Beer is booming in LA and there are numerous beer bars and local small-batch microbreweries in LA to fuel the trend. IPAs and Belgium ales and more are there for the quaffing, it’s only a matter of choosing where to grab the perfect pint.
Find more options with the LosAngeles.com Nightlife Directory.
[Photo Credit: Mohawk Bend]
Seventy-two beers on tap is a far better refrain than a hundred bottles of beer on the wall, and every beer at Mohawk Bend comes from a California brewery. This Eastside hangout is a great place to taste them, with pressed-in vaulted ceilings, comfortable booths and high-top bar tops meant for sharing. Vegan, vegetarian and carnivore diners can snack on beer-friendly favorites like pizza and buffalo-style cauliflower.
Well known for 12 rotating taps serving mostly local brews, this Koreatown favorite also has a stellar bottle selection in rotation. A variety of seasonal, international and domestic beers are available, ranging from offerings like the potent 8.9% ABV Imperial Red Ale from El Segundo Brewing Co. to the Bavarian dark wheat Dunkelweizen, out of Pasadena’s Craftsman Brewing Co. The beer tastes even better served in a contemporary, open space paneled with dark wood and filled with a buzzy crowd. The brews can be accompanied by tasty grub such as the four cheddar mac and cheese or beer-battered catfish n’ chips.
One of the first gastropubs to serve craft beer and food, Father’s Office is located in the Helms Bakery complex with an open design perfect for people watching. But beer drinkers may be more interested in the 36 beers on tap and the impressive burger selection. Organic Brussels sprouts and sweet potato frites in a basket are also great companions for a wide variety of lagers and IPAs. There is also a location in Santa Monica
Little Bear offers 17 beers on tap plus a selection of 50 bottles in a hip industrial space in the Arts District. Belgian beers are the thing to try here, as should be expected from a gastro-pub named in honor of the Bruges Bear in that Belgium city. The Little Bear burger is hardly little, in fact it’s a flavorfully large food pairing, topped with Stilton cheese on a brioche bun.
Nearly 300 domestic and international bottled beer selections vie for consumption with 20 mostly domestic brews on tap. Accompanied by noshes such as meat or vegan sausages, turkey sliders, and burgers, beer lovers can select American craft beers such as Lost Abbey’s Red Poppy, or the sour stylings of Russian River Brewing Company’s 10% ABV Consecration. Guest breweries hold forth with regular "tap takeovers," offering even more options to sip on the pleasant garden patio, replete with fire pits.
This Santa Monica mainstay serves 33 beers on tap, from Firestone’s Double DBA to Goose Island’s Matilda. There’s even a craft beer club that offers discount specials, as well as a monthly newsletter touting new beer arrivals. Shuffleboard, pool and a big screen television are among the entertainment options in this convivial, appropriately dark and homey bar.
With 26 domestics on tap, beer drinkers will find El Segundo Brewery’s Citra Pale Ale, Angel City’s Vanilla Porter and Anderson Valley Brewing’s Boont Amber among Spring Street Bar's varied domestic craft selections. There are beer cocktails, too. Purists may scoff, but there’s something quite worth considering about the bar’s cocktail concoctions, such as the Volcan, featuring Alton Blanco tequila, lime and simple syrup with your draft. An open, industrial design and a bevy of communal tables make this a comfortable hang out.
This Hollywood mainstay is situated near the Pantages Theater and the Fonda, perfect for a pre-show drink. Twenty-four craft beers are available on tap and there is a four-pour tasting flights for those who would like to try a variety. There’s stellar noshing as well, from beer-battered fish and chips to a gourmet cheese plate. The open, wood-enhanced room offers plenty of tables for a relaxing brew or two.
Even if a stop at Magic Mountain isn’t in the cards, the short drive up Interstate 5 to the heart of Old Town Newhall is worth it for this gastropub’s convivial, industrial-chic atmosphere. The rotating draft system serves tasty and unique brews such as Moylans Pomegranate Wheat, the potent Goose Island Bourbon County Barleywine and Leff Blonde Belgian blonde ale. Dining options range from well-crafted snacks, including flatbread with Spanish chroizo and blackberries and a hummus platter with crisp naan bread.
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