The L.A. BEER BLAST is designed to let Food GPS readers know about what’s new at select L.A. bars and restaurants with great beer selections. You’ll also discover great beer-related events in the area. Expect a new L.A. BEER BLAST 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.

Might as well begin with some shameless self-promotion. In case you missed it, my article about domestic sour beers ran in Wednesday’s LA Times. Here’s a link to the article, and another link to my guide to sour beer drinking, which includes a dozen bars/restaurants and two upcoming sour fests.

Let’s welcome two new beer bars to Los Angeles:

Tonight, Essex Public House officially replaces Parc on Hollywood Boulevard. Christina Perozzi (“The Beer Chick”) is consulting on the beer selection, which includes 20 taps and 30 more brews by the bottle. Expect glasses like Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin Ale ($7), Victory Hip Hop Devil American IPA ($6) and The Bruery Black Orchard ($8). You’ll find bottles like Hitachino Nest Red Rice ($11), Schneider Aventinus Weizenbock ($12) and Harviestoun OLA Dubh ($15/$20). CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Charlie’s Trio partners Chuck Fata, Mike Fata, Clay Harding and Brian Sugita opened 38 Degrees in downtown Alhambra on June 18. Harding is overseeing a menu of 110 craft beers, including 38 on draught and plenty of 750-milliliter bottles, making sure to represent many different regions, and “mostly looking into California and local breweries, if they have quality product.” Opening taps include Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Fullers ESB, Telegraph White Ale and Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin Ale. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

BEACHWOOD BBQ
131 Main Street, Seal Beach, 562 493 4500

Beachwood BBQ owner Gabriel Gordon streams his 24-tap blackboard menu via HOP CAM. Some of Gordon’s latest brews include Drake’s 1500 on Nitro, Ballast Point Piper Down, New Belgium Dandelion, Brewdog Zeitgeist, Bootleggers Rustic Rye and Grand Teton Dopplebock.

BLUE PALMS BREWHOUSE
6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, 323 464 2337

Blue Palms Brewhouse has a new website and proprietor Brian Lenzo is planning to debut a hop cam, which was inspired by friend Gabriel Gordon’s technology at Beachwood BBQ.

Lenzo just tapped a keg of White Knuckle Double IPA, which is named for a bike trail on Marin County’s Mt. Tam. If you’re lucky, you might still find Alpine Exponential Hoppiness on cask. This is the L.A. area debut of Alpine brewmaster Pat McIlhenney’s hoppy beer.

BOTTLEROCK
1050 South Flower Street, Downtown, 213 747 1100

Here’s last night’s update from Alex Macy, BottleRock L.A.’s resident beer expert:

“As far as new beer (not sure what I’ve mentioned before, but this is all worth mentioning again):”

DAILY PINT
2310 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, 310 450 7631

Here’s today’s update from the Pint:

NEW ON DRAUGHT

NEW ON CASK

THE GOLDEN STATE
426 North Fairfax Avenue, Fairfax, 323 782 8331

Co-owner Jason Bernstein just tapped a keg of The Bruery’s Hottenroth Berliner Weisse. The Golden State also scored bottles of Jolly Pumpkin La Roja and Calabaza Blanca, a sour white ale.

LUCKY BALDWIN’S
17 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, 626 795 0652

Lucky Baldwin’s just wrapped their 2009 India Pale Ale Festival, but they still have some hoppy beers on draught, including Russian River Brewing Co.’s Pliny the Elder and Moylan’s Hopsickle. They’re also loaded up on Belgians, including Le Chouffe Hublonde and three beers from St. Feuillien: La Blanche, Tripel and Saison.

LUCKY BALDWIN’S DELIRIUM CAFE
21 Kersting Court, Sierra Madre, 626 355 1140

Lucky Baldwin’s eastern outpost also conclude their IPA Festival. Now you can expect options on draught like Avec Le Bons Voeux, Moinette Blonde, Saison Dupont, Avril and Stone Smoked Porter.

SIMMZY’S
229 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, 310 546 1201

Here’s last night’s update from Simmzy’s General Manager Micah Schiesel:

“We got Firestone Walkers Union Jack IPA, as well as Stone Brewing’s 13th anniversary Imperial Red Ale pouring right now. But we are very excited to be tapping a very special beer made by Hitachino from Japan. It’s their witbier and there are only 10 kegs in California. Make you come by and get a sample before it’s gone.”