It's Good To Have Goals

 One of my goals for 2025 is to participate in the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Tempe, Arizona, this coming January. Notice I didn't say "run." I don't run much anymore. I'll mostly be walking but it's still 13.1 miles no matter how you do it and there'll still be beer at the finish line. 

Actually, I'm assuming there will be beer at the finish line. There usually is at these types of events although it doesn't make much sense, does it? Thousands of athletes drinking beer at 10 in the morning... 

Nevertheless, while I'm in Tempe I plan to sample a little of the beer scene as well. Between the start/finish line and the Phoenix Convention Center, where pre-race events take place in the days prior, there are four breweries that can be accessed by Valley Metro Rail . Even better, an all day pass to ride is only $4.

Phoenix's light rail route covers 30 miles from northwest Phoenix through Tempe to east Mesa. I'm sure there are plenty more breweries along the way but if you're in town for the Rock 'n' Roll event, I have some suggestions.

If you're staying in Tempe near Arizona State University, you can catch a train at 3rd & Mill. It will take you about 40 minutes to get to the Convention Center if you go straight there. (Get off at 3rd & Washington.) If you want to sample some beer along the way, you might get off at 44th Street & Washington first and walk to Walter Station Brewery. Continuing on from there, you might save your next brew for after packet pickup at the Convention Center.

From the Convention Center, you can walk to Huss Brewing Company which is just north of the convention center on Monroe between 2nd and 3rd. To get back to Tempe, you'll have to walk to 1st & Jefferson or 3rd & Jefferson. Or, you could walk to 1st & Van Buren but then you might be tempted to stop at State 48 Brewery at 4th & Van Buren. Remember, hydration means water not beer and you have a race to participate in. Focus!

Hopping back on the train headed back to Tempe, regardless of your decision, get off at 24th and Jefferson to get to PHX Beer Company. This brewery is between two stops so whether you decide to go on the way to the convention center (stop at 38th & Washington) or on the way back (24th & Jefferson), you'll have a longer walk - almost a mile each way. If you're saving your legs (or had enough beer at this point), stay on the train all the way back to Tempe. There, you can head to Pedal Haus Brewery, getting off back at 3rd & Mill. Pedal Haus also offers food which, by this point, you will probably need. There's mac n cheese on the menu if you're carbo-loading. Alternatively, you can go after the Rock 'n' Roll when they will be serving brunch not to mention beer. 

I haven't been to Walter Station or PHX but I can enthusiastically recommend Huss, State 48, and Pedal Haus. Whatever your goals, I hope this provides a useful guide. And if you're participating at the Rock 'n' Roll, have a great race (however you get to the finish line).

#Goals, #BeerCareful, #DrinkLocal, #AZCraftBeer

Weekend Fun in Downtown Indio

 Two events are occurring at roughly the same time at roughly the same place in Indio on November 9, 2024. Looking for something to do this weekend? Take a look:

• For $40, you can get unlimited samples of beers at Indio Taphouse's Beer Goddess Brew Fest. The event is in remembrance of Beer Goddess Erin Peters-Valance who lost her life to ovarian cancer in 2022 and will present an unspecified donation to Shay's Warriors Life After Cancer. There will be beer from twelve breweries, music, cornhole, and a limited food menu. (Other beers and cocktails are available for sale from Indio Taphouse.) The event will be from 2pm-6pm in the beer garden.

• From 3pm-9pm, the Indio BBQ Festival, previously held at The Lights Indio Golf Course, will take place this year at the intersection of Miles Avenue and Smurr Street. Admission is free. There will be live entertainment, line dancing, carnival games, face painting, and a beer garden.  

Typically, November 9 would also feature a Second Saturday event with live music on Indio's Center Stage but it appears the BBQ Festival will take its place this month. Keep in mind, these are separate events. $40 at the Beer Fest does not include BBQ and the BBQ event does not give you access to the Indio Taphouse beer garden. You will, however, be able to hear the live music from the BBQ Festival while at the Beer Fest as the beer garden is adjacent to Downtown Indio's Center Stage.

While the beer fest is an inaugural event for Indio Taphouse, the BBQ Festival is in its 9th year. I can tell you that the food will be amazing and knowing the curator for the beer fest, Mychal Renteria from Stone Distributing (formerly of La Quinta Brewing), I expect the beer event will also be outstanding.

The weather is finally getting pleasant enough to spend time outdoors so grab a friend, get a designated driver, and head to downtown Indio this weekend. If you can't choose just one event, do both. 

I'll see you there. 🍻

#beercareful

As a final note: Jersey Boys will be playing at nearby Desert Theatreworks that night as well starting at 7:30. Tickets are still available. Grab a beer, get some BBQ, and take in a show! Whatever you do, have fun!

Hops 101

" Hops have become to beer drinkers what grapes are to wine aficionados: a connection to the terroir, a shorthand for personal taste and a password to the inner circle of beer nerdom. "

I don't know if it's behind a paywall but this Bloomberg article, The Bitter History of Beer’s Most Essential, Divisive Ingredient, is a good primer on hops. There are hundreds of varieties and each one has its own flavor, aroma, and bitterness profiles. To know hops is to know beer, much like knowing grapes and region informs the wine drinker of what to expect in the glass. (To be honest, you can also go down a malt wormhole but one thing at a time.)

This article focuses on six of the most prominent hops being used in craft IPAs. They are:

• Amarillo
• Cascade
• Citra
• Centennial
• Mosaic
• Simcoe

The Bloomberg article lists six beers to try as a tasting guide to train your beer palate. I found that some are difficult to find where I live so I won't list them here. You may need to do your own research. Plus, it's hard to find a beer that only uses a single hop. Most use some blend of hops to create distinct flavors. Nevertheless, it does beg for a tasting party which I would gladly host if I could round up some good examples.

There are many websites that discuss hop varieties. Beer Maverick has a good one where you can look each one up for additional information including background and a flavor wheel of sorts that diagrams the various flavors you might expect. 

Clearly, I've gone down a hops wormhole but you don't have to. Just start paying attention to what hops are being used in your beer, talk to your beer tender (or the brewer whenever possible), and try to identify the different flavors and aromas being presented. Also, pay attention to how the beer changes as it warms up. Sometimes you'll notice new things. Beware, sometimes it's harder to pay attention at the end of a glass than at the beginning so if you really want to geek out, take notes. And if you didn't notice how the beer tasted at the end of the glass - well, then, I guess you'll just have to get another one and try again.

#beercareful 

New Brewery Alert!

 29 Palms Beer Company recently opened in 29 Palms, California. I haven't been there yet so all I can tell you is what I've found online. In my experience, "new" means they'll be ripe to visit in about year - after all the kinks have been worked out. They have some very good roots, which I'll get to in a sec, meaning the kinks might work out pretty quick.

Their focus is a little all over the place but, again, I haven't been there. From what I can see, they intend to be a family-friendly, gathering spot appealing to locals. They feature breakfast and coffee drinks as well as burgers, dogs, beer, and sports on TV. They currently have six of their own beers on tap. (Menus are available on their Facebook page.)

That being said, I have two reasons to go visit. First and foremost, I want to support our local brewers. And, second, is their aforementioned roots. They are connected to the GRND SQRL restaurant. (There's something in the desert here that causes restaurants to lose their vowels. Maybe not enough water?)

GRND SQRL has a great backstory and brings together some highly talented people from the beer and culinary worlds. Their food menu appears simple but their goal is to be all from scratch, in-house made, and supplemented by weekly or bi-weekly specials. Their chef is classically trained in Copenhagen and has experience in upscale restaurants in both New York and Los Angeles. He also happens to be a home brewer which is, I suspect, the genesis for 29 Palms Beer Company. 

The owners, husband and wife, both have backgrounds in the San Diego beer scene. In looking at the restaurant's beer menu, I can see they source a lot of their beers from San Diego and for good reason. A lot of good beer comes out of San Diego. Their website goes so far as to say they have the "best beer list for 100 miles." 

(Indio Taphouse in Indio, CA, might take exception to GRND SQRL's claim. Indio Taphouse's beer menu is not only more extensive, it's more eclectic. Which one is "best" is a matter of opinion.)

I see a short road trip in my very near future to 29 Palms and maybe you will, too. I'm love road trips, good food, and good beer. Now we all have two new reasons to head to 29 Palms: 29 Palms Beer Company and GRND SQRL.

If they're good, I'll let you know right here.

CHRS! 🍻

Everybody's at Northwood

Everybody’s Brewing Announces Second Location 

Everybody’s Brewing is excited to announce that they are expanding with a second location in Southwest Washington. They will be assuming ownership of the Northwood Public House and Brewery in Battle Ground.

Their first location is in White Salmon, Washington, located about 70 miles east of Vancouver, WA. Worth the drive, if you've got the time. (If you do, make a stop at Walking Man Brewing in Stevenson on the way back.) 

Their second location in Battle Ground will be about 15 miles north of Vancouver. Northwood Public House & Brewery was a great neighborhood brewery and gathering space and they hosted the best Oktoberfest every year. Oom pah pahs and all. They will be surely missed.

Congratulations to Everybody's. Condolences and best wishes to Northwood Public House. Your contribution to the community will be remembered.

The transition is scheduled to take place November 1, 2024. Check it out and welcome Everybody's to Battle Ground. 

Aloha

We are visiting Hawaii for the first time in many years and one year since wildfires wiped out the historic city of Lahaina.

We had been visitors to Hawaii for 25 years. I'm not sure why we stopped coming but we decided in 2022 to return only to get COVID days before. Two years later, we finally made it.

One of the places we loved visiting was Koholā Brewery - a small, local brewery located in Maui Brewing's original location. It had the kind of vibe that comes with warehouse locations, a local hangout with no pretenses. And, the beers were reliably good. We got in the habit of buying small kegs for our longer visits, pulling the shelves out of the refrigerator to make it fit. (Food? What food? Put it all in the vegetable drawers!)

And then, it all burned to the ground. All of it lost in August of 2023. I can't even begin to describe all that was lost by the town and the people of Lahaina in those fires: lives, property, cultural history. It was tragic.

It was a devastating loss to so many. The fact that Koholā Brewery was able to find a way back in a relatively short period of time is a small miracle.

They partnered with Kona Brewing and within a year, they were back to business brewing their flagship beers. Moreover, they had found a new location for a taphouse and eatery in Wailea which only recently opened.

When the fires happened, all of the places we had visited over the years came to mind. One of them was Koholā. It was a joy to rediscover them in Wailea and even more of a surprise when it was across the street from the condo that we rented!

We stopped in for two of their flagship beers: Lokahi Pilsner and Talk Story pale ale, which also happen to be two of our favorites.

Welcome back from the ashes, Koholā. Too much was lost to hope for full recovery for the town of Lahaina. We can only be grateful for each of its successes. 

Beer Review: Belching Beaver Barrel-Aged Peanut Butter Stout

 This had been living in our refrigerator since November of 2022. It was brewed to commemorate Belching Beaver's 10th anniversary but is no longer available. In fact, it sold out immediately.

We had been introduced to this beer's non-barrel aged namesake at a neighbor's house. As I wrote earlier, I didn't expect to like it. Adding peanut butter to beer is like adding creamer to coffee. It's not right. Not pure. And while I like a little chocolate now and again, I'm not really into sweets.

I was surprised that the flavors were more subtle than I expected. It wasn't overly sweet and it got better as it warmed. So, when we found ourselves by Belching Beaver's Oceanside location almost a year later, we stopped in. My journal entry for that day reads as follows:

Instead, we continued on our journey which included a stop at Belching Beaver in Oceanside. I had the peanut butter stout - because that’s what they’re famous for - and Hubby had a pilsner which turned out to be his favorite one on the rest of this three-day excursion. We also bought two bottles of their 10-year anniversary barrel aged peanut butter stout to take home. While we only got two, the shelf was cleared out of the anniversary stout before we left.

We kept one of the bottles and gave the other one to the friend who introduced me to Belching Beaver's Peanut Butter Stout in the first place.

It lingered in the fridge for nearly two years before we finally opened it. Because of its high alcohol content (12.8%), we felt we needed a special occasion to open it. Certainly, it wasn't a day drinking type of beer. It didn't seem like a summer beer (which rules out most of the year for us). This was something to take one's time with and to savor. Something to be enjoyed at home with no plans to go out afterwards. Maybe by a fire.

And then, I was inspired. 

I had just taken my granddaughter out for ice cream and I had a scoop of Chocolate Peanut Butter. It was decadently delicious. I still had those flavors in my mouth when I got home and started preparing dinner. That's when it hit me. It was time to open the Barrel-Aged Stout.

This beer was a sweeter version of its non-barrel aged cousin. With my first sips, I was thinking this would be a great dessert beer. Maybe even served over ice cream like a syrup. What didn't hit me in the face was the alcohol like some barrel-aged beers do. The aging seemed to intensify the sweetness rather than alcohol flavors. Think, for example, of the flavors that are imparted to a Chardonnay from oak.

Again, I felt the flavors mellowed and smoothed out as the beer warmed. I even felt like some of the sweetness had dissipated until we opened a Grimlock Rye Porter from Loowit Brewing Company and it was like licking an ashtray. The contrast was that stark and the Barrel-Aged Stout was that sweet. Still, I didn't think the sweetness was overly cloying.

But I was right in one respect. It was a special beer that deserved special attention. And now it's all gone. 

Belching Beaver has their 12th anniversary coming up in October. I don't know if they'll do another Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout but it's worth keeping an eye out for. They distribute in 14 states so if you live west of the Mississippi you have a good chance of getting your hands on one of their beers. Even if it's not a Peanut Butter Stout, my bet is it'll be good.

(If you're interested in more information, there's a good review of the Barrel-Aged Imperial Peanut Butter Stout on Beer Advocate.)