Beercation: Alpine Beer Co.

Posted on by

While down in San Diego/Escondido I ditched my reservation at Stone World Bistro for a trip to Alpine Beer Co and pub. Before you hit the back button, Alpine Beers rival Stone on almost every level. Okay, really, please don’t click the red X button! I’m not an arrogant bastard!

Having been to Stone on several occasions, I know it’s practically Heaven. Craft Beer newbies and enthusiasts from all over the world worship at the gargoyle alter. Coors Light drinkers are routinely sacrificed on the large monolithic stone in the lobby. Greg Koch (CEO and half owner) routinely signs bottles for beer fans as if some sort of celebrity. If you haven’t been to Stone, go. Make sure to not make eye-contact with Mr. Koch or he might break out in a mirror-practiced speech several times about sustainability and profitability. I kid of course, Stone beers are a benchmark to how others are measured. I love what Stone has done for Craft Beer. Greg Koch is a business master and exhibits passion that I truly admire. I’ll get off my knees now…

I wanted to hit Alpine Beer Co ever since trying a bottle of “Pure Hoppyness” my brewer friend Scott “StarRaptor) Bennet from SNB Brewing brought to an IPA tasting. The beer really stood out with a huge hop aroma, dank oily piney hops similar to Pliney, but Socal. I found out they have a pub with really great pub food as far as yelpers were concerned. Not knowing what to expect, we hit it up. Google Maps points you to a place called Alpine Inn which is wrong. Keep going down the main drag another half mile and you can’t miss the rustic carved wooden sign. If Google maps doesn’t know where you are, you are truly off the beaten path in the beer world!

Some dude named Al makes a Pine beer? Hardy har har

The pub is about the same size as a typical 7-11. It has a ten person bar, four booths, a side bar looking out the window, and 4 four person tables. We walked in and sat at the only available table 2pm on a Sunday. We ordered up some flights and wings. Not knowing what their beers names were I asked our waiter what some of them were. Two of their beers, “Willy” and “Nelson” brews aren’t related to the singer, unfortunately. I’m sure they get that a lot.

While there I banged out almost their entire beer menu. My wife (lets call her “the HopHater”) enjoyed their Mandarin Nectar, and I started off with “Hoppy Birthday”; a big Pale Ale that is two hop cones shy of an IPA. Sister in law had a “Nelson”, being her wife’s maiden name. Nelson is a big smooth Rye IPA with huge hops and the rye makes for an incredibly smooth beer. Drinking these beers I’m picturing brew master Pat McIlhenney shoveling piles of hops into the kettles like a firebox crew in a steam locomotive.

I ordered up a tasting flight. They give you a slip to fill out and they serve it in a numbered muffin tin in order of how you wrote it on the slip. I love having tasters served all at the same time to really get down to business with comparing.  I had Duet, Pure Hoppyness, Willy Vanilly and Cap’n Stout. Duet is a 50/50 mix of my two favorite hops – Amarillo and Simcoe. Willy Vanilly is their Wheat beer with huge Vanilla notes. The HopHater really enjoyed it. The Stout was pretty dry ala Irish Stout.

I always forget to photograph it before I guzzle. Notice I always save the best for last!

The Pub has no take away beers. The brewery and pub are in the same strip mall, but not connected. They have their own hours. If the brewery is closed you have to go down the street to a liquor store to buy their brews which was the case for us. At the local liquor store I was able to grab their Red Ale which wasn’t tapped at the pub. The Red, like the Stout was done in Irish Tradition. Its aromas and flavors brought me back to my trip a year ago to Ireland; drinking copious amounts of Smithwick’s and Murphy’s Irish Red…so good!

Hoppy Birthday okay guys. Great session pale ale with huge hop notes.

The Food was BBQ style pub grub served fresh with huge spicy and sweet flavors. I loved the menu says to tell the server if you don’t like spicy food. We grabbed some smoked wings with dry rub to start then settled into some serious grilled cheese, black-n-tan onion rings, buffalo chicken sandwich with jalapeno jack cheese and their green beans…yes, their green beans were diabolical. There wasn’t a speck of food left when we ordered another round. They didn’t have dessert which is fine by me; more room for beer!

The only negative was one of the servers was a little testy (or is it “teste”?) and didn’t want to explain the beers. I asked a couple times for a flight sheet, refills, and had to go to the bar to ask the other server. He asked us how long we were going to stay as there was a wait outside. When your bill is over a hundred bucks, one shouldn’t feel rushed. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was having a shitty day which is fine. It didn’t rub off on me! Craft beer waiters shouldn’t have attitudes like 1990 Tower Records employees. The other server on tap was awesome and joked with us. I dug his “Holiday Inn Cambodia” shirt he actually got in Vietnam at a Holiday Inn.

Sure this isn’t a place in Orange County, but it is reachable by a daytrip. There’s many quality options for great craft beer in San Diego, but consider going a bit off the path to Alpine Beer Co!

Haven Gastropub Bar (Old Town Orange)

Posted on by

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

Many more tasting rooms to come!

Posted on by

California is a great state, especially for good beer!

buy periactin online psychrecoveryinc.com/mobile/images/png/periactin.html no prescription pharmacy

Our State Legislature unanimously passed a bill making it easier for a brewery to open a tasting room without jumping through the same hoops as a food joint.

buy tamiflu online psychrecoveryinc.com/mobile/images/png/tamiflu.html no prescription pharmacy
buy mebendazole online https://nurseguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/mebendazole.html no prescription pharmacy

If I read it correctly, any out of state brewery can also easily set up shop here with a tasting room and distribution site.

buy female viagra online https://nurseguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/female-viagra.html no prescription pharmacy

Link to the Bill.

Link to how a Bill becomes a Law.

Link to a guy named Bill.

The bill was brought forth by State Assembly Members Chesbro and Fletcher. Fletcher is the Assemblyman from San Diego (not Stone’s district). Chesbro hails the North West tip of California (just the tip).

buy augmentin online psychrecoveryinc.com/mobile/images/png/augmentin.html no prescription pharmacy
buy clomiphene online https://nurseguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/clomiphene.html no prescription pharmacy

Chesebro likes dogs, and beer.

The best little brewery you can’t go to. (Peace Brewing)

Posted on by

I live in the Anaheim Colony Historic District in an old house.

buy hydroxychloroquine online https://workplacementalhealth.iu.edu/news-events/html/hydroxychloroquine.html no prescription pharmacy

Among the loud trains that go down my street, Walt Disney’s Firework Explosion Annoyance Spectacular, Ghetto Birds flying around, Mexican Banda Musica blaring from car stereos, neighbors that shoot bottle rockets year round, wild parrots that caw at 5AM, constant sirens, gun shots, dogs barking, the ex-trumpet player of No Doubt down the street and the constant smell of burritos, there exists Bradley Daniels of Peace Brewing.

I want a T shirt with that logo.

One can’t just purchase a beer brewed by Peace Brewing. It must be obtained by invitation to one of the coolest old Craftsman houses in the five square miles of the Anaheim Colony.

buy semaglutide online https://nursingabroad.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/semaglutide.html no prescription pharmacy

I was lucky enough to meet Brad at one of our neighborhood monthly potlucks, where Brad said “oh my God, YOU are Greg? Man I read your posts on Facebook…you’re a freak!”. Yep, that’s me. I had my invitation. Weeks went by and we met up at Bootleggers Brewery in Fullerton with his lovely smiley wife, Daira. We talked beer, old time Anaheim, good Mexican food, OC Punk Rock of the early 80’s. We drank Bootleggers Golden Chaos aged in Brandy Barrels for a year. Holy shit that beer was like a cherry sour dipped in Brandy! I’ll never forget it. Great company with great beer is always a win-win!

Anaheim Colony residents enjoy Brad and Daira’s backyard at a recent potluck.

Weeks went by and I finally got the chance to check out Peace Brewing at the AHP Brew Club Monthly meeting. It was totally overwhelming of course, meeting some very talented brewers in a personal setting. I got the brewery tour and was in awe. Kind of like the pool scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High as a twelve year old boy.

buy prednisone online https://workplacementalhealth.iu.edu/news-events/html/prednisone.html no prescription pharmacy

The brewery exists in a converted garage; it contains a bar, brewing area, four taps, a table, a men’s room with urinal, a temp controlled fermentation room and industrial fridge. My first impression: cozy and functional. The beer is more than just a beverage, I felt like I had been stumbling through a desert for days and found beer tap hanging out of a tree.

“how about an ice cold one, Brad”

Brad quickly burns taps and brews up another batch. Newer brewers use modern technology to help their fermented goods.

buy symbicort online https://nursingabroad.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/symbicort.html no prescription pharmacy

Brad uses pencil and an old notebook to keep track of recipes, gravity readings etc.

buy tirzepatide online https://nursingabroad.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/tirzepatide.html no prescription pharmacy

There’s something so elemental about it and he makes it look easy. The beers he brews are far from primitive. On my first visit he had ESB, Wheat, IPA and Porter. The porter was served with Nitrogen gas, making it pour similar to Guinness giving it that sexy waterfall look with a pillowy cream head. The ESB and Wheat were outstanding showcases for the styles, and the IPA. Yes, the IPA…weighing in at 8% ABV:  “Doesn’t 8% qualify as a double?” “nah, I don’t think so”. Man, Peace Brewing IPA could be sold in stores. Citrus and pine on the nose, fruity finish, very easy drinking 8%.

Aside from the brewery, Brad and Daira have transformed their back yard into a zen like place to relax with a raised koy pond and deck. A hammock sits off in the distance next to a 10X scale home-made lawn Jenga game. A large angular avocado tree provides shade on a hot day. The interior of their house is typical of an early 1900’s Crafstman with many built in cabinets and storage. They’ve only lived here three years, making everyone feel like huge under-achievers with their place! It looks and feels like its been lived in for decades!

Yes, Lawn Jenga! Manual dexterity and a cold beer are required.

Both Brad and Daira are also two of the nicest and down to earth people I’ve had the pleasure to meet and hang out with in recent years. Brad has a cool old punk rock vibe. If he told me he played stand-up bass in an experimental blues band, I’d believe him. Daira is always adorned with a warm smile and quick to offer up a cold beer. Their cool attitude and stylish home is truly inspiring! I wouldn’t be surprised to see their house featured in Sunset magazine, or a Beer Porn magazine if such a thing existed.

All I have to say is I’m happy to have Brad and Daira as friends so I can enjoy this little bit of paradise in Anaheim!

More Pics here courtesy of the OC Register.

Thee Beer Book Blog: Features very nice photos of the brewery itself.

Old Orange Brewing Co. (Pre Grand Opening)

Posted on by

Popped in for a quick flight at Old Orange Brewing Co before their official grand opening. Just a few quick notes.

Lovely Friday evening around six I drove the Death-Star (aka Scion xB) into the typical brewery set up in an industrial park on the weird part of town. I found a business nearby called “BJ Machine“. Seriously, how weird is that? If I worked in a surrounding business, taste buds would be tingling with delight when I found a brewery is a neighbor. As it is, my liver is pretty unlucky to have a fifth brewery within a ten mile radius of my house. Drinking local is now extremely viable in north OC thanks to the good folks at OOB.

Walking into the long and skinny warehouse, the brewery is set up nicely with a tasting area that fits around a dozen fitness-minded types around the bar area. The tasting room itself is large enough to fit a few elephants, or maybe even a Chinese Tour Bus, heck even the ego of Russell Crowe could fit in this place. Prince could drive his little red Corvette in here without any lubricant. If you brought a hotdog in here, it would be like a hotdog in hallway! It’s pretty loose is what I’m getting at, if you catch my drift. It’s a pretty clean set up with nicely painted walls, shiny taps and fermenting beer.

Socks! Bonus points for having a woman with a Hess shirt! I actually ran into this couple at Bootleggers the night before. Very nice!

They had 3 beers on tap:

  • Street Fair: Kölsh 4.5%
  • Old Dummy: American Strong Ale 9.3% – My favorite of the three. Malty/fruity aroma. Nutty carmely malt complexity. Smooth scotch ale type mouth feel.
  • Cannonball: IPA had a slight diacetyl quality. Very different from other Socal IPA, perhaps reminiscent of English IPA which I’m not that familiar with.

The guys behind the bar were extremely nice and helpful. I really look forward to the other beers they have in the tank. I will definitely be back for the grand opening!

http://oldorangebrewing.com/ 1444 N. Batavia Street Orange, CA 92867

Update: Squeeze My Orange has a nice interview giving some background on how they started and the stories behind the beers.

Food Pairing – Run B.M.C. and Sushi!

Posted on by

Beer: Bruery Provisions Series: Run B.M.C. Imperial Pilsner

Food: Sushi at Tokyo Cafe in Orange.

Go to the Bruery Provisions in Orange and pick up a bottle or two of Run B.

buy vibramycin online https://nurseguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/vibramycin.html no prescription pharmacy

M.C. Next, walk two store-fronts up to Tokyo Cafe Sushi and Japanese Cuisine. They don’t have a liquor license, and encourage you to BYO!

buy motilium online bywoodeast.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/motilium.html no prescription pharmacy

The pairing was wonderful.

Each swig and chomp gave an eye-roll as the umami flavors bloomed into brilliance.

buy ivermectin online bywoodeast.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/ivermectin.html no prescription pharmacy

The astringent qualities of an Imperial Pilsner work well as a pallet cleanser, yet the 7% ABV will heighten the heat from a “Hot Date” roll (Tempura Jalapeno roll topped with spicy Tuna) dipped in Sriracha, topped with a hint of Wasabi and pickled Ginger.

buy neurontin online bywoodeast.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/neurontin.html no prescription pharmacy
buy toradol online https://nurseguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/toradol.html no prescription pharmacy

Drinking the beer to put out the fire only accentuated the Ginger flavors and throttled the heat.

buy xenical online https://nurseguidance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/png/xenical.html no prescription pharmacy

There are numerous options for food pairings, this one seems to be perfect. Run B.M.C. is a limited release, so get it while you can!

DCA gets more IBU

Posted on by

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.

Brew Day! (maple wheat)

Posted on by

I’ve had the itch to brew some beer since doing a batch of wine a few months ago. Hanging out with brewers I felt left out of the fun! Homebrewer/Neighbor/Friend Brad Daniels of Peace Brewing gave me the skinny on brewing in the OC. (Nice articles on his set up here and here.)

There are a couple options in OC for homebrew supply, and it basically works out like this: North OC hit Addisons Homebrew Provisions (AHP). South OC hit O’Sheas. I think Brewbakers in HB also sells kits. I’ve talked with a few brewers that shop at both AHP and O’Sheas and everyone has extremely positive reviews. Me, being from North OC chose Addisons. You can also purchase everything online, but I highly recommend supporting local business. The other bonus to shopping at a local shop is the ability to join their homebrew club, message boards, and even have people to call with dumb newbie questions.

Wheat Malt Extract, Recipe, and a Cold Beverage. The jar is filled with Whirflock, whatever the hell that is.

I purchased the starter kit, a 7.5 Gallon Brew Kettle and a Wort chiller (optional). One morning I was eating some Cream of Wheat with real maple syrup for breakfast, and decided that was my inspiration for my first brew. A simple Maple Wheat beer! Eric at Addisons whipped up a quick recipe for the base Wheat beer and made a substitution for the Maple Syrup. All I had to buy was the Maple Syrup from Trader Joes.

IKEA stands for "I Kiss Everyone's Ass". A quote from when I worked there twenty years ago. Picked up a scale, measure and a timer.

I don’t have a super good burner so I opted for the one on my BBQ. I figured it scorches the crap out of beans in ten seconds it should do a fine job boiling six gallons of water. It did okay. Most of my brew time was waiting for boil to happen, which is not exciting. While at IKEA I bought a few items as well, a timer, measure, and a digital scale. I also bought a BUTRÄK.

Homebrewing made easy with a Kenmore BBQ! Wort chiller just chillin' and hanging around, ya know, shootin' the breeze.

All in all it went fairly smooth. My only issues were my own retardedness thinking the Arrowhead 2.5 Gallon jugs were 2 Gallons. I was about to add a third jug and the pot was full. Also, my wort chiller leaked into the wort. I had some good fermentation after five hours! The following morning it was bubbling away.

Brewing up the beer. Note the hop sack. "Hop Sack" is my new favorite derogatory term of endearment for fellow homebrewers.

I’ll keep you posted when I bottle it, and drink it, and hopefully not die.