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Newport Beach Brew Co. 20th Anniversary Recap

Posted on March 13, 2015
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, Brewery, craft beer, Newport Beach Brew Co., Photography, Travel
Comments: 0

20 years. That’s pretty impressive. Not many can say they’ve lasted that long, especially in the high-cost and competitive Orange County beach cities. Newport Beach Brew Co. has been a constant in the craft beer scene, especially since their Brewmaster, Derek Bougie has been leading the beer program.

The 20th Anniversary party’s popularity is a true testament to the creativity that Derek exudes; it shows that he pours his passion into his beer. I particularly love all the sours that Derek makes and I always leap at the opportunity to taste his original beers so when that opportunity arose it was a no-brainer.

Even though it was raining and grey outside, everyone at the event had a great time. There was a raffle, music, several different pouring stations featuring different local breweries, great food, etc. I particularly loved the souvenir taster glass. The glass was in the shape of a beer can that Bottle Logic famously uses, and is also known as the Libbey can shaped beer glass. It felt real classy.

Overall it was a very enjoyable afternoon. The event was pretty crowded in spots but it wasn’t overwhelming because there was plenty of places to sit and get away and enjoy your taster of beer in peace. Having some breathing room goes a long way when planning an event and I am glad it was taken into consideration. Cheers to another 20 years with Newport Beach Brew Co!

Noble Ale Works 4th Anniversary Party

Posted on March 5, 2015
anaheim, Anniversary, beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, Brewery, craft beer, Newport Beach Brew Co., Noble Ale Works, OC Beer Blog, Photography, Travel
Comments: 1

What a crazy weekend it was. Saturday was the ever-popular 4th Anniversary Party for Noble Ale Works and Sunday was the Newport Beach Brew Co. 20th Anniversary Party. If you are curious, yes I attended both because I am a glutton for punishment. Delicious beer punishment.

Me and Sean took an Uber (my first time organizing an Uber ride and it was great!) to Noble because it’s like 10 minutes away and not worth trying to drive after the event. It only cost me $5. I am possibly way late to the Uber train.

Upon arrival at promptly 1pm (the time it started for non-VIP ticket holders such as myself) there was almost no wait time as we had our ID checked, wrist-band slapped on, and ticket taken before I was whisked away inside with a taster glass and guide handout clutched to one hand. First order of business, get a beer in this empty glass. I spotted no line for the flagship booth and got a fill of naughty sauce. Delicious. Second order of business was to find out friends and we just so happened to bump into them right away. They informed us that the best line to be waiting in was the “sauce” line for all the lovely variations of Naughty Sauce (like with nuts and cookies added etc.). I was skeptical, “I am hoping they have The Messenger (brewed with Three Weavers) with Yuzu again because that was the shit,” I blurted out in a blind rage of excitement. “Well they have Messenger with citrus…not sure if it’s Yuzu,” offered Johnny of One Punk Army. I did sample the different Messenger beers they had with citrus and it was mighty tasty. Fruity and refreshing.

One of the best moments of the event was when I realized the some guest singers were beer industry peeps. I first noticed when Franny Fullpint told me Julian from Beachwood was just about to take the stage so I thanked her for the heads up and booked it to take some photos of the magical moments that optimized Julian and his acoustic guitar. I am surprised my friend Nick didn’t incite a mosh pit turned riot when Julian was paying Bon Jovi because Nick has a deep-seeded hatred for that band. Seriously he started a fight during street fair once when that song came on. I was so excited when Brian White from Monkish started paying Fugazi’s ‘Waiting Room’ that I stopped mid-sentence in conversation with Will Dee and Greg Daniels from the Haven Collective. “Oh shit, I love this song! It’s Fugazi!” I exclaimed as my eyes grew wide and I wildly grabbed Greg’s arm in delight. Pretty sure those dudes think I am insane now…if they didn’t before.

Other notable beers were the Goosebusters and the Grapefruit Shandy. The Goosebuster gose was delicious and a welcome palate cleanser that I was thankful for a few times during the event. The Grapefruit Shandy was tangy and bright and fruity. This also helped wake-up my palate and make me want more. Tyler King’s Sipper Saurus was pretty legit too.

Overall it was a very enjoyable event. There was only one negative, and that was the lack of bathrooms available and the sequential lines that formed. Beside that one blip it was a well-managed event, and was a huge step forward for Noble. Evan Price, brewmaster of Noble, regaled us with his singing again this year and I enjoy it every time. He really does have stage presence. Congrats to the Noble crew, well done.

BTW…I learned how to make GIF’s in Photoshop guys. Pretty damn excited about it.

6th Annual Brewbies Event Recap

Posted on February 27, 2015
bagby beer company, beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, Brewery, craft beer, oceanside, Photography, Travel, wanderlust
Comments: 0

I recently attended the 6th Annual Brewbies Beer Fest at Bagby Beer Company in Oceanside with a large group of friends. We took the metrolink down and walked to the event so everyone was safe and overall it was a really fun event.

It was my first time attending the Brewbies beer event. I had been to Bagby once before and was stoked to be going back because it’s a beautiful space and there is lots of seating and shade. Here are my likes and gripes of the event overall:

Likes

– I love going to charity events and I am happy to contribute to Keep A Breast. Why don’t more events donate to that charity? Get it together people!

– Bagby kicks ass. We had a pre-event beer and their wait staff was attentive and knowledgeable. The outside patio bar is great for drinks and people watching.

– Great beer selection. There was so many impressive beers to choose from and I was never board with any of the tasters I had. I had sooo many tasters of the Tustin Brewing Milk Stout…. I sucked back all the Sculpin I could handle, and I really liked the Pizza Port “Hakunama Ta Tas” beer. It was mighty tasty.

Shirt, Beard and Hand model Charlie Perez

– Liked that there was multiple cold coffee taster options from a local roaster. I needed that wake-up call as I had forgotten to get coffee that morning.

– Enjoyed taking the train down to Oceanside and walking to the event. It was only a 1/2 mile from the station and getting a pizza at Breakwater before heading back was so satisfying.

Grips

– It took really long to get into the event. We waited like 45 minutes or something and the line wrapped around the building and into the street. We discovered that the possible source of the delay was that the entrance was checking names instead of scanning the printed tickets….WTF?

The Lines! The Lines!

– The event had to be oversold. The space would probably hold 500 comfortably but I think they had 900ish in attendance. I haven’t been at a more crowded event since my days going to shows at Chain Reaction. It was a constant through the crowd fight to get beer and I spent most of the time combating an impending anxiety attack. There was nowhere to stand and you were constantly “in the way” so you ended-up doing the waltz around strangers.

I had a lot of pictures of the back of people’s heads.

– Bagby has large, beautiful bathrooms with several stalls. Not sure why porta-potties were needed at this event? I guess this is not really a gripe more a question of curiosity. I would’ve stood in line to pee in a cool, un-cramped bathroom with fun wallpaper.

Despite the grips I still had fun at the end of the day. I hope that they do make some adjustments to the time it took to get in and the over-crowded nature of the event because I would love to attend again next year. I am happy to report that they were able to raise almost $50,000 in donations for the Keep A Breast Foundation that is a wonderful charity. It’s very admirable the work that was put into this event and that they were able to make a difference. Cheers 🙂

Slapfish Opens in Newport Beach

Posted on February 26, 2015
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, craft beer, huntington beach, newport beach, OC Restaurant, opening, Photography, Seafood, Slapfish, Sustainability, Travel
Comments: 0

Slapfish just opened their third location in Newport Beach and it is slingin’ some of the best seafood offerings you can get in the OC. Best of all, they favor sustainable practice above all else, and the lengths they go to in order to honor the ocean and all it has provided is impressive.

I had Slapfish food before at their flagship location in Huntington Beach, CA before hitting-up a few local breweries and was pleasantly surprised. Going in I had no expectations but was delighted with my crispy and flavorful fish and chips and was intrigued by Sean’s chowder fries. After that, heading to the media preview at their new location I found that I was involuntarily salivating when I arrived. Bonus points for the killer rainbow and sunset that was happening outside when I got there.

After sitting down I was inundated by waves of food samples that seemingly had no end. Each new sample that arrived was more beautiful than the last and the flavors were all so different and complex. Some samples were creative and interesting and others were downright comfort food at it’s finest. I was partial to the fish taco with the chili threads, the fish and chips (duh…I took one slightly bad picture of it and inhaled it), the chowder fries (comes with a fried egg option!?), and the shrimp po boy. Everything was fresh and yummy I had to summon all my willpower not to over eat to thanksgiving levels.

I have been told they will offer craft beer like their HB location, but sadly they didn’t have any when I went for the media preview. They did promise they would have some soon. Instead of beer, I had some of their craft-made sodas which were very good.

I hope to see you all there at Slapfish sometime soon!

Single Hop DTSA Beer Event!

Posted on February 10, 2015
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, Brewery, brewing, craft beer, drink local, dtsa, native son alehouse, Photography, santa ana, The Copper Door, the good beer company
Comments: 0

Looking for something fun to do the day before Valentine’s Day? From the minds of Beers In Paradise and Food Beast, comes the best single’s party event you will attend since that awkward speed dating lunch you went to with your co-workers, the Single Hop DTSA Beer Hop!

The idea is you can purchase a flight ticket, and basically hop from location to location in DTSA and get a delicious single hop beers and maybe meet a new single friend. Sounds great, right? It’s $20 and you can pre-purchase the tickets here. The locations participating are: The Good Beer Company, Native Son’s Alehouse, C4 Deli, The Copper Door, and 4th Street Market. The event goes from 6pm to 10pm on Friday, Feb. 13th. I hope to see you all there! While I myself am not single, I will be bringing a few of my single friends out with me so be sure to flag me down so I can embarrass them with introductions.

Saint Archer Snickerdoodle Coffee Cake Cookies

Posted on January 29, 2015
baking, beer, coffee, coffee cake, Cooking with beer, craft beer, DIY, Photography, recipe, saint archer, snickerdoodles
Comments: 4

Are you ready for the mother load of mash-ups in cookie form? Well buckle-up folks, it’s a coffee cake mixed with a fan favorite cookie, the snickerdoodle.

Ingredients:

Cookie

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon course salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for rolling cookies
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for rolling
1 tablespoon of ground coffee for rolling
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of beer syrup

Streusel Topping

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)
1 1/2 cups AP Flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons beer syrup
1/4 cup of ground coffee

Beer Syrup

2 cups of Saint Archer Beer
1/2 cup of granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Make the beer syrup by reducing the beer in a saucepan on medium heat with the sugar and mixing occasionally, until reduced about half in size. Set aside to cool.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Make the streusel by whisking together all the streusel ingredients until texture is clumpy and varied. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, and mix the streusel a little and bake for another 5 minutes, then put on a cooling rack.

3. To make the cookies, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and beer syrup. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture.

4. Stir together cinnamon, sugar, ground coffee in a small bowl. Using either a cookie scoop or a spoon, gather the dough and form it into a ball, and roll in the cinnamon, sugar, and coffee mixture. Space 3 inches or so apart on a cookie sheet that’s been prep’d with either a silpat or parchment paper.

5. Bake cookies, for about 10-11 minutes, take the cookies out of the oven then press a well into the top of the cookies with a back of a spoon. Take a spoonful of the streusel and press into the well you made into the cookie. Top with more streusel and finish baking for about 5 more minutes. Allow to cool completely.

These cookies were super tasty and the best of both worlds. They had a terrific intensely coffee flavor and aroma while still having all the tastes and textures that you want with a coffee cake and snickerdoodle cookie. I made a good amount of these cookies and they were gone pretty fast. A surefire crowd-pleaser! Hope everyone makes this cookie mash-up.

Dory Deli Grand Opening In Newport Beach

Posted on January 20, 2015
barley forge, beer, beer blog, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, beer travel, craft beer, dory deli, drink local, IPA, newport beach, Photography
Comments: 4

Hello Friends! This past week I was invited to attend a media preview of the new hot spot located by the Newport Beach pier, Dory Deli! The brainchild of owners Andrew Gabriel and Mario Marovic, this beautiful and thoughtful new restaurant features salad, sandwiches, and breakfast complimented with craft beer and Kean coffee. Complete with delicious vegan options, adorable artisanal sodas, and one of the only “slayer” espresso machines handmade in Seattle to grace the OC, the Dory Deli is on the fast track to becoming my new favorite spot.

The sun sets on the Newport Beach pier as I arrive for the media dinner. I walk around and take some shots of the beach and was surprised how easy it was to find parking. Granted it was a Wednesday, but I was still impressed that we were able to park practically right in front of the restaurant. Dory is located just north of the pier and faces the waterfront, which would make for some killer sunrises and sunsets, right from the enclosed patio. It’s impressive Dory intends to open for breakfast at 6am, and stay open until late to accommodate both the early and late crowd, and appease the coffee addicts and fellow hop head. While I didn’t sample the breakfast options, I did get a good idea how the lunch and evening offerings were and I was very excited for their potential.

Favorites:

Buffalo Mary Sandwich- The roasted cauliflower is meaty and spicy with a surprising true buffalo wing taste. Crunchy carrot strings add a wonderful unctuous texture alongside the crunchy and mouthwatering bread. I loved this sandwich. This was also vegan, which was an added bonus considering it was both satisfying and tasty. Went well with my Ballast Point Sculpin.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad- Sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, parsley, olive oil, garlic, feta (and of course, al dente pasta). This pasta salad is addicting. It has a mouth-watering quality to it, with a slight sourness that is just right to keep you coming back for another bite. It’s like the sour beer used to cleanse your palate in between meals or bites of cheese. I want more of it right now…I know my husband loved it. He finished the whole bowl offered to the two of us!

Smoked Potato Salad- Red potatoes, celery, onions, vegenaise, whole grain mustard, spices. Honestly I never thought I would like a vegan item made with vegenaise so much. It’s intensely smokey, which lends such an interesting flavor profile that plays well with the red onions and perfectly cooked potatoes. Lovely side with my Barley Forge coconut amber.

If anything becomes clear after tasting my way through most of the menu it’s that the attention to detail makes for a creative and enjoyable experience from beginning to end. I loved that there was vegan options that was so yummy one would never miss the meat or animal products. I also loved that at the end of the meal, after all the tasting and beers, I didn’t feel weighed down or overly full, which I attribute to the healthy cuisine.

Dory Deli is slated to have their ribbon cutting ceremony on January 21st at 5:30pm and their grand opening on Monday, January 26th. Like their Facebook page here.

Address: 2108 3/4 West Oceanfront Dr, Newport Beach, California

Mon-Sunday 6am-1am

(949) 220-7886

OC Brew Ho Ho 2014 Recap

Posted on December 31, 2014
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, beer travel, Brewery, craft beer, oc brew ha ha, OC Brew Ho Ho, Photography, Travel
Comments: 0

Yet again, the 2014 OC Brew Ho Ho has surpassed my expectations and managed to be one of my favorite events of the whole year. For me, it was like one big party where all my friends who I don’t see all the time are all in attendance along with a bevy of delicious craft beers. The time flew by as I bounced in between beer pours and conversations and before I knew it, it was over.

One of the most notable beers I recall from the event was Peppermint Patty from Bottle Logic. It was surprisingly refreshing and seriously one of the best peppermint themed beers I have ever had. Speaking of Bottle Logic, they had an intense line for the entire event. It was almost always like 30+ people deep. I guess the secret’s out, and I suppose I am partly to blame. I should quit fan-girling so hard.

Another delectable beer I was surprised with was the apple pie beer from Julian Cider Company. It was legit. It was like they tinctured a whole pie and threw it in a beer. I also enjoyed the Let It Go, Let It Go Imperial Oatmeal Stout 22%ABV monster beer from Beach City Brewery. Everyone knew when the beer was pouring because the DJ announced it, then played the now-famous song “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen, and the whole crowd started to sing along. I imagined it was from those people in the crowd who are parents and have this song seared into their brain like an Indiana Jones voodoo curse and the cure was killing it with fire (alcohol).

Overall, it was so much fun. The people watching, the cigars, the friend reunions, and of course the beers all made for a fantastic event. The weather was sunny but not hot so it was pretty perfect, but somehow this pale girl still managed to get a bit sunburned. When will they make SPF 1000?

Hope to see you all there next year!

Upcoming Events in Orange County

Posted on December 9, 2014
beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, craft beer, Photography, Strand Brewing, Travel
Comments: 1

Hello Friends! It’s holiday season and that means it’s time for giving and merriment, and for me (and probably you) that means more beer events to squeeze in between company holiday parties and awkward family gatherings. Here is a breakdown of some of my most anticipated events this holiday season:

(Today) Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

Portola Coffee Lab x Iron Press: Coffee Tap Takeover

This will be at the Iron Press in Costa Mesa, CA tonight from 5-10pm.

Highlights: Giveaways, Naughty Sauce Variations, rubbing up against craft beer enthusiasts.

32 North Brewing Company x Provisions Market: Tap Take Over

This will be at the Provisions Market in Old Towne Orange, CA tonight from 6pm-??

Highlights: You get to try this relatively new, and supposedly very good, brewery from San Diego. Don’t believe me that it’s good? It was named one of top 10 the best new “bars” on Thrillest. For what it’s worth.

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

The Factory x Strand Brewing’s 5 Year Anniversary

This will be at The Factory in Long Beach, CA from 5pm-??

Highlights: 5 beers for 5 years! Meet the brewers! I am sure there will be some special pours and pairings.

Saturday, December 13th, 2014

OC BREW HO HO!!!!

This will be held at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim from 12pm – 4pm.

Highlights: One of my favorite events every year. Lots of great people watching, special beers brewed just for this event, live entertainment, etc! This event is almost sold out so get yours while you still can! I hope to see Noble’s White Russian on cask again this year….

Beer Pop-Tarts with Pistachios and Nutella

Posted on December 5, 2014
baking, Baking with beer, beer, Beer Event, Beer Tasting, Belgian, craft beer, DIY, Duvel, Nutella, Photography, Pistachios, Pop-tarts
Comments: 0

Who doesn’t love pop-tarts? They are designated as a “breakfast” food but have all the benefits of a great dessert with sprinkles and frosting. Now that’s something I can get on board with. Duvel is the perfect beer to add to dough so it doesn’t overwhelm the flavors, and same goes for the frosting. It adds a lovely subtle fruity quality.

Ingredients:

Dough-

2 cups AP Flour

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (cold, cut into small cubes)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons of beer

Filling-

Nutella!

Frosting-

1 cup unsalted pistachios, finely crushed

2-3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup beer

crushed pieces of pistachios to garnish

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Incorporate the cold butter either with a food processor until sandy, or using your hands until the mix comes together. Whisk egg and beer together and start adding to the flour mixture in quantities of a teaspoon until well incorporated. You might not need all the liquid.

2. Once your dough has come together, and is not falling apart or too wet, split in half and wrap in plastic wrap (forming two discs) and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until completely chilled.

3. Allow your dough to come up to temp a little at room temp, sitting on your kitchen counter for like 10 minutes, then roll out on a well-floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough into rectangles using a pizza cutter or cookie cutter, and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Fill the cut dough with Nutella (or any filling of choice) and press the sides together with a fork. Poke the top of the pop-tart with a toothpick so air can escape while cooking and place in the freezer to set for about 15 minutes.

4. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes rotating once, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

5. Crush the pistachios with either a food processor or with a blender, not enough to make peanut butter but enough to be able to make a nut dust. Filter the bigger pieces from the finely ground nut dust, and save the nut dust to incorporate with the powdered sugar. Add beer to make the frosting. You might want to add more beer for a looser frosting or less for a thicker frosting, depending on preference.

6. Spoon frosting over cooled pop-tarts and sprinkle with crushed pistachio nuts for garnish. Allow frosting to set-up, for at least 3o minutes. Keep in airtight containers.

The pop-tarts will last for at the most about 4-5 days. They were a huge hit at my office, especially with Jenny, who was the inspiration for the flavor combination of pistachios and chocolate! I hope everyone makes these, they were awesome.