The L.A. Beer Blast is designed to let Food GPS readers know what’s new at select L.A. bars and restaurants with great beer selections. You’ll also discover beer-related events in the area and meet industry leaders. The L.A. Beer Blast normally arrives every Thursday evening, in time for the weekend rush. Look in the left sidebar, Subscribe to Food GPS and you’ll receive the L.A. Beer Blast by e-mail.
The L.A. Beer Float Showdown returns for LA Beer Week, and this year, five top chefs are collaborating with five top California breweries to develop imaginative beer floats. Every attendee is a judge, voting on “flavor,” “originality” and “presentation,” and the winning team not only gets glory, they also walk away with $500. Click Here to Learn More and to Buy Tickets!
Brew & You
This week in Brew & You: As Emeril would say, BAM! The Beer-Art-Music version plus an anniversary brew and another craft beer homework assignment to complete in a post titled B.A.M goes Santa Monica.
From Echo Park bar owner Elizabeth Fischbach, “On tap this week is Lost Abbey Angel’s Share (which will go fast!), High Water IPA, Avery Joe’s PIlsner and Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout. The Derby Dolls will be bartending this Sunday afternoon, and hopefully we will be able to screen a regional game for an afternoon of beer and fun with the league. The door and a percentage of the bar will go to the LA Derby Dolls.”
From Erik Huig at Barbara’s: “Russian River Damnation, Drake’s Denoggonizer, Craftsman Heavenly Hef, Rubicon-IPA, Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada, Cismontaine Antigua Caturra, Bear Republic Mach X, Craftsman Flanders Red, Brouwerij West Tripel, Victory Festbeir, Drake’s Drakonic, Bootleggers Charlie Brown, Coldspring Brewery John Henry 3 Lick Spiker, New Belgium Clutch, and Bruery Autumn Maple.”
In Seal Beach, Beachwood chef-owner Gabe Gordon currently features Sierra Nevada Allocation Ale, New Belgium Mothership organic Wit, Victory Festbier, Alesmith Evil Dead Red and Beer Valley Black Flag in Seal Beach. And in Long Beach, Strand Atticus, Deschutes the Dissident, Lost Abbey Bourbon barrel Angels Share, Dogfish Head Punkn and Craftsman Fireworks are on tap. Track changes to Beachwood BBQ’s 24-tap menu via Hop Cam.
BEER BELLY
On tap at Jimmy and Yume Han’s Koreatown establishment: “Cismontane Octoberfest, Cismontane Antigua Caturra infused Citizen, Brouwerij West Tripel, Black Market Anglo-American Brown ale, Victory Prima Pils, Unibroue Ephemere, Craftsman Heavenly Hefeweizen, Victory Festbier, El Segundo Blue House Pale Ale, Cismontane Citizen, Eagle Rock Solidarity on Nitro-tap.
On Deck: Craftsman Flanders Red Ale, The Bruery Autumn Maple, Bootlegger’s Pumpkin Ale, Bootlegger’s Plum Riot, Eagle Rock Manifesto, Eagle Rock Populist, Brouwerij West Blond”
Blue Palms taps are pouring Hacker Schorr Marzen, Surf Brewing Wahine White, Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold, Dde Ranke XX Bitter and Victory Festbier among many others. Also, Golden Road Brewing will be on hand the night of September 28th to showcase their first beers. Track changes to Blue Palms Brewhouse’s 24-tap menu Here
From bar manager Rory Snipes: “Here are some highlights on tap this week: Russian River Blind Pig, Brouwerij West Blond, Strand 2nd Anniversary Braggot!, Stone Double Dry-Hopped Ruination, Cismontane Black’s Dawn, and Telegraph Rhinoceros Barleywine. For the upcoming L.A. Beer week we’re teaming up with The Bruery for an amazing beer dinner – details are below, and on 10/18 we’re doing a 3 year vertical of Oskar Blues Ten-Fidy on tap, gonna be awesome! Also during the entirety of this year’s beer week, come into Boneyard with a ticket from any Beer Week event and get 50% off local drafts (Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties)!
Boneyard/Bruery Beer Dinner on October 13, 2011 – 12 courses, paired with thirteen rare Bruery Beers – “Our approach when putting together a beer dinner at Boneyard is a little different than most. Where many pairings simply match beer and foods which will taste good together, we try to take it a step farther and really focus on the beers. Our goal is not simply to find beers that pair with certain foods, but to design food around a specific beer; to identify specific flavors in the beer, and then use food to highlight those flavors. The pairing is designed to showcase the beer, with the food providing a supporting role. This not only allows the beer to be shown in the best light possible, but hopefully exposes characters in the beer which are subtle or not present when the beer is consumed on its own. If you’ve been to one of our dinners in the past you already understand, for those of you who have not – come experience what beer and food pairing can be. $115 per person, and seats are limited.
THE BOTTLE ROOM
On tap recently in Whittier are Eagle Rock’s Dortmunder Export and Cismontane’s Oktoberfest along with other Oktoberfest options.
The latest from Wen Yeh at BruHaus, “Oktoberfest Specials include: On Draft: Saphir Bock, Hofbrau Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest, Ayinger Oktoberfest, Weihenstephan Festbier and Kristal Weiss, Paulaner Marzen, Schneider Hopfenweiss, Reissdorf Kolsch, Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Bottle: Augustiner Brau, Hopf Dunkel Weiss, Hopf Spezial Weiss, Hopf Helle Weiss, Paulaner Salvator, Schoenramer Pils, Ayinger Jarhundert.
On sale throughout September & Oktober: 1L Steins filled with your choice of Spaten, Paulaner, Hofbrau for $20, you keep the glassware. Refills for $15. Weihenstephan for $25, refills for $20.”
Beers on draft right now at City Tavern: Germany invades City Tavern’s Table Taps from September 16th thru October 2nd. For the first time a beer made outside of California will grace a handle at City Tavern. During the two week period of Oktoberfest City Tavern will be showcasing traditional Marzen beers from Munich on our Table Tap tables only! People that reserve a table tap table will be able to drink these classic German Marzen beers and compare them to some of the best Marzen beers that California has to offer. The final day of Oktoberfest is normally the biggest day of celebration during the festival, so on October 2nd we will be giving away a commemorative City Tavern growler bottle to all the guests that sit down at our Table Taps. (While supplies last)
Coney Dog LA
Eagle Rock Brewery will be taking over the taps tonight at Coney Dog.
The Azusa Chapter is featuring Black Market Brown Ale and the Long Beach Chapter is serving up Konig Pilsner.
Since last Thursday, Phil McGovern’s iconic Santa Monica bar has added Rocs Grand Cru to their line-up.
On tap beer wise are Solidarity mild, Manifesto wit, Revolution XPA, Dortmunder Export, Populist IPA and the new Smoked Weizenbock. On the Food truck front, Friday brings the German Brat Truck and the Wien Truck rolls in on Saturday night. Tonight the Eggslut truck will be out front.
“It is also Ladyface Ale Companie Month at Far Bar. We’re currently pouring Chapparal Saison, Palo Comado XPA, Red Rye, Unfiltered Chesebro IPA and Picture City Porter on Nitro.”
Draught beers on Fairfax include Craftsman 1903, Firestone-Walker Unfiltered DBA, New Belgium Clutch and Grand Cru, Bruery Mischief, Iron Fist Dubbel Fisted, El Segundo Blue House IPA, Port Hot Rocks lager and soon to come Retribution IPA from Highwater Brewing.
According to Ladyface rep Robyn Britton, “Fall is in the air and we’re releasing two seasonal ales next week – Ladyface Weizenbock, dark, elegant, wheat and chocolate malt, brewed with traditional German barley and yeast. And Hutash, our new, fresh wet-hopped harvest ale, which boasts the intense presence of Citra® tropical fruit fragrance and flavor but with very low bitterness. It’s a beautiful fall amber color and very sessionable at 3.8% ABV.
Cask of the Week is “PCH 2”, our all-organic Palo Comado XPA, this time with Cascade hops grown right here at Ladyface. Joining the lineup of Ladyface ales are Russian River Pliny the Elder, Dubuisson Cuvée de Trolls, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Ballast Point Sculpin, AndersonValley Hop Ottin, La Chouffe Houblon, and North Coast Grand Cru. Flight of the Week features 5 oz tasters of Pliny, Torpedo, Sculpin and Hop Ottin. Cheers!”
Here is the latest from Alex Davis at the Library Alehouse, “This coming Tuesday (9/27) we’ll have Sudwerk in the house to celebrate Octoberfest and benefit the 18th Street Arts Center. We’ll have Sudwerk Helles and Fest Marzen on tap along with a small cask of Unfiltered Fest Marzen. There’ll be big pretzels, brats and a limited amount of Sudwerk tankards to give away. Also, it’ll be the perfect night to procure tickets to BAM Fest, which also benefits the 18th Street Arts Center. Good beer, good cause, good times.
On tap right now, we have Ballast Point Reef Rye, Drake’s Aroma Coma, Gaverhopke Koerseklakske, Brouwerij West Tripel, Jolly Pumpkin Maracaibo Especial, New Belgium Clutch, Great Divide Old Ruffian, Russian River Pliny the Elder, Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale and Ladyface Palo Comado XPA.
Backing those up are Port Mongo Double IPA, Avery Dugana, Bruery Autumn Maple, El Segundo Blue House IPA, Bellegem’s Bruin and Foret Blanche.” Check the Library Alehouse Facebook page for updates.
“Join us for our annual Oktoberfest at any of our 3 locations. We will be serving Oktoberfest beers from Germany and USA in special Oktoberfest glassware! Don’t miss the good beer and good fun at Lucky Baldwins!” Starting September 17th and running until October 2nd.
LUCKY DEVILS
“Lucky Devils is featuring Craftsman Triple White Sage, Stone 15th Anniversary Black IPA, Laguintas Lucky 13.alt, Weihenstephaner Original Lager, Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, Craftsman 1903, Weihenstephaner Kristall, Racer 5, Firestone Double Barrel Ale, Anglo-American Style Brown Ale, Schonramer Saphir Bock, SoCal Red Carpet, Firestone Double Jack IPA and Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout. Try a pairing with our Lucky Pig sandwich or Smoked BBQ Ribs.”
MEDITERRANEO
Adam Aro reports these new brews on tap: “I currently have these up: Ayinger Oktoberfest-Marzen, Alesmith Anvil ESB & IPA, Reissdorf kolsch, Weihenstephaner hef, Craftsman 1903 lager & Triple White Sage, Abbot Ale (nitro), North Coast Le Merle, Flying Dog Double Dog dbl pale and Ballast Point Sextant oatmeal stout on nitro, Port Shark Attack red and Mongo IPA, Brewdog Tokyo, Wandering Aengus Apple Anthem cider, Strand 24th st. pale, La Chouffe, New Belgium Abbey Grand Cru, Kick, Clutch, and Belgo, Ommegang Witte, St. Bernardus Tripel, Avery Joe’s pils, Maredsous 8, Lagunitas Lucky 13alt, Stone SSR, Dogfish Festina Peche, Cismontane 1st anniversary Blk Lager, and Avery Collaboration not Litigation. Cask is Stone Vanillla Smoked Porter. Coming soon- Cismontane Dos Cone Es IIPA, North Coast Grand Cru, Lost Abbey Angel’s Share(brandy), Sierra’s entire 30th Ann. line-up, Strand 2nd anniversary braggot. Casks coming from Stone, Strand, Telegraph and Ballast point, and Cismontane.”
Pouring at Mohawk Bend per Paige Reilly, “We’ve got Surf’s County Line Rye Pale, Mother Earth’s Nutcracker Brown Ale, Craftsman Smoked Black Lager and Ballast Point’s Reef Rye just to name a few.” Sunday will be the Mohawk Bend premiere of the new brewery, Golden Road.
The latest from Naja’s: “Tickets are MOVING for Official LA Beer Week ’11 Kick Off Celebration featuring Stone Brewing Co.! Grab yours before they’re all GONE!”
The latest update from assistant manager Josh Salinas: “This weekend we are pouring Bootleggers Rustic Rye IPA, Eagle Rock Manifesto, Uinta Wyld Extra Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Tumbler Brown Ale, Telegraph Stock Porter, and Craftsman 1903. On deck we have Craftsman Flanders Red.”
P.S. 612
On tap at PS 612 in downtown L.A.: Green Flash West Coast IPA, North Coast Red Seal, Saison Dupont and Craftsman 1903 and many more on draft.
From Justin Blake at Dave Furano and Michael Zislis’ El Segundo biergarten, “This week we are pouring Grand Teton Wake Up Call Imperial Coffee Porter, Moylans Hopsickle, Sierra Nevada Hopsichord, Dogfish Head Punkin, Sierra Nevada Foam Pilsner, Brasserie Dupont Avril, Dogfish Head 90 Minute, Cismontane Coulter IPA, Drakes 1500, Beer Valley Jackalope Imperial Pumpkin Porter, Alesmith Speedway Stout, Firestone Walker Double Jack, Cismontane Antigua Caturra Infused Citizen, Oskar Blues Gubna, Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier, Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, and Sierra Nevada Allocation Ale among many others. We also have bottles of Mountain Goat Pale Ale, Mountain Goat Hightail Ale, Orval, and Russian River Consecration.. On deck, we have Drakes Aroma Coma IPA, Heretic Taffelbully, Bootleggers Black Phoenix, Drakes Zatec Pilsner, New Belgium Lips of Faith Kick, and Brouwerij West Blond. Next Wednesday, September 28th, we are a having a pint night with Iron Fist Brewing Company. Also, on Thursday/Friday night and all of Saturday/Sunday through the end of October, it is Rocktoberfest at Rock and Brews. We will be serving a German inspired food menu and feature liter steins of German beer.”
Choices in Manhattan Beach include, Firestone-Walker Robust Porter, Iron Fist Hired Hand, Telegraph California Ale, Sierra Nevada Tumbler and Sudwerk Mai Bock. Track changes to Simmzy’s tap list Here
For the month of September, Marlene Samaniego and husband Sam, “ It’s Stone Brewing Days at the Stuffed Sandwich! We have the 15th Anniversary T-shirts and Glassware,the 22oz and 3 Lt bottles of beer now in stock. And, as in previous years we have brought in cases of older Anniversary, Vertical (a few 03-03-30 ,04-04-04, and 05-05-05’s), Double Bastard and Old Guardian beers for you to add to your collections. We even found a 3 Lt of the 10th Anniversary IPA!
Also available are the Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA, Double Dry Hopped Ruination, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, 15th Anniversary Escondidian Black IPA, Cherry Chocolate Stout collaboration, Sublimely Self-Righteous, Lucky Bastard ale, Double Bastard and 2010 Old Guardian barley wine.”
From Alex Macy at the newly opened Sunset Beer, “We’re keeping it steady for the first few weeks with Victory Prima Pils, Telegraph California Ale, Brouwerij West Blond 5, Alesmith Speedway Stout, Eagle Rock Manifesto and Eagle Rock Populist.”
This week’s Surly update from Andrew Kelley: “On tap: Stone Smoked Porter (American Porter), Centennial Imperial IPA – Flying Dog (Double IPA) and The Stoic – Deschutes (Belgian Quad).
On deck: Damnation – Russian River (Belgian Strong Pale Ale), Oaktoberfest – Firestone Walker (Marzen) and Polycot – Hangar 24 (American Wheat w/Apricots). To get the latest tap news, check out the Surly Goat Tap List.”
Monday night, Golden Road Brewing will be visiting Alhambra to pour their Point the Way IPA and German hefeweizen.
Today’s update from Paige Reilly in Burbank: “Tony’s darts Away is sporting some DEEEEELISH Totality from 50/50 Brewing, Drake’s Zatec Pilsner, Mother earth’s Siren Blonde Ale and Torpedo IPA from Sierra Nevada just to wet your willy!” On Saturday, Golden Road Brewing debuts their new brews for the very first time.
Vendome Toluca Lake’s weekly Beer Tasting is from 2-5 pm on Saturday and 12-3 pm Sunday. This week’s theme is HOPS! “The theme for this weekend’s beer tasting is hops. Fans of India Pale Ales, Pale Ales, Double IPAs, and generally any hop head, will enjoy this tasting lineup. The beers chosen are generally domestic microbrews, however there will be a couple Belgian IPAs thrown into the mix. The partial list: Drakes Aroma Coma, Hangar 24 Columbus IPA, Grand Teton Pursuit of Hoppiness, Butte Creek Organic IPA and Iron Fist The Gauntlet DIPA.”
Tap highlights include New Belgium Clutch, Delirium Tremens, Pete’s Brown from Bear Republic, Heretic Evil Cousin and Port Brewing’s Panzer pils. On deck and waiting are Deschutes The Stoic, Craftsman Sour Grapes and a mystery beer.
THE YARD
Recently tapped at the Yard, Craftsman Smoked Black Lager and North Coast La Merle saison.
Beer Events
Johnny’s Bar on 5006 York Blvd in Highland Park will be hosting New Belgium, the makers of Fat Tire, who are releasing a new beer, a Belgian IPA called Belgo!!! Come be the first on the West Coast to try this great beer. Meet and talk beer with the guys from New Belgium. We will have 3 New Belgium beers on tap including Belgo for 4$ a pint. But wait! There’s More!!! Food trucks, New Belgium glass give-a-ways, and wings while they last!!!! This event is free, just show up!!!!
LUCQUES, the flagship restaurant owned by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, presents their first Oktoberfest with a celebration of first-of-the-fall season dishes showcasing figs, pears, winter squash, roasted apples and wild mushrooms with a variety of grilled and pan-roasted house-made sausages and Lucques’ sauerkraut. Festive Oktoberfest attire for staff and guests is encouraged. Sommelier Caroline Styne is crafting a superb list of “Styne’s Steins” of beer to complement the menu.
Social Sundays arrive at WHIST and CAMEO beginning Sunday, Sept. 25 through October 30, from 6-9 p.m. and are the perfect setting for mixing and mingling with friends old and new, by watching football, playing board games and enjoying delicious grilled food and market-inspired cocktails (that are hand-shaken and served in Mason jars and punch bowls). The kick-off event will feature an Oktoberfest-style menu complete with homemade sausages, traditional German sides and a beer-pairing menu and beer garden featuring The Beer Chicks, Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune.
L.A. Beer Blast compiled by Food GPS Beer Editor Sean Inman
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