May 20th marks the return of the Angel City Heritage Festival for the 6th year. They have lots of food, music and cultural performances but let’s focus on the beer aspect, of which two things leap out from the press release:
1. A community coloring art mural featuring hop leaves our favorite plant, the hop!
2. Speciality beers available throughout the day, including special casks of Angel City IPA and our new releases Strawberry Gose and Srirachelada (which will debut in cans this year)
Review – Heritage Festival at Angel City
This is the third Heritage Festival for Angel City Brewery and the first visit for me.
Say what you want about the sometimes uneven beers from the DTLA brewery but they have an ideal party space. Whereas noise at most festivals is a cacophony of conversation, street noise and music, the cavernous ACBC space diffuses sound so that conversations can take place plus I love the art on the walls which is of the edgy graffiti-esque variety. It is a pleasant change from the big screen TV usual in some bars and taprooms.
But what about the beer? I tasted one of my favorites Marilyn along with a flight of darker beers that included the new Orange Cocoa, Dark Rye Lager aged in Brandy barrels and the Imperial Chai Stout. Despite the heat of the day, the stout was quite good. There was a progression of flavors from stout to orange to chocolate. I had a bottled version of the chai before and it had more of the tea character on draft. It is hard to balance spice in a beer and this was a skosh too heavy but not egregiously so. The Rye Brandy though was far too spirited for me. The beer was overwhelmed by the brandy. That being said, if you like brandy, than this beer might be for you.
Also on the plus side of the ledger was the food. Two L.A. institutions were in attendance. Kogi and Phillipe’s Original. Can’t beat that for food choices. Plenty of seating both inside and out and little to no lines either. That is a recipe for a fun Sunday afternoon.