Tag: Long Beach

Posted on

1st Visit – Altar Society Brewing

Pine Street is both a prime and not so much prime location in Long Beach. A city that has a few micro cool neighborhoods outside the downtown core which has some not so nice spots.

Which makes Altar Society so needed and different. It is not just a brewery but a coffee shop and an event space. An all day one stop shop. And it was hopping. I grabbed a two top near the front after getting my first beer which was the All Seeing IPA. It was not bad. Mid pack which is not a bad start. You can tell a lot by an IPA from a new-ish brewery.

The space is large. And there are some great seats that overlook the fermenters on the floor below. They have a nice selection of styles including seltzers so it makes a good spot for a wide group range.

My second beer was the one that I had my eye on. A stout made with the coffee from their sister coffee shop. I did like that and appreciated that it was a low ABV version as well.

Posted on

Lab Envy

It is not often that a seemingly normal tap takeover becomes the launch party for a brewery taking over a bar.  But Long Beach Beer Lab will be taking over the operation of Bar Envie which will become a new Long Beach Beer Lab tasting room and kitchen.

No timetable yet for the turnaround to LBB but good to see the growth for the brewery.

Posted on

A Different Bend

The team behind turning the the Leisure Town of Modern Times into Villains Brewery in Orange County will be giving the former Portuguese Bend space a do-over, with former Blinking Owl master distiller Massimiliano Stecca at the still.

The Mosaic / Promenade is getting a new wave of producers such as the softly opened Altar Society, ISM Brewing taking over the Beachwood BBQ space and now the return of distilling after the acrimonious departure of the Portuguese Bend.

Turn over just might draw me as well as others to day trip.

Posted on

ISM on the Promenade

For 12 years, the Beachwood Brewing hub was in Long Beach on promenade.  Now they are taking leave of that location and re-allocating, as it were over their other spots across South L.A. and Orange County. 

From their recent social media posting, “This sale will allow us to move our specialty beer production to our Huntington Beach facility – so all the variety you’ve come to enjoy from Beachwood isn’t going away. With a growing footprint in Long Beach and Orange County, a newly launched distillery with artisanal spirits, and expanded beer production, we are committed to the same ethos we started with 12 years ago ” 

Don’t fret though.  Former Beachwood and Riip brewer – Ian McCall will bring his eponymous brewery (ISM) and his medals to the space which is quite exciting.  A real win-win.

Beachwood – Long Beach’s last week will be October 23-October 29.

Posted on

Anniversary at the Beach

Beachwood Brewing is now up to their 12th year of brewing beer and will be celebrating not just at the Long Beach Location but in Bixby Knolls as well on Saturday, July 15.

Whats happening, you ask? “beer releases, food pop-ups, giveaways, live music, and more at our Downtown Long Beach and Bixby Knolls Taprooms. Plus, a free shuttle to bring everyone between both locations! We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone then.”

Find more details on the Beachwood Facebook events page.

Posted on

LABW23 – Long Beach Festival

June is shaping up as a busy beer month, following the Firestone Walker Invitational on the first weekend of June is the opening salvo for L.A. Beer Week on weekend #2.

LABW23 starts at Shoreline Park in Long Beach, a beautiful spot to sample the independent L.A. beer scene in 2023.

Posted on

Beer Review – two Doodle Pads

Trademark Brewing has three beers out under the Doodle Pad small batch series, I am going to look at the two IPAs and not the bigger brother/sister. And I will keep the focus on the descriptive part of the label since I am not fond of dog in lab coat art on the front.

Bird of Paradise – The label description says tropical fruit, honeydew melon and a “breeze” of resinous pine. I would counter that it was more than a stiff wind. Pours a lovely-bubbly light orange color. A bit of guava flavor comes through but the primary on the case is that pine resin note. Some malt notes are in the back as well.

Hüll Be Back – Just two hops in this hazy, Huell Melon and Cashmere. Quite a flavor profile in the description. Guava, passion fruit, candied fruit and lime peel. Of those, I found a weird hard candy taste that was green melon and lime. This grew on me though and overall, I liked the weirdness here more.

Posted on

Doodling with Hops

Trademark Brewing in Long Beach will be starting a new series of beers in 2022, look for the name Doodle Pad. The first is a Strata hopped beer….

“Strata Broke The Camel’s Back Cold Pale Ale. Jam-packed with Strata, this smooth small-batch sipper oozes notes of strawberry jam and tropical fruit with a dry, but refreshing finish.”

Posted on

Uniform

If you have Soccer Pants then you need Football Shorts right?  ⁣

⁣Ambitious Ales took the hazy soccer and then made a “clean and clear version ” with the same hop bill and a similar grain bill from Soccer Pants Hazy IPA.  Which returns what the brewery calls an “ultra crisp West Coast out of it with Strata, Mosaic and Southern Passion hops. “