Tag: Long Beach

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Hops in the SteelCraft

While we wait for Smog City to open their second taproom location in Long Beach, they brewery has kindly given us a bit of a preview with the new SteelCraft IPA. This Amarillo, Centennial, Citra and Simcoe hop bomb will debut in Torrance but will end up seeing only limited availability at the SteelCraft facility.
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(In case you have forgotten, Steelcraft will be a grouping of shipping containers with retail establishments inside. Possibly coffee, waffles, ramen and ice cream could be setting up shop alongside Smog City beers).

Tomorrow night is your first chance to try the beer before it moves to the LBC.

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One Block

As I perused the new Beachwood Blendery on Sunday, I got to talking about the sign for a new DogHaus hot dogs and craft beer spot that will be in the same block that already houses Beachwood Brewery and Congregation Ale House. Then I learned that a second Beer Belly location might be in the works as well, again in that block. Add in the fresh press juice (how long will that fad last?) shop and the local coffeehouse and this block is literally a beverage paradise.
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If I had that many choices in one city block, I would be sooooo poor. And that isn’t counting the new-ish bar just a block away, The Brass Lamp.

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5 Years of Mass

Back in 2010, Congregation Ale House opened its Long Beach Chapter for “mass”. Fast forward to 2015 and they have (3) locations AND a brewery.  And the time has come for a party.
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Tomorrow, Saturday, September 5th 2015 all Chapters will be festive. There will be commemorative glassware + 8 different Congregation Ales brews.

Another + the below specials:
Saison Mule – Saison with Ginger and Lime Peel

Passion Tea Kolsch – Kolsch infused with Tazo Passion Tea

Peach Consummatum – Imperial IPA with Macerated Peaches

Quadruple Hopped Batch 100 – Imperial Amber IPA with hops in the KEG

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Blend It

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Why would Gabe Gordon build “a temperature-controlled barrel room inside a 100-year-old downtown Long Beach building”?

Here is the reason: “Starting this fall, Beachwood Blendery will produce beer using ingredients, equipment and brewing methods that are both steeped in tradition and admittedly modern. Gordon, Julian Shrago and Beachwood Blendery’s Barrelmaster Ryan Fields (an award-winning brewer formerly of Lost Abbey and Pizza Port San Clemente) are embarking on an undoubtedly geeky quest to create American-style lambics.”

This grand sour experiment will take time as good lambics do but the wait will be broken up into phases. “The first year will see what will be called the “Propagation Series.” These beers will be made to test how the different yeasts and bacteria preform in the Beachwood Blendery environment. The results of these experiments will factor into what will become their signature lambic-style beers.”

Then the “Blendery will begin producing a contemporary series of flavored lambic-styled beers, flavored not with traditional flavors like cherry (kriek), raspberry (framboise), peach (peche) or blackberry (cassis), but instead tropical fruits and spices inspired by Gordon’s many surf trips around the world.”

Then the coup-de-grace, “three years after opening—an American-made “gueuze”, blended from a selection of one-year-old, two-year-old and three-year-old “lambics”.”

The brewing begins this month with the first releases arriving by mid-2015.

One last quote to ramp up the excitement, “A tasting room attached to the Blendery will open at the same time as the first release, with 10 taps of house beer as well as wine from the vineyards whose barrels were used to ferment the beer.”

With Barrelworks humming up north, the Blendery will add to California’s destination status for aged wild beer. Maybe an appellation is in our future.

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Shelton Festival 2014 at Crafted

Beer Festivals are hard to do right.  There are some that occupy rarefied air like the Firestone Walker Invitational and others that are well organized with well curated beer lists while others simply bring a shrug of indifference.  And then there are some that are intriguing such as this November Festival staged by Shelton Brothers in Long Beach at Crafted….

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The brewery list is foreign focused which is a rarity but the smaller California list is amazing and I would go just for those 7.  Below is the full list with my highlights, highlighted

International Breweries:

Baird (Japan) ▪ Be.Er Brewery (Belgium) ▪ Birra Toccalmatto (Italy) ▪ Blaugies (Belgium) ▪ Brekeriet (Sweden) ▪ Brewfist (Italy) ▪ Ca L’Arenys/Guineu (Spain) ▪ Cantillon (Belgium) ▪ CCM (Catalonia, Spain)  ▪ De La Senne (Belgium) ▪ De Ranke (Belgium) ▪ Dieu du Ciel! (Quebec, Canada) ▪ Drie Fonteinen (Belgium) ▪ Het Nest (Belgium) ▪ Jandrain-Jandrenouille (Belgium) ▪ Le Cheval Blanc (Quebec, Canada) ▪ Le Trou du Diable (Quebec, Canada) ▪ Magic Rock (UK) ▪ Mahr’s (Germany) ▪ Mikkeller (Denmark) ▪ Oersoep (Netherlands) ▪ Oliver’s Cider and Perry (UK) ▪ Page 24 (France) ▪ Pays du Flamand (France) ▪ Rappi Bier Factory (Switzerland) ▪ Renaissance (New Zealand) ▪ Ribela (Spain) ▪ Siren (UK) ▪ Struise (Belgium) ▪ Thiriez (France) ▪ To Øl (Denmark) ▪ Trois Dames (Switzerland)

U.S. Breweries: 

AEppelTreow Winery (Wisconsin) ▪ Allagash (Maine) ▪ Arizona Wilderness (Arizona) ▪ Artisan Beverage Coop (Massachusetts) ▪ Cambridge (Massachusetts) ▪ Crooked Stave (USA) ▪ Hill Farmstead (Vermont) ▪ Jester King (Texas) ▪ Jolly Pumpkin (Michigan) ▪ Oxbow Brewing (Maine) ▪ Prairie Artisan Ales (Oklahoma) ▪ Pretty Things (Massachusetts) ▪ Saint Somewhere (Florida) ▪ Shmaltz (New York) ▪ Upright (Oregon)

Local Breweries:

Bagby Beer ▪ Beachwood BBQ (CA) ▪ Brouwerij West (CA) ▪ Cellarmaker (CA) ▪ Faction (CA) ▪ Rare Barrel (CA) ▪ Tahoe Mountain (CA)

The only odd, off item is the pricing structure.  You pay $40-$45 plus fees just to get in with an empty glass.  Then you pay as you go.  And I know that imported beer is going to cost more.  I get it.  But to charge $45 entry seems steep even though the 2oz tasters are a buck a pop which is fair to low. 

Now I prefer the pay as you go compared to unlimited tasters because it does cut down on over imbibing and forces fest goers to make wise choices.  The only issue is now you have created another line or two inside the fest.  It can be done but I think most beer folk are more used to the common, pay once up front and get your fill. 

I also am concerned how they are going to work crowd management for multiple sessions over multiple days.  Will people be ushered out in time for the next batch to show up? Again, it can be done but it is extra work for a large festival.

I will be very interested to see the reaction and recaps in the days after.

 

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A Later Black Friday

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There is no surfeit of craft beer events.  I try to keep up but it seems many slip through my grasp.  If you need a post Thanksgiving Pick-Me-Up the folks at the Factory Gastrobar can help because this Friday, November 29 is…
BLACK FRIDAY!!

“One of the greatest traditions in craft beer continues as black brews pour on every tap!!

But this year Black Friday is bigger and better–The Factory opens at noon!

So get your shopping in early and watch Facebook for the final legendary beer list!  We have already secured the services of Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout, Almanac Smoked Chipotle Stout, Ohana Saison Noir and Beer Valley Black Madness!  The rest of the beer list is TBA–To Be Awesome!!!”

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Amalgamated hops

One of my favorite purveyors of bitter IPA’s, Beachwood Brewing has been releasing bottles of selected beers from their line-up and they go fast!  And probably none will go faster than Amalgamator.  One of my favorite IPA’s from Julian Shrago.

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Oh and three other Beachwood notes:

1. SourFest is underway at both locations.  If you like tart, head there pronto

2. Drake’s Brewing Company and Beachwood Brewing have come together to brew a collaboration IPA,  Mind Melder IPA.  From the press release, “for his part, Julian offered up his thoughts on the most reasonable brewing methods for bringing the beer to their mutual standards on his system, and John brought in sexy hops, El Dorado and Nelson, to intensify the fresh lemon and tropical fruit aromas to their utmost potential.”

3. Another Beachwood favorite is in the bottling pipeline!

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They are certainly busy, industrious folks at Beachwood.

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Taste of Long Beach

Long Beach will play host to the 3rd iteration of the Taste of Brews later this month on the 24th.

logoIt will again be held at the Lighthouse Park and benefit the Long Beach Marine Institute.  Skip past the  Journey tribute band “The Journey Experience” and 80s cover band “The Pac Men” and head to the taps manned by Golden Road, Karl Strauss, Sam Adams and Firestone as well as Rock Bottom, Beachwood, Belmont, El Segundo, San Pedro and Strand Brewing Co.  Plus several breweries from the Inland Empire like Hangar 24, Wiens, Inland Empire, Craft Brewing and Packinghouse will also be on hand.

Now I have not been to this event so I cannot vouch for it.  But if you are averse to driving to the IE to try their beers.  This might make a perfect opportunity to try them at the beach.  Plus Beachwood is never a bad sign.

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Melrose IPA – NOW in bottles!

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Beachwood has been pumping out the bottles this year and one of their stalwart IPA’s is making its debut on July 16.  Hey, that’s today!

Here is the info on the beer: “Melrose is brewed with American 2-row malt and a touch of Canadian honey malt to accentuate the tropical and citrus hop. It’s generously dry hopped with Simcoe and Amarilllo for an over-the-top aromatic experience. As Brewmaster and co-owner Julian Shrago explains, “Melrose is a true West Coast India Pale Ale that I’ve been brewing for many years.” A throwback from his days as a homebrewer, Melrose IPA is already a favorite among Beachwood Brewing fans. “After many humbling requests, it’s finally here!” “Melrose is a great beer and we are excited to finally see it bottled for the first time,” echoes co-owner Gabriel Gordon. “There’s no doubt that those who tried Thrillseeker IPA will be pleased to have another great go-to Beachwood IPA.” Melrose IPA will be sold in 22 oz. bottles at finer craft beer retailers across Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. The IPA will also be available on draft at both Beachwood BBQ locations.”

Their IPA’s are fantastic and they sell fast so get a bottle quick and drink it fresh.

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Two Full Malted Jackets

Screen Shot 2013-02-19 at 9.44.19 AMHere is the story of the two version (in limited bottle release): “Straight off the heels of Beachwood Brewing’s first two bottled beers — Tovarish Imperial Stout and Beachwood Six Smoked Saison — arises two new Scottish-style Beachwood ales from Brewmaster Julian Shrago: Barrel Aged Full Malted Jacket Scottish-Style Ale & Full Malted Jacket Scottish-Style Ale (non-Barrel aged).

Batch 1 of Full Malted Jacket spent one year maturing in sturdy American bourbon barrels. Barrel Aged Full Malted Jacket is a Scottish-style “wee heavy” ale. The beer is rich, malty, and brewed with heirloom Scottish barley containing hints of vanilla and toasted oak that meld seamlessly with notes of toffee and caramel. “Full Malted Jacket marks our first barrel aged, bottled brew,” explains Shrago. “The fact that we are barrel aging at Beachwood is an exciting achievement; seeing the potential, we’ll definitely be experimenting further with barrel aged beers in the near future.”

Recognizing a unique opportunity to release two versions of the same beer, Beachwood Brewing is releasing classic-style Full Malted Jacket as well. This beer brewed with heirloom Scottish barley similar to its barrel aged counterpart. This complex beer endured a 3-hour boil, leading to a decadently rich malt profile with toffee and caramel accents.”