Tag: new owners

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A Different Bend

The team behind turning the the Leisure Town of Modern Times into Villains Brewery in Orange County will be giving the former Portuguese Bend space a do-over, with former Blinking Owl master distiller Massimiliano Stecca at the still.

The Mosaic / Promenade is getting a new wave of producers such as the softly opened Altar Society, ISM Brewing taking over the Beachwood BBQ space and now the return of distilling after the acrimonious departure of the Portuguese Bend.

Turn over just might draw me as well as others to day trip.

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Chosen Again

Shmaltz Brewing Company, the jokey and punny Jewish craft beer brand seemed to be done when founder Jeremy Cowan moved to other projects after 25 years.

He’Brew: The Chosen Beer  is now owned by Jesse Epstein, a 26-year-old Reform rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College.  Epstein started home brewing during the pandemic and saw an opportunity to reinvigorate religion which is struggling with attendance.

I saw a great quote from Epstein, “What about our Jewish values can be used to inform our food practices?” he asks. “How, through beer, can we embrace the values of welcoming in the stranger, freeing the captive, opening the eyes of the blind?”  A refreshing thought when religion seems quicker to divide and discriminate.

It will probably be a slow build but hopefully Epstein can accomplish it.

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Profits and Losses

There has been moving and shaking in the Los Angeles beer world as the clock runs out on 2022.  

First was news that the original owners of Yorkshire Square Brewing in Torrance were leaving and that the brewery is in the hands of the Copley Family who are also involved with Project Barley. 

Then the day after Christmas brought the news that King Harbor Brewing was closing up shop in its three locations after eight years in business.

Will there be a dip on top of three years of pivoting?  The economic situation doesn’t look great for cost of goods plus a labor market that requires more pay with higher turnover.  It is enough to make one look long and hard at opening and operating a brewery.  And I do expect more new in Q1 of 2023.

Obviously, not a rosy picture but I was never under the impression that each and every Los Angeles brewery was going to last forever.  Change is the only constant and maybe turnkey breweries or brewing equipment for sale or rents coming down as landlords choose lower rent over pie in the sky valuations will create a new surge next year or in 2024.

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Cellar No More

I was vigilantly checking my credit card statement when I saw a strange name on a purchase. I looked at my calendar and saw that I was at the Eagle Rock branch of Craft Beer Cellar that night and not at some place called Talon. I dug a little more and found out that the Talon is now the new name of the bottle shop.

The only news that I can find was on Facebook saying that Tom & Nicki have taken over. Leads me to think that the franchising through Craft Beer Cellar is having problems over on the West Coast too or maybe some other answer is at the root of the sign change.

I made a quick stop and did not see any of the regular staff on hand but the shelves were stocked so let’s hope that the beer choices stay strong.