Lloyd Brown
Craft Beer Tour 2024: Novato and Corte Madera
These photos were taken Wednesday, October 23 at Moylan’s Brewing Company in Novato, and Saturday, November 2 at Fieldwork Brewing Company in Corte Madera; which were the first and last locations I visited on my Craft Beer Tour 2024.
So yeah, it is that time of year again; that time being fresh hop season, which is my favorite time to visit the Pacific Northwest. While I was definitely out seeking fresh hop beers, I was spending more time hunting down fresh Citra hops for the simple reason that I have become dependent on the Citra hop more than you can imagine. Those that know know; I am still deciding how much of that story I want to reveal, but we shall see how it goes. Continue reading
Maltose Falcons 50th Anniversary Photos
These photos were taken Saturday evening at Four Points by Sheraton at LAX, where about 150 members, along with their significant others, gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Maltose Falcons Homebrew Club. Established in 1974, The Maltose Falcons are America’s oldest homebrew club.
The event featured a dinner, with Hors d’oeuvres and cake, a couple videos recalling The Falcons history, a panel discussing the days of lore, a silent auction, and live music provided by the Maltose Falcons Band. Oh, and beer. There was lots of beer. Continue reading
The Slice and Pint Redondo Beach Now Open
These photos were taken Thursday evening at The Slice and Pint in Redondo Beach, where they held a Friends and Family night as a soft open for the new location which is preparing to open their doors for their grand opening as I type this out.
Back in July I confirmed the rumor that Pizza Coast Hiway would be closing and that El Segundo Brewing’s The Slice and Pint would be taking over the location. Well, the i’s have been dotted and the t’s crossed, and The Slice and Pint Redondo is now open. Continue reading
Five Point Five Brewing One Year Anniversary Photos
These photos were taken Saturday afternoon, August 10, at Five Point Five Brewing Company in El Segundo, where dozens of their fans gathered to celebrate Five Point Five’s One Year Anniversary. While I was there, the day included raffles, 10+ beers on tap, Micheladas, and hard seltzers; they also had smash burgers from Cuzzi Burger as well as their Pi LA pizzas. As I was leaving I noticed an obvious musician entering, so I am presuming they had music in the evening.
The reason I said there were 10+ beers instead of a more specific number is because their Proud Mary Irish Red came on nitro and CO2, and their anniversary beer, which apparently you had to ask about, was Proud Mary aged in whiskey barrels. I think this option was also available on nitro or CO2; I had the nitro version and it was quite nice. I did not know ahead of time that it was aged in whiskey barrels, but it was pretty obvious after the first sip. Continue reading
A Visit to Sage Brewing
These photos were taken Wednesday evening at Sage Regenerative Kitchen, home of Sage Brewing, in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. It was my first visit to Sage Brewing, and coincidentally they were holding a 4th of July pre-party for people in the craft beer industry. To be honest, I was pretty much the outsider there as evidenced by fact that the first person that recognized me, John Garcia of Creature Comforts, asking me what the heck I was doing out there.
To be honest, it was a pretty legitimate question as finding me in Los Angeles on a Wednesday evening is probably as rare as finding a unicorn; but I am glad I made the drive. Continue reading
Far Field Beer 3rd Anniversary Photos
These photos were taken Friday afternoon at Far Field Beer Company, in Lawndale, where they began their anniversary celebrating three years of brewing. Their celebration included a food truck and the release of four beers, including the release of their 2024 edition of Strange Addiction; their imperial stout.
I had a busy weekend scheduled, so Friday was really the only day I could make time to head over. The celebration continues through today, and it is a pretty nice day out there, so if you are free, you should consider heading over as they are open until 10:00 PM.
Congratulations to James, Bryce, and the entire Far Field crew on their continuing success in the local craft beer scene. Cheers! Continue reading
Sugar Monkey Brewing Grand Opening Photos
These photos were taken Friday afternoon at the Sugar Monkey Social Club, in El Segundo, where they celebrated day one of the Sugar Monkey Brewing Grand Opening. In case you missed my article about their soft open, Sugar Monkey took over the old Upshift Brewing location.
I arrived shortly after they opened and they already had a pretty decent crowd forming, and ‘The Best Umbrella’ pizza, manned by Sugar Monkey’s head brewer, Jason Eich, was cranking out pizzas as fast as his pizza oven would allow. Continue reading
Trademark Brewing 5th Anniversary Photos
These photos were taken Saturday afternoon, June 1, when my friend Phil and I headed to Long Beach to attend Trademark Brewing’s 5th anniversary celebration. Sorry for the delay, but I had some out-of-town guests that I can only suggest have been a bad influence over the past few days; but that is what friends do, right?
I have only been to Trademark once before, and that was back in 2021, which means we were in the middle of our COVID lockdown and no one could go inside to drink. I was allowed to go in (since there was no one else in there) to grab some photos, but this was the first time I saw the location with consumers inside and the tap handles actually in use. Continue reading
Introducing Sugar Monkey Brewing
These photos were taken Wednesday afternoon at the new Sugar Monkey Brewing, at the Sugar Monkey Social Club, in El Segundo, where they opened their doors for day one of their soft open. For those wondering, yes, Sugar Monkey Brewing took over the old Upshift Brewing location.
For those paying close attention, yes, I did mention the Sugar Monkey Social Club; which I will do my best to explain. The back of Sugar Monkey Brewing has a nice tented area, with plenty of seating, and that section is the Sugar Monkey Social Club, with the taproom being Sugar Monkey Brewing. Continue reading
Rob’s Birthday Party at Project Barley Square
These photos were taken Saturday evening at Project Barley Square, in Torrance, where they were closed for a private event to celebrate the birthday of a high school classmate, Rob. The event featured a taco bar, live music, and plenty of cask ales.
I am sure regular visitors to local breweries have probably seen Rob, even if you don’t know his name. He can frequently be found in area tasting rooms with his kilt and bicycle, or his dogs and a pint, dancing an Irish jig. Continue reading
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