Here are some of my choices for L.A. Beer Week as of today. I will have tried to pick one for each day ( still need ones for the 17th and 18th ) but there is not a lot of choices on the website. Either the number of events is really low or they are not being added to the main site.
Los Angeles Ale Works and Common Space – Friday, June 13 – Block Party
Homage Brewing – Saturday, June 14 – Nine Year Anniversary
Lincoln Beer Co. – Sunday, June 15 – Dads and Donuts with Randy’s Donuts
Hermosillo – Monday, June 16 – Highland Park Tap Take-Over
Beachwood Blendery – Thursday, June 19 – Bottle Share and Beer Release
Common Space – Saturday, June 21 – Defend the Parks Day
Select Beer Store – Sunday, June 22 – Cellador Tap Takeover
I did warn that this month would have Irish here, there and everywhere and the first of the three beer choices this week. But then we quickly move on to Italy and then we might need some food to go with the last choice.
Sullivan’s Irish Gold Golden Ale – 5.2% – “As lagers were brewed in the 1800’s, this is a traditional kettle-hopped Golden Ale with early & late hop additions for a clean, citrus finish and a rich, copper / gold colour. Brewed by a true master, the beauty of this ale lies in its balance, sessionability and subtle apricot & tangerine tasting finish.”
Tarantula Hill / Relentless Brewing Feel the Flow Italian Pilsner – 5.5% – “Brewed with our good friends at Relentless Brewing Co, this Italian Pils was brewed with tradition in mind using 100% Italian floor malted Eraclea pilsner malt. Hopped generously in the boil with German Perle & French Aramis and then fermented cold & dry hopped judiciously with Saphir & Tettnanger before being lagered for 6 weeks! Soft breadiness leads the way to a clean bitterness, with waves of floral and soft spicy notes, and finishing with a spritzy carb that compliments the finish.”
Highland Park Brewery Burger Eyes West Coast IPA – 7.3% – “West Coast IPA with a dry hop combo of Mosaic Cryo, Mosaic Hyperboost, Columbus Cryo, Chinook, & Cascade. Bursting through the fluffy white foam is an array of aromas like citrus zest, dank weed, & evergreen pine. This is the beer to reach for while enjoying this month’s collaboration burgers during Burger Month.”
When in Los Angeles, you can obviously get great tacos but pizza and hamburgers are not too far behind either. And it is that last food item that interests us today because this month, Highland Park Brewery has an interesting line-up that will pair very well with their pilsners….
…the last one, Yellow Paper is darn good but I am even more intrigued by what Fluid State from Ventura and ISM from Long Beach are cooking up.
Highland Park Brewing will be debuting Retro Week starting on January 20th. a week of “bringing back some rad beers we haven’t brewed in a while, limited edition merch from the early days, & food specials we haven’t done in years!”
There have been no leaks as to the beers bar one, Ham Porter is due to make a return.
Wow, the aroma on this hop water from Highland Park Brewery when the can is opened is large. I am getting mint initially. That settles into straight up lupulin cone flavor. Like tearing a hop apart. That is really good. It just tastes like being in a hop field. I had low hopes since most hop waters are only so-so but this is a winner. Gonna need more of these.
This month is going to be all about L.A. Beer Week posts, so buckle up. Of course the signature event is the festival in Long Beach but lets get some other events talked about like to start, this fun event in, checking notes, Long Beach…
June 14 – ISM Brewing will be tapping beers from all our neighboring Long Beach breweries. Additionally, we will have cans and draft pours of the LB Super Collaboration from Trademark Brewing. Craft Beer LB will be in popping up and will have rad LB merch for sale. Hang out with us, jam out with our DJ and taste the best of what LB has to offer. Breweries include: Ambitious Ales, Ten Mile, Syncopated, Beachwood Brewing and Blendery, Altar Society, Trademark, Steady and Belmont Brewing.
June 16 – Highland Park Brewery is hosting a Lager CanJam on Sunday June 16th, 2024! Inspired by our friends, Threes Brewing, we asked some breweries from around the country to send us a case of their tastiest lager!
June 18 – Calling all Cicerones, beer nerds, home brewers, pro-brewers, and just general trivia fans! Brush up on your beer knowledge and head to the Angle City taproom on Tuesday, June 18th. We’re celebrating LA Beer Week with beer-themed trivia.
More events on scheduled, these are just my first set of picks. More to come.
It is high time that Los Angeles craft beer fans get a 10 year brewery! And that brewery is Highland Park. The bifurcated Highland Park / Chinatown brewery will have “special High 10 releases” between March 25th – March 31st.
What is so special, you ask? Well they will “be re-releasing past High anniversary beers each week.” Leading up to High 10.
Time for my first beer shopping list for 2024. It is doubly toasted and very serious and all California brewed.
Highland Park BreweryToast Points Czech Style Lager – 5.9% – “brewed with our pals Moonlight Brewing. The crew at Moonlight are one of our favorite American lager producers & we couldn’t be more stoked to create a lager with them. This is also the first time we’ve done a decoction mash on our system in Chinatown. Decoction is a process that involves taking part of the mash, boiling it separately, then mixing it back into the main mash to raise its overall temp. It can darken a beer’s color, impart richer malt flavors, give it a smoother mouthfeel, & even result in more stable foam.”
Paperback BrewingSiri-ous Problems Hazy IPA – 6.8% – “anything but a problem to your taste buds, with an overload of juicy hop aroma snd flavor. Zamba, Citra, and Azzaca hops lend themselves to creating juicy tropical fruit notes, such as pineapple, mango, stone fruits, candy, and orange tangerine.”
21st AmendmentFind Your Fortune – 7.5% – “our newest Imperial Toasted Golden Ale is embellished with a QR code directly on the can so drinkers nationwide can scan the code and open their own virtual fortune cookie! Who needs horoscopes when you have a beer like this?!
With toasted sesame, vanilla, and lactose, Find Your Fortune is a complex beer that offers a delightful blend of flavors and aromas. The toasted sesame adds a nutty and slightly savory note, balanced perfectly with a sweet aroma and flavor of vanilla, followed by a silky smooth, creamy finish.”
And here is what the brewery has in store for Pils fans…
“Of course we’ll have fresh Timbo to kick the week off but we’ll also have some other Timbo favorites including a couple draft only variations.
We’re planning on going big this year with Timbo Service, a timbo corner, golden ticket, & even a Tim appreciation day for all the Timbo fans named Tim!”
