Rants and Raves of Cosmic Opposites: January 2016

Hello Everyone,

We are huge animal lovers, as well as pet adoption and rescue advocates, so when we heard that one of our favorite local breweries was offering a promotional evening, where a portion of the proceeds would be donated to benefit a local animal rescue, we had to jump on it.

Poseidon Brewing Company, is a delicious local brewery with a tasting room that is open to the public. It is hidden in an industrial area on the East Side of Ventura between the Auto Mall and the Olivas Golf Course. They have become an important local company that likes to give back to the community. Every Wednesday they host an event called “Pints with a Purpose” in which a portion of their proceeds from 4pm to 9 pm are donated to a local charity. You can contribute to these donations just by purchasing your favorite beers on Wednesday evenings. This month’s beneficiary organization is, Paw Works Animal Rescue. They are a local nonprofit animal rescue center located in Thousand Oaks, California.

We attended Pints with a Purpose last Wednesday night, sampled some beers, and had a great time. Here is what we had to say...

Crab’s Corner

By Pete Belleville

This was my first visit to Poseidon, which I heard was open for about a year. Tucked away in a business park near Olivas Park, a bit hard to find, but it is located next to West Coast Strength and Conditioning. The address is on Olivas Park Drive but the entrance is on Bunsen Avenue. The tasting room is small but set up well. The seating includes a very comfortable looking couch area, a few tables, and a bar. The theme is wood and more wood with a nautical slant; after all, Poseidon is the mythical Greek God of the Sea. Our service was pretty quick and cheerful, the floors were clean, and the tasting room is bright. There are large mirrors and nautical charts on the walls which reinforce the nautical theme. The music wasn’t too loud and the selection seemed to include a few disco, dance numbers odd for a micro-brewery in 2016.

The menu of the current beers was hard to read, even with my glasses the descriptions of the beers, the font was too small. There is plenty of room to enlarge the type or simply have a two-sided beer menu. There is no food provided, food trucks do stop by, but not on my visit.

The small crowd consisted of the usual suspects in a bar, err ‘tasting room’, the regulars sitting at the bar, a couple of bearded hipsters waiting for growlers to be filled, and a few golfers. Located near the Olivas Park golf course, it is a logical place to grab a post 18-hole beer or two. After arriving, (myself and 3 lovely and knowledgeable young women) we first ordered a taster of 6 different beers before ordering our own individual pints. The sampler beers were tasty and cold, a rarity from microbreweries. Since this was my first experience at Poseidon, I deferred to my friends as we sampled 6 of their offerings.

Poseidon offers nitrogen narcosis beer or ‘nitro beer’, think of it as a Guinness style pour. The beers are creamier, a bit more luxurious than your typical bubbly pint. I had the Kelp Grizzly Black Ale, what a surprise! I won’t repeat the %, ABV, or IBU’s look it up on the website but it is a heavy hitter, full bodied and exceptional texture. There was a slight whiskey smell with a chocolate, coffee, and spice roast flavors. This is not a full mouth drink at all, a sip here, a sip there.

Next, I had a half pint of the Gold Coast Belgian Gold Strong. This was lighter, (not a nitro pour) very complex flavors, fruits and spices. This was a little too light after the Black Ale. It felt like a first beer, not a last beer.

I will return and try other beers in their lineup and on Wednesdays because a portion of sales from 4-9 PM on Wednesdays in January will go to Paw Works Animal Rescue in Ventura County.

Archer’s Arrow

By Lori Ortega

Oh Poseidon, how I love thee... The place is small and located in a business area so it’s very easy to pass by without noticing. Its discreet business front doesn’t have flashy signs nor are there people lingering outside, it’s basically a hidden gem. I feel like I know a secret place, that’s not so secret, in Ventura where I can sample tasty new brews. I’m not a hardcore beer coinsurer, but I do like fun new flavors which Poseidon offers a plenty. I have only been there a hand full of times and totally forget how quiet it is inside until the place fills up with people and conversation. If you’re the only one in there you can literally hear a needle drop. They do play music, but it’s usually at a low decibel and appeals to your pop music senses. The place just offers a very chill and relaxing vibe that is palatable for everyone.

The tasting room has a bar area with stools, tables with chairs and a couch area. Is pretty easy to find a comfy spot somewhere inside. The staff there is also very friendly, helpful and all seem to really enjoy their jobs. They know their stuff! I had really hoped to indulge in a delicious Dirty Diver but unfortunately it was not offered that day, so instead I tried some new stuff. The two beers that stood out the most to me were the Kelp Grizzly Black Ale and the Gold Coast Belgian Golden Strong; two very different beers!

The Kelp Grizzly Black Ale was released on December 01, 2015. It is a dark beer with chocolate notes and black malts. It honestly tasted like an iced mocha spiked with a shot of whisky; it was delicious!! But it is more of a beer that you would sip on for flavor, not something I personally could drink more than one glass of. It was thick, rich, a pinch heavy and also yielded an 8.2% ABV; more than one would mess me up! I will definitely return for another icy cold Kelp Grizzly.

The second beer that I enjoyed that night was the Gold Coast Belgian Golden Strong; the name is far too long! It seriously needs to be condensed somehow. This beer was released on November 24, 2015. It is a Belgian Golden Strong Ale with 7.2% ABV. The description says that it has, “Hints of cloves, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, persimmons and apricots...” To me it was a dry, slightly bitter beer. I mean, anything would have tasted bitter after that chocolate whisky dessert that I had just enjoyed. It was dry but intriguing... I kept getting this slight apricot nutmeg punch in the back of my tongue after every sip, it was interesting so I just kept drinking it. This beer might be a little too dry and hoppy for my liking but it was served icy cold which made it very easy to drink down.

Confused by all the samples, we needed to clarify our thoughts so Kim and I ended up back at Poseidon a few days later. That’s when I discovered that I also really liked the Heavy Cs IPA with nitrogen. It’s normally a very piney, American East Coast IPA with 7.0% ABV. To me the dark cherry and cranberry flavors bring out something sort of tart or extra bitter, but the nitrogen made the beer super creamy and softened up those otherwise sour notes. I really enjoyed the Heavy Cs with nitrogen. I usually steer clear from anything too hoppy but this was delicious. I would drink that again for sure.

I would definitely recommend checking out Poseidon. I wish that they did offer food only because I can image that it would also be carefully selected to pair perfectly with their brews, but all in all it’s a damn good spot.

Twin Talk

By Kimberly Ova

I have to confess, I had had a pretty stressful day at work on the evening that we all decided to meet up, so by the time I actually got to Poseidon, I was in dire need of a drink and quite frankly, I didn’t care what it tasted like! As a result of this, I didn’t take any notes that night and just proceeded to get nice and tipsy, attempted to catch the attention of some cuties that came in that never even looked our way (clearly, they were gay), and tried to invite myself to a wedding that one of the bartenders was officiating that weekend (whom clearly must also be gay as he didn’t take me up on my offer to be his date). Because I failed miserably at taking notes that night, Lori and I decided to go back there Sunday afternoon. Here is my review of all ten beers that were on tap at Poseidon that day:

Round One

1. Battleship Blonde Ale – Slightly hoppy, light, with a hint of sweetness

2. Gold Coast Belgian Golden Strong – or as Michelle likes to call it “The GCBG” – Light, but can definitely taste the clove and apricot

3. Ironclad Irish Red – Malty, caramel-y, roasted something flavor

*Feeling a little warm and fuzzy*

4. Perfusion Pale Ale – Hoppy and fruity

5. Heavy C’s IPA – Hoppy with a hint of tartness that I’m assuming is from the nectarine and/or cranberries

6. Nitro Heavy C’s IPA – Creamier and less tart. Definitely prefer the nitro version better

7. Bowline Belgian IPA – Lighter IPA than I’m used to, has a slight fruity flavor

8. Decompression Double IPA – A little bitter with a definite pine flavor

*Things are heating up*

9. Chocolate Starfish Stout – OMG, smells AMAZING! Tastes even better! Like a delicious dark chocolate mocha.

10. Kelp Grizzly Black Ale – Delicious! Reminds me of an iced coffee

Round Two

1. Battleship Blonde Ale – Can easily drink this on the daily! Tastes even better the second time around
2. “The GCBG” – Still tastes as good as the first round

*Pretty fucking buzzed at this point*

3. Ironclad Irish Red – Smoother, yummier, can drink this every day of my life!
4. Perfusion Pale Ale – Too bitter

*Definitely almost drunk*

5. Heavy C’s IPA – Too bitter

*Where are the food trucks? Aren’t there supposed to be food trucks?*

6. Nitro Heavy C’s IPA – Less bitter than the previous one. Def better

*Trying to make friends with the people sharing the couch with us. Pablo, if that’s even his real name, says his favorite is the Nitro Heavy C’s. He’s also a Dodger fan. High five!*

*Drunk*

7. Bowline Belgian IPA – better now

8. Decompression Double IPA - ?? Don’t remember

9. Chocolate Starfish Stout – Still amazing

*Still looking for the food trucks*

10. Kelp Grizzly Black Ale – Smells like whiskey! Tastes like whiskey too! I believe this is my new favorite!

*Selfie time!*

Round Three

1. I think this is the Battleship Blonde? Tastes like watta
2. I have no idea what this is

3. I give up

*Time to go get sushi!*

Clearly, I had a great time both times I was there. I highly recommend this brewery. The ambiance is great, the beer is great, the people are great. We even met some cute puppies! I'm sure I'll be stopping by there on Wednesday nights more often to help support the non-profits Pints with a Purpose will be featuring in the future.

For more information on both Poseidon Brewing Company and Paw Works Animal Rescue, please check out the information below:

Poseidon Brewing Company
5777 Olivas Park Drive, Unit Q
Ventura, CA 93003
Phone: 805.477.0239
http://www.poseidonbrewingco.com/

Their tasting room hours are:
* Monday: Closed
* Tuesday to Thursday: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
* Friday: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
* Saturday: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
* Sunday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Paw Works
180 W. Hillcrest Dr. #9

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Phone: 805-852-1744
http://pawworks.org/

Rants and Raves of Cosmic Opposites

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Poseidon - Pints with a Purpose

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Fun and Free - So Cal Museums Offering FREE Admission January 30th!