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Naja’s Place: Fear No Beer
With 88 taps on the Redondo Pier, Naja’s Place remains one of the best places to enjoy a beer in Los Angeles. This seldom-publicized pub features an ever-changing rotation of rare microbrews and Belgians. The impressive beer selection, knowledgeable bar staff and unpretentious atmostphere make Naja’s the antithesis of trendy beer bars like The Surly Goat. On any given day, one can step into Naja’s and expect the bartenders to be pouring anything from Deschutes Little Buddha to Russian River’s Pliny the Younger.
A sunny day, a good beer, and close proximity to the beach make an irresistable combination, so we headed over to Naja’s.
The first beer we sampled today was Deschutes’ The Abyss ‘08— American Double Stout.
Very dark obsidian color. Smells of chocolate malt, bourbon, coffee, molasses, and vanilla. Coffee comes through as the most prevalent flavor, with bourbon coming in a close second (a result of aging in bourbon barrels). Definitely a sweeter stout with a heavy, yet silky smooth mouthfeel. The Abyss is a perfect beer drinker’s dessert beer, whose coffee notes pair nicely with a bite of chocolate.
While sipping on The Abyss, we nibbled on our First Class bon-bon: peanut ganache accented with salty pretzels in a dark chocolate shell. Peanuts, pretzels, chocolate, and The Abyss’ complex flavors join forces to create a hedonistic flavor combination. The salt from the pretzels brings other flavors out from The Abyss. Licorice, molasses, toasted coconut, and cocoa all made an appearance after a bite of First Class.
Highly recommended. 11% abv (scarily drinkable).
Next we tried Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge by Brouwerij Bockor N.V. — Flander’s Red Ale.
Looks like a dark red cola, doesn’t it? Smells like stable hay, vinegar, cherries and oak. Probably a 6 or 7 on a sour scale from 1-10. Flavor profile strongly represented by sour cherries, green apple, and wild yeast. Crisp and refreshing with a little lingering acidity on the tongue. This well-crafted beer is perfect for sharing with friends on a hot day… mild enough for sour novices, yet interesting enough for beer conisseurs.
Last we tried New Belgium’s Eric’s Ale
Golden straw color. Eric’s Ale is filtered and highly carbonated, setting this brew apart from the many sour beers we’ve experienced. Smells of peaches, white grapes and wet asphalt. Not too sour, a 3 on the sour scale. Mild tart peach flavor that finishes bone dry. Thin mouthfeel as a result of filtration.
Delicious and refreshing, but Eric’s Ale was our least favorite beer of the day (the others were that good)! 7% abv.
Naja’s bartenders Darin and Jay (in Darin’s arms).
Please note: If hunger strikes while at Najas, and filling your belly with bar food doesn’t sound appealing, head down the boardwalk to Quality Seafood. Enjoy live crab, steamed to order; oysters; fresh fish, fried to order; live uni; or just about any other edible sea creature at this long-established purveyor of seafood. Just grab a ticket, tell the fishmonger what you want/ how you want your selection prepared, find a table (outdoor seating only), and stuff your face!
We stuffed our faces with 1 lb of savory clams, and a New Zealand snapper, broiled to order along with a baguette, corn on the cob, french fries, rice, and potato salad for less than $25!
Savory clams steamed to order with white wine and garlic.
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Beer! Beer! Beer!
We are huge beer lovers. Though much attention is paid to wine, a good beer also pairs extraordinarily well with chocolate.
On Jan. 9 2010 we got to mingle with some of the biggest names in craft brewery at the Big Beers Belgians and Barleywines Festival in Vail, Colorado. The Festival featured over 200 beers weighing in at over 8% abv. We were certainly up for the challenge!
Here are a few of the highlights:
Sam Adams poured their Utopias, which was incredible! Rich, sweet, malty, and 27% abv. Drinks like a good cognac.
(Utopias on the right)
Bosteels popped their Deus. This is a Biere Brut— beer that undergoes final fermentation in the Champagne region of France, undergoes a specific process of removing yeast from the bottle, and oftentimes shares many characteristics with champagne (not sweetness though).
We found Deus particularly interesting… like a dry, light-bodied Tripel with champagne carbonation! Perfect for those who don’t take a liking to champagne. 11.5 abv.
Adam Avery himself offered samples of Meph Addict. Think Mephistopheles Stout + tons of coffee. Wow, rich, roasty, coffee, cocoa, and pretty viscous. Meph Addict’s malt and roasty coffee characteristics play nicely with the semi-sweet chocolate and cayenne heat of our Hot Thang. 16% abv.
We sampled almost all of the beers and were still standing when the festival ended!
