Past Breaking News (Part 1)- Figueroa Bend

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.

Bell Marker


The level of San Diego beer talk has lessened since L.A. has grown bigger and bigger but there is some new beer that will touch upon both large.

The Bell Marker had their opening just a few days ago in San Diego.

The new brewery is the first SD project for Artisanal Brewers Collective (ABC), which has been growing a stable of beer-centric bars and eateries around Los Angeles including The Stalking Horse which I previously wrote about HERE.

The 15-barrel brewing system is in the able hands of Noah Regnery, who has a resume that includes Pizza Port San Clemente and Hollister Brewing Company.

The initial tap list will include a house Cream Ale, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, IPA and Brown Ale.

This could be a big year for the ABC and I am sure I will be writing about them more.

Where I Need to Visit in 2018

Each year, I know that more breweries and beer bars will open. I also know that I won’t get to them all. But I do have an agenda and at the top of that list are making my first visits to….

…and that is just the start.