Tap takeovers, rare beers, a big beer party and even sumo wrestling matches are in store for L.A. Beer Week.
The 10th annual event takes place at spots all over Los Angeles County June 16-24.
That’s when breweries, bars, restaurants and other beer-serving venues will offer specials and events all to honor and celebrate lots of craft beers.
“It’s a chance to celebrate the spirit of craft brewing, the community, the camaraderie, as well as to discover ways in which craft beer is more than just a beverage. We like to see it as a community builder, as an expressive art form with a touch of science behind it as well,” said Frances Lopez, executive director the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild, which organizes of the event.
L.A. Beer week was launched a decade ago by a few beer enthusiasts who wanted to highlight the burgeoning craft beer scene in the area.
The Brewers Guild took over running the event in 2014 and now oversees the celebration of craft beers, which have become a immensely popular with breweries popping up at all over the area.
Currently there are more than 75 small and independently-owned craft breweries in Los Angeles County, according to the Brewers Guild.
So yes, there’s going to be more beer than you can drink during L.A. Beer Week, so to help you out here are some can’t miss events of the week.
Some of the events are free to attend minus the cost of beer. Others have an entree fee, but they will usually include tastings. And some are just for the grown-ups, since this is all about beer.
1. L.A. Beer Week kickoff party
When: 1- 4 p.m. June 16
Where: Los Angeles Center Studios, 450 S. Bixel St., Los Angeles
Admission: $50-$70, 21 and older only.
This is the defining L.A. Beer Week event. It will include 90 or so breweries, most of them from the Los Angeles area — plus a few guest breweries from other parts of California — serving 180 different beers. This is where you can meet most of the brewers participating and get a real taste of the best beers being made in L.A.
2. Through the Lens
When: 6-10 p.m. June 16
Where: The Social List, 2105 E. 4th St., #1004, Long Beach. www.thesociallistlb.com
Admission: Free, 21 and older only.
Because being artsy will make you feel better about drinking so much, check out a photo exhibit called “Through the Lens,” by Jose Cordon, who focuses on Chicano/Chicana culture. So where does the beer come in? There will be a tap takeover by the recently opened Liberation Brewing Co. in Long Beach.
3. Cask Ale Festival
When: Noon- 5 p.m. June 17
Where: MacLeod Ale Brewing, 14741 Calvert St., Van Nuys. www.macleodale.com
Admission: $39
Have you ever had a cask ale? It’s unfiltered, unpasteurized beer delivered without any carbon dioxide pressure.
This means you’ll see bartenders pumping it out like those old water pumps in Westerns rather than pouring it out of the tap.
At MacLeod they specialize in this style and will have their own cask ales, plus cask ales from more than 20 other breweries.
What does that mean for taste? According to the MacLeod website, the beer is “smoother, the carbonation bubbles are smaller, and the flavors are more complex and easy to discern due to the temperature.”
That’s right, it’s served around 50 degrees, a little warmer than regular beer. Don’t freak out — that’s how they drink it in Europe.
4. Brewing at Brewyard
When: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. June 19
Where: Brewyard Beer Company, 906 Western Ave., Glendale. www.brewyardbeercompany.com
Admission: $65, 21 and older only
You think you got what it takes to be a professional brewer?
We’ll see at this event that has you shadowing a brewer for the day. That’s not a typo up there, you really will start your day at 7 a.m., following a brewer through a typical day, with tasks including balancing water, milling grains, mashing, boiling and more. Plus, there’s cleaning all the equipment because dirty beer sucks.
It’s an all day thing because being a pro isn’t easy. But hey, you’ll get breakfast, lunch and a pint of beer.
5. Celebrating Japanese Craft Beer
When: 6-10 p.m. June 19
Where: Harajuku Taproom, 4410 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City. www.hjtaproom.com
Admission: Free to enter, 21 and older only.
Modeled after the original Harajuku Taproom in Tokyo, this spot specializes in serving beer from Japanese brewer Baird Beer. For L.A. Beer Week there will be several Japanese beers from the brewery plus taps from guest Japanese brewers Coedo and Hitachino and a few other Japan-themed local brands.
6. Women in Beer
When: 7-9 p.m. June 20
Where: Angel City Brewery, 216 Alameda St., Los Angeles. www.angelcitybrewery.com
Admission: Free
Hear from women brewers about their experiences in the industry, how they got their start and their role in a rapidly growing field. Plus, try ew beers released by Angel City ahead of L.A. Beer Week like the Barreljuice, Barreljuice, Barreljuice (three times just like in the movie “Beetlejuice”), a saison that has been aged for six months in Chardonnay wine barrels, and the Fuzzy Nelson, a Wit beer aged in French oak white wine barrels.
7. Brewmo Pseudo-Sumo Showdown
When: Noon- 8 p.m. June 23
Where: Three Weavers Brewing Company, 1031 W. Manchester Blvd. A-B, Inglewood. www.threeweavers.la
Admission: Free, 21 and older only.
It’s a brewers meets sumo showdown for eternal glory. As you enjoy beers, the men and women who spent hours making them will then slip on those big bouncy sumo wrestling suits and go at it to claim the title of wrestling champ.
And yes, Three Weavers promises this will be a “brew-tal” battle.
8. Beer and Cheese Class
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. June 24
Where: Milkfarm, 2106 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles. www.milkfarmla.com
Cost: $45, 21 and older only.
Beer and cheese go great together. And if you don’t believe it, come check out this pairing event that will include five L.A.-brewed beers paired with five American cheeses. You’ll come out of there sounding like a cultured beer and cheese expert. Take that, oenophiles!