New TAPS brewing team awarded for two creations at L.A. International Beer Competition
American-style pilsner and experimental sake-beer hybrid win gold, bronze honors
Two new creations by a recently installed team of award-winning brew masters at TAPS Fish House & Brewery have won medals at the prestigious Los Angeles International Beer Competition.
TAPS received a Gold Medal for its American-style pilsner Amend This! and a Bronze Medal for the experimental beer Hi-Ya!at the April 22 competition, which is organized and run by the L.A. County Fair to recognize the finest in beers available for sale to the general public. Click here for 2015 LAIBC winners.
Known for its classic offerings of traditional European ales and lagers, TAPS has been working to round out its beer portfolio since the February appointments of David Huls as director of brewery operations and Kyle Manns as brewery operations manager, said Joe Manzella, TAPS proprietor and founder.
“I am not surprised,” remarked Manzella.” The creativity in the brewery has never been stronger. These guys are working on even more unique creations that our guests arethat our guests are going to love.”
About the award-winners:
Amend This! — This American pilsner brewed in the pre-Prohibition style incorporates rice and has a slightly higher hop rating than modern pilsners for a clean and crisp finish.German immigrants originally brewed this style, which became the working man’s beverage and the most popular style of beer in its day. It has a 5% ABV. Available at TAPS in Brea and Corona.
Hi-Ya! — Thisgolden ale — a hybrid of sake and beer — is brewed with puffed Japanese red rice and fermented with sake yeast. It is light-bodied, golden in color, slightly toasty, with notes of berry and pear, and it finishes very dry.It has a 6% ABV. Available in limited supply; Hi-Ya! will be on draft at the opening of TAPS in Irvine in late May.
Huls and Manns had been on staff as part of TAPS brew crew, but departed to earn several awards on their own as local brewmasters. They returned late last year to continue TAPS’ winning ways at the tap.
“We will continue to infuse different styles and utilize different ingredients as we work to broaden the scope of TAPS products, while making sure our guests can continue to enjoy our popular lineup of award-winning brews,” Manzella said.
TAPS Fish House & Brewery is a celebration of seafood, hand-cut steaks and award-winning ales and lagers handcrafted in the European tradition. A connoisseur’s wine list recognized by the Wine Spectator showcases a variety ofwines. The restaurant, privately owned by founder Joe Manzella, offers a choice of fine dining or the more casual, comfortable bar-lounge; a 20 seat oyster bar, multiple patios and private dining. TAPS is known for its popularSunday Brunch. The original TAPS debuted in Brea Downtown in Orange County, California in 1999; a second location serving the Inland Empire opened at The Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona in 2007 and a third TAPS will open in Irvine in June 2015. The Catch in Anaheim is a sister restaurant of the organization. Lillie’s Q, a partnership with renowned barbecue Chef Charlie McKenna, opened in Brea Downtown in December 2014.
