The L.A. Beer Float Showdown makes another appearance at this year’s LA Beer Week on October 15. How do you make beer and ice cream work? You take 5 reputable chefs and pair them with 5 California brewers/reps. The teams will compete for $500 and the bragging rights that come with it, as 1st year winner The Golden State + Scoops and 2nd year winner Boneyard Bistro, know all too well. Attendees will be doing the judging of the beer floats on flavor, originality, and presentation with 25% of proceeds benefiting the Share Our Strength organization which works towards eliminating child hunger. If you’re looking for something to eat with your floats, Neri’s Curbside Cravings will be posted up selling traditional and contemporary Filipino food.

The Lineup

Chef: Top Chef contestant Ilan Hall of The Gorbals.
Brewer: Jonathon Porter, owner of Smog City Brewing Co. and Brewmaster of Tustin Brewery.

Chef: Top Chef contest CJ Jacobson of The Yard.
Rep: Jace Milstead of Firestone Walker and Drink Eat Travel Show.

Chef: Upcoming “Top Chef: Texas” contestant Laurent Quenioux of Vertical Wine Bistro and LQ@SK.
Brewer: Julian Shrago, Brewmaster of Beachwood BBQ and Brewing, and co-owner Gabe Gordon.

Chef: Andre Guerrero and Jan Purdy of The Oinkster and Maximiliano.
Brewer: Jeremy Raub, Brewmaster of Eagle Rock Brewery.

Chef: Thi Trand and Nguyen Tran of Starry Kitchen.
Brewer: Dave Griffiths, Brewmaster of Ladyface Ale Companie, and owner Cyrena Nouzille.

Insider Insight

We caught up with Joshua Lurie, FoodGPS.com and organizer of the event, for a little Q&A session.

DET: What’s the difference between this year and the previous years?
JL: The L.A. Beer Float Showdown has been great over the past two years, with members of the craft beer community coming together to produce some truly memorable floats. In 2009, it was a pair of craft beer focused restaurants collaborating with ice cream shops. Last year, it was a wider variety of craft beer focused establishments, and it was anything goes in terms of beer and ice cream. This year, in an effort to showcase beer in a more culinary light, I reached out to five of L.A.’s better chefs and teamed them with local breweries that offer a wide variety of beer styles. Nobody knows food and flavor better than chefs, and nobody knows a brewery’s beer better than the brewmasters, so this dynamic should allow the beer float options to increase exponentially while encouraging a different type of idea exchange.

DET: Since it’s hosted at Eagle Rock Brewery, do they have home court advantage?
JL: I thought about whether Eagle Rock Brewery would have a home court advantage, and if they should just host the event, but ultimately decided that the proof will be in the plastic cup, and since everybody who attends L.A. Beer Float Showdown 3 gets a vote, the setting won’t be an issue.

DET: Our very own Host/Certified Cicerone/Firestone Walker Rep Jace Milstead is part of the competition, you know we’re going to be rooting for him.
JL: You’re welcome to come cheer on Jace, but this isn’t Chicago, you only get one vote.

See photos from last year:
Beer Float Showdown II at Verdugo Bar Was Funny to Watch [PHOTOS]

Cost?
$35 (25% of event proceeds will go to Share Our Strength)

When?
October 15 from 1 PM – 4 PM

Where?
Eagle Rock Brewery
3056 Roswell St.
Los Angeles, CA 90065

Additional Information
Buy tickets!
http://www.foodgps.com

– Lucas Li

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