Your Next Pint

Stuck Knee Deep In Powder Brewing Co.

Inspiration comes in many forms and for me snowboarding is one of them. My trip to June Mountain over President's Day weekend, definitely inspired this week's blog post for Knee Deep in Powder Black IPA. I love hunting for fresh tracks on the mountain, just like I love to seek out delicious beer. Being "Knee Deep in Powder" is always worth the hunt, but for this brew, its unfortunately a miss.

The Washdown:
- pours very dark with a mild head that has mild hoppy aroma and nearly no carbonation, Knee Deep in Powder (Knee Deep Brewing Co. in Lincoln, CA) 6% ABV

While this beer is drinkable, it comes off more bitter than hoppy, as I would expect from an IPA. If you're a hop head, you won't be excited over this one.  Its name caught my attention, but like a great name for a book or perhaps a ski run, don't simply judge it by its snow coverage.

On sale now - 4th Annual LA Beer Festival - Drink It Up!

Tickets are on sale now for Drink Eat Play's 4th annual LA Beer Fest held at Paramount Studios. For $40 you'll get beer, food, and enteratinment like the cover hair band Metal Shop, and indie-rock tribute band Black Crystal Wolf Kids. International and domestic beers will be featured from over 75+ breweries. Get your tickets and get in line as this year's event will deliver just like a good beer drinks – unforgettable.

Here's just a sampling of what brews will be there.

The Washdown:

- Bootleggers Brewery (Fullerton, CA)

- Anders0n Valley Brewing Co. (Boonville, CA)

- Ventura's Surf Brewery (Ventura, CA)

- The Los Abbey (San Marcos, CA)

- Weltenburger Kloster (Weltenberg, Germany)

- Singha Beer (Bangkok, Thailand)

- Sapporo (Tokyo, Japan)

For an in depth look, check out my blog post on one of their previous events: LA Beerfest Brews up Fun, Food Trucks, and Fine Pints

P.S. Don't forget to bring your lederhosen.

This Valentines Day, cross over to the dark side with Point Reyes Porter

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Lets face it, dark beer looks intimidating, it doesn't smell hoppy, and contains basically no carbonation – which is kind of everything Americans like about beer. However, in my attempt to stick to the NYE resolution of opening up my beer palate, my friend, the beer stocker at Whole Foods, suggested trying a Porter.

Unlike Stout, Porters are a good intro to crossing over to the dark side. And the Point Reyes Porter from Marin Brewing does a good job of opening up the universe of dark beer with its mild sweetness and drinkability.

The Washdown:

- chocolatey sweet smell that pours black and comes with distant coffee aftertaste, Point Reyes Porter (Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur California, CA) 6% ABV

This is a surprisingly drinkable beer without a ton of booze. It's not too heavy either, making it easy to enjoy more than just one on your own or with a loved one. Tomorrow, enjoy it with a Coffee Rubbed Steak and a Flourless Chocolate Cake a la mode.

Happy Valentines Day!

 

Point The Way IPA is headed in the right direction

Here are 3 good reasons why you'll like Golden Road Brewing's offering of Point The Way IPA: 1. It's local which improves your beer's freshness. 2. It comes in a can which is good for the environment and the beer (yes, good for the beer, look it up). 3. It's low in ABV which allows for some good session (long periods of time like a British pub crawl in Chester, UK) drinking.

The Washdown:

- very clean without cloudiness, mild amber color that is complimented by the subtle floral aroma (Golden Road Brewing, Point The Way IPA) ABV 5.2%

I never thought I'd say this, but enjoy yourself a good 'ole can of beer – you'll be pleasantly surprised.