LA Craft Beer Scene Up in Arms Because Mayor Eric Garcetti Bet With a ‘Non-Local’ Beer

On Tuesday October 24, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti made a friendly wager with Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, promising to send a “uniquely LA meal” if the Dodgers didn’t beat the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The LA Times reports that the local craft beer community is upset because Garcetti said he would send beer from Golden Road and tacos from Kogi BBQ. It’s the first part the craft beer is up in arms about, because apparently Golden Road Brewing, which beer conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired in 2015, doesn’t qualify as a local brewer despite being founded in LA. In fact, they’re going so far as to say that Golden Road doesn’t even qualify as an LA brand anymore.

The LA County Brewers Guild exhorted Garcetti to choose another brewer while Smog City Brewing, based in Torrance, tweeted, “Let our mayor know Independent beer should represent L.A. not Big Beer.” The Times also conveniently unearths a tidbit that Garcetti’s nonprofit Mayor’s Fund has received $85,000 from Anheuser-Busch since 2015.

Farley Elliott

This isn’t the first time Eric Garcetti made a friendly wager with the mayor of another major sports city. In 2014 he made a bet with New York City Bill de Blasio during the Stanley Cup, wagering a Pink’s hot dog and dissing Gray’s Papaya in the process.

The mayor’s spokesperson Alex Comisar said that Garcetti made the Dodgers-Astros bet “in the spirit of fun and friendly competition, and to celebrate the excitement over the Dodgers’ historic World Series run.” He also said, “Mayor Garcetti is proud to support local businesses that create jobs in our city and tell L.A.’s unique story.”

Golden Road is certainly one of the best-known craft (or perhaps formerly craft) beer brewers that was founded in Los Angeles, though plenty of other local brewers like Smog City, Eagle Rock, Mumford Brewing, and Three Weavers could have made fine endorsements as well.

• Garcetti’s World Series bet rankles L.A.’s craft brewing community [LA Times]
• LA’s Best Craft Beer Destinations [ELA]