Influential brewers across the country are both escaping their daily doldrums with exotic explorations and bringing tiki’s tropical flavors and escapist ethos back into the brewhouse.
The constellation of bars, gastropubs, taphouses and brewpubs that dot LA’s diverse neighborhoods is dedicated to making LA a premier craft beer city. Los Angeles already has the weather and the landscape, and now it increasingly has the perfect brews to pair with the picturesque environment.
Only 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, however, the autonomous port city of a half-million people is worthy of note, if not for its status as the most ethnically diverse city in the country, then for its recent growth into one of Southern California’s newest craft beer hubs.
Today, Shrago’s still working a day job. But he’s also in the brewhouse on nights and weekends, churning out creative takes on American and Belgian styles for Long Beach, Calif., brewers Beachwood BBQ & Brewing. It’s a long way from the stovetop he started on.
