1st Visit – Surfridge Brewing

Block 1

There is no sign, except for a tiny “beer” arrow to indicate that Surfridge Brewing is open.  October 11th was the official grand opening and I jumped in early on a Saturday to both check out the interior and to taste a beer. 

Two things grabbed my attention.  First were cool eco tap handles minus any logo that have a marble look to them.  Quite different from the normal heavily branded practice.  There is also a kid friendly clubhouse near the entrance.  Splitting the difference by keeping kids out of the way from the bar and TV patrons.

There is also a patio with seating and off in the distance is the light blue El Segundo emblazoned water tower.  Food trucks are accessible out through that patio and the whole place has plants everywhere.  Reminding me of Homage Brewing in Pomona.

Currently there are 6 beers on tap, your basic starter brewery menu.  IPA, Session IPA, Wit and Pale.  The Pale was good.  Mostly old school Cascade hop territory.  A bit one note and not subtle but well done all the same.  The Wit has peppercorns and grapefruit which should make for a new twist on the Belgian style.

Overall, the space is calming and large enough for groups to gather, I will have to check back on the beers to see how they evolve but this is a good start.

Sean Suggests for July 2019

This month, let’s go big and hoppy.  No session or lactose or fruit.  Just imperial.

~LIGHT
Arrow Lodge / Hush Money 8.00% ABV
“Hazy DIPA brewed with Citra and Amarillo hops”

~MEDIUM
El Segundo / Two Five Left 8.50% ABV
“Simcoe and Citra steal the runway, dominating the aroma with big tropical notes of passionfruit and papaya. We add just a touch of crystal malt (gasp!) to provide a backbone that plays well the the soft yet assertive hop profile.”

~BIG
Founders / Double Trouble 9.40% ABV
“An imperial IPA that was brewed to turn your world upside down. Hops will get you coming and going. Pungent aromatics up front pair with a malt-balanced backbone and a smooth, bitter finish.”

All of these beers can be found at Sunset Beer Co. (unless they got bought up real quick)

Surf of El Segundo


Looking at another brewery coming to El Segundo as Surfridge Brewing Company is in the works now.

According to their nascent Facebook page, “Surfridge is a 20-barrel production brewery in El Segundo, CA, named for a community by the sea turned Blue Butterfly Sanctuary.”

More news to follow.

1st Visit – Brewport


It is hard to head to El Segundo without visiting multiple places. (Just on one corner in fact.)

I finally made my way to the newest addition, Brewport Tap House. A wall of taps with iPhone shaped screens line one wall and curve onto the back wall as well. I went to the counter, handed over my ID and then was handed a little device to put around the wrist that would be my monitor for beer or food purchases.

The selection was good. Though I did see 10 Barrel and Elysian represented. A good smattering of styles with the usual tilt to IPA. It took me a bit of trial and error and help from a customer behind me to get the tap to flow.

Pro Tip: put the two Brewport logos together, one from your wrist-let and the other framing the screen, and a green light will flare. That is your go sign.

There are various glassware options (though the shelving is a bit too low to comfortably see and grab). There are also wines on tap and food as well. I stuck with beer for visit 1.

You can pour as little or as much as you want which is great for the experimenters or those (like me) who like the 1/2 pint option. You can also check the tap list in advance to maximize your visit.

I am still wary of the letting the public pour for themselves idea but this seems well-executed.

New Reuben


Two big pieces of news from the “other” brewery in El Segundo. Rob Rubens Distilling and Brewing has hired a new brewer in Shawn Manriquez formerly of The Homebrewer in San Diego. Manriquez collaborated with breweries and distilleries such as Modern Times, Mason Aleworks, 32 North, SD Distillery, and more.

This will allow their starting brewer Jeremy to focus on the distilling side of the world.

The second item is that their 1st “Beerversary” is coming up on June 3rd where they will have a selection of limited release brews.

Brewport


Looks like Mayberry by the Sea is adding more beer with the wine, kombucha and beer concept of Brewport Market. Not much info yet but a bare Facebook page and non-existent website but with two breweries in town plus the latino cuisine of Sausal and Americana cuisine of Rock n Brews. El Segundo is awash in beer and food.