MacLeod Ale Brewing Company

MacLeod Ale Brewing CompanyMacLeod Ale Brewing Company
MacLeod Ale Brewing CompanyMacLeod Ale Brewing Company
Brewery, Bar, Beer-to-go

14741 Calvert Street
Van Nuys, California, 91411
United States

(818) 631-1963 | map
macleodale.com
BEER STATS
Average:
4.01
Beers:
87
Ratings:
267
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.35
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
23
pDev:
8.97%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Retsinis:
Photo of Retsinis
Reviewed by Retsinis from Arizona

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
Attended the Grand Opening yesterday, 1st session, so I was able to be there for the owners, Jennifer & Alastir's opending comments, thanking everyone (including their landlord, who cut the ribbon) and the Pasadena Scotts Pipes and drums group who opened the brewery. Very cool, and a nice little perk to witness and be there for.

Atmosphere: Long industrial space, cold box, some seating, purse hooks, rail along the back to lay ones beer glass down, restrooms, etc. Some white wood framed pictures of random city blocks and landmarks around Van Nuys around the tasting room, and a large Chalkboard with the name, style, ABV, IBU & availabilty of beers were on tap, along with the prices, pour size, and the swag available, ( T-Shirt, logo glasses, growlers, etc.) Bike rack outside the brewery as well. Last, they have A/C !

Quality & Service: 6 Cask Engines going, along with 2 or 3 Co2 keg taps. The casks are front & center, and my group of about 12 enjoyed all the beers they had, and they presented very well from the cask. Being a grand opening, there were crowds, and long lines, but they handled it well continuing to pour beer pints & half pints of all 4 beers throughout the event, with 3 beertenders, and 2 support staff to take orders.

Selection: 4 beers included a brown stout, English Pale Ale, A bitter, and Scottish Ale. Ranging from a high of a whopping 4.3% abv, or as low as 3.2% abv (great session offerings) These should be year round, in addition to some seasonals, first of which I hear will be on in August.

Food: N/A but they had FOUR (4) food trucks for the opening, impressive. Grilled Cheese Truck, Taco Truck, Soft serve ice cream, and a German Sausage truck.

Value: prices were very reasonable. $15 for 5, 10 oz pours. Event pricing, but I expect their regular pricing to be comparable (they will serve tasters as well per their board)

Overall : The first craft brewery in the valley (with a tasting room) and 2nd to open this year the SFV. Given the turnout, they will be growing fast, I predict. My group and I had a great time, and will be back, often.
Jun 23, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.64 by Gobzilla from California

Sep 26, 2019
Photo of Mistwell
Reviewed by Mistwell from California

5/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Best brew house in Los Angeles. Great atmosphere, exceptionally good craft beers brewed directly by MacLeod's, excellent communication with patrons, good entertainment, and plentiful food trucks.
Jul 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.3 by TylerKing from California

Jul 19, 2018
Photo of Antg8989
Reviewed by Antg8989 from New Jersey

4.97/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Don't let the "British Style Ale Brewed" fool you. There are plenty of other options along with the wealth of tasty English/Scottish beers available. With over 20 beers on draught and (and cask!), there is so much to try and love. I ordered the "Cutting Bracken" as I figured I would give the brown ale (cask) a try. From my first sip, my opinion on brown ales changed forever. You really have to try it to believe it, and if you're so inclined, check out my review - it's short but wow, what a brown ale. Lovers of IPAs should try "Deal with the Devil" and "The Grasshopper". "The King's Taxes" is also a favorite along with the "London Lager" and "The Fixer" ( a lager with flavor - FINALLY!) What really drew me in was the "Coffey Time" - an imperial porter that any fan of porters would be sure to love. Besides the great selection of beers, enjoy unlimited peanuts, multiple board games (jenga included), corn hole, darts and many more. There's plenty of room to sit, play games, and of course, drink beer. Considering the quality of the beer and service, don't be surprised to see this place filled with locals and visitors alike - especially on the weekends. If you're looking for a great experience, look no further than MacLeod Ale Brewing Company! *One of the few places that serves beer at the correct temperature* I had to lower some of my ratings because it appears BeerAdvocate isn't taking all 5's as a serious rating. Which I understand, but a place can certainly be rated 5 on all categories.
Apr 22, 2018
Photo of chuckyboomboom
Reviewed by chuckyboomboom from California

4.56/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
UK-style cask ales plus a few modern styles. There is a very enthusiastic crowd every time I visit this place. Its only a commercial rollup, but has a truly fun atmosphere. Great pipe and drum bands are there frequently. A must-go for any beer lover. Be forewarned though, parking is a b____.
Sep 07, 2017
Photo of spursfaninla
Reviewed by spursfaninla from California

4.23/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
First, this place has more cask selections than the other places I have seen locally, combined. They had 6. I had a 3.9% Porter which was good, subtle.

These guys are old school. Mostly low alcohol, traditional beers. They had a barley wine and a ginger beer, but mostly you get euro style classics. No Choco bit, coffee stout, cinnamon or barrel aged beers. But, they go for doing a traditional beer right.

As others say, put on your hiking boots and be ready to search for parking. If you are not comfortable walking in deserted industrial areas at night, come with a group.

Really great atmosphere. Hidden area motif appeals to me. Rated best in valley for Los Angeles for a reason, deserved. Cheers.
Jan 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by cryptichead from Illinois

Dec 02, 2016
Photo of mrcraft
Reviewed by mrcraft from California

4.18/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
MacLeod Ale Brewing is located in an industrial part of Van Nuys. I stopped by after a birthday party nearby. I'm glad I did. Overall, I enjoyed the beers I had and the visit. One knock, is that parking is not that easy to find.

Once you enter, you kinda forget you're in Van Nuys. The interior I felt was nicely done. Lots of tables and counter space along with a bar with seats. As you probably already know, they offer many beers on cask which is refreshing in Los Angeles proper. Some brewing equipment can be seen in the back which is cool. There was another adjoining area that had more tables and a game area.

They don't serve food, but on the wall they had a food truck calendar though I didn't see any trucks today. They sell chips and offer peanuts for free.

If I'm in the area again, I'd like to visit and try their other beers on tap.
May 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by fthegiants from California

Jan 29, 2016
Photo of zak333
Rated by zak333 from California

4.92/5  rDev +13.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
A hidden gem.
Dec 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by Modernrickk from California

Aug 25, 2015
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
MacLeod is one of my favorite breweries in the LA area. They have a fairly small tasting room inside the brewery, but they just expanded into another space next door. They usually have around 8 beers on cask and nitro. Service has been fantastic every time I have been in. A must stop if you are in the area.
Jun 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by wethorseblanket from California

Mar 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.8 by LABeerChic from California

Mar 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by PretzelCity from California

Jan 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by sethsquatch from California

Nov 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by mbw314 from California

Nov 08, 2014
Photo of dipso123
Reviewed by dipso123 from Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
Authentic English cask ale served at the brewery at the proper temp and carbonation. If you love English cask ale don't miss this place. If you're not sure, make a trip. If you think you don't like these true session beers go there and make that decision based on the real deal and not something you got in a can.

The place is out of the way and kinda funky (one big open room with the brewery taking up the back half and the tasting room in the front half) but the staff are great and the music and energy feel like a pub - one in which you don't have to shout.

Peanuts and pretzels are free but there is no kitchen.
Oct 26, 2014
Photo of GRG1313
Reviewed by GRG1313 from California

4.57/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
One of the most exciting new breweries to come on the scene in a while! I love this place! Exciting because it's crazy, and wild, and full of sours and hip new exotic beers?? NO! Exciting because this place brews some of the highest quality cask beer you can get - anywhere!

There were only 5 selections so how could it be great? There are only about 6 counter seats so how could it be great? There's no IPA, no wild ale and no sour - so how could it be great??

Well, I'll tell you how and why this place is great. Namely, this place has only beer on cask. These are low alcohol, low carbonation and FULL FLAVOR brews, hand pulled at just the right temperature by a couple of the nicest guys I've seen in the Valley. This place took me right back to London 1969 when I fell in love with cask ales that were not served ice cold - it changed my life then and this place just reinforces that I had good taste in beer then and I've confirmed it now.

High quality; full flavors; super drinkable; nice people. Not enough? Well, this is the only place I've ever been where you could get growlers (large and small) of cask beer. I took a small one home and again enjoyed it several hours later.

Great place.
Jul 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Kramerwtmf from California

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Beer-Zombie from Oregon

Jul 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Oneinchaway from California

Jun 24, 2014
MacLeod Ale Brewing Company in Van Nuys, CA
Brewery rating: 4.01 out of 5 with 267 ratings