I want to give a shout out to strand brewing company, they exceeded my expectations on a beer gone bad. I purchased a 500ml Ito Weisse (a berlinerweisse) for about $9 in Rancho Cucamonga based on the feedback from the BA community on their beers. I opened it for two other friends and it smelled like a baby's diaper. The three of us took a sip, and it was an immediate drain pour. Taste matched flavor. I went to Strand's website and wrote a short e-mail discussing my experience and that for $9 on a 500ml, BAs expectations may be a bit higher. One of the co-owners, Rich, responded and told me he was on vacation, but to give him a call when he returned. I spoke with him a week later and he said all the other bottles were fine, but would like to refund my money. He also went out and purchased the other beers as well. I live in Sacramento, but Rich did not hesitate to mail me a refund and gave me a business card to have free tastings at the brewery for myself + 1 when I hit that part of town next time. This is outstanding customer service and definitely exceeded my expectations unlike other breweries where I've had a complaint go unanswered (*cough* Odell's). Again, props to Strand for showing they care about their customers and just wanted to pass along some good beer karma.
All the breweries I know of from the South Bay are excellent. I just visited El Segundo, Smog City, and Monkish for the first time recently and both places were fantastic. Great beer and a great vibe at all three. Looking forward to more from all of these breweries.
