Elina ShatkinWhen we last checked in with Golden Road Brewing in July, the Atwater Village brewery was a construction worker's paradise of unpoured cement floors and empty beer tanks lolling on their sides. In the last two months, the 32,000 square foot brewery in the former Southern Pacific switching station has been gearing up for LA Beer Week (Oct. 10 – 23) and has finally been able to brew its first several batches. Yesterday, we had a chance to sample one of their first two beers, the Golden Road Point The Way IPA, which should hit local bars as soon as Friday. (The other is a classic Hefeweizen.)
The idea was to create a mild, low alcohol IPA that you could drink “all day, any day,” says brewery co-owner Meg Gill. “This beer was one of the reasons we opened Golden Road.”
The idea was to bring some West Coast and, more specifically, California, hoppiness to a lighter beer in the traditional IPA range. Point The Way weighs in at 5.2% alcohol, noticeably lower than the most IPAs, which tend to start around 6.5% these days.
The flavor is mild with a light, fruity quality to the hops, befitting what master brewer Jon Carpenter refers to as a “simple, straightforward beer.” He credits the hops, some of which come from New Zealand Hops Ltd. for the beer's fruity aroma.
The first 50 kegs are being release to select local bars on Thursday night, and this coming week, Point The Way will be showcased, along with Golden Road's Hefeweizen, at the following local bars:
Saturday, Sep. 24 – Tony's Darts Away
Sunday, Sep. 25 – Mohawk Bend
Monday, Sep. 26 – 38 Degrees
Wednesday, Sep. 28 – Blue Palms Brewhouse
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