Well, this news can be filed under BIG. Figueroa Mountain Brewing will be taking over four brewpubs currently held by Tony Yanow. Bluebird Brasserie, Broxton, Stalking Horse and the biggie Mohawk Bend.
You can read all about the changes coming HERE from Hopped which broke the news on the eve of L.A. Beer Week.
Per my usual operating procedure, I needed to sit with the news a bit before I commented. I think that any time a medium/ large chain like FMB can add a stand-alone pilot and R&D brewery is a no-brainer. I also like the idea of a lager centric brewery, a little less but if that craft lager train arrives in trend town, it will be a super smart play.
The other two, confuse me, Mexican styled lagers are big but that could have been rolled into the German lagerhaus plan. The SoCal Cerveceros are in the ascendancy with members opening and running breweries across L.A. which makes that Agua Sante idea much less appealing.
As for Mohawk Bend, will it be FMB Presents Mohawk Bend? Or Mohawk Bend a FMB Joint? I don’t see how it furthers the brand. The absence of Sunset Beer might help but it seems more restaurant play than brewing. And it gives me a bit off more than can be chewed vibe.
Time will tell of course and I will be most interested to see which of the four locations becomes the busiest.
