Tag: Santa Monica Brew Works

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Review – Mayfaire 2024 Winners

Santa Monica Brew Works hosted the winners of this year’s Maltose Falcons Mayfaire Competition by brewing the top 3 beers. Which are as follows:

  • Best in Show: “The Bird” Rauchbier by Trevor McGuire – A masterfully crafted smoked-malt beer celebrated for its rich, roasty flavor and complexity.
  • 2nd Place: “Halfcolt” American Pale Ale by Jack McQueen – A perfectly balanced pale ale with refreshing hop character highlighted by a blend of Simcoe and Amarillo.
  • 3rd Place: “Ikasu” Matcha-infused Gose by Masahiro Katano – A distinctive gose brewed with Matcha, offering a unique blend of tangy sour notes and earthy green tea essence.

So I had to taste them. The Bird is my winner because it fulfilled its task. Bring some smoke and some malt. It did that and made you hungry for BBQ. Ikasu was my second choice. I did not get Matcha notes but I did get a quite nice mix of cantaloupe and lime that I liked. Last was the pale ale. It was kind of dank but not super hoppy. Has a bit of stone fruit to it. But stood out less than the other two winners.

Thanks to Santa Monica Brew Works for providing a platform to taste what homebrewers are doing.

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Best Beers of May 2024

May brought a nice mix of new beers and new breweries and that is shown in the Best of for the month…

Santa Monica Brew Works Flecha Azul Margarita Sour – I have had a couple nice sours recently headlined by this SMBW that smartly combined margarita with sour in a Gose-ish way.

Trusted Gut Kristalweizen – clean and crisp but unmistakably weizen. Perfect for a summer day.

Ghost Town + North Park Ghost Park IPA – Cannot go wrong with North Park even if they are just half of the brewing team.

The big winner for the month is…..

Brouwerij West 8x8x Hazy DIPA – now this was a proper hazy. it was like drinking cream and pineapple and it had an impressive layer of murk to it.

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Santa Monica ReNo

Santa Monica Brew Works always has a big weekend crowd on their large patio. People dart in to order and then return to the sun and their parties.

New to me was the traffic flow changes as the brewery and Emmy Squared Pizza expanded. Now there are two bars to order from, more interior seating and the noise level has been spread out.

the original interior space
the second bar

Just the slight amount of extra space makes all the difference. And I really prefer the electronic signage of the beer list than the one that is used on the first bar. It allows for a bit mor creativity as well as just being cleaner and more clear to read.

And I also quite liked the Posh London Lager. Super low ABV at 4.1% but it was not a water bomb at all. There was a lovely malt note that filled you up while not filling you up.

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Sean Suggests for April 2024

Time to play, one of these things is not like the other. I am a fan of collaborative beers and so that is two-thirds of the theme this month.

Enegren Brewing / Bierstadt Lagerhaus American Reinheitsgebot – 4.8% – “Being two breweries that share a passion for exceptional, filtered, and crisp German lagers, we decided to brew one of our all-time favorite beers for this year’s American Reinheitsgebot: an American Helles Lager. This classic beer is crafted with American malt and hops, staying true to its style. Make sure to swing by Frühlingsfest and grab a taste before it disappears!”

Santa Monica Brew Works Todo Chido Mexican-Style Lager – 5% – “this crisp Mexican-style ‘surfveza’ is pure golden refreshment. Enjoy the bright, well-balanced taste with delicate notes of orange blossom and a touch of tangelo.”

Wagon Wheel Brewing / Tarantula Hill Wagon Full of Tarantulas –  6% – “We set out to brew a Hazy Single IPA and the resulting brew is a Tropical fruit bomb that is out of this world! Wagon Full of Tarantulas is a Hazy IPA featuring HBC 630 and Mosaic hops. This beer is layered with flavors of papaya, grapefruit and pineapple.”

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Low and Slow

When Bludso’s BBQ opens near you and by you I mean a brewery, then you do have to collaborate.  It’s an L.A. given and if you don’t believe me then read on to this beer description from Santa Monica Brew Works, “pecan wood was chosen for its delicate and slightly nutty flavor characteristics. After spending an afternoon in the smoker, the malt acquired the desired charred & toasted notes.

Yet, despite its smoky character, this beer is not dark – it’s light and easy-drinking. The German word ‘helles’ means ‘pale’ in color – it’s a style defined by a brilliant golden hue and smooth, clean finish. The beer clocks in at a sessionable 4.9% ABV.

The smokiness is soft – not overwhelming. The goal was to enhance the base flavors of the brew rather than mask them. This beer pairs perfectly with food. It’ll go great with barbecue, pizza, and even salad.”

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SMBW Squared

There are “gets” when it comes to food at breweries and Santa Monica Brew Works snared a great restaurant free agent in Emmy Squared Pizza.

My famously picky better half ranks this pizza just below her favorite, We’re Pouring and I have to agree. The ‘Roni pie is brimming with pepperoni and has that nice slightly caramelized soft crust.

The place was packed on a recent Saturday but I think the beers need to rise to the level of the pizza. Maybe even brew a beer specifically to pair with it. The XPA and Inclined IPA are good but could be brightened considerably in my view.

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Magic in an Hour

Santa Monica Brew Works has added an eight notch to their belt and have a special IPA ready for fans of the West-Side brewery.

“MA8IC HOUR West Coast-Style IPA (7.0% ABV). Brewed with Cashmere and Strata hops. Bursting with flavors of citrus, peach, and tangerine – punctuated with a pleasantly dank finish.”