The L.A. Beer Blast is designed to let Food GPS readers know what’s new at select L.A. bars and restaurants with great beer selections. You’ll also discover beer-related events in the area and meet industry leaders. The L.A. Beer Blast normally arrives every Thursday evening, in time for the weekend rush. Look in the left sidebar, Subscribe to Food GPS and you’ll receive the L.A. Beer Blast by e-mail.
Brew & You
This week in Brew & You: El Segundo, California and Lucca, Italy collide, a honey of a beer from England and another craft beer homework assignment to complete in a post titled Bruton in America .
This week marks the 1st installment of “Beer at the Source,” your one-stop shop for information on brewery tap rooms. First stop, Eagle Rock Brewery in Los Angeles.
Echo Park bar owner Elizabeth Fischbach says: “So here it is: Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye IPA, Avery White Rascal, Great Divide Express Oak Aged Yeti, and Sudwerk Pilsner.”
Beachwood chef-owner Gabe Gordon currently features draught beers such as TAPS IPA, Stillwater Autumnal Saison, Mikkeller Big Worse Barley Wine, Ovila Dubblel, New Belgium 10/10/10 and Anchor Small beer. Track changes to Beachwood BBQ’s 24-tap menu via Hop Cam.
Blue Palms taps are pouring Cismontate Pandion, Shark Bite and Truck Stout from Pizza Port Carlsbad, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire and Black Market Rye IPA among many others. Track changes to Blue Palms Brewhouse’s 24-tap menu Here
Also on April 4th, the SoCal Beer Company will be at Blue Palms with their ales.
From bar manager Rory Snipes, “New beers this week include Duchesse de Bourgogne, Port Brewing Wipeout IPA, Eagle Rock Revolution XPA, Victory Prima Pils, Firestone Double Jack, Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse, Schneider Edel Weisse and AleSmith Nautical Nut Brown.”
The Bottle Room
According to chef-owner Tony Alcazar, “This week: Cismontane Pandion, Avery The Maharaja, and Black Market Hefe. Also, new in bottle, Nogne-O #100 Barley Wine, Alpine Nelson IPA, Jolly Pumpkin Baudelaire iO Saison, Stone/Pizza Port/Greenflash Highway 78, Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch and The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme. Next Week we start “Sausage Fest”. From August 7th-9th we will feature different exotic sausages with different toppings to be paired with beers on tap. No tickets required, come one come all!!!!”
Broadway Alehouse
According to co-owner Eden Noe, “Arrogant bastard, Lagunitas fusion, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Allagash Curiuex, Black Market hefeweizen, Guinness, Great Divide Hercules double IPA, St. Louis framboise, Lost Abbey Judgment Day, Delirium Nocturnum, Hitachino white, Ranger IPA, Duvel Green, Stone double dry hopped IPA, Ommegang Belgian pale, Woodchuck apple, Eagle Rock Manifesto wit, Karl Strauss Red Trolley, Firestone Union Jack IPA, Great Divide porter.”
According to Beverage Director Eli Wilson, “Lots of fantastic beers on tap, all of which pair perfectly with the sunny Long Beach weather we’ve been having! We are on a strong beer binge lately, and are following limited kegs of Dogfish World Wide Stout, Mikkeller Big Worse, Avery Maharaja, 2008 Alaskan Barley Wine, Ola Dubh 30-year, and Brandy Angel’s Share with Firestone Abacus, Nogne Winter Ale, Black Flag Stout and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2011.”
Since last Thursday, Phil McGovern’s iconic Santa Monica bar has added Avery Maharaja and Ommegang BPA to their beer list.
In addition, the first in a series of Sunday Beer Events will be at the Pint. According to resident Beer Geek David Stickel, who hosts Beer Church, “We’ve got a ton of rare Belgians at our fingertips, and will be tapping fresh kegs from local breweries Strand, Eagle Rock & Brouwerij West.”
On tap beer wise are Solidarity, Manifesto and Revolution.
On the Food truck front, tonight means the Temaki Truck, Friday is Dankeys Doners and Saturday is Grill ‘em All, with Sunday being Pie and Beer day.
The Factory
According to Eric Gutenkauf, “The Factory Gastrobar in Long Beach is fully recovered from Tuesday’s awesome Lagunitas Pint Night. Currently we still have 3 brews from Lagunitas on tap: IPA, Hairy Eyeball and Wilco Tango Foxtrot. Also pouring are Rubicon IPA (battling Lagunitas in our IPA tournament), Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Sudwerk Mai Bock, Cismontane Black’s Dawn Stout and Buckbean Tule Duck Red Ale. In the back we have more beverage insanity with a keg of New Belgium’s Le Terroir, Drake’s Denogginizer, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and Bootleggers Old World Hefeweizen. Be sure to join us next Thursday, April 7th for The Factory debut of Iron Fist Brewing from Vista, CA!”
According to Jason Bernstein at The Golden State, draught beers include “Craftsman 1903, Deschutes Hop Henge, Avery DuganA, New Belgium is represented with Le Terroir, Oooh La La and 10/10/10, Strand 24th Street Pal and Moylan’s Old Blarney.”
According to Ladyface rep Robyn Britton, “Ten Ladyface ales are on tap, including the Cask of the Week “Bieru4U”, our London Calling Extra Special Bitter with whole leaf Japanese Sorachi Ace hops that impart a unique lemony aroma. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to receive the secret Cask of the Week words that earn some folks $1 Ladyface ales. Also on tap – Russian River Pliny The Elder, Kern River Class V Stout, Avery Reverend, Saison Dupont and Sierra Nevada Outta Town Brown. On deck – Marin White Knuckle and Ovila Dubbel, Sierra Nevada’s collaboration with the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux. Cheers!”
Here is the latest from Alex Davis at the Library Alehouse, “This weekend, we’ll have Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza, AleSmith IPA and Avery Maharaja will still be flowing.” On April 6th, Library Alehouse will be hosting the SoCal Beer Company. Check the Library Alehouse Facebook page for updates.
According to assistant manager Martin Svab, new beers include Mad River Steelhead Double IPA, Alesmith Horny Devil, Lost Coast Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout, Mammoth Double Nut Brown, Mammoth Floating Rock Hefe, Allagash Curieux and Fox Barrel Apple Cider.
Tonight is New Belgium Brewing Night (8pm till 10pm) featuring the following goodies on draft: Le Terroir, Ooh La La!, Dunkelweiss, Trippel, Ranger IPA, and more! A limited amount of New Belgium Belgian-style glasses will be available.
Ommengang / Brasserie D’Achouffe– Week starts next Monday (4/4) (to coincide with the NCAA basketball tournament final) and will run all the way through Friday. Awesome beers that will be available all week long include: Ommegang BPA, Ommegang Three Philosophers, Ommegang Hennepin, Gnomegang, & Brasserie A’Chouffe Houblon Chouffe. Various Ommegang glassware will be available all week (or until supplies run out).
The BIG one: The 3rd Annual IPA Festival kicks off Thursday, April 21st and runs one week. Expect close to 50 IPAs, DIPAs, and IIPAs including several casks on hand. Commemorative glassware & t-shirts will be available (while supplies last). This festival promises to be our biggest and coincides with our 30th Anniversary.
According to Tuesday night’s update from assistant manager Josh Salinas, “This weekend we our pouring Port Mongo Double IPA, The Citizen from Cismontane Brewing, Alesmith Anvil ESB, Craftsman 1903, EagleRock Solidarity, and Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout. Also make sure you come in this Friday 4/1. Something cool might be happening at The Oinkster.”
According to today’s update from Brandon Halvorson, who runs the beer program at Dave Furano and Michael Zislis’ El Segundo biergarten, “This week we have DuganA, Ten Fidy, Triple Karmeliet, Russian River IPA, Red Poppy, and Racer 5 making it on tap. We have 30+ other taps pouring the goods as well. Come enjoy this summer-ish weather on the best damn patio around!”
SideBar
Here is the update from Jace Milstead, a certified cicerone who’s consulting on the beer list, “Stone Arrogant Bastard, Green Flash Hop Head Red, Abita SOS pilsner, Grand Teton Trout Hop, Alesmith IPA and X and Anvil and Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter on Nitro. On deck is Midnight Sun XXX, Great Divide Belgica and Flying Dog Double Dog on nitro”
From Micah Schiesel in Manhattan Beach, “IPA’s here we go, Pliny the Elder, Maharajah, DuganA, Gubna, Full Sail, Hanger 24 Columbus single hop, Stone Ruination, if those don’t do it for you then you must be smoking some of that sticky stuff. We have a very special released Edgar’s Ale from Craftsman and sticking with the bourbon barrel aged stuff we have a keg of Firestone’s Abacus. As always supporting the local’s Strand’s world class 24th St. Pale, Cismontane Pandeion Pale and Blacks Dawn, Brouwerij West’s Blond and Triple and what do you know, we got a keg of Maui Brewing Coconut Porter.” Track changes to Simmzy’s tap list Here
Steingarten LA
From David Watrous and this new Pico establishment, “Here is the list of drafts for this week: Weinhenstephaner Hefeweisse, Schonramer Pilsner (awesome hop forward Pilsner from Upper Bavaria), Santa Cruz Aleworks IPA, Hangar 24 Helles Lager, Ohara’s Dry Irish Stout, Liefman’s Fruitessa (fruit Lambic), Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Port Mongo Imperial IPA, Strand 24th St. Pale Ale, North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout and Lost Abbey Serpents Stout.
Steingarten is proud to welcome the “Pacific Gravity Home Brew Club” for their first Friday gathering on Friday April 1st. In celebration of this event we have put on some specialty kegs as follows: Avery/Russian RIver Collaboration Not Litigation, Firestone Walker Double Jack, Dieu Du Ciel Rose D’ Hibiscus (Hibiscus Wheat Beer from Quebec), Bruery Saison De Lente 2011, Stone Belgo Old Guardian Barley Wine, Stone Double Dry Hopped Sublimely Self Righteous, New Belguim La Terroir (Lips of Faith American Sour Ale AWESOME!!) and Sierra Nevada/Abbey New Clairvaux Ovila Dubbel (BRAND NEW!!!!!).
We also have some awesome new bottles in stock that I am excited to have on board: Firestone Walker Abacus Barley Wine, Russian River Sanctification, Russian River Salvation, Russian River Redemption, Pretty Things Jack D’ Or (self proclaimed gypsy brewer, awesome farmhouse), De Ranke Hop Harvest (dry hopped Saison from Belgium), Jendrain Jendranouille IV (perfect 100 on Ratebeer, amazing farmhouse), I have all 3 Stone/Nogne/Jolly Pumpkin Holiday ales in bottles, Upright Brewing 7 (amazing farmhouse ales from Portland), Mikeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel, Thiriez Extra Farmhouse Ale (Dry hopped French farmhouse ale) and Cuvee Jonquilles (Traditional French Bier De Garde, a wonderful find).”
For the month of March, Marlene Samaniego and husband Sam are featuring DOUBLE IPA’S on draft (plus a few non DIPA surprises!)
Here’s the line-up (with a few more waiting to go on): Russian River Pliny the Elder double IPA, Great Divide Hercules Double IPA, Firestone Double Jack double IPA, Mission Brewing Shipwrecked double IPA, Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA, Bear Republic XP Pale Ale, Port Brewing Hop 15, Abita double IPA and Shipyard Old Thumper Double ESB Ale.
Per Andrew Kelley, draught highlights include Collaboration Not Litigation – Russian River & Avery (Belgian Strong Dark Ale/Pale Ale Blend), Hitachino Nest White Ale – Kiuchi (Witbier) and Brass Knuckle – Marin (Double IPA).
On Deck: Abacus – Firestone Walker (Barrel Aged Barleywine), Seven Grain Saison – The Bruery (Belgian Farmhouse Ale) and Maharaja – Avery (Double IPA). To get the latest tap news, check out the Surly Goat Tap List
Bangers and Smashed will pop-up at The Surly Goat for the NCAA championship basketball game on Mon April 4, serving dinner from 6 to 9 PM. According to owner Jill Flomenhoft, “We will offer two of our most popular flavors: Loaded & Smashed (mashed potato with smoked cheddar, bacon, sour cream, and green onion) and a *vegan* version of our Bourbon Pecan Smashed (in the Southern tradition, yams blended with Jack Daniel’s and spice). Also there will be smoked Hungarian pork sausage and vegan sausage.”
Deschutes BaseCamp will be on hand on April 13th. Mark your calendars.
According to manager Paige Reilly, “This week starts major preparation mode for our 1st ANNIVERSARY. Come on in for all your old favorites, like North Coast Old #38, Hangar 24 Orange Wheat, Stone Sublimely Self Righteous, Craftsman 1903, Sierra Nevada Glissade and Pliny the Elder. Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Collaboration-sponsored Tony’s Darts Away 1 Year Anniversary Beer Garden. Go to www.collaboration.la to get all set up! Just a few teasers of what will be available there: Craftsman Honesty, Ballast Point Barrel-Aged Victory at Sea, Lost Abbey Angel’s Share, Mad River 21st Anniversary Brown Ale, and Russian River Redemption… You DO NOT want to miss this event.”
Vendome Toluca Lake’s weekly Beer Tasting is from 2-5 pm. Each week has a theme and this Saturday you will be treated to Italian and Japanese beers including Baird Angry Boy Brown Ale & Kurofune Porter, Hitachino Nest XH Shochu Cask Aged & Ginger Brew, Grado Plato Strada S. Felice and Piccolo Birrificio Seson
According to Ryan Sweeney at the Verdugo, the following are on tap: Green Flash Fizzy Yellow Water, Maui Coconut porter, Hitachino White and Morte Subite with Russian River Supplication waiting in the wings.
Also on April 12, Deschutes Brewery will make the Verdugo its “basecamp” as brewer Veronica Vega visits Los Angeles.
The Yard
Here is what is on tap at The Yard: Stone Ruination on cask, Lagunitas Pilsner, Mama’s Little Yellow Pils, The Bruery Loakal Red, Strand’s 24th Street Pale and Allagash White.
Other Beer Events and places
On April 12, The long-awaited Beer Bash is back at Rustic Canyon Winebar & Seasonal Kitchen. Hosted by Beer Sommelier and Author Christina Perozzi and Proprietor Josh Loeb and featuring a beer inspired menu from Chef Evan Funke & Pastry Chef Zoe Nathan, paired with craft beers from Oregon’s preeminent craft brewery, Deschutes Brewery.
The menu will feature as well as the award-winning, highly limited, hard to get Deschutes’s specialty beers The Dissident and The Abyss 2010. The cost of the experience is $75 per person.
Because space is limited, call 310-393-7050 for available reservations.
“Angel City Brewery is open, as a bar/tasting venue right now, they will be brewing beer again in the next 30 days. Right now they are offering Angel City Lager, Angel city Ale, Angel City Vitzen and Charlie Parker Pale Ale on tap and Belgian Night Train in bottles.”
The Craft Beer Chronicles
Last week, Brand X contributor Steven Armstrong made an example out of a recent LACMA addition in his latest installment of The Craft Beer Chronicles, titled Stark Bar grips craft beer bandwagon rave, makes local beer writer mad.
Today, Brand X contributor Steven Armstrong shared his latest installment of The Craft Beer Chronicles, titled Tender Greens’ nose to tail feasts with a craft beer bent.
L.A. Beer Blast compiled by Food GPS Beer Editor Sean Inman
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