September Adventures 9/1-9/8

This past week I drank beer from another country, visited a local mountain, went to hear one of my favorite musicians, attended one of my favorite beer events, and got to see some of my favorite friends!

Armenian Beer

Goat guarding Big Thunder Mountain

Joey Cape!!!

3 of the 4 Brewers, at OC Brew Ha Ha, you should listen to their podcast!

OC Brew Ha Ha, Carlos and Armando love Knuckle Sandwich

5th Annual OC Brew Ha Ha Recap

This past Saturday, one of my favorite events of the year took place, the OC Brew Ha Ha.  This was my third year attending the event and once again, it was great!  While I've attended and also helped out at many beer events, this year one of my friends who's never been to a beer event joined me.  My friend is a huge Smiths and Morrissey fan and when she found out the Sweet and Tender Hooligans were going to be playing, she was just a bit excited.

Yay, friends!

This year, as in years past, the OC Brew Ha Ha did a great job of organizing the event.  Although even more breweries attended this year, there was still plenty of room to wander around and even find a quiet shady spot to relax.  New this year was a giant foosball game which was a great way for attendees to take a break in-between drinking beers.  Also new this year, attendees were allowed to enter the grounds before beer started flowing to help with the processing of tickets.  This was a really smart move on the OC Brew Ha Ha organizers and I heard several people commenting on how happy they were that they didn't have to wait in a huge line missing out on valuable beer consumption time.

Beer Girls playing Foosball

The OC Brew Ha Ha does a fantastic job of inviting breweries which appeal to a wide variety of beer fans. Breweries in attendance included well-known local favorites such as Newport Beach Brewing Company, which brought some amazing sours, along with brand new breweries like Four Sons Brewing.  Four Sons Brewing, which had their grand opening the day following the OC Brew Ha Ha, brought a fantastically named and tasting beer, The Great One, a 9.9% ABV DIPA.  All in all, over eighty breweries participated in the OC Brew Ha Ha this year, quite an increase from last year's fifty-five breweries that attended.

Four Sons Brewing makes great beers!

From Bootlegger's Brewery Knuckle Sandwich DIPA to SanTan Brewing's Mr. Pineapple, the choices of beers available had something for everyone to enjoy.  Having such a wide variety of beers as well as unlimited tastings made it super easy for my friend to find several beers that she liked throughout the day.  

SanTan Brewing's Mr. Pineapple is delicious!

As in past years, a collaboration beer was made for the event.  This year Bottle Logic Brewing and Iron Fist Brewing worked together to create a saison, Dr. Strange Matter. Brewed using authentic farmhouse yeast and pink peppercorns with Wakatu and Waimea hops and a dash of locally sourced caramelized honey. Dr. Strange Matter was aged in Chardonnay barrels and is a perfect beer for a hot summer day.

Line for Dr. Strange Matter

While having brewery representatives on hand to talk about their beers is always welcome, the OC Brew Ha Ha also has fire fighters on hand to help pour beer.  This is a great way to remind attendees that the OC Brew Ha Ha helps to support the Fallen Fire Fighters Relief Fund.

Fire fighter pouring Einstook Beer

Along with a wide variety of breweries, several different food trucks, restaurants, and vendors were also at OC Brew Ha Ha.  From The Iron Press to Porko Rico BBQ, there was a great selection of food options. There was ample seating in shaded areas and of course, many people took advantage of sitting on the grass and having an impromptu picnic.

Food trucks!

The best way to end a great day of drinking delicious beers is by listening to live music.  The Sweet and Tender Hooligans had so much energy and were amazing!  They played a great selection of both the Smiths and Morrissey songs.  It was easy to forget that you were listening to a cover band!

Once again, I had a great time at OC Brew Ha Ha.  I am looking forward to seeing who performs next year as well as which breweries will be joining in an epic end of summer event!  

Cheers to another amazing Brew Ha Ha!

August Adventures, 8/24-8/31

This past week ended with a trip to my favorite city, San Diego.  I went to a few of my favorite places and also finally visited Blind Lady Ale House for the first time.  Along with an amazing selection of craft beer, Blind Lady Ale House also has yummy food and a relaxing atmosphere.  I don't know why it took me so long to go to Blind Lady Ale House, but it is now on my list of favorite places in San Diego!  

Sanfilippo's is my favorite Italian restaurant, I love that it is family owned!

Hop-Fu! IPA, Julian Shrago and Kelsey McNair's Pro-Am GABF entry, absolutely amazing flavors, so glad I got to try this beer!

"She brings me Mexican food from Sombrero, just because..."

Music, Firestone Walker's 805, and swimming makes for a perfect day!

Swimming is fun with Founder's Brewing All Day IPA!

Firestone Walker Reveals 2014 Velvet Merkin!

Paso Robles, CA: Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s Velvet Merkin barrel-aged oatmeal stout is set to make a curtain call with the release of the 2014 vintage starting on September 15.

“We let our hair down with the 2014 Velvet Merkin and changed up the barrel mix a bit compared to previous vintages,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “Velvet Merkin has always had this signature milk chocolate character, but now the vanilla notes are more pronounced as well. We’re pretty stoked on this vintage.”

The 2014 Velvet Merkin was primarily aged in bourbon barrels from Elijah Craig and Woodford Reserve, along with a selection of Rittenhouse Rye whiskey barrels. The Elijah Craig and Woodford Reserve barrels imparted fine bourbon qualities, while the younger Rittenhouse Rye whiskey barrels provided subtle spiciness with an elevated vanilla character.

The 2014 Velvet Merkin is a blend chosen from five separate batches brewed and barreled down at different times, with an average of one year spent in the barrel.

“We had more Velvet Merkin barrels to choose from than ever before, so we were able to really fine tune the blend with complementary lots,” Brynildson said. “We moved into our new barrel cellar earlier this year, and our barrel-aged program is maturing. It’s helping us get the most out of each beer, and the 2014 Velvet Merkin is an example of that.”

A total of 3,500 cases (22-ounce bottles; $16.99) were produced, with availability in select markets across the United States.