Visit Chapman Crafted right now, and you’ll come across a work in progress. The tasting room will eventually become space for more brewing equipment. Additional rooms will become the new tasting rooms, complete with games like ping pong and table tennis. Another room will host private parties.
What doesn’t need development is their beers. If you’ve been to their Tuesday Night Trivia, you know how packed it gets, as beer nerds test their skills while enjoying the delicious and complex suds that head brewer Brian Thorson produces. I visited Chapman Crafted on Father’s Day, a perfect day to have a beer with your drinking-age kids or just bring the young ones because Chapman Crafted is kid-friendly with plenty of board games to entertain the family. The beer menu is diverse with something for everyone and bartender Chri, was more than helpful in describing the various brews.
Apricocious IPA w/ Apricots (7.3% ABV) is brewed with 400 pounds of apricots and characteristic of Brewer Thorson ingenious skills! It’s more tangy than sweet, and smooth AF; take some home in two different crowlers. Even better is the In Session IPA (4.52% ABV), a Session IPA that’s hop-forward with plenty of body. It uses oats instead of the usual wheat in the brewing process, which gives the drink a clean finish.
Equinox Motion Hazy IPA (7.1% ABV) is a Vermont-style IPA that’s juicy and citrusy with lemon highlights. Equinox and El Dorado hops are prominent, then the tanginess of the citrus lingers on the back—YUM…and Slow Riser Red Ale w/Bangarang Coffee (5.75%) features Fullerton coffee roaster Bangarang in a caffeine-forward red ale that’s malty and toasty—SO GOOD!!!
It’s great to see Chapman Crafted grow. And the future also includes more brews in cans—para llevar! HA!
Chapman Crafted Beer, 123 N. Cypress St., Orange, (714) 654-3888; www.chapmancrafted.beer
