Hair of the Dog brewmaster Alan Sprints will be in town to greet L.A. beer geeks and tap a few of his own kegs. He's stopping by the Surly Goat in West Hollywood at 7 p.m.
Located in Portland, Oregon, often referred to as Beer Town U.S.A. because of its high density of breweries, Hair of the Dog is usually ranked at the top of the bunch.
So Sprints must be doing something right. And, as a huge Hair of the Dog fan, I'll tell you why. Hair of the Dog bottles are pretty small, but brews like Fred and the barleywine Doggie Claws usually pack quite the punch in the ABV department, over 10 percent, and are loaded with intense flavors.
Fred, one my personal favorites, is a thick, golden-brown pour. It's a very rich brew that has caramel sweetness blended with a hefty dose of fruit notes like citrus. It doesn't wash down easily either. The texture has this sticky quality to it that it almost makes the brew a bit chewy.
Yeah, it's pretty complex.
It's the type of beer that just warms you up with each sip.
Here's a list of what Sprints is bringing with him form Portland, courtesy of the Surly Goat's Facebook page.
Fred (Keg & Bottle)
Blue Dot (Keg)
Greg (Keg)
2011 Doggie Claws (Keg)+ 10,11,12 (Bottles)
Adam (keg & bottle)
Michael (bottle)
Ruth (bottle)
Flanders Fred (bottle)
Now beers like Fred and Adam can be found in bottles all over Los Angeles, but to have them poured from a keg is a very, very rare experience for Angelinos (unless you pay a visit to Portland me!).
The Surly Goat is located at 7929 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood
Here's a roundup of other great brews on tap around Los Angeles:
Blue Palms Brewhouse, 6124 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
- Ballast Point Come About Stout, Russian Imperial Stout
- Ommegang Duvel Rustica, Belgian Strong Pale
- Ommegang Art of Darkness, Belgian Strong Dark
Verdugo, 3408 Verdugo Rd., Glassell Park
- Russian River Damnation, Belgian Strong Pale Ale
- Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, American Barleywine
- Bruery 5 Golden Rings, Belgian Strong Pale Ale
- Allagash Bourbon Barrel Aged Black, Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout
Tony's Darts Away, 1710 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank
- Ballast Point Victory at Sea, Imperial Coffee Porter
- Green Flash Plead the 5th, Black IPA
- Ballast Point Sculpin, IPA
Haven Gastropub, 42 S. De Lacey Ave., Pasadena
- Lagunitas Lil' Sumpin Wild, Belgian IPA (one of my all time favorites!)
- Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
- Strand Atticus IPA
