I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the driving forces behind a new and new kind of craft beer addition to the Los Angeles brew scene.
John Nugent and Drew Vonah took the time to speak with me about how to create an atmosphere for beer exploration, their plans for the Echo Park space and what kind of beer they drink.
Sunset Beer Company will be a 2,000 square foot craft beer store with a few tap handles in the revitalized beer area of Echo Park.
The seed that sprouted into this new venture starts with their other establishment, the Colorado Wine Company. This Eagle Rock shop is my go-to spot for wine tasting. It is comfortable and the wines chosen are invariably challenging to my beginners wine palate.
That same welcoming feel is what is being aimed for with the new space that is still under construction. They are looking to be a comfortable place to explore the 500 beers they plan on having. It will not be a loud, male-centric cave.
What I like though is that John and Drew are coming from a background in wine as a starting point. But they both have a love of beer and seem excited that the same passion for wine exists in the beer world. They are fans of Eagle Rock Brewing (as am I) and have that “beer da vivre” that I love to see.
The plan is to open next year on a date to be named later. In the meantime, visit the wine version and imagine what a great addition the Sunset Beer Company will be to the Los Angeles beer scene.
That’s awesome! I spend a lot of time in Echo Park so I can’t wait for it to open…especially if they’re fans of Eagle Rock Brewery!
Echo Park will be quite the craft beer corridor in 2011.
Beer corridor? What other beer co’s are there here??
I will give you a couple. One longer than the other. You can go from El Segundo via Sepulveda and hit Rock N Brews, Simmzy’s, Mediterraneo, Tin Roof Bistro, Naja’s. Or you can do Eagle Rock and go from the Oinkster to Verdugo to Eagle Rock Brewing.