Venice Ale House Brewing Company. Article by Josh Black
A Venice day is complete after visiting your favorite local dining spot. Food and drink are a great way to wind down a long work day or a casual day off. The Venice Ale House is one of many popular places in our community for good reason. Their beachside patio is perfect for people watching and admiring another picturesque Venice sunset. The interior is great for chatting with your neighbors and staff. The décor is straight up beach town, skateboards and cruisers on the walls and suspended from the ceiling. The staff are friendly and happy to share their beer and wine knowledge or make a food pairing suggestion. The Ale House prides itself on selecting organic, healthy ingredients. Their menu changes seasonally taking advantage of the freshest produce and foods. It is a nice complement to the rotating beer menu.
On a recent evening the terrific staff at Venice Ale House hosted their launch of their first original craft brew, Venice Hi Hop Extra Pale Ale (XPA). The beer is a tribute to the Ale House’s commitment to promoting local foods and beer. The beer selection is carefully selected to represent the best in West Coast brewing. Upon arrival the VP staff was welcomed by Matt Wise and Doug Heine, two of the hard working managers of the Ale House. Doug visited with us, shared a pint, talked beer and shared his passion for craft beer.
We enjoyed an excellent pairing recommendation from Matt. A pint of the latest beer to find a handle in the Ale House, Hi Hop XPA and a turkey burger with roasted red potato wedges. The generous portion and a pint is almost too much food; however if you are in a mood to chow, it’s a perfect pair.
The turkey was lightly spiced, topped with avocado, tomato and jalapenos. The creamy avocado and spice of the peppers were a nice complement to the dry (very dry) hoppy palate of the XPA. For the hop head, XPA is a beer to savor. The pour is a light amber color, almost no head. The aroma is spot on West Coast pale ale, the boldness of the hops fill your nose. The palate is a sweet fruit, apricot. The finish is crisp, no lingering on the palate, not typical of West Coast IPA’s. The ABV is middle of the pack, 6.2%. In comparision to the army of IPAs available, Hi Hop is not a big burly hop monster; however you will get that signature hop bite. Your correspondent’s guess is somewhere between 80-90 IBUs.
The Hi Hop XPA is the creation of two of Los Angeles’ best restaurant minds, Tom Elliot and Spoon Singh. Spoon is the founder of Kona Brewing Company (Longboard Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale, Pipeline Porter). The concept is simple, create a beer that is signature Venice. Hi Hop celebrates the tradition of West Coast brewing as well as keeping true to the importance of serving local food and drink.
When your friends and family from locales far and wide visit our little slice of paradise, take them to the Venice Ale House to drink a Hi Hop XPA. Your guests will thank you for bringing them to such a fun place, of course you already know that!
The Venice Ale House is located at 2 Rose, “ where the street meets the sand”. The hours are 11A – 10P seven days a week. For information visit their website: http://venicealehouse.com/ or call 310.314.8253. The Venice Ale House is “changing the world one pint at a time”.
Website: venicealehouse.com | Facebook | Twitter
_________________________________________________
PAST BEER ARTICLES BY JOSH BLACK:
V.P. Beer of the week: Samuel Smith’s India Ale. Article by Josh Black.
V.P. Beer of the Week: Le Freak. Article by Josh Black.
V.P. Beer of the Week: Erdinger Crystal Clear. Article by Josh Black
V.P. Beer of the week: Pliny the Elder. Article by Josh Black
V.P. Beer of the week: Stone Highway 78. Article by Josh Black
V.P. Beer of the week: Sofie Belgian Style Ale. Article by Josh Black
V.P. Beer of the week: Duvel Golden Ale. Article by Josh Black
V.P. Beer of the week: Saison de Lente from The Bruery in Placentia. Article by Josh Black
______________________________
