the BEAT of the week: The Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Tour.

We've all learned quite a bit about the hip city of Portland from the hilarious IFC show Portlandia -- where the '90s never died, where you should put a bird on it, where you should beware of good-looking co-op leaders that look like Jason Sudeikis -- but one thing that probably isn't touched upon enough is how great their hometown Deschutes Brewery is. Technically based in nearby Bend, Deschutes is beloved all over Oregon for its great assortment of fine brews.

And now it's looking to expand the fan base. Deschutes hit the road earlier this week for a West Coast tour, complete with -- yes -- a giant wooden beer barrel on wheels. Expect a party -- here are some of the grand festivities planned, via Grub Street Los Angeles:

Tues, 4/10, 6:00-9:00 P.M. Hats Off to Homebrewers (Steingarten LA)
Attention homebrewers…come hone your craft with the gang from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. The Deschutes crew, including brewer Robin Johnson, are heading to Los Angeles for Base Camp Week and will be giving away clone recipe booklets and bags of whole flower hops to use in your next homebrew. Specialty beer tastings of rarities like Black Butte XXII, The Abyss and The Stoic paired with some tasty appetizers will whet your palate. And that’s not all…five more Deschutes beers will be on tap including Obsidian Stout on Nitro and Chainbreaker White IPA. Robin will also be leading a deconstruction of the never-released Black Butte XXII, providing tastings of some of the specialty ingredients. We’ll even have commemorative glasses to give away while supplies last. Hope to see you here!

Thurs, 4/12, 3:00-5:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Two-Bit Tastings (Silverlake Liquor)
Clean out under the couch cushions, break open the piggy bank and dig around on those car floorboards - you’ll be surprised at how you can utilize a mere 25 cents tonight at Silverlake Liquor! Let us surprise you while you visit with Deschutes brewer Robin Johnson, and frolic around the brewery’s giant traveling beer barrel, Woody - all while drinking Deschutes Brewery’s damn tasty year-round line-up of beers.

Thurs, 4/12, 6:00 P.M.-close Beer-lesque: Tastings & Tassels (Skinny’s Lounge) What’s better than an evening full of craft beer from Deschutes Brewery? An evening full of craft beer coupled with intriguing Burlesque dancers and Vaudeville variety acts. Each act will feature a different Deschutes Brewery beer equaling a night of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable fun. The evening is packed with excitement:

Fri, 4/13, 4:00-6:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Snacks & Sips (The Village Idiot)
Thank goodness it’s Friday, and it’s time to wind down after a long week with some damn tasty beers and snacks. That’s right, we’re welcoming the gang from Deschutes Brewery as part of their Base Camp for Beer Fanatics. What does that mean for you? You can spend Friday after work chatting about hand-crafted brews with the experts, while sipping on hard-to-find beers like Hop Henge Experimental IPA and Chainbreaker White IPA.

Fri, 4/13, 7:00 P.M.-close Grab Beer by the Horns (The Surly Goat)
Not only will the giant Deschutes Brewery barrel on wheels, Woody, be here, but you should be too! We’ll be pouring a limited amount of some Reserve Series brews like Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss and The Stoic along with the brand-new Chainbreaker White IPA. With live music on our back patio to help you get your groove on, and a Deschutes beer in your hand, you’ll kick off the weekend right and change your mind about the possible pitfalls of Friday the 13th.

And that isn't even all -- check here for the complete lowdown. No excuses to miss out on some great beer while you can!

The Deschutes Brewery Base Camp Tour continues until Saturday at multiple locations all over Los Angeles.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. ColLAboration Pop-Up Beer Garden [Thirsty Thursdays!].

There's no doubt that L.A. is all about craft beer now. And that's being well-represented by ColLAboration, a quartet of craft beer enthusiasts from some of the city's most popular bars, including the Surly Goat, Blue Palms Brewhouse and the soon-to-be-opened Mohawk Bend. Ryan Sweeney, Brian Lenzo, Clay Harding and Tony Yanow have dedicated their restaurants to having the best craft brews around, and they're putting on a fun event where you can try a few.

The ColLAboration Pop-Up Beer Garden will be open this Saturday from noon to 7pm for all your beer-tasting pleasures. Check out their Facebook page for all the updated info on what beers will be on tap, but expect some old favorites and some new specialities. Each attendee will receive their own membership glass for only $10, and pours will vary from $5-6. A great deal, plus you get a souvenir! And it doesn't get much better than a good brew to enjoy a good weekend.

The ColLAboration Pop-Up Beer Garden will be taking place this Saturday, June 4 from noon to 7pm at 6100 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood. Get your membership glass here.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. SteingartenLA [Thirsty Thursdays!].

As far as sausage places go, you really can't beat downtown's Wurstkuche, a hands-down favorite of us BEATs. But as the L.A. Times most recently pointed out, Los Angeles is undergoing a sort of sausage craze right now, and other places are, too, warranting a visit.

Daren and I headed over West L.A.'s SteingartenLA a few weeks ago, and were met by a large, thriving crowd at the dinner hour. To our surprise, the waitress told us that the restaurant hadn't even had its grand opening yet -- that's actually happening tomorrow, April 1st. But the large restaurant and bar was definitely bustling, with a mix of just-out-of-college twentysomethings and older middle-aged groups of friends meeting for drinks.

If anything, the beers are definitely worth the crowds and visit. SteingartenLA's got two happy hours: 4pm-7pm and 10:30pm to close, $5 house beer, $10 for your choice of one of 5 tap beers and any sausage. And the beer selection, as is expected for a sausage place, is pretty fantastic, with all sorts of craft beers on tap.

While the menu offers some more exotic choices like Venison Blueberry and Alligator and Pork, probably to rival Wurstkuche's niche, the restaurant does try to stick to German and Belgian traditionalism, so Daren got the Polish and I tried out the Lamb Spicy Sausage (seen above), with a side of sweet potato fries. The fries were great and came with an amazing side of aioli, and Daren liked his Polish a lot. I thought my sausage was pretty dry, though, as was the bun it came on -- it was too small for the thick sausage, and ended up falling apart by the end. Still, I had some great citrus-flavored beer to wash it down with.

Surely, the restaurant will have its stumbles in its first months, so I'm definitely willing to return. There's also an outdoors patio with an interesting fire pit that would be great to sit at with friends. Time will tell how well SteingartenLA will do in the sausage battle, but if they stick to good beer and perfecting that sausage, it'll become a great neighborhood favorite.

SteingartenLA is located at 10542 W. Pico Blvd. in West L.A. The official grand opening is tomorrow.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: the BEAT

Drink It. Library Alehouse Holiday Beer Fest.

We're all about seasonal beers here at the BEAT, and the Christmas season just happens to provide its own flavors of beers out to join the fun. It's not always so easy trying to find all the varieties, though, especially on a budget.

But that's where the Library Alehouse Holiday Beer Fest comes in. The Santa Monica restaurant is celebrating holiday ales by hosting this 2-week event where you can sample over 20 different seasonal ales on tap. Start the fest off with $10, which will get you your own tasting glass and your first beer. Then enjoy the rest of the two weeks with beers like Jolly Pumpkin Noel de Calabaza, Dogfish Head Chicory Stout, Sierra Nevada Celebration, and Anchor Brewing’s Merry Christmas Happy New Year Ale at $2.50-$5 a glass, plus 10% off all food. The beers will be rotating with 10 at a time, so be sure to check back to try them all!

Happy holidays and happy seasonal drinking! Remember to be safe out there.

The Library Alehouse Holiday Beer Fest takes place until Jan. 1 at Library Alehouse, located at 2911 Main St. in Santa Monica.

-- Chau Tu

Drink Out. Golden State [Thirsty Thursdays!].

When Golden State first opened, they were definitely trying to ride the L.A. burger-hype wave. And while those burgers -- and all the other food on the menu, from the fries to sandwiches to potato salad to the Scoops ice cream! -- are absolutely delectable and fresh-tasting, I've come to realize that what the restaurant really needs to be known for is its booze.

Golden State has, from the start, always championed craft beers, and that doesn't just mean they offer the seasonal ale from Blue Moon. The blackboard menu of tap choices is always changing, and offer really fun varieties from all over. And if you don't know what you want, the owners will be more than happy to guide you with their expertise. But really, with each of the beers specifically picked out, you can't go wrong.

And if you're feeling adventurous, go all-out with a beer float, coupling Old Rasputin with one of the Scoops flavors on hand. Great food, beer and dessert -- what more could you ask for?

Golden State is located at 426 N. Fairfax Ave. in Mid-City.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: LA Weekly

Do It. LA Craft Beer Crawl.

The name says it all. If you've been craving for some lovely beers to ride you in on the autumn season -- thanks Lauren! -- then what better way to do it than a good ole fashioned beer crawl?

And this isn't just a crack-open-a-can affair here. For one, the LA Craft Beer Crawl happening this weekend will be taking place at the bars of the 213 Ventures, a.k.a. some of downtown's best -- like Seven Grand, Golden Gopher, Broadway Bar and Cana Rum Bar. Expect some class and a whole lot of attention on the brew. And speaking of the brew, there'll be over fifty craft beers represented, all chosen carefully by The Beer Chicks (they seem to know what they're talking about). And to drown it all down will be food from trucks specially picked by LA Weekly's food critic Jonathan Gold.

Tickets are on sale now for $49, which includes a 6 oz. tasting glass, unlimited tastings across all the seven bars and an after-party at Casey's with live music. A $60 VIP ticket will get you some exclusive beer cocktails and a chance to hang out with Gold himself. And while your ticket may be getting you down and dirty, some of the proceeds from it won't -- the money will help out Heal the Bay. So drink on!

The LA Craft Beer Crawl takes place this Saturday from 3pm-8pm in downtown.

-- Chau Tu

Advance Notice. B.A.M. Fest.

In another case of 'Why didn't we think of that before?', the B.A.M. Fest is giving people what they want: Beer, Art and Music. It can't get any simpler (or more sublime) than that, right?

And it's not even any ole beer. The outdoors fest is teaming up with the Library Alehouse to celebrate craft beer, and will be offering brews from over 20 different craft breweries. And did we mention that the tasting is unlimited? Unlimited!

But don't worry, you'll be able to walk off your buzz by enjoying the other parts of the fest: the art and music. There'll be open studios and galleries from local artists, including an installation by Create:Fixate and photography from Rick Mendoza, and sets from musicians like the Christopher Hawley Rollers. The Green Truck and the Big Swirl Truck will also be on hand to provide some epicurean supplements.

October still seems far away, but it'll be smart to buy your tickets now--they're only $30 until the end of August, when the price will then rise up to $35. All the proceeds will benefit the 18th Street Arts Center, which is a non-profit. So not only will you be having great beer, but you'll be helping out a great cause too. (And remember--it's unlimited tasting!)

The B.A.M. Fest will take place Saturday, Oct. 2 at 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. Belmont Brewing Company [Thirsty Thursdays!].

This is one of the more gourmet pubs Long Beach has to offer. The Belmont Brewing Company is an excellent place to sit and have a drink, with a variety of brews crafted on site. Their strawberry blonde is excellent, but they have quite a few other blends that are spot on. Food here is exceptional, with typical dips, pizzas, and appetizers at very reasonable prices during their happy hour Mondays through Fridays 4:30-6:30 p.m. Pizzas cost $7 each.

BBC also offers a growler, where for a one-time $14 investment you can take home what you're drinking in 64 oz. glass jug so you can have craftsman brewed beer at home. Once you buy the jug, just bring it back and get it topped off for a nominal fee.
BBC also is hosting a Beer Dinner on their seaside patio Monday, July 26, featuring delicious-sounding foods and a variety of beers. Beer Dinners are held at BBC through October and cost $49 per person.

The Belmont Brewing Company is located at 25 39th Place in Long Beach.

-- Lauren Williams