There is light at the end of the brewing tunnel for Simmzy’s in Burbank. It glows red….
I will have my interview with Greg and Brian who are handling the brewing show on Food GPS in early April but here are a couple photos of the downstairs, where the tanks will sit….
…and the upstairs where the brewing system will be humming along…
Simmzy’s House Beer
It is good when a press release can answer two questions in one fell paragraph.
Question 1 – Is the Simmzy’s brewery proceeding?
Question 2 – Which brewery was going to land Brian Herbertson after Wick’s?
Well read on….
“Mike Simms and Simms Restaurants are gearing up to debut the addition of a 7-barrel brewing facility to the Burbank outpost of the popular Simmzy’s craft beer pub and restaurant. Joining Simms as Partner is Greg Bechtel, a former bartender at Simmzy’s turned beer-buyer/manager and certified Cicerone. Together the duo is proud to announce that Brian Herbertson of Riverside’s Wicks Brewing Co. will be joining them as Head Brewer.”
The Brewery at Simmzy’s Burbank (which will hopefully be shortened) will focus on “sessionable house beers aiming to complement the restaurant’s menu…” The new beers will on tap at Simmzy’s Burbank (obviously), Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Venice Beach.
Bechtel brings ideas from El Segundo Brewing to combine with the Wick’s background of Herbertson. But even better, both guys are super cool and are truly part of the L.A. craft beer community.
Look for beer in the 2nd quarter of the year. Check the Simmzy’s Facebook presence for more updates.
Dank You Very Much
One is already down, but you have three more L.A. nights to get Dank with El Segundo Brewing.
Beer Dinner Review – Simmzy’s + MacLeod Ales
When I saw the phrase, “Five Course Beer Dinner”, I blanched a bit. Being honest, I am not the stuff till you burst kind of eater. But then I saw that the beer was from MacLeod’s and the food was from Simmzy’s Burbank outpost. So my mood brightened and I RSVP’ed.
First good thing. The food courses were right-sized. By that I mean, you weren’t subject to Flinstone-ian portions of food. Tapas like to an extent.
Second good thing. My suspicion that MacLeod beers would pair wonderfully with food were confirmed. Nothing against big and bold beers but those pairings can be epic battles. The low ABV but high flavors of Andy Black’s British inspired ales add to food without becoming a battle royale.
My favorite of the night was the beef stew with Jackie Tar. That was an easy choice but it was well done. Meat and sunchokes and a delicious gravy were magic with the beer. The curry shrimp with the Little Spree was delightful too and that is coming from a non-curry fan. The toasted barley was excellent as an sidekick.
The beer revelation was the Middling Spree a Belgian-esque pilsner type of hybrid that was all over the place but just might be my new favorite MacLeod beer. And I have a lot of favorite MacLeod beers. The only down note was the dessert. Double Kings Taxes was a bit too syrupy and sweet for me, the cardamom in the whipped cream helped but the burnt note from the caramel sauce made everything taste tinny to me. Four out of five ain’t bad though.
More dinners may be on the horizon and at $48 a person, it is a steal. You get 5 beers (we got a bonus beer for six) plus the food and the education from the brewer. When more of these become scheduled, I will post it here.