Eagle Rock Brewery: Beer for the People, Comrade

“Let the ruling big beer companies tremble at the craft beer revolution. The proletarian breweries have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Craft beer drinkers of Los Angeles, unite!”

These are the words that Karl Marx may have said, if he was a brewer living in LA in the 21^st century (Karl Marx was the first hipster). The Eagle Rock Brewery (ERB) in Los Angeles has a similar philosophy: to bond together beer enthusiasts to help create a better beer culture and community for everyone. Co-owner and founder Jeremy Raub believes that this idea is the best way to help the developing craft beer community of LA blossom.

Jeremy began his dream with his father Steve when they started homebrewing in the mid ’90s, but they didn’t get serious about brewing until 2003. Jeremy’s wife, co-owner, and restaurant industry expert Ting helped get the business rolling by selling their first beer in January 2010. They chose the name “Eagle Rock Brewery” prior to settling in the Eagle Rock area of Northeast Los Angeles because the landmark of the eagle seen in the rock was a good symbol for the developing craft beer scene in this region.

ERB holds true to their “beer for the people” philosophy with their beer names. They started by brewing Manifesto, a spectacular wit beer that’s light in color and smooth in taste. Their second, Solidarity, is a deceiving Black Mild Ale, flavorful yet light in taste and in alcohol (3.8% ABV). They built their confidence on these two beers and added an Extra Pale Ale (XPA), Revolution. These three beers best represent ERB: one beer represents the malt flavor, one represents hop profile, and one represents yeast characteristics (if you add Heart, you can summon Captain Beer Planet).

By keeping their beer approachable and easy to drink, ERB is working to change people’s perceptions of beer. They want to build a sense of community by having their patrons drink several pints with friends instead of drinking one or two heavy beers. To help keep the beer enthusiasts interested, they’ve also added a BPA, Unionist, and the Populist IPA (which sets the standard for what an IPA should taste like) to their year-round beer offerings. ERB also releases twelve specialty beers throughout the year, and they had 22 beers at their third anniversary party (I was blown away by their ginger saison).

Jeremy intends to keep ERB beers local to further develop the beer culture in LA and currently has no intentions of distributing outside of California. You can currently find his brews in high-end grocers (Whole Foods, Gelsons, Mayfair) and in bars from Mexico’s border to Santa Barbara. ERB beer will also be available in Vons and Ralphs within the year. They’re currently working to strengthen their business by improving their infrastructure, such as getting healthcare for their employees (it would be ironic for a brewery with their philosophy to not have healthcare). Jeremy held back on growing their volume of beer in 2012, but now their beer is blossoming outside of Northeast LA.

I concluded my interview with Jeremy with five random questions:

ACB: If you could only drink one beer for the rest of your life, what beer would that be?

JR: Lagunitas Daytime IPA. It’s my favorite right now but it changes week to week.

ACB: Rob Schneider (Hot Chick, Deuce Bigalow) or Fred Schneider (front man for B-52s)?

JR: Rob Schneider

ACB: What kind of hops do you typically use in your beers?

JR: We try to not be enamored in one variety of hops. We go for American, citrusy, and piney. We’ve learned to blend hops so we’re not screwed if the supply runs low on a certain hop.

ACB: Are you a Harry Potter fan or a Lord of the Rings fan?

JR: Both.

ACB: Follow up question, what’s your patronus and what would you rather be: an elf, dwarf, or Hobbit?

JR: I’m a Pisces, so a flying fish for my patronus and a hobbit because they drink beer and have fuzzy feet.

ACB: Who would win in a fight – an eagle made of rock or a rock ‘n’ roll eagle?

JR: A rock ‘n’ roll eagle. It’s more mobile.

The beer lovers of LA are hoping that Eagle Rock, whether it be the brewery, Steve Miller Band, or their famous landmark, can battle the big beer companies and continue to bring the craft beer revolution to the community. I think the craft beer that ERB produces is delicious enough to do just that.