Irvine, CA Trip

Total wine in tustin should be close. Big chain store but normally a good selection.

Oc wine mart normally has a decent selection but is a little on the higher priced side.

Hi times in costa mesa has a good selection and decent prices, but most of the special release beers go pretty quick.

What stuff are you looking for?

 

They will have all the modern times at totaI wine. For hoppy beers Swamies from port brewing it doesnt look like you get ballast point so i would say sculpin is one to try.

Are you bringing any zombie dust with you?

 

In addition to Total Wine and Hi Times..

Bradley's in Tustin
Whole Foods Tustin
Whole Foods Newport
Mr. K's is next to The Bruery

 

Well i would love to work out an ip trade if you are able to.

 

You will instantly make quite a few friends for those ZD bottles.

 

Top 4 breweries in Orange County OC (imho) ... and they are all very close to the Bruery: Bruery, Noble, Bottle Logic and Valiant. If you can make the trek up to Seal Beach or Long Beach (about 50 minutes north on the 405), Beachwood Brewing is a must!

 

Hit Korker Liquors in Newport Beach. Might be a bit of a drive, and they usually charge a little more BUT special releases tend to sit on the shelf there. You might luck out big time.

 

Mr. K's, across the parking lot from the Bruery tasting room, is an excellent bottle shop. Be sure and ask what they have that's not on the shelves. Also, the Bruery sometimes has hard to find bottles for sale "to go" in the tasting room. And if you want some outstanding Mexican food, El Sambroso in Old Town Placentia is about a mile from the Bruery/Mr. K's.

 

Valiant is better to you than TAPS? Plus, if talking OC, can't forget Pizza Port San Clemente, although technically it's probably as far away from the Anaheim area as Beachwood is.

 

I'm headed to Irvine next week for work as well. Looks like we're both planning to do the same thing, so shoot me a BM and we might could hit one of the breweries together

 

I guess I'm really impressed with Valiant's quick rise in quality and unique offerings ... Taps is solid but yeah, I'd go Valiant, plus it's closer to the other three I listed

 

I'd be willing to trade up to a case of grapefruit sculpin for zombie dust (you'll find regular scuplin all over the place over here, but the grapefruit version is harder to come by). I work in Irvine.

 

I've only been to Valiant once about 9 months ago... sampled about 6 beers, only thought one was good (a belgain strong pale)... probably need to sample them some more.

 

Along with places already mentioned, Hollingshead's Deli in Orange is not too far and they usually have a good bottle selection. Beers on tap are pricey though.

 

Great place!

 

I haven't been impressed with valiant either. Their beers seem to be too sweet, boozy and their bottles are too expensive. Hopefully, taps keeps up the good beer with victor leaving for GR.

 

Swing by Tustin Brewing Company for lunch/dinner and a pint of their Old Town IPA. You'll be glad you did. It's across the street from Bradley's Liquor.