Best Breweries In Los Angeles
As the craft beer boom continues to explode, Los Angeles is slowly but surely proving that you don't need to travel to Orange County and San Diego to get your SoCal hop and malt fix. Spread throughout Los Angeles County, a number of new and exciting breweries are serving up an eclectic mix of beers that are worthy of national recognition.
Beachwood Brewing & BBQ
210 E. 3rd St.
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 436-4020
www.beachwoodbbq.com
Located in Long Beach, Beachwood has established itself as the undisputed top brewery in Los Angeles and for good reason. Named Best Large Brewpub and Best Large Brewpub Brewer at last year's Great American Beer Festival (the Oscar's of beer) Beachwood has managed to excel so quickly by doing basically everything right. From stellar coffee forward stouts like Tovarish and several top notch variations of West Coast IPAs Beachwood continues to get better and better. The recently announced Beachwood Blendery, Beachwood's 4500 square foot sour-focused space that will be adjacent to the original downtown Long Beach brewpub, has beer geeks everywhere hoarding Tums in anticipation.
Phantom Carriage
18525 S. Main St.
Carson, CA 90248
(310) 538-5834
www.phantomcarriage.com
Local sour fiends who don't have the patience to wait for the opening of Beachwood Blendery are in luck. Phantom Carriage's brand new tasting room in Carson proves that the beer world's recent obsession with sour beer is not merely a fleeting fad. Thanks to Phantom Carriage, Carson is no longer simply the home of the Galaxy and beloved butler, but a beer hotspot.
Smog City
1901 Del Amo Blvd. #B
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 320-7664
www.smogcitybrewing.com
Establishing itself as a must-stop local beer destination Torrance offers up top breweries such as Monkish, Strand, and The Dudes'. But, Smog City stands out among its peers as it excells at brewing a variety of styles. Their low-alcohol Little Bo Pils is a refreshing summer quencher while Saber Tooth Squirrel, a medium bodied amber with an abv that clocks in at 7.7%, has the ideal balance of hops and malts. The Grape Ape IPA is a particular must-have, incorporating a harmonious union between hops and grape varietals, bridging the gap between beer and wine.
Highland Park Brewing
5127 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 739-6459
www.facebook.com
Eastsiders rejoiced when beloved craft beer bar The Hermosillo announced that it would start its own brewing operation. The result, Highland Park Brewing, hasn't disappointed, impressing locals with unique offerings such as Ham Porter and the WWE inspired Koko B. Ware stout. Though their bottle releases are currently very limited and kegs are slowly spreading to bars across Los Angeles, it's certainly worth a stop at Hermosillo to check what new and exciting beers Highland Park is brewing up.
MacLeod Ale
14741 Calvert St.
Van Nuys, CA 91411
(818) 631-1963
www.macleodale.com
Mouth-puckering sours, bitter IPAs and adjunct-laced imperial stouts may be all the rage these days, but that doesn't mean there isn't room in this town to grab a good, old-fashioned pint. Since opening in 2014, MacLeod Ale has been packing the house serving classic, highly drinkable British stouts, milds and pale ales. Their numerous cask offerings are a must if you truly want to go old-school, or rather, ye olde-school.
Ladyface Ale Companie
29281 Agoura Rd.
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
(818) 477-4566
www.ladyfaceale.com
Located in a non-descript strip mall at the edge of Los Angeles county, Ladyface remains one of the undiscovered jewels in the local craft beer scene. While their regular rotation, which includes Picture City Porter and Chesboro IPA, is solid, it's their ever-rotating barrel aged offerings that make Ladyface worthy of a trip north.
Article by Dave Klein.
