I enjoy and maybe will enjoy again, the Eagle Rock Brewery Session Fest. This month Westsiders can enjoy a new low ABV festival at Three Weavers Brewing. And it has quite the brewery list from both near and far…
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Recap – Session Fest
Wanna know what fun and super low ABV beers were being offered at the 2019 version of Session Fest? Well, read on…
…and that was just the inside tap list. There were still beers outside to try. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. I was excited to see Brewery Draconum on the list. This is a brewery on my to visit list and their Kolsch did not strike me well. Tasted kind of green and un-kolsch-y. I also had a Mexican lager from Absolution and it was another below par performer from that Torrance brewery.
On the positive side of the ledger, the Malty AF from host Eagle Rock was a delight. Doubt it would sell in a 16oz can but it was as name suggested a dive into malt. Loved it. The other winner for me (unsurpisingly) was from Cellador. Their Famille is a past Food GPS Beer of the Week and it was delicious. Tart and earthy and malty and fun.
I really like this festival because of the depth of beers. There is a deep bench of beer styles that are not seen and this event showcases them. It may not be as sexy as a DIPA Fest but the true craft believers will find themselves at this event.
Low Deschutes
I have written about Non-Alcoholic and low alcoholic beers on my blog as well as Beer Paper LA because I think it is the next style category due for a breakout. Beers like Dogfish Head’s SeaQuench have made a mark that will lead to more and more may be coming from another brewing old-timer, Deschutes.
The Bend, Oregon brewery has joined up with Sustainable Beverage Technologies, the creators of what they call “BrewVo”, their method of making alcohol free beer. Deschutes will be tapping a hop-forward beer and an Irish stout in Bend and at their Portland pub and if the response is good, may get packaged as well.
Deschutes also has a low-alcohol sessionable IPA with the name of that will barely tip the ABV scales at under 3%.
Sessionable in Portland (how about LAX)
File this post under, What is in Portland but I hope will come to Los Angeles. Sessionable is a pub in the Rose City that serves up, well, the title tells the tale, beers under the 5% ABV.
In a nod to hop culture, there are a few of the 30 taps that are over that mark. Most of the IPA variety with some ciders thrown in brings the total to 17 but that is still not bad.
I personally think that L.A. could support a taphouse with 10 or so under 5.5%.
Session Fest 2017 @ Eagle Rock
One of my favorite festivals enters its seventh year, Session Fest presented by Eagle Rock Brewery has ZERO beer over 5.0% ABV but all have 100% creativity. This year it will be held on Saturday, April 29 from noon to 6pm.
The beers are “brewed by ERB and Eagle Rock Public House employees. Paired up with brewers on the team, the whole staff gets a chance to fully experience the process of making the beers they sell in the taproom.”
Tickets include commemorative half pint glassware + 5 beer pours. $25 early bird, $30 at the door. Must be 21+ to attend.
Eagle Rock Session Fest
On Saturday, starting at 4pm is one of the most unique beer events in Los Angeles. The Eagle Rock Brewery Session Fest.
“Session Fest is coming back! All our taps will be pouring unique pilot batches of beers 4.5% ABV or lower brewed by the Eagle Rock Staff. Low on alcohol, but big on flavor. It was a hit last year, come and see what we brewed up this year! Grill’em All Truck will be here to feed ya!”
This is a great fest that really showcases creativity and maximizing flavors. The range of styles last year was amazing and this years brews will probably yield a great many tasty beers.
Notch – The session beer
The session beer has (in my humble opinion) gone from a momentary trend to a full blown backlash against high abv monsters.
Here is some information about the latest entrant into the session scrum…
“NOTCH, the American Session Ale. The only Session Beer Brand in the US. Every beer we brew is made to extend the good times, as every beer is below 4.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Full flavor, long drinking, no headache.
Notch Brewing was founded by Chris Lohring, a craft beer industry veteran. Follow the Notch story on this blog, and be part of the Session Beer resurgence in the US.”
Check out more at their website