The Bar Towel

Delaque wrote:Hey, you are looking for spots in LA and San Diego, any time for a stop in between? Orange County/Anaheim have some can't miss spots IMO - Bottle Logic, Bruery, Bruery Terreux...numerous bars and bottle shops too. I work in LA/OC/SD for a couple weeks every 3 months or so.

Monkish (10min from LAX) and Firestone Walker Venice Beach, wouldn't come to LA and not visit them. Black Beard Crafts is a great bottle shop just a little north of FW. Surly Goat in West Hollywood is a great beer bar, very close to the Comedy Store for a good night out. Modern Times recently opened the Dankness Dojo in DTLA too.

Thanks. This is all very helpful. We're still not sure whether we're going to have a car when we're in the city, and we might be taking the train from SD to LA, but I'll keep these places in mind. Cheers!

Was recently in LA/Anaheim/SD, etc....
Beverage Warehouse had plenty of stuff, I didn't need to hit any other bottle shops.
Didn't hit any of the LA breweries you list...I was staying in Anaheim instead of LA...but hit Firestone Walker in Marina del Ray (great), Monkish Brewing in Torrance (nice beer, not so friendly...overhyped), Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach (they have other locations...really liked their stuff!), Bruery + Bruery Terreau + Bottle Logic out near Anaheim...nice vibe at all those places. Good beer to be had at Dodger Stadium too if you catch a game....but you'll pay up to $19 for a good craft beer pour.

Delaque wrote:Hey, you are looking for spots in LA and San Diego, any time for a stop in between? Orange County/Anaheim have some can't miss spots IMO - Bottle Logic, Bruery, Bruery Terreux...numerous bars and bottle shops too. I work in LA/OC/SD for a couple weeks every 3 months or so.

Monkish (10min from LAX) and Firestone Walker Venice Beach, wouldn't come to LA and not visit them. Black Beard Crafts is a great bottle shop just a little north of FW. Surly Goat in West Hollywood is a great beer bar, very close to the Comedy Store for a good night out. Modern Times recently opened the Dankness Dojo in DTLA too.

Change of plans now. Taking your advice to heart. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a great idea. We're now renting a car for a couple days to hit some of the breweries southwest (Monkish, Firestone, Beachwood, Smog City) and east (Bruery, Bottle Logic, etc.) of the city. Haven't decided on exact routes yet, or whether we'll just focus on one area, but it seems like a wasted opportunity not to visit the greats. Also eyeing a Surly Goat/Comedy Store night as well, as my wife wants to head out that way anyway. Thanks again for your help.

Spent some time in LA this month and didn't reach too far to find beer, but I found some little gems.

Good bars
West Hollywood/Fairfax
The Surly Goat
The Fat Dog
Farmers Market Bar 326
Barney's Beanery

Venice Beach
Venice Ale House

Bottle Shops
BevMo! - West Hollywood location had a wide selection of stale beer
Trader Joe's - A much better option