by Stephanie Thara Metzinger Hef beer, grain, butterball whiskey shot (photo by stephzinger) Though brewery-distillery hybrids are slowly on the rise, they are still few and far between. Webb’s Grainworks in Aliso Viejo fills a void in Orange County – in spades. Webb’s designates itself as a brewery, distillery and restaurant, with a dedicated brewmaster and distiller under the same roof. In short, the beers are easy to drink, the whiskey packs a punch, the food is out of this world delicious and the architecture/design is unique and awe-inspiring. Let’s get into it.  The Grain  The ..read more

Following Up On Jester King and Bearded Tang by C. C. Hansen Quite often, I’ll read about a cool brewery not near me and wonder, “How can I get my hands on one of those beers?” Such was the case when I returned from my holiday visit to Texas. It’s great writing about all these incredible weird brews available at Jester King, but now that I’m back in So Cal, what can I do? Cue the Elusive Isabella, who gifted me with a 750 ml bottle of Enigmatic Taxa from Jester King. “Where did you get that?” I asked. “At Glendale Tap. My friend Niko the bartender said he’d recently read your post on Jester ..read more

Facing the tap list at a new brewery can be a little daunting, but I found a couple interesting brews to sample on my first visit, and more to try when I return… -by Brewhead Ted I had wanted to visit Cerveceria Del Pueblo, in Pasadena, for some time. I finally got there recently, on a beautiful February day, and it was an adventure to remember. I set out that afternoon, eager to celebrate having finished my taxes. (I suppose I was in an especially celebratory mood, as I usually procrastinate until about April 14 or thereabouts.). With a smile and with taste buds primed to sample some deliciou ..read more

A Meditation on Beer and Texas by C. C. Hansen Today’s blog post title comes from a short poem by the 13th century Sufi poet known as Rumi. The poem’s next line reads, “There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” (From Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing, translated by Coleman Barks.) Both lines describe Jester King’s approach to making beer. Jester King is a brewery, pizzeria, and goat farm on a beautiful ranch in the Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin. We make food & drink tied to a time, place & people and are a welcoming place for people ..read more

By Stephanie Thara Metzinger Photo by Stephanie Located in an eclectic public market in the small city of Stanton, Bearded Tang Brewing is one of the most unassuming breweries in Orange County. Bearded Tang’s vast beer selection offers something for everyone – from a hop-forward pale ale to a juicy hazy and even a non-alcoholic crisp kolsch. The brewery’s mascot, “Fil,” is a Blue Tang fish that serves as the welcome committee to Bearded Tang patrons and fellow beer lovers. Every time I visit Bearded Tang, I am impressed at how many different types of beers are on tap. Even more astounding is t ..read more

by C. C. Hansen Anchor Holiday Ales of Yore (image courtesy Anchor Brewing) The other day it hit me: I hadn’t seen any Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas Happy New Year Ales in my local liquor and grocery stores. And then I remembered: the 48 year tradition ended last year. Devoted fans of this blog may recall that a year ago I declared in last year’s “Happy Holiday Ale!” post that Anchor’s holiday ales are the best. For years, I’ve looked forward to Anchor’s ales at this time of year, excited to see what new flavor profiles I can identify and what the featured tree species will be. Fun fact: I lo ..read more

MacLeod Brewing, Brews Brothers and a Shoutout by Chauncey B. and Eleanor In between covering Craft Beer on Vacation (or StayCation) and writing about such far-flung breweries as Bishop’s Finger in Kent, our mainstay Trumer Pils in Berkeley (by way of Salzburg), or innovations like Patagonia’s Kernz® Lager, your So Cal Craft Beer Bloggers kept on trucking’ and chugging’ their way through the summer season. BeachRock Bill may or may not write about his discoveries on an adventure in Kern County. BrewHead Ted may return from his annual visit to Southern Oregon with tales to tell (or he may decid ..read more

It’s a Wonderful Day in the NeighBEERhood! by Brewhead Ted This is the life! Sunshine, tacos, and beer, at one of my local favorites, Aro Latin. Let me sing the praises of South Pasadena (and Pasadena proper), a city in which I’ve resided for nearly two decades. I truly love where I live; I’ve got a beautiful park just across the street, I have access to L.A. Metro’s light rail just a few blocks down the street, and as a bachelor whose culinary talents are lacking (which is to say, non-existent), I’m thankful to have some delicious food options just a block or two away. I am also blessed by th ..read more

Boston’s Three T’s Tree House, Trillium, and True North The original Tree House “brewery”. Photo courtesy Tree House website. by BeachRock Bill Around the same time SCCBB Bloggers Chauncey and Eleanor were visiting Connecticut, my crew (Wife Helen, Son Carl, Fiancé Cassie) and I were up the road on the coast just north of Boston. Officially, the reason for our visit was to celebrate the future nuptials with Cassie’s East Coast side of the family. Cassie’s father comes from a long line of New Englanders, including a rumored distant connection with the Putnam family, the notorious villains in th ..read more

Connecticut Whenever I travel, I try to find craft beer brewed by Independent Brewers in the places I visit. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, it’s affirming and can be almost magical. In this series, we’ll be exploring, first, the craft beer I sampled in Connecticut. Next, BeachRock Bill will tell us about “Boston’s Three ‘T’ Brewers.” Lastly, we’ll cover a few discoveries in Maine that had us considering a more permanent residence there. Photo by Chauncey. This article will focus on the first two canned beverages. The bottle of “Peeper” Pale Ale from Maine Beer Company is a placeho ..read more