Featured Articles
Beer Paper is dedicated to providing news, commentary and education for the craft beer communities of Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire and Ventura County.
Is This Last Call for Beer Paper?
We are all about the beer. And beer news, of course. For 10 years now, Beer Paper has proudly been the leading advocacy publication for independent craft breweries in California: Drink […]
Passion, Process and Patience
Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse: 2021 Brewery of the Year At the California Craft Brewers Cup awards this Fall, unsurprisingly Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse was named “Brewery of the […]
Common Space + Unity = Community
Not unlike almost everyone over the past year and a half, the Los Angeles brewing community has been hard hit by the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as the painfully slow […]
Homage Opens Second Location in Downtown LA
My name is Greg Wellins. I’m a government lawyer by day and a beer fan by night and weekend. How big a fan? On Saturday, August 28, at brand new […]
Bringing It All Back Home
Alexandra Nowell on Three Weavers’ Recent Buyback ‘Lynne, Alex — Say it ain’t so!” That was the text I sent to Lynne Weaver and Alexandra Nowell in mid-July 2018 on […]
Frantastic
Frances Michelle Cannon (née Lopez). Several years ago, I described “Franny,” the much-beloved Executive Director of the Los Angeles Brewers Guild, as a force of nature. She is a virtual (and powerful) one-woman army who advises and represents 95 independent […]
In Zane’s Asylum
Laughs Meet Draughts as Comedian Brings His Brew Tour to LA The country’s most famous comic-under-the-influence, Zane Lamprey, of Three Sheets, Drinking Made Easy and Chug fame, has taken his […]
Sending Out Light
Radiant Beer Co. opened softly in December of 2020 in Anaheim; close to the 5 Freeway at Lincoln. It may have taken up residence at the same location formerly occupied […]
Gamer + Brewer = GameCraft
A gamer is one who enjoys playing games, notably video games, or can be one who consistently gives a strong effort in the most challenging of times, notably in the […]
Roosevelt’s Brew Deal
LA Got Over Its ‘Dry’ Spell 88 Years Ago “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” While this sounds like an appropriate declaration to make right now, […]
All Killer. No Filler.
I remember the exact moment I “discovered” Ironfire Brewing. It was 2012 and I was the LA Weekly beer writer. One of my go to spots was 38 Degrees in Alhambra. Co-owner Clay Harding had cultivated a […]
Introducing Rad Beer Co
Last December’s OC Beat column included details on Rad Brat, Dana Point’s new sausage, brat and hot dog destination devoted to fine craft beer. Within that coverage I indicated that […]
Shaming Can-Quaffers on Zoom
Love it or hate it, one of the novel aspects of the “drinking-at-home-now” conditions during lockdown is the ubiquitous Zoom video and audio conferencing platform that allows one to drink […]
One Year Later: Breweries Finally get to Spring Forward
Beware the Ides of March! That’s how my Beer Paper colleague David Mulvihill opened (and titled) his article a year ago in one of the first online-only stories of this […]
Greg Webb & Ryan Wicks get Glazed & Confused
What happens when great minds come together? If I told you they got “Glazed & Confused,” you might be thinking about a Harold & Kumar movie. Personally, I’d rather think […]
Bravery New World
Brian Avery was born and raised in the Antelope Valley (Lancaster/Palmdale). His parents made the move up to the High Desert for work back in the 80s. In an attempt […]
L.A. Strong: Los Angeles Ale Works Thrives on Teamwork
Four years ago, LA Ale Works opened a hop, skip and a jump from The World According to Elon Musk, aka SpaceX. In a virtual rocket launch of an exploding local brewery […]
The Glory and The Power of Beer
Pictured above: Top L-R: Tommy Suwara, Luigi Lucas; bottom L-R: James Potter, Chris Enegren, Lucy Enegren (dog), and Steven Bradley. Enegren Brewing was founded in 2010 by two brothers, Chris and […]
Lake Arrowhead Brewing Finds a Gold Lining in an Otherwise Frustrating First Year
With hindsight, 2020 probably wasn’t the best year to open a brewery. It was March when Lake Arrowhead Brewing got approval to open its taproom – the same month the […]
Another Impossible Choice
Bagby Beer Co.’s owners explain hospitality businesses’ dire need for immediate financial support from the government Over the past year, as Executive Editor of San Diego Beer News, I have […]
OC Beat
South County Openings Preface: Much of this column had been written prior to the most-recent manipulation of the state-established COVID-19 Restrictions in early December. After 12/6, we again find restaurants, pubs and breweries closed for onsite service. Your support via their to-go processes and purchasing of gift cards for […]
Riip Beer Co Triples at GABF
Four Other Locals Hit Doubles This year’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF) was cancelled just like every other big event with tens of thousands of attendees. But thankfully, while the […]
Dynamic Duo Launches to Critical Acclaim at Bearded Tang
A common, and more importantly, smart strategy if you happen to be building a brand new brewery is to find a decorated professional brewer who might be looking to make a move, […]
So Cal Openings in the midst of COVID
Despite the increased restrictions imposed by California’s State, County and Municipal leaders during this pandemic, new breweries have opened in Southern California. Relative to the recently revamped State of California imposed Blueprint for a Safer Economy, at press time San Diego and […]
Culture Comes to Manhattan Beach
Originally published in sandiegobeer.news San Diego brewery opening coastal taproom in Manhattan Beach Culture Brewing opened to the public in Solana Beach’s Cedros Design District in 2012. At the time, […]
14 Cannons Firing Fantastic Beers
It was a lazy Sunday on vacation in Manhattan Beach recently, and I decided to take advantage of the pandemic traffic (or lack thereof) and check out 14 Cannons, a […]
It’s the Worst of Times, but GreyWolf Brewing Makes Acclaimed Start
Believe it or not, there’s been quite a bit of activity on the Inland Empire beer front – even during Covid. Oscar’s Brewing (Temecula), Hops & Spokes (Yucaipa), and Lake […]
The (Liquid) Gravitational Force of Brendan Gough
How did I discover Brendan Gough? Well. Let’s be clear. I did not discover Brendan Gough. But, man, did I wish I had. Several years ago, a brewer pal, I […]
LA Brewers vs. LA Supervisors
Welcome to the new prohibition games. Exactly a century ago, the United States was subjected to the so-called “noble (ignoble is more like it) experiment” of Prohibition, the nationwide constitutional […]
He Said Wine. We Said Beer! A California Perspective
First published in 2008, He Said Beer, She Said Wine was inspired by dinner pairing competitions that prominent Philadelphia-area sommelier Marnie Old and famed owner and founder of Dogfish Head […]
The Launch of San Diego Beer News®
Beer Paper is excited to share with our readers that Brandon Hernández, one of our favorite beer writers on the planet and the leading voice, champion of the critically acclaimed […]
GUNWHALE ALES: GOING COASTAL
What happens when three close pals who are self-described home brewing beer geeks decide to open a brewery in Orange County? Gunwhale Ales happens. Justin Miller, a professional chef, and […]
Alpine Beer’s Founders to Return via McIlhenney Brewing
Originally published in sandiegobeer.news Though currently out of the beer biz, Alpine Beer Co.’s familial brewers, Pat and Shawn McIlhenney, have maintained a strong presence in the San Diego […]
TRADEMARK APPROVED
Sterling and Ilana Steffen are the husband/wife co-owners of Trademark Brewing in Long Beach. The couple went on an insane multi-year roller coaster of bureaucracy, construction and endless challenges before […]
Navigating the Current Normal
During this crisis, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has to-date temporarily suspended or modified enforcement of 16 legal prohibitions of its licensees to assist in their ability to […]
I’m Drinking at Home Now
So what have I been doing during this sequester when I’m not looking for or lapping down beer? Well, beer judging is off the agenda for the foreseeable future, although […]
The Captain
With a (literally) captive audience, “THE LAST DANCE” documentary about the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls dynasty has been one of the most watched sports “events.” Ever. What does this have […]
Sour Cellars: An Ode to the Breweries that Time Forgot
Learning about craft beer in the 1990’s, there was always an enigmatic allure to the spontaneously fermented ales of Belgium. There were tales of eccentric brewmasters trained on tradition and […]
Greetings from LA Lockdown
Welcome to my new online column for Beer Paper, “Domestic Drinking.” Because, well, that’s how we all roll now in SoCal, and have for the past 50-some days since California’s […]
LA Beer Hop Trailer
I expect that when the viral lockdown is lifted that there are going to be some people who will want to celebrate and to gather friends together who they have […]
These Pink Boots were made for Brewing
Seven Orange County breweries participated in this year’s Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Days, which took place on and around International Women’s Day on March 8. First, some info about the […]
The Label Design Process
Imagine if your favorite artist was reduced to a canvas 5” x 8” in size. Then subtract from that, more space, that is taken up with governmental warnings and other […]
OPINION: The Ides of March
Beware the Ides of March. On Sunday, March 15, California’s Governor Newsom held a press conference focused on managing COVID-19, the virus that has affected how we are currently living […]
Brewing With Intent
Destination San Juan Capistrano. Most famous for the swallows that migrate there each year like clockwork, it may soon become even better known for the swallows of the sublime beers […]
Home Sweet Homage
When I last wrote about Homage two years ago, I used much of the following narrative — which I’m happy to report still applies today. Critically acclaimed back then, the […]
Artifex: Quality. Community. Family.
I still remember the day I first met Artifex co-owners Tom and Nic Cordato along with co-owner brewer Johnny Johur. I was on one my many pilgrimages south to enjoy […]
KERN RIVER GOLD RUSH AT GABF 2019
As Olympic athletes, Rebecca and Eric Giddens are used to winning medals. Their Kern River Brewing Company (KRBC), just went off at last month’s Great American Beer Festival, taking home […]
California Crush
Yet again, the Golden State led the pack at this year’s Great American Beer Festival, mining Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Rocky Mountain State’s capital city at the fest’s […]
Get in My Belly
Jimmy Han’s eclectic bars reflect who he is: A native Angeleno whose very personality is formed by the events and history of LA. From his long-running One Night Stand brewery […]
Eagle Rock Brewery 10 Years of Beers for the People
It’s official. The modern craft beer scene in Los Angeles is now 10 years old. And Glassell Park’s Eagle Rock Brewery, co-founded and -owned by husband and wife Jeremy Raub […]
