Tag: Covina

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1st Visit – Campsite Brewing

Usually, visiting a brewery taproom for the first time, you expect it to be, putting it kindly, industrial. Campsite Brewing in Covina is decidedly not that.

It is a little oasis with a camping theme but more glamping since there is draft beer. There is an expansive outdoor area with fire pits, an outdoor balcony area, a hidden inside seating area and then the main indoor spot and bar. Oh and an event venue too. This is a restaurant compound. A smaller version of Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens.

I gad sampled two beers from Campsite two weeks ago at the L.A. Beer Week Festival in Long Beach and was heartened enough to go see it.

The beers were all well done and distinct. I went one light, two IPA and one dark plus a Shandy to gauge where their strength was and found all but the Blonde Ale well good and even the blonde was more m’eh than anything wrong. My favorite was the Cold Front Cold IPA since they are on Front Street. It was bright, real bright with a great combo of citrus and dank to it. The S’mores Sweet Stout was also good and sweet in a good way with getting too deep into marshmallow.

Next time I find myself in that neck of the L.A. County woods, I will drop in again.

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Add to the Visit List – Campsite Brewing

If I ever camp again, it will be too soon.  Some folks have the “roughin’ it” genome and others have the hotel with hot tub one.  I am the latter.  So seeing a brewery named Campsite conjures up smoke in your eyes and uncomfortable sleep.

But Campsite Brewing in Covina seems more on the luxe side with a long list of beers covering a range of current must have styles as well as food. I first caught wind of them this time last year but they opened without hitting my radar.

Look for a 1st visit report next time I head out Covina way.

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Pomona Now, Covina Later

Old time L.A. beer fans might remember Sanctum Brewing in Pomona, well that space is now the home of Neon Bear Brewery.  The owner/brewmaster is Ryan Walton, who last worked at Last Name Brewing Co.  They are now open and showing off neon signage because, for some strange reason, the City of Glendale’s Museum of Neon Art, has a storage facility not in Glendale.  I digress, the brewery is now open and is on my to-visit list.

Coming later is Campsite Brewing settling in Covina and a planned opening date later this year.  More info to come as they get closer to opening the taps on what should include a rauchbier or s’mores stout.

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Five Arrows

Arrow Lodge will be splitting time between gazing at their beautiful beers and fawning over classic cars when the mark their 5th anniversary next month.

So follow their feed for further details and maybe anniversary beer news.

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1st Visit – Nova Brewing

A taster tray is 6 strong here. I got all 4 of the Ginjo 7 beers made with Sake yeast plus a smoke beer and an IPA.  Thankfully the gate was open, so I didn’t have to call with password to get into the semi-industrial area.  Inside it is a spare, multipurpose taproom.  Seating truncated by empty kegs and boxes on one side plus a cooler and small microwave in between sparse shelving units. It was a bit warm inside.  I got tagged by a mosquito while drinking so session moved faster than I might normally do because two large itchy bites is my limit. 

Starting with the sake yeast beers which is quite strong in the White, masked a little more in the Red. But the Blue had a nice double hit of saison and sake mixed. The Black has a bit of wine barrel to it tending towards sour. Red and Blue clearly were better to me because the balance was better because damn that Sake yeast is strong.

The Horizon IPA was different but good, maybe the different made it stand out.  The smoke beer was my favorite, it had really nice wood note that you lose sometimes in smoked ales.  This was softer than a traditional rauchbier. No smoke in your eyes at a campfire and more BBQ.

Overall, not my favorite beers, maybe the Sake is stronger but I will leave that to Sake Search Party for that review.

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Beer Review – Sass Machine from Arrow Lodge


Arrow Lodge can branding has been a bit hit or miss for me. One can is all green and the next is a wavy psychedelic unicorn. But I could not pass up on such a sassy beer. The Mavhine oours a hazy lemonade ice tea color. Very soft and pillowy mouthfeel, bitterness is there but a couple blocks away. There is a tropical fruit aroma. Pineapple and banana to me. I wouldn’t call it sassy. Getting some citrus flavor notes as it warms. Almost sorbet like in the flavor. I noticed that Untappd has an entry for a peach version which might be even better.

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1st Visit – Arrow Lodge


The 210 freeway can be as bad as the 405 can be on a bad day which can make it hard to venture past Pasadena. But there is good beer off the freeway and Arrow Lodge and their head brewer Amy Heller are crafting beer that should be noticed in L.A. proper.

Not to blow smoke. There were a couple beers that missed the mark. But the beers that hit did so strongly. Strictly Business, their take on the NE (hazy) style had good bite to it and left what I consider the trademark scuff on the palate. The well-named Arrowmatic may be just an IPA but their DIPA worked well. Solid aroma leading to a quaffable DIPA. MY favorite though was their take on a French Saison. (an item rarely seen). Oui Adelit was bright with lovely yeast notes throughout.

The Ol’ Salty Gose did taste like Sprite and the Milk Stout needed some sweetening like a sound track but for a three-month old brewery that is still adding equipment, this is a solid start. You won’t see this on tap much in Los Angeles but if it makes it easier. Alosta Brewing is within steps. You can kill two bier birds with one drive.

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New in Covina & Rancho Cucamonga

Looks like the greater L.A. craft beer map is filling in a little more.

Out in Covina, Arrow Lodge Brewing (formerly Barley Lodge) is up and going….

Beers that seem to be getting name checked most are the Pale To the King, Happy Cal Milk Stout Stout and the intriguing Lavender Vanilla Cream Ale

Next up is Sour Cellars, way out in Rancho Cucamonga. Still not as far as Hangar 24 though.

The all sour brewery opened up just as 2016 ticked away for good. They are “specializing in newly isolated wild yeast strains.” Maybe a Cucamonga Quake Coolship is in the future.