Tag: Los Angeles

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A Podcast & A Beer – Lost Notes – Groupies

Very L.A. and very interesting look at a very specific point in time in music history. It is Lost Notes – Groupies.

Unless you were the wildest of teenagers, this podcast series will be a real eye opener. You learn about the Sunset Strip and these girls who had more chutzpah than I ever will. They would call up bands, go up to their rooms, party at their homes and dance, dance, dance. Apparently there was a time when being under 18 was not a prohibitive to rockers as it is (and should be) now.

Your host is Dylan Tupper Rupert and she guides the story forward and does so without shaming anyone while also giving the promiscuity the side-eye it deserves from our vantage point in time. It will certainly have you looking up music and photos of the area. It is excellent people watching, podcast style.

For beer, there is, alas, no brewery on the Sunset Strip but there are a few band beers out and about. There are ones for Sublime, Iron Maiden, Deftones or you could head to one of the many Rock & Brews locations around the Southland with its music decor and Kiss ownership.

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Review – Lager from OPEN Brewing

Even in a slower paced craft beer environment, I cannot keep up with all the ins and outs which is why, one night at Thee Elbow Room, a nice little restaurant and craft beer spot in Montrose, I saw something new at the top of the beer menu…

OPEN Brewing, based in Los Angeles. They seem to be located south of the Arts District in DTLA and they seem to be more about events and label art than beer though, to be fair, their “Lager crafted in collaboration with industry leader New Belgium Brewing and meticulously overseen by Award-Winning Master Brewer Ramon Tamayo”

The beer itself ticked the lager boxes and on a hot day will probably do the trick but it wasn’t memorable either. This lager occupies that vast middle ground of OK. Could have been a little slicker and maybe some extra malt character could have amped it up.

Right now it seems to be their only beer so the jury is out on OPEN as a whole.

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L.A. and GABF 2024

Even though some of the luster has worn off it is still important to take time to see who won what medals at this years Great American Beer Festival awards.

And boy did L.A. come up gold in some mighty big ways. Highland Park Brewery was the big winner taking home a brewery of the year award for their brewery size as well as gold for Baseball Lager, Timbo Pils, DDH Pillow and Competition IPA, that last one is huge because it is one of the largest categories, American IPA.

Trademark Brewing in Long Beach snared gold in the equally big West Coast IPA category for Codebreaker and earlier in the ceremony picked up silver for A La Playa in the fruit beer category. Fellow Long Beach winners were ISM Brewing with a bronze and Beachwood with a silver.

Another important win came in the Hazy IPA category where Ambitious Ales took the top prize for Professional Human Being IPA.

DTLA got some medals two with Angel City getting a second win for their Apple Pomace Puncheon and Audiograph getting a second too for Bas Clef Strong Ale.

Other fun notes:

Wayfinder Beer won the Krispy King Lager crown for their Hell and Bearded Tang in Orange County won the Alpha King Hoppy crown.

This was a first year for cider medals but it seemed a little weird since there are already great cider competitions out there.

Heard two great beer names during the broadcast: Animals Strike Curious Poses and Polterweiss

Other SoCal brewery of the year winners were Everywhere Beer and Riip Beer.

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Sister City Brewery # 2 – Strange Fellows Brewing

The next Sister City of Los Angeles is Vancouver, Canada and the brewery I chose is Strange Fellows Brewing.

Time to check out some more Canadian beer…

Beldame Old World Pilsner – “Crossing paths with a crone is believed unlucky by some. Stooped and toothless, she’s a frightful specter of mortality. Those who can meet her gaze and see wisdom there have nothing to fear, but beware to those who scorn or overlook her. As Mother of Creation, she can wield her power in wicked ways, by nightmare, illness or a failed harvest. So next time you happen upon an old woman, pour her a glass of this bright and refreshing beer, look her in the eye, and toast to her good health.”

Rei’s Dark Lager – “This dark Lager balances the use of roasted malts and premium German pilsner malt. It delivers a clean character of a lager and offers a complex grain bill that blends aromas of chocolate, roast and has a crisp and clean lager finish.  “

Blackmail Northwest Stout – “Originally advertised as a nutritional supplement for new mothers, milk stouts contain Lactose sugar which gives this beer a rich round and slightly sweet character. Blackmail is only 4.5%abv and has a soft roast and chocolate character.”

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Sister City Brewery Tour # 1 – Tap B Brewpub

Los Angles has a few sister cities all over the world, less than I thought, so this month for L.A. Beer Week, I thought it is time to visit some and our first Sister City to visit is Split, Croatia and the Tap B Brewpub.

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Split, is the second largest city in Croatia and is a seaport/ resort city in southern Croatia. Located on a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea and best known for the ruins of the Palace of Diocletian.

You can start here with Trapula, an American styled Pale Ale and then move on to then dial back to their GAD Pilsner or their Lito Blonde Ale before hitting the hops again with Mirakul IPA.

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Simply LA via GA

In honor of the finally realized Los Angeles outpost of Creature Comforts Brewing, there is a barrel-aged stout simply named LA.

It is a blend of whiskey barrel-aged beer with an average age of 30 months.  Studded with pistachios, almond and vanilla beans.

Might make a good Turkey Day special or Christmas gift.

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In the Tap Lines for October 2023

Fall is probably my favorite season even though the biggest holidays of the year (my birthday and Christmas) do not fall (sorry) inside its months. The switch from SoCal summer to milder temps and the Festbiers just make me happy. Enough about me, let’s get to what will be covered this month…

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from Richmond, Va.

~ special featured reviews of fall seasonal beers

~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 Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Strike Force Five

~ Sports & A Beer returns with re-aligning college football

~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month

~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.