Tag Archives: craft beer

Mother’s Day Weekend (Mom/Bierlady Balance) Part 2….Hangar 24

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Mothers Day… is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother’s Day pays tribute to all types of mothers, moms, mommies, mom in laws, expecting moms, just like a mom….. Did you know where Moms Day came from? Well at least here in America the day was established by a woman named Anna Jarvis. Jarvis, campaigned for the first official Mother’s Day and it was celebrated at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908, three years after her mother’s death. Jarvis held a memorial ceremony to honor her mother and all mothers and that became the first know Mother’s Day although it was not a recognized holiday. But in the following years, Anna Jarvis embarked upon a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday. She spent a significant amount of time writing to countless business executives, church groups, and politicians at the state and national level to promote the commemorative day. After her persistent efforts, Mother’s Day was finally proclaimed a national holiday in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson.

Today Mothers Day is usually synonymous with a breakfast or brunch.IMG_4769 A few gifts from your children IMG_4773and if you are lucky a Mothers Day mimosa at said brunch! This year in the true spirit of the Bierlady I found a place that had Beer- Mosas for that special Mom in your life.
Mr Beerman and I teamed up with another couple friend of ours (Barb and Paul – he’s a home brewer, she makes fantastic caramels http://www.etsy.com/shop/TreatsnSweetsbyBarb and they drove us out to a brewery near them called Hangar 24. http://www.hangar24brewery.com/. IMG_4875

These guys you would probably recognize they have a very distinctive label. hangar24_bottles02We have been tasting them at Beerfests for years, and we were proud that our friend Paul (who was with us) even won a silver medal at their home brewers fest for his “Big Bill’s Brown” – American Brown Ale. We were super excited to finally make it out to Redlands to try their beers at the brewery.

Boy they sure did NOT disappoint! Beers I never would have thought I would like I did. And who can beat a Beer-Mimosa on Mom’s day! They had two types Orange juice mixed with their Belgium Summer Ale or Mango Juice mixed with the same beer.IMG_4884 Having tried both I have to lean toward the orange juice but what a great idea. Don’t think I won’t be trying that with some beers at home!

We did two flights to try as many as we could. The Special Beers Flight (Beers that aren’t always there) and their Year Round Offerings Flight.
Much like with my last blog I will borrow some descriptions from their own website then add my 2cents! I also noted some of the awards these beers have received. I tell you this brewery is not fooling around. They are good.
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First the Special Beers or Seasonal

Belgian Summer Ale Alcohol Content: 5.8% IBU: 15 –
Our summer seasonal is based on the recipe for our very popular 3rd Anniversary Ale. Aromas of clove, pineapple and bubblegum spill from the glass. The flavor is a combination of spicy Belgian yeast with hints of pear & nutmeg.
Okay this is the one they were mixing in the mimosas. As you know Im not a Belgium fan but this was a very light refreshing beer. Not in your face Belgium and was a great mixer with the OJ.

California Spring Beer Alcohol Content: 5.2% IBU: 20
A time of renewal. Renew your taste buds with our “California style” Spring Beer, a unique fusion of a hoppy wheat beer brewed with a blended fermentation of Belgian and American yeast.
Another one of those “go figure” moments. I am not a Belgium or a wheat beer fan. This seems to be a mix of both and I tell you I loved it. I even drank more than the taster. Find this one!

Ballpark Beer Alcohol Content: 4.8% IBU: 21
A unique blend of a classic Pilsner with an American Wheat Beer. Spicy hop aroma and a clean subtle bitterness are balanced by the bready malt character of wheat.
Rumor has it this was made for Angel games. I love that. It’s a Session beer that gives you the choice at a Stadium to not drink the normal “ballpark” beer. You can get a great tasting craft beer even while eating a dog at the park. Nice! That is my entire purpose to find you a beer you have been drinking for years, but the craft beer version!

Palmero Alcohol Content: 7% IBU 20
A traditional Abbey Dubble with a healthy addition of dates from the Coachella Valley.
Little too on the Belgium side for me. But Mr Beerman gave it a big thumbs up.
Red Rye, Special Release Alcohol Content: ? IBU: ?
Every year we brew a beer to celebrate American Craft Beer Week. This year weve taken our popular Redlands Red Recipe and reimaged it with additions of rye in the malt bill.
Well I have been on a Red kick lately. Just recently I tried a similar beer SpeakEasy’s Scarlett Red Rye and both that one and this one really caught my attention. The slight rye hit makes for a great addition to a typical red. I got a pint of this one while I was there.

Nitro Chocolate Porter Limited Alcohol Content 8% IBU 47
Rich Chocolate, coffee roast, hint of vanilla. Brewed with raw Cocoa Nibs.
Well now if you want true Chocolate beer, I mean really tastes like a milk shake but careful of the 8% kick, this is your beer. It’s on nitro (which makes it a different type of carbonation, like a Guinness or Murphys, thicker) which just made it more like a milk shake to me! Yum.

Their regulars:

IMG_4877Orange Wheat Alcohol Content: 4.6% IBU: 17
Crisp, Tangy, and Refreshing. The citrus aroma, light airy mouthfeel, and tangy finish are this unfiltered beer’s trademarks. This is accomplished by adding whole locally grown oranges throughout the brewing process, which perfectly coalesce with the wheat and barley base. IMG_4891
Awards:
GOLD – 2012 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition
SILVER – 2012 California State Fair GOLD – 2011 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition
HM SILVER – 2011 California State Fair

Ok I admit Im not wheat beer person but the awards speak for themselves this is a great wheat beer and made with the oranges grown right there…you can’t get a fresher tasting beer.

IMG_4890Alt-Bier Ale Alcohol Content: 6.0% IBU: 22

Caramel, Toasty, and Clean. This red ale is our unique version of a northern German Alt-Bier. Enjoy silky caramel smoothness, followed by toasty, bready flavors and finished with a hint of chocolate roast. These flavors all come through in the aroma and combine in a truly unique, very clean, complex, Alt-Bier

Awards: GOLD – 2013 California State Fair Beer Competition
BRONZE – 2013 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition
SILVER – 2012 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition 3RD
SILVER – 2011 California State Fair Beer Competition
SILVER – 2011 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition
BRONZE – 2011 San Diego International Beer Festival
SILVER – 2010 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition
SILVER – 2010 San Diego International Beer Festival

Do I need to go on after that list of awards? I also got a pint of this one. What a fantastically drinkable session beer! GIANT THUMBS up. Go buy this today.

Amarillo Pale Ale Alcohol Content: 5.5% IBU: 35
Balanced and Resinous. Midwestern malted barley provides a pedestal for you to experience the flavor and aroma of the citrusy Northwestern hops which are the showcase of Hangar 24’s version of a true classic. An American Pale Ale.

This is a pale ale. So its not going to be as bitter as an IPA. See look at the IBU. It’s a kinder gentler ale. Very tasty!

Betty IPA Alcohol Content: 6.5% IBU: 68

is an American IPA boasting a blend of Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe and Centennial hops. We spent 8 months perfecting this hop blend, and we love the huge range of juicy aromas and flavors we were able to hit: tropical fruit, citrus zest, berries, stone fruit and pine are all packed in.

This is a full blown IPA. Not crazy hops or bitter, middle of the road. Slightly too hoppy for my taste but it’s a good blend of flavors for sure.

Chocolate Porter Alcohol Content: 8.0% IBU: 47

Rich and decadent. This strong porter is perfect for sipping at the end of the day or to accompany full-flavored foods. The intense, roasty flavor comes from two types of chocolate malt and raw cocoa nibs. Whole vanilla beans introduced post fermentation add complexity and enhance the dessert-like qualities of this full bodied beer

Awards:
SILVER – 2012 California State Fair
SILVER – 2012 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition
SILVER – 2011 California State Fair
SILVER – 2010 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer

Ok so this is the chocolate beer not on Nitro. So its going to be thinner, a true porter. Still super chocolate and coffee. Just look at the awards. They have figured out this beer.

Columbus IPA (India Pale Ale) Alcohol Content: 7.0% IBU: 77

Bitter and bold. This single hop american style IPA features 100 percent Columbus Hops for an intense citrus, floral and spicy aroma and flavor.

So I learned something. I love Columbus hops. Did not know that. Even though this is a true IPA again the hops they used were delicious to me. This is one I will buy!

Double IPA Alcohol Content: 9.0% IBU: 118

Assertive and drinkable. Double IPA is California’s gift to beer lovers. Ours is brewed with four distinctly American hops: Centennial, Citra, Columbus and Simcoe, all beautifully balanced by five malts and generous additions of local orange blossom honey.

Awards:
SILVER – 2012 California State Fair
SILVER – 2011 California State Fair
SILVER – 2011 Los Angeles International Commercial Beer Competition

Little hoppy for me. But again award winner. If you like a great IPA here you go!

IMG_4874The brewery is small with an excellent patio with one long table all the way down. We sat on benches made new friends. Really enjoyed a few hours there. They had a food truck in Big Easy Sandwich made food for us all day. Mr Beerman had pulled pork and I had a roast beef sandwich both were incredible! IMG_6917They even provided roses for all the moms who came out to celebrate with beer. That’s just good people.

We did not bring out two lil guys this time out but I did see kids there hanging out on the patio enjoying their “ginger beer” and “root beer” both non alcoholic.

I highly encourage you to visit Hangar 24 IMG_6916and if you can’t make it out there you can always find them at Beerfests and even easier they are at Bev Mo and I bet even your grocery store I know Trader Joes carries some, and Vons, and Ralphs, even Cost Plus World Market. Right now I believe only in CA. I will check on that. For my Beer Uncle in Florida, don’t worry Uncle Jan I got you covered, I’ll be sending some soon!

Thank you Hangar 24 for a really lovely Mothers Day!!

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Mother’s Day Weekend (Mom/Bierlady Balance) Part One…..LadyFace Ale House & Brasserie

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I pride myself on having a mom/bierlady balance. Meaning if I baked 10 dozen cookies for my sons school bake sale, its probably ok for me to grab a beer at our local pub later in the day for some Bierlady research. The mom part always comes first. But I do like a delicious beer. So what better way to spend Mothers Day Weekend than visiting two establishments I had never been before, that brew beer? Geographically I don’t think Mr. Beerman and I could have picked two places farther apart but the rest of the activities of the weekend lent themselves to these places so it all worked out.

IMG_4767 First a quick shout out to the start of my Mom’s Day weekend, at Story Tavern http://www.storytavernburbank.com/ they had Eagle Rock’s http://eaglerockbrewery.com/page/beers Revolution on Cask with peaches. What a great tasting beer. Now Im a big fan of Revolution to begin with but man I really loving Cask beers.

For those that have forgotten Cask beer means it’s a beer that is matured in a cask, and no additional carbonation or nitro has been added. Think Pilgrims bringing barrels of beer to the new country. Less bubbles, little warmer, and unfiltered. I like the less carbonation part. Anyway it was a great way to start the weekend.

IMG_5211On Saturday we spent the morning with our kids at Fire Service Day in Burbank. The streets of Downtown Burbank are filled with Firetrucks, Swat Trucks, Police Helicopters, and motorcycles all for the kids to touch, pretend they are driving, and just get a up close and personal look at. Hopefully this will be the ONLY time my boys will see the inside of a police car.

After which, our sweet nephew Nick turned five and his folks had a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. I know what you are thinking, but nope I did not dread it. I like that place. Well you know as much as one can but really for a kid its like Vegas, and it makes my boys so happy. When we were done with the party and turned in the 1 million tickets they won in exchange for a pencil topper we realized we were near Agora, CA. Only a few exits away was… wait a minute…we had been sampling LadyFace Ales http://www.ladyfaceale.com/ontap.html at Beerfests for years now but had never been there.
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We’ve been following them since our first Beerfest where we found their CASKIN ROBBINS beer, it was a mint chocolate beer in a cask. We still dream about it. Apparently it was a one off cause years later we have never seen or heard of it again. Sigh. Maybe one day they will recreate the magic.
We headed over to LadyFace to find a great restaurant and beautiful patio. IMG_6908Luckily LA was only in the high 70s this weekend so it was a perfect afternoon for outside drinking. We decided to order the biggest flight we could. IMG_6904Split between two of us it really equaled about 16 oz each so we were still totally fine to be in charge of the boys. Speaking of my boys I must do a “kid” call out here and note that they had crayons and placemats for the kids to color. I can’t say it enough, I have the utmost respect and love for any place that brews their own beer and has crayons (Mom/Bierlady Balance).
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Okay now on to the beer. I was So happy to see a wide range of types of beer. Not all IPAS, Not all Belgium (as one may expect from a French Brassiere) they had several types. These were the ones we had and the ones we particularly took note of. I will say firstly though all of them were great. Not one bad one in the bunch. Just a matter of personal preference on the ones I will call out.

Im going to list the ones that we tried and borrow some descriptions from their own website along with my notes:
La BLONDE – ABV 5.4%
An easy-to-drink ale with smooth, light malt sweetness initially, but finishes dry and holds a good Belgian character.
As I have mentioned before Im not a huge Belgium fan, Mr. Beerman is a far better judge as he drinks them WAY more often than I do. But I am always up to try…I actually really liked this beer. It did have the Belgium taste to it at the end but far more Blonde than Belgium to me.

La GRISETTE
Style: Grisette Farmhouse Ale ABV 5.8%
La Grisette, meaning “little grey” in French, is a nearly extinct style of a Belgian farmhouse wheat ale. It is pale-coloured, low alcohol, refreshing and light, and brewed with acidulated barley that adds a crisp tartness to the finish.

This was Mr. Beermans favorite of the flight. He even asked about taking it home. You have to like Witbiers, or Saisons to truly dig this beer, if you do, it’s a big winner!

PALO COMADO – 2014
Style: Session India Pale Ale ABV 3.8%, IBU 45
Ladyface’s newest flagship ale is pale gold in color with a well-formed, bright white foam head. Moderately hopped with aromas of pine and lychee, malt tones are light yet bright. Finishing with bright, zesty hop flavors, Palo Comado is a light and refreshing pale ale that does not skimp on flavor or character. A perfect session ale to drink after a local hike in beautiful namesake
Palo Comado Canyon.
This was one of my favorites. I often scoff at the term Session IPA, as I am the queen of session beers and IPAs generally pack a bit of a punch but this really was. Had the nice hoppiness of a good IPA but at 3.8% you really could do some serious outdoor drinking with this beer. Tasty!

“HOP PROJECT”
Style: American IPA 6.7% abv, 80 IBU, 7 SRM
Nicknamed Lupulus Rabbit, this project is all about hops. Drop down the experimental rabbit hole with us, and explore the diversity of flavors and aromas that hops bring to a beer. Light gold in color with nice clarity, the trip begins with aromas of strong, pungent hop characters that include white pepper, light citrus and sweet garlic
Was the one are really really nice waitress suggested trying if you aren’t totally into IPA, more of a XPA, but well with 80 IBU*

*Important to learn: I know I don’t tend to spew out beer “terms” cause I lose some of my readers just looking for a good beer to get. But this is important if you really want to find a beer you like IBU is “International Bitterness Units” so basically how bitter the hops are. So if you have a IPA with say 140 IBU Like Green Flash’s Palate Wrecker, um jeezo that’s going to be bitter. But say a typical Budweiser would have maybe 20 units. Make sense? More IBU Mo’ bitter.

Okay back to the beers. So 80 IBU was middle of the road for a IPA but not my fav hops in this one. Just personal taste.
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CHESEBRO™ IPA – ABV 9.5% IBU 100
Named for a local canyon, deep amber in color, this Imperial IPA has a powerfully floral aroma of grapefruit, pine and tropical fruits. Full bodied with subtle malt tones. Brewed with 6 different hop additions and moderately bitter, the emphasis is on hop flavor and aroma and a long, hoppy finish. Bronze Medal-winner.
Now this was a surprise for both Mr Beerman and I. Even with 100 IBU it was really well balanced. Not crazy hoppy to me at all. Just a good IPA. Now heres the thing 9.5%? Are you kidding me? And I didn’t taste that? Usually any beer about 7.5% screams to me “ALCOHOL” and I’ve said this before too, for me I like a session drinking beer, I don’t drink beer to get drunk, it tastes great to me so I want to drink them for a while. But this was a really really really good beer. I think at 9.5% this would get me in a lot of trouble

BRAVADO Style: American Brown Ale 5.5% ABV – 47 IBU
Bravado is a refreshing West-coast interpretation of the classic American Brown ale, featuring Melanoidin malt and utilizing Apollo, Bravo, and El Dorado hop varieties. Not to get too into different kinds of hops but I really like El Dorado! Yum.

AGOURA ALE Style: Oaked American Amber 6.7% abv, 60 IBU, 13 SRM
Agoura Hills is home to hundreds of heritage oak trees so it’s only fitting that we name our new oaked ale after our city. Agoura Ale is deep amber in color with a dense, white head of foam. Noticeable oak aromas and flavors impart a roasted, vanilla character and build the structure and body of the ale.

This was really good. Nice amber slightly higher ABV then I usually drink but I would order it again.


Blindfolded
Cask version of their BLIND AMBITION™ – ABV 8.0%
A medium-bodied Belgian-style ale with a beautiful deep copper hue. Brewed in a classic abbey dubbel style, it carries good malt structure, faint undertones of chocolate with moderately strong alcohol and low bitterness levels.

Okay this was my biggest shock of the day. A Belgian Dubbel, abbey style and I loved it. WHAT? Who would have thunk. It was fantastic. Im sure it’s a small batch so go out there and get some!IMG_4821We did ask and unfortunately they are not bottled yet. Meaning you cant go to your grocery store or Bev Mo to get some. But I have seen them in bars before. So watch your craft beer menu. Look for them!
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All in all it was a lovely afternoon spent on a fantastic patio. And although we only enjoyed their fries, and pretzel with fondue (which Mr Beerman could have ate 10) the food looked amazing. We will for sure go out there again. If you are in the neighborhood I highly recommend stopping by LadyFace Ale House. Really great!

Stay tuned….Next Up Hangar 24 for Mothers Day Beer-Mimosas!

I can buy you a drink from anywhere? With an app?

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So as you know I freelance from home. And on occasion I may do some Bierlady research during a work day say in the late afternoon. What if you, my friends who are at your desks right now reading this (don’t worry your boss doesn’t know, or if they do its cool they are reading my blog too) could buy me a drink! Okay maybe that’s only fun for me.

BUT I will buy you one too… I have missed countless birthday parties, grad from business school dinners, and just some good nights out because I’m a mom now. I do my fair share of Bierlady/Mom balance but I simply can’t be as social as I was before kids. But I always feel bad when I miss a party, especially a birthday. I often think I wish I could buy them a drink. Well guess what, my friend Brian has developed a way to do that…it launches THIS week. HERES2U allows you to check in on Facebook or Twitter and I can buy YOU a beer or I guess a salad, or some fries because actually I’m going to send you a virtual gift card and you can buy anything you want! I hope it’s a beer.
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HERES2U allows you to buy drinks or food from anywhere in the world! WHAT? Awesome! There have been similar apps to this that I have tried. But not quite like this. This directly links to your check ins and provides the free stuff RIGHT to YOUR phone. How awesome is that??

So okay how does it work?

Can you imagine, you are turning 40 right? Okay lets say 30, but I know its 40, and you are out with your core group of friends. You check in to an establishment and BAM you get a text or a message that says “Happy Birthday! Love Uncle Jan” WHAT THE WHAT?? he lives in Florida. He just sent you a coupon code to buy something? This is fantastic! So all “gifts” are sent directly to your phone. It’s either through text message, Facebook Instant message, or through the HERES2U app. Then you simply show the coupon code to the server or bartender to redeem.
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You can say thank you back to whomever sent it right away.

You can redeem the coupon whenever you like, for example if you received 4 gifts for $10, you can redeem 2 of them for $20 and save the other two for a future date. Once you show the server or bartender, they will verify the amount and its yours to spend.

Eventually the app will provide specific items for each restaurant, so you can send a craft beer, or send a specific shot or a basket of chips, but for now it’s open to specific amounts to use however the recipient likes. Think of it as a real time gift card!
Also, if someone has the app, all gifts sent, received and used are tracked in the “my tab” section. So you can keep track. You know if say for instance you have had a few.

The HERES2U app can be found in the apple store. Just download it. Partnering restaurants show up within the checkin feature on the app or if you want to organically gift someone, the restaurants pop up there as well. When you checkin through the app, you share your checkin to facebook/twitter and it will place a buy button next to your checkin. This allows anyone on facebook/twitter that is following you to purchase you an item without have to download the app

For you to take advantage of this fun your restaurant and/or bar needs to be involved in this. Working right now to get the word out to my VERY favorites: GOLDEN ROAD PUB http://www.goldenroad.la/pub/, STORY TAVERN http://www.storytavernburbank.com/ , TONYS DARTS AWAY http://tonysda.com/, Link N Hops http://www.linknhops.com/ 55 Degrees http://www.55degreewine.com/ hint hint!

The restaurant is required to store HERES2U tablet devices and they must verify and redeem coupons on the HERES2U tablet device. The cost of the service to the restaurant is totally FREE! HERES2U holds all credit card transaction liability and guarantees payment to restaurant and 24/7 live customer service.

The best part I think for bars who do this is that if say I have a birthday and 20 of my virtual friends send me $10 I don’t have to use it that night but I will use it at their establishment. So the folks who are there with me are spending money then I can cash in on virtual friends that night or maybe lunch the next day. Either way the bar makes more money than if just my physical friends are there. Love that! And Mr Beermans birthday is in April! YAY!

Yep this is all free to the restaurant or bar who will partake in this awesome idea. How great they can get more sales from folks who are only virtually at your party! Obviously there is a slight charge for the “giver” so like if you sent a friend $10 then it would cost you $1.36 in addition. But who cares! Small price to pay if you cant be there.

What a fantastic idea! Im so excited. I can’t wait. They launch THIS FEBRUARY 8th!

Right now you can find them at 38 Degrees http://38degreesalhambra.com/ and 28 West http://www.yelp.com/biz/28-west-bar-and-grill-alhambra in Alhambra, Toro Sushi http://www.torosushi.com/ in Pasadena, EAT in North Hollywood, Suede in the Bonaventure Hotelhttp://suedebarla.com/, Gorbals http://thegorbalsla.com/, Onyx http://onyxloungela.com/, Yxta http://yxta.net/, El Compadre http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-compadre-los-angeles-3 and Aqua Lounge http://aqualoungela.com/locations/ in DTLA.

So watch for them at your local bar or restaurant. They are getting the word out now and establishing a list of places they have already moved in. Maybe suggest it to your favorite place. Heck I can’t wait to send you a drink!

If you are a bar or restaurant and you are interested in hearing more please contact HERES2U’s founder, Brian De La Rosa at bdlr@heres2uapp.com
Check out the website at http://heres2uapp.com/

Like them on Facebook to keep up to date with what restaurants and bars have been added near you. https://www.facebook.com/Heres2u

Check out their video too!! Sorry the Bierlady needs to upgrade to Video Press..Beerfest season approaches! But I know you know how to click: http://youtu.be/u41rqIgKZyU

Cheers!

Growlers: Beer Take Out!

What is a growler? Ask my kids and they will bring up their stomach before dinner, but nope, a growler is simply a glass jug that carries a half-gallon of beer. goldPretty much any brewery and some pubs distribute these. Its kinda like Beer Take Out! I love the growler. There comes a time of the year when Mr. Beerman and I have our Keg-fridge on hold. I know WHAT? You say? Why? Why not have draft at home 24/7, 365. Well here’s the thing from April thru September we go through 1 to maybe even 3 kegs due to BBQs, Holidays, Birthdays, and well just the heat of summer. But come fall, I guess we get all respectable and don’t drink as much. No that can’t be it…maybe we are just visiting more pubs then drinking in our backyard. SO for these months, the keg is dry and we turn to the Growler.

Where did the name growler come from? Well according to the interweb there are several theories. I kinda like this one. In the early ish 1900s, beer was carried from the local pub back to folks homes in a pail. They say when the beer moved around all over the pail, it created a growling like sound because the CO2 was escaping. And so it was called “growler”. Not sure if that one is true but I like the image of drunks dudes heading home after a night of drinking trying to keep beer from sloshing out of their pails.

Growlers are fantastic. You can take home draft and enjoy it just like you were at the bar or brewery. And really once you purchase a growler, refills are HIGHLY economical. For example, at a recent visit to Eagle Rock Brewery http://eaglerockbrewery.com/ we saw that their Growlers are $20 for a new 67 oz and just $12 to refill it. eagle rockWant me to do that math? Well a pint of beer is 16oz. I had to look that up by the way, cause I was educated in the late 70s when the US wanted to go metric then decided mid stream it was a bad idea so they stopped, hence anyone of us in elementary school in the late 70s didn’t learn metric or the US system of measurements. ruler So anytime I cook I have google close at hand. Grr… I digress. Anyway that’s a little over 4 pints for $12 on a refill. So that’s $3 a pint of beer. See where I am going here? And its just not the economics. Everyone knows beer on tap is just way better than bottles and cans. And to be able to enjoy draft beer on your couch? Come on!

Growlers are filled straight from the tap of a pub or brewery and sealed with plastic wrap and a cap, and are usually have the name of the brewery on the bottle.surf Some bottles are really ornate. Its like cool wine bottles but more jug like.

We found out some exciting news from our new friends at Eagle Rock…Up until VERY recently, like seriously this week, used to be in LA county you could NOT bring a growler from one establishment to another to be filled. Just recently and slowly this law is being lifted and as long as your pub/brewery follows protocol (proper sealing and labeling of said beer) you can now take any growler to any bar. But like I said this is very new so maybe give it a few weeks before you try it. And really its fun to collect growlers. If I come to your house and you have a few Im going to think you’re pretty cool.

You know what else is great about Growlers? Beer cooking. If you don’t cook with beer already, you should. Beer is a delicious braising liquid. In fact that makes me want to blog about beer and cooking, note to self, next blog include beer recipes…. okay next one, but for now realize you can go get any of those yummy beers you like to drink and have enough to cook with too!

Oh side note on my trip to Eagle Rock Brewery. The tasting room is really cool. Small place, don’t bring a bus of friends. But super duper friendly guys working there. The guys there were super helpful and I found a new beer I love. Revolution.eagle It’s a Extra Pale Ale, which is sometimes hit or miss with me. But it had some great maltiness not overly hoppy and was 5.2% just the percentage I like on a hot summer day. And to be fair to the Belgium beer drinkers of which I am not, I have to give a shout out to another beer Unionist that Mr. Beermann Loved! It’s a Belgium Pale Ale, leaning toward an English Pale ale. Still too Belgium for me, but he said its one of his new favorites!

So for those who don’t have a keg fridge in your kitchen, you don’t have to worry, you CAN have draft beer anytime, you’re just a growler away from a frosty pint !