New for summer: a Speakeasy saison, Anchor Brewing class and Lodi festival
The summer solstice lies just ahead — and with it, we hope, plenty of sunshine to go along with all the new and refreshing beer releases. Here’s what’s new in California’s beer world:
FRESH SIPS >> Speakeasy Brewing is releasing its first summer seasonal since the brewery reopened. The Safehouse Saison is part of the brewery’s Perfect Crimes series of small-batch beers. It’s a 6.2 percent alcohol by volume saison, brewed with black peppercorns and Belgian yeast, and available only on draft right now. Look for a bottled version in Speakeasy’s summer variety 12-pack later this year.
Sierra Nevada Brewing has also released a new variety pack — the Party Pack — for summer with three bottles each of their flagship pale ale, along with Kölsch, the Sierraveza lager and Sidecar Orange IPA.
Stone Brewing of San Diego — and now Napa — has released a new fruit IPA brewed with peaches. It’s an imperial IPA that’s 8.8 percent ABV and brewed with Mosaic and Loral
hop varieties. The cleverly named I’m Peach Double IPA may be a not-so-subtle jab at our teetotaler-in-chief, but it’s also tasty.
BEERVENTURES >> On Saturday, the Lodi Craft Beer Festival (lodicraftbeerfestival.com) takes over the shores of Lodi Lake from 3 to 6 p.m., with more than 50 breweries pouring tastes, plus games and food. And if you’re planning a trek to the Los Angeles area, the
10th annual L.A. Beer Week (labeerweek.org) runs Saturday through June 24 and provides ample examples that L.A. has become a craft beer haven.
BEER ED >> If you want a little education with your imbibing, San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing is hosting educational events on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, starting this week. Anchor brewmaster Scott Ungermann
will host a tasting focused on the history of San Francisco brewing. Make your way through San Francisco beer history, from the Gold Rush to the 1970s, with generous pours of five Anchor beers, including a specialty welcome beer available only at Anchor Public Taps. Buy tickets ($20) and find information at bit.ly/anchor-613.