I finally got around to grabbing a beer at the newHermosillo in Highland Park.
It is located in the gentrifying Highland Park boulevard of York. Where you can also imbibe at Maximilliano and the York on York. It is a nice and well lit place with a large and pretty dark wood bar that takes up most of the space.
I like the outward street view stools and the old school banquette seating and most importantly, the 12 tap beer list is pretty solid with Eagle Rock, Green Flash and Port (I had the 6th anniversary DIPA) pouring. And in a cool touch the list is beamed onto the wall via the overhead projector making for a cool twist on the beer list.
Link N Hops
Link N Hops is the latest addition to the L.A.Craft Beer Scene.
It is a pretty and welcoming space next door to 55 Degree Wine (and beer) with lots of warming wood and a tremendous shiny wood bar.
The tap list during the soft opening had some local options in Eagle Rock Populist and Golden Road Point the Way as well as the Palate Wrecker from Green Flash. Oh and some nice Non-IPA options as well.
The tap lines had a beautiful photo-esque mural of an old L.A. bridge on the wall above them that matched silver for silver. And to complete the local touch the main communal table had the street names of the neighborhood stenciled on top.
And if you are a fan of the sausage and beer combo. Now you have another spot with quality sausage of both the vege and full meat versions.
Deschutes in L.A.
Tomorrow is the start of 6 days of Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Week here in Los Angeles. And below is the press release information that talks about the why, what and where of Base Camp. In addition to the Steingarten event which I highlighted earlier…
“Deschutes Brewery brings its Base Camp campaign to Los Angeles for an amazing week of specialty beer tastings, beer and food pairings, and appearances by Woody, the giant beer barrel on wheels. Deschutes brewers, ambassadors and fanatics will be on hand to provide some in-the-trenches insight into our courageously crafted brews.
What is Base Camp you may ask? It’s a place where Deschutes Brewery offers beer fanatics a spot to “pitch a tent” of sorts – and find their footing with the cornerstone of Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Week is a celebration of Mirror Pond’s easy-drinking goodness, along with many more of the brewery’s passion-heavy, pioneering brews. The Deschutes Brewery team is traveling around to cities all over the west this year, providing passionate fans with a seriously fun exploration of beer. Make the trek to Base Camp. It all begins here…”
Planned Events
Mon, 4/9, 6pm Deschutes Brewery Scavenger Hunt (Far Bar)
No one will deny it: scavenger hunts equal good times! Couple a scavenger hunt with some damn tasty beer from Deschutes Brewery and you have pure fabulousness. Join us and start the hunt at Far Bar – we’ll give you a list of several things you need to find and take a photo of with your smart phone. Send the photos to Deschutes Brewery as you take them – they’ll be judged on correct completion of all tasks, best photo and best team name. So gather your friends and take up the gauntlet to win prize packages from Deschutes Brewery for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. You could even be strutting home with the coveted Golden Growler. See you here!
Contact Joey Pleich (jpleich@deschutesbrewery.com) to sign up your team.
Mon, 4/9, 8-10pm Base Camp Kick-Off Party (Mohawk Bend) Woody!
Join us as we kick off five whole days of celebratory beer drinking made possible by Deschutes Brewery’s Base Camp. Our featured brewery of the month for April, we’ll be whooping it up with the Deschutes Brewery team this evening as they share with us such brews as Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Chainbreaker White IPA, Hop Henge Experimental IPA and even The Abyss. Pair some of this hand crafted goodness with our specially selected appetizers, and you’ll have a night to remember.
Tues, 4/10, 6-9pm Hats Off to Homebrewers (Steingarten LA) Woody!
Attention homebrewers…come hone your craft with the gang from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. The Deschutes crew, including brewer Robin Johnson, are heading to Los Angeles for Base Camp Week and will be giving away clone recipe booklets and bags of whole flower hops to use in your next homebrew. Specialty beer tastings of rarities like Black Butte XXII, The Abyss and The Stoic paired with some tasty appetizers will whet your palate. And that’s not all…five more Deschutes beers will be on tap including Obsidian Stout on Nitro and Chainbreaker White IPA. Robin will also be leading a deconstruction of the never-released Black Butte XXII, providing tastings of some of the specialty ingredients. We’ll even have commemorative glasses to give away while supplies last. Hope to see you here!
Wed, 4/11, 6-8pm Beauty, Bloggers & Beer Private Media Event (Makeup and GO!)
Los Angeles Magazine’s Best Beer Sommelier Christina Perozzi, aka ‘The Beer Chick,’ will be on hand to discuss Deschutes’ yummy Black Butte Porter, the popular Mirror Pond Pale Ale, the almost-impossible-to-find, never-formally-released Black Butte XXII, plus endless complexities of The Abyss. Of course, there will be a chance to get some beauty pampering like eyelash extension and custom makeup application too. And did we mention the delectable desserts? This is an intimate private media-only event, RSVP is required – please email christina@thebeerchicks.com to reserve your spot
Thurs, 4/12, 3-5pm Deschutes Brewery Two-Bit Tastings (Silverlake Liquor) Woody!
Clean out under the couch cushions, break open the piggy bank and dig around on those car floorboards – you’ll be surprised at how you can utilize a mere 25 cents tonight at Silverlake Liquor! Let us surprise you while you visit with Deschutes brewer Robin Johnson, and frolic around the brewery’s giant traveling beer barrel, Woody – all while drinking Deschutes Brewery’s damn tasty year-round line-up of beers.
Thurs, 4/12, 6-8pm Deschutes Brewery Tasting (Whole Foods, Fairfax)
Deschutes Brewery will be visiting the Fairfax Whole Foods Thursday evening to talk with craft beer fans and provide samples of their award winning beers. A brewery representative will also guide you through a cheese pairing with The Stoic, a barrel-aged Belgian-styled ale. There will be special offers on beer in the store, plus you’ll get a free collectible pint glass when you buy a 6-pack to take home.
Thurs, 4/12, 6pm-close Beer-lesque: Tastings & Tassels (Skinny’s Lounge) Woody!
What’s better than an evening full of craft beer from Deschutes Brewery? An evening full of craft beer coupled with intriguing Burlesque dancers and Vaudeville variety acts. Each act will feature a different Deschutes Brewery beer equaling a night of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable fun.
Fri, 4/13, 4-6pm Deschutes Brewery Snacks & Sips (The Village Idiot) Woody!
Thank goodness it’s Friday, and it’s time to wind down after a long week with some damn tasty beers and snacks. That’s right, we’re welcoming the gang from Deschutes Brewery as part of their Base Camp for Beer Fanatics. What does that mean for you? You can spend Friday after work chatting about hand-crafted brews with the experts, while sipping on hard-to-find beers like Hop Henge Experimental IPA and Chainbreaker White IPA.
Fri, 4/13, 7pm-close Grab Beer by the Horns (The Surly Goat) Woody!
Not only will the giant Deschutes Brewery barrel on wheels, Woody, be here, but you should be too! We’ll be pouring a limited amount of some Reserve Series brews like Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss and The Stoic along with the brand-new Chainbreaker White IPA. With live music on our back patio to help you get your groove on, and a Deschutes beer in your hand, you’ll kick off the weekend right and change your mind about the possible pitfalls of Friday the 13th.
Sat, 4/14, 7pm-close Base Camp Finale (House of Blues) Woody!
Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery’s been in LA all week celebrating a fanatical love for craft beer, and the celebration is wrapping up with a grand flair at House of Blues. Guests will have access to the members only Foundation Room, where Nitro Obsidian Stout will be on tap and sampling of all of their year-round beers such as the infamous Black Butte Porter will take place. Paired with the beer will be a special selection of scrumptious appetizers. Downstairs in the music hall Mirror Pond Pale Ale will be on tap, ready to rock it to the reggaeton sounds of Prince Royce. Contact Lisa Aranda at Lisaaranda@livenation.com or 323-848-5146 to buy your tickets in advance.
Chime in and listen to the Base Camp chatter on Twitter using #BeerBaseCamp and by following @DeschutesBeer.
First Look – Little Bear LA
When you bring together the talent behind the Oinkster and Maximillianos with the beer savvy behind The Verdugo and the Surly Goat, what do you get?
Little Bear in downtown-ish Los Angeles. Here are some photos and my reaction on my first visit.
You drive by darkened warehouses on the eastern edge of downtown Los Angeles. Very noir. Then on Industrial Street there is an oasis and life going on. Strollers out and about. Dogs being walked and two restaurants across a skinny street from each other and one is the new (since Friday) Little Bear.
I scan the beer list and pick # 1 on the list, Duvel Single. Solid list with a good variety of choices. The industrial space is bright and warm. Nice mix of tables and a bar to choose from too. I really like the artwork including the Little Bear badge outside and the iconic Belgian beer logos on one wall.
My beer arrives as does my grilled cheese (which could use a lighter hand on the onion marmalade) and then my second beer (Ommegang Three Philosophers) which goes amazingly well with the Chocolate and Cheese plate provided by Ryan Sweeney.
It is an value for the price. You have to try the cheese and chocolate together. I was wary at first but it works quite well. Especially the stilton with a bit of dark chocolate.
Angel City + Alchemy & Science =
Big news for the Los Angeles beer world, Alchemy & Science which is a new division (?) of Boston Beer Company has purchased Angel City Brewing which had recently moved to downtown LA last year.
Before I opine on the matter, here are the posts from the great BeerNews.org that detail what happened. # 1. # 2. # 3.
This seems to be uncharted territory as far as I know in the beer world. There is the Craft Brewers Alliance and the Magic Hat group where there is a pooling of resources but those are different from what appears is going on here with Angel City and A&S. The first question that I have is, and should always be the first question in any analysis of a business deal, will the beer quality improve? If Michael Bowe is allowed to just brew and someone else does the marketing and distribution, will that be a change for the better? Only time will tell, but my initial gut instinct is that it will.
Angel City, in recent years, had been eclipsed by Eagle Rock, Strand and El Segundo in buzz and number of tap handles. And Craftsman beers were always more highly regarded especially from a keeping the craft beer flame lit in Los Angeles perspective. Will the big business and dollars behind the new Angel City be a turn off to the craft beer crowd? I think it might.
One good thing is that the craft beer spotlight is now shining on Los Angeles for a bit. Can we as consumers and bloggers and lovers of craft beer keep that focus on LA?
Sunset Beer Company
Have you ever wanted to join a beer of the month club but the shipping costs were too much. Well, if you are lucky enough to be in Los Angeles, you can join the Sunset Beer Company club and get expert beer choices. Here are the details:
“There have been many requests, and we’ve finally worked through the logistics and are starting our beer of the month club!
The membership will get you a monthly selection of beer with accompanying literature to memorize and one-up your beer nerd friends at beer nerd parties (we wouldn’t mind an invite, either…thanks).
There are two levels to the club $30/month and $60/month, where the higher level gets twice the beer! . . . well, that and one free pour at the bar each month. Perhaps you’d like to drink a beer when you come to pick up your club selections? Beer club members will also be on a special email list to get first dibs on special releases!
But wait, there’s more!
If you commit to six months of the club, you’ll get an uber-rare, special edition, limited run, official Sunset Beer Company hat! (we’re in a giving mood)
To join, come to the shop and complete the form, or send an email to: info@sunsetbeerco.com”
One refreshed, One almost opened and One in the works
And they are all under the Andre Guerrero banner.
First, The Oinkster the always crowded (and with good reason) BBQ joint in Eagle Rock with a great beer list has been renovated from tables and chairs to menu board. If you didn’t already go for the beer, check out it’s updated look.
Next up is Maximiliano in Highland Park. It is yet to open but if Oinkster is any indication, this will be yet another spot for great beer and Italian food.
UPDATE – I just tried Maximiliano and I have to say that it is great. The interior is way cool. Great windows make it an airy space. I have tried a good chunk of the desserts which are great and the potato pizza that I had was really good. On the beer front, they are going to carry primarily Craftsman beers including a special beer made just for the restaurant. The place gets a thumbs up from me for sure after one visit.
Last is the news (now, not so new) that a third spot will be created downtown called Little Bear! With the always friendly and beer savvy Ryan Sweeney on board. Check out the details HERE. Thanks to Eater for always finding the latest scoop!
L.A. Beer Week starts…..
TOMORROW!
Here are my picks for this week:
10/10 Naja’s Opening Night Stone Festival
(but if you can’t make it or can’t get a ticket, try Lucky Baldwin’s for Craftsman and Stone beers)
10/11 Musical Beer Crawl
10/12 Firestone-Walker Deconstructed. If you can’t get into the main event. Blue Palms has a post party and the anniversary beer will be released into the wild around this time too.
10/13 Deschutes Beer and Chocolate at the Bottle Room
10/14 Lucky Devils will be pouring Lost Abbey beers.
10/15 Beer Float Showdown 3
(you can also hit the nearby Verdugo for their annual Oktoberfest celebration)
Check out the official website for more information on each event.
Golden Road – the first batches
I had the good fortune to sample the inaugural beers from the new Golden Road Brewing last night at 38 Degrees Alehouse and I am pleased to report that I thoroughly enjoyed both.
I started with the Point the Way IPA. I have to admit that I was concerned due to the brewer’s Dogfish past and the fact that I am not a big Dogfish IPA fan. (I know it’s heresy) But this was a solid effort. Especially considering it’s new equipment and the first batch. It poured a dark orange with a big head on it and the aroma was pure pine. The flavor stayed that way too and for a 5% abv, I got some heat off of it too. Once it warmed up a little some citrus kicked in as well to really round the flavors off.
The hefeweizen also was helped by warming up. And again it was citrus that crept onto the palate. But this citrus had a candied quality to it. And again it really balanced out the big banana flavors and the clove spiciness. This is a great example of the hefe style with a little twist that adds to it instead of overwhelming.
Overall this was a great start for Golden Road. I was expecting some work to be done but these are really good on their own right out of the gate.
Sunset Beer Co. is about to open….
…and by about to, I mean tomorrow, Saturday!
I toured the new space which has a beautiful grand hotel bar look to it with dark woods and bookcases and big art pieces on the walls.
It is split into two sections. You walk in and see a row of coolers to the right which hold the starting inventory, which will grow. Right now you can pick up Aphrodite from Ommegang or an Oyster Stout from Porterhouse of Ireland,
The bar section is separated a bit on the other side but you can still see the bottles while perusing the tap list. With Alex Macy at the helm you can expect a good variety of beer for all levels of beer enthusiasts. Last night, Dortmunder Export from Eagle Rock was a popular selection.
So clear some room out of your ‘fridge so you can support a local business!