When I found out that my body wasn’t processing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, malt and oats), I had to give it up cold-turkey. Of course, now that I can’t have beer, I crave it. Adding insult to injury, local brew pubs are popping up all over town. Do any of them process gluten-free beer? I can’t find any that do. Darn it!
Despite my bitterness over the whole beer thing, I am sharing some information here about an upcoming beer-centered charity event for Long Beach Beekeepers (LBB). I am doing so because I am a long-time fan of local bee enthusiast, co-founder and vice-president of LBB, Dick Barnes. Ironically, Dick and I met more than a decade ago, before he was a bee guy, when judging an elementary school “geography bee.” Get it, geography bee? Nevertheless, below is the information that was sent to me by the folks at LBB. Do attend if you can. Have fun. I won’t see you there.
Drink Beer, Save Bees
The Long Beach Beer Lab will host a happy-hour fundraiser Thursday, Aug. 16, for the Long Beach Beekeepers to celebrate the release of Beeks’ Honey Blonde Ale, which was brewed using local honey from club beekeepers.
The charity event will be held from 6pm to 9:30pm on Thursday, Aug. 16. The Beer Lab is at 518 W. Willow St., Long Beach.
For each pint of Honey Blonde sold, the Beer Lab will donate $1 to Long Beach Beekeepers. Other beers, ales and non-alcoholic beverages also will be available, as well as vegetarian pizzas, sandwiches and other snacks. Dogs and kids are welcome.
About five gallons of neighborhood honey went into the brewing of Beeks’ Honey Blonde, according to Barbara Sinclair, president of Long Beach Beekeepers, who provided the honey.
Honey Blonde ale has a nice floral nose, a pleasant touch of honey and sweet wheat, with a pillowy doughiness from the pilsner malt, according to tasting notes from Beer Lab owner Levi Fried.
Long Beach Beekeepers is a 7-year-old group of beekeepers, wanna-bees and bee lovers. The club, which recently became a 501(c)3 educational nonprofit, runs the only municipal bee sanctuary in the Western United States in Willow Springs Park. More information is available at LongBeachBeekeepers.org.
