Tag: Sacramento

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Beers Drunk -Sacramento

Enough of the other stuff, start talking about the damn beer!

Here are my impressions on what I drank at the California Craft Beer Summit.

Damn if Rare Barrel doesn’t just swamp the competition. Arrows of Neon with lemon and lime peel was amazing and the second beer that I tried of the quartet they were serving, Gifted Branch with stone fruits was almost in that lofty zone too.

Bagby Beer Co.’s Corn Star, their take on the malt liquor was a step different from everything else I tasted that weekend in a good way.

Kinetic Brewing and their HiHopAnonymous IPA had a fantastic aroma and the flavor came through too. Very complex swirl of flavors even for a month old!

Sampled two beers from the buzzed about Alvarado Street and came away less than impressed. Especially with their Super Rad pineapple beer which tasted like fruit juice. The Peninsula Pilsner was better but not a big winner.

From Sacramento I tasted the Device Integral IPA, the Bike Dog Mosaic, New Glory Hazy Session amongst others but none really lit my world on fire. The Rope Swing Cream Ale from Oak Park would be my pick of this grouping.

Lastly, Moonraker Yojo 33 1/3 Session IPA was unexpectedly good. Most IPA’s fell into the “OK” category but this one had me thinking of ordering another 1/2 pint.

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California Craft Beer Summit – Recap

Time to give a full recap of my trip to the California Craft Beer Summit.

What did I like, what did I see and how do I feel about California Craft beer now that I am back in Los Angeles….

Let’s start with the golden nuggets of wisdom that I picked up during the CCBA Summit:

Bart Watson
Gallup has done a poll with the title: “Do you have an occasion to drink alcohol?” Since the 30’s the Total pie doesn’t change much. What get drunk does.
1/4 Hispanics will be over 21 soon.
8 to 10 thousand breweries needed before possible saturation
4 California breweries make 90% of beer in the state only one is craft, Sierra Nevada
5% of breweries sell outside California

Peter Zien – AleSmith
13 years in the red.
No sales or marketing for 19 years
First made profit in 2008-9
Focus on quality, let the rest follow.

Adam Dulye
Lots of good information about pairing piece to piece. Like malt to toast. Or hops to salted peaches.
Build the pairing up from the base blocks.

Julian and Jeff
Water and beer are different solvents. Coffee behaves differently in beer
Have to keep the base beer constant otherwise the coffee needs to change.
Cold steep post fermentation has been the best way they have found with groundcoffee.
Do not treat the coffee as an additive.
The base beer doesn’t really stand alone without the coffee.
Wet processed vs dry processed coffee is a key decision.
Coffee beers don’t have a big shelf life

I picked these four seminars and talks because it shows the range of this Summit. Yes, there was plenty of great beer in the Expo Hall and the festival but for me, the learning was key. Each day I learn but much more was packed into this long weekend. From brewing techniques to brewing philosophy to dry, hard economic facts to memories and even harder facts of running a business.

The capstone discussion included the powerhouse duo of Russian River and Lost Abbey on stage. They were asked if they were starting now, if they would open a brewery now. Both said no without hesitation. But it didn’t seem as negative as when they implored brewers to dump batches and have rigorous QC measures. It didn’t seem as negative as the subtext of industry vets aging out and retiring.

I left cautious and wary having drunk good beers and beers with way too much cucumber. But I see this as growth. It isn’t bad to be a grown up. Grown ups can have fun but they also know what works and doesn’t. Our little industry is growing up and I think the next few summits will show that.

(Next up will be a more fun post about what beers I drank)

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California Craft Beer Summit – photos (@ the Summit)

Photos start here with what I captured inside the Expo Hall on days 1 & 2 of the Summit…..

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The Bag of Swag upon entering the Summit.

First beer of the Fest from Kinetic Brewing.
First beer of the Fest from Kinetic Brewing.

The Hop Display inside the hall.
The Hop Display inside the hall.

A hot topic of debate.
A hot topic of debate.

Sample trolley in motion.
Sample trolley in motion.

Adam Dulye with a wonderful food and beer pairing able assisted by Pizza Port's brewer.
Adam Dulye with a wonderful food and beer pairing able assisted by Pizza Port’s brewer.

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Day 2 – California Craft Beer Summit

Saturday rolled into the State Capital with a really busy day ahead at the California Craft Beer Summit.

Let’s get rolling with the quick notes:
Who doesn’t like beer and cold brew coffee at 9am? The cold brew tasted weird and of celery. Julian Shrago of Beachwood and Jeff Duggan of Portola Coffee gave a detailed talk of what they thought was the best way to utilize coffee in beer. The takeaway? Coffee is not something you just drop in at the end. You build a recipe and coffee is integral.

Next was the NE seminar. Call it hazy, juicy or turbid. It causes consternation. This was a fun session. Swear words came out. Digressions were made. All in front of Vinnie and Natalie from Russian River. My appreciation for Fieldwork Brewing grew hearing the off the cuff remarks from their brewer. Plus I always enjoy hearing Henry from Monkish when he gets animated.

From there a quick walk to Fieldwork. Shower Beer with Mosaic hops then Sea Wall their sea salt IPA. Both really shone. Loved the vibe of the spot too. Then the opposite. Needing food and a check in on college football, we headed to the TV full University of Beer where we were promptly served a really old IPA. Then when we complained, customer service went bye-bye. No, “we are sorry” at all. Live and learn.

Then the festival on the Capitol Mall. Hot was it. As Yoda would say. Too many choices. Rare Barrel brought the thunder with Gifted Branch and Arrows of Neon. LA was at the far end with Tower Bridge in the background. A well laid out event. Nicely spread out but the sun really baked some areas. Did pick-up some swag sunglasses though.

Then it was nap time. Short nap though before checking out more spots in Sacramento. Capitol Beer first. Nice little bottle shop and really nice people behind the bar. Had my first Moonraker beer and tried another Track 7 IPA as well. As the Lyft flies, we went next to New Glory where I had a cucumber lemon Pilsner that was strong in the the cucumber. Really strong.

From there a quick stop at the seriously loud and packed LowBrau for some food before walking back to the hotel.

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Sacramento Brewery Tour # 1 – Yolo Brewing

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We head to West Sacramento and Yolo Brew for our initial State Capital brewery. And before I get into picking the beers for my initial taster tray, Yolo Brew also offers what they call a Personal Brewing Experience. You (and a group of friends) make and appointment, head to their Beer Hall, choose a beer and then the brewers will go through the steps in making craft beer. Sort of personal contract brewing. It is an idea that has popped up throughout the years but never really caught on. Maybe Yolo has cracked the code on how to do it.

Anyway, on to what I will order and be on the lookout for when I am in Sacramento…..
Bohemian Pilsner followed by their Hallertauer Lager so I can compare and contrast the two styles and pick out where they differ.
Engine #43 Pale Ale followed by the house IPA and the Lt. Dan IPA to see the curve of hops from pale to specialty IPA.
Dirty Cog Porter and Vanilla Stout which will give me the chance to check out if their strength is in darker beers or lighter.

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Day 1 – California Craft Beer Summit

Today and tomorrow, I will give some quick notes on the California Craft Beer Summit.

(A full-er recap and more photos to come in a day or two’s time)

Arrived in Sacramento late on Thursday and then prepped for a busy pair of learning and beer. And there was a lot of both. I did hold off drinking until after 10am but when Sierra Nevada pale ale is offered. Hard to resist.

The day started with Bart Watson talking economics then went to Sierra Nevada talking Beer Camp. From there it was on to the Expo floor to taste beers from all over California. Starting with L.A., of course.

Then it was a history lesson. 21st Amendment, AleSmith and Firestone Walker all unspooled their stories. There was also beer and food demos that gave you examples of how to pair sour beers from Rubicon and IPA from Pizza Port with food. Both worked really well.

From there, it was time to breakout of the convention center. I headed over to one of two locations for Track 7 Brewing in West Sac. The brewery was busy and the Sukahop IPA was really good. Then it was a quick hop to Panagea Bier Cafe for food and bier. Lots of of Temescal beers on tap plus a mega busy ice cream shop across the way.

Then back to the hotel via Lyft. More to come.

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California Craft Beer Summit – Seminars

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Less than a month from now I will find myself in Sacramento for the California Craft Beer Summit and though the staggering amount of breweries in attendance might be the main draw for most. I will be going primarily for the seminars and to report back on Sacramento breweries.

The Art of the Pitch is oft discussed in our entertainment driven world of Los Angeles but not so much in the world of craft beer. But beer needs to be sold which is why one of the most interesting sections of the California Craft Beer Summit is the “Meet the Distributor” sessions.

Here is what a fly on the wall can expect from this “Select distributors will host a table during a three hour “Meet a Distributor” educational session, allowing brewery owners and decision makers to collect information, pitch their brand or gain information about the distributor’s sales process. After the session time ends, distributors will still be able to access the private room to host one-on-one meetings with sales staff or suppliers as needed, providing a quiet, separate space for new business conversations and relationship building.”

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California Craft Beer Summit

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Denver has GABF, Washington DC has Savor and Sacramento plays host to the California Craft Beer Summit + Beer Festival.

Held over three day, it is part industry trade show, part seminars, part networking and it leads up to a California Only craft beer festival, in front of the state Capitol with 150 breweries. You read that correctly 150.

Here is more information for those (like me) tempted to visit:
“The Expo Hall is organized around the four main ingredients in beer and offers “Tap Talks” with brewing legends, chef demos at the Culinary Marketplace, regional beer tastings hosted by craft beer guilds across the state, homebrewing demos and interactive, hands-on displays.

Educational Sessions on Friday are focused on the brewing, business and hospitality industries and include everything from technical skills to branding to how to explain beer styles to your guests.
Educational Session on Saturday are for the people that really drive the craft beer industry: craft beer drinkers! These sessions offer entry and advanced level homebrewing lessons, tasting, judging and pairing opportunities and a few, fun history lessons with colorful California brewers.”

Tickets ain’t cheap but there are ticket options for various days and you can get into the festival only and it will get you access to more beers in one spot than you could probably dream of trying in a year of driving around the Golden State.

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Holiday Ale # 19 – Nice Lager

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Our next holiday treat is for even the naughty people on Santa’s list. From the state capital of California comes Nice Lager from Rubicon Brewing.

“With the holidays upon us, we welcome you to a NICE holiday lager. Floral on the nose, spicy on the palette, and with caramel through to the finish, this hop forward lager is just what you’ve been asking for. Some good deeds do go unpunished.”