Lost Abbey Tap Room

They have Older Viscosity and Angel's Share on tap sometimes. Day to day, I've never seen anything rarer, though for some special events they will tap some rarer stuff.

 

Your generally never going to see a sour on tap there, but they usually have at least 1 special draft and also have vintage nights. They will bust out a 2010 Santa's helper or something like that.

They will have the next track release this weekend. Also if your new to the area Churchills in San Marcos is doing a sour feat this weekend. Should be promising.

 

They also have (or at least used to have) a sort of 'reserve bottle list' where you can find some rarer things which are available for on premise consumption only. I shared an older Veritas 004 there with a friend a couple years ago when we were visiting - it was not cheap (maybe $50 for 750mL) but was the only way I was likely to try that great beer.

 

Their current tap list is pretty terrible. I was there a week ago and all of their more "special" beers were gone. No Angel's Share, no Older Viscosity, none of the seasonals. They only had the regular line-up which is not that impressive IMO. Ballast Point is a much better place to hit for a large, dynamic list.

 

If your thinking of Ballast Point, you might as well go over to Alesmith and get good beer though.

 

mmmmm a brewers plate and fresh Nelson sound awesome.

 

Lost Abbey is worth checking out because it's close to Churchill's Pub & Grille .
http://churchillspub.us/site/drinks.html

 

i'm a fan of the regular lineup, so i think it's worth a visit, but don't go expecting special stuff on a regular basis.

second the recommendation for churchill's. i'd also hit up stone if you haven't yet.

 

No you don't. It's a horrible beer...

 

i think they gave up on the rare vintage beers (e.g., veritas) a good year+ ago but they do still put older beers in the cooler from time to time. i also think that Thursday is a good day to visit as they have been putting a vintage keg on tap.

 

I was at the LA tap room a week ago and they had Red Poppy and Framboise De Amorosa on tap. Look for the red tap handles.

 

Those two are so good blended.

 

Are you implying that BP doesn't have good beer? I sure hope not.

Over Labor Day weekend I hit Green Flash, Hess, Alesmith and BP in the same day. I went to PP C-bad, Stone and BP on the other days. Didn't make the hike to Alpine since I went there a couple weeks before.

I'd rather try BP's experimental beers than Alesmith's regular lineup (since I've had it so much.)

 

I go up once a month and am usually surprised by either a tap or a bottle available. Check their twitter and their events page for releases and special tappings.

 

That's exactly what I'm saying.

IMO Ballast Point is an example of what I find wrong with a lot of new breweries. They spend so much time and effort trying to create experimental beers that are average at best, while neglecting have a great core of staple beers. If you have mediocre staple beers, what makes you think that adding peppers or nitro are going to improve them at all?

Alesmith has a better idea to me, actually have a great beer in each category they brew in and worry about experimental beers after having a great core.

I for one would rather drink an excellent regular line up than a sub par experimental line up. This is just my opinion and I just follow my taste buds.