Tam O’Shanter, a member of the Lawry’s family of restaurants and one of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles, is hosting a highly anticipated tap takeover with award-winning Stone Brewing Co. on Thursday, October 3 from 5 p.m. until midnight. Stone Brewing, which was founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California and moved to a new, custom-designed facility in Escondido in 2006, is the largest brewery in Southern California, the 17th largest in the country, and was rated as a "world class brewery" by the two largest beer enthusiast websites (RateBeer and BeerAdvocate).
Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, the founders of Stone Brewing, met by chance in the early 1990s at a U.C. Davis extension course about beer, where they recognized each other as Wagner had played in a rock band that rehearsed at Koch’s studio. Soon after meeting, the two beer enthusiasts started experimenting with home brews in Koch's condominium in Solana Beach, California, and opened their first brewery in a nearby warehouse in 1996. With unique gargoyle-themed bottle artwork and a penchant for the irreverent, Stone has grown from 400 barrels of production in 1996 to more than 200,000 in 2013.
“Stone Brewing is hands down one of the best breweries in the country,” says John Lindquist, general manager of Tam O’Shanter. “This tap takeover at the Tam is going to be unforgettable for beer enthusiasts and all other guests. If you enjoy good beer and food, you simply can’t miss this event.”
In addition to the featured brews at the event, guests will enjoy some of the Tam’s unique and wonderful small bites that evoke modern pub fare. A Stone Brewing representative also will be on hand to answer questions. Beers available for the event at the Tam will include:
- 2011 Stone Belgo Imperial Russian Stout: Begins as the rich, dark, intensely aromatic Stone Imperial Russian Stout, but is then fermented with a Belgian yeast strain, and tweaked with star anise and oak chips, adding a lingering blend of vanilla and licorice notes to the palate.
- Stone Cali-Belgique Aged in Red Wine Barrels: A complex and surprising combination of unexpected layers of flavors and aroma, providing a deliciously funky overtone to the hoppy brightness fans already know and love as Stone IPA.
- 2013 Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout: Brewed in the authentic, historical style of an imperial Russian stout, but with the addition of several hundred pounds of espresso beans from Ryan Bros. Coffee, leaving this darkly delicious libation positively brimming with deep, rich espresso flavors that meld beautifully with the roasty bitterness of the dark malts.
- Stone Ruination IPA: Massive hop monster with an extra-large helping of malt and a vibrant blast of citrusy bitterness.
- Stone Levitation Ale: A deep amber brew with a rich maltiness, big hoppy character, citrus overtones, and an impressively modest alcohol content for a beer with tons of flavor packed into it.
