Your Next Pint

NorCal Bitter Makes For a Sweet Return from the Barrel

Apologies for my brief absence. I've been deep in beer barrels trying to find you the best Summer "session beer" around, so you can drink it all day long, filling up on hoppy flavor without overdosing on the alcohol content.

Drake's Brewing "Alpha Session" beer, born from West Coast hops, is the new "it" thing. Like the new Macbook Pro, it's thinner in ABV than its hoppy IPA counterpart, but just as strong in flavor. Thanks to a 2-row barley, malts, and some Citra, Alpha boasts flavor notes of Pine, Citrus, and Grapefruit.

The Washdown:
- medium head that pours very white, smells of hops 'n tastes just the same, Alpha Session (Drake's Brewing in San Leandro, CA) ABV 3.8%

Don't get me wrong, I like a good beer with a high ABV, but it's great to have a yummy beer that I can enjoy for a session of 4 hours or longer. I look forward to exploring more of these beers and hope the competition stands up to the hefty bar set by Drake's.

OC's The Bruery branches out to celebrate 4 years

I May say that this month has Beer and more to offer. The Bruery in Orange County drafts its Fourth Anniversary with a few extra local ingredients: Los Angeles & San Diego.

To celebrate achieving 4 years in business – winning gold, silver & bronze at the World Beer Cup – The Bruery is collaborating with each county to throw live engagements at restaurants across SoCal.

The Washdown:

Special Beer Pairings, a BBQ, and Beer Tastings will be held at:

- Playground in Downtown Santa Ana 5/22

- The Spice Table in Downtown LA 5/23 (sampling Food & Wine Magazine's 2012 Best chef Bryant Ng's cuisine)

- Stone World Bistro in San Diego 5/29

Some reservations are required, so get 'em before they fill up.

An Earth Day brew: Eel River's Earth Thirst

Tree hugging hippies, well funded oil lobbyists, spineless politicians, and every day Americans all had a reason to celebrate Earth Day, yesterday April 22nd. For this beer enthusiast, Eel River Brewing Company's Earth Thirst Double IPA (certified organic) beer was reason enough.

In the past, my experience with organic beer has left me feeling like there's still lots of room for improvement. However, Eel River does a great job of hiding any imperfections even with their high ABV.

The Washdown:
- thick head with a nose that's like a normal IPA, not really a double, but tastes sweet with a mild bitter finish, Earth Thirst Double IPA (Eel River Brewing Company in Fortuna, CA) ABV 8.2%

So be good to your Mother Earth by having a few sips of this strong alcohol brew that drinks easy – she needs you.

Craft Brew + Music + Food Trucks

Fullerton's resident brewery Bootlegger's Brewery is celebreating its 4th annual Music & Beer Festival
at The Muck (1201 West Malvern Avenue, Fullerton, California 92833).

The Washdown:

From 6pm - 9:30pm enjoy:

- 10 Taster Tickets each good for a 2oz taste (additional tickets will be available for purchase)

- a commemorative tasting glass

- live music

- approximately 30 house beers on tap including several barrel aged rarities, sour beers and their collaboration beer w/The Bruery in Placentia,

- access to The Muckenthaler Gallery exhibit showrooms & Bocce Ball Games

In addition, there will be 3 gourmet food trucks available for you to purchase food.

Get your $12-25 tickets ahead of time online or at the door for $35. A portion of the proceeds from the event will go towards The Muckenthaler Cultural Center.

Take me out to the Craft Brew

Photo courtesy of bonappetit.com

Beer and Baseball complement one another just like hops and malt, or balls and bats. But let's face it, most beer associated with baseball games or in TV commercials is watered down crap.

Fortunately, we are in the midst of a beer revolution, and finding a great craft beer to enjoy while watching your favorite team is not that difficult. So, what better way to ring in the baseball season than to recommend three great game day craft brews to drink up for the race to the pennant.

The Washdown:
- Dales Pale Ale
- Mirror Pond Pale Ale
- Mamas Little Yella Pilsner

Although I tend to lean towards the IPA style beer, I also understand that baseball games can take up to a few hours. Session beer is a must in these situations, thus the recommendations above are great in taste and low in ABV.

Play Malt!