Culture Brewing has two San Diego area locations and one spot for us Angelenos in Manhattan Beach. And it is the last one that is hitting the three year mark and their special beer for the occasion is a Citrus Gose.
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Which Beach?
Culture Brewing has three beachy locations and you can choose your favorite since they have hazies for each one.
You can go for the L.A. Manhattan Beach or choose the more southernly Encinitas or Solana Beach.
1st Visit – Culture Brewing Manhattan Beach
I last had a Culture Brewing beer back in the good times, a long time ago at their original Solana Beach location. Since then they have opened two locations, closed one and then opened this northernmost outpost in busy Manhattan Beach.
I ordered a 4-pack of their Mosaic IPA online the night before but when I arrived and saw their menu board, I sorta wished that I had waited. Then I found out the Mosaic was out of stock. But the helpful counter person gave me plenty of options and was super friendly and by the time that I left, felt like I got a better deal.
My beer buddy got the Keyhole IPA and gave it a thumbs up as do I with the 2x Hazy. The inside was still a little unfinished but that is probably because they aren’t racing an opening date. The space does go back a fair bit to allow either a sidewalk adjacent seat or out of the sun seat when life’s re-opens.
If you are wary of beach crowds, the to-go counter is closer to the top of the shopping and dining area, so you can quickly pop in.
Anniversary Stop # 2 – Culture Brewing
For a couple days, Solana Beach (and a hot tub) was home. That meant a short walk to the new Culture Brewing.
The beer board is impressive in its detail and the small space before the bar and the tent out back are very well designed. The logo is cool and it is in an area with cool funky shops. Oh, and they sell growler bags. Yup, 64oz capacity, beach cool beer.
I ordered up all the wet hop beers on offer but alas was not super impressed. Mosaic, Citra and Equionx just didn’t differentiate themselves. I would have seriously failed a blind tasting. The coffee IPA was bolder but even in a taster pour became too harsh as the bitterness of the java fought the hops. The oaked triple IPA was the winner but it too suffered from being a muddle. No hop really stood out.
I loved the space, though more seating would be great. Loved the vibe but not enough to buy a growler bag that I really wanted to try.