R.I.P. New Old Lompoc

your mom loves Lompoc

There really is no need to re-hash the circumstances surrounding the closure of the New Old Lompoc on NW 23rd.  It’s been a topic of blog posts in many different spots for a couple of weeks now.

Due to the impending destruction of the NOL, Miranda, Michael, and I met up with our friend Rob last night to see the Ol’ Girl off in style with a few pints.  Miranda and Michael went with the aptly named Lompocalypse IPA and I did what any self-respecting fan of NOL would do…I had a pint of Stout Out Loud.

beer for the burgled

Just another boring start to the week, right? Wrong. Double wrong. Fist through your back window kinda wrong. I came home tonight, got ready to hit the turbokick class at the gym, only to find out that the back window of my car had been busted out, everything had been rifled through, some of my things had been stolen, and there were blood marks left on just about every seat. Motherfucker! At that point, I really was ready to turbokick some ass!

What’s one to do in this situation?
Find the strongest beer in the house.

How does 17.5% ABV sound?
Perfect.

The name of the beer?
Black. by Mikkeller.
Simple, I like that.

Lompoc’s Spring Fling

This past Monday, as we settled back into the week, with a long, depressing sigh for how faraway Friday would be, it got a lot better when we realized we were headed over to the Sidebar to taste the upcoming spring releases from Lompoc. All together, we tasted seven different beers that will be released over the next few weeks. In fact, some of them were released tonight. Below are our collective tasting notes. As you know, the Sidebar always has something new up their sleeves, so if they sound good don’t dilly-dally too much. Head over before these beers are tapped out.  

Take Me to Funky (Mission) Town

Last fall, Michael and I were in San Francisco and found ourselves killing some time in the Mission district before our amazingly delicious dinner at Flour + Water. We tried to hit up a new brewery nearby, but unfortunately, the opening had been delayed. Fast forward to the present. Brian’s long-time friend, Chad, found himself at the same brewery. If you are a regular reader, you know we make an attempt to highlight some of the more off-the-beaten-track beers. This definitely fits the bill, and so we welcome taphandle’s very first guest post. Thank you Chad! 

With mom getting ready to head out of town for nearly a week, leaving me with Aden Boy, she felt it was only proper that Dad got a day off. Now in some lexicons, I’m sure “Dad’s Day Off” really means: go to Home Depot. In mine though, it means go explore, find somewhere new, and sample something new.

However, this day off, I was at a loss. Luckily, Bay Area Craft Beer had just the idea I was looking for. A place I had never been, launching a new beer by a brewery that I had yet to sample. The place, Southern Pacific Brewing in San Francisco’s Mission District. The brew, Funky Jewbelation by Schmaltz Brewing Company, the self-proclaimed “Chosen Beer.”

Hops vs. Hot Wings

No wine can stand up to really hot food, but an IPA can. In my opinion, hot Thai and an IPA is one of the best alcohol/food pairings – period. Tonight, Miranda wanted wings from Fire on the Mountain. Now if she hadn’t been in computer hell all afternoon, my wife wanting wings is a sure sign of a stroke. Or maybe its a cicada-like craving for her: one every seven years. Anyway, I jumped at the chance to get wings and test out another IPA-hot food pairing. Of course, with this opportunity, I picked up some IPAs I had never had before.

The Matchups
Left Coast’s Hop Juice Double IPA vs. 9 Cilantro Lime Buffalo Wings
Eel River’s Earth Thirst Double IPA vs. 9 Extra-Hot Hot Wings