Best OC Brewery
1. The Bruery (Placentia)
2. Bootlegger’s (Fullerton)
3. Cismontane (Ranch Santa Margarita)

Best OC Brewpub
1. Pizza Port (San Clemente)
2. Newport Beach Brewing Co, (Newport Beach)
3. TAPS (Brea)

Best OC Festival
1. OC Brew Ha Ha (Irvine)
2. Hoptoberfest (San Clemente)
3. OC Fair (Costa Mesa)

Best OC Bottleshop
1. Hi-Time Cellars (Costa Mesa)
2. Bruery Provisions (Orange)
3. O’Shea Brewing Co (Laguna Niguel) / Amazing Grapes (Rancho Santa Margarita)

Best Beer-Focused OC Restaurant
1. Brü Market & Grill (Lake Forest)
2. Beachwood BBQ (Seal Beach) / Haven Gastropub (Orange)
3. The Playground (Santa Ana)

Best Beer & Pizza in OC
1. Pizza Port (San Clemente)
2. Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria & Taproom (Ranch Santa Margarita)
3. Out of the Park Pizza (Anaheim)

Best New OC Brewery
1. Cismontane (Ranch Santa Margarita)
2. Noble Ale Works (Anaheim)
3. Anaheim Brewery (Anaheim)

Best Tap Selection in OC
1. Beachwood BBQ (Seal Beach)
2. Selma’s Taproom (Ranch Santa Margarita)
3. Goathill Tavern (Costa Mesa)

Best Bottle List in OC
1. Beachwood BBQ (Seal Beach)
2. Haven Gastropub (Orange)
3. Hollingshead’s Deli (Orange)

Don’t agree with the results? Remember to vote next year to help your favorite OC hot-spots come out on top!

Why so bloated you ask? Today I participated in the OC Beer Society’s first annual chili cook-off and bottle share at Peace Brewing in Anaheim. Before I succumb into my yearly ten-pound anti-booze hibernation, I wanted to get one last tasting in before I shed some un-needed lap-lard. Why not do it with rare beers?!?

The host, Peace Brewing,  is the wet dream turned reality of Bradley Daniels in his historic 1920’s Anaheim California bungalow. His vision and raw talent as a craftsman and homebrewer have manifested this backyard magnum opus. The brewpub, garden, deck and koi pond in his backyard invade your senses on all levels. Inhale deep and take in the aroma of fresh redwood decking. In between the house and brewpub, cool shade is draped over the tasting area by a large angular avocado tree sculpted like a monolithic hand reaching to the sky. The koi pond drips and drizzles as a subtle reminder how much blood, sweat and tears were poured into this backyard masterpiece.

The cozy brewpub inside hosts everything one would want out of a public house; bathroom, brewery area and fermentation room; industrial fridge, bar, fireplace, and four taps pouring delicious homebrewed beer. The thing that amazes most first-time guests is the level of detail and finish with every aspect of the converted garage. Everything down to etched glassware with the Peace Brewing logo and custom framed artwork create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

As this was my first event with the OC Beer Society I had no idea what to expect. It seems like everyone has their own specialty; Scott Bennett of SNB Brewing was the Surly Brewing docent, bringing five outstanding beers from them. The growler of Fifty Fifty Totality was such a treat to compare the various Eclipse offerings I’ve tried. As more and more beers are pulled out of their refrigerated slumber, tables nearly fill up with random bottles of rare deliciousness. Smart phones and  Untappd have truly transformed how we drink. Nearly everyone had a phone in one hand and a glass in the other, frantically checking into each exceptional and infrequently imbibed beverage. It was truly a sight.

Bradley Daniels (in black) chats about chilli & beer.

There were five chili’s to choose from, each so different and delicious in their own right! My Chili took fourth with only one vote, which wasn’t that bad considering I voted for the winner: Rico Nolan’s chorizo and steak masterpiece was diabolical. “I treated it like a brew day with additions and such” says Rico. The meat was pleasantly tender and absorbed the delicious chorizo grease for an amazing complex and not overly hot mouthgasm. “I could swim in it” says Scott Bennett of SNB Brewing. Indeed. Rico’s serrano chili homebrewed Wit paired extremely well with it, carrying the spice nicely. He was pretty excited at his winnings, but was reluctant to share! Boo!

Prize for 1st place: Acer Quercus FTW!

Beers Consumed:

• Firestone Walker Abacus, Reserve Porter 07
• Surly Brewing Surlyfest, Smoke, Furious, Abrasive, Bender
• Fifty Fifty Totality (eclipse base beer), Eclipse – Elijia Craig 2011
• Cigar City Brewing Cubano-Espresso Brown Ale, Maduro Brown Ale
• Upright Brewing Six
• Duck Rabbit Milk Stout
• Three Floyd’s Behemoth 07
• Alpine Beer Co Pure Hoppyness, Bourbon Barrel Aged Token
• Goose Island Big John
• Stoudts Fat Dog Stout
• Unibroue Trois Pistoles
• Weyerbacher Brewing Rapture
• Victory Brewing Dark Intrigue
• Kuhnhenn 4th D Old Ale
• New Glarus Brewing Hop Hearty Ale
• Shorts Brewing Co Bourbon Wizard
• Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
• Sierry Nevada Ruthless Rye
• Homebrew: SNB Brewing 2010 Holiday Ale ; Rico’s Chili Wit.

The event was the second “live event” for the increasingly popular Beer Punks group who host a weekly podcast called “Beer Punks Pitcast” (available free on itunes).  The Beer Punks are responsible for some great interviews with punk bands such as Jim Lindberg of Pennywise and their “Brewery of the Month” video interviews.
The popular new gastro pub known for their superb selection of craft beers and out-of-this-world menu offerings make it quite obvious why they have become an OC hotspot for craft beer enthusiast’s.  Owners Jeff Jenson, Tim O’Conner and Jeff Hall’s (formerly of Haven Gastro Pub) vision for Chapter one is to build a community destination which they refer to as “The Local”; a term widely used throughout European communities to describe their neighborhood watering holes and hang outs. Beer Punks believe they have nailed it!  The design of the bar and dining room are warm and welcoming.  They offer a unique setting to groups of all sizes.  Pull up to the bar, grab a tall table with bar height chairs or a small table near the window to take in some “people watching” in Downtown Santa Ana’s nightlife.  Offering 12 rotating craft beers on tap and a bottle selection of over 50 rare and tasty brew’s paired with what can only be described as culinary art from Head Chef; Oge Dalken, Chapter One is a “local” you’re going to want to familiarize yourself with!
To find out more about Beer Punks and their upcoming events follow them on Facebook or subscribe to the podcast on itunes. To book them for an event call: 949-297-6391

Newport Beach Brewing Company, Brew Co for those “in the know”, opened in 1995 as only the second brewery to open in Orange County at the time. Being only blocks from the beach, this is a local spot. To paint a picture, their most popular beers are their Blonde, IPA, and Red. All great beers, but you get the idea.

Over the course of an hour or so the people around me ranged from a massively bearded mid-seventy year old man who talked about his three day high from Mezcal in Ensenada (think Santa whose had a few too many) to a couple of local surfers sitting down and ordering “some Coronas… bro”. I happily witnessed them get denied.

“But we do have Pacifico”. Ok I’ll forgive them for that one, we are at the beach after all.

This is the kind of place where you can walk in, have quality beer, and not have to have tried 6 different types of Cantillon to be talked to seriously. You don’t even need to know how to pronounce it. Check that pretentious attitude at the door, it’s not welcome here, and thank goodness for that.

Why is any of this important? Well, without knowing what he’s working with, it’s impossible to understand the strides that Derek Bougie has made for this community. Just a few years ago, Derek was a server at Brew Co. and a homebrewer in his spare time. One day, he decided to pull the ultimate passion move and volunteer his non-working hours to learn to brew commercially with their head brewer Kirk Roberts. Like any good apprentice, Derek was handed the reigns when Kirk decided it was time to start his new endeavor with San Diego Beer Co. (Which I also highly recommend).

While the majority of the beers that they sell are the standard offerings, which have remained unchanged since Kirk’s days, over the last year and a half, Derek has worked hard to introduce many of his own specialty recipes into the tap lines and into the glasses of people who have never tried anything like them. Newport Brew Co. tries to have at least one sour on tap at all times, all of which are brewed in-house. That’s a feet in and of itself considering that sour beers can take anywhere from 9 months to a few years to fully ferment and mature.

I had the pleasure of trying a Habenero infused version of Village Idiot IPA, a Sour Oatmeal Stout (sour and tart up front with a lingering roast a few seconds later) and a Chai Tea Stout cleverly named Sweet Chai O’Mine. That was on top of their awesome lineup of year round offerings. The beer was so good I forget I was only two blocks from the beach.

I had a great time hanging out with Derek and the whole crew at Newport Beach Brewing Company. If you’re ever in the area, I highly suggest you stop by, have a pint of Derek’s beer, and maybe even make a few friends with the locals. And remember “be nice or go away”.

Philippe Gagnon is the founder and writer for Craft Beer Culture. Currently residing in Orange County California, you can find him at the local brewery drinking craft beer or online through Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

We were sat at our table and when approached by the waiter, he offered us a house martini, a bottle of wine or a beer.  We pointed to our bottle and said, “Thank you, but we brought our own”.

He replied, “Oh, you brought your own wine!”

I said, excitedly, “Actually it’s a beer and when you open it, can you please serve it in wine glasses?”

A moment later, comes the manager (picture the Maitre D from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “snooty, snotty”).  “Ummm, excuse me guys, but we do not let people bring in their own beer, but just to let you know, I will let it slide this time…”

“It’s a top notch beer”, I begged.

“I understand but, we just don’t do beer. It’s just not what we’re about”. (inside thought to self: DUDE you have Moretti, Peroni and Newcaslte on your beerlist)

“Are you also aware there is a $10 corkage fee”?

“Yes, just like a bottle of wine”, we answered in unison.

We ordered, we ate and we drank…oh man, there will have to be a separate story on the beer, I promise.

A moment later, “snooty, snotty” came to our table to ask if everything was okay.  We said it was delicious and asked if he wanted to sample the beer since it was something he might not have seen and/or tasted before.

He whispered, “Um…no thank you.  We don’t do that here”.

We then asked why people could bring their own wine and champagne, but not beer.  His response was, “It’s just restaurant policy”.

My dinner date pressed a bit, “May I ask why the policy; there are no laws against it, are there?”

“It’s restaurant policy and it’s just not what we’re about.  It’s like if someone were to try to bring in vodka, we wouldn’t allow that”.

“Well, I am asking, because I am a brewer and work in a restaurant. I would be happy to host a beer tasting for the owners, it just might change their minds”, my dinner date offered.

“Um, the owners are getting old and set in their ways, plus one is a recovering alcoholic, so it wouldn’t be a good idea”.

Okay, brain…help me figure out what the exact restaurant policy is from the conversation we had with snooty, snotty:  Is it because they don’t do beer as he said?  No, they serve Moretti, Peroni and Newcastle.  Oh maybe they only do Italian beer?  No, they also serve Newcastle.  Maybe they don’t allow outside beverages…oh wait they allow wine and champagne.  It sure as heck can’t be that one of the owners is a recovering alcoholic-they have a full bar in the restaurant!  I can only think that this policy is based on beer ignorance and therefore is a policy based on beer discrimination.

On the drive home I couldn’t help but play the above scenario over and over in my head.  It’s not like we asked the server to unscrew a Colt 45 or a Micky’s 40oz.  If I would have betrayed my beer and said, just kidding, it’s wine, would that have been okay? What if it was a Lost Abbey Angel’s Share Grand Cru would that have been okay-it IS a barley wine?  Hmmm…help?

This experience has inspired me to continue demanding equal rights for beer.  I am going to being contacting my favorite establishments that have a beer and wine license, but do not carry craft beer, and ask if I can bring in my own corked beer to have with dinner.  If the establishment allows it, I will be sure to post it here, on yelp, beer advocate-EVERYWHERE–these establishments should be praised for not discriminating against beer and should be recognized by the beer community as pioneers in the fight for beer to have the same equal rights as wine.

Sincerely,

Local beer revolutionary

Coton [14.5%abv]
Second Anniversary Old Ale
100% Bourbon Barrel  Aged Coton [17%abv]
Second Anniversary Old Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels
Melange #3 [15.5%abv]
A blending of multiple barrel-aged beers this ale has become the first of the ‘Melange’ beers to make it to the bottle.
Melange #5- DBJW [15%abv]
Also known as Dirty Beaver Juice Weekend this unique blend was ‘brewed with love’ for Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach, CA and that ‘love’ can be felt in every sip. If you get the opportunity to sample this beauty you will not be disappointed!

While enjoying the Strong Ale Bar selections, it was noticed that the table marked Deserts held more than just items to satisfy a sweet tooth. In addition to The Bruery’s very delicious Liege Waffles & TCHO chocolate dipped bacon (yes, I said chocolate dipped bacon), the table held a selection of artisan cheeses that included Winchester Super Aged Gouda, Bleu des Causses and Cana de Cabra- three selections that went very well with the complex flavors of the high alcohol selections we where enjoying.

In addition to the ‘deserts’ being offered inside by Bruery staff, catering was being performed outside by Beachwood BBQ to a hungry crowd.  Gabe & his team created a special Anniversary sauce that combined Coton with bacon for a delicious experience that, went real well slathered on Beachwood’s pulled chicken. Rounding out the menu were fried pickles, cobbed corn, fried green tomatoes, grits, and a spicy sausage that had a nose-clearing kick to it that was a bit unexpected, but real nice.

All-in-all the event was peaceful and it’s guaranteed than everyone came away from the day quite content. If you have never had the opportunity to visit Patrick and his crew over at the tasting room, it is well worth the adventure.

The Bruery
715 Dunn Way
Placentia, CA 92870
714-996-MALT (6258)

Coming Soon:
The Bruery Provisions
This will a beer, wine & cheese shop specializing in craft beer & artisinal food products and will be located in the city of Orange.

Brewers from six continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup – the world’s largest-ever commercial beer competition. The eighth bi-annual competition announced awards to brewers from 19 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Iceland and Japan.

This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories.

The 2010 World Beer Cup eclipsed the record of the Brewers Association’s own Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to become the largest commercial competition ever. There were 3,308 entries judged in the 2009 GABF, compared to the 2010 World Beer Cup’s 3,330 entries judged.  -From the WBC website

Once again, Orange County has made it self heard on the world stage by winning awards at the ‘World Beer Cup‘ in Chicago, IL.

Pizza Port/Port Brewing- San Clemente
*Pier Rat Porter: GOLD
Category 61, Robust Porter

TAPS Fish House & Brewery
*TAPS Schwarzbier: SILVER
Category 30, German-Style Schwarzbier

The Bruery
*Oude Tart: GOLD
Category 45, Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale
*100% Brett Autumn Maple: GOLD
Category 12, Experimental Beer

Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing Co
*Black Magic Stout: GOLD
Category 88, American-Style Stout

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery- Huntington Beach
*Guppie Pale Ale: BRONZE
Category 10, Session Beer

Complete list of World Beer Cup winners: PDF

Congratulations to all of the OC winners…
Keep up the great work!

“More beer, more beer
All I want is more beer
More beer, more beer
All I want is more beer, more beer”

What do you do when you have been around the proverbial beer block? You join in with a group of friends and enjoy some fine crafted beer from a fledgling brewing community. This particular community has been enveloped in the wine culture for centuries, and now just coming out of the grapevine to try and find their way into the hop vine.

The Italians have been known for there love of fine wine and incredible cuisine.

Beer has been apart of Italian life since the Roman Empire, but with the mystique of drinking wine in the high society, beer was in the back seat for the peasants.

Anche i miei amici, times are changing. The Italians are now following in the footsteps of the American craft brewers. Feeding off of the culture and creativity making their own versions of craft beer, the Italian way! For the past 10 years the scene has been picking up momentum, with more education and people willing to brew and even willing to trade away their wine for some fine beer. Importers are also playing a roll by importing craft beers from Belgium and the States. This is changing how beer is being tasted in Italy.

With the introduction of the first Italian beer event to the west coast, Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach put a collection of great Italian craft beers. Though most of them are rare or not event available on the continent, Italian beers are becoming easier to find in the specialty beer shops. Lorenzo Dabove was on hand with his Italian contingent  to give a little history and insight to the craft beer movement in Italy.

17 Italian beers were on tap for tasting in 5oz and 10oz pours. With my wife at my side we ordered 2-3 samples at a time; this is the best way to taste everything at one time. We quickly came to realize the similarities to the Belgian beers we already love. The american influence was present as well as their own. Most of the selections had nice sweet malt profiles with characteristics of nuts, fruit, caramel and spices. Pales, Lagers and Stouts seem to be the popular styles to produce. They like their beer on the strong side too, not so much the body but the alcohol. More than half of the draft selections were at 7% or higher with a few well over 10%. The flavors did a great job at hiding the heat. The beers were served on the colder side, but cupping the glass in your hand would warm it up a bit to bring out the maximum of flavor.

Just when we thought we had exhausted the list of Italian beers, Celebrator’s Tomm Carroll was generous enough to open three Italian beers not available stateside (he picked them up during his 2009 trip to Italy).  Renior Bitter, Burton Bierre Chirara and Chiostro (Chiostro was available on tap, so it was nice to do a side-by-side comparison.  A few highlights from the evening (aside from beer royalty) was My Antonia, a collaboration between Birra del Borgo and Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Birrifico del Ducato, Yerdi Imperial Stout (winner of BRAU Beviale 2008), and Birrificio Italiano Tipopils.  Dogfish Head will be brewing My Antonia in the coming weeks and should be available in states soon enough.  Beachwood still has a handful of these delicious beers on tap, but hurry, the kegs are blowing hourly.

Bruery Light – ‘It comes in 40s!’
We think this is a beer you will not only love on first sip, but you will love after your 8th game of beer pong.

Bland Tuesday
The Bruery & Budweiser have combined their extensive knowledge of brewing with rice by using twenty-one different varieties, to create this yellow, watery, undistinctive, and almost completely tasteless lager.

Flying Dog ‘Canis Minor’ Series
All four styles will roll out nationally in June. To celebrate their release, Flying Dog will be hosting a variety of Canis Minor Beer Dinners in major markets around the country.

Lost Abbey Disaster Relief
The Lost Abbey Brewing Company mobilized resources and personnel to assist in international reliefs efforts following the severe disaster that destroyed much of the affected region’s craft beer supplies.

*What is the deal with April 1st?
April Fool’s or All Fools’ Day is a custom of playing pranks in Northern America, Britain, Scotland (where it is called “Gowk” or “Cuckoo Day”), Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany (“Narrentag”), Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Russia (“Dyen’ Doeraka,” literally, “dunce’s day”) and even in Japan. The precise historical origin of this most lighthearted of unofficial holiday is unknown. The earliest explicit mention of an April Fools joke was found in a French source from 1508, and there exists a Dutch parody on the custom from 1539. But these sources indicate that the custom was already well and universally established. It is probably a tradition that evolved out of many local customs, all having in common the time at which they were kept: the beginning of April.