Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
We have our first collaborative winter seasonal that brings a little snow to Los Angeles. Melvin Brewing to Frogtown Brewery.
It is described thusly, “Brewed with hints of honey, lemon, and a touch of spice. It’s a cozy twist on a classic hot toddy crisp smooth and perfect for fireside sipping.”
Both frog and prince as Frogtown Brewery marks their 9th anniversary from October 3rd-5th. There will be “new beer releases, curated food pairings, music, and the highly anticipated 2025 release of our award-winning barrel-aged porter, Prince George.”
Below are a smattering of Oktoberfest parties going down here in the Los Angeles area in as many different neighborhoods as I could find…
9/12 to 9/14
Smog City – Torrance
9/13
El Segundo Brewing – El Segundo
Five Point Five – El Segundo
9/20
Frogtown – Los Angeles
Los Angeles Ale Works – Hawthorne
8one8 – Canoga Park
Feathered Serpent – La Puente
Claremont Craft Ales – Claremont
9/20 and 9/21
Enegren – Moorpark
Smog City – Torrance
Benny Boy – Eastside Los Angeles
9/26
Audio Graph – DTLA
9/27 and 9/28
Lawless – NoHo
Frogtown Brewing has taken the lead on tiki styled beers and now they have an island paradise version of their Whipple Street Cream Ale with Tahitian Temptress brewed in collaboration with Ladies Who Tiki. According to the brewery the temptress has “pineapple, lime, Madagascar vanilla bean & a kiss of hibiscus.”
Frogtown Brewery is going to get your tropical vibes going with Mango Mania, a “juicy Honey Blonde Ale brewed as the official beer of Tiki Oasis 2025, celebrating 25 years of island-inspired fun this August.”
Going to keep it light for the hot days of July with three classic styles from California breweries and it doesn’t have to exclude any styles at all.
Frogtown Hai Ku Light Lager – 3.9% – “Brewed in collaboration with Michael Cobb from High Roller Tiki Lounge, this crushable American light lager with orange and lime is basically a vacation in a can.”
Solaris RMS Pilsner – 4.8% – “French-style Pilsner with Aramis Hops.”
Beachwood Hef – 5.3% – “our classic German-style Hefeweizen, now available year-round in a 6-pack of 12oz cans! Unfiltered and soft, with a sunshine-like mouthfeel and classic notes of fresh banana and clove. A fresh look, same beloved flavor. You may have known it before— as Hef Leppard—now meet it again as Beachwood Hef!”
Coming even closer to me is Frogtown Brewery and their Christmas is Cancelled.
It is a winter ale in a retro Palm Springs vibe label with notes of spice, caramel and nuttiness.
Time to make my humble suggestions as to which L.A. Beer Week events merit your attention this year. Here are my top 5 picks…
June 11th – Drag Brunch at Frogtown Brewery
“Join Frogtown Brewing for their first ever Drag Brunch! We will have 4 performers, a booth with raffle from Nova Community Arts, a limited edition Beer Slushee and some brunch items from Heritage Kitchen LA! This event is free and open to the public.”
June 14th – Beer Side Talks
“Ambitious Ales joins Beachwood Brewing for an educational panel speaking event to discuss the impact of breweries collaborating, how it brings together community, learning experiences, and more. Coinciding with the event, the two breweries are both releasing a West Coast IPA, Neighborhood Pals. The event ticket includes a 10 oz pour of each of the collaboration beers. Help us celebrate LA Beer Week and independently-owned craft breweries strengthening the craft beer industry.”
June 16th – Hawthorne Block Party
“BBQ, Beer Releases, Bands/DJ’s, Games and Food. 2pm-12am at both L.A. Ale Works and Common Space Brewing.”
June 17th – Clean and Crispy
At Long Beach Beer Lab, “Over 20 curated breweries! Exclusive taster glass + unlimited samples. Marketplace, food vendors and more.”
June 18th – King of the Kolsch
Arts District Brewing hosts your favorite beer style from Cologne, Germany with many different Kolsch variations from LA breweries.
You can see the full event guide HERE
If your beer trips tend to be blurring into one large IPA, maybe you need to make your next bar visit a little more memorable, maybe tomorrow night at Frogtown Brewery for some Back Room Shakespeare.
Frogtown Brewery has some new releases to put on your radar. They have been leaning into Tiki themed beers and have a Beachcomber Golden Ale, or if you are looking for a different spin on the classic cream ale, you can pick up their vanilla-fied cream ale.
