Quick reminder: Our August club meeting is THIS Thursday at Neil’s duplex on the west side ( 12966 Rubens Avenue, Los Angeles 90066 )

We’ll be celebrating club secretary Tania’s birthday with some tacos & rice and beans care of club chef Ian and our host Neil. This should be a really fun and memorable meeting. If you’re a new member (or a prospective one) this is a great opportunity to meet and greet our most knowledgeable brewers and there will be some great beers on tap, as always.

Our commercial tasting will be led by member Barry, who will walk us through his selection of American Wild Ales. Home-brew style of the month is Euro Sour or American Wild ales but (as always) you’re encouraged to bring whatever you have in a keg or bottle right now. I’ll be bringing out a very very fresh keg of Ladies Wit Attitude, brewed in the “Pink Boots” spirit by a group of our awesome and talented ladies of PG.

A few other items for our roadmap…

Saturday September 1st we’ll be heading downtown for our annual Arts District / DTLA brewery crawl. This event replaces our First Friday for the month of September this year.

Thursday September 20th we’ll be meeting at Smog City Brewing Co. for our September club meeting. The theme of the night will be Monster Brew beers, and I’m hoping everyone has set aside a bit of their brew to share. More info on that meeting coming soon…

Looking forward to seeing you all Thursday night!

Michael

First, to kick things off our club chef Ian put together the following in his best Aussie accent…

G’DAY MATE! ANNOUNCING A FAIR DINKUM SUMMER PARTY

This year’s “bonzer” summer party is coming up THIS SATURDAY July 28, 2018 and will be held at Dean Sussman’s tiny humpy located at 1310 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades.  It is sure to be a ripper!

The theme for this year’s summer party is set!  We are pulling our fingers out for a bonzer of an Aussie Barbie! We want to really do it up this year and with your help we intend on having all of the traditional types of BBQ food and festivities from the land down under!

We plan to Barbie some lamb, shrimps, bangers and maybe even Dingo Dogs and Vegemite with axel grease!  Give it a burl!  All that plus all the ‘tucker’ you can shake a stick at!

However, this being a ‘bring a plate’ potluck event we ask everyone to bring your favorite dish along to the event as well; any dish is welcome, so the menu is WIDE open for you to go all wobbly and show off your culinary skills!

The summer party is a volunteer’s event, and we need lots of volunteers!  Volunteers will be needed for set up the day before and clean up of Dean’s house the day after.  We pay all volunteers in hogwash (beer) at the event, all-you-can-drink in fact; the only catch is we need you to brew the hogwash so we can use it to pay the volunteers!  Lot’s of beer!

We also need your sodas for the non-alcohol drinking crowd, if you have a good soda recipe; this is a great place to show it off.

Along with our best beer of the party judging we will also host this year’s drink competition which will be based on our Aussie theme!  Any drink that includes Australian ingredients counts!  Bring a batch of your favorite Booze or non-alcohol (sodas count!) summertime drink and we will judge it and announce a winner at the event 

 Cheers mate!

To recap…

Saturday, July 28th – 2pm to 10pm

Location:  Dean Sussman’s – 1310 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, 90272

EMAIL US WITH WHAT YOU WILL BRING AND HOW YOU CAN HELP!

Checklist for ALL party attendees:

• Bring BEER, BEER & more BEER! Also, bring sodas or a beer featuring Australian ingredients for the “Best Beverage” competition!  Please email what you are bringing to Carl at Competitions@PacificGravity.com
  
• FOOD – sign up to bring Aussie-themed dishes (or anything you’d like) to our POTLUCK party. We need ALL kinds of food: appetizers, sides dishes, main dishes (pre-cooked), desserts, etc. We need LOTS of food to go with all the beer so please email us at summerparty@pacificgravity.com what dishes you will add to our feast!
• VOLUNTEERS – we need YOU to help make this a successful party! Please email us at summerparty@pacificgravity.com .  We have lots of volunteer opportunities!
  • Setup on Friday night – starting at 6pm
  • Food prep on Friday– please contact Chef Ian to help
  • Cleanup on Sunday morning– starting around 10am
  • More setup and food prep on Saturday morning – between 10am and 2pm
  • Bartender shifts – 1hr. (please see Carl on Saturday to volunteer)
• Beer Equipment (email Carl at: Competitions@PacificGravity.com)
  • Jockey boxes
  • CO2 cylinders
  • Bags of ice for jockey boxes
• Charity Donation Goods – clothes, toiletries, new socks/underwear, kitchen kits, cleaning supplies, etc.
• Other Equipment needed for the party. Please let us know if you have any of the following and would be willing to loan to us for the party. Please email us at: summerparty@pacificgravity.com . We will email confirmation back if we need you to bring items on Friday night during setup.
  • Tables
  • EZ Ups/Canopies
  • BBQs
  • Power/extension cords
  • Extra coolers/ice chests

Don’t forget to bring and things to know:

• Bring BEER & other beverages
• Bring FOOD – Hawaiian Luau-themed or any food that goes with beer!
• Fee for all adult guests is $10 per guest. Kids are free. (Current members are free.)
• Payment for past due membership – cash or credit
• Donations for Charity – clothes, toiletries, new socks/underwear, kitchen kits, cleaning supplies, etc.
• Chairs and Blankets
• Bathing suits and towels, if you want to use the swimming pool.
• Sunscreen
• Jackets & sweaters for the evening
• Cash for Raffle tickets
• PG merchandise will be available for sale at the Front Desk.
• Note for food contributions, we will NOT have use of a kitchen for heating or cooling so please plan accordingly. Please label your food containers so that we can get them back to you.

Charity Donation – IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS

Clothing  (all donations should be clean and, if used, in good condition.)

• Sweat socks – for men, women and children
• New underwear – men’s, women and children
• Sweat shirts and tee-shirts for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
• Flannel and long sleeve shirts for adults
• Pants and jeans for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
• Sneakers – men’s & women’s most needed
• Shower shoes/thongs
• Rain ponchos for adults & children

Personal & Household items

• Hygiene Items (Travel or regular size)
• toothpaste
  • toothbrush
  • deodorant
  • shampoo
  • disposable razors
  • bar soap
  • hand & body lotion
  • sanitary napkins & tampons
• Blankets (preferably wool)
• Backpacks or duffel bags
• Sleeping bags for adults
• Diapers – all sizes
• Bedding: Twin size sheets, comforters and pillows. Please note pillow must be new.

Welcome Home Packages

• Kitchen Kits (dish towels, dish soap, utensils, plates and cups, pots and pans etc.)
• Bathroom Necessities (shampoo and conditioner, body wash/soap, hand and body towels, shaving cream, razors, etc.)
• Bedroom Essentials (comforter, sheets, pillows, pajamas, slippers, etc.)
• Cleaning Supplies (dust pan, broom, Windex, counter spray, toilet bowl cleaner and brush, etc.).

Thank you in advance to every who can afford the time to volunteer this Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. See you there!

Michael

Michael here with a super quick update for you. Our First Friday for July at Harajuku Taproom in Culver City has been rescheduled to Saturday July 7th (that’s THIS weekend) from 3pm to 6pm. Adam and team at Harajuku offer up happy hour pricing and are expecting a good crowd of us.

Hope you can make it! See you Saturday.

Michael

Quick reminder: We’re holding our monthly meeting at Terry’s house this coming Saturday June 16th.  We’ll have all of the typical activities going on, plus a jockey box build session. On the grill we’ll provide bbq chicken but we could use some side dishes. Homemade or store bought, doesn’t matter to us. Bring salad, corn, rice, bread, whatever – Let’s have a cookout.

If you’re interested in watching (or if you’re participating in) the jockey box build, arrive at 11am. Noon if you just want to come for the meeting.

Looking ahead, we’re confirmed for July 28th at Dean’s for this year’s summer bash. Please help us spread the word to other members. It seems like somebody gets the date too late every year, so talk it up.

See you soon!

– Michael

I’m excited to announce that registration is officially OPEN for our 4th year of this very special comp. You can find all the information you need about the event on the competition website:  http://belgianbrewchallenge.com

Entry Fee: $8 per entry

Entry Requirements: (2) 12 oz bottles with entry label rubber banded to bottle

Registration Window: 2/23/18 thru 3/29/18    Entry Drop-off Window: 3/12/18 thru 3/29/18

Entry Drop-off Locations:
LA Ale Works, Culver City Homebrew Supply, South Bay Brewing Supply, The Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop, and Eagle Rock Homebrew Supply.

Entry Shipping Location:

Culver City Homebrew Supply
4234 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
CCHBS@yahoo.com

Judging: April 8th, 2018 @ LA Ale Works

As always, volunteer judges and stewards are needed. Please indicate if you are interested in and available for either job during registration.

Looking forward to an exciting and fun competition, thank you for participating!  Reply back with any questions you have, I’ll do my best to get you answers.

Michael Musgrave – President

Michael here, I hope this message reaches you all well rested and satisfied now that the busyness of the holidays are over. As I look ahead to 2018, I can’t help but reflect on what a great year we’ve had.

The first milestone of 2017 that comes to mind for me is all thanks to our member of the year and vice president, Terry Molloy. This year, thanks to Terry’s diligent work, we became a recognized 501(c)(3) organization which opens many doors for us for growth and events. Terry’s work as VP over the past year has been hugely helpful and I am very proud to volunteer alongside him again in 2018.

Then more recently, the holiday party, and what a festive and fun party it was. Chef Ian, who chopped his index finger pretty good just days before the event, directed a gang of volunteers and put together a fantastic feast (picture him waving around that bandaged finger.) Neil’s generously donated property was mobbed with members & friends and tap after tap of delicious homebrew. Rare bottles were abundant and smiles were ear-to-ear.

2017’s Southern California Homebrew Festival, our Monster Brew with Smog City, the 3rd annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge, the summer party at Dean’s, and our hosting of Pacific Brewer’s Cup this year are others that shine brightly for me. All of the above were made possible by volunteers (like our Competition Coordinator Carl), and I’m very proud of and thankful for each.

A few things to be aware of as we get ready to step into the new year…

• Rob Ruben’s Distilling & Brewing in El Segundo has invited us to a homebrew share on Saturday January 6th at 1pm. We can bring bottles or kegs of homebrew to share and there is room for 40 of us. Please drop us a line at board @ pacificgravity.com if you’re interested in joining, to reserve your spot(s). Friends and family are welcome.
• There is currently a Pacific Brewer’s Cup Best of Show Pro-Am beer on tap at Yorkshire Square and the runner-up BOS will soon be available at LA Ale Works. Make sure to tell them you’re with Pacific Gravity!
• Adam at the brand new Harajuku Tap Room in Culver City (previous location of Grey Block Pizza) has offered us a 10% discount on dinner. You’ll simply need to print the email at the following link and bring it with you. http://mailchi.mp/38e9b26f9610/enjoy-a-meal-at-the-harajuku-taproom-5456499 
• Finally, a quick reminder that the 2018 Southern California Homebrew Festival is approaching fast!  Ask a fellow member who has been if you’re not familiar, it is an awesome time and I highly recommend you put it on your to-do for May. We’ll begin collecting reservations in January but if you want to reserve early, reach out and we’ll get you on the list.

Again, thank you all for helping to make 2017 such an exceptional year. I’m honored to be President again in 2018 and pledge to (with help from our board and all you volunteers) make 2018 just as memorable and exciting as 2017.

On a personal note, I’m excited to announce that Tania and I celebrated the holidays at our new home in Downey. Housewarming gifts (beer!) are encouraged.  

See you on the 6th at Rob Ruben’s, if not sooner!

Good evening PG members!  First Friday at Phantom Carriage was very fun and comfortable in our reserved seating made even better by our special guest, the founder of Kauai Beer Company. VP Terry and he hang out from here to Kauai and back, both are a lot of laughs.

Tomorrow night at 7:30pm we’re meeting at Culver City Homebrewing Supply for our October meeting. Lederhosen are completely optional but we will have some German food in the spirit of Octoberfest. The one and only Elijah has been collecting British Style Strong Ales all year long for his commercial tasting too, so prepare for that. As usual, we’ll be collecting pitch-in for the food so bring a little mad cash.

We’re slated to discuss some current and future events, including the fact that our annual holiday party is officially scheduled for December 9th at Neil’s duplex. That’s Saturday December 9th, 2017 at Neil’s duplex starting at 5pm. It will be a ton of fun and more info will be coming around on that topic soon.

Keep in mind that we rely wholly on volunteers to make these events successful so please take a look at your calendar and let’s discuss how we can work together to get everything done during our meet up tomorrow.

Until then, cheers!

Michael

Good afternoon PG!

I hope this reminder reaches you all well and enjoying your end-of-summer. Thursday is our September club meeting at Culver City Home Brewing Supply and it should be a very fun one, so I hope you’ll come out. We get started at 7:30p and finish up around 10:30p usually.

September’s host Keith is bringing out a flight of IPA’s for the commercial tasting and we’ll have some hot food on hand as well. Bring out your IPA styled home brew for the Best of Meeting competition. It’s a great way to get feedback on your beer and winner takes a nice prize.

In other news, the board and I are looking ahead to the chili cook-off on November 11th, and we’re thinking elections too as they are usually held around that time of year. If you are interested in running for an elected position (President, Vice President, Treasurer) or might like to be club Secretary or any of our other volunteer positions please reach out. Having been on the board for almost two years now, I can confirm it’s a satisfying way to spend some free time. There is a work aspect to it, but that’s really about perspective. If you already attend most events, and have enough time to put in one more evening per month to help plan (and talk beers,) it’s worth considering and we’d love to have you on board.

I’ll end with a link to our events calendar for you. Take a peek at the next few months and plan ahead. I realize there are hundreds of things to do in this city but I’m hopeful you’ll keep us on your radar!

http://pacificgravity.com/event-calendar/

Thanks!

Michael

Quick note to those of you who are looking for info on tonight’s First Friday. It looks like some kind of technical difficulty is going on with the site, and the event mysteriously vanished from our calendar.

We are in fact meeting TONIGHT at Maple Block Meat Company here in Culver City, just up the street from the shop. I’ll be there (with no reservations) around 7pm and the plan is to snag a table and fill out the outside area if possible.

Maple Block is at 3973 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230 Hopefully I’ll see you there!

Michael