King David's Preferred 5 Breweries to check out in Los Angeles
A brewery is an integral part of a community and creates a microcosm among its patrons. As society continues to become less reliant on organized religion, breweries will continue to prosper. King David’s compiled a list of his favorite breweries.
There are plenty of other great breweries in Los Angeles and I’m sorry Burbank, but this list is for LA proper. Grab that hoppy IPA or chocolate stout, and read onward! (The following are in no particular order).
1. Boomtown Brewery
700 Jackson St. Los Angeles, 90012
This is a great spot to bring a crew or a few close friends. Boomtown is one of the few places you can smoke outside and still drink beer, so bring a cigar. They’ve got a variety of IPAs, a couple stouts, and some brews in between. It’s definitely not ‘top tier’ beer, but it’s pretty damn good, and a fun place to check out. I like Mumford Brewing’s beer a bit more, but Boomtown’s got a nicer space. If you’re ever in LA, move this to the top of your list and you’ll have a blast.
2. Eagle Rock Brewery
3056 Roswell St. Eagle Rock, 90065
Eagle Rock is the first brewery to open in Los Angeles proper (circa 2009) and the first brewery that King David visited in LA. This has been a home-away-from-home for His Majesty. They boast socialist and revolutionary themed beers like Solidarity, Manifesto, and Populist. Despite being a for-profit brewery, the Leftist solidarity is much appreciated. There’s a variety of beers from sours to IPAs to an 11% Witbier and a powerful stout. While the Witbier is undoubtedly excessive, the variety of beers and the friendly regulars are what makes this place great!
3. MacLeod Ale (Mac-Clowd Ale/”Scottish Beer”)
14741 Calvert St. Van Nuys, 91411
MacLeod’s will always have a special place in my heart. When I first moved to LA, I googled the local breweries and MacLeod’s was only 10 minutes away in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. The regulars at Macleod’s became my original circle of friends and I still keep in touch with those folks to this day. MacLeod’s pizza isn’t bad from a Chicagoan’s point of view. Their beer’s great and just like Eagle Rock, they have a large and diverse tap list. If your days were spent abroad in the United Kingdom, MacLeod’s has 6 beers on cask in addition to about 18 cold drafts.
4. Highland Park Brewing (The Hermosillo)
5125 York Blvd. Los Angeles, 90042
Located in the heart of Highland Park, HPB has never let me down. It happens to be in the iconic Hermosillo club, a York street classic. They boast a variety of IPAs, imperial stouts, a good pilsner, and the occasional (guest) Pliny the Elder. HPB has an incredible fried chicken sandwich and some wonderful pork belly tacos. In addition to beer, they have a variety of wines on tap bringing a difficult challenge, “Beer or Wine?”
5. Dry River Brewing
671 S. Anderson St. Los Angeles, 90023
Dry River’s a bit of an outlier compared to the other breweries. They specialize in sour beers — and only have sour beers. The last time I was there, I sipped on some Grand Cru, session ales, and played Uno with friends. This place is a wonderful spot if you’re into trying new beers, exploring, and venturing out of your comfort zone. If you happen to enjoy sours, you’ll be spending a considerable amount of time here.
