Trademark Crowlers
Took a Saturday trip to buy some Long Beach beers from Trademark Brewing and here is what I got….
Origins has that signature haze to it though it is a bit milky orange. Very grassy, woodsy character. Soft but not very hazy soft. Almost has a white wine nose to it. Getting some pear notes. A weird bit of cattiness too.
Next up is Hat Trick, a Belgian Tripel, a big over 9% beer. I like this beer but it does seem to be a Belgian that is holding back the full effect. It is missing a little spice. The phenols are quite muted. The alcohol sneaks up on you. The cheeks start getting warm. I just wish it had a little extra zip to it. Maybe an herb or some spice to add an extra dimension.
2LB
Beachwood Brewing has recently released a new pilsner, To Long Beach with Love. It is a “Dry Hopped Pilsner w/ citrus and herbal terpenes”.
Per the brewery, the beer is done “In support of the conversations, changes, and actions needed to combat social injustices, we will be donating 100% of the proceeds from “To Long Beach with Love” to the California Conference for Equality and Justice.”
1st Visit – Ficklewood Cider
I decided to chaffeur my wife into her job on a recent Saturday and used the time to hit a couple spots in Long Beach. One was Beachwood Blendery and the other is the new (a couple months old) Ficklewood Ciderworks. I will write more in depth about it for Food GPS next month but suffice it to say that they had two hopped ciders that actually were both hoppy and apple-y at the same time. So, I recommend heading out there. Bonus points is that it is next to a Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles.
Trademark Alchemy
Primal Alchemy joins up with Trademark Brewing in Long Beach for a Valentine’s Day “farm-to-table family-style feast in celebration of love and beer.”
Probably gonna be better than a turn-and-burn prix fixe expensive restaurant.
CCBA Summit Brewery # 3 – Pine & Palm Brewing
The final California stop is in Fresno and Pine & Palm Brewing. The brewery was established in 2014 by owner Roger Noguera and lives now in a newer bigger space in North Fresno.
Here is what I would sample from a first taster tray…
Krispie Boi – “Citra Dry Hopped Lager”
Office Beer IPA – “Collaboration with 411”
Sleepy Time Barrel-Aged Barleywine – ” 2018 Release of Sleepy Time Barleywine. Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels”
3rd Anniversary Barrel-Aged Stout – ” Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels with Madagascar Vanilla beans”
Not 3rd or 5th
Since I was going to be in downtown Long Beach, I wanted to hit up the beer places on my list. Too long on that list was the 4th Horseman from the minds of Ryan Hughes and Martin Svab.
They like their gothic horror which is similar to the past Phantom Carriage brewery but in a more B-Movie horror vibe. Marrying that to pizza and a killer tap list really works. It was a special beer weekend but they still had a great list including a Fieldwork hazy and Ten Mile Brewing.
Plus the pizza, the plain-ish Slayer Pepperoni was up there with the better beer and pizza choices like We’re Pouring or the Slice & Pint. It won best Long Beach pizza of 2019 which is no small feat for a new-ish restaurant.
Plus the strange performance art bathroom shows some whimsy so they have taken the decor to some fun / weird / disturbing levels.
CCBA Summit Brewery # 2 – Crooked Lane
Stop 2 is in Auburn for the lauded (by the recent CCBA Summit), Crooked Lane Brewing. I had their 1-2 Punch Peach / Mango IPA and quite enjoyed it. Now here are some other beers that you may like…
Crimson American Red Ale – “Our Crooked twist on the American Red Ale is delightfully malty with a hint of hops, featuring locally crafted malt from Admiral Maltings. Deliciously balanced, Crimson will be a big hit with fans of this sought-after style.”
Throttle Therapy Brut IPA – “Dubbed THE IPA of summer by our brewing staff, this crushable Brut IPA is high on hop octane with a crisp malt backbone, reminiscent of a dry hopped Pilsner.”
Roaky Mandarina IPA – “Generous additions of mandarin juice and citrus-forward hops combine in the juicy Roaky Mandarina IPA. ‘Roaky’ means Hazy, owing to the New England IPA yeast, and celebrates mandarins & hops in a uniquely refreshing beer.”
Nightfall at the Barn – “Another magically delicious beer in our series of collaborations with Drake’s Brewing Co., Nightfall at the Barn is a decadent and rich Russian Imperial Stout, with unparalleled smooth malt flavors.”
At the Bend
It wasn’t all beer in Long Beach, I also slipped in a visit to Portuguese Bend Distillery as well.
The bright corner space has the distillery off to the right, a hole-y wooden boat hanging above as well as an L-shaped patio. This is a third restaurant concept from the Navarro’s, Brenda and Luis who also have Lola’s and Social List in town.
Simon Haxton is the distillery and currently they have a pair each of vodkas and gins. Both the hibiscus tinged gin and the “regular” are quite strong. Lots of fusel burn to each that covers over some of the normal gin notes that I would have liked to have tasted. I did have a cocktail, the Yes Please and it was nice and strong though heavy with ice.
The food, in this case the Southern Fried Chicken was straight down the middle comfort food. The mashed potatoes and gravy was great and the chicken was nicely breaded while still moist too. The rest of the menu hews to that comfort side with burgers and meat based dishes.
The next spirit coming after the Breakwater Vodka and the Smoke Bay and Donna Rosa gins will be a rum which will lead to more cocktails that I think will be the focus especially during the summer and fall.
CCBA 2019 – Recap & Photos
Now that the California Craft Beer Summit is complete, here are some photos from the State of the Beer State…
