The Menu for Tonight's Tuesday Tap Takeover - Drake's Brewing Edition

Drake's x The Iron Press Here's what we will be stuffing your faces with tonight!

1. It’s all about the GRAVY, JUICE, or AU JUS.  We just call it THE SAUCE!  We make ours from scratch simmering for twenty-four (24) hours pulling every ounce of flavor into THE SAUCE.  We use the finest cuts of prime rib eye beef cut thin, don’t forget to ask for sweet or hot peppers. - $9

2. Hawaiian bread dipped in our special maple syrup egg batter then pressed in our irons topped with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream and garnished. YUM! -$7

A little preview of the beefy goodness today:

Italian Beef Sammy

It goes without saying, but DJ LexaKhan will be spinning the best (beer) tunes on the planet for your aural pleasure - ooh la la!  Freebies go out to those ordering a Drake's flight.  See you guys tonight!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

Karl is New and Tasty

Karl's Krotch

Yes, that is me in Karl's unmentionables.  Yes he is tasty, well his beers are!  Within the past two (2) years or so, we have seen Karl Strauss go from borderline big boys in the industry to really focusing on their beer again.  From their core offerings to a great variety of seasonal, anniversary, and specialty brews.

We were lucky enough to get invited out to their brand new tasting room down in San Diego before the grand opening by our friend and rep, Nina last week!

Nikki x Nina x Wreck Alley x Bourbon Barrels

That's Nina and Nikki in front of some Bourbon barrel aged Wreck Alley Imperial Stout.  Nina sneaked some tasters of this guy and wowee, it was super tasty!  We are looking forward to getting our grubby little hands on a barrel of this juice and bringing it into The Iron Press soon.

Tower 20 Cask

A happy surprise came about an hour and a half into the evening when Paul Segura, the head brewer for Karl Strauss, tapped a cask of the Tower 20 Imperial IPA!  Creamy, bitey, yummy.  I had like five (5) glasses in the first hour, tee hee.

Phil's BBQ and Music

To keep not just our beer buds happy, we were stuffed plenty full with Phil's BBQ and our ears happy with some great music.

Brewing, Kegging, and Bottling

Even at night, the beer keeps brewing!  They had a brewer on hand checking on the batches there, but the kegging and bottling system was shut down for the night.

Anyhoo, it's Saturday and you guys shouldn't be spending all your time reading this stuff, but before your pretty eyes leave us for the day, here is some information for the tasting room:

Who: All y'all who enjoy great beer and can make the little jaunt down to San Diego.  All ages welcome, but alas, beer for those 21+
What : Karl Strauss' New Tasting Room Grand Opening
When : July 27th, 2013 AD
Where : 5895 Santa Fe Street, San Diego, CA 92109
Why : Really?

For more information, poke here: http://www.karlstrauss.com/brewery/index.html

Smoochies,
Len & Jerry

Tuesday Tap Takeovers - The Drake's Brewing Edition

Tuesday Tap Takeovers - The Drake's Brewing Edition Hey there!  Thank you for all that came out to catch the screenings of The Art of Beer.  For those of you who missed it, you can catch the video here:

https://vimeo.com/66041960

It's a quick fifteen (15) minutes of your life that you will happily spend.  Now on to our next event.

On July 30th, 2013 AD, we will be hosting our next Tuesday Tap Takeover with Drake's Brewing out of San Leandro, just thirty (30) minutes southeast of good ol' San Francisco.  We have been drooling to get these guys in for a while as Hopocalypse, Jolly Roger, and Denogginizer have been three (3) of our favorite beers we have had since our inception!  We simply could not decide between all the fantastic beer they offered up and were only able to narrow it down to eleven (11) beers ha ha. Without further ado, here is the Drake's lineup for the evening:

1. Hefeweizen - 4.5% ABV | 15 IBU - 60% wheat malt and 40% 2-row malt are incorporated with Noble hops imported from Germany. Then fermented with a Bavarian yeast strain that imparts the distinctive banana and clove aromas. The brewers skip the filtration step for that nice, cloudy appearance, and great, unfiltered flavor.

2. Blonde Ale - 4.8% ABV | 24 IBU - A Kolsch-style ale. Light in color from brewing with only 2-row malt, but big on flavor from imported Noble Saa(en)z and German Spalt hops.

3. 1500 - 5.5% ABV | 48 IBU - This hoppy American Pale Ale is loaded with Simcoe and Centennial hops which are blended in the fermenter just after fermentation has finished to impart a huge aroma of pine and citrus.

4. Amber Ale - 5.9% ABV | 28 IBU - An English-style Extra Special Bitter, or ESB. This deep copper brew has a pungent hop aroma from East Kent Golding and Willamette hops, but delivers a distinctly malty flavor from Crystal and Chocolate specialty malts.

5. Dry Stout (On Nitro!) - 6.5% ABV | 40 IBU - Comprised of 2-Row malt, roasted barley, and a select blend of dark malts and served on nitrogen. Enjoy the creamy mouthfeel, medium body, and the roasty, chocolate flavors.

6. Aroma Coma - 6.75% ABV | 75 IBU - Summer seasonal India Pale Ale delivers an olfactory hop assault that lives up to its name. Made with almost all 2-row barley malt and a touch of Caramalt for body, abundant Citra, Cascade, and Chinook hops with touches of Amarillo and El Dorada add huge citrus, pine, and floral notes. A double round of dry-hopping then amps up the aroma to a new level.

7. Aroma Prieta - 6.75% ABV | 75 IBU - Shake out from Aroma Coma with Aroma Prieta. Aroma Coma’s sister beer mirrors its twin starting with primarily American 2-row barley malt and a touch of Caramalt for body. New Zealand hops Nelson Sauvin, Pacific Jade, and Motueka in the double dry-hop give Aroma Prieta huge notes of tropical fruit, gooseberries, and grapefruit.

8. India Pale Ale - 7% ABV | 65 IBUs - A “West Coast” interpretation of an India Pale Ale. Copper colored from additions of light Crystal and Honey malts which carry the malt weight of this hop bomb. The hoppy aromas of pine and grapefruit are delivered from the abundant Chinook, Cascade and Falconer’s Flight hops.

9. Drakonic - 8.75% ABV | 40 IBU - A big, malty beast of an Imperial Stout that exemplifies the way they roll over at Drake’s. Two-row malt, Chocolate malt, roasted barley, and dark Crystal malts make up the grist. A touch of Columbus hops is added for bittering allowing the malt to shine through. Drakonic is smooth and dense with flavors of licorice, coffee and chocolate and a slightly dry finish.

10. Zinful Drakonic - 9% ABV | ?? IBU- Drakonic aged in mostly Zinfandel barrels and a wee bit of time in Port barrels. Thick and creamy, but surprisingly light on the palate. This sucker is hard to find!

11. Denogginizer - 9.75% ABV | 90 IBU - A big, bold Double IPA hopped with an abundant amount of Simcoe and Summit hops and a touch of CTZ and Cascade. Crystal and Munich malts add color and flavor and help balance out the hop assault (Leonard and Nikki's favorite beer at the moment). Hold on to your head!

Keep an eye out in the next few days for the lineup and food specials!

As always, there will be giveaways for flights of Drake's brews and DJ LexaKhan will be throwing tunes in, out, and blowing your mind.  We look forward to seeing y'all there!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

RuinTen and Other Goodness for The Art of Beer

RuinTen x Irondilla x Strawberry Cheesecake We got something for you guys tonight at The Iron Press.  We will be tapping the RuinTen by Stone Brewing!  That's right guys, the ten year anniversary of the Ruination will be poured out this evening for all you lucky suckers, so get it while it lasts!

From Stone Brewing, themselves:

"IBUs 110 | ABV 10.8% | Release Date June 17th, 2013. We first released this decidedly indelicate beer in 2012, as Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our beloved bitter Stone Ruination IPA. Stone RuinTen IPA uses the same recklessly hoppy recipe as the 2012 release; only the name has changed, as we plan to unleash this belligerently delicious hop monster upon the public annually from now on. We packed a whopping five pounds of hops into each barrel, and cranked up the ABV to stand up to the hop onslaught. The results are glorious, and we know you'll rejoice in tasting this audacious gem of hoppy splendor once again. You're welcome. "

In addition to this, we will be serving up:

1. The Irondilla - Citrus marinaded chicken with Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses stuffed inside two flower tortillas finished off in our signature iron. - $9

2. Strawberry Cheesecake Waffle - Belgian waffle cheesecake topped with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and a scoop of ice cream. $7

See you guys tonight!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

The Art of Beer

The Art of Beer Helloooooooo out theeerrrrreeee!  I hope this finds it way to you guys as this is a little bit of a late announcement, but we will be showing a really rad documentary called The Art of Beer.

The Art of Beer was featured at the Newport Beach Film Festival this year to rave reviews.  For those who haven't had the opportunity to catch this little documentary, it does an amazing and fun job of showcasing craft beer culture, focusing on many local restaurants and faces that you will definitely recognize, especially our very own resident tune master extraordinaire DJ LexaKhan (Lexter Calhoun)!

You guys all know what a huge movie geek I am, and I have to admit, The Art of Beer is extremely well put together, edited, shot, directed, yadda yadda yadda.  The important thing is, it educates you and at the same time has fun doing it while making you really thirsty.  I'm salivating a bit just writing this.

There will be three (3) screenings throughout the evening (6 PM, 7:30 PM, and 9 PM PST) with Lex spinning dope tunes before and after each screening!  On hand (drinking) will be some folks involved with the film, including Oscar Ussery (Director) and Joshua Lang (Producer) if you guys wanna poke around the insides of their skulls.

As with pretty much all of our events, we will be doing some specials to stuff your faces with and some giveaways for those picking up flights!  We hope to see all of you guys here at The Iron Press.

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

The Menu for Tonight’s Tuesday Tap Takeover – The Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Edition

Speakeasy x The Iron Press  

Here you go guys!  We are throwing down your tummies:

1. Carne Asada Waffle Torta - Citrus and beer marinaded asada using prime cuts, adorned with fresh tomatoes and onions with a side of Lucky Habanero Dragon Lips Salsa. $9

2. Strawberry Cheesecake Waffle - Belgian waffle cheesecake topped with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and a scoop of ice cream. $7

As always, DJ LexaKhan will be bouncing off tunes in and around your head all night long and there will be some freebies for those ordering Speakeasy flights!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

Tuesday Tap Takeovers - The Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Edition

Tuesday Tap Takeovers - The Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Edition Hi.  How are you?  After another fun Tap Takeover with Hangar 24, we have another great California brewery lined up next.  On Tuesday July 9th, 2013 AD we will be bringing in the good folks over at Speakeasy Ales & Lagers from San Francisco! Without further ado, here is the deliciously delicious line up:

1. Tallulah - 5.6% ABV | 60 IBU - This XPA pours a radiant honey gold with a fluffy layer of foam and bursts with complex tropical fruit aromas. The candy fruit notes of guava, peach, and passion fruit are complimented by a light caramel sweetness and balanced with a moderate yet assertive level of hop bitterness.  With a refreshingly effervescent carbonation, the untraditional hop flavors lead to a crisp finish, perfect for a warm day at the park.


2. Prohibition Ale - 6.1% ABV | 45 IBU - Prohibition Ale is the first beer we bootlegged back in the early days of the brewery. Anything but traditional, Prohibition pours a deep reddish amber hue, with a fluffy tan head that leaves a beautiful lacing on the glass. A lush, complex aroma teases the senses with juicy grapefruit, citrus, pine, spice, and candied caramel malts. Mouth feel is creamy, with a silky medium body and modest carbonation.


3. Big Daddy - 6.5% ABV | 60 IBU - This IPA is a hop head's delight, a generously dry hopped yet surprisingly drinkable American style India Pale Ale. Poured into a standard American pint glass, the beer is a golden straw color, with tight carbonation and a slightly off white head that leaves a lovely lacing.  The aroma is floral, fresh grass, pine needles, grapefruit, and subtle notes of fresh bread.


4. Payback Porter - 7.5% ABV | 35 IBU - American hops provide a smooth distraction for Payback Porter’s robust strength, which is concealed within the shadows of dark imported malts.


5. Vendetta IPA - 7.6% ABV | 50 IBU - As the fire rages on, an enduring rivalry reaches the breaking point. Vendetta IPA is the taste of sweet revenge. Aggressively bitter with a cutthroat convergence of Citra and Amarillo hops, this Vendetta won't soon be forgotten.


6. The Accomplice - 7.6% ABV | ?? IBU - Very rare limited release Belgian style dark ale brewed with the Bastogne yeast strain. Toasty with fruity undertones.


7. Double Daddy - 8.5% ABV | 80 IBU - Doubling down on malt and hops, Double Daddy raises the stakes. With it’s good looks and No-Limit style, DD takes the pot every time.


8. Scarface Imperial Stout - 9.5% ABV | 65 IBU - A bold and self-indulgent symphony of dark chocolate, chicory and roasted coffee. With a warming note, the mouth feel is hearty and silky.  A perfect adventure for sipping on those chilly nights.


9. Old Godfather Barley Wine - 10.8% ABV | 75 IBU - Pale, Honey, Munich and Special-B malts with Apollo and Cascade hops make this Barley Wine chock full of deep malt flavors.  Mmmmm...heavy, sipper, boozy.


Hop back over soon to check out more details on the event that night!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

The Menu for Tonight's Tuesday Tap Takeover - Hangar 24 Version 2.0

Hangar 24 x The Iron Press There it is!  We decided to keep things simple this time, as we are unleashing onto our happy masses two super cool offerings for you to stuff your faces silly with.

1. Chicken Katsu Sandoitchi - Takashi’s take on an old Japanese favorite.  Panko crusted chicken breast with coleslaw and house made curry sauce for dipping.  Or have it on a Belgian waffle with the curry slathered on top! $9

2. Wookie - Who doesn’t like cookies and ice cream?  House made warm chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a waffle with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top drizzled with chocolate syrup. As Frank would say, “Yum!”. - $7

Here's a little sneak preview of the food:

Sneaky Sneak Preview

As most of you know, DJ LexaKhan will be virtually spinning super fun jams all night long (all nigggght...all nighhhhht - Lionel Ritchie)!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

Tuesday Tap Takeovers - The Hangar 24 Version 2.0 Edition

Tuesday Tap Takeovers – Hangar 24 Version 2.0 What's up guys and gals?  Please accept our apologies that this is being thrown out into cyberspace so close to the event, but we were hard at work helping get things in order for Nepenthia (which was super fun, you better have shown up.  I'm talking to you.  AND YOU).

Anyhoo, I know we have said that we wouldn't double up on a brewery before we have exhausted our options, but we just love Hangar 24 and all the guys over there (plus their summer line up is always ama-za-za-zing)!  With that being said, this coming Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 AD, the boys from Hangar 24 will be bringing in some great brews to tickle your taste buds.

Without further ado, here is the lineup for the evening:

1. Helles Lager - 4.3% ABV | 14 IBU - Traditional and Sweet. This Munich style Helles bears all its delicacies for you to enjoy with nothing to hide. Sweet candy-like malt sweetness and a hint of German noble hop flavor and aroma is what this craft lager is all about.

2. Orange Wheat - 4.6% ABV | 17 IBU - Crisp, tangy, and refreshing. The citrus aroma, light airy mouth feel, and tangy finish are this unfiltered beer’s trademarks. This is accomplished by adding whole locally grown oranges throughout the brewing process, which perfectly coalesce with the wheat and barley base.

3. Small Stout - 4.8% ABV | 43 IBU - A special release for St. Patty's Day. Brewed in the traditional "small beer" style made from the second runnings of our massive Imperial Stout Pugachev's Cobra. Small beers are a practice that dates back hundreds of years to monastic brewing traditions. In those days, brewers would make a large strong beer for the King or Abbot and then smaller beers for the regular citizens or monks. Our Small Stout is an American-style dry stout. Roast barley character blends with hints of chocolate and espresso. The beer finishes crisp and dry accentuated by a nice hop character.

4. Belgian Summer Ale - 5.8% | 15 IBU - Our summer seasonal is based on the recipe for our very popular 3rd Anniversary Ale. Aromas of clove, pineapple and bubblegum spill from the glass. The flavor is a combination of spicy Belgian yeast with hints of pear & nutmeg. It finishes with a pleasant tartness. 3rd Anniversary Ale is very light and refreshing and at the same time complex and intriguing.

5. Local Fields Palmero - 7.0% ABV | 20 IBU - For our second Local Fields Series offering we looked to match a Belgian classic with the sweetness of Southern California Dates. Palmero is a traditional Abbey Dubbel with a healthy addition of dates from the Coachella Valley. Fruity esters from the Belgian yeast strain combine with a delicate date sweetness. This beer is full of flavors of caramel, raisin, rum and spice.

6. Chocolate Porter - 8.0% ABV | 47 IBU - Rich and decadent. This strong porter is perfect for sipping at the end of the day or to accompany full-flavored foods. The intense, roasty flavor comes from two types of chocolate malt and raw cocoa nibs. Whole vanilla beans introduced post fermentation add complexity and enhance the dessert-like qualities of this full bodied beer. Indulge yourself!

7. Local Fields Essence - 8.5% | 75 IBU - This beer is the essence of Southern California. A traditional west coast Double IPA with a distinct copper hue, enhanced by generous additions of navel oranges, sweet blood oranges and grapefruit, all grown in Redlands, CA. The citrus flavors and aromas intensify the zesty Cascade and Zythos hops to deliver a one-of-a-kind drinking experience. An invigorating beer with a pleasant, defining bitterness, perfect for warm weather.

8. DIPA - 9.0% ABV | 118 IBU - Assertive and drinkable. Double IPA is California’s gift to beer lovers. Hangar 24’s is brewed with four distinctly American hops: Centennial, Citra, Columbus and Simcoe, all beautifully balanced by five malts and generous additions of local orange blossom honey. An intense sensory experience — the fresh aroma of citrus, pine and grapefruit with the bold taste of hops and sweet honey.

9. Hammerhead - 12.4% ABV | IBU 83 - A well executed HAMMERHEAD is smooth and dramatic. This beer is no exception. Hammerhead is a big, complex, American-style Barleywine featuring two English caramel malts and four American hops. Hammerhead’s character is enhanced by dry hopping and then aging the deep amber liquid for six months in charred oak rye whiskey and bourbon barrels. Spicy aromas spill from the glass: rich caramel, citrusy hops, bourbon and oak. Layered flavors of toffee, vanilla, brown sugar, spice and rye whiskey lead to a warm and slightly bitter finish. This is a strong ale, meant to be sipped, savored and enjoyed.

10. Russian Imperial Stout - 12.5% ABV | 85 IBU - One of the biggest beers they brew at Hangar 24, Russian Imperial Stout is a masterpiece of flavor and complexity. Three different dark roasted malts provide intense roasty flavors of dark chocolate, espresso and licorice. A heavy dose of hops gives enough bitterness to balance the malts. Rich, thick and mouth-coating, this beer is perfect for sipping and contemplating.

As usual, we will have some fun giveaways for people who pick up a flight of the brewery host while supplies last!

Smoochies, Len & Jerry

The Menu for Tonight's Tuesday Tap Takeover - Noble Aleworks and Han's Homemade Ice Cream!

Noble Ale Works x Hans' Homemade Ice Cream x Nepenthia x The Iron Press  

Annnnnnnnd, here is the menu for the evening:

1. THE SLOPPY FRANK  - $10 (PAIR WITH THE GOOD SHIP) - Named after it's creator, The Sloppy Frank is slow cooked with cuts of shredded ribeye steak, diced peppers and onion with our original sauce. We pile it high on our crispy Belgian waffle, the perfect blend of sweet and savory.

2. NAUGHTY FLOAT - $6 - A glass of Noble’s Naughty Sauce topped with a scoop of Honey Vanilla ice-cream from Han’s Homemade Ice-Cream.

3. RON PRESSED FRENCH TOAST - $6 - Our variation of French Toast topped with a scoop of Maple ice-cream from Han’s Homemade Ice-Cream.

4. MAPLE ROASTED BANANA - $7 - Fried banana on a Belgian waffle with roasted macadamia nuts, chocolate drizzle and a scoop of Honey Vanilla from Han’s Homemade Ice-Cream.

In addition to all this goodness, we will be offering up $5 off tickets to Nepenthia, $10 off if you pick up a beer flight!  This offer is available only at this Tuesday Tap Takeover only.  There will be a booth where you guys can snatch up discounted tickets and also sample our Nepenthia beer!

We look forward to seeing you tonight.

Smoochies, Len & Jerry