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: A new Hawaiian beer, two big barley wines are your beer(s) of the week and a craft beer homework assignment PAU HANA.
Echo Park bar owner Elizabeth Fischbach is now pouring Great Divide Titan IPA, Stone Smoked Porter, Sudwerk Lager and Port Brewing Shark Attack.
Beachwood chef-owner Gabe Gordon currently features draught beers such as Rubicon’s Irish Red, Great Divide’s Hercules DIPA, Russian River’s IPA, Sierra Nevada’s Our Brewers Reserve and on cask is Firestone-Walker’s Reserve Porter. Track changes to Beachwood BBQ’s 24-tap menu via Hop Cam.
Blue Palms taps are pouring Victory Hop Wallop, Port Brewing Hop 15, Rubicon RoseBud, Ballast Point Calico amber and Sierra Nevada Outta Town Brown – The Dude amongst many others. Also, during San Francisco Beer Week which starts tomorrow, February 11, Blue Palms will have Bay Area brews from Marin, Speakeasy, Moylan’s, Drakes and Russian River. Track changes to Blue Palms Brewhouse’s 24-tap menu.
BoHo
From Chris Sobolewski, the beer dude at BoHo, “Join us Sunday night from 4-10 for $5 drafts and help us say good-bye to the Sunset location. New beers on draft this week are Victory Baltic Thunder, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, Bear Republic Heritage, Stone Double Bastard and Bruery Berliner Weisse (2009). Yikes!
Highlights from our bottle list include Firestone 14, 3 French Hens, Fantome Noel 2009, Bitches Brew and Infinium. We’ll have some beer swag to giveaway as well! Many thanks to the growing beer community in L.A. for a great two years. We look forward to seeing you at Hollywood & Highland in early April. Thanks!”
The Bottle Room
According to chef-owner Tony Alcazar, “this week we started pouring The Lost Abbey Brandy Barrel Aged The Angel’s Share, Cismontane’s Blacks Dawn Imperial Stout (on Nitro), Terrapin/De Proef Collaboration Monster Rouge, Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean, Telegraph Reserve Wheat, and Leifman’s Cuvee Brut (kriekbier).”
Broadway Alehouse
According to co-owner Eden Noe, new beers include “Lost Abbey Judgment Day, Goose Island Matilda, Stone Double Dry Hopped IPA, Lagunitas IPA, Allagash BLack, Guinness, Strand 24th St Pale Ale, Delirium Tremens, Allagash Curieux, Velvet Merlin, Stella, Woodchuck Apple Cider, Dogfish 90 minute IPA, Stone Session Ale, Affligem Blond, Chambly Noir. Coming Soon: Hitachino White on draft!!”
City Sip
Here is the latest from Alex Macy from City Sip, “We’ll have on deck, Eagle Rock Solidarity and Eagle Rock Revolution IPA.”
According to Beverage Director Eli Wilson, “We have two very special events this February! On February 12th, we welcome the owner of Belgium’s Het Anker Brewery, maker of Gouden Carolus and Lucifer. Come pay your respects with a goblet of any of the FOUR Carolus beers on tap, plus Lucifer. Finally, on February 26th Saturday, start getting excited about our 1st Annual INTERNATIONAL STRONG ALE FEST!! Tap list and details to follow…”
Since last Thursday, Phil McGovern’s iconic Santa Monica bar has added Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale, Russian River Blind Pig, Old Speckled Hen and a cask version of Ballast Point’s Calico amber.
Get a growler fill or stop in for a pint at Eagle Rock Brewing. Great food trucks this weekend include No Jodas! on Thursday, Mandoline Grill on Friday and The Border Grill on Saturday.
The Factory
According to Eric Gutenkauf, “The big news out of The Factory Gastrobar this week is the result of the first matchup in our head-to-head IPA championship. In a blind tasting, Factory patrons chose Green Flash West Coast IPA, over Mission IPA. Green Flash will move on to the Succulent Sixteen, and will face the winner of the match up between Alesmith IPA and Lost Coast Indica IPA.
The Factory Gastrobar has more awesome brews on tap–Ballast Point Yellow Tail Pale Ale, Strand Beach House Amber, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum! (but not for long), Mission IPA, Bootleggers Mint Chocolate Porter, Karl Strauss 22nd Anniversary Vanilla Bean Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout, Lagunitas Lil’ Sumpin’ Wild and Stone Sublimely Self Righteous.
In the back we have Deschutes Hop Henge, and our next two combatants in The Factory’s IPA Tournament: Drake’s Gold Medal IPA vs. Sudwerk IPA. This battle will get underway Friday night!
Also Friday night, The Factory will be debuting Buckbean Brewing from Reno, Nevada. If all goes well with delivery from The NV, we will be pouring Buckbean’s Black Noddy Schwarzbier!”
The latest tap list at Golden State includes Victory Helios, Telegraph Reserve Wheat, Ballast Point Sculpin, Bruery Mischief, Strand 24th Street Pale Ale, Great Divide Oak Aged Espresso Yeti and Craftsman Aurora Borealis
According to Ladyface rep Robyn Britton, “New on tap – Ladyface Valentine IPA, our regular IPA all gussied up for a Valentine date. Same edgy hop profile, same fresh bright character, but with enhanced caramel malts for a deep red hue. Fourteen other Ladyface ales are on tap including limited releases La Cerise Kriek, Blue-Belly Barleywine, Oude Blonde, Bourbon-Barrel-aged Porter and Cabernet Barrel-aged Weizenbock. Guests include Firestone Double Jack, Cy & Dave’s Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer, Outta Town Brown and Rubicon Hop Sauce. Cask of the Week is “Pump You Up”, our Anniversary Ale Belgian quad, straight from the firkin.”
According to General Manager Tom Kelley, a certified cicerone, “This weekend we have leftovers from our Firestone pairing dinner (Thanks to everyone who came out!) Including a cask of unfiltered DBA, Pale 31, Double Jack, 14th Anniversary (all while they last), and as always Velvet Merlin. In addition, we have Blind Pig, which will be replaced by Sculpin, the last drops of Palo Santo Marron from Dogfish Head, and New Belgium’s Vrienden.
Come help us clear the taps this weekend for HopHead Heaven which starts next week. 15 rotating handles of hop-centric ales for 10 days. We have got beer from all over the places, hard to finds, hard to gets, and bitter as they come. Here is a look at the opening list…and this is just for starters: AleSmith My Bloody Valentine, Alesmith IPA, Ballast Point Sculpin, Ballast Point Tongue Buckler, Bear Republic Racer 5, Bruery Mischief, Drakes 1500, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Houblon Chouffe Dobblen IPA, Kern River Just Outstanding IPA, Oskar Blues Gubna, Pizza Port Carlsbad Que Onda IPA, Port Brewing Mongo, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and Stone Sublimely Double Bastard DDH with Simcoe.” Check the Library Alehouse Facebook page for updates.
Mediterraneo
Matt Husted reports that Ballast Point Calico amber and Strand’s Double Dry Hopped 24st Street Pale are on cask and amongst the 30 taps are Craftsman’s Smoked Black lager, Mikkeller Centennial Single Hop IPA and New Belgium’s Imperial Berliner Weisse.
According to assistant manager Martin Svab, “TAPS Barleywine, Speakeasy Big Daddy, Victory Braumeister Pils” are new on tap.
Upcoming Events at Naja’s:
An Evening with…The Bruery
TONIGHT, February 10, 2011 (8pm till 10pm)
We’ll feature 7+ Bruery beers on draft including some Provisions only treats. There will be a limited supply specialty glassware as well. Specials guests TBA & more…
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Thursday, February 17, 2011 (8pm till 10pm)
We’ll feature a vertical tasting of all four 30th Anniversaries beers on draft, Empire Strikes Black (bourbon barrel aged), a rare cask & more. Limited pint glasses will be available. Special guests TBA.
Russian River Brewing.
Thursday, February 24th from 8pm till 11pm.
In honor of the release of Pliny the Younger, we will host an evening featuring the following Russian River beers: RR Pliny the Elder, RR Pliny the Younger, RR Blind Pig IPA, RR IPA, RR Damnation, RR Redemption, RR Consecration (Batch: June 1,2 ’10) and RR Temptation (Batch: July 19, ’10). Check our Facebook fan site for more info (Naja’s Place).
According to Tuesday night’s update from assistant manager Josh Salinas, “This weekend we are pouring Mission IPA, Telegraph Reserve Wheat, Eagle Rock Solidarity, Ommegang Rare Vos, Moylan’s Tipperary Pale Ale, and Craftsman 1903. We also have awesome local brewery Nibble Bit Tabby’s “Uncle Arnie’s Irish Red” on deck.”
According to today’s update from Brandon Halvorson, who runs the beer program at Dave Furano and Michael Zislis’ El Segundo biergarten, “This week: Stone Double Dry-Hopped Double Bastard (say that 10 times really fast), Port Mongo IIPA, The Bruery’s Saison de Lente, Duchess de Bourgogne, Jolly Pumpkin’s Calabaza Blanca, Houblon Chouffe, Lagunitas IPA, Big Eye IPA, Strand’s 24th St and Beach House Amber, and we have just a little Lost Abbey Bourbon Aged Angel’s Share left ON TAP but you gotta ask for it so we know you’re serious, ’cause it’s a serious beer. We also have another 27 other taps of goodness, bottles, AND a small amount of Cuvee de Tomme on it’s way as well.”
SideBar
According to yesterday’s update from Jace Milstead, a certified cicerone who’s consulting on the beer list, “Not only is SideBar giving the Best Beer in Glendale list to the community, but we are also running a charity beer and chocolate pairing this Sunday, just in time for Valentine’s Day. We’ll be featuring artisan chocolate from Mignon paired with the beers of Firestone Walker! Tickets still available. In addition, we just scored a keg of the very sought after Imperial Pilsner from Grand Teton, called Persephone, as well as their Trout Hop Black IPA. Expect to see them, along with Telegraph’s Reserve Wheat sour beer on very soon. ”
According to manager Micah Schiesel, “We got alot of special releases this week down here at Simmzy’s. We got a very special keg of Stone’s Double Dry Hopped Levitation Ale, Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point, Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout, finally got Kern River’s Just Outstanding IPA and some special release IPA from Rubicon Brewing. If we shake the keg I think there is a pint or two left of Russian River’s Blind Pig IPA too…” Track changes to Simmzy’s tap list.
For the month of February, Marlene Samaniego and husband Sam are featuring Barley Wines, beginning with Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (2008 – 2010), Stone Old Guardian, Victory Old Horizontal, Mad River Wheat Wine (2009), Lost Coast barrel-aged Fog Cutter, North Coast Old Stock Ale and Moylan’s Old Blarney.
According to Marlene Samaniego, “In addition to our Barleywine line-up we are doing something special this month. We are participating in the ‘Samuel Smith Salute’! This is a tribute to the British brewery that helped launched the U.S. Craft Beer Revolution. Samuel Smith has been brewed since 1758 and imported to the U.S. since 1978. We will be featuring different Samuel Smith beers as our Bottled Beer of the Week all month long.”
According to Andrew Kelley, here is what is “On draft: Double Rainbow – Cismontane (double IPA), Velvet Merlin – Firestone Walker (oatmeal stout), Red Devil – Coronado (imperial red ale) and Double Jack – Firestone Walker (imperial IPA). On deck: Aventinus – Schneider (weizenbock) and Pete’s Brown Tribute Ale – Bear Republic (american brown ale).
Het Anker Night this Friday! Feb 11th @ 8pm. Meet the owner Charles Leclef and get the rare chance to try Cuvee Van De Keizer Blue – Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Hopsinjoor Tripel – Belgian IPA and Lucifer Golden Belgian Ale Belgian Strong Pale Ale plus our usual spread of top notch beers all on tap!
Then on Tuesday, February 15th from 6pm until 2am, Russian River takes over…On Tap: Pliny the elder, Pliny the younger, Blind Pig ipa, Russian River ipa, Damnation, Redemption, Rejection, Mortification, Perdition, Consecration, Temptation, Supplication and Sanctification. Many of these beers have never been served on Tap in LA ever! Food available via delivery from BabyBluesBBQ direct to the bar.”
To get the latest, check out the Surly Goat Tap List
The latest from Pete Shuey at Tin Roof Bistro: “Here at Tin Roof Bistro we have Stone Smoked Porter, Firestone Union Jack, Allagash White, a great Black Lager from TAPS fish house in Brea, Telegraph Winter Ale, Steigel Austrian Pilsner, North Coast Old Stock Ale & Abita S.O.S., an unfiltered Pilsner. Proceeds from each pint of S.O.S. sold go to help the victims of New Orleans affected during the BP disaster. From our Belgian friends we have Chimay White, Tripel Karmeleit and Houblon Chouffe. Coming up in the next week we’ll have Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, Ballast Pt Big Eye IPA & Big Sky Moose Drool!”
Hangar 24 Helles Lager and Mission Shipwrecked DIPA are fresh on tap today. And check their Facebook page for their weekly T&T nights. On the 15th Jeremy Raub from Eagle Rock will be at Tony’s.
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 Strong Ales, including Black Diamond Rampage Imperial IPA, Firestone Double Jack, Avery Dugana and Lost Abbey Inferno. $10 for 15 pours.
According to Ryan Sweeney at the Verdugo, the following are on tap: Russian River Redemption, Deschutes Obsidian Stout on nitro, Hop Henge from Deschutes, Firestone-Walker’s Velvet Merlin, Allagash-New Belgium’s Vrienden and Moylan’s Ryan Sullivan. In bottles you can find New Belgium’s La Folie 2011, Lagunitas Imperial Stout and Cuvee de Tomme Angel’s Share.
And on Wednesday the 16th, Pliny the Younger from Russian River will be tapped!
The Yard
Taking place at the Yard is the Beer Freek which is a series of rare beer tastings. According to owner Sean Norris, “We will be offering special tastings of all the beers listed for each event. Chef CJ will also be doing pairings and dishes inspired by the tastings, aka Food for the Freek. A number of the beers listed below are considered the best in the world, and many are difficult, if not impossible to get. At the final tasting, we will be giving away a number of tastings of one of the Holy Grails of the beer world – Narke’s Stormaktsporter, a rare Swedish porter. Everyone who attends a Beer Freek tasting and samples the rare brews will receive a raffle ticket for a free tasting at the Narke tasting on May 11th. Winners will be drawn on May 11th at The Yard. They’ll also get to taste some great beers along the way! Prices for the tastings will vary depending upon the beers being offered at each tasting.
On February 23rd, it is all about the hops: Bell’s Hopslam IPA mini kegs, Three Floyd’s Dreadnaught IPA and Alpine Expo. Cask Ale – 24th Street Pale or their IPA. Food: Roast Suckling Pig.
The Craft Beer Chronicles
Today, Brand X contributor Steven Armstrong shared his latest installment of The Craft Beer Chronicles, titled A six-pack of Beer News.
L.A. Beer Blast compiled by Food GPS Beer Editor Sean Inman
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