The NEW Bootlegger’s

Bootlegger’s Brewery has closed down their Richman location after five years of brewing. And now the page turns to the….

NEW TASTING ROOM AND PILOT BREWERY
“Bootlegger’s is proud to finally announce the opening of our brand new tasting room and pilot brewery in Downtown Fullerton. After a long wait and many late nights of hard work, the tasting room will be open…
…. at 130 S. Highland, Fullerton , CA (on the corner of Santa Fe and Highland). It has 40 taps, improved restrooms, more seating, a large outdoor patio, and will be the home of our pilot brewery. Parking is just a short walk and is available at the Opus Bank parking lot at the other end of the alley, or at the large parking structure on Santa Fe. We are now open 7 days a week, and after this weekend our regular hours will be from 11a.m. to 10p.m. Sunday through Thursday and will stay open ’til midnight on Friday and Saturday.”

So take down the coming soon part of the banner!

photo courtesy of Rich Rosen
photo courtesy of Rich Rosen

FoodGPS Teaser – Anaheim Beer Day

As much as I try to promote the L.A. Beer Community, there is also a greater California community to also to talk about.

With that in mind, I visited the soon to open Valiant Brewing and Noble Ale Works in Anaheim and you can read about it tomorrow over on FoodGPS.

For now, these photos will have to do….
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The taps and beer menu at Valiant
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The Valiant brewing system
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The initial tasting flight!

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A Noble tower!
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The taster tray!
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The new look of Noble labels.

Reserve Society – Trip # 1

For Christmas, I received the luxurious gift of membership in The Bruery Reserve Society. I feel like a humblebragger just mentioning it.
Driven by beer buddy Richard down to the excellent provisions store in Old Town Orange, I entered to receive my “initiation package”

Not only did I get a membership card but I also got a hoodie with the 2012 Reserve Society logo and three beers!

Two of which went directly to my cellar which will be 60% Bruery related for the near future and then we headed up to the tap room to try (4) different versions of Saison de Lente. 2010. 2011. 0% Brett and 100% Brett. I don’t know if I should have started with 0% first and moved from there but starting at 2010 gave me the impression at 2011 was the best of the bunch. Still sparkly with the barnyardy-ness mellowed a skosh. It hit my palate the best.

Stay tuned for more visits. Next time, I pick up some new beers including a collaboration with Bootlegger’s.

L.A. Craft Beer Tours

Tours of beers in L.A.? Who would have thunk that years ago? But now you can hop on a bus (after reserving and paying of course – gas ain’t free) and let LA Craft Beer Tours drive on.

image from LA Craft Beer Tours website

They have three separate tours. The LA, the LA to Orange County and the LA to San Diego. Might be a good Christmas gift for the beer lover in your life.

Anaheim Brewing


Looks like Orange County has another brewery. Welcome to the Anaheim Brewery!

Headquartered in the Anaheim Historic District, the version 2.0 of the brewery takes over 90 years later! from the first Anaheim Brewing that was shuttered by prohibition.

They are serving up four beers in their tasting room. A gold, a red, a hefeweizen and the “Anaheim 1888 is based on a style of beer brewed at the original Anaheim Brewery and has a flavor that is popular with today’s beer drinker. Copper-colored, full-flavored and well-hopped, Anaheim 1888 is our flagship beer.”

And this review from the Anaheim Gazette all the way back in 1890 on the original version of what is today 1888 gave me a chuckle, it “appears to be fully equal if not superior to the celebrated Anheuser beer of St. Louis.”

Thanks to the Full Pint for first spotting this new brewery.

3 French (via Belgium) Hens

If you have any spare bottles of A Partridge in a Pear Tree or Two Turtle Doves, then you can have a nice Holiday ale tasting by getting the third in the series from the Bruery.

“The third verse of our ‘Twelve Beers of Christmas’ saga incorporates vinous and oaky notes into a bold and spicy dark ale. 10% ABV.” This years Holiday ale is 75% Belgian-style Dark Ale and 25% ale aged in French Oak barrels.

Hi-Time

Today (for no particular reason) is beer shop day. Since my dream job would be running a small craft beer store, I love highlighting places that sell a great assortment of beer.

First up is Hi-Time in Orange County, California.
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Be sure to enter in the beer area or you might get lost amongst the wine and spirits. They have a large selection of nicely chilled craft brews. Nice amount of Sierra Nevada, foreign beers and even more than just the Just Outstanding IPA from Kern River!

250 Ogle Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627-3808
(949) 650-8463

Upcoming Southern California beer events

July 29: Beer dinner at Rock Bottom brewpub – Long Beach, 6:00 p.m. rockbottom.com.

Aug. 8: Open house at Skyscraper Brewing, El Monte – 12:00-6:00 p.m. skyscraperbrewing.com

Aug. 19: Beer Showcase Dinner with Boston Beer Company – Tony P’s, Marina del Rey, 7:00 p.m. (different brewery each third Wednesday) tonyps.com.

Aug. 25-31: Sour Beer Festival, Beachwood BBQ – Seal Beach. beachwoodbbq.com

Aug. 30: OC Beer Festival – Irvine Lake, 2:00-5:00 p.m. drinkeatplay.com/ocbeerfest.

Sep. 19: Septemberfest – Paramount Studios, Hollywood, 2:00-5:00 p.m. drinkeatplay.com/septemberfest.

Oct. 17-25: L.A. Beer Week – various locations. labeerweek.com.