Craft Beer Just North of Here

Craft Beer Los Angeles

Ladyface Ale Companie pairs house beers with comfort food in Agoura Hills.

With summer kicking off (officially) later this month and Father’s Day just around the corner, it is high time to take some craft beer road trips and the first one that I propose isn’t that far outside the City of Angels. [Or is it City of Kings this week?]

Head up the 101 freeway to Agoura Hills and you will be able to visit a full blown beer destination. With more beer locales to stop at than you can shake a stick at.

First up is Ladyface Ale Companie. Grab a seat on the lovely patio facing the mountains and sip on their latest beer, the Reyes Adobe Red. Or if you want to match a Belgian beer with their Belgian inspired fare, then order up the Derailleur Biere de Garde.

And just a short jaunt up Agoura Road is LAB Brewing Co. Like Ladyface, you can follow them on the L.A. Beer Blast and see what new beers that Dr. Hops has up his sleeve. Like a Belgian Pale ale No Place Like Gnome or their Bad Influence IPA.

You can take a break from drinking by perusing the selection of bottles and cans at Wades Wines, which is also just up Agoura Road. Or if you are there on a Thursday night, you can take in one of their weekly Meet the Brewery nights where they feature one or more breweries. Past breweries on tap have been Eagle Rock and Lightning.

And if you are feeling really adventurous, you can head north to Moorpark and Enegren Brewing. I recently had their Golden Spur Saison. Or you could sample their Altbier or Imperial IPA in their tasting room. Which is open four days a week.

Don’t let another summer go by without planning a trip around our beautiful Golden State.

The Beer of the Week does not require a long trip either even though it is from New Zealand. Moa Breakfast Beer. The brewers describe this breakfast of champions as a “blend of premium wheat malt, floral Nelson hops and cherries. A very refreshing and fruity lager specifically designed as a European-style breakfast beer but more commonly enjoyed as a mid-afternoon beverage here in New Zealand. Although not always.”

Your Homework this week is to monitor the status of breweries in the works. Ohana Brewing Company AKA the Tiki Brewer, is ever so close and there are others like Los Angeles Aleworks and Pacific Plate Brewing Co. that are in the taplines (so to speak). Your task is to head over to Facebook and Twitter and give words of encouragement and let your circle of friends know about the next generation of beer coming to L.A.

Find more of Sean Inman’s writing on his blog, Beer Search Party.

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Sean Inman

Find more of Sean Inman's writing on his blog, Beer Search Party.

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