New Group for LA Beer Lovers

Go check out the brand new site for LA Beer Geeks, the aptly named BeerGeek.LA

The word is, tonight at 6pm, the Daily Pint will be tapping kegs of Pliny the Younger(!!!), Consecration(!!), and AleSmith’s My Bloody Valentine(!!). Here’s the announcement on Beer Geek LA, plus the official word from the Daily Pint’s site

One cool aspect of this new site, its focused on bringing beer lovers together in real life, as opposed to just on the internets.  There is a corresponding Meetup.com group, with the stated mission of “Meeting other beer geeks in the LA area at some of the best beer bars in town.”

I’ve never tried meetup.com before, but it seems like a pretty good way to meet other people with the same obscure interests as you (not that beer is an obscure interest, everyone loves beer!).

Looking through the LA area, I’ve finally figured out where all those Salsa dancers at the Third St. Promenade every Sunday come from.  It’s a giant Meetup.com group!  Who would’ve known?

Join the LA Beer Geek meetup group to stay posted on “all the best beer events happening in Los Angeles.”  As of right now, there are already 32 beer geeks who have joined up.

And don’t forget, The Daily Pint has freakin Pliny the Younger on tap tonight!!

How Sweet is the Beer Chick?

Pretty freakin’ sweet!  Beer Sommollier Christina Perozzi, local beer sommollier and founder of www.beerforchicks.com, was just awarded the Daily Candy Sweetest Thing award.  The category?  Best Advice.

Now I don’t know what the prize is, I would assume a years worth of candy, but the real prize is getting a beer advocate like Christina in front of the 2 billion eyes that read Daily Candy every day.  This is beer evagelism at its finest, and it’s cool to think about legions of Daily Candy readers putting down their wine glasses and ordering a 750 of Duvel.

Congrats Beer Chick, and thanks for raising the bar for craft beer in Los Angeles!

LA Grand Crew Rides Again

It’s that time again.  The Second Annual L.A. Grand Crew!  If you missed it last year, now’s the time to clear your Saturday and pump up your bike tires.

The ride starts at 11AM in front of Union Station, and ends at my favorite eastside beer haunt, Verdugo Bar.

The route has changed, and so has the time of year.  Now, instead of buying all the beers for yourself, you can use this ride to buy some delicious Christmas presents for friends and family.  Who in their right mind doesn’t love to get beer for Christmas?

Continue reading for the video invitation from Hot Knives. Continue reading

Friday 12/19: IPA Tasting At The Daily Pint

This one almost slipped my mind, but I’m glad it didn’t, cause this is too good to miss!  This Friday at 8pm, The Daily Pint is holding an IPA tasting, complete with a whole spread of food pairings.  There are a ton of great beers that we never get in LA.  After finally trying Blind Pig a couple weekends ago from the bottle, it’s great to see we’ll be getting a keg of it.  Hit the jump for a full list of beers that will be served at the Pint.

Continue reading

Whole Foods is Looking to Hire Beer Specialists

Do you love beer?  Do you live in Westwood or Tustin?  Does the idea of a lifetime supply of granola really turn you on*?  Well if you’re looking for a beer job, boy have I got something for you.  From the Beer Industry Jobs Blog:

If you keep an eye on the Beer Job Boards, you’ll see that Whole Foods jobs come up pretty often.  Often times, they will just say something like Specialty Team Member.  Their specialty department encompasses beer, wine, and cheese, so its more than just beer.  BUT, if you see Beer Specialist in the job title, that would be the point person in the beer department.

It looks like Los Angeles is a hot spot in need of more Beer Specialists right now, since there are 3 listings up on the Beer Job Board.  There is one at their Westwood location, another in Tustin, and then a more generic listing that just says they need a Beer Specialist in Los Angeles.  Possibly a double listing?

Who knows if this represents some sort of trend in a city that has long been a wasteland for beer.  Maybe Los Angeles is starting to catch up to the rest of the country?  Or maybe Whole Foods’ recent merger with Wild Oats has created more beer job openings?  Who knows.

*lifetime supply of granola may actually be a ficticious job perk

A Four Cask Salute at the Daily Pint

Have you ever had one of those times when you do something, and then you think to yourself, “Wow, that was a total Forrest Gump moment” ?

Maybe it was a time you brought a friend ice cream at the hospital.  Maybe it was your athletic prowess that resulted in a meet and greet with the president.  Or maybe your Forrest Gump moment was a bit more literal.

Well Nick Moffatt has been having a Forrest Gump Moment every day for the past five months of his life.  That’s because right now, Nick is crossing the US on foot.

Forrest Gump Moment

Forrest Gump Moment

He started in New York back in June, and next week, he finally makes it to the Santa Monica Pier.

To celebrate the completion of more than 3000 miles of walking, Nick will be kicking his feet up and enjoying a few pints of the finest cask ale Southern California has to offer.

Come join Nick, by him a pint, or even better, donate what you can to the charities he’s walking for.

A portion of all cask ale sales from the night will be donated to the American Legion Legacy Scholarship fund.

November 19th, 2008 at the Daily Pint

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at the Daily Pint

The Daily Pint will be pulling out some pretty sweet casks for the event, and all 4 beer engines will be running.  Check back a couple days before the event, and I will try and post the beer list.  Also check out the Daily Pint’s website, linked below.

Daily Pint
2310 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA

For more info on the event, visit Nick Walks America and California Beerzine

I’ve Been Holding Out on You

Firestone 12th Anniversary

Firestone 12th Anniversary

OK, I’ll admit it. I’ve known about tonight’s Firestone tasting at the Blue Palms Brewhouse for a couple weeks now. I caught wind of it a couple weeks ago at Brian Yaeger’s Red White and Brew book release party, but have been reluctant to post it up on here, in fear that all the 10, 11, and 12 will be gone before I get there.

OK, maybe a little silly, but still. We’re talking about a vertical tasting of all of Firestone’s anniversary releases on tap. In addition to 3 of the most sought out beers in the country, they will also have kegs of Lil Opal, Saucerful of Secrets (The base of last year’s Eleven), Oaktoberfest, Unfiltered DBA, Union Jack, Pale 31, Walker’s Reserve Porter, Bravo Imperial Brown, and a cask of bourbon barrel aged Velvet Merkin.

You can try a 3 oz snifter of each anniversary beer for $20. Even though that means twenty dollars for nine ounces, I’d still say its a bargain.

Brewmaster Matt Brynildson will be on hand, assuming he can make it down to LA despite the fires going on in Santa Barbara right now.

Come on over to the Blue Palms at 6 oclock if you can, you wont regret it.