Garage Brewing Co. | Mashing In

Tasting Notes: Island Mango Twist from Garage Brewing Co.

Posted on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 by mashingin

For this installment of Tasting Notes, we enjoy an at-home tropical getaway from our social distancing routine thanks to a few cans of Island Mango Twist from Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California).

Meant to magically whisk you away from whatever daily life can throw at you, Island Mango Twist is a Hefeweizen “crafted with a twist of mango, pineapple and coconut.” Coming in at a highly drinkable 5.2% ABV, Island Mango Twist is here to “take you on an island vacation without even leaving your couch” . . . which is super convenient now that we are all being asked to shelter in place during this whole COVID-19 situation.

Island Mango Twist is available now for a limited time. You can expect to find this Seasonal offering available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Garage Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now that we all know a little of the info behind the beer, let’s crack open a can and daydream about an island vacation over some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Island Mango Twist from Garage Brewing Co.

Appearance: Island Mango Twist pours a bright, gold-tinged orange in color and is topped with just over two fingers of lush, white foam. When held to direct light, those golden hues take over and leave just a bit of orange to rest at the core of the beer. This brew is sporting that beautiful, OG Hefeweizen haze/cloudiness, but a spritely carbonation presence can still be seen dancing within. Head retention is good, eventually falling to a complete top cap that draws spindly lines of lace on the glass at times.

Aroma: Classic Hefeweizen character surfaces first with a good amount of banana and a touch of bubblegum. A coconut presence then brings a tropical breeze of coconut water and sweet coconut meat. Mango, pineapple, and a bit of papaya closes out the profile with a lively burst of fruitiness. This beer basically smells like you just peeled back the foil seal on a tropical fruit cup.

Taste: Mango and pineapple lead the show here, quickly establishing a solid and juicy tropical vibe. That vibe intensifies as the coconut offers just the right amount of complementary rich creaminess but without overpowering the fruits. The Hefeweizen base closes out the experience with a healthy, lasting pop of banana.

Mouthfeel: On the fuller side of medium in body with a lively carbonation, this Hefeweizen is soft and pillowy in texture but still moves quickly across the palate to find a somewhat dry finish. The balance does lean to the sweet side, but it really could not get any more perfect considering the added fruits and coconut. The 5.2% ABV is super light, only hinting at a grace of heat in the throat at times. The aftertaste is all banana and coconut.

Final Thoughts: Island Mango Twist does a fantastic job of being unmistakably tropical while avoiding being overly sweet. The Hefeweizen style proves to be an ideal base for this beer as it carries the tropical fruit and coconut well, adds those wonderful banana notes, gives the beer a lush feel and weight, and also adds a sense of balance. This results in an experience that has all the tropical notes you crave from a tropical/tiki-style mixed drink, but with the ABV and drinkability of a session beer. All in all, Island Mango Twist is a perfect go-to beer to enjoy by the pool or on the couch while binge-watching whatever show you are trying to catch up on during this whole stay-at-home situation. Stay well, be safe, and drink on some Island Mango Twist if you get the chance. Prost!

The Press-Enterprise Honors Garage Brewing Co. as Best Craft Brewery in the Inland Empire

Posted on September 27, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has officially announced that they have received two honors in The Press-Enterprise 24th annual Best of Inland Empire Awards.

After readers of The Press-Enterprise, a Pulitzer Prize winning publication, cast nearly 45,000 votes in “dozens of categories ranging from home and garden to automotive services along with restaurants and craft breweries,” Garage Brewing Co. walked away from the 2019 Best of the Inland Empire Awards with “honors in the Best Craft Brewery category in the Inland Empire and was awarded the Community Honoree Award for the craft brewery’s unwavering charitable efforts in the Inland region and beyond.”

“At the end of the day, providing consumers with a simple moment of pleasure and sociability is what it’s all about. It’s also a tremendous tribute to our brewery team, and the recognition for them is well deserved.

We’re very fortunate to be in such a great business and we’ve always been a part of the communities we serve. People support us by enjoying and buying our products, and we think it’s important for us to return that support when there are causes that need help.”

– Allan O’Neil, Garage Brewing Co’s VP of Sales and Marketing

After earning these honors from The Press-Enterprise, Garage Brewing Co. has now amassed “56 awards to date including 16 this year.” With those kinds of numbers, there is no denying that Garage Brewing Co.’s “dedication and commitment to the community coupled with innovative, quality and consistent brewing practices . . . has helped [the brewery] continue to grow.” Prost!

Garage Brewing Co. Expands Hazy IPA Series with Release of Hazy #9

Posted on August 5, 2019August 6, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has officially announced that Hazy #9, a double dry-hopped IPA, is now pouring in its taproom.

Surfacing as the latest “juicy delight” to come out of the brewery’s Hazy IPA Series, Hazy #9 (6.7% ABV) is a Hazy India Pale Ale brewed with Citra, Galaxy and Eureka hops. To ensure that this “luscious tropical offering” absolutely “[explodes] with citrus aromas and flavors”, the brewers at Garage “cranked up the volume on the Citra” additions this time around.

“Our Juicy Boom and Hazy #8 were so popular, we had to heed the call to brew another hazy,” Bret Stitzman, brewer at Garage Brewing Co said. “Hazy #8 had more pineapple notes, whereas this one sings citrus and of course has that big juicy mouthfeel.”

Hazy #9 is available now as a draft-only offering. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering in the Taproom at Garage Brewing Co. and on premise as long as supplies last. Prost!

Vital Information for Hazy #9 from Garage Brewing Co.

Release – Limited/Hazy IPA Series; late July/early August 2019
Style – Hazy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.7%
Featured Hops – Citra, Galaxy & Eureka
Availability – Draft only
Distribution – Limited

Tasting Notes: Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout from Garage Brewing Co.

Posted on June 25, 2019June 25, 2019 by mashingin

For this installment of Tasting Notes, we set out to prove that summer is as much a stout season as any other by cracking open a couple bombers of Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout from Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California).

Developed to give beer lovers an indulgent treat in Stout form, Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout is a “scrumptious” Milk/Sweet Stout that “touts rich, bold peanut butter aromas and a silky chocolate mouthfeel.” Weighing in at a sip-worthy 7.1% ABV, Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout is sure to “remind you of classic peanut butter cups – without the melty mess.”

“Peanut butter beers are popular, and we’ve been researching the right combination that people will fall in love with,” Guy Bartmess, brew master at Garage Brewing Co said. “I think chocolate definitely did the trick.”

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout officially released at the start of June 2019 and will continue to be available for a limited time. You can expect to find this Specialty Seasonal Release available in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans, 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Garage Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now that we have properly gone over the background information for this beer, that can only mean one thing . . . it’s peanut butter time! Let’s get into these Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout from Garage Brewing Co.

Appearance: A somewhat excited pour – this is chocolate and peanut butter we are talking about, after all – produced a Stout that is solid, glossy black in color and capped with a good two fingers of fluffy, light brown sugar-colored foam. When held to direct light, the deep black color holds and only allows the smallest sliver of dark brown to cut through near the top of the pour. Head retention is decent, falling rapidly to a chunky ring that leaves an occasional dollop of lace behind on the glass.

Aroma: Chocolate dominates the nose with a decadent presence of sweet milk chocolate and intense cocoa. A nice, subtle layer of cream from the lactose then surfaces to remind you that all of this dessert-like goodness has been built upon the base of a gorgeous Milk Stout. The peanut character closes out the profile with notes of boiled peanut, roasted peanuts and freshly ground peanut butter.

Taste: When compared to the aroma, things flip around a bit here as the flavor opens with a solid peanut presence filled with unsalted roasted peanuts and real peanut butter (think slightly less sweet than most name brands). Chocolate tones of indulgent milk chocolate and rich dark chocolate then slip across the palate, wrapping around the peanut notes to create that nostalgic peanut butter cup flavor we are all after. A creamy, vanilla-like lactose note closes the experience out alongside roasty, coffee-like tones supplied by the dark malts to make it seem as though you are chasing a bite of peanut butter cup with a sip of sweetened espresso.

Mouthfeel: Falling somewhere between medium and full-bodied with a medium carbonation level, this Milk Stout is velvety in texture and glides easily across the palate. Although it obviously leans to the sweeter side, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout avoids being cloying by having its more traditional Milk Stout characteristics of roasty dark malts and black coffee notes cut the overall sweetness a bit. The 7.1% ABV is wonderfully hidden and only offers a slight tinge of heat in the throat at times. The aftertaste is comprised of just a grace of roasted peanuts and malts.

Final Thoughts: Full Disclosure – the first thing to note here is that Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout is not an overly sweet Pastry Stout that can only be handled 4 oz. at a time. No, this beer is not at all shy about being an incredibly solid Milk Stout that favors balance over cloying sweetness. With that said, the base is more than happy to embrace its chocolate and peanut butter additions to satisfy any and all peanut butter cup cravings you had going into the experience. It is truly the best of both worlds as it supplies those dessert-like flavors and aromas while still remaining highly drinkable. Could it be possible that Garage Brewing Co. was able to create a summer-appropriate Chocolate Peanut Butter Milk Stout? We think they did just that. Be sure to check this one out before its Seasonal run comes to an end. Prost!

Garage Brewing Co. Wins Three Medals at San Diego International Beer Competition

Posted on May 6, 2019June 6, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has proudly announced that three of its craft beer offering have been awarded medals at the 2019 San Diego International Beer Competition.

Fresh off a six medal showing at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition, Garage Brewing Co. has now been notified that it will walk away from the San Diego International Beer Competition with the following three medals:

Gold Medal – Tangerine Deuce Coupe DIPA
Silver Medal – Hatch Chile IPA
Bronze Medal – Spiced Coconut Porter

“Our purpose is to make delicious beers of excellent quality and winning a medal(s) in such fierce competition, is awesome – mission accomplished.”

– Lou Kashmere, Garage Brewing Co’s Founder and CEO

Judging for the 2019 San Diego International Beer Competition took place on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13. This year’s competition consisted of “nearly 1,500 entries from 260 breweries spanning the globe, competing in 57 style categories.” The submitted beers were “evaluated by select industry professionals and judges certified by the Beer Judge Certification Program in a closed, blind event.”

**UPDATE 5.20.19** The good news just keeps rolling in now that Garage Brewing Co. has also been awarded the following medals from the NorCal Brew Competition:

Gold Medal – Rancho Lager
Silver Medal – Classic Lager
Silver Medal – Toasted Marshmallow Milk Stout
Silver Medal – Sweet Orange Wit
Silver Medal – Garage Light Lager
Silver Medal – Naughty Scot
Honorable Mention – Blackcurrant Gose

These medals join the six medals Garage Brewing Co. recently earned at this year’s Los Angeles International Beer Competition and three at the San Diego International Beer Competition. Prost! **UPDATE 5.20.19**

Garage Brewing Co. and Pink Boots Society Collaborate on Hop ‘N Boots Red IPL

Posted on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has officially announced that it will release Hop ‘N Boots, a limited-edition Red India Pale Lager brewed in collaboration with and support of the Pink Boots Society and women in the brewing industry, on April 19.

Crafted at Garage Brewing Co. by “a group of several women involved in the craft beer industry” on Pink Boots Society’s 2019 Collaboration Brew Day and in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Hop ‘N Boots is a Red India Pale Lager brewed with “Yakima
Chief’s Pink Boots blend featuring Loral, Glacier, Mosaic, Simcoe and Sabro hops.” Coming in at 6% ABV, the “clean, straightforward and super drinkable” Hop ‘N Boots promises to supply its drinker with a sensory experience filled with “tropical fruit and dank notes.”

“Girls rock! How important is it to have women in the craft beer industry? Extremely important,” Laura Ulrich, Pink Boots Society’s president said via email. “We want diversity in our beer and we also want it in our business. We have great palates, amazing beer knowledge and we make some really great beer.”

“I love how we all come from different paths which means we all bring something different to the brewing process,” said Maurine Frey, Garage Brewing Co.’s microbiologist and project lead on Hop ‘N Boots. “Relationships and friendships are formed with people we might not have met.”

Hop ‘N Boots is a draft-only offering that will officially release in Garage Brewing Co.’s brewpub/taproom and at various bars and restaurants throughout Southern California beginning on Friday, April 19. To further support the Pink Boots Society’s mission, Garage Brewing Co. “will donate 50 percent of proceeds of on-premise sales of Hop ‘N Boots to Pink Boots Society. At Garage Brewing’s brewpub in Old Town Temecula, pints of this brew will be specially priced at $5 per pint with 50 percent of proceeds donated to Pink Boots Society.” Prost!

Vital Information for Hop ‘N Boots from Garage Brewing Co. & Pink Boots Society

Release – Limited; April 19, 2019
Style – India Pale Lager
ABV – 6%
Featured Hops – Yakima Chief’s Pink Boots Blend featuring Loral, Glacier, Mosaic, Simcoe & Sabro hops
Fun Fact – “Pink Boots Society’s mission is to assist, inspire and encourage women beer industryprofessionals to advance their careers through education and Garage Brewing Co. wholeheartedly supports that mission!”
Availability – Draft only
Distribution – Southern California

Garage Brewing Co. Begins Limited Release of Hazy #8 IPA

Posted on March 27, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has officially announced that it will begin the draft-only release of Hazy #8 on Wednesday, March 27.

Arriving as Garage Brewing Co.’s latest jaunt into “the land of hazies”, Hazy #8 is a “super juicy, double dry-hopped” India Pale Ale that uses Eureka, Citra and Galaxy hops to create “a delicious trifecta of luscious flavors.” Golden yellow in color, Hazy #8 (6.7% ABV) promises to be a “craftacular brew teeming with grapefruit, pineapple and dark fruit notes.”

“The idea behind the hazy series is to use different hops to pull out a variety of juicy flavors,” Garage Brewing Co. brewer Bret Stitzman said. “The flavors in this beer almost trick you into thinking there’s coconut in there.”

Hazy #8 officially releases on March 27 and will hang around as long as supplies last. This draft-only Limited Release will be available “at Garage Brewing Co.’s brewpub in Old Town Temecula and various bars and a few restaurants in Southern California.” Prost!

Vital Information for Hazy #8 from Garage Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; March 27, 2019
Style – Hazy/Juicy India Pale Ale
ABV – 6.7%
Featured Hops – Eureka, Citra & Galaxy
Availability – Draft only
Distribution – Select establishments in Southern California

Garage Brewing Co. Begins Limited Release of Barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Brown Ale

Posted on February 14, 2019 by mashingin

Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California) has officially announced that it will begin the Limited Release of a very special batch of its Imperial Oatmeal Brown Ale on February 14, 2019.

Do not be fooled by its seemingly innocent, straightforward name. Sure, Garage Brewing’s Imperial Oatmeal Brown Ale is just that, but it does have one big secret: it has been aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels for 22 months. Thanks to this lengthy aging period, Imperial Oatmeal Brown Ale (8% ABV) has emerged “darker in color than a typical brown ale” and is filled with “toasty, nutty and light vanilla notes.”

“This beer is out of the ordinary,” Garage Brewing Co.’s Brewmaster Guy Bartmess, said. “We’ve taken a style of beer that isn’t typically aged in Bourbon barrels and left if in the oak for almost twice as long as usual. The outcome is a unique Bourbon barrel aged beer that has no peer.”

This batch of Imperial Oatmeal Brown Ale will officially debut on draft in Garage Brewing Co.’s Tap Room on Thursday, February 14 and distribution is expected to follow shortly after the on-site release. You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Garage Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Prost!

Vital Information for Imperial Oatmeal Brown Ale from Garage Brewing Co.

Release – Limited; releasing February 14, 2019
Style – Imperial Brown Ale
ABV – 8%
Treatment – Aged for 22 months in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – http://www.garagebrewco.com/find-our-brew

Tasting Notes: Tangerine Deuce Coupe DIPA from Garage Brewing Co.

Posted on February 13, 2019February 14, 2019 by mashingin

For this installment of Tasting Notes, we cruise over the midweek hump with a little assistance from Tangerine Deuce Coupe DIPA from Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California).

Built to be the perfect vehicle to carry Garage Brewing Co. into 2019, Deuce Coupe is a Limited Release series of West Coast-style Double India Pale Ales that boast a “citrusy note of grapefruit” sourced from a hop bill comprised of Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. The Tangerine Deuce Coupe variant revs up the base beer with a “tangy note of tangerine” while Grapefruit Deuce Coupe adds depth to its already established grapefruit character. All three versions of Deuce Coupe come in at 8.9% ABV and 100 IBUs.

Deuce Coupe DIPA, Grapefruit Deuce Coupe and Tangerine Deuce Coupe are all out now and plan to hang around for a bit. You can expect to find these Limited Release brews available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located within Garage Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. **Pro-tip: Tangerine Deuce Coupe is this week’s (February 13 – 17, 2019) Growler Fill Special in Garage Brewing Co.’s Tap Room**

Now that we are done with the background information on the Deuce Coupe DIPA series, it is finally time to choose one for the full Tasting Notes treatment. Since everyone here is a sucker for just about anything tangerine, it was a pretty easy decision to go with the Tangerine Deuce Coupe . . . so, let’s pop the top and take this thing out for a test drive!

Tasting Notes for Tangerine Deuce Coupe Double IPA from Garage Brewing Co.

Appearance: This Double IPA is an intensely vivid, sunburst orange in color and is capped with almost two fingers of super fluffy, white foam. When held to direct light, bright yellows push through at the sides while that deep orange holds firm at the center. Although the beer does have a tinge of cloudiness/haze, it is mostly clear and presents an exuberant display of carbonation bubbles. Head retention is quite good, slowly falling to a lasting 1/4 finger that leaves massive chunks of lace behind on the glass.

Aroma: A subtle earthy and piney hop presence is the first note to step forward, but it eventually turns things over to the wonderfully pronounced citrus qualities – sweet orange juice mostly – of those Amarillo hops. This sets the stage beautifully for the tangerine to assert itself with a wonderful juiciness that is supported by a bright burst of zest. It seriously smells like a crate of freshly picked tangerines.

Taste: Bitter grapefruit intertwines with some pine resiny goodness to wake up the taste buds with a jolt. The citrusy hops open further to welcome in orange tones and eventually an incredibly clean tangerine presence. We are talking fresh tangerine juice that is both sweet and zippy along with a bracing bite from the peel and zest. A gently sweet pale malt character works its way in at the finish to leave behind a note of candied tangerine peel.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a peppy carbonation level, this Double IPA is wildly refreshing and drinks much lighter than one might expect. It definitely leans to the bitter side (it is 100 IBUs after all), but the malts are dialed in perfectly to keep things from getting out of hand. ABV is nicely muted for 8.9% and does not bring much heat at all. Aftertaste is all pine and tangerine peel.

Final Thoughts: Just as billed, this variant absolutely takes the Deuce Coupe DIPA base to all new, tangerine-filled heights (yes, we actually drank all three . . . you know . . . for research). As the regular Deuce Coupe DIPA and Grapefruit Deuce Coupe both focus on their hops’ ample grapefruit notes, Tangerine Deuce Coupe shifts gears, turns the wheel and takes the experience in a whole new direction.

The tangerine character – in both aroma and flavor – is beautifully clean (there is absolutely no trace of artificiality to be found) and complements the hop bill perfectly by pulling the Amarillo hops forward to shine while the Simcoe and Chinook hops dutifully support with complex notes that are earthy, piney and citrusy (grapefruit). This is really interesting because Tangerine Deuce Coupe completely flips the script when it comes to how the hop bill performs in it (Amarillo dominant) rather than in the other two variants (Simcoe and Chinook dominant).

All three variants are damn good, legit West Coast Double IPAs and work nicely as a group, but Tangerine Deuce Coupe is basically just that close buddy that always seems to set off to do his/her own thing. For us, it just pulls away from the pack by being a simply gorgeous, incredibly refreshing, and ridiculously easy-drinking Double IPA. If you get the chance, check out all three Deuce Coupe DIPA variants so that you can pick a fave of your own. Prost!

Tasting Notes: Marshmallow Milk Stout from Garage Brewing Co.

Posted on October 13, 2017October 13, 2017 by mashingin

With Halloween lurking just around the corner, this week’s installment of Tasting Notes has us looking to satisfy some sweet treat cravings by getting into a bottle of Marshmallow Milk Stout from Garage Brewing Co. (Temecula, California).

Reigning as the sole dark beer in Garage Brewing’s Year-Round portfolio, Marshmallow Milk Stout was created to be “pure decadence with none of the gooey mess.” Roasty, smooth, and with just enough marshmallow sweetness, this medium-bodied Milk Stout will have you “[picturing] yourself nestled around a campfire” after just one sip. Marshmallow Milk Stout (7.1% ABV) is available year-round in 22 oz. bottles, 12 oz. cans and on draft at craft beer establishments found within Garage Brewing Co.’s distribution footprint in SoCal.

So, yeah . . . I do believe liquid marshmallow time is finally upon us, so let’s fill these glasses and get to some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Marshmallow Milk Stout from Garage Brewing Co.

Appearance: Marshmallow Milk Stout pours a glossy, reflective obsidian in color and wears a finger of caramel-tinted foam on top. Held to direct light, the beer remains completely opaque but does show some garnet tones pushing through at its extreme edges. Head retention is decent, but it does end up reducing down to a lasting, frothy top cap that leaves some lengthy brushstrokes of lace behind on the glass.

Aroma: Gorgeous notes of roasted malt are evident just as soon as you pop the cap on this one. Some bittersweet chocolate character presents itself just before the lactose builds to take the aroma in more of a nostalgic chocolate milk direction. Out of this rises marshmallow and French vanilla tones that eventually dominate and close out the profile.

Taste: In a bit of a surprise twist, we start here with a straight-up cola quality that eventually opens to take the shape of more distinguishing notes of lactose sugar and vanilla. The marshmallow then comes forward alongside some light chocolate tones. The flavor profile closes with roasty, moderately sweet dark malt notes and just a wisp of smoke.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with a moderate carbonation level, this beer hits the palate with a soft, creamy texture. As expected, it is mostly sweet on the palate but not at all cloying. The ABV is well hidden and the beer is semi-dry on the finish. The aftertaste leaves behind a bit of cola and some long-lasting marshmallow.

Final Thoughts: Marshmallow Milk Stout has quite a bit going on and it pushes well beyond being just a one-dimensional marshmallow experience. The marshmallow is definitely there, but it selflessly shares its stage with nicely developed notes of vanilla, chocolate and roasted malts. The unexpected but familiar cola aspect is a nice addition that works well with the beer’s mouthfeel and boasts its overall drinkability. Although it is sweet, it still retains an easy-drinking nature that allows for its drinker to enjoy one or several pours if desired. Overall, Marshmallow Milk Stout is damn tasty and the perfect beer to have in hand while raiding the Halloween candy bowl. Prost!