The L.A. Beer Float Showdown takes over Eagle Rock Brewery Saturday, Oct 15 for a special LA Beer Week event celebrating America’s long history of experimenting with alcohol and frozen desserts. The contest consists of five teams, each composed of top chefs and brew-masters, using their collective genius to somehow make beer and ice cream taste and look good. Sounds weird, but believe us, it's possible --previous year’s entries have featured dark German beers with chocolate ice cream and porter reduction and an acai wheat ale garnished with a scoop of lime sherbet.

Other surprises included a cherry Lambic with brown-sugar/black-cherry ice cream topped with a snicker-doodle cookie, a North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout and brown bread gelato masterpiece, and a St. Bernardus Abt 12 with coffee/toffee ice cream.
Yummm.

Here’s who’ll be battling it out this year:

Chef Ilan Hall of The Gorbals and “Top Chef” w/ Tustin Brewery brew-master and Smog City Brewing Co. brewer/owner, Jonathan Porter

Chef CJ Jacobson of The Yard and “Top Chef” w/ Firestone Walker rep, Jace Milstead

Chef Laurent Quenioux of Vertical Wine Bistro and LQ@SK w/ Beachwood BBQ and Brewing brewmaster, Julian Shrago and co-owner, Gabe Gordon

Chefs Andre Guerrero and Jan Purdy of The Oinkster and Maximiliano w/ Eagle Rock Brewery brew-master, Jeremy Raub

Chef Thi Tran and Nguyen Tran of Starry Kitchen w/ Ladyface Ale Companie brew-master, Dave Griffiths and owner Cyrena Nouzille

This event is part of LA Beer Week, a weeks-long (Oct 10-23) city-wide beer bash with special events at dozens of participating venues. Click here for details.