Beer Learnin' - the Bruery Tasting Room

Over the weekend I visited the Bruery in Orange, CA (technically it's in Placentia). They have a really cool tasting room there in the back of their warehouse. It's in a random little commercial park off the freeway. There are no other restaurants or bars nearby, so when you drive up it's all empty and bleak looking outside. Then you turn a corner, walk into the warehouse, and the scene reminds you of Beerfest when they walk into the Beerfest competition for the first time - totally awesome.




I can't find a photo of the tasting room warehouse and I didn't take any, so just remember Beer Fest. Minus the beer games. But lots of beer and people just hanging out and drinking amongst brewing equipment. There was also a crepe truck out front.



The Bruery beers are all Belgian in style. It's similar to how Unibroue in Canada or Ommegang out east go for Belgian-style beers with new world twists. The Bruery is probably best known for the Orchard White, which I really like. We also tried the Trade Winds Tripel, the Autumn Maple, and the Humulus Rice.

All their beers are interesting. My only issue is that going exclusively Belgian-style means even their lighter beers are heavy, yeasty compositions. So the Humulus Rice which I ordered, for example, is said to be brewed with rice to lighten the beer; however, the style it's made in still makes it feel closer to a heavier Belgian golden ale than to a light, crisp, zesty beer like the Lemon Pepper Saison from Longshots. What this means is that I'll have to keep going back to try their interesting sounding beers to find those which best match the style... poor me :)