once or twice but in looking at the cartoon’d version of the ancient distilling tool, I was left scratching my head. I would have guessed hookah or chemistry set before still, ancient or not. Maybe they should stick with a column still.
I know what you are thinking, first all the gin talk crept into the blog, then bourbon back in September and now brandy? Yes, but this is brandy made here in Los Angeles by Benny Boy.
Let me preface by saying I am by no means a brandy master. What I can do is give you my thoughts on it in comparison to beer, cider and bourbon.
The initial nose is a touch hot but not in an unpleasant clear the sinus way. Then there is a big sweet and juicy apple cider note. You are getting apple brandy for sure. The taste is quite viscous and sweet. Almost asking to be part of a cocktail that can provide a counterpoint. I would have liked a barrel component here or maybe a spice note to counteract the sweet of the apple juice. But maybe with a year or two of age, this might find a sweet spot.
Like clockwork, I will see something on the social media and the beer travel bug will strike, sometimes it is brewing and distilling. Which leads to Crux Fermentation meeting Pursuit Distilling and me wanting to travel to Bend again.
As is often the case with Strand Brewing, they tease a new venture in advance and then it gets a little lost before it comes to fruition.
I posted about their distilling a few months back and now, as you can see from the photo, whiskey and vodka under the Strand moniker has arrived.
Available at their taproom to go.
The second distilling stop is New Holland. Much like the first stop, Rogue, they are an old school longtime craft brewer. Let’s dive into a pair of spirits matched with a pair of beers.
Barrel Aged Knickerbocker Gin – “Knickerbocker Gin, conditioned in spent New Holland Spirits barrels, makes a delicious barrel-aged gin. Toasty notes from the spirit-soaked wood accentuate the vibrant juniper character and provide a deep and smooth contrast to the lively aromatics.”
Cabin Fever Brown Ale – “Cabin Fever is a roasty brown ale and a hearty, comforting companion for long, mind-bending winters.”
Beer Barrel Rye – “Putting our bourbon in Dragon’s Milk barrels worked so well, that we wanted to see what it would do to rye whiskey. Beer Barrel Rye takes a similar journey through new American oak barrels before getting the Dragon’s Milk barrel treatment. Aromas of vanilla and allspice lead to flavors of honey and almond, before a lingering, spicy finish.”
Fear Cognac Barrel Aged Baltic Porter – “The base beer for Fear is a baltic porter, brewed with figs and aged in hand-selected Cognac barrels for one full year before being finished with vanilla to provide a complex assortment of decadent flavors. This release represents the self-doubt and fear of failure that accompanies a pursuit of change.”
Temecula has come to Eagle Rock in the form of Relentless Brewing. I have spoken with the folks behind the bar, restaurant and distillery but here are my first impressions…
The corner space is a bit small with a reverse L shaped bar fronted by a few stools with crown cap seats (which I thought was a nice design touch). There are a few tables in front with a garage door that can be opened onto Colorado Boulevard. With the tables and stools filed, the place can get a bit loud. That volume and the liquor bottles on shelves make this look on initial blush like a regular cocktail bar.
Beer wise it is primarily other local beers now. Relentless soft opened during L.A. Beer Week so having options like Imperial Western, Lincoln, Indie, Smog City and Boomtown was a smart go since they did not have their own beers available in quantity yet. They have around 18 taps and the beer menu is divided into light and refreshing, malty, hoppier and sours and funks.
The only house beers were in the hoppy and sour categories. I ordered Blitz Storm Hazy but it was out and bartender somewhat weirdly recommended an Offshoot Hazy instead of something from their own line. So I picked out an IPA and a sour to taste. Below are my mini-reviews…
Dank You So Much – OK. Piney, West Coast. Sticky. Some citrus peel, a skosh bit of butter
Tequila My Vibe – quite tart. Guava forward. Pretty cocktail color. Tequila barrel doesn’t really show. Maybe some apricot and really light peach
As ubiquitous as fruit in hoppy IPA’s, is hops in cider. But more rare, is hops in spirits. But Double Mountain of Hood River (and Portland) has come out with Oregon Oak aged whiskey that is infused with a combo of Cascade and Apollo hops. That sounds like a good start to a craft beer cocktail.
Looks like DTLA will be gaining another distiller. Our/Vodka will be opening at the end of the month. I missed a preview but this is what to look for in the vodka aisle….
The distillery is backed by drinks company Pernod Ricard and is the 9th in the chain that stretches from Houston to Paris to Detroit with locals involved in each locale.
Once recovered from L.A. Beer Week, I will see if I can sneak in a visit.