Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
I would not have guessed two things.
1. That our closest Near Beer craft brewery would be in Orange County in Santa Ana.
2. That Bravus Brewing Co. is America’s First NON-Alcoholic Craft Brewery
They have an IPA, Oatmeal Stout and a red ale to start. Road trip now in the planning stages.
For January the theme is “North of $10” & Barrel-Aged, so let’s dive into three big beers to keep you warm in our one cold L.A. month.
~LIGHT
Good Beer Co./ Hot Totty 5.00% ABV
“Farmhouse ale aged in American oak bourbon barrels with lemon zest and ginger. This dry and complex ale is inspired by a popular cold remedy that includes hot ginger tea, bourbon, and a squeeze and lemon – sometimes referred to as a Hot Toddy. The resulting beer is bursting with bourbon, ginger and citrus flavors. “
~MEDIUM
The Commons/ Bourbon Little Brother 8.80% ABV
“Little Brother is a rich and malty ale. A bit of roastiness, toffee, candy and chocolate come through as it warms. A smaller batch of Little Brother was aged in a Heaven Hill Bourbon barrel and blended back in for a touch of Bourbon. Little Brother is a pleasant and satisfying cold weather warmer. “
~DARK
Avery/ Tangerine Quad 10.00% ABV
“Patiently aged in the finest of Bourbon barrels, this bold Belgian-style Quadrupel layers notes of rich, dark fruit, vanilla, and caramel with a burst of tangerine peel culminating in the vibrancy of this full-bodied creation”
All of these beers can be found at Sunset Beer Co. (unless they got bought up real quick)
Thanks to Cismontane there is another lager for SoCal. And it is great to have a Vienna Lager, I mean Cerveza, sorry. This style is overlooked even though it pairs very well with spicy and heavy food. Or at 4.6% ABV it makes for a great, uncomplicated Session beer.
Barley Forge is now active in Orange County and now Downtown Santa Ana has their own spot for Good Beer. Now that name doesn’t ring for me but if indeed the beer is good, I will let that slide. I look forward to trying their Saison and Pale Wheat beers and their DTSA Citrus Zest IPA sounds like a winner as well.
You can read more about them in this article from Greg Nagel and Jessica McNew
Cismontane has been bubbling in the background. Bottles are available but I haven’t seen many events or tap handles of late. Now I may have the reason behind that sorta absence.
They are building a tasting room, additional brewing facilities and a DISTILLERY too! The tasting room will be the first online later this month (fingers crossed on my part). The distillery will be second and very well may be the 1st ever in Orange County. And of course, last will be the brewing kettles and fermenters. They always are.
They address is 1409 East Warner in Suite C in Santa Ana, not Rancho Santa Margarita.