Tag: Long Beach

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California Craft Beer Summit – Festival Picks

The festival after the Summit activities has a lot of breweries, consider this your primer on which booths you should target during the fest….

I have compiled 20 beers to try (plus a duo from the White Labs booth) not in any particular order that caught my beer eye.

Blaker Brewing – Vanilla Bean Milk Stout
Burgeon Beer Co. – Clever Kiwi Nelson Hopped Pilsner
Cellador – Clockworks Rustic Saison with Orange Zest and Cardomom
Cellarmaker – Christopher Riwakan Pale Ale
Device – Rice Crispy Boi Rice Lager
Dionysus – Rest in Funk 1 – Black Currants
Faction / Anchorage – Diverge IPA
GameCraft – A-wa-wa-wa-wa! Italian Pilsner
JackRabbit – Czechmate Pilsner
Karl Strauss / Russian River New California IPA
Moksa – Hop Collage NE IPA
New Glory – Ubahdank IPA
Poseidon Brewing – Ironclad Irish-Style Red Ale
Rare Barrel – Blurred T Tart Saison aged in oak barrels with Tempranillo grapes
Seaward Brewing – Sea Plus Dry Hopped Pilsner
Skyland Ale Works – Saison Sans Gluten
Temescal Brewing – Pils
Ten Mile – Jamaican Monk Belgian Tripel aged in Jamaican Rum Barrels
Wave Maiden – Comber Damiana Herbal Ale
Yolo Brewing – The Riceman Cometh Rice lager

and then White Labs has (2) NE IPA’s with one big difference, the yeast.

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In the Tap Lines for September 2019

header_attractionsThis month the big event is in Long Beach as the California Craft Beer Summit comes south for their 2019 iteration.  There will be tips about the festival as well as events surrounding the gathering of the state’s brewers in the coastal town.

~ e-visits to three breweries coming to Long Beach for the Summit Beer Festival
~ special featured reviews of beers in the tall chimney hat can format
~ Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events
~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark
~ A Book & A Beer reads Kafka by the Shore
~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to 30 for 30 – The Sterling Affairs
~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

Here are two events to get your September started in the Los Angeles craft beer world:
1) September 21st – Craft Beer LB Festival
2) September 21st – Oktoberfest Kick-Off at Rasselbock Long Beach

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1st Visit – Bottlecraft – Long Beach

I have intermittently checked in on the draft list at Bottlecraft and their Long Beach location and finally made my way to their Hangar location to have to make the difficult choice of what to drink first.

Here are my initial thoughts…This is a real cool food hall but it is in the middle of nowhere. Unlike Grand Central Market or Steelcraft that is in pedestrian areas, the Hangar is out near the Long Beach Airport. To get to the Bottlecraft bar you enter on the street side of the building. OK, you can enter on the other side and be tempted by Portola Coffee first.

Bottlecraft has a 25+ taps arrayed on their cold box and the variety of beers was good on my visit. And they do half-pours which always makes me happy. I started with Indie Brewing’s Garcon French Pilsner and then did a hazy from RIIP Brewing so you can tell that miles and styles separate those two beers.

I also like that if you want to wander around the food choices, you can get a plastic cup (free souvenir) or if you have already placed your food order, you can get glassware at the bar. The prices were pretty on par but really the location is the issue for me. It is a small hike from even Santa Monica let alone from my normal home base of Glendale. With Steelcraft, you may have less options but you are closer to other breweries if you want to make a day of it. But if you find yourself there, it is great for both food and choices.

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1st Visit – Trademark Brewing

Usually I like to first visit a new brewery on opening weekend but I waited a couple weeks before heading to Long Beach to check out the much talked about Trademark Brewing. Here is the initial report…

The space is just huge. A really long blonde wood bar is just one component of a seating area that stretches off into the distance. Jenga and cornhole are way off in the distance and when the sun isn’t actively trying to burn us, there is also outdoor seating.

The taster flight presentation is nice. Logo’d up quite well. I ordered up a wide ranging variety of beers from their menu. I like the 3-word descriptions used. I started with Viking Blonde which was a little fruity with a nice leading hit of orange. Next was the Batch One Farmhouse which imparted a spicy clove.  Almost a Cinnamon Tripel which must be from the expressive yeast. Waffles is how I would describe it. Into IPA territory for Hula Moon which is lots of pineapple. Tastes like the near the core. Gristly part. Not really IPA to me but amazing to know that it is the hops creating that fruit taste. Hop choice two was Keyboard Warrior which I think is a great name. This imperial tastes a little burnt and more on the caramel side. I finished with 10 Hour Imperial Stout leads with smoky. Coffee grounds being the other prominent note for me.

A good start on the beer and an even better start on the vibe and interior design.

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Trade Hog

You may know that Trademark Brewing is close to opening (or open now as of posting date). It is on my list of breweries to watch as Long Beach continues to grow apace.

Near them in the Washington neighborhood of Long Beach will reside the super small Hog Canyon Brewing. Founded by Larry Chavez, this nano is looking to open later this year, probably Q4 and start up with what will be by necessity a rotating set of beers.

Look for 1st Visit reviews of TM first and then Hog Canyon as I try to stay current with the scene to the south.

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CCBA Festival Brewery List

I know you are probably tired of Festival info by now but for those in SoCal who are looking into going to the California Craft Summit Beer Festival, this brewery LIST should be perused.

And here is my choice of breweries to check out that day…

Bike Dog, Burgeon, Moksa Brewing, Seabright, Seaward, Temescal and Urban Roots have me the most interested.

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CCBA Festival Tickets

Tomorrow is the day that you can get your tickets to the Long Beach 2019 version of the California Craft Beer Summit festival. 170+ Breweries in attendance on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Marina Green Park in Long Beach

Early Bird Prices on Sale May 14:
General Admission: $45.00 (After July 19, prices increases to $60.00)
VIP Ticket: $60.00 (After July 19, price increases to $75)

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1st Visit – Ambitious Ales

Feel like I am close to knocking out all the new Long Beach breweries as I visited Ambitious Ales recently.

Ambitious Ales is located in the former home of Tuttle Cameras. The concrete floor is offset by the wood striped chairs and bar and the beams high above in the ceiling. Good use of a cool splash of primary colors opposite the taps. There are quirky signage touches and the requisite barrel display.

The beer menu signs are classy and simple if a skosh too small. Would have been good to have some paper menus around to use. I like the bright white backdrop for the unadorned taps and the wordless logo on the glassware as well.

Fleurs
Heavy on the chamomile but real nice. The lavender pokes through but not so much the strawberry. Mocktail adjacent

I Like Tuttles
Simple Saison with California grown wheat. Has the Belgian character right. Clove and tiny banana note.

Hopped on Phonics
Big grapefruit notes. Real nice aroma. Quite hoppy for a session IPA

I have 1st visited a few new breweries this year but this is the first one that has really impressed me. All three beers were excellent, the staff were helpful and they had cold brew coffee and a soda option as well.

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Summit Education in Long Beach

For those who haven’t heard the exciting news, the California Craft Beer Summit will be held in Long Beach this year. The most outward facing portion of the Summit is the festival featuring breweries from all over the state but, even more fun than that, at least for me, are the seminars.

And over the weekend the schedule was released, HERE. You can get tickets for one day or both or both + festival. But if you want to take your beer journey a little deeper, this is a good start. Tickets on sale in May.