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.
Q&A with brewmaster Bruno Reinders (Mort Subite)
Mort Subite translates from French as “sudden death,” but for the past 26 years, brewmaster Bruno Reinders has helped ensure the Belgian brewery takes nobody by surprise. He regularly and consistently brews a number of Lambics, including the classic Kriek, an Old Gueuze that he refers to as “the Champagne of Brussels,” and the latest release, Lambic White, which captures some witbier qualities. Click Here to Learn More
7 Top Selling Beers From Southern California Breweries
At the L.A. Beer Week fest on October 23, we asked seven of the best Southern California brewmasters some questions. In this case: “What’s your top selling beer and why do you think that’s the case?” Their responses might surprise you. Click Here to Learn More
Brew & You
This week in Brew & You: Fall beer styles are featured, a new collaborative pumpkin beer to try and a new homework assignment to complete in a post titled Savoring the Beers of Autumn.
From Echo Park bar owner Elizabeth Fischbach: “Here’s what the tap list looks like: Stone Double Bastard, Ommegang Hennepin, Drake’s Alpha Session, and Black Market Anglo-American Brown. A few new bottles/cans arrived this week including Oskar Blues Ten Fiddy and the Bruery/Elysian/Stone collaboration La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado.”
Beachwood chef-owner Gabe Gordon currently features Tool Black Ball porter, Smog City Saison, Bear Republic Cuvee de Bubba, Strand Atticus IPA and Avery Salvation. Track changes to Beachwood BBQ’s 24-tap menu via Hop Cam.
The Long Beach location of Beachwood features Moylan’s Wet Hopped Hopsickle, Sam Adams Double Pumpkin, Eagle Rock Stimulus, Saison Cazeau and Weltenburger Hefeweizen Hell. Track changes to Beachwood BBQ’s 24-tap menu via Hop Cam.
Blue Palms taps are pouring Dogfish Head’s Bitches Brew, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Ballast Point Brandy Navigator, Beachwood BBQ Foam Top cream ale and Coronado Orange Avenue Wit among many others. Track changes to Blue Palms Brewhouse’s 24-tap menu Here
From bar manager Rory Snipes: “Hope your beer week was awesome! I’m not going to lie – I had way too much fun. New on tap this week: Grand Teton Wet Hop IPA, Highwater Hop Riot IPA, Dogfish Head Punkin, Golden Road Point the Way IPA, Sam Adams Double Pumpkin and Liefman’s Cuvee-Brut – we still have a bunch of amazing Imperial Stout on tap too- come help us drink them!”
The latest from Wen Yeh at BruHaus: Oktoberfest and Fall Biers on Draft: Weihenstephan Kristalweiss, Reissdorf Kolsch, Paulaner Pils, Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock and Schneider Edelweiss.
Specials on: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Saphir Bock, Spaten Oktoberfest and Paulaner Oktoberfest.
Haunted Haus – Halloween costume contest on Saturday & Sunday (Oct 29 & 30) – 1st Place: Free bottle for bottle service – 2nd Place: $50 Happy Hour tab – 3rd Place: 1L Beer stein (with beer).
And on sale throughout Oktober: 1L Steins filled with your choice of Spaten, Paulaner, Hofbrau for $20, you keep the glassware. Refills for $15. Weihenstephan for $25, refills for $20.”
On Draft: Back in Black – 21st Amendment, Hops of Wrath – Dust Bowl, Dortmunder Export – Eagle Rock, Burning Bush Smoked IPA – Golden Road, Hop Riot – High Water, Rose Bud – Rubicon, Estate Harvest – Sierra Nevada, Double Bastard – Stone, 2nd anniversary braggot – Strand Brewing and Sour Grapes – Craftsman.
On Deck: Chardonnay barrel aged rye Belgian blonde – Dust Bowl, Angels Share Grand Cru – Lost Abbey, Double Rainbow – Cismontane, Racer X – Bear Republic, Taffelbully – Heretic Brewing, Doppelweizen – Lagunitas, Unity – Eagle Rock and Craftsman and La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado collaboration between The Bruery/Elysian/Stone.
Tonight is Strand Pint Night – 4 Strand Brewing company beers up. Tasting flight for $12. Buy a pint and get a commemorative pint glass. (while supplies last)
From Eli Wilson at Congregation: “2nd Annual Saints and Sinners Ball is this Halloween at both the Long Beach and Azusa locations!! Featuring costume prizes, commemorative glassware, and a over 2 dozen themed Heaven and Hell brews. Come for Salvation, stay for Damnation, and always respect the Angel’s Share! Have a happy holiday weekend.”
Since last Thursday, Phil McGovern’s iconic Santa Monica bar has added Sierra Nevada Homegrown Estate Ale & and Liefman’s Cuvee Brut to its taps.
On tap beer wise are Solidarity (also on nitro), Manifesto wit, Revolution XPA and Unity 2011. On the Food truck front, Friday brings Mandoline Grill and the Saturday night is a Halloween costume party.
The Factory
The latest info according to Eric Gutenkauf: “The Factory Gastrobar in Long Beach had a great fortnight of LA Beer Week–thanks to all of you who shared it with us. We still have some incredible brews on tap that you all didn’t finish, including: Drake’s Aroma Coma, Rubicon Capricorn Black IPA, The Bruery Humulus, Eagle Rock Barrel-Aged Equinox, Cismontane Double Rainbow, Grand Teton Fest Bier, Bear Republic Double Aught Pilsner (GABF Award-winning), SoCal Black Bear Porter, and Knee Deep Citra Pale Ale! There is no shortage of awesome brews in our cooler including: Bear Republic Racer X, Sudwerk Fest Marzen, Port Shark Attack And High Water Retribution Double IPA. Prost!”
Draught beers on Fairfax include Port Mongo IPA, Firestone-Walker Unfiltered DBA, Drake’s Denogginizer, Bear Republic Apex, Grand Teton Idaho Pale and Apricot Saison, El Segundo Blue House Wheat IPA, Victory Prima Pils and Great Divide Ruffian.
According to Ladyface rep Robyn Britton, “The “Headless Horseman” rides again as our Halloween Cask featuring Ladyface Weizenbock with pumpkin pie spice returns. Joining the Ladyface ales on tap are Port High Tide, Green Flash Double Stout, North Coast Pranqster, Firestone Double Jack, Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils, Lost Abbey Ten Commandments, Sierra Nevada Estate Organic, and Stone IPA. The last four make up our Flight of the Week.
Our wicked Halloween Bash is this Saturday night. $25pp includes drink ticket; advance purchase only. We’re tapping Ichabod II, the giant pumpkin filled with Picture City Porter with cocoa nibs & pie spice. Costume prizes, 2 bands (SIKK, everyone’s favorite tribute band, returns), ghoulish food, ale & drink (test-tube Toxi-kazes are back). Come eat, drink and be eerie.”
Here is the latest from Alex P. Davis at the Library Alehouse: “Next week on Wednesday, November 2nd, we kick off our Wet Hop Mini-Fest. We’re dedicating 5 handles to 13 different wet-hopped beers and we’ll keep the fest going until we can’t fill those five handles with beer anymore. Here are the beers: Lagunitas Wet Maximus, Ballast Point Schooner, Bruery Humulus Wet, Pizza Port Solana Low Tide, Port High Tide, Deschutes Fresh Hop Mirror Pond, Deschutes Hop Trip, Grand Teton Wet Hop IPA, Moylan’s Wet Hopsickle, Sierra Nevada Northern Hemisphere Harvest, Sierra Nevada Estate Harvest, Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale and Ladyface Hutash. Keep an eye on facebook and twitter to see what gets tapped and when.
As for the current taps, right now I have Golden Road Burning Bush Smoked Double IPA, Great Divide Hibernation, Heretic Evil Twin, Firestone Velvet Merlin, Bear Republic Racer X, Lagunitas Doppel Weizen, Eagle Rock Unity and Eagle Rock Equinox.
On deck are Smog City La Saison, New Belgium Kick, Ballast Point Octoberfest and Stone / Bruery / Elysian La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado.” Check the Library Alehouse Facebook page for updates.
Mediterraneo
Adam Aro reports these new brews on tap: “Pliny the Elder & Blind Pig by Russ Rvr, Craftsman Flanders red, Reissdorf kolsch, Abbot Ale (nitro), Victory Helios, Cismontane Black’s Dawn and Belhaven scottish ale on nitro, Port Shark Attack red, Golden Road Hef, Smog City saison & XPA, Noble dark sybian IPA, Lindeman’s Framboise, Strand 2nd Anniversary braggot, La Chouffe, New Belgium Abbey Grand Cru & Clutch, Ommegang Witte, Val Dieu tripel, Stone Highway 78 collaboration, Cismontane Oktoberfest & Antigua Caturra, Lost Abbey Angel’s Share(brandy), Avery Collaboration not Litigation and the 30th anniversary line-up by Sierra Nevada (stout, barleywine, bock, and grand cru). Cask is Cismontane Double Rainbow dry-hopped with nelson sauvin. Coming soon- Indian Wells Red Dawn, Ommegang Gnomegang. Casks coming from Ballast point, and Cismontane.”
On tap in Echo Park are Iron Fist Spice of Life, Anderson Valley Mowkeef saison, Surf Brewery’s Surfer’s Point Vienna lager, Cismontane’s Oktoberfest and Palo Alto Brewing’s Hoppy Ending and the guest brewery on tap until the end of October is Shmaltz and their He’Brew beers.
The latest update from assistant manager Josh Salinas, “This week we are pouring Port Brewing Fresh Hop High Tide IPA, Eagle Rock Solidarity, El Segundo Blue House IPA, Santa Cruz Ale Works Cruz Control, Telegraph Harvest Rye XPA, and Eel River Organic California Blonde. On deck we have Cismontane Coulter IPA, Grand Teton’s Grand Apricot Saison, Black Market Oktoberfest.
Thanks to all who came to our OiNKTOBERFEST, it was a lot of fun. Remember if you bought a special Oinkster Pint glass, you get .50 off our drafts. So we’ll see you soon for a fill up.”
From Justin Blake at Dave Furano and Michael Zislis’ El Segundo biergarten: “This week we’re pouring Drakes Alpha Session, Lost Abbey Avante Garde, Grand Teton IPA (wet hopped), Port Brewing Mongo, Grand Teton Cask Conditioned Black Flag, Cismontane Black’s Dawn, The Bruery’s Humulus Lager, Ballast Point Tongue Buckler, Strand 2nd Anniversary Braggot, Cismontane Oktoberfest w/Buckwheat, St. Feuillien Saison, Grand Teton Fest Bier, Heretic Evil Twin and El Segundo Blue House Wheat IPA. We also have bottles of Russian River Consecration, Orval, Stone/Bruery/Elysian La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado, and Mountain Goat Australian Pale Ale.
On deck, we have Lagunitas Fusion7, Bear Republic Racer X, Bootleggers Pumpkin, Grand Teton Black Cauldron and Heretic Evil Twin. Also, next Wednesday, November 5th, we are having a pint night with Hangar 24 Brewery. ”
The latest from general manager Micah Schiesel: “Just some of the highlights that we got going on. Bear Republic Racer X and Cuvee De Bubba, Cismontane Double Rainbow, Port’s Santa’s Little Helper on Nitro and the High Tide IPA, Morte Subite Kriek, North Coast Grand Cru, and Flying Dog’s Barrel Aged Gonzo… Simmy’s where all bases are covered!!!”. Track changes to Simmzy’s tap list Here
For the remainder of October, Marlene Samaniego and husband Sam will be featuring the beer of Stone Brewing.
On tap at the Surly Goat are Pliny the Elder from Russian River, Pangaea from Dogfish Head, Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada and many others.
3rd Annual Hoptoberfest @ 38 Degrees a Celebration of Hops!
Saturday Oct. 29th from 12PM to 2AM
“For the 3rd year we will celebrate beer and the Oktoberfest season with a hybrid IPA/German Style Festival! The line up of draughts will feature 30 Super Fresh IPA’s and 8 classic and unique German Style Brews. We will serve traditional german plates with 38 Degree flair! As usual we will all serve in Oktoberfest costume and laugh, drink & eat while listening to a mix of blaring Ompah-pah music and rock through out the festival! Keep checking the event page for more details and photos of our Stunning German Servers!
Hoppy Line up: Alesmith IPA, Alesmith Evil Dead Red, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point Double Dorado Imperial IPA, Coronado Idiot Imperial IPA, Grand Teton Fresh Hop Idaho IPA, Pizza Port Carlsbad Hakuna Ma Ta –Tas Pink West Coast IPA, Golden Road Point The Way IPA, Golden Road Burning Bush Imperial IPA, Kern River Just Outstanding IPA, Bear Republic Mach 10 Imperial IPA, Bear Republic Racer X Imperial IPA, Beachwood BBQ Hoppa Smurf Belgian IPA, Avery Dugana Imperial IPA, Sam Adams Latitude 48 100% Simcoe Hop IPA, Russian River IPA, Russian River Blind Pig IPA, Russian River Pliny The Elder, Moylan’s Fresh Hop Hopscickle Imperial IPA, Stone Double Dry Hopped IPA, Stone Double Dry Hopped Ruination with Oak, Stone Double Dry Hopped Sublimely Self Righteous, Stone Double Dry Hopped 15th anniversary, Port Fresh Hop High Tide IPA, Port Mongo Imperial IPA, Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA, Eagle Rock Populist IPA, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA and Firestone Walker Double Jack Imperial IPA.
Fest Lagers : Black Market Oktoberfest Lager, Moylan’s Oktoberfest Lager, Paulaner Original Fest Bier, Weihenstephaner Hefeweiss, Bear Republic Late Harvest Lager, Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest and Spaten Optimator.
The latest from Pete Shuey at Tin Roof Bistro: “Here at Tin Roof we’re pouring Mission Hefeweizen, Tripel Karmeleit, Sudwerk Pils, New Belgium Kick, Blue House IPA, Strand Beach House Amber, Brouwerij West Tripel, Bear Republic Tribute Brown, Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale, Telegraph Rhinoceros Barleywine, Firestone Robust Porter & Spaten Oktoberfest.
On deck is Stone Double Bastard, Telegraph XPA, Cismontaine “The Citizen” & Blacks Dawn, Ballast Point Reef Rye & Anderson Valley Winter Solstice. We’re also planning our next Beer Dinner for November so stay tuned!”
Pouring in Burbank are Golden Road Hefeweizen, Coronado Barleywine, Heretic Evil Cousin, Cismontane’s Double Rainbow and Smog City XPA among many other taps.
Also, on Halloween All customers dressed in Halloween costumes will get 2 for 1 beers all night starting at 5pm on Monday October 31st. TDA will also hold a vote for best costume around 9pm and the winner and runner up will receive special prizes.
Vendome Toluca Lake’s weekly Beer Tasting is from 2-5 pm on Saturday and 12-3 pm Sunday. Except for this week. No beer tasting this weekend.
From Mary Drenthe at The York: “On deck for this weekend we’ve got Golden Road’s first special release Burning Bush Imperial IPA, as well as Golden Road Hefeweizen and Craftsman Edgars Ale. We’ve also got Craftsman Poppyfields on cask. ”
Other Beer-y events
SmithHouse Tap & Grill – a modern American restaurant featuring celebrity chef Angelo Sosa’s globally influenced cuisine alongside an extensive collection of craft beers—introduces “Twenty Tastes in Twenty Days,” a beer-centric special in honor of Oktoberfest…interested guests will receive a punch card where they may track each beer ordered through the end of the month. Those who enjoy 20 or more beers during this time period will become inaugural members of the exclusive SmithHouse Mug Club. Members of the Mug Club are awarded 24-ounce beer steins, which they may personally decorate, that are cleaned and housed at the restaurant for re-use whenever they return. Following initiation into the Mug Club, members’ steins are filled at the price of a normal draft of beer (16 ounces), guaranteeing that members receive an additional eight ounces complimentarily with each beer order.
Soroptimist International of Manhattan Beach is putting on its 3rd Annual Savor the Flavor, a Beer and Tequila tasting on Saturday, November 5th at 5:30pm. According to a rep, “We are raising money for a fellowship grant for the Turkish Women’s Initiative as well as to build rainwater catchers for villages in Rwanda. Tickets are $30 for the beer package and $40 for beer + tequila. Your tickets include UNLIMITED beer tastings , full dinner, suvenier tasting mug, live music by the Dietz Brothers and non-alcoholic beverage and much more, tequila tickets include everything the beer package has including 3 tastes and 1 shot! Tickets, breweries, sponsors and other information can be found
At Wades Wines in Agoura Hills: “Tonight from 4:30 to 7:00 pm, it is Hoppy Halloween Flight Night, All treat and no trick!!! We will celebrate Halloween like true Southern Californians… with some scary hoppy beers!!! North Coast Brewing – Red Seal Pale Ale, Alesmith – X, Cismontane – Coulter IPA, Flying Dog – Single Hop Centennial Imperial IPA.
L.A. Beer Blast compiled by Food GPS Beer Editor Sean Inman
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