Feb 18 2007
Lucky Baldwins
My buddy Jan’s #1 passion in life is beer. Forced to choose between that and garlic, it might be a close call, but I think the brew would win out. He’s particular about his beers, too. For instance, he will not drink beer from warm weather climates. That means no Corona, no Pacifico, no Red Stripe.
As a class, his favorite beers (I have surmised) are from Belgium, and every year, this fantastic pub called Lucky Baldwins in Old Town Pasadena holds a Belgian Beer Fest. Aside from hiking up some incredibly high hunk of snow-capped granite, there is no place Jan would rather be. There are 60 different Belgian beers on the menu, and during the course of the fest, he endeavors to taste them all — even scribbling meticulous notes about each onto his menu.
So, last Thursday I ventured up the 134 to Jan’s, we walked a mile to the train station, then took the Gold Line two stops to Old Town just to see how much damage we could do to the menu. I like beer, and I’m not an expert, but these brews are extraordinary. I mean, it’s like wine with all of these complex flavors hinting of cherry, or cloves, or even whiskey. These beers average 7% alcohol (good ole Bud is 4.5%), and some go as high as 12%. We managed, between us, to knock 14 beers off the list with 6 ounce tasters. Then we chowed on some chicken curry over crisp French fries before I resigned myself to drinking water as Jan finished up with the best beer of the night — #60, called “Kwak.”
Before we left, I committed perhaps my most grievous error in our 7-year history as friends, aside from the time I nearly tripped him at mile 24 of the LA Marathon in order to avoid plowing into a little old lady. When he went to the restroom, and whilst I was checking in on my beloved resting at home, I didn’t notice the waiter take Jan’s beer menu with his precious notes on it. Despite a 5.0 blood alcohol level, when Jan returned, he noticed its absence instantly and was terribly distraught. We managed to recover the menu, thank Bacchus (who is the beer God?), pay our bill, and grab a cup of coffee on the walk home. I finished my sobering-up watching The Sarah Silverman Show on his TiVo, then drove the 26 miles home. Shoulda just run it and got this marathon business over with.
Lucky Baldwins Belgian Beer Fest runs through February 28th. Check it out. Eat some curry fries. And keep an eye on your menu.
I like beer too. I just polished of an eight pack of Little Kings. It’s made in PA. That’s a cold weather climate. Plus, they are only seven ounces and easy to throw when the five-o are bearin down on you.