Inside Ballast Point's Breezy New Long Beach Brewpub

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

Long Beach's craft beer scene has been exploding lately, as fledgling breweries and established beer makers alike converge on the city's cheap rent and ample space. The biggest arrival of the bunch so far is Ballast Point, already a weekend-long hit after surprise arrival last Friday. Here's what to expect inside.

If you've even tangentially followed the rise of the craft beer movement in America these past few years, there's a good chance you've heard of Ballast Point. The San Diego-based IPA specialist is among the strongest labels in the business, particularly after selling for a cool $1 billion to Constellation brands — the makers of Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico — last year. Now they’re using some of that new influx of cash to expand their operations north, onto the shores of Long Beach.

And yes, this is a water landing. The beautiful, and massive, new space provides sweeping views of the shoreline thanks to one entire wall of glass. Inside, find lounge-worthy leather couches, simple hightop tables, and plenty of room to gather for a party at the bar.

You’ll also find communal seating, plenty of traditional two and four-tops for more traditional dining, and two full bars to keep up with the crowds. There’s even a teak wood patio at the far end, taking advantage of the ample sun and salty air.

As for drinks, you’ll find Ballast Point’s full array of craft beer options, from their iconic Sculpin on down. They also do growler fills at this location, and have a small pilot brewhouse on site for special one-off projects. Think of this new Long Beach outpost as something akin to what Firestone Walker has put together up in Venice, but with more square footage and room to brew (Firestone’s on-site brewery isn’t operational just yet). Ballast Point’s Long Beach taproom on Marina Drive is now up and running, keeping daily hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Ballast Point Long Beach
110 N. Marina DriveLong Beach, CA