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 beeriodical. It was about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s March 15 press conference on the shutdown of breweries, taprooms, bars and related businesses due to the spread of the Coronavirus in the state and, indeed, the nation.

That date also marked the sudden announcement by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti that the breweries, etc., in the city (and county) were required to shut down that very Sunday evening and not reopen — except for to-go sales only, eventually — until further notice, and that residents should remain in lockdown. It sure put the kibosh on planned St. Patrick’s Day celebrations!

Now a year later, things don’t look quite so dire at all. Sure, there have been a few ups, and plenty of downs, and Southern California has lost a few small craft breweries over the past year. But now, COVID-19 cases have declined considerably, and vaccinations are increasing daily.

Outdoor drinking, along with a meal, already has returned to brewpubs and breweries, and starting Saturday, March 13, thanks to a lawsuit filed by the California Craft Brewers Association, the state now allows the serving of drinks without requiring the purchase of a meal, putting breweries (and distilleries) on par with wineries. However, patrons must make reservations in advance and there is a 90-minute limit. Additionally, drinks-only service must end at 8:00 p.m.

Also, as of this writing, LA, along with Orange and San Bernardino counties, seem poised to move to a less-restrictive tier that would allow indoor service in restaurants and breweries, but limited to 25% capacity, or 100 people, whichever is less. This may happen as early as Monday — the Ides of March. Now that would be symmetrically appropriate.

Of course, the individual counties’ health department officials will still have final say on their directives and guidelines of that more business-and-consumer-friendly tier. Also, any substantial uptick in cases of the virus (which some are predicting) could result in a reversal of the lenient restrictions.

So keep wearing your mask, maintain your social distance, and get yourself vaccinated! And be sure to stay safe if you go out to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day!

Tomm Carroll drinks, and writes about, beer — whether at home in Los Angeles or now at SoCal brewery taprooms, brewpubs and restaurants. Contact him at beerscribe@earthlink.net