Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Tomorrow’s first of 2013 Brew and You columns over on FoodGPS features our local stalwart, Craftsman Brewing and a beer of the week from a newcomer to the L.A. area, Boulevard Brewing!
Here is a list of my favorite beers from these two icons of the craft beer world. With one caveat. I have obviously had more chances for our local Pasadena beer than one from St. Louis.
Craftsman
1. Point 5 IPA
2. 1903 Lager
Boulevard
1. Sixth Glass Quadrupel
Yes, it is Turkey Time. I think it is a great canvas to experiment with beer pairings. So many different flavors and crisp fall weather.
One beer style that I don’t talk about in my post on FoodGPS tomorrow is sours. Generally, I would stay away from this beer on a large gathering occasion. Too many people will turn up their nose. But if you are in charge of the gathering, maybe you can foist this beer on to the crowd.
I think a light sour like a Duchesse de Bourgogne or the newly released Ichico Highway from The Bruery would work. But a nice gose would do the trick too.
Let me know which sour beers you think would be a perfect foil for the turkey.
There is a bit of a movies and TV theme on tomorrow’s FoodGPS post. But trust me, it all comes back around to beer in the end. There may be exotic locales with a green bottled beer of ill repute. A serpent chasing it’s own tail in search of a brown ale and then there are zombies too……
Tomorrow my weekly Brew and You column on FoodGPS will cover some of the Denver breweries that you can visit anytime. Not just when the Great American Beer Festival hits. And all of them are fairly close to Mile High Stadium and Peyton’s new place.
And while you are over there reading, how about checking out some of the recent Beer Pro interviews? You can learn about Henry from Monkish Brewing or about Chas from Ventura’s Surf Brewery.
And then check out the L.A. Beer Blast later tomorrow to find out where you need to go for a pint.
Tomorrow for my column on FoodGPS, I talk about the newly opened Glendale Tap.
Here are some additional photos from my visit on opening night…….
The logo on a really huge size of beer chalice. (If only it were a real serving size)
The layout of the space.
Sadly, no Eastside on tap.
I have waited until now to talk pumpkin beers. I know they are probably gone from most shelves to be replaced by Christmas ales but I celebrate my holiday’s in order and not in advance. I picked two pumpkin beers to compare. One from Sam Adams and one from Uinta.
Two gourd beers from two different parts of the country and both are pretty different. The Sam Adams poured a darker amber and had a noticeable lack of the pie spice (not a bad thing) and was a little more viscous and malty. It had a definite pumpkin taste. Sort of a yam taste.
The Uinta had a two tiered aroma. First the nutmeg and then a real jack o’lantern hit. The taste did not hold that though. There was some pumpkin flavor but it was more metallic and must have been on a lighter base beer because it poured a golden color.
I gave tasters to my sis-in-law to get her opinion and she agreed. (as well she should). She explained that the Sam Adams pumpkin would be much easier to drink a full glass of and had a more pleasing pumpkin taste. The Uinta tasted more like beer with pumpkin in her opinion.
As a further reference, HERE is the Beer Advocate list of pumpkin beers.
I finally attended my first BAM Fest in Santa Monica and thoroughly enjoyed my drinking day. I will talk more about it tomorrow on FoodGPS but for now, here are some photos to whet your whistle….
18th Street filled up mighty quick as the event was all but sold out by opening time.
One of the many fine beers that I sampled on the afternoon.
I found another winner from the Smog City line-up.
I got to sample Abigaile beers for the first time without having to travel all the way to Hermosa.
I will state up front that I write a column for FoodGPS and I do the weekly Beer Blast (which you better subscribe to if you are in L.A.) so I am biased when it comes to the Beer Float Showdown.
Plus it was a brutally hot day in the valley so ice cream (and beer) were a welcome relief. There were (5) breweries paired off with (5) different chefs as is the now custom.
My favorite of the day (when I wasn’t volunteering) was the White Dog IPA with Simcoe sorbet from El Segundo Brewing. The beer was refreshing and hoppy. The ice cream had a nice bite to it and there was little fruit pearls in it too. Lovely. Plus it had a nice cookie floating in there too.
But there was a tie at the top of the leaderboard at days end. Reigning champ Eagle Rock with the Oinkster/Maximilliano was dead even with Strand Brewing and Short Order.
Team Eagle Rock concocted a Beer-imasu complete with Ladyfinger cookie.
Team Strand paired Ito-Weisse Berliner with a cherry ice cream for a cute red float that was simple but paired fruit against tartness.
If these photos don’t convince you that craft beer and craft ice cream go together then nothing will except for next year’s edition. Which you better attend.
Tomorrow over on FoodGPS, my weekly column will focus in on how to BEST enjoy the finale of L.A. Beer Week @ Union Station.
But for some perspective, here are my reviews of the fest from 2011 and from 2010
And really getting in the wayback machine, here are some photos from the Year 1 festival at Descanso Gardens….
Tomorrow on FoodGPS, I will be giving you the top picks of where to go and what to drink as L.A. Beer Week unspools. Here is the initial info blast to prep you before then….
“LA Beer Week makes its triumphant return a little early this year! Now its fourth iteration, this epic celebration of local beer culture will take place throughout Los Angeles & Orange Counties (and their respective environs) from September 20-30, rather than in October as in years past.
LA Beer Week aims to present a large number of events all around town, with focused tastings, educational seminars, and beer pairing dinners that will please craft beer aficionados and neophytes alike. These resplendent activities will culminate with the signature LA Beer Week Festival on September 30, from 12-4pm at the historic Union Station. $50 pre-sale tickets for the flagship festival are available now, which entitle attendees to unlimited 4oz. tasters of beer from over 70 of the world’s most respected craft and artisan breweries, including some rare and special releases. Gourmet food trucks and local artisans will also be on site to peddle their tasty treats.”
And here is the list of LABW Brewers that are participating in the Prickly Pear collaboration project:
• Eagle Rock Brewery
– Berliner-Rye with Red and Green Prickly Pear Fruit
– Available throughout LABW activities & at Union Station
• Golden Road
– Honey Blonde with Cactus Honey and Mesquite-Smoked Prickly Pear Fruit and Pads
– Available throughout LABW activities & at Union Station
• Cismontane
– Hefeweizen with Hand-Pressed Prickly Pear Juice
– Available throughout LABW activities & at Union Station
• Ladyface Ale Companie
– Prickly Pear-Infused IPA
– 1-2 kegs available at Union Station event only
• Beachwood BBQ & Brewing
– Belgian Golden Strong
• Smog City Brewing
– Prickly Pear-Infused Saison
– 1-2 kegs available at Union Station event only
• Monkish Brewing
– Belgian Dark Wheat with Prickly Pear
– Not sure of quantity
• El Segundo
– Not sure of style or quantity to be brewed
• Hangar 24
– Not sure of style or quantity to be brewed
• Kinetic Brewing
– Not sure of style or quantity to be brewed