Dank, piney, citrusy, skunky: Hops and weed might look alike, smell alike and even taste alike, but it wasn’t until recently that local brewers started exploring the aromatic possibilities of combining these two green, resinous flowers. Last summer, downtown LA’s Concrete Jungle Brewing Project opened with a lineup of old-world and new-school beers, including an […]
What The Ale
Isomerizer IPA from Karl Strauss Brewing Company: What the Ale!
In 1989, when friends Matt Rattner and Chris Cramer decided to bring local craft beer to San Diego, they had little idea they would be pioneers of the scene that has taken over Southern California. Cramer’s cousin Karl Strauss—yes, THE Karl Strauss—was originally from Germany, but after fleeing the Nazi regime, he became a […]
KLOS Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival: What the Ale!
If Instagram is the new Facebook, then April 7 is the new Cinco de Mayo, as that’s when the KLOS Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival returns to Doheny Beach in Dana Point. ¡Arriba! This will be my first time at Sabroso, and I’m looking forward to the beachside setting. I’m practicing my taco […]
2018 Ensenada Beer Fest: What the Ale!
Ensenada, Mexico, recently celebrated the fourth-annual Ensenada Beer Fest (www.ensenadabeerfest.com) with suds from more than 120 craft breweries, delicious food from local restaurants and three stages of live music. The five-day festival at the beautiful Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center attracted more than 9,000 attendees, according to organizer Paco Talamante. Such well-known breweries as Insurgente, […]
Laguna Beach Beer Co.: What the Ale!
Founded by Laguna Beach natives Brent Reynard and Mike Lombardo, Laguna Beach Beer Co. continues to win over locals with a laid-back surf style, art and delicious quality beers. But it wasn’t until the company acquired Cismontane Brewing Co.’s Rancho Santa Margarita production and tasting room and expanded it to include a kitchen, that […]
Lido Bottle Works Offers Curated Craft Brews and Waterfront Views: What the Ale!
It doesn’t get any better than this! Located in the Lido Marina Village, recently renovated by the developers that built Pacific City in Huntington Beach and rebuilt the Bella Terra Mall, Lido Bottle Works offers a gorgeous harbor view, plus a wide variety of craft beer and wine. There are 15 beers on tap, and […]
The Seaside Brews of Belmont Brewing Co.: What the Ale!
One of the oldest operating brewpubs in Los Angeles County (established in 1990), Belmont Brewing Co. offers beautiful ocean views and the freshest suds in town. College friends David Hansen and David Lott are responsible for spearheading Long Beach’s craft-beer scene with the help of David Blackwell, who’s been brewing for Belmont Brewing since 1999. […]
Beachwood Brewing Tap Room: What the Ale!
Gabe Gordon and Lena Perelman opened Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach in 2006, with customers lined up out the door for amazing barbecue and rotating craft-beer selection. Then they teamed up with home brewer Julian Shrago to brew their own delicious suds and launched Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach in July 2011. Beachwood […]
