Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Mergers and acquisitions news from South and South of us in Los Angeles. The 3 Local Brothers restaurant group, which includes beer properties Urge American Gastropub, Mason Ale Works, Beer Zombies Brewing and Ferrous Falcon is teaming will combine with TAPS Fish House & Brewery AND Newtopia Cyder. The usual greater buying power and other merger talking points were alluded to but the bigger news is they plan to have a new brewery in the Midwest.
Victor Novak didn’t have any TAPS beers flowing last Saturday but there were 30+ other breweries on hand in Brea for the 1st Annual Craft Beer Festival.
Now on to my checklist for what makes a good festival….
Water? Yup, two stations on either side of the patio.
Variety? Double Yup. There were IPA’s and kolsch’s and Mrs. Stoutfire. Something for everyone.
Rare beers for the geeks? Yes, again. Ballast Point Homework Series. The last of Pole Position IPA from Beachwood. Naughty Sauce…
Seating and room flow? It was easy to navigate and there were literally no lines except for short ones at the two food areas and yes you could rest your feet if you were feeling “Far Out”
So which beers struck my fancy? Naughty Sauce was my favorite. Evan from Noble has a new cult classic on his hands with this one. Paradox from Kinetic was a fitting cap to my day and the other beer that caught my fancy was the Belgianized brown from Henry at Monkish…
Taking into account that this was a first go (but also taking into that same account that Victor has been to a few of these rodeo’s before). This was well done. Food was plentiful. Including a dessert option which you rarely see. There was an excellent mix of breweries and even the bright sun was brought to heel by strategic use of many umbrella’s.
I have no rating system, save for one. Would I go again next year? And that answer is yes.