There seems to be a clustering effect when it comes to breweries in the Los Angeles area. Be it in Westlake Village or Torrance or Downtown L.A., breweries seem to set-up shop within walking distance of another.
Even closer and wide ranging is the The Bridgeworks Beverage Alliance in Pennsylvania. A trio of craft beverage manufacturers are right next to each other in a renovated Mack Truck Factory.
It is part of a manufacturing incubator program, and it includes three different types of alcoholic beverages Colony Meadery – County Seat Spirits – HiJinx Brewing Co..
Incubators seem to be on the downswing, at least, from a news perspective. There was a time, years back, when you would hear about one or the other in the tech world but maybe it is something that should be re-examined when it comes to beer. Because of equipment costs, rental costs and permits and dealing with the various cities, might encourage investor groups to pool money and knowledge.
I have heard brewers speak about how other brewers helped them out with a permit here or how-to deal with the city. So there always seemed to be an informal type of mentoring but there is a need for starter space. Somewhere to legally brew and sell your beer in that in-between space of home brewing to running your own brewery. That happened out in Riverside where Polymath Brewing, Delicious Science and Seven Brothers were working co-op style.
The hunt for the “just right” location could be undertaken at a less fevered pace if a brewer could be making and fine tuning beer and building a brand in the meantime. Maybe L.A. could have a sake house, next to a brewery, next to an artisanal food court?