User's Guide

What Not to Miss During L.A. Beer Week, October 10th-23rd

Put some hop in your step
Put some hop in your step Photo: Duncan~ via Flickr

L.A. Beer Week begins this Monday, finding a series of brew-intensive events like beer maker dinners and beer float showdowns scattered around town at some of the city’s best beer bars and brew-friendly restaurants. Like our city’s restaurant week, Beer Week actually comprises two weeks, leading from October 10th through October 23rd. With so much excellent beer at our fingertips now then ever before and several strong breweries now producing within our county lines, there’s no question one week was not enough, causing organizers to add another seven days to the schedule. So, with 69 locations and over 80 breweries involved, what are the events we’re most looking forward to this year? Take a peak at some of our favorites, below, from the opening of Golden Road to the return of Food GPS’ Beer Float Showdown with Top Chefs and breweries uniting.

The Kick-off: Beer Week officially begins at Naja’s Place in Redondo Beach, an early proponent of the microbrew scene in L.A. Stone Brewing Company will take over the place this Monday, October 10th with two four-hour sessions that will find over 40 Stone Brews on tap, including plenty of rarities and food catered by Stone. The $45 price buys admission, ten six-ounce samples, small bites, a Naja’s Place tasting glass, and access to book signings and VIP guests like Stone CEO Greg Koch and head brewer Mitch Steele.

Appetite for Deconstruction: On October 12th, Firestone Walker introduces “Deconstructed LA” at the Avalon Theater. Here the assembled audience will get a first look at the brewers’$2 15th anniversary “XV” ale, while Sean Z. Paxton, the “Home Brew Chef” prepares dishes to pair this beer, blended from eight different barrel-aged Firestone ales, and David Walker breaks down each component that went into making it. $75 includes small bites, a glass, and beer tastings. [Firestone]

Brue Your Food: As just one example of the many incredible beermaker dinners popping up all over town in the next two weeks, The Bruery will appear at Boneyard Bistro on October 13th for twelve courses paired with thirteen rare Bruery beers like its oak-aged red ale, Loakal Red, and an autumn ale made with 17 pounds of yams. Dinner, which includes tea-smoked pork belly and pulled pork sandwiches that will pair with the brews, is priced at $115 with advance purchase. [Brown Paper Tickets]

The Float Showdown: Esteemed L.A. blog Food GPS returns with a massive Beer Float Showdown on October 15th that pairs five chefs with five brewers each to create the best beer float at Eagle Rock Brewery from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. Ilan Hall will be teamed up with Tustin Brewing Company, Laurent Quenioux with the team from Beachwood BBQ, and Andre Guerrero will match with the home team of Eagle Rock Brewery, among others. The teams will vie for the most creative and best-tasting floats, while Filipino nibbles will be provided by Neri’s Cubrside Catering. [Food GPS]

Gone to the Dog: Delaware’s Dogfish Head, one of the country’s most inspired, original, and prized breweries, is taking over Naja’s Place on Friday October 14th, putting 20 beers on their taps. Does anything more need to be said about that one? Get on it. [Dogfish]

The Big Reveal: Beer Week will welcome a new addition to L.A. on October 16th with the anticipated opening of Golden Road Brewing, Atwater Village’s new brewing company from brewer Meg Gill, Tony Yanow, and Jon Carpenter. $20 buys you access to the space and brewers, a commemorative glass and three tasting tickets for 10 oz. pours of special release beers from Dogfish Head, Stone, Eagle Rock Brewery, Sierra, Hangar 24, Oskar Blues, and Firestone Walker, plus chances to try the trio’s two new beers, an IPA and a Hefeweizen. [Tickets Online]

Crawl, Walk, Run, Then Fall-Down: While details still look a little slim, Little Tokyo plans a pub crawl on October 20th, from 5:00 P.M. to midnight, with Japanese craft beer obsessives Far Bar leading the charge with 18 Stone brews on tap. Nine bars are participating in total during this seven hour event in Downtown. [Beer Week]

Take Flight: On Thursday October 20, 38 Degrees Ale House will welcome a gang of brewers to organize their own flights, for Ultimate Flight Night, with participants including Green Flash, Russian River, Stone and Kern River, among others, pouring a selection of beers they’re proud of. [Beer Week]

Beer & Booze Unite: No brain will go unpickled as master brewers and acclaimed mixologists come together at Steingarten for “Dionicess IX” to make beer cocktails on October 21st. Matt Biancaniello will be there on mixology duty, while Stone’s Randy Clemens and Dave Watrous from Beachwood BBQ and Steingarten offer beer expertise and a food writer and public health professor offers his services. [Its My Seat]

The Final Sip: All good things, of course, must come to an end, and on October 23rd, you can expect a final farewell blowout at Union Station. $45 buys UNLIMITED samples of craft beer, with over 70 breweries serving rarities from all over the world. Food trucks will provide the sustenance to keep you on your feet. [Beer Week]

These are just a few of the biggies, however. L.A. Beer Week is jam-packed with incredible dinners, beer crawls, educational seminars, and drinking events. For the full schedule, see The Beer Week website.

What Not to Miss During L.A. Beer Week, October 10th-23rd