Tag: Tenaya Creek

Posted on

a Book and a Beer – The Water Knife

Now that I am back in the groove of reading, I thought it was time to get back to pairing books with beer on a semi-regular basis.

The book is “The Water Knife” by Paolo Bacigalupi. (Maybe next month, I will do “Go Set A Watchmen”, or not)
Screen Shot 2015-07-18 at 8.42.26 PM
I read the previous Bacigalupi book, “The Wind-Up Girl” and thought it was a fun summer/potential movie script.  And his latest follows along the same road, pretty stock characters doing pretty stock things though the ending does toss a curve ball that attempts to “dirty” up the pretty finale.  What is frustrating to me is that the setting and backdrop could be used for so much more.  Drought and who controls the levers of the water supply is a rich vein to mine.  The movie Chinatown worked the edges hard without digging too deep into it and the Water Knife and it’s lead character, Angel could have really been fleshed out and into something deeper.  On a side note, Angel as a name doesn’t work for men or women anymore.  Way too laden with imagery.  If it was a modern day mystery or thriller, I probably would have read it and put it aside without a thought. But this book practically asks for more.

The easy beer to pair with it would be 2020 IPA from Golden Road.  This hop bomb was made in conjunction with the LA River 2020 project so you have a nice water tie in and since Calie’s are the “big bad” of the story it works.

A deeper cut could be Tenaya Creek and their Monsoon IPA.  It combines the Vegas that is a major part of the story with a heavenly torrent of water that would have really, really been welcomed in this bleak future.

Posted on

Sin City Brewery # 2 – Tenaya Creek

tenaya-creek-brewing

Tenaya Creek Brewery has gone in a different direction than others in the industry.  They started as a brewery and restaurant but once they grew they jettisoned the restaurant half to focus on beer and when you see the lovely brewhouse on their website you can see why.

Now on to what I would put in my taster tray if I found myself bellied up to the bar….

God of Thunder Baltic Porter

“The God of Thunder requires but one sacrifice before granting access to its dark and malty depths. All thou needs to do is sacrifice one bottle cap into the rubbish bin. As the lager pours, clouds of darkness fold into the glass void, awakening a light-body and crisp finish. Thank you for your sacrifice.”

Gold Medal Pilsner

“Tenaya Creek Pilsner (draft only) year round. Golden lager, perfectly balanced malt and hop characteristics. Won the Gold Medal at the 2002 Great American Beer Festival for “European-Style Pilsner””

and the cheekily named

Haulin Oats Oatmeal Stout

“Hauling oats is hard work.

Donkeys are motivated by carrots. Here at Tenaya Creek we are motivated by beer. Especially when it has the subtle aroma of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

It is easy to forget about the long journey ahead when a dark ale with a golden tan head is in hand. So drop the reins, pry open the lid and enjoy the rounded, smooth pull. Take a breath and savor the notes of semi-sweet chocolate and hearty oats.”

(You can find some Tenaya Creek beers in LA if you look so try them out.)

Posted on

Review – Tenaya Creek Hop Ride IPA

To some Las Vegas means only Sin City, but to those in the know, the glittering city also has some beer spots. Maybe not rivaling the beer soaked Portlands and Denvers of the world, yet,but they are moving in the right direction.

IMG_4907

That is the semi-ling preamble to my review of Tenaya Creek’s Hop Ride IPA.

Spooky rattler on the label. Pours an orange/yellow color. Fluffy head on this one. Spicy and floral aroma. Bitterness is medium to me and it sticks around on the roof of the mouth. Little bite at the beginning of each sip. A little caramel taste around too.

IMG_4908