From the Beer Writer: Many lament not adequately appreciating something until it’s gone, but don’t count Sam and Rob Dufau among them. The owners of 2kids Brewing spent a great deal of time savoring the beers of neighboring Miramar establishment Intergalactic Brewing during the five years preceding its closure last summer. Like many of that cult-fave’s regulars, they were very sad to see it go, but having their own brewery, they’ve been able to help Intergalactic live on in some capacity by rebrewing the sci-fi-themed interest’s most popular beers. This Saturday, May 4, in conjunction with Star Wars Day, the Dufaus will go a step further, releasing nine Intergalactic beers while having owner Alex Van Horne and several employees of the dearly-departed business on-hand at their Miralani District tasting room. One of the beers that will make a return is Alpha Mensae, which Sam brewed with former Intergalactic tasting-room manager Stina O’Grady. Coming in at an ultra-low ABV, the beer is delicate and addictively drinkable. Straw yellow and clear as day, it pours like a lawnmower beer, but with grassiness and light kitchen-herb nuances (thyme, rosemary) it’s a far more compelling quaff.
From the Brewer: “Alpha Mensae is a 2.9% alcohol-by-volume Belgian table beer, and winner of two consecutive gold medals at the L.A. International Beer Competition in 2017 and 2018. Brewed for lovers of true session beers, Stina developed the recipe at Intergalactic on the pilot system. It was inspired by Benchmark Brewing‘s own excellent Table Beer. Nobody expected a low-ABV beer to do all that well in the tasting room, but over the following years, Alpha Mensae was brewed multiple times on the larger production system and immediately became a taproom staple for customers, staff and industry comrades alike. Alpha Mensae is brewed with Belgian pilsner malt, Vienna and Munich malts, bittered with a very small amount of American hops, and fermented with our house Belgian yeast strain. It’s supremely light-bodied, crisp and fruity, making for an extremely sophisticated quaffer. Sharp dryness and crisp pilsner-malt flavor pop with banana and pineapple yeast notes, making it our favorite Intergalactic session beer of all time!”—Sam Dufau, Co-owner & Head Brewer, 2kids Brewing