Eagle Rock Brewery – Los Angeles, CA

Eagle Rock Brewery – 3056 Roswell Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065

http://www.eaglerockbrewery.com

Father and son team, Steven and Jeremy Raub have been home brewing for 7 years before making the jump into starting a brewery in the Los Angeles area.  A city not known for making it easy on brewing entrepreneurs.  But they persevered (you can read the entire saga on their blog) and now they are open and ready to fulfill their mission statement with “the production of unique artisanal beers using the best ingredients to promote the ongoing development of the beer community in Los Angeles.”

Their microbrewery is attached to a tap-room, which just opened to the public with weekend hours. They want the space to be a venue where “fellow beer lovers can gather to relax, refresh, and enjoy our unique beers.”

They currently brew three craft beers with more in the works (including a bock made for the newly opened beer bar, The Surly Goat and a coffee beer too)

Manifesto – a Belgian-style witbier. A light wheat base spiced with coriander and citrus peel and rose petals.  Locally sourced from the Raub’s garden.

Revolution – an Extra Pale Ale (XPA) a bright and refreshing take on the pale with a substantial hop presence.

Solidarity – a British mild.  Akin to a schwarzbier or a black lager. Roasty yet not heavy.  My personal favorite.

Review submitted by Sean Inman

www.beersearchparty.com

Sweetwater Brewery – Atlanta, GA

Sweetwater Brewery – September 17th, 2009

http://www.sweetwaterbrew.com

Overall Rating: Excellent
Atmosphere: Excellent
Beer: Excellent

My visit to the Sweetwater Brewery was in a single word, unbeatable!

For an $8 cover, you receive a Sweetwater pint glass and a handful of beer tickets to fill your glass.  The tour itself is free and is simply a short walk through the brewery with an explanation of the history and background of the company.  The tour guide was quirky and had a very dry sense of humor, which made for a great experience.  There were several excellent beers on tap, most of them very cleverly named (see their website above for details).

In addition to the great beer and informational tour, about halfway through our visit a live band began playing on the outside patio.  Live music, beer and great company made for an excellent visit to the Sweetwater Brewery.  I would highly recommend making the trip if you are anywhere near the Atlanta area.

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Turner Field – Atlanta, GA

Turner Field – September 19th & 20th
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Results:  Sat. Braves W 6-4, Sun. Braves L 2-4

Overall Rating:  Good

Atmosphere:  Good

Food:  Good

Service:  Good

As a lifelong Braves fan, I had yearned to visit Turner Field for many years.  Watching the Braves play in person was not new to me, as I have seen them in Houston a few times.  However, watching them play on their turf was a completely new experience!  The goosebumps were definitely in full effect as they announced the starting lineup…

Earlier on game day, I went on the Turner Field Tour, which was fantastic.  Definitely worth the money if you have the time.  The tour guide was a passionate Braves fan and it was evident throughout his information sharing.  We were able to walk through the press boxes, down onto the field and even into the Braves dugout!  I along with many others on the tour took a picture standing in Bobby Cox’s favorite spot where the wood has been replaced multiple times from the wear of his cleats.

Also, outside the gates of Turner Field is a 2-D representation of the previous Braves stadium, with the baselines mimicked with bricks and the record breaking homerun of Hank Aaron memorialized.  This was impressive to see and the fact that the Braves’ past is still visible to visitors is an indication of how much the history of the team means to the city.

The first game, I was in the “Bobby Cox” seats.  $6 tickets with a great view of the stadium from the top level can’t be beat.  We were told on the tour that there are still a handful of $1 seats, available only at the ticket office right before game time.  For our second game, we had seats behind the Braves dugout, so I was able to experience the game from two perspectives.  I was also able to witness both a win and a loss, so I left with balanced feelings.

And although the Braves ended the season on a low note, out of the playoffs, I still remain a lifelong Braves fan and will absolutely visit their home again soon.

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The New Alex Box Stadium – Baton Rouge, LA

The New Alex Box  Stadium – Baton Rouge, LA
LSU vs. UCF – February 28th, 2009

This blog will focus on major league stadiums, but since this is the inaugural season for The New Alex Box Stadium, I had to post a review to support my LSU tigers…

From the moment I saw the stadium as we walked from the car, I knew it would be a special place.  The original Alex Box was built in 1938 and hosted 5 National Championship teams and 13 SEC Championship teams.  It has done its duty and can now honorably retire from service.  The new stadium boasts a Hall of Fame (not completed yet), grand concession stands with a huge menu, a souvenier shop, two fantastic children’s play areas and 9,200 seats for its fans!

Stats comparing the original Box with the new stadium can be found here:  http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=177194

In addition to the above, The New Alex Box stadium provides a spectactular view of the LSU football stadium, which definitely serves as an intimidation factor.  Overall, this stadium makes me very happy – I have tickets to three more games this season and I am truly ecstatic about each experience.  The food is great, the atmosphere is unexplainable and the overall design of the stadium is perfect.  There are no bad seats in the house and everyone that even remotely likes baseball will have a great time watching the Tigers play.

CLICK HERE FOR PICS

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Abita Brewing Company – Abita Springs, LA

Abita Brewing Company – October 11th, 2008

http://www.abita.com

Overall Rating: Excellent

Atmosphere: Excellent

Beer: Excellent

My visit to the tour of the Abita Brewing Company was simple, straightforward and perfect!

The setup was amazing – from the outside courtyard to the leather sofas and big screen TVs inside.

The agenda:

Outside, they card you, then give you a cup.

You walk in and “taste” all you want for 15 minutes.

They give you a brief history of beer (interesting stuff).

You take a 10 minute tour through the brewing room.

You go back and “taste” again for another 35 minutes!

They do have merchandise available for purchase if you are interested. And while you are tasting, the brewery employees suggest beer combos that their employees have come up with over the years. Some of the more memorable ones include:

Amber + Turbodog = Hound Dog

Purple Haze + Turbodog = Purple Pooch

Purple Haze + Andygator = Barney

I did try the Red Dog during the tour and it was very good. I also discovered how delicious Abita Fall Fest is. I have to rank it in my top 3 Abita varieties after the tour.

My tour of the Abita Brewing Company was amazing, and best of all, it was completely free! I would highly recommend stopping by if you are ever in the area or making a special trip just to visit! You can also grab a bite to eat after the tour right down the road at the Abita Brew Pub.

pictures

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Minute Maid Park – Houston, TX

Minute Maid Park – September 27th, 2008

Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves

Result:  Braves Win!  11-5

Overall Rating:  Very Good

Atmosphere:  Excellent

Food:  Average

Service:  Excellent

Overall, my trip to Minute Maid Park was a very good one.  As a hard core Braves fan, I truly enjoyed watching my team play and win after such a disappointing season.  The atmosphere and ambience of the stadium were the high point of the game – we had great seats in section 106 down the third base line (link to pictures is below).

The food at the ballpark was average.  Since I am used to Tony’s and Tabasco, the food was a little bland.  We had chili and cheese nachos and french fries and I was slightly disappointed.  The beer that I had was nice and cold, which means the most to me anyway, so I could look past the mundane food.

The service at Minute Maid was exquisite.  I left diapers in the car and the ticket man kindly let me leave and come back and I didn’t even have to wait in line again!  In addition, when I came back, I brought Lil’ Niles in the stroller because my arms were killing me and the attendant at the top of our section offered to walk it to the fan accommodation area several sections away and he brought our ticket back to us in our seats.  Very impressive!

I would highly recommend visiting Minute Maid Park.  Since I am in Louisiana, this is the closest we have to a major league home team so I am a little partial, but I had a great time and will absolutely return as soon as I have the chance.

pictures
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