A Craft Beer Drinker's Guide to the South Bay

It is becoming less and less of a secret these days that the South Bay is a hot spot for the growing craft beer movement in Los Angeles and across the country.

With six craft breweries and even more beer-centric restaurants and bars, the South Bay is awash in opportunity for those who have ventured beyond the yellow fizzy beers produced by massive breweries and into the world of craft beer. 

With so much choice, Patch has made your next beer drinking expedition a little easier with an interactive map showing all the popular breweries, restaurants, bars and stores that give special attention to craft beer.

Here is how the map breaks down.

• RED = Beer Bar or Restaurant
• GREEN = Brewery
• PURPLE = Beer Store
• YELLOW = Homebrew Supply Store

In building the map, we highlighted establishments that pay particular attention to serving craft beer with a range of draft and bottled beers along with venues that host craft beer events.

While we worked hard to include as many venues as possible, we may have missed some along the way so let us know in the comments your favorite craft beer venue and we will add it to the map.

While you are at it, check out what is happening on the South Bay craft beer scene this week (May 2-9):

Beer Bars, Restaurants and Stores

Sophie's Place | Redondo Beach

Current tap list at Sophie's Place as of May 2 includes:

• Great Divide - Nomad Pilsner
• New Belgium + Dieu du Ciel! - Heavenly Feijoa Tripel
• Epic Brewing - Brainless on Raspberries Golden Ale
• Great Divide - Heyday Wit
• Ballast Point - Dorado Double IPA
• Brash Brewing - Item #9 IPA
• Iron Fist - Imperial Rebellion Saison
• Lost Abbey - Serpent's Stout

Naja's Place | Redondo Beach

Ommegang Game of Thrones Night | Thursday, May 2 | 7 p.m.

Naja's will feature Ommegang's much sought after "Game of Thrones: Iron Throne" beer on tap in addition to some of its other beers. The bar will also give out a limited number of special edition Game of Thrones printed beer glassware.

Adam's Fine Wine & Liquor | Redondo Beach

This week Adam's expects to receive shipments of Firestone Walker's reknown Parabola imperial stout. According to the owners, there will be a limit of 3 bottles per person to start. Adam's will also release some bottles of 2012 Parabola that they have cellared for the past year.  There will be a one bottle per person limit on the 2012 Parabola. 

Also new this week at Adam's:

• Midnight Sun Alaska's Most Wanted Series: Moscow Imp Stout
• Strand Brewing Black IPA
• Strand Brewing White Sand Imperial IPA

Select Beer Store | Redondo Beach

Drake's Alpha Session Release | Thursday, May 9 | 5 p.m.

Select Beer Store will be hosting the release of Drake’s Brewing Alpha Session, a sessionable American Pale Ale. In addition to Alpha Session some of Drake’s other beers will also be available on draft. Delicious fresh made pizza will be available from Vella Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza. Event starts at 5pm.

Simmzy's | Manhattan Beach

Eat Like a Belgian & The Burery Tap Takeover | Tuesday, May 7 | 5 p.m.

Simmzy's chef Anne Conness, who just recently became only one of two certified Cicerones in L.A.) is encouraging guests to “Eat Like a Belgian” in honor of The Bruery’s 5^th Anniversary. On May 7, Simmzy’s will host a tap takeover featuring nine of The Bruery’s beers (including their anniversary brew, “Bois”), along with an (optional) three-course Belgian prix fixe dinner to commemorate the special occasion.

The currently lineup of beers at Simmzy's Manhattan Beach for the event will include:

• Bois (5^th Anniversary Beer)
• Loakal Red
• White Oak
• Saison Tonnellerie

1321 Downtown Taproom | Torrance

Monday Night Local Happy Hour | Mondays | 5 p.m. - Close

On Monday nights, 1321 features a $3 local beer night. Every Monday, anything from the South Bay on tap will be $3 after Happy Hour to close. This week's local beers are:

• Strand 24th Street Pale Ale
• Strand Atticus IPA
• Monkish Triplest
• El Segundo Citra Pale Ale
• Dudes' Blood Orange Amber

Reverse Happy Hour | Fridays and Saturdays | 9:30 p.m. - Close

All craft beer at 1321 becomes $2 off starting at 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Breweries

Smog City Brewing Co. | Torrance

Smog City held its soft opening last weekend on Friday and Saturday and will continue to hold limited weekend hours until its grand opening on Saturday, May 18.

Current beers on tap at Smog City include (as of May 1):

• Smog City XPA
• Groundwork Coffee Porter
• Bourbon Red (Bourbon Barrel Aged Red)
• Quercus Circus (Sour Blonde)
• Sabre-Toothed Squirrel

Current taproom hours are:

Friday: 4-9 p.m.
Saturday: 4-8 p.m.

Strand Brewing Co. | Torrance

Current beers on tap at the Torrance taproom include:

• Beach House Amber
• 24th Street Pale Ale
• Atticus IPA
• Second Sleep Russian Imperial Stout
• Black Sand Double IPA
• White Sand Double IPA
• Musashi Black IPA

Tap room hours this week for beer tasting and growler fills are:

Thursday: 4-9 p.m.
Friday: 4-9 p.m.
Saturday: Noon-8 p.m.
Sunday: Noon-6 p.m.

El Segundo Brewing | El Segundo 

Tap room hours for beer tasting and growler fills are:

Wednesday: 5-9 p.m.
Thursday: 5-9 p.m.
Friday: 5-9 p.m.
Saturday: 2-9 p.m.
Sunday: 2-7 p.m.

Monkish Brewing Co. | Torrance

Tap room hours this week for beer tasting and growler fills are:

Thursday: 4-9 p.m.
Friday: 4-9 p.m.
Saturday: 3-8 p.m.
Sunday: 1-6 p.m.

Other Craft Beer Events

Strand Brewers Club

Strand Brewers Monthly Meeting | Wednesday, May 8 | 7-9 p.m.

Strand Brewers Club monthly meeting will be held at South Bay Brewing Supply from located at 1311 Post Ave. Torrance 90501. There will be an educational presentation and all meetings are open to the public and free to attend. 

Editor's Note: Only establishments that have submitted updates are included in this column. If you own a beer bar, brewery, beer store or beer-centric restaurant in the South Bay of Los Angeles and would like to include your establishment's updates in this column, please send editor John Schreiber an email at John.Schreiber@Patch.com. This column relies on the updates from local business owners to keep it running—please contribute!

Full Disclosure: John loves working around craft beer and as such, is an employee of Select Beer Store one day per week. However, he is not involved in the store's submission process for this article.