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Looks like Ventura is getting more beer if that is possible. Welcome Bright Spark Brewing!
I do like the logo. Nice and cheerful. I also have a guess as to the brewer so I figure the beers will be quite solid from the jump.
Keep an eye out for opening dates.
Looks like another brewery is on the horizon for Los Angeles as Brown Soul Brewing Co. now has a home and is moving on to the next stages of brewery opening life which are the the permit and paperwork (the 2P’s) followed by the building phase. Wish them luck as they move forward this year.
The continued pandemic has not stopped breweries from opening up and now I travel to San Fernando to the still in softly opened phase, Shadow Grove Brewing.
Now, this is a curated space. From the outside, you cannot tell what you are walking into. Which is a woodland, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The outside windows let in plenty of light but the inside is moody with distinct seating areas. British punk on the playlist added another note to the experience.
Five beers on tap for this second soft weekend. An old school classic style set. So old school that there was a Nut Brown on offer. No IPA either. You read that right. And the taster comes with what looks like a tarot card. Nice Wonderland touch. I also liked that they had a little chalkboard with which beer is low. Nice sales touch that.
Pale Ale was my least favorite. It was fine. More earthy than hoppy which actually fits the motif but I am looking for a divergent note when you have this type of list. The lager was fine as well, had a bit of wine character to me. The Hefeweizen hit the banana clove combo well and had a nice spritz to it. Three beers in, I an thinking that they are off fo a solid start. That this isn’t just atmosphere. The Nut Brown is on mark. Perfect for watching the new season of the Premier League. Everything is so low ABV too which is great. The sweet stout hit the markers as well.
I do not say this lightly or often but do not sleep on Shadow Grove.
There is another brewery opening that escaped my radar until now, Far Field Beer Company has been selling to-go since April in Lawndale.
Wife and husband duo of Regan and James Bardeen plan to open their taproom in June. Initial cans started with an IPA, a hoppy lager, and a Berliner Weisse, black IPA and a cream ale.
Looks like another brewery is opening in SoCal just as restrictions ease up….
…there is not much concrete info such as opening date or beers as of yet for the new Malibu Brewing Company but those details will probably start pouring shortly so watch their social media to see when a visit can be made
Traveling to the SLO / Paso Robles region just got a little more exciting with…
Wild Fields has Ryan (wait for it) Fields Brewing In Atascadero. If that name is familiar, he was at Beachwood as well as Pizza Port so that bodes well for the beer.
San Fernando has a new brewery. The Gaiman-esque logo’d Shadow Grove Brewing. Currently they have only growler-to-go as well as pre-order special releases. The main beers are a pale ale, nut brown ale and a Czech pils which is nicely off-kilter style wise.
Look forward to a 1st visit in the weeks to come.
The end of April saw the opening of Lawless Brewing and I quickly hopped over to check it out for a first visit.
The warehouse space outside doesn’t hint at the silver, metallic two floor space inside. There is the usual bar and indoor seating but because of the height it doesn’t seem constrained. Personally, I hope the mezzanine seating is opened because you can get a nice view of the brewing area and have some people watching.
The beer list was split in thirds by pilsner/lager, hoppy and stout. Between myself and beer buddy Richard, we tasted at least one from each category and found the light beers the best of the group. I voted the Mexican Lager winner with the Bohemian pilsner second over the West Coast IPA.
The time we visited issues arose for both their QR code menu and ordering system as well as their credit card system but the staff was friendly and gave updates and were flexible which made all the difference. That is key to return visits which is also helped by a new Single Hop Strata pils that is in the pipeline.
Looks like a new brewery is landing in Lakewood, Syncopated Brewing.
It is a side project of Dutch’s Brewhouse (which I have yet to visit, but it is on the list). I am intrigued by the beer name Lettuce and Vodka and Simcoe and glad to see a brown and red ale on their beer list.
As per usual, I will post more after a visit.
From the ashes of the Green Flash / Alpine Brewing deal of a few years back comes…
Son and Father Brewing duo of Shawn and Pat McIlhenney will be Brewing again in Alpine, CA!
You can read the full story from the excellent Brandon Hernandez HERE.