Tag: Torrance

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Food GPS Teaser – Where to go in the South Bay

Tomorrow, the Food GPS “Where to go for Craft Beer” series returns with a survey of the South Bay.  Previously, I took a look at Downtown LA and at the Hollywood area.  As a travel guide for those who either are new to Los Angeles or native Angeleno’s who want to explore out of the area that they live or work in.

Those first two “neighborhoods” as it were are pretty easy to identify.  They have boundaries that are pretty well set.  And so does the South Bay, but people (like me) from the Glendale area may not know what those boundaries are per se.

So to prepare for my picks, here is a handy map detailing where we will be headed tomorrow…..

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As always, if you have suggestions that I missed.  Let me know.  My list of craft beer places is long but I want to be as informed as possible and will add even more.

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#LABW5 Pick of the Night – Saturday 9/28

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Each morning throught L.A. Beer Week, I will give you my Pick of the Night.  The ONE event I think rises to the top of the list.  Some days that choice will be harder and there might be 1A and 1B’s (if I get wishy-washy).  I will endeavor to pick events you can just head out to.  But if tickets are required, I will mention it.  But expect crowds.  Craft beer and craft beer in L.A. is popular.

Rarest of the Rare at Smog City Taproom

I cannot add anything that cannot be better said by this tap list:

Cask
2009 O.E.
2011 Callaborative Evil w/Vanilla Beans

Draft
Quercus Circus – 19 month sour barrel-aged belgian blonde
Tempest – 18 month barrel-aged sour red rye
Farmhouse Funk
Bourbon Collaborative Evil – 2011 Collaboration with Julian Shrago of Beachwood BBQ
Bourbon Red – 15 months in bourbon barrels
Bourbon O.E.- Bourbon barrel-aged Olde English
Bourbon Imperial Porter
Weird Beer- 5 Grain Saison with spices
Hive Five- LABW special ingredient beer! 5 different types of Honey at 5.5%abv
GrapeApe IPA- IPA made with 500lbs of flame grapes, pressed on site

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Forage Around

SmogCityLogo Smog City has debuted a new small batch series by the name of the Forager Series.

The first beers came out this time last month and are “based on the hunt for natural ingredients found and foraged around LA, the Forager Series uses hand harvested fruits and herbs to create unique beers that put a spin on traditional styles.” I missed the first couple (see below) and since these beers are brewed in very small batches they are only available in their taproom in Torrance.

And you can be a part of the beer, “We look forward to expanding this series and further exploring what LA has to offer in terms of ingredients. In the future we plan to brew larger batches for the Forager Series so if you are interested in helping out we’re looking for you!

We’ll send out requests as the recipes develop via the newsletter and of course, if you have an overabundance of fruits, herbs, peppers or the like please email laurie@smogcitybrewing.com and we might just design a recipe around it!”

Fennel Of Love- 5%abv
Sunday we will be tapping our 80 Shilling Scotch Ale brewed with fennel flowers harvested by Porter from wild growing fennel in Playa Vista. These flowers are not to be confused with fennel seed or fennel pollen, the flowers impart a subtly sweet anise character into a lightly malted and fruity beer. The result is a subtle licorice and fruity aroma balanced by a smooth crisp and lightly malty beer ending in the perfect amount of roast character thanks to the midnight wheat for added balance.

King Kumquat- Saison with Kumquats (tbd)abv
In the works and soon to be released is our second in the Forager Series, King Kumquat. Laurie harvested 60lbs of kumquats from the Porter household kumquat tree thereby leaving Porter and the guys with an excellent excuse to buy an immersion blender. New Toy! They then added the whole pureed kumquats into one of our 50gal stainless steel barrels and topped it up with actively fermenting L.A. Saison. As it has yet to finish out, we will all have to wait and see how the beer will ultimately taste.

Whether you participate or not this is a cool idea and a good way to make creative beers.

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Review – Dat Moi from Monkish

If all goes according to plan, this will be on tap at Beer Belly for my “Light and Crafty” event on the 9th of this month.  Along with Pivo Pils from Firestone-Walker it is a new favorite summertime beer and perfect for a growler buy because it will go quick.

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Dat Moi pours a striking yellow color with a bit of a floral perfume aroma.  Nice big fluffy head as well.  The first sip is sharp but I don’t get either metallic or corn pop like certain lagers I could name.  Instead, I am getting notes of grapefruit and flowers.  Very crisp with nice bubbles.  For a primarily Belgian influenced brewery, Monkish has made a mean lager that I really enjoy. Beer-Hope-Love indeed.

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Food GPS Teaser – Events Past & Present

L.A. has so many craft beer events on any given day that it can be hard to keep up.  My weekly Food GPS column could consist each week of a review of a past event and the 411 on a future one.  So I decided to do it.

Today’s teaser includes some photos from the Eagle Rock Session Fest…..

Grapefruit Kolsch and Mint Mild.
Grapefruit Kolsch and Mint Mild.
Cap'n enjoying the Berliner Weisse.
Cap’n enjoying the Berliner Weisse.

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And don’t forget to head to….
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…on May 18th from 12-9pm “to celebrate the end of construction and the beginning of BEER” at Smog City in Torrance.

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Sean Suggests for April 2013

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Since April in Los Angeles is a bit hotter than in most of the country, I have selected three beers with a little less ABV oomph to them than usual.  And all three will be good NBA playoffs choices.

LIGHT

Widmer Columbia Common 4.7% abv

“The Columbia Hop was near extinction when we brought it back to create this crisp, easy drinking common ale. With a rich amber hue, Columbia Common, the new Spring Seasonal Release for 2013, has a Mild grassy and spicy hop notes are complemented by a fruity character and clean finish brought on by the use of hefeweizen and lager yeasts and unique malt bill. It’s the perfect beer for Spring.”

MEDIUM

Strand 24th Street Pale 6.1 % abv

“This is what we had intended to brew when we made Genesis. Serving as our flagship ale, 24th Street Pale contains exactly the same hops but is less malty than Genesis which leads to less masking of the hop profile. It’s a smooth little Pale with a bitter finish. Slightly floral, slightly fruity. It is dry and drinks quickly. ”

DARK

New Belgium Hoppy Bock 6.9 % abv

“Meet the first in our new Hop Kitchen series: A German-style springtime lager brewed with rye then loaded with Hallertauer, Perle and Fuggle hops for a spicy, earthy aroma. This Hoppy Bock Lager offers a medium body and slightly sweet malt character perfect for your spring hop-fling.”

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The Dudes’

61759_1271311066342774_1555416094_sFrom the 15th to the 17th, up and down the coast you can get your first taste of a new Torrance based brewery.

The Dudes’ Brewing Co. will be at Naja’s in Redondo Beach, Simmzy’s in Manhattan Beach and the Tavern on Main in El Segundo.

As more information pops up on the interwebs and/or I get my first taste of their beers, I will add more posts about the 3rd of four breweries in Torrance.

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Strand in Bottles

It is getting easier than ever to get your favorite LA craft beers in bottles!  El Segundo and Beachwood are now available and Monkish may be following suit soon and Strand Brewing will be jumping into the game mid-month.

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And you can grab some of these handsome bottles at their tap room this Saturday March 16th from 12-8

the following Beers will be available in bottles:

24th Street Pale Ale
Atticus IPA
Beach House Amber Ale
Second Sleep Imperial Stout

*Bottles are for take out only, same as a growler

And while you are there you can also sip on the re-released White Sand Double IPA on draft that day and/or sample a Special Cask of Oaked Second Sleep Russian Imperial Stout tapped at Noon.

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FoodGPS Teaser – Smog City

Early in January as the concrete was drying at the in-progress Smog City brewery, I was treated to a tour of the facility by Porter and Laurie the hard working duo behind such beers as The Nothing and Sabre-Toothed Squirrel.

I will talk more about what I saw and what I heard but check out some photos here…..
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The “sign” that shows you that you have found Smog City
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Remember this photo when you are sitting in their taproom.

And check out the info for their event tonight at the Venice Ale House….
“Come join TapHunter at Venice Ale House as we celebrate our LA launch with 2 of LA’s most promising breweries, LadyFace Ale Companie and Smog City Brewing. No strangers to one another, brewmasters and co-founders Dave Griffiths of LadyFace and Porter of Smog City once worked together at BJ’s Brewery before parting ways to start their own breweries. Now TapHunter is reuniting this duo, that represents both the light and darkness of the LA craft beer scene. Join us for a night of fun:

– Meet the folks from TapHunter, LadyFace and Smog City
– ‘Craft Table’ for the ladies we provide the t-shirts, ribbon, scissors; you provide the creativity! prizes for the best customized shirt!
– $5 pours, door prizes, burger specials
– DJ provided for the children

First 100 RSVP’ers, show us your TapHunter App and TapHunter will buy your first pint!”

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Monkish Brewing


On the last day of March, I visited the newly opened L.A. brewery by the name of Monkish that has opened in Torrance. (And I squeezed in a visit to Strand and their new tasting room too)

These photos are the teaser for the main article on Monkish that will arrive tomorrow over on FoodGPS.

Henry Nguyen with a flight of Monkish Belgian ales. Oblate, Crux and Rosa’s Hips.

The brewing operations and a saint too!