Craft Beer Tour 2024: I Return to Yakima
These photos were taken Tuesday, October 29 at Bale Breaker Brewing and The Outskirts Brewing Company in Yakima, Washington. While I may suggest that I hit the Pacific Northwest at this time of year for all the fresh hopped brews available, ever since 2018 the real reason is that I want to visit Bale Breaker Brewing.
Bale Breaker Brewing is one of my two “destination breweries” which is a brewery that if I am within 200 miles of it, come hell or high water (or pissed off girlfriend), I am going to do my best to get there. For those wondering, the first brewery that made the cut as a destination brewery for me was 3 Floyds Brewing in Munster, Indiana. Continue reading
Craft Beer Tour 2024: Oregon City and Portland
These photos were taken Friday, October 25 at Oregon City Brewing Company and Arch Bridge Taphouse in Oregon City; and Sunday, October 27 at Belmont Station and Great Notion Brewing Company in Portland.
So yeah, Thursday morning I left Novato for the 10 hour drive to Oregon City. Would flying be easier, perhaps even cheaper? Perhaps, but you cannot bring as much beer on a flight as I was planning on bringing back home. Continue reading
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
4th Annual Halloween Hootenanny Photos
These photos were taken Saturday afternoon at the Museum of Latin American Art, in Long Beach, where Obscura LB and Craft Beer LB held their 4th Annual Halloween Hootenanny. The annual event featured craft breweries, cideries, wineries and kombucha makers, as well as a “Macabre Marketplace” featuring 15+ creepy arts & collectible vendors, numerous food trucks, and live entertainment.
Craft breweries in attendance included Altar Society, Ambitious Ales, Artisanal Imports, Beachwood Brewing, Beachwood Blendery, Cellador Ales, Common Space, Dutch’s Brewhouse, Everywhere Beer Co, HopSaint Brewing, ISM Brewing, Long Beach Beer Lab, Los Angeles Ale Works, Project Barley Brewing, Radiant Brewing, RIIP Beer, Smog City Brewing, Syncopated Brewing, and Tortugo Brewing. Continue reading
Photos from the 2nd Annual LB Sake Day
These photos were taken Saturday, October 5 at Rancho Los Cerritos Historical Site in Long Beach, where Craft Beer LB and Sake Secret collaborated to celebrate World Sake Day by hosting the Second Annual LB Sake Day. For those wondering, World Sake Day is actually held annually on October 1 and celebrates the start of the annual rice harvest and the beginning of sake production in Japan.
Saturday’s event featured literally gallons of sake, from numerous brewers and distributors, several food trucks and popups serving Japanese foods and snacks, Orion beer, and a traditional Japanese performing arts ensemble. It was another lovely day in Long Beach, and all the attendees and vendors seemed to be having a great time. 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
El Segundo Brewing Collaborates with Gelson’s Markets
These photos were taken Wednesday afternoon at Gelson’s Market, in Manhattan Beach, where my buddy Phil joined me at the Gelson’s Wine Bar to check out the beer collaboration they had done with El Segundo Brewing.
Last month it was announced that El Segundo Brewing Company had partnered with Gelson’s Markets on their first-ever beer collaboration – Gelson’s Summer Blonde Ale. Gelson’s reached out to me to see if I was interested in checking it out. I had a pretty busy June, but yesterday was free, so Phil and I headed out to Manhattan Beach. Continue reading