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Attention: Beer is Back in LA

BUCK UP: THE SURLY GOAT HITS WEHO

West Hollywood has long been the province of dance clubs, but The Surly Goat has taken a different tact. Verdugo Bar beer guru Ryan Sweeney and fellow Verdugoan Brandon Bradford have partnered with Alen Aivazian and Adolfo Suaya on The Surly Goat, a neighborhood bar that specializes in craft beer.

Dozens of goat-related beer posters line the walls, along with goat heads and a vibrant goat painting from Thomas Lee and Andrew Barofsky. Once the V.I.P. area of the now defunct 24K Lounge, the space boasts an elevated seating area complete with wood tabletops made from the bar’s old exterior.

The 27 kegs change constantly, and there’s a single cask behind the oval bar, but the alcohol just scratches the surface of what the bar is about. Sweeney hopes to “get a lot more people interested and educated in craft beer.” As a result, in back, behind a vintage Pac Man machine, patrons will find a private room where Sweeney guides beer tastings. Additionally, the bar owners plan to host brewers in the space on a regular basis.

The Surly Goat generated so much excitement in the beer community that two breweries made beers specifically for the bar, including Eaglegoat Bock from Eagle Rock Brewery and Speakeasy Public Enemy Pils, a pre-Prohibition Pilsner. In addition to beer, guests will find premium brown spirits, including single malt scotch and craft bourbons, as well as a wide range of small batch Irish Whiskey. Still, Sweeney says, “This is not mixology. We don’t even have a cocktail list.”

7929 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood 323.650.4628 | www.surlygoat.com

EAGLE ROCK BREWERY BREAKS BEER BARRIER

This may be hard to believe, but Eagle Rock Brewery is the first brewery to pop up in Los Angeles in nearly six decades. Jeremy Raub and his father, Steve, say they lamented the fact that LA didn’t have a great beer scene, so in 2007, they decided to do something about it, finally breaking the beer barrier in December 2009.

When Jeremy and his wife, Ting, bought their first house, Jeremy and Steve celebrated by brewing a red ale. They became hooked on home brewing and it wasn’t long before they entered (and won) several competitions. So, they found a former garment factory on a Glassell Park side street and bought repurposed dairy tanks from AleSmith, a lauded San Diego brewery that graduated to larger digs.

The Raubs launched Eagle Rock Brewery with beers that emphasize different core ingredients. Their Manifesto witbier focuses on wheat; Solidarity is a black mild that emphasizes malt; and Revolution is a hop-accented IPA. Eagle Rock Brewery’s tasting room seats 28 people and features a granite bar and eight taps, including five guest brews.

By summer, look for a refreshing witbier brewed with lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaf. Over the holidays, expect old ale spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg allspice and ginger. “We try to brew traditional styles and give them our own little twists,” says Jeremy Raub. His approach seems to be working. Eagle Rock Brewery has already gained traction at top-flight beer bars like Verdugo Bar and Blue Palms Brewhouse.

San Antonio Winery recently contributed used burgundy barrels, which Eagle Rock Brewery will use for sour beers. Jeremy Raub is also working with Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea on a beer that incorporates coffee, but won’t be a typical porter or stout. Instead, he says he’s aiming for “something that will surprise people.”

3056 Roswell Street, Los Angeles | 323.257.7866 | Eaglerockbrewery.wordpress.com

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