On Sunday, November 10, 2013 I went to my favorite NYC craft beer bar aka Blind Tiger Ale House for an event featuring some of The Bruery’s (Placentia, CA) most sought after beers. While there I focused on trying beers that I hadn’t tried before and had lots of fellow beer geeks to chat with while drinking them. One of them being The Bruery’s director of marketing, Ben Weiss. So after I finished enjoying most of the beers that I had hoped to get to try at the event, Ben and I stepped outside for some fresh cool air and a quick interview. Note: At certain points in the interview you’ll be able to see that I was a bit nervous (the reason I say “you know” a lot), partly because I’m just now getting back into the swing of doing interviews and partly because all my questions were off the cuff. Overall, it was great to learn about what makes The Bruery unique and innovative and I’m looking forward to all the new beers that Patrick Rue and his team have in store for 2014.

Topics covered in the interview:

• Atmosphere at The Bruery’s tasting room now that the Provisions store has been closed for almost a year.
• What it’s like for The Bruery’s staff to know that they produce beers that are so well respected and hyped by craft beer drinkers (e.g. Black Tuesday and White Chocolate).
• Process of coming up with new beers at The Bruery.
• The influence of Belgian beers on The Bruery’s brewing practices and mission.
• The Bruery’s barrel program: How it’s helping promote growth AND What makes their barrel program unique.
• The Bruery in the New York beer market (scene).
• What’s coming soon from the Bruery.

Tasting notes of the following beers coming ASAP: Batch 1000, Bottleworks XII, Tart of Darkness, Humulus Lager, Or Xata, Melange 3, and White Chocolate.