Tag: DTLA

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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.

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First Draft

I am usually wary of self-pour beer bars. Minus Brewport in El Segundo, they are generally way too infested with big beer.

I am also wary of out of state chains heading to DTLA because I have been waiting for the Alamo Drafthouse to open since forever and it still isn’t.

Did my visit during a media night preview of First Draft. A taproom and kitchen change my mind?

It did. I knew it was a good place by the tap choices spread over their multitude of tap handles. They were primarily local. Old Stump, Sanctum, L.A.A.W., Phantom Carriage, Green Cheek, Eagle Rock plus a few taps for cider, wine and the kombucha for those who like vinegar. Even their cooler held a small selection of good choices.

The pouring system is pretty simple. Get set-up with a card, swipe in front of the First Draft logo, you see the green means go light and you pour. A little or a lot. The taps are arrayed on either side of this cooler…

…with a few taps upstairs as well. There is outdoor seating and a nice food menu.

I sampled this wide ranging set of beers to give you an idea of the choices available…
Brewery Rex Study in Subtly table beer, Wiretap Supernet Saison, Maine Beer Woods & Waters IPA and Knee Deep Breaking Bud.

The location below on Olive and 13th is away enough from the DTLA core to make parking a shade easier but still pretty close to Staples and the Mayan and the Ace Hotel if you are heading to events there.

I will check it out again to see what beers have rotated in.

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Hunt for It


Boomtown Brewery is taking advantage of being Arts District adjacent to adorn their latest DIPA release The Hunted with cool imagery. This time the artist is J. Collins and the beer is a hazy Double IPA. If you are a fan of Galaxy and Mosaic hops, then be ready on Saturday, September 22nd at 12:00PM for the sale. Four-packs are $18 and there will be food trucks, Hunted merch and music.

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How Weird?


It appears that another bottle shop has popped up without me knowing about it. Weird Beers LA is on 7th near Main and Spring.

A quick perusal of their beer menu does not scream weird but maybe they are targeting people who have yet to delve deep into #independent beer.

I will report back after visiting.