Taste of Brews

Inland Empire Brewing Company’s Third Anniversary Festival

2012-03-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

The Taste of Brews crew headed out to the IE this past weekend for Inland Empire Brewing Company’s Third Anniversary Festival. The large and enthusiastic crowd was treated to the latest offerings from Packinghouse, Big Cheese, Taps, Main Street Brewery, Left Coast, Bootleggers, Hangar 24, Noble Ale and Dale’s among others; and completely dispelled the notion that the IE doesn’t embrace Craft Beer. Hopefully this is a good omen for Taste of Brews, which is heading to Riverside’s White Park on Saturday, June 2.

Our first trip to the IE Brew Co. was well worth the drive from Huntington Beach. We arrived early and were directed to nearby parking by the excellent group of volunteers. Attendees entered through the tasting room and were offered the choice of $2 samples from IE Brew Co. or $30 for unlimited 4 ounce tastes from all the participating breweries. For those of us who were there for the beginning, it was an amazing smorgasbord of flavors without having to throw any elbows!

We were particularly fond of Bootlegger’s Knuckle Sandwich Double IPA and braved the hordes for a couple of refills when they taped the special keg around 3 p.m. Barbara liked the variety of citrus-infused offerings and I was partial to the bold IPA at Packinghouse which Scot Koury said was an 8.5 percenter.

We were somewhat surprised, but gratified to see the various food trucks in attendance (Short Rib BBQ, Gourmet Genie and Stella Pierre) having been forewarned that the city had been cracking down on these recently. Paring craft beer with a variety of food types is essential, and the upscale food trucks are the easiest way to access that.

Congrats to everyone at Inland Empire Brewing Company. It was a great event and everyone at Taste of Brews is looking forward to next year’s event.

Updates/Mendocino

2011-12-08T09:59:00.001-08:00

Well helloooo there friends, hasn't it been awhile? The last you might have heard about Taste of Brews was the event in Dana Point on August 15th. It being our second round of the game, it ran much smoother than before and, guess what, we had food trucks and vendors this time. The samples even lasted through the whole day, hallelujah! But the star of the show was of course the beer. And Dana Point people sure like their beer; it was a fun time.

For those wondering what's next for Taste of Brews, he have a few events conjuring. No official dates have been implanted but you will surely see a Long Beach location in the summer again! Other locations we are looking at are coming from White Park in Riverside and/or a park in Costa Mesa. We will keep you posted on any further information.

Moving along: I was looking through the Los Angeles Times and to my surprise I noticed a Beer of the Month (How have I not noticed this?) Featured was our friends at Mendocino Brewing (Remember them at the Long Beach location?) with their Black Eye Ale. We picked one up at our local Bevmo because we were all a bit parched... ok we really just wanted some beer, but we were happy we picked this one. This black and tan beer poured a deep dark brown body with a light brown head that quickly shrank to a ring of lace. It smelled of coffee, dark fruit, and burnt caramel. It tasted much like smelled, roasted coffee beans, roasted caramel, bitter hops, and a tad bit of sweetness to round it out. Also it wasn’t too heavy, making it totally sippable throughout the afternoon. Can you imagine this beer being $3 for a 22-oz.? I thought it was too good to be true, but somehow it is in fact the real deal. Thank you Mendocino, thank you.

Dana Point, Oct 15th

2011-09-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hello guys. It wasn't long ago that we had our premiere event and we had a blast. Outline: Almost everything went surprisingly great with only a few hiccups. There were some incidents that we were not expecting like the shortage of ice at set-up for the brewers, which was solved with a hefty second order. The other thing we did not prepare ourselves for was the mass amount of people that bought tickets at the door. With about 1000 new attendees the day of, the food samples ran out rather quickly. Even though this wasn't meant to be a beer AND food festival, we still would have liked for our attendees to have been able to try at least some of the samples. To help ease this predicament for our Dana Point event, we are going to have food trucks present for those who want a meal on our site grounds rather than having to double-up on samples. That seemed to be the most of our problems, and we had great feedback from those who enjoyed the brews, the music, and the scenery. Evan's came with their dancing inflatable beer guys, Yelp set up some outdoor games, Shock Top parked their mohawked-VW Beetle, Fireman's Brew dressed up their on-lookers, the bands were awesome (Aloha Radio, Gregg Young, and The Dealers), and everyone enjoyed great beers from the many breweries. Success!

Our Dana Point event is coming up soon on October 15th. It's going to have an Oktoberfest theme with festive attire and Oom-pah bands. Like our last event, we focus on the community of the area for that event. We will have samples from local restaurants, cafes, and gastropubs. Some of our breweries will looks familiar to the Long Beach attendee and some will be new to our line-up. Our goal at the end of the day is to introduce new flavors and to savor familiar favorites, as well as to share the experiences with loved ones and neighbors. Not much can go wrong on a beautiful sunny day in Southern California, beer in hand. Hope to see you on October 15th!

Ballast Point/33 Degrees

2011-08-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the Taste of Brews team went around Long Beach to meet the local restaurants and pubs that are participating in our event. We stopped and had some lunch at 33 Degrees, a gastropub located in Shoreline Village.

33 Degrees offers great food and most importantly, craft beers, in a beautiful waterfront setting. The menu features healthier pub grub with influences from cities that fall near the 33rd latitudes around the world, which is where their name stems from. I ordered their trip-tip sandwich which had a great flavor and was served and a yummy brioche bun. Their beer selection features great breweries like Alesmith, Bootlegger's, Lagunitas, and The Lost Abbey.

Besides bringing samples of their food, 33 Degrees is also bringing Ballast Point brews along with them. What stand-up guys, aye? The creator of Ballast Point, Jack White, actually started with a home brewing supply store. Soon after, he joined forces with Yusseff and opened Ballast Point in the backroom of the supply shop.
Almost 15 years after its inception, Ballast Point Brewing’s dedicated team of craftsmen (and women) is still innovating, trying new methods and ingredients.

A favorite of mine is their Sea Monster Imperial Stout. For a style known to have no shortage of flavours, this one seems to have them all: smokey malt, black licorice, coffee, chocolate, caramel, molasses, vanilla and a few different dried dark fruits. The texture is thick as cream and frothy like steamed milk; just how I like my stouts.

We are looking forward to having tastes from both these guys. See you on the 20th.

Sam Adams

2011-08-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sam Adams is the latest to sign on to Taste of Brews. My mother was excited to hear this since she always has a Sams Adam variety pack at home, which I am quite thankful for might I add. My favs from this pack are the Rustic Saison and the Summer Ale. I try to claim these before she does, and sometimes I share.

The thing I like about Sam Adams is despite their size and popularity, they don't stray from their roots and continue to make good beer that is widely accessible. While Samuel Adams is the country’s largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for just under one percent of the U.S. beer market. Besides their permanent product line, they make unique specialty brews like their Chocolate Chili Bock and Maple Pecan Porter for those who like to venture off the beaten path.

Samuel Adams keeps their fans involved with their annual Beer Lover's Choice where enthusiasts taste from new beer styles and vote for their favorites, that will then be put into their rotation. Even more interactive is their Longshot Home Brewers Contest, where entrants are encouraged to incorporate unusual and unique ingredients into their recipes. The winners are heavily rewarded by having their recipe distributed in Sam Adams' beloved variety packs. Some of the winners have even gone off to become professional brewers turning their homebrewing hobby into a career.

As you can see, Samuel Adams has a deep passion for craft brewing and sustaining its culture. They encourage its growth and have done a great job on widening the the world of craft beer.

Butcher's Brew

2011-07-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Butcher's Brew is a brewery we have yet to try, but are ecstatic that we will be able to at Taste of Brews. I'm a foodie with an appreciation of creating and cooking everything from scratch. I'm intrigued by the process of creating things that you would normally buy pre-made without thought of what goes behind it all. Fermenting, curing, aging, pickling; these are all specific processes that involve chemical conversions that instill certain flavors along with preservation. The people behind Butcher's Brew must be the same way, for the co-owner previously had a meat curing company. They do not use their name loosely.

The Brewery: Butchers' Brewing was born out of a love for good beer and good meat. A natural progression and exploration in fermentation, it was the vision of former Knight Salumi Company owner and founder, Rey Knight. An avid home brewer who held many experiments with beer yeasts and bacteria's in salami and meat curing, Knight has unleashed his passion for brewing onto the San Diego craft beer scene.

-Gabriel Tennberg: Raised on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai surfing and soaking up the local food and culture. Now a So-Cal resident Gabriel has carved a career in the Surfing industry, designing for brands like Billabong, Element, Hurley, and DC shoes. Also Creator of his own brand Pidgin Orange, with longtime friend Jeff Yokoyama.

-Rey Knight: With a gypsie childhood moving throughout the Pacific Northwest, farming, hunting, home brewing, and cooking. Rey Attended the CIA (Culinary institute of America) in Hyde Park New York. After which he traveled and worked his way through France back to the US, through many kitchens to hit San Diego, where he established Knight Salumi Company, a artisanal craft, chemical free cured meat shop. A natural progression in fermentation brought Rey to the brewing scene, experimenting with yeasts and bacteria. As a home brewer and not traditionally educated in the arts of brewing the techniques used to create butchers beers aren't always conventional.

Alaskan Brewery

2011-07-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

I'm just gonna get straight to it. Alaskan Brewery was a great smoked porter. It pours nearly black with a mocha brown head that fades quickly to a small cap in the glass. The aroma is pretty incredible, smoked wood dominates the smell but gives way to coffee grounds, chocolate, and molasses. It reminds me of summer beach bonfires. The smoke taste is a little more like a rauchbier. Hickory smoke flavor with some bitter chocolate notes. Hops are even slightly present. With all of that going on it still has a mild sweet finish, without any aspect overwhelming another. With its smooth and smokey finis, its a very drinkable beer and I had no issue of polishing off the bottle myself.

They recommend "Alaskan Smoked Porter may be enjoyed with smoked seafood, cheese and other robust foods and as an after-dinner drink. It pairs beautifully with everything from bleu cheese to vanilla ice cream and raspberries. This unique beer is also a wonderful flavoring ingredient in sauces, seafood dishes and even cheesecake." I highly recommend doing one of the pairings or just sip one all by its lonesome, it'll be great whatever you do.

Green Flash

2011-07-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

One of the newest additions to the Taste of Brews line-up was Green Flash not too long ago. Green Flash is one of those breweries I keep going back to because they manage to make their (at-first-glance) basic styled beers incredibly memorable. I've had the pleasure of trying their Double Stout, Hop Head Red Ale, Trippel, and West Coast IPA.

One of my favorites from Green Flash is their Double Stout. It pours a rich black with a tan head that looks like chocolate whipped cream [mmmm]. It has chocolate and coffee aromas with a subtle earthiness. But the best part is, of course, its taste. Such a rich and smooth stout, balanced by a slight smokiness from the roasted malts. Another note is that it's not overpowering. Sometimes stronger stouts can be harsh with a astringent mouthfeel, but this is not at all the case.

Another one of their greats is their Hop Head. Most red ales I've had are mellow in hops, but as the name shows, Hop Head embraces it. It poured an amber red color with a foamy head. It had a sweet, candy-like aroma with herbal hop smells. It had a refreshing citrusy taste along with some creaminess; grapefruit drizzled with caramel and a pile of hops dumped on top pushing it to an IPA level.

I'm excited to find out what they'll bring to Taste of Brews. Whatever they are, they will be delicious.

Stone's Sour Fest 2011

2011-06-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to attend Stone's Sour Fest, one of their events featuring sour beers from around the world. Sour beer is a beer style characterized by an acidic, tart, and of course a sour taste. The style has increased in popularity but remains somewhat of a niche style. Souring is achieved through certain yeast strains like brettanomyces or bacteria like lactobacillus or pediococcus. Sour beers can be difficult to brew however, and breweries must be willing to commit the space and expenses and then patiently wait for an unpredictable aging process. I'd like to state that the final product is well worth it.

Maybe even less than 10 years ago, domestic sours were nonexistent. But now there is a vast lineup of American brewers who have stepped into this territory. Stone helped bring them along with many international breweries all together yesterday. They featured most of the sours from New Belgium's Lips of Faith series; La Folie being the first to fill my sour-beer void some years ago. Always a favorite, the Russian River wild ales were on draft as well. The Bruery has been put in the spot-light for their sours lately. I appreciate that they have been making them accessible as well as delicious (and close to us Orange Countians). From these breweries, I wouldn't expect less. I already know they make good stuff. They have all presented me with some of the best beers I've had and therefore will have a special place in my little heart. But like all Stone events I've attended, Stone brings beers I'd never get to try otherwise.

The beer I kept coming back to was by Craftsmen. I had both the 2010 and 2011 Sour Lavender. Oh-my-gosh. The aroma was of course - lavender - along with some spiciness. The taste was sweet, sour, and herbal. Both batches had the same undertone of flavors, but the older one more rounded and mellow in sourness. It was one of the more unique beers I've had the chance to taste and I REALLY recommend it.

Another great taster came from one of the breweries in our lineup, Grand Teton. Their Sourgrass was one to remember. I think it'd be safe to say my significant other was in love with this one, whom had maybe three rounds of it. Behind the citric-sourness was an earthy feel that contrasted itself from most of the sours having fruity profiles. Recommended as well.

For those who have yet to try a sour, I'd say give it a try. For me, it was love at first sip but it does take some getting used to for it does not taste like your "average" beer. But isn't that the point of craft beer, going above and beyond what one may expect? So taste outside the box and explore the off-beaten-path brews that are gaining popularity or deserving of an initiation.

Lindemans/Mikes Bday

2011-06-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday is our boss' birthday so we're decorating while he's gone and we just finished making a disaster out of his office. Confetti EVERYWHERE. Ha he actually just parked and is walking up, HA! Well, needless to say we got him some yummy Lindemans raspberry framboise to celebrate with. I'll finish this up after the surprise....

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Ok I'm back, mission accomplished. The first thing he noticed was the tinsel that got stuck in his air purifier that was making funny noises. We enjoyed the Lindemans inside the office and let me tell you, it really satisfied. Also from previous experience, if you want to up the ante, mix in a chocolate stout. The fruity acidity contrasts with the smooth chocolaty feel creating a delectable dessert in a glass. Thanks for helping us celebrate, Lindemans!

Evans Premium Lager

2011-06-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Next time you buy your six-pack of beer, I'd press you to try Evans Premium Lager. With its sleek silver packaging, Evans has emerged as a new modern session beer. Created after an interesting trip to Mexico and meeting a man that broadened his knowledge and enthusiasm towards beer, Evan created a beer that exceeded his expectations of what he wanted his beer to taste like.

The first batch he fashioned would be the face of Evans Lager. “The Original” has Caramel, Munich and Pilsner malts from the US and Germany that gives the Original its full bodied feel and taste. Accompanied with a light floral aroma and a true golden color, Evans delivers what he had wanted.

“The Black” is what I’ll be patiently be waiting for. It has Chocolate, Espresso and Black malts that give it a distinctly smooth chocolate body with a light espresso after-taste without that heavy feel.

Also, boys. He has Evans Angels.

El Segundo Brewing – Home of Blue House Ales

2011-06-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles hasn't been known for its craft beer scene, despite its fast-paced and creative residents. That may be coming to a halt, fortunately for us Southern Californians. One of the new up-and-comers is the El Segundo Brewing Company. We appreciate that they helping push the door wider for good craft beer in LA.

Their first beer available to the public was their Blue House Pale Ale. They say that although not over the top hoppy, the aroma from hops is still obvious in the beer and there is no mistake that this is pure west coast craft. It is intended to be a drinkable beer that will be liked by craft brew enthusiasts as well as being very accessible.

Blue House IPA is the second offering. It has a special malt that provides a maltiness that makes it a bit
more delicate than some contemporary IPAs for those who don't like the harsh hoppyness. The two sound dee-lish and they are making plenty of other styles of beer as they settle in. Try these guys at Taste of Brews!

Count Down till Taste of Brews

2011-06-16T12:32:00.001-07:00

Online event registration for Taste of Brews

Magic Hat in Long Beach

2011-06-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you follow Magic Hat on Twitter or Facebook, its easy to see these guys have quite the sense of humor. They are an intriguing brand of beer with their trippy beer artwork and flavors to match. There is a problem however. The Magic hat line is unavailable in California, or most of it. That'll make Taste of Brews all the more awesome, because as you might have guessed, they will be there!

Their popular #9 is a staple on the East Coast but only until recently have they infringed on the West Coast. It is a "Not-Quite Pale Ale" that is described as "an ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it." Their Summer beer is called Wacko — The Liquid Song of Summer. "Wacko is the liquid song of summer: Crisp like the morning, cool like the evening and quenching all day long. Pop the top and set your summer loose. Wacko is a delicious summer beer with a big malty aroma, a subdued hop bite and a clean, slightly sweet finish". Excited now, aren't ya?

New Belgian Brews

2011-06-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to Las Vegas with some pals. Lemme tell you, it is harder to find good beers in Vegas than it is to get on a guest list. Luckily, there was good news when I arrived back into work today. We got a couple great Belgian beers on board this weekend. Maybe some you've heard of? If not, you'll be glad to be enlightened of these brews. Belgian beers are one of my favorite styles, for their malty sweetness and unique flavors. These are must tries:

STELLA ARTOIS
Stella Artois is a classic Belgian lager, golden in color with exceptional clarity and a spicy hop character. Stella Artois should be served between 36 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit using a nine-step process called the Belgian Pouring Ritual. In Belgium, every beer has its own unique glass designed to highlight the brand’s special flavor, and Stella Artois is no exception. The Stella Artois chalice is designed to ensure that the head foams perfectly and the aroma is preserved.

HOEGAARDEN
Hoegaarden, a Belgian White Ale brewed with real Curacao orange peel with a hint of coriander, has a unique, refreshing flavor and spicy nose. Brewing has been an integral part of life in the village of Hoegaarden, Belgium, since 1318. By the 15th century, Begarden monks settled in the area and began brewing Belgian white (or wit) ales. By the end of the 19th Century, the village boasted more than 35 breweries, although it was inhabited by only 2,000 people. Hoegaarden Witbier – biere blanche, the original Belgian White Beer, is renowned in Belgium and all over the world.

LEFFE BLONDE
Leffe Blonde is an authentic and respected Belgian “Abbey” beer, a category almost exclusive to Belgium. Leffe Blonde is a dry, fruity and lightly spiced ale featuring a perfect balance of strength and subtlety. The bitterness is delicate, extending over the whole palate and lingering as a subtle aftertaste. The rich brewing tradition of the Leffe beers dates back more than 700 years to the Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe, founded in 1152. The monks of St. Norbert began brewing this beer in 1240 for the community and for passing travelers. Leffe beers continued to flow throughout the quiet Belgian countryside until the Abbey was abolished after the French Revolution. The monks eventually formed an agreement with the brewer Albert Lootvoot to re-launch Leffe.

SHOCKTOP
Shock Top Belgian White is a medium-bodied, unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale, brewed with orange, lemon and lime peels and coriander. The result is a smooth, citrus mouthfeel and a naturally cloudy, light golden color.

SHOCKTOP RASPBERRY WHEAT
Shock Top Raspberry Wheat has the refreshing and smooth taste of Shock Top Belgian White, with a hint of raspberry flavor.

Leinie Summer Shandy

2011-06-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

We're in June Gloom mode. For example, it was sprinkling in Costa Mesa the other day while I was driving home. I tend to forget that just because I'm out from school, it doesn't necessarily equal summer and the weather that goes with it. Luckily, summer really is just around the corner. Hopefully next month? Week? We'll see. But as soon as we are able to start the daily BBQ's and laying out at the beach, I will be grabbing myself some Leinie brews. One of the beers they are nice enough to supply us if their Summer Shandy. A shandy is actually a mixed drink made from beer - typically Pilsner - and lemonade. For this premade shandy Leinenkugel used and American style wheat beer with natural lemonade flavor.

A decent amount of ale sweetness comes through, enough to balance the lemon taste. Each batch is carefully brewed using the finest wheat, malted barley, and just a hint of real Wisconsin honey. Then the brewmasters mix in fresh lemonade and citrus flavors to create an adventurous taste that’s perfect for those lazy days of hot sunny weather.The tart lemon flavoring of this shandy-style beer complements spicy and robust summertime grilling recipes. It is a seasonal beer that is only available April through August, so we are glad to be able to supply it at Taste of Brews before it goes back into hiding!

Lhasa Beer!

2011-06-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Lhasa Beer USA imports Lhasa Beer from a Chinese business, the Lhasa Brewing Company Limited, based in Tibet. They make a sweet malty lager but what’s really interesting is the background information on the brewery and beer culture of the area.

Last summer I took a trip with my friends to China, and an immediate realization was that beer was inexistent as far as I could tell. Despite the lack of beer, there was a plethora of rice wines with incredibly high alcohol content and cheap prices (1-5 US dollars). This made it evident that alcohol wasn't an issue at all. History shows that beer had been around about nine thousand years but then lost prominence to Huangjiu, the yellow liquor I mentioned.

I remembered what one of my professors had said. He told us that drinking carries much more cultural significance in China than it does here in America. If you were to attend any type of meeting, you will be expected to drink. There is a deep cultural significance in toasting, drinking, and eating with company in order to build relationships. You are also never to refuse a toast because you will lose face and show disrespect to your host. We did come across this often, but only once toasting with beer (Corona's to be exact) along with students at Nanjing University.

With more research, I found out that there is actually a good handful of brewers in China, so they do exist. Unfortunately, the vast majority of China's breweries serve only their local vicinity. Only a few brewpubs exist in China, mostly in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing which have a resident western community and carry beers that we're already familiar with. Lhasa is one of the few beers that is brewed in China, and available in the US for us to try.

Lhasa Beer is an all-natural, all-malt lager beer made with Himalayan Spring Water, Saaz hops, yeast, and Tibetan barley. The native Tibetan barley, unlike most barley varieties in the world, has no hull. Thus it adds to the beer's body and gives it an extra dimension of flavor while eliminating some of the undesirable astringency that can come from the grain hulls. Dzambuling, the US company that imports Lhasa, is helping the Tibetan people, pointing out that 72% of Lhasa’s employees are ethnic Tibetans and that 10% of the company’s profits are donated to support philanthropic intervention in Tibet. Do a good deed and try out Lhasa Beer.

Black Market Brews

2011-06-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

I am loving that there has been an exponential growth in available places to drink good beer within the past few years, as most of you agree. One place you should surely visit if you haven't is The Bottle Room. They often feature brews from Black Market Brewing Co, another contributor in our line-up as you could have guessed.

I went with something different from what I'd usually lean towards, their Rye IPA. This gold medal winning beer doesn't have the aggressive hops that I tend to avoid (just not my preference!) and instead has a smooth softness. Another added dimension in this IPA is the dry spiciness thanks to the rye. Rye as in whiskey; maybe that makes for a better flavor "visual". It is most definitely an IPA, but the sweet-n-spicy profile balances against the sharp piney hops. Writing this post is actually making me crave one badly and asap... I really enjoyed this beer and was glad I stepped out of my stout-box. You all will get to see them at Taste of Brews on August 20th fortunately!

Long Beach Marine Institute

2011-05-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

We at Taste of Brews have announced our charitable partner for the event so I present you with all the goodies from the press release.

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Taste of Brews designates Long Beach Marine Institute as our official charitable partner for our inaugural event on Saturday, August 20, 2011, in Long Beach, Calif.

“Taste of Brews is excited to be working alongside the Long Beach Marine Institute and helping to create awareness for their fine organization,” said Jennifer Hernandez, event director. “The institute has long-standing relationships with a number of schools, colleges and community organizations in the Southwest U.S., plus their staff is experienced and dedicated. Our spectacular oceanfront location at Lighthouse Park dovetails nicely with their marine-focused mission.”

The Long Beach Marine Institute was founded to prepare children for an exciting and challenging future. Unlike zoos, or aquariums, the Marine Institute takes students to the source through hands-on exploratory excursions aboard its 118’ vessel Challenger in addition to camp programs in Long Beach and on Catalina Island. The Marine Institute is a tax exempt charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of IRS code. More information is available at www.longbeachmarine.org.

“At the core of our education programs is the goal to inspire an appreciation for highly successful marine ecosystems,” said Karen Shackelford, Managing Director of the institute. “We believe that if people are aware of the unimaginable life that exists in our oceans, they will be more inclined to protect and preserve what we have.”

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Fireman's Brew for Memorial Day

2011-05-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the men and women who serve our country, we were able to celebrate Memorial Day weekend. We thought it would be fitting to try something from Fireman's Brew, a line of microbrewed beers by two Los Angeles firefighters and also participating in Taste of Brews.

Fireman's Brew makes three beers: a Blonde, a Brunette, and a Redhead. The Blonde is a pilsner styled lager. It has a light body and crisp taste that would be refreshing on a hot summer day. The Brunette is a German doublebock with a strong hoppy flavor with chocolate undertones. The Redhead is a red amber ale that is well-balanced in hops and crystal malts for a smooth caramel finish. All of the flavors were great but my favorite was the Blonde for having flavors of fruity malts with some grassy hop notes as well. We're glad Fireman's Brew is joining us on August 20th!

Cismontane at Father's Office

2011-05-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to see the hilarious Conan O'Brien for a second time, so what better time to try out a well-regarded restaurant with a great beer selection in the LA area? Father's Office was our pick, whom I saw on an episode of Foodography. They have two locations in Los Angeles so it might not be surprising I got lost and actually wound up closer to the farther one by the time I realized I was lost. Luckily, it was worth allll the trouble in the end.

I was ecstatic to see a beer by Cismontane Brewing Company, who had just recently been added to the Taste of Brews lineup. It was also an Imperial Stout, one of my favorite styles of beer. Going by the name of Blacks Dawn, it was a dark, rich beer with flavors of roasted coffee and hints of cocoa bitterness. Blacks Dawn is a delicious full bodied stout best sipped as it inches closer to room temperature. We are definitely looking forward to working with them for Taste of Brews!

Blue Moon!

2011-05-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

We wanted to firstly announce to you one of this year's participating beers, Blue Moon. Taste of Brews will have their famous Belgian White along with their seasonal Honey Moon Summer Ale.

The Belgian White is a Belgian-styled wheat ale that is orange-amber in color with a cloudy appearance because it is unfiltered. It is also spiced with coriander and orange peel in addition to the hops. Blue Moon is traditionally served with a slice of orange, as it is said to accentuate the flavor of the brew.Yummyyy.

Next, we have the apropos Honey Moon Summer Ale since summer is just around the corner. With its promise of honey and orange, Honey Moon Summer Ale definitely sounds like the perfect companion to a lazy afternoon of sun and mornings at the beach. Smell is light wheat malt and lemony citrus. Nice clean taste with sweet wheat malt, orangey citrus notes, a bit of mild hops leading to a smooth honeyed finish. Some spices as well.

Have any of you tried these?!

Updates!

2011-05-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, its been about a week since we've got the website in full force. We've been keepin' busy and have added a few more brews to our list, which we will release soon to all you. Also, we decided that we'll be sampling beer in work soon! (oh, work is so hard...) Then we'll write up reviews to inform you guys of how tasty they are!

So many things are happening recently within the beer world. The American Craft Beer week was last week. I celebrated by going to Beachwood BBQ and had me a Green Flash Double Stout

So creamy and chocolaty; just wonderful on draught. HIGHLY recommended for stout lovers.

Welcome!

2011-05-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

Taste of Brews joins Long Beach SeaFest; Inaugural event is Sat., August 20, 2011!

Taste of Brews is heading to Lighthouse Park in Long Beach on Saturday, August 20. An official event of the Long Beach SeaFest, Southern California's premier beer-tasting festival features dozens of seasonal, craft, and micro-brews paired alongside "traditional" libations from top breweries. Several affordable sponsorship and exhibitor options are available.