Just moved to Los Angeles

Lady face is out in the reaches of the county, but they make solid beer.

Eagle Rock brewery does some decent beers, but their stellar stuff is usually the special releases

Golden Road - well, they're cranking out some really good stuff now and their brewery is a nice place to hang

El Segundo / Monkish and the other spots around there - Go for them, Torrance is cranking out some great stuff.

Angel City - Best just avoided

Head on down to Orange County

Bruery - Great stuff. Go and enjoy

Bootlegger's - meh, but it's close to Bruery

Bottle Logic - oh snap, great brewery

Noble Ale works - Great stuff.

 

Beachwood BBQ

 

Ignore Eagle Rock and Golden Road. But I guess some people are saying Golden Road has improved since they changed brewmasters? I have my doubts, but sure it's possible. If they still brew that Burning Bush Smoked IPA, avoid it at all costs.

Angel City does a good blonde stout, and everything else is decent/mundane. Of course, Noble's blonde stout blows their's out of the water. They're definitely worth comparing.

Monkish is solid, and if it's not your cup of tea there are two other breweries in Torrance within walking distance. Haven in Pasadena is pretty good but gets no attention. Craftsman is good if you don't mind chasing down draft-only beers, but you can't really visit Craftsman as far as I know.

I'm not big on Beachwood BBQ's house beers, but their guest taplist is great and they make some good 'cue. If any brewery in the area is "overrated," it's definitely Beachwood, but it's not the dreaded "warehouse with no place to sit" SoCal brewery model. I'd go expecting a bar experience.

I've heard great things about Lady Face, but it's such a far drive I could never justify a visit.

Overall, don't expect to find anything particularly impressive in all of greater L.A. If I could pick one, I guess it'd be Monkish. There are places to sit, the beer is solid, and they're doing something different than most of the breweries in the area.

 

While I agree with the above comments on ERB, GR, and ACB, I do not agree with the above opinion on Beachwood's beers--I (and LOTS of other people) think their beers are pretty great. I also don't agree that you can't find anything "particularly impressive" in L.A. breweries-wise. The area is still up-and-coming (esp. compared to SD or up north), but it's come a long way in the last couple years and there are great beers being produced all over the southland--Beachwood, El Segundo Brewing Co., Noble Ale Works, Smog City just to name a few.

 

This + bottle logic.

 

Hit up Sunset Beer Co. They offer bottles as well as stuff (usually from local breweries) on draft.

 

Opinions are just that, I know. But I've never heard anyone say Beachwood's beers "aren't that great." They brew the best beers in LA. GO

 

Where in LA do you live?

Angel City's beers arnt that good but the brewery is cool.

 

Give Golden Road another shot. Not their Burning Bush. Some of their newer IPA's (and even Point the Way-which is better than the old recipe but still average compared to others). I have been picking up a four pack here and there. And plan to re-visit the brewery soon. I was one of the ones here to blast Golden Road in their first year onboard. But that was then. Re-visit their beers again.

 

This. Hate how every "LA Beer Recommendations" thread always includes a fair amount of Golden Road shade-throwing.

Their beers weren't great. Then they changed brewmasters and now they are. Point the Way's improved, but the big winner is Wolf Among Weeds, which is one of my favorite DIPAs and a very enjoyable beer that you can find all around the city.

 

I think if you read my post, it's pretty clear I'm more than open to the prospect that the brewery has improved. I qualified my criticism pretty openly.

 

I agree with that. Which is why I didn't belabor the point. Just mentioned that every thread seems to have some negative things to say about them (even if qualified, like yours, with a "maybe things have changed" statement).

 

I can understand your frustration, yet, it doesn't seem like you're willing to accept that there are only so many chances folks will give a place before moving on. I haven't bought a Mikkeller beer in years because I got sick of paying a lot of money for beer that wasn't as good as domestic or local options. At the pace that new beers seem to come out these days (and it's impossible for me to keep up), I'm not in a hurry to rush to give a brewery that's burned me in the past. If that means I'll miss out on some good stuff, so be it. Just don't paint it like it's some kind of irrational decision-making on my part.

 

I don't think that at all. People can buy or not buy whatever beers from whatever breweries they want. I just think that if people are asking for what breweries they SHOULD check out, having a ton of people tell them Golden Road is bad doesn't make much sense. You don't need to buy their beers. I only buy a few of theirs myself. But just seems pointless to hate on a brewery in every thread asking for recommendations.

 

I can dig that. That's the reason why I didn't discourage the OP from going. However, you should accept that there's a lot of people who haven't gone back to give them a chance and are only familiar with the shitty stuff they used to put out. Sometimes I'll have conversations with people at stores or at bars and when the subject of Golden Road comes up, their impressions are never good.

Anyway, OP, give Golden Road a chance. Lots of people seem to vouch for them now and the location is pretty good. You can visit them on a day when you're checking out Northeast LA (Silverlake, Echo Park, etc).

 

Surprised it wasn't mentioned. Smog City. Highly recommended. Most of the others were covered, though I don't think I saw Ohana, or the Dudes mentioned (not sure if the Dudes has a tasting room though)

I'd also start looking for the better beer bars around town too, of which they are many. It's a big city, and an even bigger county. Hell, Lancaster is part of the county, and up there you have Kinetic brewing, and I think two others. I've lived here since they opened, and even I havent had a chance to get up there. Welcome to LA.

 

Do the brewery thing after you find your closest watering hole. That's priority #1, so where do you live?