TAPS in Brea Scoops Five Medals At California Beer Competitions

The restaurant's brewmaster, Victor Novak (who sounds like a film noir actor, if you ask me), now has 37 awards to his name, thanks to the new haul. The California State Fair (which takes place from August 21 to September 7 in Sacramento) has given TAPS' Cream Ale a gold medal and its Irish Red a bronze, while the International Beer Fest (formerly the LA County Fair, held from September 5 to October 4) is dishing out a gold for the restaurant's Cream Ale, a silver for its Hefeweizen and a bronze for its Belgian White.

The Cream Ale is the one to try next time you're at TAPS. It's a bit feeble for my liking, but, having won nine medals in its lifetime (eight of them gold), it's obviously doing something right. A glass of it is included in the restaurant's bargain ($24.95) three-course deal, which is running indefinitely at lunch and dinner.

Cheers to that!