Category Archives: Beer Friendlies

the Copper Door | Santa Ana

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Wandering around the exterior of the Santora Arts Building in Santa Ana’s Artist Village lie some steps leading down to a curious door. A Copper Door. As I walk slowly down the creaking steps and open the door, I feel like I’m in some sort of eighties horror movie. Heart thumping, hands clammy, high violin shrieks rhythmically going through my head. I check the time on my phone as its glow provides an ominous faint blue shadow on the walls. “Hi, I’m here for a beer tasting event?” I tell a tall slender blonde woman. “I sent the invitation…thanks for coming”. I firmly shake her warm hand, my nerves twitch my grip, just enough to hear and feel a subtle pop from her fingers. “Sorry my hands are freezing” I say nervously.

Stairway to the unknown…the ominous Copper Door!

I settle into a beer and and meet Joe Corona of Wine Warehouse, a stout fellow in his thirties with a penchant for Belgium beers. He pours me a Blache De Bruxells; the quintessential Wit from the Belgian motherland. Its subtle orange and coriander aroma enters my nose like a ghost taking over my soul.

Joe Corona stands and delivers. Such an ironic beer rep name!

The Copper Door is a gorgeous hip place reminiscent of a dark cozy ski lodge. What was once a former Jazz club in the 1930’s now sits a high end beer bar with live music and DJ’s. Walking the spacious room, I nearly feel the energy of the former tenants. I can easily envision the room packed with people dressed nice, flapper dresses swinging, and cigarette girls mulling about the crowd as music bellows and thumps from the stage. A circular fireplace warms this vast space as large golden candles flicker and glow. Centered in the room lies a mammoth solid wood table with more than adequate bench style seating. 

As we are seated, Joe starts off with a brief introduction on the beer offerings at The Copper Door. The beer menu is broken down into three sections: Beer Connoisseurs, Beer Lovers, and Beer Drinkers. Most selections are between $5-10 which includes a daunting selection of Belgium Trappist, Abbey, and Belgium style beers on draft and bottles. Other craft selections and macros are available, however the waitress informed me most guests are there for the imported Belgium beers. We quickly sample ten beers and jot down notes.

My favorites: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (A+ Beer Advocate) is a stellar beer; the nose reminds me of the aroma you get when opening the door to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts…yummy bready funky sweetness. Three Allagash beers were poured, White, Black, and Curieux; the latter being my favorite as it’s probably the most readily available Bourbon Barrel aged beer (A on BA). Chimay Blue and North Coast Brewing’s Pranqster Belgium Strong (A+ on BA) went particularly well with The Crosby provided appetizers.

Yummy appetizers from The Crosby. credit www.kylerlocke.com

Of the appetizers provided by The Crosby, the Gruyere Cheese Tuile was my favorite; it included smoked sausage with Goosberry marmalade. The Red Cabbage Tart was also remarkable, containing beer braised red cabbage currants and carrot mustard puree on a dill puff pastry. Also served was a German Tea Sandwich that included Fennel sauerkraut, head cheese, smoked gouda, sweet & spicy mustardon on pumpernickel bread. The strong pumpernickel flavor really overpowered the bite. I must say, after power-housing through that many beers, I could have easily eaten my Chimay goblet! 

The Copper door is ideal for large parties due to its vast space and hip cozy atmosphere. The large table also makes it a great spot to come alone and meet new people! Most nights the live music kicks off at 8 and may require a small cover charge. They also have pool tables if you’re feeling sharky! 

They’re located at 225 ½ N. Broadway in Santa Ana; basically underneath Chapter One. Valet parking is available off of 3rd Street, however the nearby parking structure on 3rd is only $2. Meters are free past 8pm on weekdays, but don’t quote me on that. The area also goes nuts on the 1st Saturday of the month for the Artist Village open house. Check http://www.aplaceforart.com/ for details, the next one is Dec 3!

 http://www.facebook.com/thecopperdoorbar

http://www.facebook.com/TheCrosbySantaAna

Bruery Provisions, with 100% more Gregface this Thursday

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credit John Schulz, brother of good friend David Schulz!

“ARRR! I scares away the fizzy yellow beer!!”

When I think of Stone Brewing’s brand, a few things come to mind: Arrogance, Gargoyles, and Gregface? With all of that evil, unabashed, medieval company image, why would they possibly want a gaping-maw headshot of their CEO to get stuck my head? I guess Greg Koch, co-founder and CEO of Stone Brewing Co. isn’t the average craft beer overlord.

Koch’s speeches are often referred to as “beer sermon”. Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido? “Beer Mecca”. I strongly believe Greg is a direct decendent of Martin Luther who in the 1500’s nailed 95 issues with the Pope and Catholosism to the church’s door, thus creating the Lutheran Church. If Greg Koch were to post 95 things wrong with BudMillerCoors and hammer it to the doors of their corporate offices, I would perhaps join the cult, die my hair green, and worship the almighty hop.

credit jibeer.com

Have you heard the good news about the almighty Humulus Lupulus?

Stone disciples worship the company for many reasons:

  • They pioneered the West Coast IPA style which is a benchmark for comparison.
  • Stone’s charge in the craft beer revolution, which, by the way, is working quite well.
  • Stone’s collaborations with other breweries that keep the community interesting and strong.
  • Lets not forget their great line up of fresh, in your face beers that are balanced, interesting and delicious!

The only thing I don’t like about Stone? Their use of the 1987 Waynes World slogan about being “worthy“. Mice nuts, I know. Asphynctersayswhat. “What?”, Exactly. Party time! Excellent! diddlydiddlydiddlydiddly (air guitar).

Oh hey! They released a book! The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance. The book encompasses the Stone Brewing story, info on all of their beers, and recipes for food and homebrew!

Oh hey! This Thursday 11/17 from 6:30-8pm, Greg Koch and Steve Wagner of Stone Brewing Co. will be on hand at Bruery Provisions in Orange to sign books, do a tap takeover, and scare children with the G-Face. Perhaps Greg can do an imprint of the famous Gregface on the screen of my Kindle with his fresh organic facial oils. I’ll do my O-face if that happens! It’s no Shroud of Turin, but it’ll do.

Oh hey! Here’s a list of what will be on tap!
  • Greg will be speaking!
  • 10 Stone Beers on tap. Two Stone flights w/paired cheese plates will be available. (I’ll share details when I get them)
  • 4 different bottles of archived Stone beer sold at limited release.
  • Stone shirts, glasswear, and sauces will be available. I like sauces!
(If you wanted to purchase the books, please use the affiliate links below to here to help support this site! I was just at Total Wine & More and they’re selling the Craft of Stone book for $25!)

 

OC Beer Week | Chapter One: The Modern Local

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Foraging around Orange County for unique food and craft beer is becoming easier thanks to modern technology. I still find word of mouth is best to find the true gems. Yelp? Yeah, it’s handy to find places, but the reviews are written by self-proclaimed foodies that rate everything either a 1 or 4 and rely heavily on adjectives like “awesome” or “yummy”.

Thanks to word of mouth from friend and food writer Richard Manning; he suggested we try Chapter One: the Modern Local in the Artists Village of Santa Ana. What once was a culture rich beautiful Hispanic area of Orange County is fast becoming a hipster enclave with some decent art and restaurants scattered about. Monument-like historic buildings anchor eateries such as Memphis (contemporary Southern cuisine), Proof Bar, and Lola Gaspar (Tapas). Nearby sits the Gypsy Den (cafe), Original Mikes (trad American, Creole) and The Crosby (lounge). Chapter One is nestled nicely in this mix. Don’t let the hipsters scare you off, there’s some really good food to be had at all of those places!

My draw to this place was knowing Jeff Hall from Haven Gatropub in Orange was part owner. That alone makes it a worthy spot! Aside from the crafted “culinary” cocktails, interesting appetizers, and a diverse menu with gourmet comfort food, the beer menu is flocked from Beer Advocate’s Alström brother “A” ratings. Nothing wrong with that! I foolishly started the night with an Avery Dugana, an American Double IPA, and prayed it wouldn’t wreck my pallet as a DIPA can do.

We stopped in on “Tentacle Tuesday”, which sadly had no reference to Hentai Tentacle Porn. After seeing my blonde waitress’ widely opened low cut blouse, hooo boy, my dirty mind went there in a bad way. The special was Octopus or Squid Tacos paired with whatever Pilsner is on tap. Funny story from my inaugural visit a few months back: On the menu was a small pasta dish with squid ink: “What can I get for you?” asked our Waitress. For some reason I involuntarily gestured the milking of a squid by pinching my fingers in a downward motion, “I’ll have the pasta with Squid Ink” (ala Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents). “Did you just gesture the milking of a Squid? BAHAHA!!!”. I watched our waitress echo the story to the kitchen staff and they all burst into applause. Well done, Greg. Oh yes, that’s how I roll.

As the evening rolled on, my 8.5% ABV Dugana began to buzz as the pre-storm weather turned ominous outside. A litter of lawyers deliberate at a table nearby from the Santa Ana courthouse. Two artists top a nearby parking garage painting the eclectic Santa Ana landscape as the sun peaks under the clouds.

I order from the OC Beer Week menu which consists of several tapas and beer pairings. I grab the Stuft Squid (stuffed with Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms, breaded and served with a tomato coulis dipping sauce. The beer pairing was Maudite Unibroue Belgium Strong out of Quebec Canada. I’ve never had a Canadian craft beer, and beer geeks probably know that this beer scores an A+ from the Alström bros at Beer Advocate. The beer is soft on the pallet like a rose petal; very subtle hints of spice and clove. The Stuft Squid is also mild and the beer attenuates the flavors ever so slightly without changing directions. The beautiful thing was how delicate and un-salted it was. The Kalamata Olives fill that role nicely. $10 for the pairing and worth every penny.

Maudite, Such a lovely and delicate beer! It’s on tap at Chapter One!

Speaking of beautiful rose petals, my lovely wife ordered the Mini Mac with La Fin Du Monde Belgium Tripel also from Unibroue of Quebec (another A+ from BA!). I dare you to say this out loud without salivating: Bacon Panko Crusted Mac and Cheese. <DROOL!> The beer had more of a lively carbonation than mine which is great for cutting richness in a dish. She, of course, loved it and enjoyed the pairing.

La Fin Du Monde was bottle poured properly with yeast left on the bottom. Mine was keg draught.

I heard Chapter One wasn’t kid-friendly, which I totally get, but our experience was great with our girl! They served her a lidded and watered down lemonade in a plastic cup (per request). She also ordered the $5 mini-mac and enjoyed some duck fat fries. She was incredibly close to ordering Escargot as I explained that’s what Madeline (French themed kid’s show) would eat; in two straight lines no less.

  • OC Beer Week menu runs through 10/8.
  • Parking is easily done across the street in the parking garage; $1/hr. Avoid the meters as SA tediously tickets tardiness.
  • Also check out the area on the first Saturday of every month for the Artist Village open house. Click for details.

 

Barkenhagen’s Speakeasy (aka Bootleggers Brewery)

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The year is 1921. I’m thirsty for a goddamn beer. Damn prohibition. I tip a paperboy on the corner of Harbor and Commonwealth in Fullerton and ask what’s the scuttlebutt on some blind pig action. He says “I don’t know from nothin’ mistuh” and points down Valencia, the bad part of town. I tilt my seat back in my hayburner as the local residents watch us roll under the canopy of elm trees. My bearcat lights a ciggy as we pull into the orange shipping area of town. The other cars around tell us we struck gold. (20’s slang guide here)

Fast forward 90 years, Bootleggers gives a nod to that era. Sitting down in their tasting room in Fullerton, I get the sense they were going for either a 1920’s speakeasy, or they just don’t give a crap about the decor. The brewery and tasting room sit with eight fermenters bubbling blowoff tubes around various unmatching tables and chairs. The room smells like spilled beer, sanitizer, and yeast farts; which is precisely what a brewery should smell like. As I walk around, my shoes make a tacky noise similar to walking around a budget movie theater with spilled soda on the ground. As I park my ass in a circa 2003 Home Depot Resin chair, I clean the remnants of the last satisfied customer’s beer rings off the wobbly table with conveniently abandoned food truck napkins. Music pumps out of a muddled speaker above the restrooms, making familiar music seem dreamy and distant.The Amtrak Surfliner Train flies by outside and rattles the walls at regular intervals, perhaps re-agitating the beer aging in wooden barrels a few feet away. I contemplate running outside real quick and flashing my dick at unsuspecting train travelers, but the beer I’m drinking gets the best of me. I firmly place a foot on a table leg to prevent my beer from moving around the table top like air hockey, and take a sip.

Having just hit Bootleggers two days earlier I was really looking forward to sucking down the best beer ever; Bourbon Barrel Imperial Black Phoenix from my first official beer review. Black Phoenix is a year round offering at Bootleggers and the slight modifications they concoct keep this cowboy returning. The chipotle stout is easily one of Orange County’s greatest dark beer offerings (Cismontane’s Blacks Dawn and the Bruery’s Black Tuesday among others).  On Thursday, they had the barrel aged Imperial version, the regular version on CO2, and a version on Nitro. As the tap was blown on my fave, I went for something I’ve never tried before, Plum Riot.

Along with 18 taps, Bootleggers offers bottles, kegs, and growler fills for take away.

I was saving Plum Riot for just this occasion; when all my favorites were out. I wasn’t disappointed either! Call the Fullerton Plum Riot Police, this is one tasty Belgian Dubbel! Aroma, I get freshly toasted bread with sour plum jam…YUM! Color is a hazy blushing pale plum with a pinky finger head that fizzed away quickly. Tasted some plum hard candy and some subtle spices that didn’t stick around. This isn’t a very complex beer but would be great paired with BBQ or Teriyaki as it would draw some sweetness from the sauce. For a 7.8% ABV beer, I didn’t get the slightest hint of boozyness and was quite drinkable and refreshing.

The head cheese and his bearcat; Aaron and Patricia Barkenhagen run the joint. (credit Derek Bougie)

Bootleggers draws in all walks of life. One table was filled with some dolled up gals stopping in for a beer before going out on the town. Another table had an older couple chatting about a recent Fullerton Police beating.  Near the door is a gaggle of hipster looking types drinking non-PBR product. As the night wears on, the tasting room line is almost out the door. The music is completely drowned out by the crowd, until 9PM, when the death metal kicks in. Last minute growlers are filled and the place empties out.

9PM Leave or Death (metal)

With eighteen taps, Bootleggers has something for everyone. I highly recommend stopping in and doing a tasting flight for $4.50 with some friends. Whichever beer is your favorite, grab a pint, a growler fill, or a keg for your next party. I was shocked a 5 gallon keg of IPA was around $65! Compare that to any craft beer keg at Bevmo (over $100) and you’ll never do that again! Also keep in mind you’re supporting local business and drinking super-fresh beer! Applesauce!

They’re open Thurs-Sun and have food trucks on most nights. The location makes a great jumping off point for a night out in Downtown Fullerton. Check their website for details!

Pump up the Volume | Bayhawk Ales

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Pump up the Volume, Pump up the Volume, Pump up the Volume, Dance, Dance! The song bellowed out of my roommate Rob’s stereo in his restored black ’64 Pontiac GTO. His out-of-style Z Cavaricci pants squeek-farting across the leather seats, the smell of Drakkar Noir and cigarette butts wafting through the air. Yes, Rob was a little out of date with style. The year? 1995. The place? Goat Hill Tavern in Newport/Costa Mesa. I ask for a local Ale, barkeep pours me a Bayhawk. I drank it, burped, then probably peed sometime later. Beer in the 90’s was different. It seemed a lot simpler than it is now. Styles were stuck to for the most part. I don’t recall much about that beer, other than it was my first Bayhawk, and it felt cool to drink a locally produced beer.

Fast Forward until now, Bayhawk is pumping up the volume. At capacity to crank out 10K barrels, they managed to squeeze over 8,000 in 2010. To put that into perspective, newer breweries in OC do around 1000, if that. Chances are, many of you have had a beer brewed by Bayhawk without realizing it. Ever order a house beer at Lucilles Smokehouse or Outback Steakhouse? If so, Bayhawk made it. I’ve enjoyed the house Heffe at Lucilles. That beer makes up around 50% of their production. They also contract brew for a few local breweries.

I made the trek to their brewery and sat down with George Smith, their head of sales to see how the bird is doing.

Bayhawk is situated in a high end corporate business plaza on Main Street near Jamboree in the back of McCormick and Schmicks. I pulled in to the parking garage and noted a Lotus Esprit and a Maserati waiting to be valet parked a few feet from BH’s doors. Next to a red carpet and velvet ropes, a door with the BayHawk Ales logo sits off to the side like a janitor’s closet. I arrived early and settled into the Pilsner Room for happy hour, a high end bar at the back of McS’s. The bar area has a decent happy hour, an ample bottle selection and a nice view of the Bayhawk brew tanks. I ordered up a flight of Bayhawk (pun intended) which included a Chocolate Porter, Amber Ale, Hef, and a Honey Blonde. Tasters were standard 4oz on a tasting paddle. I always start dark to light by habit as IPA’s tend to kill the buds, but this isn’t necessary with BH brews. I think their avg IBU is around 25.

I dusted the flight and took a few notes. I tried not to let pre-conceived notions get in the way of just relaxing and enjoying some beers. Starting with the porter, I prefer a porter to be a big beer and this seemed like a session brew. Light chocolate notes as expected, thin mouthfeel, slightly metallic. The Amber Ale was my favorite of the bunch with pleasant caramel malt that reminded me of a light version of a Scotch Ale (perhaps a 60 schilling?) with some extra spicy notes. The Heffe didn’t have a lot of the traditional banana or clove yeast going on from a traditional German Hef. Perhaps a California recipe? I expect some yeasty aromas or it’s a simple unfiltered wheat beer. The taster was served with a small lemon wedge which was surprising. The Honey Blonde was possibly the lightest body beer I’ve drank in some time, which had some honey notes. Overall the flight was a good representation of what BH does. I grabbed a pint of the Amber Ale, looked at my watch and checked in with George.

Sitting down with George Smith, Bayhawk’s head of sales, and he instantly answered almost every question I had for him without having to be asked. I like that in a sales person, and was mad at myself for not having better questions. He filled me in on stuff like low ratings on BA and RB and how they attempt to correct poor storage issues at stores. He also stated Bayhawk is looking at a suitable place to move. As stated above, their location limits the hours of production.

Chances are if you’re a beer geek, you’ll pass over a Bayhawk beer, which is fine. The market they go after is converting the BMC people, contract brewing, and private brewing for other breweries. The volume they put out shows there’s a market for it and the quality on tap I can vouch for. If you’re ever at Lucilles or Outback, make sure and ask for their house brews!

Tales from the Orange County Brew Ha Ha 2011 (pre-event)

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Alarm on my phone goes off playing a random song; today it’s Frank Turner’s “I am Disappeared”. Oh the irony of waking up to that song in particular. Pop and toss my proper incognito non-beer logo clothes. Boom…what the hell? Thunder? Noooooo. It is. Crap. Where the hell is my rain jacket? Bust out the Wahl clippers for a little manscaping…gotta be sexy for all these brews.

On my drizzly drive down to the Fest, I ponder the parallels that can be drawn with beer and women. As Homer Simpson once said, “They look good, they smell good, and you’d step over your own mother just to get one!” I wonder if Homer has ever tried a Flanders Red! Shockingly a lot of the BJCP judging guidelines can apply to judging, say, a new lady or man friend. Know the guidelines by heart? Appearance, head, smell, taste, mouthfeel, and overall are the basics. How did your friend judge to style? Is she a Stout Irish lass or a bit on the Wee Heavy side? Blonde Ale? A Robust Porter? Personally I prefer cold, dark, and bubbly gals, I mean beer. Yeah.

If all this is true, one could easily apply a person equivalent to any beer out there. Here’s a few OC beers and who I think would represent them:

  • The Bruery – Orchard White Gweneth Paltrow. Pale straw yellow beer with slight hints of lavender, Apple and other fruits. Goes good with English Cheese, perhaps a Devon Blue. She has a kid named Apple, right? Holy Moses! Pictured here near an orchard, in a white top, next to Lavender. What are the odds of that? Obviously Patrick Rue’s inspiration. I wonder who the inspiration was for Orchard Black.

Bootleggers – Knuckle Sandwich, Kristina Hendricks. A 10% ABV beer goes well with a perfect 10 gal in my book. Strong, perfumy aroma, reddish hue, and handles a bunch of Mad Men drunks. This picture is from the Golden Globes. Is it just me, or is SHE the Golden Globes?

  • Anaheim Brewery – Hefeweissen = Gwen Stefani. There’s no doubt if Mrs. Stefani ever came back to her home town, she would go B-A-N-A-N-A-S for this beer. Big time banana and clove in this traditional German Heffe. No beating around the Bush here, folks, this beer rocks steady and is hella good.
  •  Old Orange Brewery – Street Fair, Heidi Klum. As an avid Project Runway fan (don’t ask), I know Heidi is from Germany. Where in Germany? Cologne. What kind of beer comes from Cologne? Kölsch! What kind of beer is Street Fair? Kolsch Style! Got milk? Heidi does! I hope so with ten kids! I hear she clubs a baby Seal from time to time.

  • Cismontane – Coulter IPA = Ann Coulter. Aside from the obvious name, it’s a conservative IPA, decent body with minimal head. This is the first and last political joke you’ll see on this blog, promise. Sorry Cismontane. If I come up with a better one I’ll edit this out. I do really love you guys.
  •  Bayhawk – Honey Blonde = Pamela Anderson. Bayhawk and Baywatch a stretch? I didn’t think so. One sip of this chick beer and you’ll know why it fits.

That’s enough for today! Have any others you’d like to send? Do so in the comments!

Just got my pass and headed in! Does my hair look okay?

Carolina's Kitchen Fire!

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From their facebook page:

As you may have heard, on August 31 a fire occurred in our kitchen & unfortunately caused severe damage. We therefore will be closed during the month of September and most of October. We will Post our exact opening date as we come closer. We thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you when we reopen. The beer tasting will still be held on Thursday, September 8 at 6:30 and we invite you to join us for that event for reservations feel free to call us at (714)971 5551 and leave a message and we will return your call. We invite you to try our sister location Al’s Big Burger & Mexican Grill located next door you may contact them directly at (714) 971 3131 for deliveries or special accommodations. Thank you for your patronage and we look forward to seeing you return.

 

Check their FB page for updates, or here. Hopefully everyone was okay.

Why the hell would a beer blog care about an Italian Restaurant? Well for one, it has a ten page beer menu. Aw, how cute, nice to see your liver perk up!

Tucked away near Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention center lies Carolina’s Italian Restaurant. A cozy little Italian “gastropub” tucked away in a strip mall with some interesting neighbors. Want to get your disability check cashed? The liquor store a few doors down can help you out. Need an Up-do? Get it right next door! Care for a Vampiro drink? You’ve come to the right place my friend!

This place is next door. Vampiro eh? No Werepanther? Maybe I’ll grab the Macho Man instead.

After being seated I was handed huge plate of fresh cheese bread and a beer menu larger than a Googolplex. Carolinas easily qualifies as a must-go-to beer place in OC. Why? The large selection is served in proper glassware and can be paired on request. I asked my waiter what would pair well with an eggplant parmesan, “oh, Green Flash Double Stout, sir”. Hmmm, what would pair well with Linguini with clam sauce? “Arrogant Bastard, sir”. What about spaghetti and meatballs? “Hmmmm, Saison Du Pont”. Well what about a Chicken Marsala cooked in a wine sauce? “I’d suggest something barrel aged, perhaps a Firestone Walker Abacus”. They will also reverse-pair beer with food. What goes with Budweiser? “Steaming pile of dog shit, sir.” Nicely done, touché my good man.

I’m not sure if these dudes are Cicerone certified or anything, but my girthy waiter was happy to talk beer and knew everything about their extensive offerings.

“waiter, there’s an eye in my beer”

I like to judge a place on basics first, then go back if I like the food. For Mexican food, I generally get a Bean, Rice, Cheese and Salsa burrito as a first choice. If it’s good, I go back. For Italian, I do Spaghetti and Meatballs. It has enough raw components to decide if the place is good. Pasta? Toothy. Sauce? Tangy. Spice? Nice. Meatballs? Perfect. Beer menu? Fuck yes. As I’m not a food blog I can safely give general statements like the food was spectacular, good, not worth taking home leftovers, or I spent the night in the emergency room on IV meds from eating there. I’d put Carolina’s food in the “good” category.

  • Protip#1: If you just want a couple beers, you are served some bomb ass cheese bread when you are seated. Order a soup and a beer. Full meal for $10!
  •  Protip#2: They have beer/food pairing nights at a set price. Check their FB for info.
Friends Kristina and Dave mid backhand-slap contest.

Google Map Street View with the crew out front sorting out a catering order no doubt.

Another Google Map Street View of the back. Not sure if this dude is peeing or what. Laffo

I’ll do an update when they’re open again.

Meat, Cheese and Beer Class!

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It’s no secret among my friends that I’m in love with the Bruery Provisions in Orange. I check her Facebook daily, I look at her Twitter. I stop in sometimes for a quick flight and wedge of La Tur cheese. BP totally gets me. I wish I could quit you, BP!

I signed up for the “Throwing a Party with Charcuterie and Cheese” class with my wife and some friends. Why would I want to throw a party with cheese and charcuterie you ask? What the hell is charcuterie anyway? Spell check has no clue! Charcuterie is meat that has been prepared by salting, aging, smoking, etc. Think bacon, pâté, sausage, jerky, etc. It’s what our forefathers did before refrigeration to make their meat last longer and make them delicious.

Upon arrival, the plates were already prepped with five cheese, meat, nut and dried fruit pairings. I was happy to see a provided notebook describing everything in great detail, and a pen to take notes. BP doesn’t mess around! The class was moderated by Cheesemonger and Culinary Manager Kendra Birdwell, which seriously puts the “cute” in charcuterie. Single people should be asking this gal out! Seriously…she reminded me of a mix of Amy Adams and Zooey Deschanel, but with cheese breath. That might be a deal breaker for some of you love birds.

The class began and Kendra broke out into an introduction to tasting. “Sniff, look, taste, swirl, sniff, taste, swish, eat, taste, repeat!” For some reason all this stinky cheese and cured meat got me a little frisky. Matters got worse as my wife was rubbing my leg under the tasting room table! I was totally freaking out! I even had a daydream in slow-mo where my wife pulls the barrette out of her hair and waves it from side to side, revealing her gorgeous flowing hair. As her hair flies across my nose, I inhale deeply and quickly snap back to reality when all I smell is Goat Cheese and Truffle Mousse (cue the fog horn).

First Pairing: Journey to the Center of the Earth. The Bruery Salt of the Earth Beer, Humbolt Fog Goat Cheese and Fabrique Delices Truffle Mousse. I was excited as I’ve never had this beer as it’s not available really anywhere aside from here. The beer is cloudy with minimal head, aroma consisting of some coriander and some funk. It had some earthy and grassy notes on the quaff with a chalky-wheaty mouthfeel. I’m not a big goat cheese fan, and my wife isn’t a big funky beer fan. We were both shocked that we liked what we usually don’t care for! The beer paired exceptionally well with the cheese, heightening the flavors. The pâté also has earthy notes of mushroom and truffles. The entire package when consumed simultaneously was a perfect match, each one heightening the flavors of the other. The cheese flavor quickly ramps up and the pâté smooths it out. The beer brings it to a higher level, then cleanses for the next bite so it doesn’t cloy. In the photo above, the cheese and pâté are on the left with the dried apricot resting on top. The pâté looks like a small piece of pumpernickel bread, but it’s Mousse, with the consistency of a creamy hummus.

Second Pairing: Silence of the Lambs. Pictured on the lower left corner. Bruery Snicklefritz! with P’tit Basque Sheeps milk cheese and Molinary – Finnochiona Pork fennel salami. Beer was clear bronze, notes of coriander, ginger and maple on the nose, taste was typical Belgian strong with notes of toffee, spice, and dark fruits. The strong fennel in the salami brought me back to 1978 Pizza Hut Pepperoni. It was a total Ratatouille moment where the food critic goes back to his childhood on one taste of the dish. The cheese was too subtle to stand up to the big flavors in the beer, but was a nice contrast. “toughened your nipples didn’t it?” – Dr. Hannibal Lecter. By they way, I’m naming the pairings, they weren’t named.

Third Pairing: Cheesing My F’ing Brains Out!: Pictured on the top left corner. Bruery Batch 300, Cypress Grove – Midnight Moon cheese and Molinari Hot Salami. It’s always nice to taste some Citra hops as they usually have a tropical-citrusy aroma, but in this case all I got was a slight cat pee scent. Sometimes that hop can give ‘off’ aromas at less than ideal temperatures or ages, or perhaps the remnants of my cold threw off my nose. I was glad to see I was the only one getting that aroma. The cheese really worked well bringing the heat down from the salami and it also had those little dried calcium lactate crystals that I love so much. God I love those things…and they’re good for you too! Also paired was a simple olive oil cracker which helped cleanse the pallet.

Fourth Pairing: Autumnal Flavorgasm. Pictured on the upper right. Out of the five pairings, this was all of our favorite. The Bruery Autumn Maple, Beemster – XO Gouda, Prosciutto De Parma and candied walnuts. Alone, each of these were good, but altogether worked like the cast of Friends in my mouth (without Ross of course). Beer poured a hazy auburn with hints of allspice and nutmeg on the nose. Taste is a boozy clove yam-fest. Interesting fall beverage, although it’s got nothing on my Maple Wheat! Gouda is one of my favorite styles of cheese and this was like nothing I’ve ever had. The prosciutto was aged  18 months, was floppy, fatty, salty, delicious. I made a little mini-burrito with the meat as the tortilla, two wedges of cheese and the candied walnut. Flavorgasm with the beer! So no one told you life was gonna be this way *clap*clap*clap*clap* Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s DOA! It’s like you’re always stuck in Richard Gere….Sorry for getting that song stuck in your head.

Fifth Pairing: the Big Pickle. I say that because we were all feeling a bit pickled at this point! Pictured on the bottom right (above). Beer is Bruery 3rd anniversary Cuir (pronounced queer?), Bleu De Causses cheese and Bresaola beef charcuterie. Beer had big time dark fruits on the nose and appeared a deep murky plum juice. Taste was booze, figs, raisins, molasses. I don’t remember much of this, luckily I took notes! Don’t laugh at my ‘taste of cheese’ comment! The drawing depicts how the flavors ramp up on my tongue, the vertical line is when I take a sip. I know it’s weird! Don’t be a hater!The class as a whole was extremely informative and Kendra was great at answering questions. She walked around to talk to people to get their opinions on everything. The booklet was thorough at explaining every detail. The Bruery is such a gem to have in Orange County and I couldn’t recommend taking a class there more. I was surprised at the older crowd; maybe the younger crowd thought it was too pricey? $35 was well worth it for the supplies alone.

The thing I really learned from the class is how to break down a cheese and meat selection at the store. I’ve always found it daunting to drop some serious cash on something that might not pair well. With my knowledge of beer, I’ll start with that and work my way to a cheese and meat that might work with it. Or, I can easily go with one of the pairings above. It really made it seem easy. Thanks Bruery Provisions!

Classes are usually on Wednesdays. Contact the Bruery Provisions, or check her twitter and the facebooks.

Next class:

Belgian Cheese and Beer
with Kendra, The Bruery Cheesemonger @ The Bruery Provisions, $30

Wednesday, September 21st 2011

8pm-9:30pm

Haven Gastropub Bar (Old Town Orange)

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Sitting at the bar of Haven Gastropub, 4PM on a Wednesday. I got out of jury duty early for the day. Nothing like a meth trial to make one crave a good beer or two. Haven prides itself with a dozen or so taps and a huge bottle selection of rare specialty beers. Years ago when they opened I did my first Yelp review and actually dinged them on their beer selection. It wasn’t necessarily ~bad~, it was just okay with options from Stone, New Belgium and a few others. They obviously took notice and branched out. Since that initial yelp review, I’ve been back around five times for food and drinks, each time I’m always delighted by the ambiance, service, and selection of fresh gourmet comfort food, and of course the beer selection, which has improved considerably.

The current beer selection seems to nail favorites of each style. For instance on the IPA style: one visit, they had Pliny the Elder, next time, Stone Ruination, next visit, Ballast Point Sculpin, my recent visit: Avery Majaraja. They don’t overlap the styles too much and balance it out so there’s something for whatever one might be in the mood for.

Going back to my recent visit, I sat at the bar alone and ordered an Omegang BPA served in a mid-stem tulip poured to the brim, around a pinkie of pale head. Two older ladies pull up stools next to me, sighing from a day of antique shopping. “I’d like a Corona”, “me too” says the other lady. They were in town from Texas and were shocked they didn’t have Corona. As they were getting up to leave for another place I tipped my hat up and said, “no problemo, Dixie Chix, this place has really good beer.” “Fancy Shmancy Beer” said the younger one with a gruff whiskey/smoker voice. I offered to order a couple flights and said I’d pay if they didn’t like them. They were delighted and and the bartender got a kick out it as well.

the Omegang Gals. Don’t mess with em.

Haven offers a four-pour taster board with varying prices on them. Most are $2, some are upwards of $5. Considering the hot day and their preference of Mexican Lager, I ordered the Liefmans Cuvee Brut, Ballast Point Wahoo (Wheat), Omegang BPA, and a Deschuttes Black Butte. The older lady grabs the Liefmans, pops a swig and rolls her eyes while tilting her head. “WOW, this is beer?” The other lady with the thick Texas accent swishes it around her mouth a couple times and says, “holy shit I can drink this! Yee haw pardner!” then pulled out two pistols and began shooting into the ceiling. Okay I made that up, but they did freak out a little. If you ever get the chance to try the Cuvee Brut, do so. It’s a Cherry Belgium fruit beer coming in at 6%.

I admit this has nothing to do with the post, but it's nice to look at.

They both said “I don’t like dark beer at all”, so I made a point to add the Deschuttes Black Butte Porter. I instructed them to save this for last. A porter? on a hot day? I say yes. There’s something a porter does to me after a day of hard work. It seems to refill my soul and give me a second wind, even on a hot day.

As they worked their way through the BPA (weren’t crazy about) and the Wahoo Wheat (They loved) they arrived at the Black Butte. I ordered up a pint myself. “I hope it doesn’t taste like a black butt” said the older one. I immediately cracked back with, “you know what black butt tastes like?” ahaha, we were in tears. You had to be there I spose. I said “smell it, what does it smell like?”, “ooh, I smell chocolate”, “oh yes, definitely chocolate”. Upon tasting, they followed with “I taste some coffee and maybe a little vanilla”. I was shocked. Virgin tongues nailing it. We all clanked glasses, finished our beers and went on about our day. They actually paid for my beer as well as theirs which was nice.

"I like black buttes and I cannot lie"

As you can tell, this isn’t really a review of the place. It’s one of those places that simply gets it. Really good fresh gourmet comfort food, really good beers. Go there!

Located on the south side of old town Orange circle. (the Plaza for all you Orange jerks 🙂 havengastropub.com

DCA gets more IBU

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I took my lovely four year old girl to Disneyland and California Adventure last Friday and discovered a new niche (rhymes with itch, not feesh) in the OC beer world. It’s nothing spectacular, but the addition of Bayside Brews will be making my trips to the land of a million dreams™ more bearable.

Bayside Brews, with 20% more IBU's

Here’s a handy beer guide to Disneyland California Adventure:

  1. Karl Strauss Beer Truck – Has Woodie Gold, Hef, Tower IPA, a Seasonal usually. The Lucky Fortune Cookery has Sapporo on Draft if you don’t care for a Karl.
  2.  Ariel’s Grotto – The usual inBev beers plus Guinness.
  3. Bayside Brews – Listed above with some Sierra Nevada action.
  4. Wine, for the non-beer drinkers in your crew. The Italian restaurant has a few inBev options (reservations recommended).
  5. Under #3 where the tree logo is: Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel. Has a nice bar you can chill at on a hot day. On a cool night you can take your brews to the huge rock fireplace and kick your yelpin’ dogs up with a tasty beer.
If you’re stuck in Disneyland, the only option is Club 33 in New Orleans Square, but you have to be an invited guest of someone that has an account there. Chances are though, Club 33 members could give a shit about craft beer. “Buffy! Fetch me a Bud Light please!”
If you do make it out for a trip to Disneyland, make sure and wear your green jogging trunks!

Captain Europe and daughter in line for Ariel's new ride.