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.

N’Owt 2020

You know you can’t always have a Hazy IPA, so when you return to other styles, return in a big way. Might I suggest Stout, at Yorkshire Square?

There is a crackin’ list of breweries set to appear at the 2020 edition of N’owt But Stout…

Over 30 breweries pouring including:
Beachwood Brewing
Bottle Logic Brewing
Brewery X
Burnin Daylight Brewing Co
Cellador Ales
Chapman Crafted
Creative Creature Brewing
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
GameCraft Brewing
HopSaint Brewing Company
Laguna Beach Brewing Co.
Marin Brewing Company
MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.
Mission Brewery
Morgan Territory Brewing
Pizza Port Brewing Co.
Riip Beer Company
Smog City Brewing
SouthNorte Beer Co.
South Park Brewing
State Brewing Co.
Thr3e Punk Ales Brewing Co.
Yorkshire Square Brewery

Quite a few are not seen around L.A. so this is a great chance to check out places normally out of reach.

Recap -Cask’s Not Dead 2019

Casks were out in force in the parking lot and interior of Yorkshire Square in Torrance for the 2019 edition of the Cask’s Not Dead Festival.

All of the royals were in attendance along with beer fans from as far away as Portland to taste Traditional and “Abnormal” cask beers. Just a touch over 30 casks were available and I tasted through a 1/3. Given a second day, I could have hit up some more.

Standouts included El Segundo’s collaboration with Yorkshire Square on Burton’s Pilgrimage an English styled IPA that I think is somewhat similar to this year’s Sierra Nevada Celebration. Thick on malt but with a big hop hit and a touch of spice note to it. Green Cheek Beer Co. brought in a Yorkshire Pale Ale take named Now Then, How Are We? which was delightful and filled with hoppy fruit aroma all in a 4% ABV body. Beachwood brought hops as well with a West Coast DIPA, By Hops Be Driven that was hugely floral and did not taste at all like 9%.

The only real downside to the occasion was that it was way too hot. How can a festival scheduled in November be over 90 degrees? But the crowds were happy, there were practically no lines except for the inside bar at times as people escaped the sun, and the beer was a lovely change of pace from the usual. If I were you, I would mark next November down for some cask ale.

Bring Out your Dead

Yorkshire Square is bring their ode to the cask back in 2019. Cask’s Not Dead Fest, will have real ale from over 30 of your favorite California breweries on November 9th.

Early Bird VIP Admission: $45 (VIP ONLY session from 12pm-1pm)
Early Bird General Admission: $35 (Session from 1pm-5pm)

Confirmed breweries
Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill
Arts District Brewing Co.
Bagby Beer
Brewery X
Cellador Ales
Eagle Rock Brewery
El Segundo Brewing Co.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Freewheel Brewing Company
Green Cheek Beer Co.
HopSaint Brewing Company
Imperial Western Beer Company
Project Barley Brewery
Riip Beer Company
Sierra Nevada
Simmzy’s
Smog City Brewing
The Stalking Horse
State Brewing Co.
Stereo Brewing Company
Yorkshire Square Brewery

Need a reason other than cask + the brewery list? Well proceeds go to the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild.

Snap Tin Eatery

On the day before Fireworks/Earthquake Day, I pointed the car south to Torrance and Snap Tin Eatery. Some of the eagle eyed among you may have already guessed that Snap Tin is partnered up with Yorkshire Square Brewery. Now there is a full restaurant alongside the Andy Black English beers on cask (and draft).

I had the chance to speak with Chef Bruno Wu who brought the British inspired menu to life and they are really using beer in a lot of the recipes. More than I have seen in other places and the beer actually comes through in the cooking. But more on that in a future Food GPS post but I will say that maybe you should head to Torrance and watch the US National teams play and have excellent beer and food.

Recap – Cask’s Not Dead Festival

I trekked down on sunny November Satruday to the beer oasis Torrance to check in on the 1st Cask’s Not Dead Fest and forthwith are my take-away’s and photos….

I was able to not only get excellent cask ale (and shade) but also I was able to have beers from breweries new to me like the new-ish Imperial Western Beer Co. They brought their Benjamin ESB which was a great way to delve into the beer menu. I also had a German cask from Weissenohe, their Kellerbier which was up there for my favorite beer on the afternoon. I also really enjoyed the HopSaint Pure Intention IPA which was smooth but then the bitter would kick in.

I went for another IPA from a spot that I have only visited once, Riip Brewing and it was fine in a dank meet creamy sort of way. Green Cheek (more later) had an autumnal beer which was solid and simple and nice. My least favorite pour was a lactose red ale from Chapman Crafted. The sweet was too much in comparison to the other beers.

I finished with the big Full Malted Jacket from Beachwood Brewing which is always good. Sometimes you have to go out on a known quantity. By the time that I departed the hot day was trying to chill and the VIP turn out was starting to ramp up as more people arrived.

They also had a judging component and…
here are the winners in Traditional:
First Place: Pizza Port (San Clemente), Nerf Herder
Second Place: Green Cheek Beer, Fallen for Autumn
Third Place: Yorkshire Square Brewery, Early Doors

The winners of the Abnormal Ales category were:
First Place: Smog City Brewing, Bloody Knuckle Fist Fight
Second Place: Trustworthy Brewing, Trustworthy IPA
Third Place: Transplants Brewing, Ocarina of Thyme

Cask’s Not Dead – Brewery List

Last month, I teased the next Los Angeles County Brewers Guild Event, Cask’s Not Dead hosted by the cask king himself, Andy Black.

Here is the brewery list with my guesses for Gold-Silver-Bronze winners…
Yorkshire Square Brewery (obviously)
Arts District Brewing Co.
Bagby Beer (GOLD)
Beachwood Brewing
Cellador Ales
Eagle Rock Brewery
El Segundo Brewing Co.
Fall Brewing Company
Figueroa Mountain Brewing
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Green Cheek Beer Co. (SILVER)
HopSaint Brewing Company
Inland Wharf Brewing Co.
Institution Ale Co.
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Los Angeles Ale Works
MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.
Monkish Brewing Co.
Mumford Brewing
Pizza Port San Clemente
Riip Beer Company
Simmzy’s
Smog City Brewing
Stereo Brewing Company
Topa Topa Brewing Company (BRONZE)
Transplants Brewing Company
Trustworthy Brewing Co. (formerly Verdugo West)

Only Stout


If you are a fan of malt then Andy Black and Yorkshire Square Brewery have the event for you! The N’Owt but Stout Festival features dark beer on cask and kegs on March 17th.

Three bars will be serving starting at Noon on St. Patrick’s Day and at 2pm there will be a panel extolling dark beers and malt.

This is a ticketed event and it said ticket will get you…
– Snazzy commemorative glass
– Infinite pours of all beer from 12-5pm
– Access to the Brewer Panel