The Craft Beer Guy 2018 Year in Review
It is that time of year again, when I try to summarize what has happened in the past year, as far as local craft beer is concerned and the highlights of the Craft Beer Guy year. As I typically do, I read over last year’s review to see what predictions I may have made, and how they panned out.
Burnin’ Daylight Brewing – Coming soon!
I have to admit, with all the growth that is going on around here, I kind of feel like a slacker. It used to be a lot easier to keep up, but I am ashamed to say that there are at least two breweries in the South Bay that I have yet to visit; trying to keep up with the Long Beach area has proven tough. I have to rely on craft beer festivals like Festival Obscura to keep me somewhat in the loop. Continue reading
Bravus Brewing: Craft Beer for Your Designated Driver
Bravus Brewing IPA – Non-Alcoholic Beer
For those of you that are considering beginning 2019 with a Dryanuary; or if it is your turn to play designated driver for this year’s New Years Eve party, Bravus Brewing may have just what you are looking for, non-alcoholic craft beer. Yes, you heard me right; non-alcoholic craft beer!
Bravus Brewing, out of Santa Ana, California, is the first brewery in the United States to brew solely non-alcoholic beer. If you are as old as me and your only experience with non-alcoholic beer was with Near Beer, you might ask, “Why bother?” For Bravus founder Philip Brandes it was two-fold. Firstly, Brandes’ brother was a sales rep for a brewery and would take him to various beer fests where he first learned about the craft beer craze. Secondly, and I think probably more importantly, he spent a weekend in Mexico with a friend that brought the only non-alcoholic beer he could find, Sharp’s and O’Doul’s. That was enough to convince Brandes that something had to be done. Continue reading
King Harbor Brewing Ugly Sweater Christmas Party Photos
These photos were taken Saturday evening at the King Harbor Brewing Company production brewery and tasting room in Redondo Beach, where they held their Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. The event featured Slater’s 50/50 and Due Mani Pizza food trucks and lots of great King Harbor brews.
King Harbor Brewing Company has three locations in Redondo Beach; 2907 182nd Street, 132 International Boardwalk, and 1719 S Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach. All three locations are open seven days, offer beer to go, and are dog friendly. Cheers! Continue reading
Absolution Brewing Holiday Party 2018 Photos
These photos were taken Saturday afternoon at Absolution Brewing Company in Torrance, where Absolution held their annual Holiday Party. The event featured a visit from Santa Claus for those that still needed to turn in their wish lists, live music by ‘Tremors’, prizes for the most festive holiday outfits, and probably most importantly, an introduction to Absolution Brewing’s new head brewer, Erik DeBellis.
For those unaware, Absolution’s former brewer, Bart Bullington left Absolution a month or so ago for family reasons. Shortly after that, Erik DeBellis left the brewery he was head brewer at, Ximix Craft Exploration.
Absolution Brewing Company MUG Club members were treated to DeBellis’ next new beer for Absolution, a Brut IPA they are calling Chateau Absolution. If you have spent any time at Absolution over the last four years, you are definitely going to notice that this is entirely different than what we have become accustomed. Continue reading
2018 El Segundo Holiday Parade Photos
These photos were taken Sunday afternoon at El Segundo Brewing Company and Main Street in El Segundo, where the El Segundo Chamber of Commerce presented the 55th Annual El Segundo Holiday Parade. The parade featured marching bands, floats, classic cars, a life size Hot Wheels Car and more. This year the Grand Marshal was El Segundo’s Citizen of the Year and father to El Segundo Brewing co-founder Rob Croxall, Dick Croxall.
One of the main floats, in my biased opinion, was presented by El Segundo Brewing Company and featured the “The Stocking Stuffers” along with The Angry Elf and Merry Manders. Continue reading
Founders Brewing to Release Azacca IPA in Cans
Founders Brewing Co. has announced the return of seasonal favorite, Azacca IPA, to its lineup. Available through March 2019, Azacca IPA features an updated can design that showcases the artwork inspired by the beer’s namesake and singular hop character. First introduced to the brewery’s seasonal lineup in 2016, Azacca IPA features Azacca hops from Yakima-based Roy Farms and celebrates the versatility of a single-hop in an American-style IPA.
Named after the Haitian god of agriculture, the Azacca hop has an intense tropical aroma with hints of citrus and mango. A touch of caramel malt gives a sweet backbone to support the righteous fruit character of this beer. Showing a burnt orange color and registering at 7% ABV, your taste buds will worship this heavenly, single-hopped delight. Azacca IPA is exclusively available in cans and on draft. The suggested retail price for Azacca IPA is $17.99 for the 15-pack cans and $8.99 for the 6-pack cans. Continue reading
Melvin Brewing San Diego Soft Open
These photos were taken Thursday afternoon at the soft open for the new Melvin Brewing which is opening in the East Village area of San Diego.
Melvin Brewing is a Wyoming-based brewery that is known primarily for their IPAs. I don’t think I was aware of them before I attended the 2017 Great American Beer Festival; but I think it would be difficult to not have noticed them if you were an attendee. The two years that I have attended, Melvin’s booth was an old school bus, which co-founder Jeremy Tofte apparently lived in for a year. Their booth included a DJ during each GABF session, and had WWE Hall of Fame wrestler “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan hanging out at the booth to shake hands, take photos and sign autographs. I seem to recall they had impromptu parades during a couple of the sessions that included their representatives in costume.
They were more than just a show though, as they walked away with the Brewery Group and Brewmaster of the Year award, along with a pair of gold medals for American-Style Strong Pale Ale (Hubert MPA) and Fresh or Wet Hop Ale (Wet Hop Melvin). So when I was invited to attend their VIP soft opening it seemed like a no-brainer as San Diego is significantly closer to me than anywhere in Wyoming. Continue reading
Dust Bowl Brewing Introduces Mouthful of Miracles
Now available from Dust Bowl Brewing
“For our first release of a canned Brut IPA, we chose to take it to the imperial end of the style,” shares Don Oliver, Brewmaster. “At 8.5% alcohol, it still has a very dry finish and a crisp hop note with grapefruit and passion fruit up front.”
With Brut IPAs trending, the timing was welcomed by Dust Bowl Brewing Co.’s wholesaler network. According to Founder and Owner, Brett Tate, “Mouthful of Miracles is just a glimpse of what’s ahead for us. Now that we are settled into our new brewery, we are able to manage growing production of our core brands while being nimble in the specialty category. This keeps the portfolio interesting to our distributors and consumers alike.” Continue reading
Classic Tetris World Championship Viewing Party Photos
These photos were taken Sunday afternoon at Strand Brewing Company in Torrance, where they held a viewing party of the 2018 Classic Tetris World Championship, featuring seven time world champion Jonas Neubauer, who also happens to be the taproom manager for Strand Brewing.
The Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) was established in 2010, and Jonas has won every year except 2014, when Harry Hong defeated him. Sunday’s competition would include Hong as well as a new star in the game, 16-year-old Joseph Saelee. The interesting back-story on Saelee is that he learned Tetris strategy by watching Jonas play online. Saelee is also the first player to ever reach Level 31 in Classic Tetris. It was set to be an intense match. Continue reading
Founders Brewing Releases Harvest Ale
Harvest Ale is available nationally in bottles through October 2018.
According to a recent report from Hop Growers of America, your next craft beer is more likely than ever to contain Michigan hops. Founders Brewing Co. is celebrating the rise of local hops with this year’s release of Harvest Ale, a wet-hopped ale. An annual mainstay since the early-2000s, Harvest Ale is the brewery’s ode to the beauty of American hops grown in their backyard. Continue reading