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My Top 10 OC Beers of All Time

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I’ve been casually writing about beer in Orange County since there were literally three breweries. Although I no longer have the time (or pay) to keep doing so on the reg, one sleepless night had me thinking…what are the best and most memorable beers I’ve had that are crafted here in Orange County?

For whatever reason, Orange County seemed to sweep world and national competition with Coffee Beers. Thanks to the incredible coffee-nerdiness of Jeff Duggan from Portola Coffee Lab, Beers like Mocha Machine from Beachwood, Dusk ’til Dawn from Pizza Port, Naughty Sauce from Noble Ale Works, Super Tonic from Docent, The Riizo from Riip, Portola Breakfast Stout from Tustin, There is no Cow Level from Gamecraft…and on and on and on. They’re not all Portola, but most of the brewery collabs he did set the bar for insanely aromatic roastiness in our beer scene.

The Bruery, Black Tuesday. Back in 2009, there weren’t a whole lot of local breweries putting Russian Imperial Stouts into freshly-emptied bourbon barrels. Now, every beer geek probably has a decade-long vertical gently resting in the back of their closet.

Green Cheek, Radiant Beauty. West Coast IPA wasn’t born in Green Cheek’s brewhouse, but they sure did seem to perfect it. Low bitterness, big aroma, resinous mouthfeel. After a pint, I always wanted another.

Unsung, Metaplex

Barley Forge, The Patsy

Bottle Logic, Fundamental Observation

Riip Beer Co, Dan K IPA

Everywhere Brewing Co, Everyone Kolsch

Stereo Brewing, Wall of Sound

 

The Year OC Got Eighteen GABF Medals

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So, I crept out of beer blogging semi-retirement to jot down some super important thoughts on GABF 2025 and what the Orange County beer scene has accomplished this year. In the past, I’ve usually jotted down a quick blog for historical purposes, but this year OC Register beat me to it as I was watching the award ceremony in bed, fighting a hangover from a night out with Brad Daniels (IFKYK).

Later that day, I read SD Beer News’ coverage of GABF medals, and I must say, I got a little bit FIRED UP. SD Beer News clumped in beers brewed in Orange County with asterics* if the place has ‘local ties’ or other location in SD. I’m fine with that; however, I believe the awards belong to the city, county, and god-given soil the beer was made on. It goes where the medal will be displayed and pondered over by guests for years to come.

In 2025, Orange County got EIGHTEEN medals at the Great American Beer Festival. We got ten in 2024, and before that, ten to twelve was more or less our average. But EIGHTEEN? Why is nobody talking about this? That’s so insane!

Los Angeles, with its nine million people, got EIGHT. SD received ELEVEN.

I’m not here to take the wind out of anyone’s sails, but since I’ve been covering OC Beer since we had three breweries, we never get credit where credit is due…and that credit belongs to the brewers and teams here, the ones who continually repeat in the most-entered categories like IPA, Coffee Beer, and others.

Gold Way Heavy Pizza Port San Clemente San Clemente OC Scottish-Style Ale
Gold tracing the departed everywhere Orange OC Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
Gold Trunk Box Left Coast Brewing Co. Irvine OC American-Style Brown Ale
Gold Chaos Erupts Unsung Brewing Co. Tustin OC American-Style Strong Pale Ale
Gold Record Beer 1886 Brewing Co. Orange OC Brown Porter
Silver Saison For Papa Green Cheek Beer Co. – Costa Mesa Costa Mesa OC Classic Saison
Silver Gaining Momentum Radiant Beer Co. Anaheim OC Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
Silver Guava Cart Golden Road Brewing Anaheim OC Fruit Wheat Beer
Silver Pint of Soul Docent Brewing San Juan Capistrano OC International-Style Pale Ale
Silver Blimp Hangar Porter Tustin Brewing Co. Tustin OC Robust Porter
Silver Doom Sludge Green Cheek Beer Co. – Costa Mesa Costa Mesa OC American Black Ale or American Stout
Silver Moooving On Beachwood Brewing – Huntington Beach Huntington Beach OC Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
Silver Coast Molinos Los Molinos Beer Co. San Clemente OC West Coast IPA
Silver Darkstar November Bottle Logic Brewing Anaheim OC Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout
Bronze Californios Station Craft Dana Point OC Mexican-Style Pale Lager
Bronze DDH The Other Brian Green Cheek Beer Co. – Costa Mesa Costa Mesa OC Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
Bronze A Dark in the Light Radiant Beer Co. Anaheim OC American Black Ale or American Stout
Bronze Super Tonic Docent Brewing San Juan Capistrano OC Coffee Stout or Porter

Five Beer Festivals

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In 2026, a lot of people are saying the traditional beer festival as we know it is DEAD.  And while I agree, I don’t ever want to wield a tiny plastic cup with ten sponsors scribed on it only to meet various beer reps pouring their most mainline IPA; “but come back at 1:34pm to get a special can pour of our latest triple hazy!” Ugh.

With a beer festival, I want to be dazzled by beer…I want to learn something new. I want to dance and simultaneously sit and hold a conversation with a brewer or a total random stranger. I want to leave the fest and feel glad I went. I don’t want hard kombucha, seltzer, mead, or cider getting in the way of my water, malt, hops, and yeast-made concoctions.

Whenever I talk about beer festivals, I inevitably fall back to the Tim and Eric bit where they talk about the universe

Since starting this blog fifteen years ago, I’ve attended seven or eight festivals a year, which puts me around a hundred during this time. Some were very memorable, some I left after an hour. I’ve done huge invitationals like Firestone Walker, some on the east coast, and hell, I’ve even hosted my own cask ale festival nearly ten times.

Here are five festivals I haven’t yet been to, but plan on it:

Kriek & Lambic Festival – Belgium

Organized by the Gueuze Society, is just what you’d expect. Every other year, a thousand or so bottles are de-corked and caged, placed in a lambic basket, and drizzled festively into glassware, some even landing on the historic cobblestone street below.

Checking out Brussel's Mannequin Pis with a belly full of andoiette AAAAA and Cantillon Gueuze.

Why I want to go: My last trip to Brussels in 2024 was very short, and although I got to try the greatest hits, I’d like to dive deeper into traditional Lambic culture. As fewer “sour” beers in the U.S. are being produced, it would be heartwarming for me to go back and sample directly from the blenders literally fighting extinction.

Fynefest – Scotland

Think Scottish Highlands, rain, mud, mountains, and ale. It’s all part of a magical Scottish brewing revival story, where I couldn’t be stopped from singing the hills are alive from the Sound of Music whilst prancing around (even though that’s Austrian lol). The fest lasts a weekend, and camping on the grounds is permitted. There’s panels, live music, ____________

Why I want to go: I haven’t been to Scotland, for starters, but I’m a huge fan of Highland and Islay Scotch. I want to see what the resurgence of Scotch craft beer can tell me about the country, other than shilling-based pub ales and Wee Heavies.

Modern Times Leisuretown: Open Tuesday!

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Poolside sippin’. Reservations suggested. Photo – Nagel

It’s weird to think all the way back in 1851 there was a utopian community in New York called Modern Times, where the founders and builders based its ideals on individual sovereignty and equitable commerce.

There is some parking, but download the CtrCity Anaheim app and use Fran from the Center Street Promenade parking structures or rideshare. Neighborhood parking is permit. Photo – Nagel

A few years later, the city of Anaheim would be built by a similar forward-thinking community of poets, vintners, and ragtag artists…soon to follow with spitoon-filled saloons, breweries, and hotels lining Los Angeles Boulevard where the Packinghouse and totally new Modern Times Leisuretown sits today.

“But will there be a pool?” Photo – Nagel

Not much has changed in Anaheim since then, aside from prohibition, Disneyland, a couple sports teams, and now a dozen or so breweries. Modern Times is finally open after a few years of city planning and other hot-button projects that took priority. But here I am, sitting amongst an atrium of trees in a seventy’s-ish kitchy swoop chair…a fat drippy plant-based cowboy burger in one hand and a sweaty LICE in the other (Lime and salt ICE Lager that’s fresh and delicious.)

Familiar face: Ryan Dick is like the Issac of the Modern Times Love Boat. – Photo – Nagel

The burger fits my bright green cowboy bandana facemask drooping around my neck. We are, after all, in the thick of a pandemic in one of the most densely affected cities in Orange County. This is the first time I’ve been out of the house for a beer in four months, but I still feel the nerves. Check-in was meaningfully thorough, which put me at ease. It included a verbal health check, ID check, a credit card swipe, and I was in. Ordering beer requires ordering food, and the menus are available via a simple phone barcode scan. The space is wide open outdoors with areas to safely distance.

Lime Ice and Cowboy Burger – Yeehaw! Photo – Nagel

Yes, there’s a pool. There’s also a completely refurbished craftsman bungalow that isn’t open yet. Oooh, and there’s a brewery on-site, which I can’t wait to check out. The inside wasn’t signed off on yet so it was off-limits. I’ll do a follow-up.

The munch wrap and house fresh hotsauce. A must. Photo – Nagel

The kitchen, led by chef Kody DeNike, is all plant-based, but don’t let that turn you off. As a carnivore, the cowboy burger ($14) was a serious endeavor that almost needed a hydraulic press to get it within mouth-girth range. Its beefish Beyond patty, crispy house pickles, perfectly fried onion rings, and a coconut-based cheese that actually oozes and tastes like the real deal make this burger a new fave. The menu draws inspiration from far and wide, with items like a chorizo burrito, token Nashville hot, Coney Island dawg, and the must-get Munch Wrap filled with beyond, pico, crema, and “gas station cheese,” I can’t wait to go back and try everything.

Modern Times Leisuretown is at 555 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim. Limited parking. Ride share and FRAN friendly. Opens July 28, 2020! noon-8 daily, check their website for details. 

(Update: Open Tuesday July 28.)

 

I’ve Moved On…To Get Paid!

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′OCBeerBlog has moved on to hundreds of freelance gigs. Find his shenanigans here!

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Back To Basics: Put Some Gulden Draak In Your Belfry

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(Sponsored) – In a world where we are blessed with great local beer, sometimes it’s necessary to go back into that spirit of trying something out of one’s comfort zone.

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Something from Belgium, and big enough to survive the spoils of travel. Enter, Gulden Draak.

global beer

Global Beer Network Rep Natasha with a few Van Steenberge bieres at The Clay Oven

My first run-in with Gulden Draak was at a pub night at Irvine’s Indian Food stalwart, The Clay Oven. Everything from tandoor-roasted bone marrow to a lamb stuffed naan married well with the beer, and I must admit, was the first time seeing such great beer at an Indian restaurant. One beer I kept going back to was Gulden Draak, a 10.5% dark tripel with just enough going on to pair with just about everything.

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It was also this beer where I learned a valuable lesson in beer pairing: “sweet calms heat,” something to remember when ordering those dynamite habanero wings.

gulden draak tripel ocbeerblog

White bottle, dark tripel

Revisiting the beer today, I can see why it stood out. The husky ruby-brown beer pours with an abundance of frothy white foam, instantly sending aromas of dark fruits up the ol’ wafting tunnel. Once the quickly expanding head settles, the aromas keep rolling: caramel, clove, and banana bread burst around hints of sweet alcohol. The flavor is reminiscent of a barley wine carried by spicy Belgian yeast, but the body is light enough to fool you into thinking it’s okay to drive after a glass. It’s totally not. Gulden Draak is all about proper transportation.

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gulden draak 9000 ocbeerblogGoing a few steps higher up the belfry is Gulden Draak 9000, which comes in the black bottle.

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9000 is one of Belgium’s great quadruples, and is named for the zip code in Ghent, Belgium, where the actual golden dragon sits on top of the tallest belfry. It pours surprisingly lighter than the dark tripel in the white bottle, but 9000 is all about the dark fruits, which unashamedly lifts its skirt on the alcohol, despite only being .2% higher. Fermented peach, caramel, dark fruits, and booze run the flavor…

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which is decadent and highly quaffable despite the sheer girth of this beer.

One of the best parts of these overlooked beers is their availability, where a trip to any local big box wine or beer store has 11.

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2oz bottle four packs, 750ml, and in some cases, the magnum, which is super fun to crack at a party.

Visit Gulden Draak’s facebook page to #ConquertheDragon yourself and enter to win swag!

(april fools) Adding to Anaheim: Disneyland Adds Themed Brewpub in California Adventure

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Guess which tap is Wookey Jack? Photo @deniserat

Disneyland California Adventure has featured local craft beer for some time. When news broke this morning about the new brewhouse in California Adventure, I strapped on my mouse ears and screamed the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme! M I C K E…, WHY? Because you love Craft beer!

The Tap List:

  • Elsa’s Eisbock
  • Snow Wit
  • Jane Porter
  • Tinkerbell’s Pixie Dust New England Style IPA
  • The Abominable Hefeweizen
  • Indiana Jones IPA Adventure
  • Jack’s Big Pumpkin Beer (fall seasonal)
  • Geppetto’s Nose Barrel Aged Barley Wine
  • Merida’s Irish Red
  • Pooh’s Honey Blonde
  • Bippity Boppity Brown
  • John Smith’s ESB
  • Dumbo’s Spins Triple IPA
  • Chip & Dale’s Nut Brown Ale
  • Belle’s Beastly Biere de Garde
  • Pirates Rum Barrel Aged Ginger Beer
  • Haunted Mansion Ghost Pepper Pale Ale
  • Mr. Toads Wild Rye IPA
  • Tiki Room Coconut Milk Stout
  • Little Mermaid’s Whozits’s and Whatzits Salty Gose
  • Walt’s Watermelon Wheat
  • Song of the South Stout
  • Sing Sweet Nighten’ Ale, A Cinderella Blonde (served in souvenir glass slipper with optional white glove and tiarra)
  • To Infinity and Beyond Space Pale Ale
  • Peoplemover Pilsner
  • April Fools OMG LOL.

Blood, Sweat, and Beer Documentary Available!

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It’s an odd feeling seeing three friends on the big screen within minutes of a film starting. It’s even more odd sipping a Stone IPA in a plush Fashion Island cinema next to Saks Fifth Avenue.  The film? A craft beer-fueled documentary called Blood, Sweat, and Beer, co-directed by Alexis Irvin and Chip Hiden (where’s my chippy?). With my Newport Beach Film Festival all-access pass dangling from my neck, this is the one film I’m truly buzzed to see. (EDIT – FILM IS OUT ON ITUNES!)

bloodsweatI first learned of the film Blood, Sweat, and Beer from Kickstarter late 2014. Over 150 backers pledged $12,292 to bring the film to life. The lowest perk, $15, netted fans a digital copy plus their name in the credits (look for me!). One of the biggest budgetary hogs of their Kickstarter budget goal was a shocking $3100 in film festival entry fees. Second was $3000 for music licensing. 

The story intertwines the dramatic and cautionary tales of two brewery startups. Much like older beer documentaries such as Beer Wars, stats and other hot topics that define today’s craft beer world fill the film’s gaps. Average cost to start a brewery? Craft versus crafty? It’s all in there.

Plot A tells the emotional story of Danny Robinson, a new brewery owner in Florida that struggles with not only the seasonality of his beach-boardwalk business, but also finds himself in a horrific legal battle with a t-shirt company. Making beer is one thing, but the realities of running a business really hit hard, especially when a good deal of time is spent with lawyers. It should be noted that his brewery uses small skateboards as tasting flight boards; seriously, Pizza Port should jump on that.

Plot B is way more uplifting as it follows three millennials in their final 30 days before their brewery’s grand opening. With zero income in a near-abandoned town, their goal creating a well crafted tasting room with great beer goes down to the wire before the ribbon cutting. One of their main objectives is starting a business that has an impact on revitalizing the town and attracting new businesses and clientele.

Both plots are full of emotion, self doubt and most of all, passion. Overall, it solidifies the importance of the American dream, and how craft beer is so solidly weaved into it.

iTunes, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

Post originally appeared in BeerPaperLA, May 2015

 

The Beer Negroni | OC Celebrates Negroni Week

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Crafting a good beer cocktail isn’t wizardry. Nor does it have to be gimmicky. As a true beer geek and homebrewer at heart who loves a good classic cocktail, I took it upon myself to put together a few cocktail classics with beer as a major component. The first one in my series is the Beergroni, because Negroni week is June 1-7!

IMG_0068The Negroni is a call to Florence, Italy. With a cigarette in one hand and a Negroni in the other, this bitter apéritif is usually sipped before a big meal. Traditionally equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, my first taste of this classic cocktail brought me back to my first time sipping a Stone Arrogant Bastard…the inspiration for this drink.

For the Beergroni, I broke down the flavor components and stripped out the ones that can be replaced by a particular beer. Instead of sweet vermouth and botanicals in gin, I chose the rich malt backbone and hoppy finish of an Imperial red ale. For the heat, I chose a clean lower ABV Acai spirit vodka made by Veev. It’s subtle fruity note balances out the drink without too much booze. Veev is also a carbon-neutral spirit producer, which is a good conversation starter while marrying a local beer with an earth-friendly booze.

The Beergroni Recipe

Chill a glass before starting. Combine ingredients in shaker over crushed ice. Shake openly with vigour to expel beer gas without explosions. Strain into chilled glass, add orange peel. Proper glassware: Lowball glass use cocktail ice. Martini glass or high stemware, ice optional.

Want to get involved in #NegroniWeek for charity? Try the Negroni at these local places!

 

My (Beerish) Golden Foodie Award Picks (Week 1)

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goldenfoodies

A place is only as good as its beer list right? Show your favorite beer-friendly eatery some love at this year’s Golden Foodie Awards! Here’s my picks for week one! Vote here! 

  1. Best Mexican Food – Anepalco’s Cafe, Orange. Anepalco’s French-prepared Mexican cuisine is as tasty as it is beautiful to look at. Paired with local beer on tap? Total win. (C’mon Taco Maria, go local. Nobody should have Shipyard IPA in SoCal. Do you get your masa from Maine too?)
  2. Best Vegetarian Food – Avanti Cafe, Costa Mesa. Last year I went vegan for three months. Avanti’s food tastes like actual food, not a science experiment meat clone. Housed walking distance from Hi-Time Wine Cellar, you can guarantee their four taps rotate with quality product. Runner ups: Seabirds Kitchen, Tender Greens, Healthy Junk (and Junk Bar). Their beer is vegan too, which is why Bison and Uinta are on tap.
  3. Pizza – uh, Pizza Port in San Clemente is the obvious choice, but places like Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, Rances and Pitfire Pizza are taking beer seriously. I’d give the nod to Ortica because the chef’s homebrew saison is better than mine. His pies are legit as well! Out of the Park Pizza is a local favorite of beer geeks with one of the best tap lists in the county. Nod to Fuoco in Fullerton for making a serious delicious pie and good beer options.
  4. Beer – Now, this is sort of like picking the OCBeerBlog best beer bar in Orange County, which is true. This place must have taps that are rare, fresh and served at proper temp in clean/proper glassware. The beer menu must be meticulously planned (not 80% IPA’s, for instance). The servers must be smiley and knowledgeable about beer without being snobbish like a 1995 Tower Records employee. The servers should know the menu and what’s on tap and be willing to offer up pairing suggestions. Prices must be in line with other places (no $8 pale ales, for instance). For me it’s a tossup between Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach or The Playground DTSA. Not only is their beer list well planned, the food is also killer!
  5. American Cuisine – See #4. Add in Chapter One: The Modern Local if you like Ketchup.
  6. Burger – This is tough as I’m very particular with my burgers. I like them no bigger than my fist so I can easily fit a beer and some fries in my belly without exploding. Haven Gastropub’s Lamb Burger is one I always go back to. Nods to Fireside Tavern’s burger/beer Thursday where the chef recreates fast food burger masterpieces.
  7. Best Cocktail – 320 Main in Seal Beach makes the only beer cocktail I’ve ever liked, so nods go to them. The Detroiter has notes of bit-o-honey balanced with the hoppy bite of beer. Joe over at The Playground also shakes and stirs nicely.
  8. Best Food Talk Radio Show? I only listen to podcasts and I hear Four Brewers is great. Beer is food right?

Get over there and vote before the week is up!