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A sunset highlights the patio of a busy craft beer tasting room in a mixed-use building.
LA Ale Works at Ivy Station.
LA Ale Works

17 Places to Cool Down With Some Craft Beer in LA, Fall 2022

The city’s best sips are always nearby

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LA Ale Works at Ivy Station.
| LA Ale Works

The Los Angeles craft beer scene is an absolute behemoth supporting dozens of award-winning brewers across different cities, setups, and concentrations. There are English-style brews being made in Van Nuys, barreled lambics being drawn in Long Beach, and gold metal IPAs and hazies scattered across the county. Some of the great beer-drinking spots on this list actually make their own stuff, others simply sell it — while offering great views of the ocean at the same time. Here now are just 17 of the best places to enjoy some craft beer in Los Angeles right now.

Added: LA Ale Works Culver City, Monkish Brewing, Santa Monica Brew Works, Benny Boy Brewing, All Season Brewing, Brouwerij West, Progress Brewing, Beachwood Blendery

Removed: Ladyface, 6th & La Brea, Slice & Pint, Ambitious Ales, Homage Brewing, LA Ale Works Hawthorne

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MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.

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MacLeod is a standard-bearer for the San Fernando Valley beer scene. The place specializes in traditional English styles and has continued to push boundaries with its food (including a big pizza focus) over the past few years, as well.

A golden pint being poured at MacLeod Ale.
MacLeod
MacLeod Ale

Glendale Tap

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With dozens of taps and a lot of hard-to-source beer, Glendale Tap has emerged as one of the city’s best beer bars over the past decade or so. The semi-hidden corner location also now welcomes a variety of food pop-ups.

Highland Park Brewery

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Highland Park Brewery’s Chinatown location is big, fun, and full of flavor. Beer heads come through for specialty pints made on-site, while locals and casual newcomers tend to stick around because the patio is large, there’s food, and the park is right across the street.

Highland Park Brewery’s tanks ready to brew beer.
Tanks at Highland Park Brewery.
Wonho Frank Lee

Benny Boy Brewing

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This Lincoln Heights newcomer is in the early running for craft beer favorite of the past year, thanks to its ample indoor-outdoor hangout space, quality brews, ongoing events and parties, and wide range of pop-up food nights.

Beer tanks from Benny Boy Brewing in Los Angeles, California.
Inside Benny Boy Brewing.
Jeff Lorch

All Season Brewing Company

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The sweeping lines of this historic building help to tell a tale about adaptive reuse in Los Angeles, while the beers themselves do their own talking, winning IPA awards and other accolades. All Season is en route to becoming one of the city’s busiest craft beer spots.

All Season Brewing.
All Season Brewing at night.
Wonho Frank Lee

Boomtown Brewery

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Arts District warehouse option Boomtown Brewery hits all the right notes, with its on-site taproom that offers shuffleboard, cozy lounge areas, and a long wooden bar capable of keeping the crowds at bay.

Boomtown Brewery
Boomtown Brewery
Farley Elliott

Progress Brewing

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Progress Brewing is a big deal for El Monte, the bedroom community east of Downtown Los Angeles. Crisp classics and unique newcomers (try the Sandia Loca, a blonde ale with watermelon and chamoy) play nicely here.

Los Angeles Ale Works

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The new Ivy Station tasting room from LA Ale Works is already a hit, thanks to its transit-friendly location, ample patio space, and, of course, its collection of Hawthorne-brewed beers.

A sunset highlights the patio of a busy craft beer tasting room in a mixed-use building.
LA Ale Works at Ivy Station.
LA Ale Works

Santa Monica Brew Works

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While not exactly located right along the strand, this Santa Monica staple still feels like a seaside hangout thanks to cool coastal breezes and a bright collection of beers made for easy drinking. Better still, the brewery is also now home to New York City’s Emmy Squared, one of the country’s most well-known craft pizza operations.

Border X Brewing

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Bell-based Border X leans into Southern California’s Mexican heritage, offering a unique collection of brews to try. Be sure to snatch up some of the horchata golden stout when the weather cools down.

A wide shot of an open beer brewery area with communal seating.
Border X Brewing
Wonho Frank Lee

Three Weavers Brewing Company

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The women-owned Three Weavers is poised to lead not only Inglewood, but all of Los Angeles, into a new generation of brewery greatness thanks to its fine collection of craft beers and penchant for finding its way into big developments like SoFi Stadium.

A lineup of wooden craft beer taps from Three Weavers Brewing.
Three Weavers
Three Weavers Brewing

Common Space Brewery and Tasting Room

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Common Space is a Hawthorne craft beer staple (one of several), turning out straightforward, delicious brews for consumption at bars and restaurants all over town, as well as on the company’s ample warehouse patio space.

Common Space
Common Space
Crystal Coser

Smog City Brewing Company

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Longtime South Bay label Smog Brewing is consistently ranked as among the best places for beer anywhere in town. Not content to just own a chunk of the South Bay beer scene, this group has continued to push into new locations and taproom spaces across greater Los Angeles of late.

Monkish Brewing Co.

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This cult-favorite craft brewer has been cultivating long lines and deep fandom for years, and since the pandemic began has turned its Torrance brewery space into a semi-shaded outdoor hangout for drinkers to enjoy.

Naja's Place

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It would be easy to dismiss Naja’s Place as little more than a Redondo Beach watering hole with seaside views. The truth is, this boardwalk staple has helped to change the craft beer scene for all of Southern California, thanks to years of pulling in unique kegs from other breweries and throwing massive tasting parties that promoted the scene long before anyone else.

Sunset over a patio as the water shimmers.
Sunset at Naja’s Place
Naja’s Place

Beachwood Blendery

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Beachwood Blendery has been pushing boundaries in Southern California craft beer for years, thanks to its prodigious barrel-aging program and funky, often fruity finished styles. This is the spot to take craft beer nerds after a day at the beach — or, really, anyone who enjoys a little sour, tartness, and funk in their brews.

Brouwerij West

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San Pedro’s own Brouwerij West is a modern-day craft success story, going from itinerant brewing to one of the area’s coolest places to hang out and sip beer. This massive warehouse can seat endless drinkers, and on weekends it bustles with food and lots of San Pedro and Long Beach locals.

A lineup of craft beer bottles presented along a wooden plank.
Beers from Brouwerij West
Wonho Frank Lee

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MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.

MacLeod is a standard-bearer for the San Fernando Valley beer scene. The place specializes in traditional English styles and has continued to push boundaries with its food (including a big pizza focus) over the past few years, as well.

A golden pint being poured at MacLeod Ale.
MacLeod
MacLeod Ale

Glendale Tap

With dozens of taps and a lot of hard-to-source beer, Glendale Tap has emerged as one of the city’s best beer bars over the past decade or so. The semi-hidden corner location also now welcomes a variety of food pop-ups.

Highland Park Brewery

Highland Park Brewery’s Chinatown location is big, fun, and full of flavor. Beer heads come through for specialty pints made on-site, while locals and casual newcomers tend to stick around because the patio is large, there’s food, and the park is right across the street.

Highland Park Brewery’s tanks ready to brew beer.
Tanks at Highland Park Brewery.
Wonho Frank Lee

Benny Boy Brewing

This Lincoln Heights newcomer is in the early running for craft beer favorite of the past year, thanks to its ample indoor-outdoor hangout space, quality brews, ongoing events and parties, and wide range of pop-up food nights.

Beer tanks from Benny Boy Brewing in Los Angeles, California.
Inside Benny Boy Brewing.
Jeff Lorch

All Season Brewing Company

The sweeping lines of this historic building help to tell a tale about adaptive reuse in Los Angeles, while the beers themselves do their own talking, winning IPA awards and other accolades. All Season is en route to becoming one of the city’s busiest craft beer spots.

All Season Brewing.
All Season Brewing at night.
Wonho Frank Lee

Boomtown Brewery

Arts District warehouse option Boomtown Brewery hits all the right notes, with its on-site taproom that offers shuffleboard, cozy lounge areas, and a long wooden bar capable of keeping the crowds at bay.

Boomtown Brewery
Boomtown Brewery
Farley Elliott

Progress Brewing

Progress Brewing is a big deal for El Monte, the bedroom community east of Downtown Los Angeles. Crisp classics and unique newcomers (try the Sandia Loca, a blonde ale with watermelon and chamoy) play nicely here.

Los Angeles Ale Works

The new Ivy Station tasting room from LA Ale Works is already a hit, thanks to its transit-friendly location, ample patio space, and, of course, its collection of Hawthorne-brewed beers.

A sunset highlights the patio of a busy craft beer tasting room in a mixed-use building.
LA Ale Works at Ivy Station.
LA Ale Works

Santa Monica Brew Works

While not exactly located right along the strand, this Santa Monica staple still feels like a seaside hangout thanks to cool coastal breezes and a bright collection of beers made for easy drinking. Better still, the brewery is also now home to New York City’s Emmy Squared, one of the country’s most well-known craft pizza operations.

Border X Brewing

Bell-based Border X leans into Southern California’s Mexican heritage, offering a unique collection of brews to try. Be sure to snatch up some of the horchata golden stout when the weather cools down.

A wide shot of an open beer brewery area with communal seating.
Border X Brewing
Wonho Frank Lee

Three Weavers Brewing Company

The women-owned Three Weavers is poised to lead not only Inglewood, but all of Los Angeles, into a new generation of brewery greatness thanks to its fine collection of craft beers and penchant for finding its way into big developments like SoFi Stadium.

A lineup of wooden craft beer taps from Three Weavers Brewing.
Three Weavers
Three Weavers Brewing

Common Space Brewery and Tasting Room

Common Space is a Hawthorne craft beer staple (one of several), turning out straightforward, delicious brews for consumption at bars and restaurants all over town, as well as on the company’s ample warehouse patio space.

Common Space
Common Space
Crystal Coser

Smog City Brewing Company

Longtime South Bay label Smog Brewing is consistently ranked as among the best places for beer anywhere in town. Not content to just own a chunk of the South Bay beer scene, this group has continued to push into new locations and taproom spaces across greater Los Angeles of late.

Monkish Brewing Co.

This cult-favorite craft brewer has been cultivating long lines and deep fandom for years, and since the pandemic began has turned its Torrance brewery space into a semi-shaded outdoor hangout for drinkers to enjoy.

Naja's Place

It would be easy to dismiss Naja’s Place as little more than a Redondo Beach watering hole with seaside views. The truth is, this boardwalk staple has helped to change the craft beer scene for all of Southern California, thanks to years of pulling in unique kegs from other breweries and throwing massive tasting parties that promoted the scene long before anyone else.

Sunset over a patio as the water shimmers.
Sunset at Naja’s Place
Naja’s Place

Related Maps

Beachwood Blendery

Beachwood Blendery has been pushing boundaries in Southern California craft beer for years, thanks to its prodigious barrel-aging program and funky, often fruity finished styles. This is the spot to take craft beer nerds after a day at the beach — or, really, anyone who enjoys a little sour, tartness, and funk in their brews.

Brouwerij West

San Pedro’s own Brouwerij West is a modern-day craft success story, going from itinerant brewing to one of the area’s coolest places to hang out and sip beer. This massive warehouse can seat endless drinkers, and on weekends it bustles with food and lots of San Pedro and Long Beach locals.

A lineup of craft beer bottles presented along a wooden plank.
Beers from Brouwerij West
Wonho Frank Lee

Related Maps