One brewery that consistently crops up on our tap-takeover wish-lists is Highland Park. Headquartered at the Hermosillo in the eponymous Los Angeles neighborhood, the brewery opened a larger production facility and tasting room on the outskirts of Chinatown just shy of five years ago, further bolstering their profile for Angelenos and visitors alike. Rio is a lighter-bodied West Coast IPA packed with Pacific Northwest hop-varietals Citra and Strata as well as Cascade and Nelson grown in New Zealand. Heavy tropical fruits predominate, while the lower ABV demands a second can. Thanks to HPB for making this possible for us down here in San Diego!

 

With their Sasquatch avatar grinning broadly from ear to ear (though his ears are admittedly buried under a thick layer of hair), it is immediately clear that Great Notion is proud of this one. A rich desserty imperial stout with Mostra coffee and shedloads of maple syrup, Double Stack promises all the impressions of pancakes in beer form. Intense headiness and lingering viscosity make this a beer for splitting… if you like!