News has been brewing since at least 2013 that Brouwerij West, the half-decade old South Bay craft beer operator, would be taking over some serious square footage in San Pedro. The WWII-era formal Navy warehouse sits right at the Port of Los Angeles, steps from Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, a blossoming marketplace for all things made by hand.
When it opens — and all signs are pointing to this summer, barring any major setbacks with the city — Brouwerij West will be a sprawling 26,000 square foot warehouse mecca for craft beer fans, offering on-site retail, food, and production brewing. Founder Brian Mercer has been contract brewing from a facility up north for a couple of new years now, after initially gypsy brewing (using another brewery’s equipment during off hours, when it would otherwise not be in operation) around the South Bay. Despite the nomadic nature of the work, things have been going well for Brouwerij West, which now sells in more than half of the states in America and a handful of countries.
"I’m excited to be able to control every aspect of production again," says Mercer of his incoming 5,000 barrel brew system. "Even with other breweries that I’ve worked with that are really great, no one is going to care about your beer as much as you do." The return to the land the raised him (Mercer is a Long Beach / San Pedro native) means a full sense of quality control, and hopefully an expansion of Brouwerij West’s lineup.
While there are still plans in the works to reformat the space and include a restaurant component, it will unfortunately be a pared down version of the Brendan Collins-led 240 seater idea that was thrown around last year. Still, outdoor seating is coming soon to the paved space between both warehouses, and a simple cafe area means guests can enjoy fresh beer and snack away, all day long.
For now, just enjoy the awesome details from this nearly 75 year-old building, because in short order it’s going to be a full production craft beer facility, making some of Southland’s best brews.
Brouwerij West
112 E. 22nd St.
San Pedro, CA 90731
