The list of places to drink craft beer in Echo Park is growing faster than a horseshoe mustache on a bike messenger; even venerable dives have expanded their fundamentalist beer lists to include microbrews. Here’s a walking tour of the neighborhood’s newer additions, from east to west.
The Park: This small, seasonal bistro on the east end of Sunset offers three-course specials and a popular $5 burger night. There are just six bottles on the menu, but they’re eclectic, ranging from Scrimshaw Pilsner to Hitachino Nest Ginger Brew. 1400 Sunset Blvd., thepark1400sunset.com
Sunset Beer Co.: Sunset Beer, next door to a hair salon, has raised the bar for strip malls. This combo bottle shop/tasting room boasts a boggling craft beer selection and large, comfortable space for on-site pours. 1498 Sunset Blvd., Suite 3, 213.481.2337
Lot 1 Café: The corner of Sunset and Laveta Terrace is ground zero for the indie music/craft beer crowd. Lot 1 pours from a small, well-curated list; grab a Unibroue Blanche De Chambly and listen to the band bash it out in the performance space next door (the beer’s confined to the restaurant). 1533 W. Sunset Blvd., lot1cafe.com
Allston Yacht Club: There are no cleats to tie off your Chris-Craft outside this nice-for-the-neighborhood small plates restaurant, but there is Eagle Rock Revolution XPA and Craftsman Heavenly Hefe on tap, along with a solid bottle selection and an inventive cocktail menu. 1320 Echo Park Ave., allstonyachtclub.com
Red Hill: This long-in-the-making neo-American diner from Jason Michaud pays homage to Echo Park’s left-leaning history; its name’s a nod to the neighborhood’s Red Scare-era nickname. The new kid on the bloc pours from 10 taps that rotate craft classics to complement the farmers-market-sourced menu of veggie- and pasta-centric small plates. Come summer, the patio will fill with fellow travelers tippling away the long, hot afternoons. 1325 Echo Park Ave., redhillrestaurant.com
Masa of Echo Park: Masa serves up classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas and heady bistro fare. This always-packed restaurant and bakery was an early adopter of craft beer, serving Firestone Walker ales on tap since opening in 2004. 1800 W. Sunset Blvd., masaofechopark.com
El Prado: This Eastside craft pioneer is still going strong, and now has a boutique wine list to complement the beer, snacks and vinyl. 1805 W. Sunset Blvd., elpradobar.com
Mohawk Bend: Echo Park’s beer colossus towers over the scene like a benevolent, vegan-friendly Pasha. Mondays are $12 all-you-can-eat pizza night; Tuesdays, belly up for a pound of mussels, fries and a pint for $15. 2141 W. Sunset Blvd., mohawk.la
City Sip: City Sip may be the neighborhood Temple of the Grape, but alongside the regular tastings, “wine edjumacation” classes and some fine charcuterie, the popular wine bar has a small but surprisingly good beer list, focusing on California taps and Belgian bottles. 2150 W. Sunset Blvd., citysipla.com
1642 Beer and Wine: Hidden in a deco building a bottle-toss south of Sunset’s hipster carnival, 1642 is a darkly sophisticated, crepuscular safe house. It’s also the only place in the neighborhood you can listen to live jazz while sipping a Maui CoCoNut Porter. 1642 W. Temple St., 213.989.6836
§ February 6th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged beer, FoodComments Off
For a big-batch beer bloody Mary, nothing beats this oatmeal-stout-laden recipe from Chicago bar Longman & Eagle. But there’s no better Mary-for-one than a half-and-half blend of Mary mix and beer; here, our three favorite combos.
Fat & Juicy + Upslope Top Rope
A Mexican-style craft lager gives a carbonated lift to a well-balanced mix.
McClure’s + Uncommon Siamese Twin Ale
The famous pickle maker’s briny blend clings to this dubbel’s lime, coriander and lemongrass.
Demitri’s Chilies & Peppers + Ft. Collins Z Lager
Add tomato juice, and the mix’s megaspice and beer’s smoky notes read like a Southwestern burger.
§ January 30th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged beerComments Off
BRING THIS OUT: Pelican The Perfect Storm 2008
The Perfect Storm was renamed Mother of All Storms in 2010, and the name’s not the only thing that’s changed about this bourbon-barrel-aged, English-style barleywine: After three years in our cellar, the once hot brew turned luscious. A slight booziness tickles the nose as sweet caramel and cherry scents pair with refined tobacco and almonds. A slick, sherrylike mouthfeel carries elegant aged notes across the tongue; a sweet caramel base pulls dark cherries, vanilla, tobacco and pepper together. Despite this beer’s age, alcohol still snakes through its cohesive ensemble of scents and flavors, and while it could rest for another year or two, The Perfect Storm’s swell seems to be at its peak.
LAY THIS DOWN: Widmer Barrel Aged Brrrbon ’11
This bourbon-barrel-aged version of Brrr Seasonal Ale (a hopped-up amber) is like a race through the mouth among four contestants: citrusy hops, bready malts, woody tannins and spicy, hot bourbon. Tasted fresh, it’s a palate pleaser, but after a year in the cellar its threads will fuse into a rich profile. The bright orange hop notes will fade, but Brrrbon will emerge with more developed barrel notes: Likely, coconut and vanilla will accent pronounced caramel sweetness, while the bourbon’s heat will bow to a pleasant peppery spice. Put one away this winter, and you’ll have a stunning barrel-aged beer waiting next year.
§ January 13th, 2012§ Filed under News§ Tagged beerComments Off
At its peak, the Eichinger family in rural northeast Wisconsin was more than 20 strong. There was Tim and Toni, their son Jake, and a slew of colorful characters: Lothar, the bitterest of the brood; Creek, the family’s hard-nosed staff sergeant; Doris, the sweetheart; and Howler, the cool-headed womanizer. These other family members were of the four-legged variety: The Eichingers once owned a sled dog kennel in Pembine, Wis., which is now more of a retirement home for huskies in their twilight. But these old dogs still inspire Tim when he rolls up his sleeves in the brewery adjacent to the kennel. The brewery itself is named for Howler, the philandering black husky who Tim says “owned him,”and each beer is a representation of one of the Eichingers’ litter. Take Lothar, the acerbic dog prone to biting, who is naturally the face of Black Husky’s Sproose Joose II IPA, a bitter, high-alpha beer made with local spruce tips.
The kennel has slowed recently, but the nanobrewery is ramping up: This year, the Eichingers will quadruple their capacity with a 5-barrel system, expand their line of 22-ounce bottled beers and release a smoked beer and an imperial red—inspired by dogs Smoki and Harold, respectively. –Christopher Staten
Northwest brewpub powerhouse McMenamins’ newest location makes patrons feel like saying “hallelujah.” A brewery located in the 100-year-old Wilsonville church’s basement serves up the spirit by the pint with staples like Terminator Stout and Hammerhead poured in an open-air amphitheater that hosts movies and live music throughout the week.
Religion can be transformative; the founders of Church Brew Works took that to heart when they meticulously renovated St. John’s of Pittsburgh into a microbrewery. A bar constructed of old pews, grand pillars converted from confessionals and a brew house smack in the middle of the altar almost make you feel blasphemous for enjoying a Pipe Organ Pale Ale or a Pious Monk Dunkel—almost.
It’s a story worthy of a sermon: The 800-year-old remnants of the Santa Maria de Ovila monastery, dismantled and shipped from Spain to America by William Randolph Hearst, are now in the deserving hands of the Abbey of New Clairvaux monks. With the help of Sierra Nevada, the monks have come up with Ovila Abbey Ales, a dubbel, saison and quad brewed in conjunction with the seasons that help fund the reconstruction of this historical vestige.
§ November 25th, 2011§ Filed under News§ Tagged beerComments Off
For $150, two cooperative breweries make the dream of owning a brewery (well, part of one) a reality.
Austin, Texas
BLACK STAR CO-OP
The nation’s first brewery co-op began in 2006 with an idea and 17 beer drinkers; today, the sleek brewpub boasts nearly 3,000, a local-conscious menu (the toffee-coated beer nuts alone are worth joining for) and a slew of taps and kegs ranging from basic to wild. A $150 lifetime member/owner share affords voting power, eligibility for a board of directors seat, special members-only events and other perks, but the real benefit is influencing brewmaster Jeff Young’s lineup: Owners brainstorm in regular “design forums” that produce specialties like the seasonal Elba, a spiced wheat. blackstar.coop
Seattle
FLYING BIKE CO-OP
Flying Bike’s model is similar to Black Star’s—a $150 lifelong membership/ownership provides voting rights, committee eligibility, special events and swag—but beer-making classes and recipe contests (winners get their brew on tap) sweeten the deal for homebrewers. The future brewery-taproom already has 400-plus members; the first beers will pour in late 2012. flyingbike.coop
Co-op: A business that’s jointly owned, operated and democratically controlled by its open membership.
§ November 22nd, 2011§ Filed under News§ Tagged beerComments Off
Homebrew pint glasses remind everyone that what they’re sipping can’t get any fresher. $60 for eight, etsy.com/shop/vital
Mark ever-changing homebrew kegs with Tap Boards, hand-made from wood with an erasable chalkboard face. $40, tapboards.com
Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar homebrew kit packs everything you need to brew a clone of the brewery’s rich, nutty brown ale in one box. $53, rogue.com (And win it here!)
BottleMark Design makes custom bottle caps using photos and logos uploaded by you and a first-of-its-kind digital printing process that can print 1 cap or 1,000 with no color limits. 12 cents each, bottlemark.com
An Idaho design studio customizes these waterproof labels (you pick the text and colors). Bonus: The heavy-duty labels are self-adhesive (read: no glue!) and have notch-able “enjoy by” months. $85 for 50, girlingearstudio.com
BIG TICKET ITEM: Turn a hobby homebrewer semi-pro with a MoreBeer! BrewSculpture; the one-pump Tippy model features a mash tun that tips over to remove spent grain, no heavy lifting required. From $2,500, morebeer.com
Brooklyn Brewery’s illustrious brewmaster Garrett Oliver edits The Oxford Companion to Beer, a comprehensive reference guide/encyclopedia to all things brewed; chef Tom Colicchio lends an introduction. An essential for any beer lover’s shelf. Oxford University Press, $65
Beer journalist Joshua M. Bernstein tackles every movement in beer today from nano to gluten-free to gypsy with well-written tasting notes, exclusive interviews and serious (but digestible) beer smarts in the notebook-style Brewed Awakening. Sterling, $25
Hilarious and heartwarming, Jeremy Cowan’s Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah, an autobiographical account of Shmaltz Brewing’s 13-year rise to fame, proves beer dreams can come true with a lot of work and a little shtick. Malt Shop, $25
Veteran beer scribe Christian DeBenedetti guides readers to more than 350 brewpubs, bars and taprooms every enthusiast should have on their bucket list in The Great American Ale Trail. All the hard work’s been done: The author identifies a lone must-sip beer at even dizzying spots like Portland’s Saraveza and San Fran’s Toronado. Running Press, $20
Brewery founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner team up with beer/food writer Randy Clemens in The Craft of Stone Brewing Co., an ode to Stone that’s equal parts historical record, beer catalog, homebrewing guide and recipe book. And the brazen arrogance you’d expect from Stone? It’s there, too. Ten Speed Press, $25
Every bit as funky and far-out as New Belgium’s annual multi-city beer-bike festival, Tour de Fat: Sights, Sounds, Feeling, Flavors chronicles 11 years of performances, partying and cycling in the name of suds. Wolverine Farm, $25
George Hummel’s The Complete Homebrew Beer Book offers recipes for beginners (British and American browns), intermediates (maple porter) and pros (smoked pumpkin ale), plus thorough primers on hop varieties, equipment and more. Robert Rose, $25
§ November 22nd, 2011§ Filed under News§ Tagged beer, FoodComments Off
The ubiquitous holiday popcorn tin gets a culinary makeover: 479 Popcorn’s revved-up varieties include ginger-sesame-caramel (pictured), Vietnamese cinnamon-sugar and Madras curry-coconut-cashew. prices vary, 479popcorn.com
Drakes Glen Creations vegan beer chocolates get their subtle flavor variations from different Mad River brews (Barleywine, Jamaican Brand Red and more) in each truffle. From $9 for four, paganchocolates.com
Italian artisans gather wild hops beneath the Dolomite Mountains and carefully grind them with oil to make Primitivizia Luppolo pesto. $16, olio2go.com
Arrange stinky, sharp and creamy wedges on Brooklyn Slate cheese boards (sourced from a family quarry in upstate New York) and write their proper names with the included soapstone chalk. From $24, brooklynslate.com
Finally: a dessert that satisfies a craving for sweet but doesn’t overpower the beer you pair with it. Lady M Mille Crepe cakes are 20 hand-made, tissue-thin crepes layered with delicate, velvety custard that scream for a barleywine. From $40, ladymconfections.com.
BIG TICKET ITEM: Lonely foodies (or really, anyone who likes antipasti) can “adopt a Prosciutto” from The Butcher Shoppe at Chicago’s Old Town Social. A charcuterie team travels four hours to a rural Illinois farm, hand-selects the whole back leg of one hog, then salt-cures it for 12 to 15 months before shipping it off to its parents. The butchers even update the adoptive family on the little guy’s growth with periodic photos. $260, oldtownsocial.com
§ September 14th, 2011§ Filed under News§ Tagged beerComments Off
The best bottles to sip and store this fall.
Bring This Out:
2008 Deschutes The Dissident
This Flanders brown wowed our palates in 2008, and it still does today. Then, warming cinnamon and sweet cherries blended with woodsy flavors, some barnyard notes and a ciderlike sharpness; now, it emerges much more subdued. The beer’s sourness has smoothed out, but its wild flavors live on as dark cherry and a hint of cinnamon accent nutty notes and earthy funk. The Dissident’s creamier texture showcases the richer flavors, which may have been overlooked when it was a bit younger and sharper.
Lay This Down:
2011 Boulevard Saison-Brett
This Brettanomyces-spiked farmhouse ale was introduced in 2009 with much fanfare, and the second batch lives up to the first. Stunning black pepper and lemon scents weave life into the beer’s earthy, bready aroma and pastoral hay and bready palate. Subtle, classic Brett funk adds a complex layer of rustic flavors before a dry finish punctuates the swallow. Put this down for a year to smooth out the beer’s spiciness: By then, the pepper will mellow, and the earthy Brett flavors should reach their climax alongside juicy orange and emerging apricot notes.
