Bottle shop info: If you have access to a car, then Ramirez is your best bet in the area. Sunset Beer Company and Vendome Beverly Hills are also within a few miles. Buzz is actually walking distance from LA Live (20min or so - corner of 5th and Spring), but they have totally gone off the deep end with their new beer buyer. They were trying to sell their last bottle of Velvet Merkin for $30 - double what it went for anywhere else! Their justification was that since it's the last one, it's even rarer and worth more. They claimed that it was originally priced at $25, then offered it to me for that price after I was appalled by their initial price tag. Apparently it's more of a swap meet than bottle shop now, so go at your own risk.
Far Bar in Little Tokyo is a few miles away and has some decent enough taps: http://farbarla.com/draught/
This! The only good thing about Buzz is that they are open til 2am every night. Weird Beers on 7th between spring and broadway is another option they have some decent stuff.
Vendome Bev Hills is pretty far from downtown. jus sayin that's ridiculous of Buzz. by the way, i just saw Merkin at Trader Joe's in Silver Lake (12.99) and bought 3 bottles
If he's staying at LA Live, it's not too bad - just a straight shot down Olympic. That's the route I take to work every morning out of DTLA and it's only about 8 miles.
Had Sculpin, Ruination and Double Jack yesterday at the LA Live Yardhouse. Chalkboard series has mostly pumpkin style beers including Dogfish Head Punkin. Just the usual. Nothing special. I took the purple line down to Koreatown before to hit up Beer Belly and of course I forgot they don't open till 5. Check out Beer Belly site. I believe they have some nice selections right now and they open at 11am on the weekends. A 10 minute ride on the purple line from 7th St/Figuerora and then a 3 minute walk north on Western. You can't miss.
SHhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I will give Buzz 1 point for the most ridiculous loophole jump I have ever seen at a booze store. They have a little bar in the back with a couple of taps but they don't have a full pour permit or whatever so they can only pour tasters, and they have onsite consumption only if you rent a wine locker. I saw a guy buy a bomber, the lady got on the ladder out, took the bomber and climbed up to the wine lockers. She put the beer in the locker, locked it, waited about 5 seconds then unlocked it and grabbed the beer, took it down, opened it and poured it for the dude at the bar. So I applaud them for skirting the rules a little bit but they also wanted $25 for Double DBA.
i've never been too impressed with their selection. the tasting area seems cool though the only thing that bums me out is the beers they have sitting out by the front window / door. not sure if they have uv protection or whatever, but to me i don't think it would be good to have all day sunlight beating down on the beers, even if they are in packages
Wow. Too bad about Buzz. I've not been in for a while but love the concept of sort of a wine store with "off the beaten track" wines at very good price points. I thought the beer selection was very good. And, forgive me for forgetting the names, but they have a few bottles that only they seem to get. I hope things improve. It was a pretty good new store from what I could tell the couple of times I went in.
