Tag: DTLA

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Re-Visit – Modern Times Dankness Dojo

Say what you will about the naming conventions used by Modern Times or the large expansion they have undertaken but in the end it comes down to the beer and the experience in your spaces. And I felt it was time to re-visit the Dankness Dojo in DTLA to answer those two essential questions.

I finally got a day when it was not super packed. The small amount of bar stools means that unless you get there at the stroke of 11am, you probably won’t find a seat there is similar to finding parking in the DTLA central core.

There has never been a shortage of beers on offer here which I truly like. If you want to go IPA, well you will be busy but sours and stouts and even a dopplebock were also on offer. There is also a goodly number of collaborations from Wayfinder in Portland and Automatic in San Diego. Of all the beers, my absolute favorite was the Old Economy Oak Aged Dopplebock. Straightforward with a lovely burnished brown color. This is a big ABV beer that toed the line of sweetness and also was one you had to watch how fast you drank. The IPA’s all differentiated themselves though I was underwhelmed by the Max Single Hop IPA. This version was with Strata which I have been really digging lately. But this one fell flat for me. Wasn’t as bad as the Pastry Stout, Shadow Temple which was just a coconut conveyor belt.

I like the art, the ambience and though I wish the space was a touch larger, they have put in as much seating as possible and the beers were uniformly well made (if not to my taste).

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Kid Dangerous

Boomtown Brewery continues their Hazy series and this time it is dangerous as in LA Fashion company Kid Dangerous. If you like their fashion then the four-pack ($18), or tap versions should be just your type of risk.

Per the press release, the Hazy “will be full of delectable summer flavors like pineapples, ripe mango, and nectarines. Clocking in at a weighty 8.2%”.

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Point B then A and C

All of us could walk a little more.  Myself included more than once.  And I certainly walk faster when beer is involved but LA Beer Hop has higher minded goals than a simple brisk walk.  They have started Beer, Art and Culture (BAC) composed of…

“BEER – We walk to three breweries around Downtown that all have something incredibly unique to offer and do a beer tasting at each destination: Mumford (some of the highest rated beers in LA), Imperial Western (easily the prettiest brewery we’ve ever been to) and Arts District Brewing (a party favorite smack in the middle of the Arts District).

ART – Your Beer Guide will take you through the Arts District and give you a brief rundown of the history of the neighborhood along with introducing you to a few of the greatest and most Instagrammable pieces of wall art we have in LA.

CULTURE – Along our route, we’ll walk through the birthplace of Los Angeles – Olvera Street – and chat about the founding families of our city while we stop for the only churro that puts the Disneyland classic to shame.

Then, we’ll cruise through Little Tokyo to talk about the home of the largest Japanese-American population in North America while we grab some Mochi Ice Cream and marvel at the intricacies of the Japanese Temples. Then, we’re on our way to Mumford Brewing where we’ll enjoy a beer tasting and pizza pairing from Baldoria Pizza. 

  • Tour Includes: Three beer tastings and food!
  • Availability: Every Saturday at 12pm
  • Starting Location: Union Station in DTLA
  • Tickets: $69/person ($40 for non-drinker, includes food)”
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Mumford Turns 4

The DTLA and growing bigger Mumford Brewing will be celebrating their latest birthday the first weekend of June.

Here are the details:

When: June 2nd from 12:00pm-4:00pm

Set-Up: “multiple pouring stations and an awesome line-up of new, limited and rare beers on tap, plus a select amount of guest taps”

More Details:

–Since this is a ticketed only event, there will be no register transactions for pours, which will make pouring faster and more efficient.
— We will have outdoor seating, tented back area and a live DJ.
— We will have food vendors with various food items available for purchase.
— As is our usual policy, outside food is allowed.

TICKET PACKAGES
Lil Package – $40
(1) Anniversary Taster Glass w/ wristband for unlimited pours of all draft beers
(1) super good time

Big Package – $70
(1) Anniversary Taster Glass w/ wristband for unlimited pours of all draft beers
(1) Mumford Brewing branded canvas tote bag
(1) 4-pack of Box Logo #7 (NE DIPA)
(1) Bottle of 4th Anniversary Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (2 variants to choose from)
(1) super good time


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Needed or Not? – Hardened Coffee

After my experiences with “hard” sodas, I have pretty much sworn off the whole Hard –Insert Beverage Here—trend.  I am sure that “hard” grape juice is just around the corner.  But no, next up is “hard” cold brew?

I give Angel City the benefit of the doubt and I am glad they didn’t just add a Sam Adams spiked seltzer to their line-up and instead went a new route.  That being said, if I have the choice a beer made with coffee or heading to a roaster and getting cold brew, well, those are the two choices that I am going to make.  Having an alcoholic coffee that isn’t a cocktail doesn’t even register on my list.

Verdict – NOT needed.

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Alamo Summer?

I have posted a number of times about the Alamo Drafthouse & Cinema because I was excited when it was first announced. Now, if it really does open, I will more shocked than excited.

Yet again, it seems that the movie theater chain is saying that they will open in DTLA in the summer. They didn’t specify 2019 or 2020 though and until they do, I will walk to my local Laemmle which has Brewyard Beer on tap!

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Closed Triangle

Yesterday it was reported that Iron Triangle Brewing was looking for a buyer. If I was macabre enough to have a list of Los Angeles breweries that would make such an announcement, Iron Triangle would have been on it from the beginning.

Not that the beers were bad. They were fine. Their Belgian Pale was my favorite due to the relative Hefe shortage in a time of IPA. And that is where I think they stumbled and fell. Mumford has the collabs and the hazy’s. Boomtown has the artist series of IPA’s. Angel City has Sunbather. IT had?

Blame can be laid at the turbulent start. A brewery that encounters roughness out of the gate with the beer nerds will be a step behind but I think that it is very telling that the reason being given for selling is that as told to The Full Pint was, “The owners have decided that their capital would be better invested in their other businesses.” That reads as we thought craft beer would make us money but it is still costing us money three years in and we are getting out while there is still a window of opportunity to sell.

It is a great space on the inside. Foot traffic, nearby condos and location aren’t horrible. They are nowhere near Arts District levels but other breweries have nothing. It is large but with reconfiguring it could be used for multiple events

Let’s hope the next chapter is a longer and fruitful one for this location.

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Patio Sours

Sunday, January 27, Angel City will be bringing Sour to the People and to DTLA with special barrel-aged sours.  The day will also mark the opening of their brand new beer garden. 

Below is the sour list with my picks in BOLD.

In addition to their regular lineup, Angel City will also be tapping into a full list of speciality styles for the event, including:

Angel City will also be releasing two bottles that Sunday: Both Stoned Fruit and Nothing at All 2019 vintage will be on sale for $14/each.

According to their press release, “the non-profit partner for the event will be Sunrise Movement Los Angeles, whose goal is to combat climate change. The local non-profit will be hosting a table and raffling off Angel City gift baskets all day, every hour!”

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ADBC3

Arts District Brewing will turn 3 this year and to mark the Anniversary they will be releasing 4 new beers in bottles on Sunday, January 13th.

The Bottles: (the first two being the ones that intrigue me the most)
Umbra Avena – Whiskey Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout, 7.0% – Caramel and espresso brownie richness with sarsaparilla and burnt sugar notes. Aged in Redemption Rye Whiskey barrels.

Aurora Silentium –  Barrel Aged Belgian Quad, 9.9% – Dark, sweet, and lowly carbonated to create a vinous result, this unblended barrel shows notes of raisin, chocolate, leather and dark grape must with moderate acidity.

Aurora Caelum – Flemish-Style Red, 5.0% – Dried Rainier cherries were added to an amber base coolshipped on our roof. Significant sourness and funk, with bursting cherry intensity.

Aurora Rubicunda – Cherry Sour Saison, 5.2% – Cherry jam blends with phenols that disguise themselves as cinnamon and clove, creating a curious cherry pie dessert experience.