My Top Five Craft Beer Spots in Central LA

Howdy guys. I decided to take us to Los Angeles this week to showcase some of my favorite spots around Central LA. When I say Central… I mean around 20 minutes from downtown. When I say 20 minutes… I know you know that that is without any traffic at all… travel times down there are… lets just say… variable.

1. Glendale Tap

This bar rocks. The atmosphere really brings you back to say… a classic 1970s hang. The decor has everything from an old Schlitz rotating globe, wood paneled walls to so much more. Just take a peek at the pictures below. This place has 52 taps. 52! You will find some whales here my friend that will leave you wanting everything on tap. Their bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and will absolutely help point you towards what you like. They nearly always have a Food Truck around and with an excellent patio that has only gotten better due to the current pandemic… this place is a Craft Beer spot that can’t be missed! Map Link.

2. Eagle Rock Brewery

This place has my heart. When I moved to LA back in 2011… the Craft Beer scene wasn’t that hoppin’. I was looking for a neighborhood Brewery and Eagle Rock was the perfect distance from my place. ALSO - Eagle Rock has the honor of being one of the first breweries to open in LA all the way back in 2009 and they have most certainly created a community that makes you feel like family when you drop in. They have Food Trucks that drop in every once and a while and events sprinkled throughout the year such as their Oktoberfest! They even have a Women’s Beer Forum that I hear is a super fun time as well. Here’s a little insider information for you viewer… if they have Solidarity and Populist on tap… ask for a Popularity. Its tremendous. Map Link.

3. Boomtown Brewery

Located in Little Tokyo… this brewery has got character and space to move and groove. A tad bit off the beaten trail but when you come here… they will always have either a Food Truck or a Food Pop-up. It will be delicious. Once you enter there is a MASSIVE golden owl that decorates the wall in the main taproom that really is just a delight to see while drinking here. Over 20 beers on tap and they pour in 16 oz. glasses… which is pretty freakin cool. They also have llamas from time to time - who knew? There is a second taproom that they have open when the place gets packed which is really nice when things get busy and so you have options on where to hang. Map Link.

4. Highland Park Brewery - Chinatown

This brewery kicks. This is the second location for this Brewery - their first is located at the Hermosillo in… you guessed it… Highland Park. This location opened in 2018 and was an instant favorite of mine. If you know LA… you might understand why. Choosing a spot in the city to hang for a night is a crucial decision. You do not want to tempt fate and deal with traffic and lose time getting across the city. Once this place opened up? It was within striking distance of more than a dozen awesome spots. Clutch. Highland Park Brewing really knocks it out of the park with nearly all their beers. Of mention though - their Stouts and Sours are excellent and I would highly recommend trying the Griffith J. Griffith if it's ever on tap when you are there. You can’t go wrong coming here. Map Link.

5. Modern Times Dankness Dojo

Situated in the heart of Downtown LA… you have an excellent taproom that will most certainly leave you wanting more. This San Diego based brewery opened up this taproom in early 2018 to massive crowds. Everything here is top tier. If you are of the vegan variety… you will love what they do. It's all vegan. The beer and the food! Over 30 taps of every variety of beer you can imagine plus a R&D brewing facility that you can see while at the bar. You have to try this place out. The parking can get a little nuts… but it is downtown… so… there you have it. Map Link.

Honorable Mentions

Blue Palms Brewhouse is super close to Hollywood and Vine and is also one of the oldest Craft Beer destinations in the city. They do a ton of Tap Takeovers and is just a great place. Highly recommend.

Mikkeller LA. This place doesn’t exist anymore but I do think it's worth mentioning. I am a huge fan of Mikkeller and when this place opened… it was glorious. Place was PACKED. Shared some bottles with some random peeps at the bar. The best of times. My friends and I also did a weekly trivia here for a good while and I absolutely loved every minute of it. Excellent smoked meats and an incredible Burger… these are just some of the things this place had going for it. It did have a Flux Capacitor System. You might’ve heard it from Back to the Future… but sadly this is no time machine. 50 taps that had the capability to change the temperature and gas mixture of each and every draft line. It was incredible. Sadly it closed in early 2020… it will be missed.

I hope you enjoy these spots whenever you are in LA!