Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
On occasion, I also write for the great BeerPaperLA. Yes, it is on actual paper! (online too, yes)
And this month, I have a small piece and a larger one tucked into the pages. I give a quick shout out to my friends at Pacific Plate Brewing in Monrovia in one and go on a ride-along with a craft beer rep from Artisan Ales in another. Let me know what you think and if you have ideas for what I should write about next.
You can find it in better beer stops around the L.A. area!
Tomorrow’s post over on Food GPS is cut right down the middle. 1/2 about the recently opened Pacific Plate Brewing and the second 1/2 about some of the events on tap for L.A. Beer Week.
This teaser does the same.
First up a review of the tap room at Pacific Plate. As craft beer fans know, breweries tend to be tucked into industrial parks and other odd spots. This locale is not different. At the back of part of a bigger complex off of Myrtle in Monrovia, the space is fairly roomy for a start-up. I have seen and been in smaller. Nice amount of blue barrel tables to stand at and a couple of picnic benches as well. The best seats are the ones at the cut out window that looks at the taps and gives a birds eye view of everyone that comes in. The big thing is that the people at the taps are very welcoming. And the beer is good, but I leave that to tomorrow.
Second, here is an additional event to consider attending. Then check my post tomorrow for others and decide which (or all) that you will not want to miss.
5 course menu of our Chefs creation. Each contender ( One Beer Guru and One Wine Guru) are presented with the menu. Pairing begins and the challenge is to vote on which libation works best with each dish…Who will win… Beer or Wine?
Tomorrow on FoodGPS for my weekly Brew and You column I head to Monrovia to tour another brewery in the works. Pacific Plate is in the midst of starting their production brewery and tasting room.
Tomorrow’s post talks about some of their activity but I want to highlight the beers that they have posted on their Facebook page because I want you to be ask for them once they start up in May.
Mango IPA
“A tropical take on an American-style IPA, this mildly hopped, medium bodied ale is brewed with whole cone Simcoe hops and flavored with Mango. The tropical notes in both the hops and Mango compliment the bitter yet mild finish.”
Widowmaker IPA (L&O Collaboration)
“A liquid tribute to the power of the hop, this American-style India Pale Ale is light in body and color but features a pallet assaulting combination of Chinook, Centennial, Columbus, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. Boiled for 90 minutes to extract the full potential of bittering alpha acids, this IPA well exceeds the taste threshold of bitterness at a whopping 120 IBUs. This beer can be mixed with fresh orange juice for a tasty and refreshing citrus beer cocktail. IPA originated in the Burton on Trent region of Britain in the 19th century. British beer makers were looking for a way to preserve beer that was being transported to British soldiers in India. They discovered that by adding more hops, which acted as a natural preservative, the beer would survive the lengthy and treacherous voyage.”
Trappist Dubbel
“This Belgian style ale is a rich malty beer with some spicy/phenolic and mild alcoholic characteristics. It does not have as much fruitiness or alcohol as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale but some dark fruit aromas and flavors are present. There is a mild hop bitterness with no lingering hop flavor. Look out for dark metallic caramel flavor from the dark candi sugar that is added directly to the boil. Dubbels are traditional monastic beers that have been brewed in Belgian Monasteries for thousands of years. This beer emulates the original Trappist Dubbels still produced today at the Westvlteren, Westmalle, and Chimay monasteries.”
The Pacific Plate guys have a load of interesting beer ideas fermenting as they proceed to adding their equipment, so keep your eyes out and make plans to visit Monrovia this summer.
There are many breweries bubbling under the surface here in the Los Angeles area and here is some positive news from one of them, Pacific Plate via Jonathan Parada! “..we found a location in San Dimas and will be signing the lease sometime this month. Supposing the licensing goes well we can look forward to having a tap room open as early as February or as late as July 1st.”
And it looks like the brewery swag will be really cool, “We’ve found an exciting relationship with a clothing company called Loud & Obnoxious that have become full-time partners of our company and are heading up the marking/merchandise of the company. They’re looking to turn the name Pacific Plate into more than just a beer, but a brand, a style. With some really innovative artists on board we’re looking to design labels/ logos for two lines of beer.”
But let’s focus on the beer, shall we, “First, our historically accurate Ales/ Lagers will consist of a Double Decoction Bavarian Heff, a California Common, and a Trappist Duble.
Our second line will be modern day fusions of popular styles with Central American Flavors, Horchata Stout: An English Milk Stout brewed with cocoa beans and cinnamon, Mango IPA, Agave Wheat, and our WidowMaker IPA.” I am glad to see a twist on the near forgotten milk stout. Looking forward to tryin’ them.
Pacific Plate Brewing Co.