Beer #776-815 / Day #136-137: Isn't All Beer Vegan?

Earlier this year, I was included on an email chain with a few friends who were talking about all of us going to the LA Vegan Beer and Food Festival. 

I wasn’t planning on attending.  I’d never gone in the past.  It seemed kinda pricey.  And it looked crowded, overrun with hipsters, and seemed like an overall pain in the ass to deal with.  But having my friends go, who were not predominantly beer-drinkers, sealed the deal.  So, I bought tickets for The Wife & myself.

A lot of co-workers chuckled when I told them about this event.  “Vegan beer?  Isn’t all beer vegan?” was the usual response.  It’s just water,  hops, malt, and yeast, right?  Actually, no!  A surprising number of beers are processed using animal products such as isinglass, the dried swim bladders of fish which are used to clarify some beers, predominantly stouts, and most notably Guinness.  Barnivore is a site that lists beers known to use animal products, and the list is surprisingly long.

Vouchers in hand, a couple months later, I talked to my friends about the upcoming Vegan Beer Fest.  Unlike me, they had NOT bought tickets after all.  And they had no plans on going.  Wait…. What?

Remember that scene in the movie “Old School” where Will Ferrell aka Frank The Tank is running down the middle of the street, drunk, in the middle of the night, yelling “We’re going streaking!”  Then he realizes there is no “We”… he’s alone, naked, and no one is running with him.  That was me with my LA Vegan Beer Fest tickets.  Aw shit....

Last Saturday was the day.  Similar to my Sabroso outing, my pre-gaming consisted of two packets of Active Dry Yeast, mixed with Greek yogurt.  Not the greatest tasting combo, but I hoped it would help keep me sober for the afternoon.  Camille and I trekked from The Valley, over the hill, down side canyons to avoid the terminally backed-up Laurel Canyon, towards the Westside, and into the clusterfuck of westbound Sunset Blvd.  It wasn’t until a few days prior that it registered... this beerfest was in the heart of The Sunset Strip… had I known, that would have been the death knell of this outing and I would have sold my tickets.  But alas, I was a day late, and $90 short.  Traffic inched past legendary monuments to unparalleled douchiness… The Saddle Ranch, The Standard, The Viper Room.  At last, the Vegan Beer Fest was in sight… a fenced-in, gravel parking lot opposite The Roxy, with a line winding around the entire block.  I groaned an audible groan, and hunted for parking.  All street parking has a 2 Hour limit which clearly isn’t long enough.  From the looks of the line, we would easily spend half that time waiting to get in.  The few “reasonably priced” $10 parking lots were all full, and there were practically no other options aside from getting a parking ticket or spending $22-$26 parking in the garages of the nearby office buildings.  I searched in vain for options, but after wasting another 30 minutes fighting traffic and frustration, I realized time was being wasted not using these tickets that were already paid for.  I bit the bullet, pulled into a pricey corporate office parking garage, and we made our way to the back of the Vegan Beer Fest entry line.

One long ass line.

There were easily 200 people in front of us waiting to enter, and we still didn’t technically have our tickets. I had to retrieve them from Will Call.  As I pathetically peered through the iron-barred fence into the festival, kept outside like a disobedient pet, glaring at people who weren’t me... people who were enjoying my unlimited beer without me, I tried not to let my frustration and jealously get the better of me.  I was standing in direct sunlight, with a bladder on the verge of exploding after the long ride, and a belly full of active yeast. 

Then the line moved.  Then it moved again.  What I anticipated as another hour was perhaps only 15 minutes.  We were in the homestretch.  There was hope.  It was like being in line forever at Disneyland, and finally queueing up in a numbered row, next in line to jump in our log for Splash Mountain.

Cranky guy needs a beer.  Or 37.

My mood changed drastically once we were inside.  The spoiled brat finally got what he wanted:  Entry to the playground of bountiful beering.  For a Sold Out event, there was a mercifully ample amount of space to move around.  Lines were not overly long.  And my fears of elbow-wrestling against mustachioed hipsters for access to taps were laid to rest.  It was a ruly crowd of average folks like me who simply dig beer.  I even spotted a few cool underground types.  One of them had a “Soy Not Oi” shirt.  Another was wearing a Capitalist Casualties T.  My people were in attendance.  And so were some of the finest SoCal had to offer. 

Eagle Rock unveiled their biting Ginger Saison.  Golden Road unleashed their anticipated seasonal Almond Milk Stout… wait, is that vegan?  Figueroa Mountain has always been so-so in my book, but their Big Cone black ale won me over.  San Francisco's Speakeasy ventured to South Cali with their mediocre Big Daddy IPA, but then scored with their Betrayal Imperial Red. I braved the long line at the Bravery Brewing tent to try their decent La Fleur Hibiscus Wheat and Old Rat English Brown Ale.  Self-proclaimed Godfathers Of Beer Karl Strauss even stepped up the game a bit with their sessionable Mosaic IPA.  San Diego’s Modern Times brought up a few different canned beers, the Lomalond Saison and Fortunate Islands Wheat, which were both astoundingly better than expected.

Me and Faction guy: Big earlobes and great beers

Many breweries played it safe, and brought out their “usual” to pour, but I’m always appreciative to those who bring out specialty kegs.
The most impressive beers of the day, hands-down, were unleashed by Alameda’s Faction Brewing and Hermosa Beach’s The Brewery At Abigaile.  Faction provided a stripped down, DIY style booth with two of the more impressive offerings of the day.  And Abigaile won me as a loyal fan with all three of their beers, especially the Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Black Mass Porter.

I kept with my standard regimen of small pours throughout the day, and managed to sample my way through 37 new beers, plus a few tasty duplicates for good measure… hell, I can’t say no to the Ballast Point Habanero Scuplin.  Ever.  I kept hydrated when possible, although the organizers of this event would have been wise to make water stations plentiful and free.  Instead, some oddball frou-frou Hawaiian bottled volcanic water was for sale.  Not a big deal since it was only $2, but still….

We sampled a few vegan food offerings, both of which were excellent…. Caribbean quesadillas from Real Food Daily which were only $4 for two, and Frito Pies from Beyond Meat which were not only delicious and the perfect accompaniment for beer but, strangely enough, absolutely free!

The Grilled Cheese Truck?  Um…. Hate to break it to you, but NOT vegan.

Something is slightly nasty about this.

We left the Vegan Beer Fest full-bellied, comfortable, pleased, satisfied.  The mounting frustrations that kicked off the day were quickly forgotten.
Would I come here again?  No.  Well, not unless it was free.  And someone else drove.  And they dropped me off at the VIP entrance. 

It was a great time once we were in, but this is one of the worst parts of town to attend any event.  I avoid The Strip at night, and now I know to avoid it during the day as well.

Did the belly full of yeast help me stay sober, or is it a placebo?  I still wouldn’t bet money on it either way, but it seemed to work.  I didn’t hydrate nearly as much as I would have liked. 

Then again, I didn’t leave the Fest with the urge to go streaking through the quad.

The tally continues....

5/16 – Friday nite at home

776 - MAD RIVER BREWING HUMBOLDT HAZE IMPERIAL WHEAT IPA – Dense and tasty, with a name like Humboldt Haze I was expecting some kind of funky hemp beer.  Huh.  Huh huh.  Duuude.

777 - CALDERA BREWING ASHLAND AMBER ALE – I’m really warming up to more Ambers lately, probably because the bar has been raised.  These Oregonian tree huggers know what’s up.

5/17 – LA Vegan Beer Fest +1

778 - GOLDEN ROAD HEAL THE BAY IPA – Great IPA that tends to mysteriously come & go, so I like to enjoy it while I can.  Some proceeds go to a local organization protecting local watersheds.  I’m definitely wearing Birkenstocks whenever I drink this.

779 - GOLDEN ROAD ALMOND MILK STOUT – A limited, specialty release. Super tasty.  Probably doesn’t have milk in it.  Hope not.  This is a Vegan Beer Fest, ya know!

780 - NOBLE ALE WORKS ALL NIGHT LONG – Some sorta complex black ale.  I’m a huge fan of these fellas, and they never cease to push the boundaries of your average stein.

781 - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING SUMMERFEST PILSNER – Easy to drink, inoffensive, better than the usual Pilsner, but I’d opt for any of their other offerings first.

782 - SMOG CITY BREWING L.A. SAISON – Nice one from this Torrance brewery.  Golden, wheaty, farmy, yeasty.

783 - WOLF CREEK BREWERY WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING SESSION IPA - Just OK.

784 - ABIGAILE BREWERY RYE WHISKEY BARREL AGED BLACK MASS PORTER – Beer Of The Fest! Incredible, deep vanilla, barrel-infused, rich malt tastiness.

785 - ABIGAILE BREWERY OATS OF BIRMINGHAM ENGLISH BROWN ALE – Maybe I’m a heretic, but many “English style” beers are lost on me.  This is an exception, and it’s exceptional.

786 - ABIGAILE BREWERY 002 2ND ANNIVERSARY DOUBLE IPA – Lucky I got to try this one.  Fantastic West Coast IPA.  Not soapy or skunky.  Evenly balanced.  Just right.

787 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY GINGER SAISON – Really decent ginger bite without being overpowering.  Bet this would be awesome with Thai food.

788 - EAGLE ROCK BREWERY REVOLUTION AMERICAN PALE ALE – The standby.

789 - FACTION BREWING DEFCON I BELGIAN QUAD – Inspired, rich, delicious… one of the few today where I enjoyed the full pour.  Excellent output from this modest SF Bay Area brewery.

790 - FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING HOPPY POPPY IPA – Had it before.  Thought it was one of their better brews.  But then I tried the Big Cone, which blew it away.

791 - FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING BIG CONE CASCADIAN DARK ALE – See above.  Fig Mtn finally has a beer I really like.

792 - GOLDEN ROAD BERLINER WEISSE – Tart but surprising how easy-to-drink this is.  Highly recommended for anyone needing a starting point to “try out” a sour.

793 - SPEAKEASY BETRAYAL IMPERIAL RED – Not a huge fan of Speakeasy to date, but I truly enjoyed this double red ale.  I guess I’ll start speaking easier about these guys myself.

794 - OMISSION IPA – Gluten free.  Not that great.  But if I had an allergy, I suppose I’d learn to like it.  The best of the three Omission offerings.

795 - OMISSION PALE ALE – Eh.

796 - OMISSION LAGER – Bleh.

Gotta keep track of these things

797 - EPIC BREWING ESCAPE TO COLORADO IPA – Dig it.

798 - BOOTLEGGER'S BREWERY RUSTIC RYE IPA – Enjoyed it more in the past, but maybe it was too cold.

799 - BOOTLEGGER'S BREWERY PALOMINO PALE ALE – I like Bootlegger’s, but this is my least favorite off their roster.

800 - MODERN TIMES LOMALAND SAISON – Excellent canned creation from SD.  Seriously way more impressive than expected.

801 - HANGAR 24 BETTY IPA – Everybody has an IPA.  Now Hangar 24 does, too.  Inland Empire rejoice!

802 - MODERN TIMES FORTUNATE ISLANDS WHEAT BEER – Very, very freakin’ good.  I started out on the wrong foot with this brewery.  Since my first disappointing try, I’ve truly enjoyed all of their releases since.  I’m a fan.  I’m gettin’ with the Times.

803 - OSKAR BLUES DALE'S PALE ALE – You’ve had it.  So have I.  I was really hoping they’d show up with a specialty keg.  Instead it was the standard cans.  Good, but Deviant Dale’s and Ten Fidy are my favorites.

804 - OSKAR BLUES OLD CHUB – See above.  Not the hugest fan of this Scotch Ale, truth be told.

805 - OHANA BREWING PACIFIC ALE – Pretty good

806 - BRAVERY BREWING LA FLEUR HIBISCUS WHEAT – I’m due to head up to the high desert & check out this place.  This pinkish taster was pretty good, not too complex, but I want to give them a chance.

807 - BRAVERY BREWING OLD RAT ENGLISH BROWN – Decent, solid, better than the wheat beer.

808 - OHANA BREWING PALE ALE – Keg wasn’t ready, but I was pushy & insisted on a sip.  Yeah, total dick move.  But nice, easy drinking beer.  I need to visit their tasting room.

809 - EPIC BREWING GLUTENATOR – Their take on gluten-free brau.  Much better than the Omission samples.

810 - KARL STRAUSS MOSAIC SESSION IPA – The big guys are an easy target.  It’s easy to pooh-pooh their beers as not being fancy or DIY enough.  The self-proclaimed Godfather Of Beer hits the mark with this one.  2014 truly is The Year Of The Session IPA.

811 - DESCHUTES BREWERY MIRROR POND PALE ALE – Not fancy, straight forward, but always good.

812 - NEW BELGIUM WILD DUBBEL – Unlike most of my beer drinking friends, I’m not a fan of this Lips Of Faith series.  They usually sound like a good idea, but rarely deliver the goods.  And I know I’m alone in that generalized assessment.  That makes this brew even more enjoyable…. I like it!  Tasty wild ale with a lot goin’ on.  Rich, malty, mildly spicy bite.  Nice.

813 - WOLF CREEK BREWERY HOWLIN' HEF – Ummm. Here’s the thing…

814 - SMOG CITY BREWING LIL BO PILS – Decent pilsner.  Lite and unobtrusive.  Don’t need it again, but I do support this brewery, smog and all.

815 - ABBAYE DE LEFFE LEFFE BLONDE – Post-Fest Belgian nitecap with some friends up in Santa Clarita at a wine place...  No, not a beer place.  You’ve had it.  You like it.

Nerd alert!

Beer #302-358 / Day #53-61: Sleepless Sampling In Seattle

Last week progressed like most weeks, with the exception of it being my birthday on Thursday.  Since Camille already threw me a huge beer birthday bash the previous weekend, I felt like my birthday had already happened, so Thursday mostly felt like just another day.  In spite of the anti-climactic nature of the day, The Wife and The Boy set up a perfect evening at home enjoying take-out sushi, and watching “The Big Year”.  Do they know me or what?  To treat myself, I popped the cap on one of the special bottles I had squirreled away from the unwashed masses during my beer party.  Courtesy of the generous Mr. Larry McQuaide, I enjoyed my very first tasting of a Fifty Fifty beer.  This brewery is based in Truckee, a town the size of a postage stamp, which could be considered “the middle of nowhere” were it not a through point for travelers to Lake Tahoe.  On the rare occasions when I see their bottles, they’re on the expensive side, averaging $20-$30 minimum, but very highly regarded in beer nerd circles.  Those nerds knew what they were doing when they got their mustaches in a wax over this joint.  I have yet to sample their Eclipse Series, but this B.A.R.T. (Barrel Aged Really Tasty) brew is exactly what the name implies.  A rich, viscous, and deeply satisfying ale, brewed with honey, aged in barrels, and destined for my stomach as often as possible.

The Most Interesting Cut-Out In The World

The next day my real adventure began, when Infest headed to Seattle for the weekend.  After the driest winter in memory, our flight to Seattle coincided with the arrival of a massive storm, the biggest, they say, in the last four years.  Our flight out of Bob Hope Airport was late, so I passed the time with some average airport brews, Widmer Hopside Down IPL and Red Hook Long Hammer, which actually helped me relax and not lose my patience with constant delays. Considering the high powered storm, I was surprised our eventual departure wasn’t more violent.  Regardless, I was cool as a cucumber thanks to a shot of bourbon, and a few Alaskan Amber ales aboard the flight.  Kudos to Alaska Airlines for deviating outside of the Busch camp, and offering something regional.  Domino and I ensured the short flight was a toasty one, and we cracked up about everything possible, including a few glimpses of the brillo-haired gal in front of us reading “Fifty Shades Of Grey” on her Nook.

For once, Seattle weather was nicer than SoCal.  Brisk, beautiful, musty with history.  I love this city, for much more than just the simple reason that the greater Sea-Tac area is my birthplace, in addition to the multitude of relatives who have never left.  In the interest of full disclosure, I cannot claim Seattle proper as my hometown, but rather Tacoma, which is a city that forever remains the butt of every joke (“Tacoma? Oh, you mean Aroma? Heh heh…”).

Shorty's: No, it's not a brothel

Despite the late arrival, show promoter Mike Crow, Iron Lung bandmates Jensen Ward and Jon Kortland, old friend Lauren Garaventa, and Japanese visitor and Far East beer geek Kemmy Dreadeye met up with us.  We all checked out Shorty’s, a bar with an old school pinball theme, and a few decent local taps to properly christen my Pacific Northwest adventure.  Crowded, but a decent place to hang thanks to multiple booths; the tables at each booth are formerly-enjoyed, lit-up pinball machines. Loud, trippy, and thanks to Mr. Crow, the drinks kept flowing.  And thanks to Mr. Fireball and several regional pints - Hale's Ales, Maritime Pacific, Georgetown Brewing - I was spinning, in need of nourishment.  I stumbled next door to Rocco’s for the most superior BBQ chicken pizza slice I’ve had in my life.  Is it the greatest slice because it IS the greatest, or is it the greatest slice because when you’re hammered at 1:30am, just about anything that goes in your mouth tastes like the world’s greatest invention?  All I know is I was on the verge of tearful rapture in my drunken, ravenous state. Before I knew it they were flashing the flights at Rocco's and Shorty's, sending the inebriated masses into the streets.  I found my friends and capped off the night with more food at 13 Coins, a bizarrely awesome "fancy" restaurant trapped in 1966.  It was 4am when my head hit the pillow.

This is what 13 Coins, 6 beers, and 3AM look like.

Not surprisingly, I didn’t wake up until Noon on Saturday.  Show day.  I couldn’t go too overboard because I needed to play that evening.  But it was still early enough to get a taste, and still sober up before hitting the stage.  I’m not one of those guys who performs well drunk, so I time my pre-show drinking far enough in advance to allow ample normalization time.  I followed my bandmates to the central hub of tourism, Pike Place Market.  On the way over, we took a pit stop at Top Pot Doughnuts, a fancy newfangled donut shop.  I was fully expecting an array of overly frou-frou, hipster specialty donuts, but I was wrong.  There were no maple bacon chorizo donuts, and no amber rosepedal dusted truffle donuts.  Just the classic styles created with perfection.  I grabbed a triple shot of espresso and a chocolate old fashioned.  Unlike my drunken, hazy, “world’s greatest” revelation from the evening before, I was perfectly sober, and fully aware that this WAS one of the greatest donut places I’ve patronized.  The simple chocolate old fashioned was in no way oily or greasy, and the chocolate was delicious, actual chocolate, and not the cheap, dark brown colored, sugar glaze that I’m used to.   We made it to Pike Place, and fought our way down the main thoroughfare, shoulder to shoulder with our fellow, chilly, mouth-breathing tourists.  We darted in and out of side tables, tasting endless free samples, but there is only so much pepper jelly and chili coated almonds one person can consume.  I was antsy to find the Pike Brewery and start tasting.  

Brewery where I couldn't get a brew

After mentioning the brewery for a third and fourth time, Domino recognized my jonesing, and suggested I find it, and they meet us later.  I obliged, but sadly it was not meant to be.  Pike Brewery looked like a funky, multi-leveled, less contrived version of TGIFridays.  I bypassed the tables, and bee-lined for the bar.  There were no seats and a line five-deep at the front of the bar to order a beer.  I waited impatiently for 10 minutes, making no progress, then reluctantly left.  I wanted a beer, but the idea of combat tasting didn’t appeal to me.  Unfamiliar with the area, and unsure which direction to head next, I roamed the street anxious, and agitated.  Like, REALLY agitated.  What was my problem?  I experienced a brief moment of fear.  Am I just now officially an alcoholic?  Have I become that haggard, Bukowskian stereotype who gets the shakes every morning unless he tips the bottle?  Then I realized, it was 1pm, and I hadn’t eaten anything but a small doughnut and a couple spicy jelly samples off toothpicks....

...AND A TRIPLE SHOT OF ESPRESSO. 

No food, triple espresso, agitated… bingo. 

Equally possible that espresso shakes are a thin veil for symptoms of my true alcoholism.  Regardless, I trudged forward.

I remembered from my trip to Seattle last year that Elysian had a pub location somewhere downtown, and I was determined to reward myself with a visit this time.  I looked up the address on my user-unfriendly BlackBerry. 1221 Pike.
I was at the 100 block of Pike.  Only 12 blocks.
No problem. 

Elysian + Me = TLF

No problem until I finished hiking the 12 blocks in 40 degree weather only to realize Elysian was at 1221 EAST Pike.  I was on West Pike.  DAMMIT!  No choice but to keep walking.  I passed Victrola Coffee Roasters which 9 out of 10 times I would have stopped at, had it not been for the fact I was hungry and pissed off, mostly because of my current coffee buzz.  No need to stoke the fire.  I forged on until finally, like Mecca, the Elysian brewery appeared.  Neighborhoody, comfortable, inviting.  That was the immediate in-the-door vibe of Elysian.  I bellied up to the bar to indulge myself, only to be met by a disappointingly unpersonable, unwaveringly unsmiling bartender.  He gave me zero information on any of the taps, and appeared to be doing me a favor by eventually taking my order.  I ordered a deliciously Dagwood-esque French dip sandwich, and a few flights.  30 seconds after ordering my second flight, I heard the bartender crack to his co-worker it was “Sampler Hell Day”.  Thanks, brother.  Funny thing is it happens to coincide with “No Fucking Tip Day”.  I didn't realize I’m such a jerk by actually ordering what you're serving.  I knew he wasn’t the brewer, and as such, resigned myself to not penalize the beer for the actions of one aloof hipster.   The superior beers and outstanding food made it worth sticking around.  Every pour was a winner, my favorites being the Serenity Now Saison, Smoke And Awe, Doom Golden Treacle Pale Ale, and the knockout punch was delivered by one of my favorite stouts in recent memory, the Bourbon Barrel Aged Dragonstooth Stout.
I headed back to the room and split a couple pre-show bottles with Denunzio and Barfield, the Ninkasi Sleigh’r and Elysian Savant IPA.  Then it was off to the club, El Corazon.  This was the first time INFEST has played Seattle, and the overall line-up was beefier than a Pike’s Market jerky stand - Infest, Iron Lung, Gehenna, Warcry, and Gag – so the turnout was solid, and every band played to a packed house.  Some old friends like Mike from Capitalist Casualties came out, as well as my cousins Jeff & Scott  Wilson.  After a Lucille IPA, and a double tequila shot courtesy of formerly-Fresno Krystina and her entourage of gents, I was good to go.  I don’t play drunk, so I cut myself off for the duration of the gig.  Every band was energetic, powerful, loud, crushing, and inspiring.  Infest hit the stage last, and the room came unglued.  I was expecting a so-so response, maybe some excitement, but mostly a lot of standing around.  In my opinion, this was one of the most chaotic, and thus, most fun shows we’ve done.  A ridiculous amount of stagediving and overall excitement propelled the evening along quickly.  The amps were so loud on stage, I couldn’t hear any drums or vocals to ground me, so I relied on intuition and watched Bob the drummer for obvious change cues.  Somehow it all worked out, and before I knew it, it was all over.

Post show we loitered and I tried a tasty Deschutes Red Chair, plus some underwhelming Pyramid Hefe & Mac And Jack’s African Amber.  It was 12:30am, but I was ready to go.  We cruised across town to catch the last few songs of Defiance from Portland, catch up with a few more friends, and try a few more brews… the excellent Ninkasi Oatis Stout and the decidedly non-excellent Rainier Beer.  Many regions of the country have their own local crappy beer.  Rainier is it.  It’s the Natty Bo, the Lone Star, or Old Style of the Pacific Northwest.  All too soon, we were given the bum's rush, and we followed with yet another early morning trip to 13 Coins, and this time it was packed to the gills with ousted club goers.  We smashed into a booth, enjoyed our spoils, and I crashed at 4am yet again.

On Sunday, our flight home was in the evening, so I had plenty of time, provided I woke up at a decent hour.  So, I set my alarm and met up with some of my family, the Wilson Family... my Aunt Julie & Uncle Brad, and their sons Jeff & Scott who were at the show on Saturday nite.  They were kind enough to shuttle me back to their home at Alki Beach, where we enjoyed brunch, and got caught up. Brad had afternoon obligations, so Julie and the boys were kind enough to indulge my beer tooth, and agreed to tote me around to a couple classic locations in West Seattle.  First stop, Beveridge Place Pub. The best part is the cross street is actually called Beveridge Place. It was meant to be.  This place is sprawling and comfortable, and the bartender was upbeat, knowledgeable, and accommodating.  If I lived up here, I'd be a regular.  They were just kicking off their annual Barleywine Bacchanal fest, with roughly 30 taps dedicated to barleywine, including many rarities and a few vertical tastings as well.  I grabbed a sampler of six, and as expected, they were small but mighty.  In addition to my Bainbridge Island, Hale's Ales, and Sound Brewery selections, I opted for the rare chance to try a vertical of Alaskan Barley Wine Ale from 2009, 2010, and 2011.  Collectively they all covered that toothsome spectrum of flavors one would hope for.... the sweetness, mustiness, mild pucker, and full-bodied punch. And after only six samplers, I was already feeling a tad light in the loafers, so I suggested we move along. 

Don't know this guy, but we're united by beer

Next stop was a favorite from last year's visit, Beer Junction, another West Seattle staple.  Not only do they have the best taps in the area, but they have an adjoining bottle shop which is arguably also the best around.  I considered packing a mixed case and checking it on the plane, but they only had boxes, not packing material, and rather than running around to drug stores finding bubble wrap and packing tape, I accepted the fact that it wasn't practical, and simply enjoyed what I could on the spot.  I went for an 8 glass flight of PNW greatness... Stoup, Boneyard, 10 Barrel, Maritime Pacific, 7 Seas, Laurelwood, Naked City... Wow.  This wasn't going to happen again anytime soon, so I relished every second.  All too soon, it was time to head to the airport, so my Aunt gave my soggy ass the heave ho, and after a last minute Fremont IPA at Sea-Tac, I was bouncing my way home, ready for a decent night's sleep, to dream frothy dreams of this drizzly beer mecca of the North.

 The tally continues....

Sunday 2/23 - The Morning After the big beer birthday bash

• STILLWATER ARTISINAL ALES WHY CAN'T IBU? BELGIAN IPA - Beer #302, post party recovery pint

Monday 2/24 

• BRASSRIE D'ORVAL ORVAL - Beer #303, the classic 
• DC BRAU BREWING COMPANY THE PUBLIC PALE ALE - Beer #304, East Coast contraband from Dave Witte
• FRANZISKANER HEFE-WEISSBIER NATURTRUB - Beer #305, I see this everywhere & mistake it for something average, not true, this is a great hefe!
• FEMSA CERVEJA BRASIL XINGU BLACK BEER - Beer #306, A Brazilian beer that tastes more like Coca Cola than anything, probably refreshing with spicy food.

Tuesday 2/25 - INFEST practice night in North Hollywood

• SAINT ARCHER BREWING BLONDE ALE - Beer #307, it's blonde
• ANDERSON VALLEY BREWING HEELCH O' HOPS IMPERIAL IPA - Beer #308, tasty Double hop bomb
• SPEAKEASY PROHIBITION AMBER ALE - Beer #309, One of a recent crop of impressive ambers I've discovered
• EPIC BREWING CO. BIG BAD BAPTIST IMPERIAL STOUT - Beer #310, way more heavy on the coffee and chocolate dessertiness than I was prepared for.
• BEAR REPUBLIC BREWING XP PALE ALE - Beer #311, inexpensive, easy to find, yet high quality, delicious, well-rounded, addictive

Wednesday 2/26 

• PALM SPECIALE - Beer #312, good beer, old as time itself
• HOEGAARDEN WIT 57 - Beer #313, purty good
• MAMMOTH BREWING DOUBLE NUT BROWN PORTER - Beer #314, Thanks to Linda & Jordy Mitchell for toting this back from the Eastern Sierras.... Mammoth rules!

Thursday 2/27 - My birthday, showing restraint, sippin' and enjoying 

• FIFTY FIFTY BREWING B.A.R.T. (BARREL AGED REALLY TASTY) - Beer #315, a five star beer if there ever was one, glad I hoarded this one.

Friday 2/28 - Seattle bound

• WIDMER BROTHERS HOPSIDE DOWN INDIA PALE LAGER – Beer #316, at the Bob Hope Burbank Airport bar, decent for passing the time
• REDHOOK LONG HAMMER IPA – Beer #317, another airport beer, not awesome, but does the trick when waiting through multiple flight delays
• ALASKAN BREWING AMBER – Beer #318, thanks Alaska Air for carrying an above average beer on board
• LAGUNITAS PILS CZECH STYLE – Beer #319, sipped from Mike Thorn’s bottle, walking between our motel and Shorty’s
• HALE’S ALES SUPERGOOSE IPA – Beer #320, first tap of three at Shorty’s, pretty good local starters
• MARITIME PACIFIC BREWING DARK AMBER ALE – Beer #321, good one
  
• GEORGETOWN BREWING MANNY’S PALE ALE – Beer #322, I remember enjoying it, but don't remember much else for the evening
  

Saturday 3/1 - A real taste of Seattle

• ELYSIAN BREWING SERENITY NOW SAISON – Beer #323, yum
• ELYSIAN BREWING SPLIT SHOT ESPRESSO MILK STOUT – Beer #324, creamy nitro stout
• ELYSIAN BREWING ODDLAND SPICED PEAR ALE – Beer #325, best fruit beer I remember having
• ELYSIAN BREWING BETE BLANCHE BELGIAN STYLE TRIPEL – Beer #326, a classic on their roster
• ELYSIAN BREWING SMOKE AND AWE – Beer #327, awesome, easy drinking, accessible rauch
• ELYSIAN BREWING THE IMMORTAL IPA – Beer #328, great
• ELYSIAN BREWING BOURBON BARREL AGED DRAGONSTOOTH STOUT – Beer #329, another in my ever-growing list of "favorite stouts"
• ELYSIAN BREWING THE WISE ESB – Beer #330, one of the better ESBs overall
• ELYSIAN BREWING ZEPHYRUS PILSNER – Beer #331, sessionable
• ELYSIAN BREWING THE MEN’S ROOM ORIGINAL RED – Beer #332, good one
• ELYSIAN BREWING PERSEUS PORTER – Beer #333, really impressive
• ELYSIAN BREWING DOOM GOLDEN TREACLE PALE ALE – Beer #334, best way to cap off the visit to this brewery... excellent!
• NINKASI BREWING SLEIGH’R DARK DOUBLE ALT ALE – Beer #335, in-room, pre-show treat, thanks to Mike Crow
• ELYSIAN BREWING SAVANT IPA – Beer #336, see above
• GEORGETOWN BREWING LUCILLE IPA – Beer #337, On tap at El Corazon, decent IPA
• DESCHUTES BREWERY RED CHAIR NWPA – Beer #338, Post-show at El Corazon, perfect beer for "hangin' out"
• PYRAMID BREWERIES HEFEWEIZEN – Beer #339, Tried a sip from Jack Barfield, what I expected from Pyramid.
• MAC AND JACK’S BREWING AFRICAN AMBER – Beer #340, OK amber from the area
• NINKASI BREWING OATIS OATMEAL STOUT – Beer #341, Post show outing to some other bar, a post birthday brew as a treat from Ms. Loredi Violanta. Cheers!
• PABST BREWING RAINIER BEER – Beer #342, When in Seattle....

Sunday 3/2 - Wrapping up Seattle with family

• BAINBRIDGE ISLAND BREWING OAKED CHERRY TOE JAM BARLEYWINE (2013) – Beer #343, First of six barleywine samplers at Beveridge Place Pub.
• HALE’S ALES BREWERY BOURBON BARREL AGED BARLEY LEGAL BARLEYWINE (2013) – Beer #344, As good as it sounds.
• SOUND BREWERY BARREL AGED OLD SCOUNDREL BARLEYWINE (2013) – Beer #345, Love this brewery, sad I didn't enjoy more when I had the chance
• ALASKAN BREWING BARLEY WINE ALE (2009) – Beer #346,slightly sour, most unique of the Alaskan Barley Wine vertical tasting
• ALASKAN BREWING BARLEY WINE ALE (2010) – Beer #347, great
• ALASKAN BREWING BARLEY WINE ALE (2011) – Beer #348, my fave of the three
• TWO BEERS BREWING IMMERSION AMBER – Beer #349, got a quick sip of my cousin Jeff's brew, not bad.
• STOUP BREWING T2R HAYMAKER III IPA – Beer #350, total yum, the first of eight samplers at Beer Junction
• BONEYARD BEER COMPANY RPM IPA – Beer #351, mmm hmm
• 10 BARREL BREWING PROJECT: FAILED RED ALE – Beer #352, good one
• MARITIME PACIFIC BREWING BOSUN’S BLACK PORTER – Beer #353, not bad
• 7 SEAS BREWING IMPERIAL OATMEAL RAISIN STOUT – Beer #354, big fan of 7 Seas, but thought I'd enjoy this more
• 7 SEAS BREWING MAKER’S MARK BARREL AGED WHEELCHAIR BARLEYWINE – Beer #355, my favorite of all Beer Junction tasters
• LAURELWOOD BREWING GOSE WHEAT ALE WITH SALT – Beer #356, not nearly as sour as your standard gose, more well-balanced
• NAKED CITY BREWERY SCARLET STREET DOUBLE RED ALE – Beer #357, highly recommended imperial red
• FREMONT BREWING INTERURBAN IPA – Beer #358, average IPA, what I'd expect at the airport

Beer #170-178 / Day #34-36: Adventures In Old Man Beer

The week started like any other... the usual workday followed by an evening of sampling new beers:

*BROOKLYN BLAST IPA - Beer #170, a tasty hybrid of English style IPA with some West Coast kick.  I still haven't found any Brooklyn Brewery stock in SoCal.

*FLYING FISH ABBEY DUBBEL - Beer #171, a thick, malty, tasty treat from this Jersey brewer. Another one I don't see in SoCal.

*DESCHUTES / GREAT LAKES COLLABORATION CLASS OF '88 IMPERIAL SMOKED PORTER - Beer #172, Whoa!  This is a beer to find at all costs. This is the most delicious BBQ melted down to liquid form.  The best qualities of a porter and a rauchbier, if they mated and spawned.

PBR is soooo 2010.

The following day, my Wife sent me a message about the Atwater Tavern serving Olympia.  This was my stepdad’s go-to beer for about 30 years straight, until the brewery was sold.  Since then, Oly’s distribution is more limited, and according to the old man, their recipe changed as well. You can’t find it in SoCal, or most of NorCal for that matter.  Of course, by doing this Atwater Tavern is baiting a hook for flannel-clad hipsters who want to try this old staple, more for the irony than for the fact that it’s a marginally palatable lager.  Call it the “new thing” for any beardo who’s sick of drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon.  I got a good chuckle out of it, and didn’t think much of it until it was time for the weekly INFEST union meeting with Domino & Denunzio. 

'Merica... fugg yeah!

This week we patronized Joe's Great American Bar & Grill in Burbank.  This joint is what you expect from your average American bar… semi-attentive service, dreary regulars, average food, and a beer selection on par with the corner liquor store.  And yet, in spite of all of this mundane Americana, I appreciated the fact that they serve shit beer, but without irony. As proof, no PBR!  Joe’s isn’t out to impress anybody.  Take it or leave it.  This is the ideal Old Man Bar with Old Man Beer.  And with our grey beards, Domino and I decided to roll with it.  When in Rome...We kicked it off with a COORS – Beer # 173.  What appealed to me most about this was the retro bottle, a small, fist-sized grenade.  It feels good, and makes you feel American and proud.  Shit, I was ready to buy a shotgun and some camouflage and go duck hunting. This Coors was malty with a sweet finish. I could see getting a stomach ache after a day of drinking these.

Next, we went for ROLLING ROCK EXTRA PALE - Beer #174.  We chose this because I can't remember the last time I saw a Rolling Rock, outside of 1995.  Rolling Rock doesn't taste like anything whatsoever, especially after the Coors. It's like mineral water. Does Crystal Geyser bottle this beer? Devoid of flavor, or anything resembling substance. I didn't know they still made Rolling Rock.  Maybe they don't.  For all I know, this bar is trapped in the '90s and carries leftover dusty cases of Rolling Rock next to the final, remaining bottles of Zima.

First bathroom selfie. Seemed appropriate.

 We finished the Old Man Beer trifecta with an AMSTEL LIGHT - Beer #175. Amstel Light brings back that sense memory of trying my first beer at the age of 13... although that beer was actually an Oly.  It just tastes like "beer".  Not good, not bad, it just "is”.  Years ago, The Wife & I found a copy of the band Ambrosia’s technical rider (list of requirements provided to the club).  One that we’ve never forgotten was a request for a case of “premium beer”, and it noted Amstel Light an example.  Nice, nice, very nice.

Warming up for the Blue Man Group

We left for practice, so I hit a random liquor store on Burbank Blvd, and in spite of the corner store stigma, this place carried a damn good selection of beer, including one I needed to try before it was too late.  At practice Domino & I split the STONE ENJOY BY 02.14.14 IPA - Beer #176.  After our cavalcade of middle-of-the-road beers (or maybe that's end-of-the-road), he compared it to drinking a pine tree. All of the Enjoy By IPAs have that extreme hop crunch, kinda citrusy, and after shitty beer I can see how it also has a bit of a tree-y bite.

Last night, I went back to my fancy 12 ozers with the SANTA FE BREWING PALE ALE - Beer #177, and the SIERRA NEVADA BEER CAMP #94 BELGIAN STYLE BLACK IPA - Beer #178.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, and back to the sublime once again.

Beer #44-46 / Day 9: Cooking With Beer a.k.a. Pretending To Be Healthy

Not like I've ever been slim & trim, but I definitely fell off the wagon diet-wise over the Holidays. Is it possible that drinking 46 beers over the course of 9 days may have anything to do with it?  Nahhhh....

I had surgery for cancer last October, and since then I've been eating much, much healthier overall.  The Wife & I have gone vegetarian or vegan over the course of several weeks at a time. We're trying to cut down on meat and dairy, and also consciously exercise more. When I'm not vegetarian, I try to eat a lot more fish.  I feel better, I'm less tired, and I poop more regularly (OK, too much information?!).  And yes, I KNOW drinking a shit-ton of beer is not conducive to weight loss, but I decided long ago that 2014 would be my Big Year In Beer, and damn it, come Hell or Artesian water, this IS my Big Year.  I'll just need to take extra precautions to eat healthier than ever, and exercise more than ever, in order to compensate for the accelerated beer consumption. Is this akin to having a burger but ordering a DIET Coke because you think it's more healthy and "balances" out your unhealthy meal?  Most likely.

When I started dating my Wife in 2006, my life experiences expanded greatly through art, music, and just enjoying every day things like cooking.  I never, ever cooked prior to this, and had no interest in it whatsoever.  Throughout these past years, I've learned a lot about cooking from my Wife, and while not every dish is a winner, in my completely biased opinion, I'm a damn good cook these days.  I don't always use beer in cooking, but for obvious reasons, I try to integrate it more.  Tonight I modified a vegan recipe by adding GREEN FLASH WEST COAST IPA - Beer #44 to the dish, instead of veggie stock or water.  It's an Asian dish, and as noted by our trip to Orochon Ramen last weekend, IPAs go great with spicy Asian food (who knew???).  In all honesty, this excellent beer is not prominent in the flavors of the dish, but I took great pride in integrating it into this awesome recipe.  I finished off the Green Flash while cooking, so I went for the garden variety STONE IPA - Beer #45 to drink during dinner.  Even though this is one of the more "common" Stone beers that one can find in any rinky-dink, corner liquor store nowadays, it's freakin' great, no doubt about it.  Hail Stone for knowing when they have something good and not futzing with it.  I capped off the evening with the DESCHUTES BREWING OBSIDIAN STOUT - Beer #46, a malty, inky, delicious everyday stout from these Oregonian stalwarts.

Not to get all "Foodie" on y'all, but for the hell of it, and just because it's damn tasty, here's a mildly spicy vegan recipe with beer (the best part is you drink most of the beer while cooking):

KINDA SPICY VEGAN SRIRACHA PEANUT IPA TOFU
- Serves 2
- Prep time + Cooking is about 30-40 min.  Put on some good tunes & just do it.

Ingredients:
1 block of firm or preferably extra firm tofu
2 Tbsp peanut oil
a few large cloves of garlic, sliced
a large piece of ginger root, sliced
4-6 green onions
6 Tbsp soy sauce
6 Tbsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 Tbsp agave nectar or simple syrup
2 Tbsp Sriracha
4 Tbsp IPA
White, Jasmine, or Basmati rice for 2

Instructions:
*Drain the tofu. You need to get as much water out of it as possible.  Let it sit in a colander to drain for a while, then press it (not too hard) between paper towels to absorb additional moisture.
*While the tofu is resting between dry paper towels, start cooking enough rice for two, according to the instructions on the package.  Start it now, so it's ready by the time the tofu is done cooking!
*Cut tofu into long strips, about 1 inch wide.  But don't be all OCD about being exact.
*Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut butter, agave nectar, Sriracha, and IPA in a bowl and whisk until well blended.
*Cut the garlic cloves and ginger root into slices. DO NOT worry about being too accurate or uniform with these slices because you will eventually discard them!
*Heat a large pan on High.  Once hot, add the peanut oil.  After the peanut oil heats for about a minute, add the sliced garlic & ginger.  Cook them in the oil for a minute or two.  Once everything smells awesome, then remove the garlic and ginger and discard. You have just flavored the oil, so keep it in the pan!
*Add the tofu strips to the pan and brown them on all sides in the oil.  This will take 8-12 minutes.
*While the tofu is browning, prep the green onions by cutting them into diagonal slices.  This will be your garnish when the tofu is done.
*Drink the rest of the IPA.
*While you're waiting for the tofu to brown, your rice should be ready by now, so plate it in two large bowls right before you start the next step.
*Once the tofu is sufficiently browned to your liking, turn the heat to low, add the sauce and coat the tofu well. Leave it on the burner for about a minute, but not too long or the sauce will become too thick.
*Pour the tofu and sauce in equal portions over the rice in two bowls (you did already put the rice in the bowls, didn't you?)
*Top with your fancy, sliced green onions.
*Have an awesome meal with your spouse / girlfriend / boyfriend / companion, and prepare for an evening of incredible sex because they'll be all over you after this tasty dish.

CHEERS!

Beer # 601 - 610 (or "GRAND FINALE OF MY FIRST BIG YEAR")

After fighting off a cold through the middle of the week, my sinuses cleared and my taste buds returned just in time for a last minute Big Year In Beer finale.  Friday, November 15th was my last day of my first Big Year.  And just by chance, it came full circle, ending exactly where I started a year ago.

In preparation of wrapping up my Big Year, I've been copying over my beers, in order, to an Excel spreadsheet.  And in doing so, I discovered that Untappd actually tallied my "Unique" beers incorrectly.  Contrary to my previous post, Hair Of The Dog Blue Dot was NOT my 600th beer... it was actually Beer # 601!  Woohoo!  I was starting off the day ahead of the game without even drinking anything!

To kick off my actual tasting for the day, I hit Congregation Ale House in Pasadena.  Many years ago before the huge craft beer explosion, this building was occupied by a brewpub called Crown City which had 100 beers available.  They used to give you a card to keep track of each beer, and you got a plaque on the wall when you reached 100.  Unfortunately, Crown City closed their doors before I got my plaque.
Congregation took over this great location a few years ago, offering an impressive tap list and excellent food.  In my book, the only drawback for Congregation, and the only reason I don't frequent this location more often has been the service.  I think they have improved service-wise over the past year, but prior to that, the waitstaff were frustratingly uneducated and clueless about the beer on their own menu.  No joke, nearly every time I ordered a beer, the cashiers would give me a blank expression like I was speaking Martian, and I would need to walk over to their huge tap board and point to the beer I wanted.  Honestly, I don't give two shits how cute you look in a Catholic schoolgirl outfit, I want a goddamn beer without playing a game of Charades (one syllable, sounds like 'trout'). I think management finally caught on, and during my last couple visits this year, the staff seemed more up to speed and actually knew what I was ordering.

This time I opted for their house burger, which is consistently one of the best around, and a DESCHUTES BREWERY flight.  The flight was a winner, especially with the inclusion of a few limited brews.
*JUBELALE 2013 - Beer # 602: A comforting winter ale that would have been even more comforting on a colder day (which we don't get much of in LA).
*BLACK BUTTE XXIV IMPERIAL PORTER - Beer # 603:  What you would expect in an imperial porter. Solid.
*GREEN MONSTER SOUR ALE - Beer # 604: The first Deschutes sour I've seen available. Like most American sours of late, a good amount of pucker but still very drinkable. Apparently, this one is super limited.
*CLASS OF '88 SERIES BARLEYWINE - Beer # 605:  A limited collaboration with GREAT LAKES BREWING, one of the most easy-drinking barleywines I've had in recent memory (along with maybe SANTA FE BREWING CHICKEN KILLER)

Later that evening, The Mrs. and I met up with Ryan Harkins from Grill Em All and his wife Kevine (newlyweds!) at GOLDEN ROAD.  This has been a local favorite for the past few years, based in a funky industrial part of LA, across the tracks from Glendale. It was packed like I've never seen it.  Then again, The Wife and I tend to visit breweries during "off" hours, usually in the 2-5pm range. We were introduced to Tara who worked at Eagle Rock Brewing, and Cole who is one of the head brewers at Golden Road.  Like most beer people, they're super cool, and I somehow refrained from bombarding them with endless mega-nerd beer questions. Every time I visit Golden Road, they have something new to offer, and this time they had more offerings than I've ever seen.
I started with the 99 KNOTS TO LA SAISON - Beer # 606.  This is the first time I recall a true saison on the Golden Road list.  Damn good!
I followed that with the SURFLINER PALE ALE - Beer # 607. I recall having a Surfliner IPA last year, and I never saw it again.  This time Surfliner was available, but it was a Pale Ale instead of an IPA.  Huh???  Brewer Cole was nice enough to explain "Surfliner" is actually a blanket name they give to experimental new batches of various brews, all of which are available that one-time only.  Ha!
Next up was the new PONCH'S PORTER - Beer # 608.  This porter freakin' rules.  Their flagship Hudson Porter is good, but I love this one!  Ponch's is a more rich, more dense, inky porter, which I gravitate towards... although if I were smart I'd just stick with imperial stouts since that's what I really have in mind when I order porters.
A couple more friends arrived, and after additional drinking, eating, and merriment, we were treated to a late night tour behind the scenes of the brewery.  The facility is beyond impressive, especially the safeguards implemented to ensure consistency and high quality.  We were lucky enough to taste CABRILLO KOLSCH straight out of the tank, unfiltered.  And no, I can't claim it, because I already had it earlier this year... Beer # 333.  Also fun was cracking open a rejected can (rejected because the fill wasn't exactly 16 oz) of GET UP OFFA THAT BROWN - Beer # 609.  It was canned earlier that afternoon, and even at room temperature it was perfection. In fact, I think I like it even better unrefrigerated... I could taste a lot more of the roasted malty goodness.  Could it be the Europeans have actually been right this whole time about not serving beer ice cold?  Nawwww....

We hit a backroom where the BRANDY BARREL AGED HUDSON PORTER was on tap (which I had already claimed a few days prior as Beer # 596).  One of my favorite Golden Road beers to date.  And I was pouring it myself.  If there's a Heaven, I picture it resembling this moment in time. 
On tap next to the Brandy Barrel Porter was the TROUBLE AHEAD RED - Beer # 610, and the last, unique, claimable beer in my Big Year.  This was a keg from a batch not ready to be released in the brewpub until the following Monday.  Yep, I felt smug as hell, a total baller, even if only for a couple hours.

As we wrapped up the evening, profusely thanking our gracious hosts, I had the startling realization that my first attempt at a Big Year In Beer concluded exactly where it began.  It was a year ago I was sitting at an outdoor table at Golden Road, enjoying a BURNING BUSH SMOKED IPA with Dave Witte, and he told me about Untappd.  I signed up for an account, started logging my beers, and my Big Year was underway.  Here I was a year later, having the best time ever, concluding my Big Year in the exact same spot.  The date as well as the location of my 365 day, 610 beer journey had truly come full circle.  There was something very zen about ending my year with a tour of Golden Road.

Bizarre.
Poetic.
Tasty.

CHEERS!