Taste of Brews IE Road Trip Part III; Riverside…the IE Launch Pad!

Riverside holds a special place in our expanding event portfolio since this was our first location in the Inland Empire and Taste of Brews was well-received by the community.  We hope to grow the event and turn it into one of the best annual craft beer festivals in Southern California, but not without the support and participation of all the great IE craft breweries like:

Packinghouse Brewery since without them we may never have staged an event in the Inland Empire.  We met PB’s Scot Koury at our first event in Long Beach and he’s attended each one since.  Scot suggested we expand to the IE, chauffeured us to several potential locations and aggressively promoted the concept of Taste of Brews IE every chance he had.  So now it’s essential that we stop by on every trip and refill the office growler.  The tasting room has expanded and now includes a flat screen and more seating, which makes sampling their quiver all the more delightful.  We tried several brews including the famous Riley's Irish red, the cream stout and the Sunburst Blonde Ale; leaving with a growler of the latter.  PB’s distribution is growing in leaps and bounds, thanks largely to Scot.  So whether you drop by after work or attend one of their many outstanding events like the Riverside Air Show, Packinghouse is a must stop on your IE itinerary!  Our team can’t wait to sample their latest IPA at White Park.

The most recent brewery to commit to Taste of Brews is also one of the Inland Empire’s latest additions.  Some of you may know Area 51 an Air Force installation in Southern Nevada that is the subject of myriad UFO conspiracy theories regarding alien life forms.  The all new Area51 Craft Brewery in Riverside has embraced the alien theme and taken it to a whole new level with its Alien Head beer.  They opened earlier this year in February and are experiencing a lot of buzz.  Founder Mike Hawkins gave us this insight, “Earthly beers are brewed in somewhat similar ways and have a common process.  Alien Head Beer is actually brewed in a special process that is unlike other breweries and delivers a taste that is out of this world!”  We stopped by the brewery recently to hang our poster and drop off collateral materials.  We met Mike and his marketing team then had a quick tour or the brewery (really quick since it’s only 1200 square feet).  Among the beers on tap are the Blonde Alien (American Ale), Planet Red (Red Hefeweizen) and their Alien Head (Imperial IPA); two of which they are pouring at our event.  The Taste of Brews’ crew is looking forward to hosting their out-of-this-world beer at our upcoming event and we wish them good luck.

The Redlands Rumble; Part Two of the Inland Empire Road Trip

The local brewery’s participating in Taste of Brews represent a diverse and eclectic group of new and existing, each with its own unique identity and presentation.  On this leg of our journey through the Inland Empire, we visit two breweries in Redlands; one establish and one brand new.  Both will be at White Park in Riverside on Saturday, May 25.

Donkey Punch first hit our radar at the Inland Empire Brewery’s recent anniversary bash.  Some of the younger members of the Taste of Brews’ crew really liked all the IPA’s and double IPA’s at that soiree, but yours truly (the author of this blog) sometimes prefers something lighter.  My quest that day led me to uncover Donkey Punch’s Vanilla Blonde, a refreshing 5% golden/blonde ale. This light orange-colored delight smelled of malt and vanilla beans, and did not disappoint with its strong vanilla taste.  We tried this again at the brewery and found the same delightful appeal, and learned that they use a Madagascar vanilla extract. The Orange Punch was also delicious; a crisp and juicy American Hefeweizen that owes its citrusy zest to locally produced, organic orange blossom honey. The tasting room is simple yet classy and seems to have a strong, local following. The brewery opened late last year and has a small distribution to date including Big Cheese Pizza, the Mentone Beach Bar & Grill and the Upper Deck Sports Lounge. We can’t wait to sample whatever amazing concoctions that they pour at Taste of Brews; we’re sure that they will be a welcome and refreshing addition to our summer launch festival.

Hangar 24 operates out of an old Norton Air Force Base building that has been relocated across the street from Redlands Municipal Airport.  The founders obviously loved flying and their brew is flying off the shelves.  Hangar 24 is now distributing into Northern California and recently completed a physical expansion at its brewery that increased its annual production capacity and added a canning line, making it the first Southern California craft brewery to both can and bottle its beer.  But what really matters is the beer…starting with the Orange Wheat which is crisp, tangy, and refreshing.  The citrus aroma and tangy finish are this unfiltered beer’s trademarks.  What’s really cool is that the oranges are purchased through the Old Grove Company whose goal is to save the local trees from disappearing.  Switching gears, we then sampled the chocolate porter which was rich and decadent, as promised.  This strong porter (8.0 percent alcohol) features an intense, roasty flavor that comes from two types of chocolate malt and raw cocoa nibs.  Hangar 24 is doing very well, but the brewery and tasting room retain that local community appeal that craft beers drinkers appreciate.

The entire Taste of Brews team is excited about our upcoming event and hop (pun intended) that you join us for an amazing day of craft beer, classic rock and great food.  Check back soon for another segment for the 2013 IE Road Trip.

The Bruery

One Friday afternoon, we were doing our typical "research"on beer related news when my supervisor was awe-struck by a beer. It was called Chocosaurus Rye. As two chicks who try to defy the gender related stereotypes we are faced with concerning beer, we just can't deny the love we have for chocolate. So from that very moment, those darn cravings (induced by the idea of both chocolate AND beer) came in waves. Shortly after we left, and on a mission.

I've been to The Bruery Provisions before, but have yet to visit their actual tasting room. This (every?) Friday night was poppin' so we waited in a line that wrapped around the outside with great anticipation. Upon arrival we quickly ordered our first round without hesitation. Chocosaurus Rye and Humulus Lager with Ginger to share. So here's the rundown.

Chocosaurus Rye is a union of The Bruery and Bootlegger's two styles: a dark rye lager that was finished with cacao nibs and vanilla beans. It poured a very dark brown with a bit of a velvety consistency. A frothy head was quick to form, and even more quick to recede to light lacing around the glass. You'll get a whiff of fresh vanilla beans and bitter bakers chocolate, rounded out with boozy notes keeping it from smelling like a milkshake. Taste-wise, this beer had duel personalities. It was much more rich and smooth with a chocolaty opening when we first got it As it slowly warmed the grains took the spotlight which took away some of the richness.

Simultaneously we enjoyed the Humulus Lager with Ginger. It poured a pretty pale golden yellow with a finger of fluffy head that left some frothy lacing sticking to the glass. I loved the smell of this beer. It had a nice piney floral scent upfront with citrusy, malty sweetness, and hints of booze. The taste very much reflected the smell. Even though it's a lager, I believe the ginger gave it an almost IPA-like flavor profile. It had a nice piney hoppy punch that was well balanced with caramel maltyness and earthy accents. As someone who loves ginger almost as much as I love chocolate, I would have liked it to be at the point where it'd be overpowering to most. But it was a mild accent. I'll take what I can get, I still loved this beer.

Our second round consisted of BeRazzled and White Oak. BeRazzled is a sassy lil' sour that tasted like raspberry jam. White Oak tasted like it would be the offspring of a Barleywine and a Tripel. Fruit and zest from the Tripel's characteristics mixed with the warmth and booze from the Barleywine's.

As you can tell I'm trying to cut my beer rambling short, but that also can be blamed on the fact that with each beer my memory was cutting short as well. I won't even get into the rest of our night. But we would like to thank The Bruery for the good times and the good beers they provided us.

Updates/Mendocino

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

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!

Butcher's Brew

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Magic Hat in Long Beach

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

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

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!

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

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!

Fireman's Brew for Memorial Day

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!

Updates!

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.