Beer There, Drunk That

Steve and Joey head to one of the hipper little corners of central Orange County: Costa Mesa, to sample the brews of Barley Forge Brewing Co. A few years old, and known locally for its “The Patsy” Coconut Rye Stout, the boys wanted to put a more critical eye on a brewery that tends to be on the periphery of their tasting room rotation. With a full service kitchen, a perpetually long bar line, and fairly cramped quarters, the question must be asked: Does Barley Forge want to be a gastropub, or a Brewery? During the discussion of Donkey Guard Double Red Ale, Fusty Pucket Winter Warmer Brown Ale, Karl Hungus Schwarzbier, XPA extra Pale Ale, Black Dahlia Belgian Dark Ale, and Future Tripping Double IPA, they ponder if these brews make it worth the less-than-ideal setup, and they also introduce a new segment: Grossery Grabs!

Steve & Joey venture to Old Towne Orange’s Chapman Crafted Beer this week, which has become much-talked-about in the OC brewery scene. After being lured in by the Slow Riser (a Red Ale w/ Coffee on Nitro) at some recent beer fests, it was decided that a deep, intimate exploration be had with this no-frills, simply branded brew house. They sample almost the entire menu during their stay, and then gorge on some big tasty weiners to unwind and unload their thoughts on their experience. Is Chapman Crafted Beer truly a sleeper hit...or just a snooze?

Nestled between the OC’s two major sports stadiums, Noble Ale Works’ popularity is on the rise. With consistent, limited releases of New England/Hazy/Juicy IPA’s like 48K Juice, Creature from the Murk Lagoon, and The Juice is Out There; as well as massive stouts like Whoomp! There It Is, 2017 has been this formerly solid, if a bit unexceptional, brewery’s second coming out party, with widely sought-after can releases powered by a new Head Brewer, and a hard-earned expansion to it’s facility and taproom coming soon. Does this recent spike of hype justify them as the noble ruler of the Anaheim, CA beer scene? Guzzle down with us to find out!

Steve and Joey make a harrowing journey through downtown LA’s skid row on a search for the much sought after Mumford Brewing. Were the bevy of brews worth the grueling slog through endless Tent Tenaments, Sidewalk Sleepers, and Piss-smell Powerhouses?! Well you’ll just have to guzzle down their thoughts on So Hot Right Now Pilsner, Splendido NE IPA, Meff IPA, Skidrokyo Porter w/ Stumptown Coffee, Re:Define Dry Hopped Keller Bier, Fully Engaged Mixed Fermentation Saison, Bending Gravity Russian Imperial Stout, Medium Difficulty American Stout, and Daaaannng Imperial Black Saison to find out!

Fullerton’s Bootlegger’s Brewery has a special place in Steve and Joey’s hearts, being the place in which they broke their “beer lover’s” cherry, so to speak. They come back to review its wide range of beer after a few-year hiatus, wondering if the beloved - but perhaps a little stagnant in terms of trends - Orange County tap room is moving into the future with gusto...or stumbling along the way. We go in-depth on Fuzzy Black Ninja IPA, Pumpkin Old Ale, Tropikaleidescope Belgian Pale Ale, Tropical Thunder Hazy Pale Ale, Thai Tea Far Out IPA, Haze Go By Hazy IPA, and Cloudware Hazy IPA; then, some quick shout-outs to Bootlegger’s classics: Rocco Red, Palamino Pale Ale, Chongo Mexican Lager, Black Phoenix Stout, Mountain Meadow, Golden Chaos, and, of course, Knuckle Sandwich.

Only a year in existence, Costa Mesa’s Gunwhale Ales brewery is pushing blends of old European farmhouse styles with the citrus and hop-forward brews of the west coast; which they’ve dubbed “Coastal Ales.” Steve and Joey dive into their thoughts on Bait Ball IPA, Hopped for Mama Farmhouse IPA, Pau Brah IPA, Majordomo Citrus Farmouse Ale, Savage Season Unfiltered IPA, Flooded Fields Summer Saison, Sgt. Gun Dry-Hopped Saison, and a shoutout to their Oyster Stout: Shellmaker.

Steve and Joey sample Signal Hill’s newest brewery: Ten Mile Brewing Company, a family-owned establishment specializing in historically accurate recipes. Beers on tap in this review: Discovery Well Amber Ale, Citrallenial American Pale Ale, Hidden Hollow Kentucky Common, Dark Side of the Moo Milk Stout, Trail Maker IPA, Maggie Mae Blonde Ale, Das Unkommoner Dunkels Bock, and Orange Limey British Golden Ale, and Segway to Munich Helles Munich Lager.

The boys take on five breweries from the rapidly growing beer scene of L.A.’s South Bay: Smog City Brewing Company, Monkish Brewing Co., The Dudes Brewing Company, Cosmic Brewery, and British-inspired Yorkshire Square. And boy, do they have some opinions with a capital O!

Steve and Joey head to Bottle Logic Brewing’s Harry Potter-themed Triwizard Trivia Tournament, and try their seven magical beers brewed exclusively for the event: Butterbeer, Alohamora, A Gaunt and Silent Spectre, Felix Felicis, The Cruciatus Curse, Rubeus Rubeus Rubeus, and The Grim.

Two craft beer lovers, born and bred in the Mecca of Microbrews:

Southern California, are serving up an un-jaded and pretension-free review of a different

Brewery each and every week on their endless quest to cut through trendy terminology

and elitist B.S. to answer the simple question: is this Brewery (or bunch of brews) great,

garden variety, or gross?