By Husband-and-wife team Brandon Fender and Robyn Spevacek opened the Good Beer Company in the fall of 2014 in downtown SanTana. Their brewery (located in a building that used to house livery stables) has row after row of wooden barrels full of delicious suds fermenting with different versions of wild yeasts that Brandon has cultivated throughout the years. Brandon began brewing at home in his garage and became fascinated by wild yeast and bacteria and how they reacted with hops, spices and fruits. Thanks to this obsession, Good Beer remains one of the few breweries in Southern California that brews sour beer, a genre that deserves more love.
It’s not everyday I drink an Oak Aged Amber Mixed Culture Ale w/Mostra Hambela Coffee, but that’s exactly what I enjoyed at The Good Beer Company in Downtown Santa Ana.
They make good IPAs, too. Kick in the Shin (6.8% ABV) is a straight-up West Coast IPA using 100% Simcoe hops, so it is hop-forward, -backward and -sideways! The Hindquarters of Bad Luck Juicy IPA (6.4% ABV) is similarly hoppy, a solid IPA that’s also refreshing and enjoyable with a nice backbone of tropical fruit. For a sour without coffee, try George Farmhouse Ale aged in Oak Barrels with Peaches (4.1% ABV). It’s a gateway sour beer for novices, tart and slightly sweet.
But you’re here for the sours—specifically the Moon Sparkle Oak Aged Amber Mixed Culture Ale with Mostra Coffee (5.0% ABV). Mostra Coffee out of San Diego has collaborated with over 200 different craft beers, among some of the local breweries that have collabed with Mostra are TAPS Fish House and Brewery- Velvet Hog(2016), Stone Brewing-Xocoveza(2014-2016), Bottle Logic-“FOMO” Fundamental Observation(2016). The coffee is a light, medium roast, juicy, fruity and creamy. You get it on the baTheck end, so it’s tart up front, smooth, full-bodied, juicy—and then, that hint of coffee for a spectacular clean finish. It’s a beautiful thing to go into your local brewery and experience a completely different but tasty craft beer.
Ima hung Brandon next time I see him. 😆 Cheers! #BobbyKnowsBeer!
Last modified: August 31, 2018
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