Four short years ago craft beer in Costa Mesa was a unicorn. And then The Iron Press quietly opened in the SoCo Mix Mart...
“Wait where?”
“You know that shopping thing off the 405…”
“Oh yeah. And they have good beer?”
“Great beer. And Waffles.”
It didn’t take long for the rest of Orange County to see the light. These days craft beer is everywhere. In the meantime we’ve poured more than 600 different expressions from California and beyond, opened a sister location in Anaheim, celebrated with Are You Cereal?, and cured more than a few hangovers with comfort food done right.
Looking back over the past few years we tried to think of how to celebrate an Iron Press 4th Birthday. All 4% beers? No. All Belgian Quadruples? Sounds messy, but, there is Uber now. And then after one or two (more than 4%) beers, and looking at all the tap handles we’ve collected, we saw a challenge...
30 BEERS WE HAVE NEVER POURED!!
...so we scoured and hunted then called in a few favors to bring you an impressive collection of fresh batches, rarities, and exciting offerings from some of our favorites. All of which have never run through our shiny faucets. Come by on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 to sip from the line up...
BOTTLE LOGIC, GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE N2
STOUT (NITRO) 7.5% ABV
Fresh off of two World Beer Cup medals, this Nitro pushed stout is perfect to celebrate our fourth birthday!
KARL STRAUSS, 27TH ANNIVERSARY BBA DOUBLE CHOCOLATE IMPERIAL STOUT
IMPERIAL STOUT, 13% ABV
Each year this San Diego stalwart releases a celebratory ale. For number twenty seven they utilized rich dark malts, cocoa nibs and bourbon barrels.
OSKAR BLUES, VELVET ELVIS STOUT
STOUT, 6%
Rarely seen outside of Colorado, this occasionally released session stout delivers big coffee, chocolate and caramel notes.
STONE, WINTER HARVEST
BA GOLDEN ALE, 11.3% ABV
They never do anything small in Escondido. Stone Farms Merlot grapes were added to a boozy Belgian-style Golden Ale while being aged in white wine barrels.
STONE, FOEDER-AGED IMPERIAL SAISON
IMPERIAL SAISON, 10.6% ABV
Two years in a Foeder (large wooden fermenter) and three strains of Brettanomyces (funky yeast!) created a complex farmhouse ale that packs a punch.
WANDERING AENGUS, DRY OAKED CIDER
FRUIT CIDER, 7.5% ABV
A rarity from Hood River, OR this beauty comes from prime cider apple orchards and then rests on oak to create a complex and subtle cider.
2 TOWNS, THE BAD APPLE
IMPERIAL CIDER 10.5% ABV
Honey takes this imperial apple cider into double digits before hitting Oregon oak.
ACOUSTIC ALES, STRAWBERRY FIELDS
SOUR BLONDE, 6% ABV
A blonde ale meets 600 pounds of Carlsbad grown strawberries in this kettle sour.
LEFT COAST, ASYLUM BA with CHERRIES
BA BELGIAN TRIPPEL, 13.2 % ABV
The Belgian-style trippel from San Clemente goes next level after laying in a barrel with cherries.
GOOD BEER CO., LA CHEESE
WILD IPA, 7.5%
DTSA's sour power house brings us this mix cultured wild IPA.
FIRESTONE WALKER, 2016 PARABOLA
BBA RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT, 13.1% ABV
Often popping up on 'Best Beers in the World' lists, this Russian Imperial Stout is a blended beast born of too many different whiskey and bourbon barrels to list.
BALLAST POINT, WATERMELON DORADO
DIPA, 10% ABV
You may have had this fruit DIPA already, but we haven't.
BALLAST POINT BARMY
FRUIT ALE, 12% ABV
Honey and apricots join barley and hops in a draft-only release that occasionally sneaks out of San Diego.
SAINT ARCHER, TUSK & GRAIN SERIES 01
BA COCONUT PORTER, 13.4% ABV
The barrel-aging program at Saint Archer flies under the flag of Tusk & Grain. This expression is a barrel-aged Coconut Porter we're excited to experience with you.
RITUAL, JAVA DELUXE
BA STOUT with COFFEE, 12.2% ABV
The 2015 GABF Gold Medal winner in the Aged Beer category gets a healthy dose of coffee.
COUNCIL, BEATITUDE PASSION FRUIT TART SAISON
TART SAISON, 3.8% ABV
Quality sour beers are often few and far between, enjoy every delicate once.
COUNCIL, BEATITUDE THREE BERRY TART SAISON
TART SAISON, 3.8% ABV
300 Bottles of this release with blueberry, blackberry and raspberry sold out in 2 hours. Lucky for you, we have a full keg.
TOOLBOX, SPRING SHANDY
BERLINER WEISSE, 4.5% ABV
Two German classics collide, Berliner Weisse and the lemonade-beer blend Shandy for a tart sipper.
EPIC, SON OF A BAPTIST
STOUT, 8.2% ABV
Our neighbors happen to be Orange County's top coffee roaster and they got tapped to contribute to this Utah-bred scaled down version of Big Bad Baptist.
UNSUNG, NATURA
DIPA, 8.4% ABV
The Anaheim newcomers brought us their DIPA fresh with Mosaic and Simcoe hops to help celebrate.
UNSUNG, PROPELLER-HEAD
AMERICAN AMBER, 6% ABV
Hidden House coffee from San Juan Capistrano charges this American Amber ale.
RIIP, CITRALICIOUS
IPA, 6.5% ABV
More hoppy power from Huntington's beachside alpha acid slingers.
ANAHEIM BREWING, UNITE BELGIAN TRIPPEL
BELGIAN TRIPPEL, 9.4% ABV
Brewed on International Women's Day, one of our very own from The Iron Press Crew got to be a part of this traditional example of Trappist-influenced excellence.
EL SEGUNDO, OFF SHORE PALE ALE
PALE ALE, 5.6% ABV
From ESBC's newest brewer, and hopped with a recently released hybrid German variety, Mandarina Bavaria. This uber small release is maltier than the typical in-your-face citrus slam the brewery is known for.
BLACKMARKET, SOUR with BLACKBERRIES
BERLINER WEISSE, 3.8% ABV
This tart fruit beer from Temecula is their 1945 Berliner Weisse, a perfect palate cleanser and spring time sipper.
FIFTY FIFTY, CAPA
CALIFORNIA PALE ALE, 6% ABV
Citra and El Dorado come together in this California Pale Ale. Get it? ... C.A.P.A.
NINKASI, BEER RUN
IPA, 7.3% ABV
When they aren't shooting yeast into space this Oregonians are making solid IPAs like this one with Equinox, Eureka, and Chinook hops.
SPEAKEASY, SUDS
SESSION ALE, 4.7% ABV
Look, not every beer here tonight could be a massive stout, IPA, or sour ale. Everybody needs a balanced, light-bodied session beer in between the madness.
10 BARREL, CUCUMBER CRUSH
BERLINER WEISSE, 4% ABV
If day spas had this beer instead of cucumber water, you'd visit every day.
THERE YOU HAVE IT! This Tuesday, grab an anniversary flight and take home a commemorative glass, then sample some of the other fine ales we curated for our favorite OC beer lovers. All these beers would be incomplete without an over-the-top, highly #foodporn worthy meal. The inspired brains in our kitchen pulled out all the stops when creating 4 inspired dishes. Keep your eyes peeled for the deets on those - we'll be sharing with you on Monday! For now, drool over the beer list and get ready for a fun night! Of course DJ Lex will be rockin’ the ones and twos, and of course we will see you there at 5pm.
