A Beloved Valley Brewery Taps Into Highland Park

MacLeod Ale Brewing Co., a popular Van Nuys brewery, opened a second location on the corner of York Boulevard and Aldama Street in Highland Park last month. Owners Jennifer Febre-Boase and Alastair Boase converted the former Maximiliano space into a tasting room and restaurant. The brewery sits directly across the street from Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli and fits 180 people.

Construction on the facility began in March, but delays kept doors from opening until September 12. Additionally, the owners needed to apply for a new operational permit as the previous one had expired. While the eight-year-old Van Nuys location boasts an on-site brewery, the new outlet doesn’t have a license to do so. As a result, head brewer Stephen Reeves upgraded the Valley facilities to increase production in order to accommodate both sites.

A new mural by local artist Levi Ponce adorns the interior dining room, while the exterior is newly painted with a bold red stripe to highlight a longstanding tile installation by French artist Space Invader; the artwork was previously hard to see with the existing paint job.

MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.

On the food menu are charcuterie boards, salads, a house-made pappardelle bolognese, and nine different pizzas fired in a gas oven. The Boases built a dough room dedicated to the house-made pizzas and pastas. While chefs Angel Lizano and Chris de la Cruz developed the menu, chef Carlos de Leon — who started his career as a dishwasher at Joey Woodland Hills and came on board at the Van Nuys location — will be heading up the Highland Park kitchen. In time, the menu will expand to match the one in Van Nuys and eventually include pizza delivery.

To drink are 19 beers on tap, including light lagers, Belgian whites, and stouts. Also on hand are shandys, wine, and cider. MacLeod’s built its reputation on cask ale selections, and the four available in Highland Park are housed in a previously unused space behind the restaurant; the taproom is a loose replica of the one in Van Nuys.

MacLeod Ale Brewing Co. is open from 4 p.m to midnight daily. The patio closes at 10 p.m.