Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
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.
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.
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.”
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. “
Beachwood’s The Blendery is changing how you experience their Lambic-inspired beers plus learn more about them and their blending methods.
It is in a similar vein to the bourbon tours that I went on last month. Here are the details…
“Starting October 1st, we’re transitioning to a brand-new service program we’ve been working on to bring you a more personal, exciting, and dare we say geeky Blendery experience.
The Blendery will now operate as reservation-only with various packages that include curated beer flights of our latest releases, detailed tasting notes, charcuterie boards, and guided tours of our custom-designed barrel room.”
Instead of educating one customer at a time over a busy bar, this is a say to really showcase the beer.
Built in 1903, the Masonic Temple on Pine Avenue in Long Beach will (fingers crossed) become Altar Society Brewing later this year. Brewery in the basement. Coffee shop and restaurant at street level and then more space in the floors above. More news when opening is closer. This project has been in the works since 2020 and was obviously slowed down even more than the usual for a brewery.
Other than one cool summer school week, the thought of going to summer camp for anything would normally be a pass but tomorrow in Long Beach could be the exception with…. Camp Trademark (aka 3rd anniversary) on July 16th.
Food from: Flacos Tacos, AGL’s Craft Meats, Vegan Hooligans and Colossus Bread.
Presale RSVP + Merch HERE.
I have made one visit to Stateside Crafts in Bixby Knolls but now they have the tap section of the shop open now, so maybe a second visit is in order.
Love the shiny silver taps!
It will be shocking when Beachwood Brewing turns 11 this month mostly because of their celebratory West Coast IPA – Electrohop.
Electro will arrive in all dank glory tomorrow Saturday, July 9th.
Italian Pilsners are hanging in there as a sub-style which is good news to me, since I like any and all form of pilsner as an IPA antidote. Trademark Brewing has their version, names Talking Hands. Described by the brewery as “Light, bright and crisp, and dry hopped with Tettnang and Saphir hops for a delightful bouquet of floral citrus and spice.”