Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Each year, usually in February, I pore over the anticipated brewery openings list compiled by the fine folks at The New School Beer blog. Go HERE to read the full list.
My first pick is Tiny Giants Brewing which will be heading to SE Ankeny with former Cascade and Fracture brewer Steve Beadouin in the lead. That resume is one reason why I chose it. The other is that they are using a space used by a former brewery while they search for a forever home.
Last stop of the month is in Hood River but you will have to look for it. It is Spinning Wheels Brewing Project which is operating in speakeasy mode beneath the restaurant.
Zoiglhaus Brewing’s contract brewing operation in Portland. is where the beers are made such as Shredipede Pale Ale and Enter the Forest a West Coast IPA. Andrew Rosette the owner, has just 5 different beers that are being perfected each time done with Zoiglhaus and brewmaster Alan Taylor.
Since I will be in Oregon at the end of the month, I thought I would focus on some new NW breweries to check out starting on North Williams in Portland at Commensal Fermentation. According to their website, “the archaic meaning of Commensal is the people you bring to your table…”
Forty Rules – “our west coast session ipa featuring Idaho 7 and Mosaic hops. Notes of tropical fruit, citrus, a little pine are present in this 4.2% beer.”
Row of Ducks – “our Kölsch-style ale with a gentle nod to tradition. Notes of red apple, cracker and honey are present in this 5.2% abv beer.”
Crazy World, Lotta Smells – “hazy double ipa, double dry hopped with Citra, Ekuanot, and HBC 638.”
Tatluhan – “our blond stout with coffee and toasted coconut, collaboration beer with Mosaic Taphouse and Kalesa coffee, in Portland, Oregon.”
Looks like another new L.A. based beer is out. Grown Folks’, Front Porch, an American Light Lager at a sessionable 4.5% ABV. Grown Folks has three hard seltzers as well – Peach Cobbler, Ambrosia, and Key Lime.
Grown Folks was founded by Danica Dias in 2021 and takes inspiration from her grandma and her Creole background. The lager will be available in Los Angeles and a few other cities.
For 12 years, the Beachwood Brewing hub was in Long Beach on promenade. Now they are taking leave of that location and re-allocating, as it were over their other spots across South L.A. and Orange County.
From their recent social media posting, “This sale will allow us to move our specialty beer production to our Huntington Beach facility – so all the variety you’ve come to enjoy from Beachwood isn’t going away. With a growing footprint in Long Beach and Orange County, a newly launched distillery with artisanal spirits, and expanded beer production, we are committed to the same ethos we started with 12 years ago ”
Don’t fret though. Former Beachwood and Riip brewer – Ian McCall will bring his eponymous brewery (ISM) and his medals to the space which is quite exciting. A real win-win.
Beachwood – Long Beach’s last week will be October 23-October 29.
Brown Soul Brewing in the South Gate area has cleared the ABC hurdle, so the brewery in progress is now moving toward an opening date. Updates to follow.
Two Oregon titans are combining on a new project that will land in my college town of McMinnville.
Lisa Allen, head brewer at Heater Allen known for fantastic pilsners, and Kevin Davey, who as brewmaster at Wayfinder— led the Cold IPA trend are combining forces.
The Heater Allen brewery in McMinnville, Oregon, will also launch a new venture and line of beers at the facility to be called Gold Dot.
If you are looking for the next hot beer style, it may be born at this new brewery partnership. And Gold Dot is now on the Oregon list the next time I visit.
Stillwater Artisanal Ales has migrated west to Washington State and has teamed with a surprising partner on the way.
Read the full story HERE (which also includes a deeper dive link)
Maybe this means more and fresher Stillwater beer here in SoCal.
Out to East Pasadena to visit Wild Parrot Brewing Company which shares a space with Rosebud Coffee.
The space is adorned with parrots making it a flying twin to Green Cheek Brewing. The brewery just recently opened and has six beers on too plus a SoCal ubiquitous Michelada.
All the beers were solid. No, WTF moments here. Usually new breweries and IPAs don’t mix well but their Pandemonium West Coast IPA was good.
On the other side of the ledger was the Porch Chill Amber which did not build on the momentum from the first two lagers. Was kinda flat and uninteresting to me.
The sour could have been more tart but had a nice lime flavor. The Coffee Stout was more a Coffee Porter but had a good coffee note to it.
The best in show was the Doug Heavy. Light enough for hot weather but Big enough for cloudy skies too.
I tooled down the 5 on a recent Sunday to check out the new Everywhere Beer Co. To get there, I passed by Angel Stadium as well as the Orange County location of Golden Road and a Karl Strauss.
Everywhere is the project of a breakaway group from The Bruery much in the way that Radiant Beer Co. is. And both are happy and colorful places for a beer. Lot’s of colorful painted figures on the wall. A happy little wobbly circle mascot. Actual booths to nestle into inside, outdoor seating as well. Spanish tile creating a warming counterpoint. Views of the brewhouse from most angles.
First beer was Delicious Moments an Italian Pilsner. My half pour came in a cool cylindrical glass that emphasized the dark yellow color. Sharp malty and mineral taste. Not bubbly but not viscous either.
Next up was Gladness, a West Coast IPA is nice a bright. A burst of hoppiness here that is different from the crowded IPA field. I get melon and grape notes. As it warmed the fruit pulled back a bit and the West Coast-iness came out.
The finishing beer was Magnificent Everything a DDH DIPA. Super pillowy soft and fruity. Getting a strawberry note here. Tastes way less big than the Gladness. Getting a wheat note here as well.
The selection on offer was five beers, two sours and two seltzers. A little more style variety will probably come as the production grows. They also have beer to-go as well to round out your choices.
