Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I try my level best to travel around the extended L.A. beer world but even in the best of times, it was hard to keep up. Thankfully Andrew Smith has decided to help us all keep up on beer goings in the Inland Empire with…
…so that when we are free to move about the cabin, we will know where to go when we leave the bubble of L.A. County. Click HERE to read up on the breweries.
The Inland Empire Brewers Guild is following last year’s first IE Beer Festival with this year’s first ever IE Beer Week!
The festivities are anchored by The 2nd IE Beer Festival which will be returning to the Riverside Airport on Saturday, September 17th. There will be 40 breweries and 5 food trucks.
Breweries featured include: Last Name Brewing, Wicks Brewing Company, Skyland Ale Works, Escape Craft Brewery, Packinghouse Brewing Company, I&I Brewing, Sons of Liberty Aleworks.
You can buy tickets for one of two sessions and either go big with the VIP ticket for $45 which gets you an extra hour of tastings along with commemorative VIP glassware. General Admission will run only $35 with unlimited pours from 1pm-4pm.
The IE Brewers Guild will also brew up their first collaboration beer. Hosted and brewed at Escape Craft Brewery in Redlands. The Guild members will whip up a beer to showcase the Inland Empire.
Our final stop on our mini-tour of the Inland Empire prompted by this article in the L.A. Times is Dale Bros.. I have had their Pomona Queen beer as well as their Winter Haze seasonal but I would like to showcase some of their other beers in their stable.
Runway I.P.A.
“Runway I.P.A. is our first flight into the wild blue yonder of ales. While we thought that we may keep our feet firmly planted exclusively in the world of lagers we have been producing since 2003, over the years customers have been imploring us to brew a Dale Bros. version of an I.P.A. We are happy to say their wait is over. Runway I.P.A. takes off with four hop additions in the brew kettle, then brings it in for a landing with multiple dry hop additions. The flavor and aroma are courtesy of Summit, Galaxy and Cascade hops. Place your tray table in the upright and locked position — here we go!”
The Dude of York
Late Spring Seasonal
“The Dude of York is a very California take on a classic Yorkshire beer, brewed with English ingredients and fermented with our signature lager yeast. It has clean grain flavors, a floral nose from East Kent Golding and Fuggles hops, and a crisp finish. The result is a tasty medium bodied beer that will go well with your favorite foods — from Yorkshire pudding to pineapple pizza.”
Pacific Daylight
Summer Seasonal
Gold Medal, LA County Fair 2005, 2006 & 2007
Silver Medal, Great American Beer Festival 2010
“Pacific Daylight is a refeshing take on an English Summer Beer with a uniquely California character. While it is light in color, it has a full, yet crisp flavor that won’t weigh you down on a hot summer afternoon. Pacific Daylight is brewed with 100% organic grain — we just can’t call it an “organic beer” because our brewery isn’t certified organic by the people who certify that kind of stuff.”
I only occasionally see their beers in my neck of the woods usually at the Arroyo Whole Foods in Pasadena but hopefully more will be available in the future.
Recently the L.A Times ran an article about the expanding brewery scene east of me in the Inland Empire of California. I took that as my cue and for April, I will focus in on three breweries from that article. First up is the Packing House. You will recognize their origin story. Home brewer gets rave reviews of his beer. Encouraged to open a business. Finds partners and voila! Off and running.
Their year round annuals include…..
Heritage Citrus Pale Ale,Riley’s Irish Red, Sunburst Golden Ale, Blue Eyed Loon Blueberry Wheat, Cream Stout and Packinghouse IPA
Their seasonals include…..
Holiday Ale, Liberty Belgian, Wheeter Melon, Boysenberry Coffee Stout and ACB (Accidental Chick Beer)