September First Friday (Sept 2nd) @ Broadway Alehouse

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Come kick off your Labor Day weekend at Pacific Gravity’s First Friday gathering on September 2nd.

We will be enjoying a hidden gem in Santa Monica: BROADWAY ALEHOUSE (aka FIFTH AMENDMENT).

 Address:  129 Broadway (on the corner of 2nd and Broadway), Santa Monica, CA 90401

 Website:    http://www.pleadfifth.com/

Our usual start time for First Fridays is at 7pm but many people arrive early to get a head start on the weekend and the beers!

Parking Info:  Many lots in Santa Monica in easy walking distance. Or try the Broadway Alehouse’s suggestions for free parking:  (There are two pseudo-optimal ways to get free parking.  First, park in public parking on 2nd and Broadway before 6pm and leave before 2 hours free.  Second, park in public parking anytime and leave after 1:30am — the parking attendant is usually asleep with the gate up.)

 The beers at Broadway Alehouse were one of the highlights on the May PG Bus Pub Crawl….we stayed over the “allotted” time since we had to try all the excellent beers! The owners have promised to have some interesting beers (20 taps) for our visit on September 2nd. 

 Note: Broadway Alehouse doesn’t serve food but there are many, many great restaurants within easy walking distance (i.e. West 4th & Jane is only a block or so away) … so feel free to stop for food before or after our First Friday event or you can even take a break in the middle and come back for more excellent beers and good PG company.

 Looking forward to seeing you on Friday (Sept 2) at Broadway Alehouse.

Club Meeting August 18th

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This month’s Pacific Gravity Homebrew Club  meeting will feature Fruit Beers, ciders, Perries and Meads (BJCP Cats. 24-26). Those of you who were at Dan and Anne Hakes’  house on August  6th  for Mead Day know how good some meads can be. If you enjoyed them,  then come to this meeting and try some more. Better yet, if you have anything in style at home, bring samples to pass around for your fellow club members. If you DON’T have any of this month’s style bring something else to share. All beverages are welcome at any meeting. If you are a new or an experienced brewer, don’t be shy about bringing some of your homebrew for others to enjoy. Don’t Bogart that beer, my friends!

Activities Director, Mimi Bardet will be bringing snacks which promise to compliment the brews. If you feel up to it, bring snacks as weel as brews.

Sign up sheets will be available for upcoming events.

We have the Pacific Brewers Cup on Sept 24th, and a Fall Road Trip to the North-West (Valley) has been planned. Listen to the presentations during announcement time for details.

See you Thursday evening at 7:30 behind Culver City Homebrew Supply, home of the finest brewing supplies on the Westside.

 

Fall Northbound Road Trip!

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Heya PGers, I just wanted to officially announce the next PG road trip. Going north won our little survey handily, so that is what we’re going to be doing.

Saturday November 12th we’ll be going north to Island Brewing (Carpinteria), Surf Brewing (Ventura) and Ladyface (Agoura Hills). All three breweries are thrilled to have us, and will have tours available, brewers on hand and at least a few drink specials.

For more on the individual stops, you can check ’em out here:

http://www.islandbrewingcompany.com/
http://surfbrewery.com/
http://www.ladyfaceale.com/

The cost for the trip is $30. This gets you a seat on the bus and nothing else. We will be arranging to have pizza delivered at Island with the help of the folks there, a good lunch being essential to a long day’s tasting. As we will be finishing up at Ladyface you are more than welcome to eat there, and I can vouch that the food is very good. We will be spending about two hours at each place, a little longer at the stops where people will be eating. The plan is to leave CCHBS at 9:30 and be back there between 8 and 8:30.

If you have any questions ask away and we’ll have a sign up sheet at the third Thursday club meetings.

The PayPal link is also available now to sign-up & pay anytime!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UTJA3VE7B8J2Y

 

Thanks,

Kurt
roadtripcoordinator@pacificgravity.com

Big Brew & Annual Chili Cook-off August 27th

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We will be conducting our annual Chili Cook-off and club Big Brew on Saturday August 27th at the home of our Competition Coordinator and Brewmaster, Carl Townsend.

BIG BREW: Carl will be brewing on his all grain system and we’re also looking for a member interested in doing a partial mash to help demonstrate that process as well. There is room for other brewers too, just make sure to bring your own equipment and supplies, though Carl will have water available. Please let Audrey & Mimi (activitiesdirector@pacificgravity.com) or Carl (competitioncoordintor@pacificgravity.com)  know if you are planning to brew.

CHILI COOKOFF:  The competition is simple. Make your best chili, bring it in a crockpot or any other vessel which can be heated.  We will do a tasting, followed by a vote, and then the  winner will be announced!   All serving utensils, bowls, garnishes, and other chili fixings will be provided by the club.  Just label your entry!

BEER: Is always welcome, so please bring kegs, bottles, commercial beers and anything else you’d like to share.

TIME: Brewing will begin at 10am and Chili serving and voting will start at about Noon.

LOCATION: 3621 Redwood Ave, L.A. 90066. It’s just a few blocks west of Beethoven, north of Venice.

 

Bring your best Chili!

-Audrey & Mimi

Activities Directors

President’s Message

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By now, the PG Summer Party has ended, Dean’s house has been cleansed of our presence, and we’re on to other events. I’d like to thank Dean, his gracious wife, Chiara, and the Dynamic Duo of Laura and Peter Sussman, for once again allowing us to throw our summer shindig at their house. Dean and the family are now off to Italy for the next year, where Dean intends to single handedly fix what’s wrong with their government, eliminate the last vestiges of the Mafia, and ride in the Giro d’Italia next year. We all wish them well while on the Sussman Family Adventure, and hope they stay long enough for at least some of us to fly over and freeload off of them.

It’s mid-summer, and the dog days are back in some parts of the country, but not on the West Side, home of Pacific Gravity. The weather is perfect for brewing those beers in time for the Pacific Brewers Cup and the Holidays. How about a Double IPA, and a Second Runnings Pale Ale? More bang for your buck, and you may win a ribbon on September 24th.

The Summer Party was a grand success, and August is packed with beer related club events. First Friday will be at Brewster’s Pool Bar at the Sheraton 4 Points. Mead Day is coming up, hosted by Dan Hakes, and the Annual Chili Cookoff and Club Brew is on August 27th.

Of course, we have our August Club Meeting at CCHBS on the 18th. Styles are Fruit Beers, Ciders/Perries and Meads. If you don’t have any of those libations to bring, then bring something else you’d like to share. For details on any of the above events, please consult the Club Calendar, as well as the Activities, and Competitions Corner articles.

On another note, a few smart PG members have reminded me to mention that we will be holding our Club Elections in November.

We need nominees for the following positions, President, Vice President, and Treasurer. I will not be running for President next year because I will be retiring from the workforce, selling my house, and taking off for parts unknown in the land cruiser. In order to not leave the club in a lurch, it is better if I don’t continue serving the club as an officer. From my experience working with many of you, I know that we have many members who are more than capable of becoming club officers. Infusion of new blood into the management ranks is good for the club, and keeps the club moving forward. Please consider stepping up to the plate, and joining the ranks of those of us who have served Pacific Gravity for the last 16 years. If you have questions do not hesitate to contact me, Reed, Craig, Carl, Audrey, Mimi, or any of the other Board members.

photo credit: Luis Di Stefano

Call For Entries: 2011 Pacific Brewers Cup

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CALL FOR ENTRIES

Pacific Gravity Homebrewers Club is pleased to announce the

15th Annual Pacific Brewers Cup Homebrew Competition

This competition is hosted on a rotating basis by the Strand Brewers’ Club, the Long Beach Homebrewers and Pacific Gravity.

The PBC is an American Homebrewers Association sanctioned homebrew competition and will use the beer style guidelines published by the Beer Judge Certification Program.

Complete details and entry registration can be found at

http://pacificbrewerscup.com Read more →

August 5th – PG’s First Friday at Brewster’s Pool Bar

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Come join us for our August First Friday at the new poolside bar at the FourPoints by Sheraton/LAX on Friday, August 5th.

Some quick facts:
Date: Friday, August 5th
Time: 7pm to 10pm (but you are welcome to go any time Friday afternoon/evening!)
Location: Brewster’s Pool Bar at the Four Points by Sheraton LAX Hotel
Address: 9750 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: http://www.fourpointslax.com/BestBrews

Parking: FREE (you can have your parking ticket validated at the bar)

Brewster’s Pool Bar just opened and has received a bunch of “thumbs up” from some of our fellow PGers!

Local southern California breweries on draft…only $5! They have 6 taps, plus many more beers available at the indoor Brewster’s bar.
Their slogan: “ DRINK LOCAL….BEER SO FRESH YOU HAVE TO SLAP IT”!

Here’s what they had on tap in early June:
– 24th St. Pale Ale (Strand)
– Solidarity Black & Mild (Eagle Rock)
– El Toro Trio Haferweizen (Cismontane)
– Happy Pils (Tustin)
– Golden Chaos (Bootlegger’s)
– Bavarian Style Wheat Ale (Black Market)

Food specials (all night): $2 FISH TACOS & 25% ALL OTHER FOOD

NOTES:
* Official start time is 7pm but the poolside bar opens at 1pm for anyone on a summer break! The outside bar will be open til 10pm — just for us for this night only (the poolside bar normally closes at 7pm). If you wish to stay past 10pm, we just need to move to Brewster’s Bar indoors…as a courtesy to hotel guests with rooms over the pool.

* There may be some heaters on the patio but bring a jacket or sweater if the evening weather looks to be cool…or another option is to move indoors.

Looking forward to seeing you all on August 5th!

Mead Day Saturday August 6th

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The first Saturday every August is the official AHA National Mead Day since it began in 2002.  So we will be celebrating on August 6th at the home of Dan & Anne Hakes by brewing, tasting and talking about mead.  For those of you who are new to mead making, we have some very experienced club members who will be happy to demonstrate and provide instructions on the process.

You of course are encouraged to brew your own batch or batches of mead as well! Please make sure to bring all of your own ingredients and supplies, though Dan has a water filter available so you do not need to bring your own water unless you choose to.

Some snacks will be provided and the Carriage House Taproom will be open.  If you have some mead to share, bring it along. Beer is welcome too as well as any other munchies.  Drop by, socialize, and watch how easy it is to make mead!

Time: 10am-4pm

Location:  2379 W 21st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90018

323-203-5089

Directions: Take the 10 freeway to Arlington Exit, Head North to Washington, 21st Street is closed to entry from Arlington, so enter the neighborhood from Washington at Cimerron, Right on Cimmaron to 21st St.  Park anywhere in the neighborhood, and walk to Dan’s, though parking can be tough, so carpool if possible.

Our Club Only Competition for meads will be judged that day as well by our Competition Coordinator, Carl Townsend.  You can bring your entries to Dan’s house or if you cannot attend Mead Day, please bring your entries to CCHBS by Friday August 5th and notify Carl at competitioncoordinator@pacificgravity.com.  Three 12-oz bottles are needed, but if you don’t win, you can take back 2 of them.  Also, please fill out an entry form at:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/0326/entry_recipe.pdf

 

You can find more info on National Mead Day and sample recipes online at:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/events/mead-day

www.gotmead.com

 

See you at Mead Day!

-Audrey & Mimi

Activities Directors

 

THIS WEEKEND IS OUR 2011 PG SUMMER PARTY – Saturday July 16th!

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Please join us for some fun at our annual Pacific Gravity Summer party on Saturday July 16th. Our theme this year will be Mediterranean/Middle Eastern in honor of our host Dean & his family’s move to Italy in August. Club members should have also received an evite, so check your email for that as well!

LOCATION: Dean Sussman’s house, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

TIME: 2pm until 10pm…please be responsible and have a designated driver or call a cab.

ADMISSION: Free for all PG members (if your dues are paid up) plus one guest. Kids are free, but there is a fee of $20 for each additional guest.

Please let us know if you can VOLUNTEER…see previous articles, emails or evite for more details. The success of the party depends on YOU.

Please BRING FOOD & BEER & other beverages to share. Please note that there will not be fridge space available, so plan to keep them cold in a cooler or bring dishes that can sustain the shade for a while. If you plan to bring a keg or any other beverage, please email Carl with the details on your beverage at competitioncoordinator@pacificgravity.com

SUPPLIES: We are still in need of a few supplies to make this party a success, so if you are able to lend any of the following items, it would be much appreciated: GRILLING UTENSILS, BBQs, and a PA system. Also, EZ ups, tables & jockey boxes.

If you haven’t already done so, please RSVP. Please indicate how many in your party. Contact: Activitiesdirector@pacificgravity.com (Mimi & Audrey)

And don’t forget…
– To bring chairs and blankets, but please share the ground space with your fellow guests.
– Jackets & sweaters for the evening are recommended.
– Dean has a swimming pool and welcomes his guests to use the pool. Kids MUST be supervised by adults at all times while in & around the pool. Please bring your own bathing suits, towels & sunscreen.
– Raffle money! As always, there will be a Club Raffle and Door Prizes! Raffle tickets will be sold at the front gate prior to the raffle for just $1

Directions & Alternate Routes due to 405 freeway closure:
The 405 freeway will be CLOSED the weekend of July 15-17 between the 101 and the 10 freeways. Please check news sources for further details and please allow extra travel time… at least an extra 20-30 minutes.

Suggested alternate routes:
From the south:
Try Bundy Dr, Barrington Ave and/or 26th St-Allenford Ave to get to Sunset Blvd.

From the north:
Try the canyon roads: Laurel Canyon, Coldwater Canyon and Beverly Glen to get to Sunset Blvd.
PCH is another north-south alternate.

Looking forward to a wonderful Summer Party! See you on Saturday!

2011 PG SUMMER PARTY – July 16th!

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Our PG Summer party date is confirmed for Saturday, July 16th.  Our theme this year will be Mediterranean/Middle Eastern in honor of our host & his family’s move to Italy in August.

Location:

Dean Sussman’s house

1310 Amalfi Drive

Pacific Palisades, CA  90272

Time: 2pm until 10pm…please be responsible and have a designated driver or call a cab.

Admission for all PG members (dues paid up) is free, plus one guest. Kids are free. There is a fee of $20 for each additional guest.

Bring jackets & sweaters for the evening. Bring chairs and blankets but please share the ground space with your fellow guests.

Note: the 405 freeway will be CLOSED the weekend of July 15-17 between the 101 and the 10 freeways. Please check news sources for further details. Rumor has it that LA public transit will be free that weekend. Please allow extra travel time… at least an extra 20-30 minutes.

Suggested alternate routes:

From the south:

Try Bundy Dr, Barrington Ave and/or 26th St-Allenford to get to Sunset Blvd.

From the north:

Try the canyon roads: Laurel Canyon, Coldwater Canyon and Beverly Glen to get to Sunset Blvd.

PCH is another north-south alternate.

Calling all PGers and guests…we need VOLUNTEERS! The success of our party depends on YOU!

We need volunteers for party setup, party activities/duties (cooking & prep, check-in desk, serving beer, serving food, etc), and party clean up.

We encourage ALL members to get involved and to volunteer for at least ONE 1 hour shift but you are welcome to sign up for as many shifts as you would like.  Please let us know when you are available to help… we need people Friday evening (6-9pm), pre-party Saturday, LOTS of people during the party, and party clean up on Sunday morning at 10am til done. (Those in the “know” know that the volunteers have THE MOST fun at our PG parties!) As always this “must-not-be-missed” party is run by the volunteers…so please step up and volunteer to help make YOUR party a success!!  Please contact Mimi Bardet & Audrey Hill-Lindsay (activitiesdirector@pacficgravity.com) to volunteer.

FOOD!

Calling all foodies and home chefs! Please put on your aprons and whip up some dishes to share at our PG Summer Party. We are not only known for a party with great beers, but also known as a club with amazing food at our parties…thanks to our Club chefs and all YOU volunteer chefs and bakers out there. You are challenged to bring your favorite party dishes. We need LOTS of sides, salads, snacks/appetizers and desserts to round out the Mediterranean feast. Dishes complimenting the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern theme would be ideal…or even pick up some store bought sides at your local markets and restaurants on the way to the party!  Contact our PG Activities Directors, Mimi & Audrey, at activitiesdirector@pacificgravity.com with any food items that you are willing to contribute. We will be sending more details on food requests in future emails & posts.

BEER!

Please bring beer, beer and more beer to share! If you keg, please bring one or two or more! If you bottle, bring several! Meads, ciders, wines, sakes, and any other homemade fermented beverages are always welcome. Of course, non-alcoholic beverages in kegs and bottles are always welcome. We also need your jockey boxes for the party.

Drink Competitions this year:

We are keeping it simple this year with just 2 official competitions:

1-       Best Party Beer

2-       Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage

Prizes will be awarded to the winners!

And, please bring the single hop IPA club-collaboration brews from the May 28th Big Brew as well as any Tustin Monster Brews still on hand.

If you plan on bringing beer or soda kegs, please let us know by contacting Carl at CompetitionCoordinator@pacificgravity.com.

Kegs can be dropped off at the Culver City Home Brew Supply Store up until close of business on Thursday, July 14th – these will be delivered to the party by VOLUNTEERS with trucks on Friday evening. Note: Jockey Boxes can be dropped off at CCHBS on only Thursday, July 14th if you need them transported to the party. CCHBS doesn’t have storage space for multiple jockey boxes so it’s best if you get the jockey boxes delivered to the party on Friday night or Saturday morning.

Please note that Dean’s house will be OFF LIMITS for ALL party attendees…plenty of portable bathrooms will be available. (We are trying to arrange a nicer-than-basic one for the women.)

Dean has a swimming pool and welcomes his guests to use the pool. Kids MUST be supervised by adults at all times while in & around the pool. Please bring your own bathing suits, towels & sunscreen.

As always, there will be a Club Raffle and Door Prizes! Raffle tickets will be sold at the front gate prior to the raffle for just $1…such a bargain!

 More information will be coming as final details get firmed up.

 Just don’t forget to VOLUNTEER…we really need everyone to pitch in to make this another successful PG Summer party. Please contact Full-Time Board members for any questions, etc.