It seems like every restaurant in Los Angeles is offering a special menu this Valentine's Day, and they usually include champagne, wine, or a special cocktail menu selected to maximize the romance of the meal. But why settle for wine or booze on St. Valentine's Day when you really want to share a special brew with your lover? Here are a few options for craft-beer-centered celebrations around town -- and a few bottle suggestions if you'd rather spend the evening in the comfort of your home.
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Craft Beer: The Valentine's Day scorecard
Omar Douglas from Golden Road Brewing at the taps in the private dining room… (John Verive )
Coming a day early, on Wednesday, is the MySourValentinedinner at Hollywood beer destination Blue Palms Brewhouse and featuring AveryBrewingCo. The dinner's four courses are each paired with one of the rare and sought-after sour beers from the Colorado brewery. Tickets are $65 per person, and the dinner begins at 7:00 p.m.
On the 14th there are several options for romantic dinners that spotlight craft beer:
-- Echo Park's MohawkBend is having a "CheapDateGetaway" evening that features a three-course prix-fixe menu, and there are a pair of specialty beer flights on offer.
-- The Pub at Golden Road Brewing is opening the doors of Chloe's -- their usually member-only events space -- for a Valentine's dinner featuring a (vegan friendly) three-course menu, a souvenir glass, and a growler to take home with you. There will be live music, and the brewery is tapping the last keg of Valentin -- a blood orange saison that was brewed last year with Hangar 24 Brewery.
-- Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie in Agoura Hills, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, will have live music and a special menu featuring ale-braised rabbit and house-made truffles, and there will be a cask of Chocolate Cherry Porter to go along with the cocktail specials.
-- The Surly Goat, a craft beer-focused bar in West Hollywood, is teaming up with New York brewery Ommegang and offering some Valentine's Day-themed Belgian-style beers. You can even keep the glass with the purchase of one of the special pours.
Are you looking for a night at home with your date, or would you simply prefer the company of a fine bottle of craft beer Thursday? Valentine's Day is a great time to experiment with pairing beer and chocolate, and stouts or porters are an easy match for dark chocolates (or skip the pairing and try a chocolate beer instead). A more festive beer for the holiday is the Cuvee Brut from Lifemans. This Belgian, champagne-like beer is aged with cherries, and its pink hue and subtle tartness may even win over your non-beer-drinking date. My Bloody Valentine by Alesmith may be an on-the-nose choice, but the annual release of this hoppy amber ale is many beer geeks' favorite thing about Valentine's Day.
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