"Beer Speaks, People Mumble" - Lagunitas Brewing Co.Hey Brew Troopers,
Here is the first of my entries regarding my weekend visit to Sonoma County and the surrounding area. I will highlight my visits to Lagunitas, Russian River, and Moylan's breweries, and will include a tidbit about the area that surrounds these magnificent establishments.
When it came to my first beer tasting excursion, I was on a tight schedule and budget. After all, I wanted to make the most of happy hour! My friend Damien and I began our journey at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, a city roughly 45 minutes north of San Francisco along highway 101. Laguintas is one of the largest craft breweries in the country, and they have been brewing since 1993. Specializing in rich, strong, hoppy pale ales, Lagunitas does not guarantee its brews to accommodate the neophytic palate.
Lagunitas is the place to be on weekday afternoons. Head upstairs to the bar around 3pm and they'll take care of you. Damien and I each got samplers, although pints are served too. Among the samples were three flagship brews--Pils, Censored Ale, and IPA--and three less common brews--Hop Stoopid (22 oz/kegs), Lucky 13 Ale (seasonal), and Imnperial Red Ale (seasonal). I'd like to add that the samples are 4 or 5oz each, so, as Lagunitas patron Jim told me, you'll leave with a buzz (being the man behind the wheel, I only tried about 2oz of each sample). Following some samples or a drink or two, a Lagunitas employee leads a short tour of the brewery and you come to learn how a brewery of a modest size can produce, well, so much beer! The bottling machine alone fills up 230 bottles per minute (13,800 per hour), which is essential in meeting demand from its 47 distributors. You can find Lagunitas across a variety of outlets from Safeway, Whole Foods, corner liqour stores, and Bevmo, not to mention internationally in Canada and, the origin of my beer fascination, Denmark!
As for the beers themselves, I will not provide in-depth reviews, but here are some general comments that may help.
Pils: clean, refreshing pilsner with a hoppy, dry finish. a proper Czech pilsner similar to Czech-brewed Budvar: The Glass is Half Empty.
Censored Ale: a rich, malty brew with an excellent toasted, caramel taste: The Glass is Just About Empty.
IPA: as floral as an IPA gets, from start to finish, appropriate blend of hops and level of bittnerness: The Glass is Just About Empty. Very close to a 5/5
You can find these beers in 12oz six packs, and I definitely recommend them. I do not recall the specifics of the Hop Stoopid, Lucky 13, and Imperial Red Ales too well. However, I would like to note that, at least to my palate, they do not differ too greatly from the IPA. They have different colors and aromas, but the tastes are, on the surface, not too far apart--hoppy, floral with fruity hints. That being said, I encourage you to try them out. I had sampled several beers in that sitting so after a while, the brews tasted similar.
If you want a beer that packs a strong flavor, go with Lagunitas. Definitely get a taste of their most common brews, and introduce them to your friends because they set the bar high for their respective categories. Don't forget to check back for more information and content regarding this weekend in beer.
"Linkunitas" for more on Lagunitas Brewing Company:
Official Lagunitas Brewing Company Website
Lagunitas on Twitter
Cheers,
Pink
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