California here I come (2019 version)

Two weeks now. Run out of all the new, cheap supermarket brews I could find; so my overall drinking is slowing down, but the quality is getting better.

Best beer so far: https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/avery-the-czar-imperial-stout-10-13/20295/97853/

New rates = 53, 35 being Californian. High number because of ‘flights’ and the aforementioned cheap supermarket hits.

Place reviews = 5, plus 1 update.

Two days without alcohol (both Monday’s).

Weather begining to get warmer and less wet. Hopefully hitting some new brewpubs/taprooms soon. Rating pace could go either way depending on which places we visit and our granddaughters mood!

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Loving all the beer menu pictures, lets me vicariously enjoy your trip by imagining what I’d have if I was there. Keep them coming!

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Got my beer drinking socks on; only means one thing!

Every time we come to California I am allowed one day to use the bus system for a pub crawl. Today it’s Orange County Bus 91. Laguna Hills to San Clemente. It costs $1:50 for an all day ticket if you over 60. Three places in the plan, hope to get into double figures of new rates (I know two of the places do flights) if all goes well. Sunny and warm, some walking involved, photos to follow.

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Happy tasting at your pub crawl
Look forward to reading your report

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Currently sat in The Cellar, which is an upper class wine bar with a decent beer list.

I am drinking a Masons Charley Hustle surrounded by ‘Painted Ladies’ and I mean both types. The annual Butterfly migration is in full flow as thousands of Painted Lady Butterflies head North to Oregeon from Southern California. The bar is full of beautiful tall long haired blondes and a fat bloke from Shropshire. Only one of us drinking beer!

Second beer just arrived.

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You’re my hero. When my parents were in California they used the buses to get to a railway museum and Ikea for lunch.

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Pizza Port, San Clemente.

Four beer flights only Four Dollars (of their own beers).

Game On.

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Slice of the day $3:00 plus tax (24 cents), plus a Russian River Blind Pig and an Artifex we Gotta Bogey.

Never had draught Pliney before, so splashed out for a half ($5:00).

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Pliney is a great beer both form draft and bottle.
Already looking forward to my beer trip to San Diego in November.

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Now in Brewhouse, a cracking bar in San Juan Capistrano.

Could get messy.

Nice cigar box selection!

I also like the way they show if a beer is on it’s way out, red being low, green being just on.

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VSecond Flight in a Cigar Box and I’m flying!

Third Flight and it’s time to walk back to the bus stop.

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Looks like a great way to have spent a few hours when non-babysitting. And great way to display what’s on, adding ‘try before its gone’ versus ‘try while it’s freshest’. Like that.

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VLaguna Beach today.

First up was the Fairy Garden then the Brewery Tap of the Laguna Beach Beer Company.



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Enjoying the updates, here’s the soundtrack:

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Third week update.

Granddaughter duties combined with hosting a post production party for the cast and crew of Hamlet (daughter was Ophelia) on Paddy’s Day has limited my ratings of new beers somewhat.

Managed to find over 50 Californian rates though, plus beers from another 12 States and 7 different countries. Weather has picked up and with the play now over my duties should calm down and some serious drinking could prevail for me.

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Re-visited O’Sheas Brewing Co today: https://www.ratebeer.com/p/osheas-brewing-co-laguna-niguel/410/

If money was no object I could have walked out of there with 100 new beers, happy with my 11 though. I also visited a Deli near my daughters and found two new Argentine beers and a monster bottle of El Salvador Lager I’d not seen before. So a good day for adding to the house beers and my nights in on duty.

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Currently in Stadium Brewery, it’s Happy Hour and $2:00 off all draft beers. In front of me is a Smog City Wow Pop!

The plan is to have four beers while the girls are shopping, trouble is two of the beers I intend to have are 10% and 11% ABV.

Finished with a Flight, just for extra rates!


Beers were from Alpine, Three Weavers, Revision and Stadium (well it is their brewery tap I am in).

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I love happy hours! It’s a benefit for the early birds like me who love to enjoy beer in the afternoon

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I have now managed 100 new beer rates and 1 cider tick since arriving in the USA (23 days ago)!

64 of those rates are Californian, the other 36 have come from 8 different countries and 14 different American States. I always look at the overseas selection in stores as they are usually beers that don’t export to the UK and I can get ‘cheap’ rates while adding to my country totals. No new country or states so far this time though.

In bars I tend to drink the draft stuff from other States before the local beers if there is a choice, but there are so many Californian breweries it’s often local beers on tap (usually new to me) and just one or two out of state options.

Best beers have included these: https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/bell39s-hopslam/35488/97853/, https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/21st-amendment-fruit-of-the-dragon/713855/97853/ and https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/hop-valley-alphadelic-ipa/102746/97853/.

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Found a new Chihuahua beer; Peanut my granddaughters dog is very excited.

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