American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
The craft beer industry in Los Angeles has taken off in the last few years, and one brewery that has served as a trendsetter in this cultural shift is Golden Road Brewing (GRB). Since co-owners Tony Yanow and Meg Gill started their brewery in September of 2011, GRB’s explosive popularity has led it to become one of LA’s largest and most successful craft breweries. Not only do GRB’s beers represent the culture and livelihood of Angelinos, but they also set the precedent for how amazing craft beers can and will be for years to come in LA.
After profiling Tony Yanow,I interviewed Golden Road’s Lead Brewer, Cole Hackbarth. Cole started with GRB in September of 2011, when GRB was working on a second brew after the original Head Brewer, Joe Carpenter, formed their 15-barrel system. Right after he was hired, Cole had to quickly get up to speed on the brewing system, as he was left to man the helm while Joe, Tony, and the head staff members went to Germany to learn more about beer. I guess they didn’t have enough lederhosen for Cole.
GRB’s original inspiration was simple: to have amazing local and fresh beer available in LA. GRB wanted a delicious hefeweizen because at the time, it was hard to find a good local hefe in LA. Golden Road’s Hefeweizen is a hybrid of an American wheat beer and a Bavarian hefe, but it leans more toward the Bavarian side of the spectrum. Hefeweizens were one of my favorite beers back in my college days when people called me Otter and I was trying not to get expelled by Dean Wormer. Since I moved to LA, I hadn’t found a hefe that I truly loved, until I had Golden Road’s.
Since Golden Road is in SoCal, they also needed an IPA, so GRB created Tony’s fave – Point the Way IPA. The formula for Point the Way changed four months ago when GRB hired their new Brewmaster, Jessie Houck. The new West-Coast-style upgrade is more in line with LA’s tastes (heavier in hops and less malty), trading out some New Zealand hops with American varieties. If you love your citrusy, piney hopped IPAs, then this is your beer.
Golden Road has added three other beers to their year-round, can-only lineup – wait, can-only? That’s right, Misreading Michael – GRB only serves their beers in cans and kegs, the way God intended. Tony is a fan of the true 16 oz. pint and GRB beers are sold at retail in 16 oz. four packs. Not only are cans more environmentally friendly, but they’re also cheaper, easier to ship, cleaner, better for the beer because there is no light oxidation, and have a better seal so the beer stays fresher for longer. Whoa, whoa, whoa, what about that aluminum tin taste that a beer can get from the can? All beer cans now have a water-based polymer lining that protects the beer, so the only way you’ll get that tin taste is if you make out with the can top, you pervert.
Angelinos can find the GRB Hefe and Point the Way IPA in four packs in most grocery stores around the city, but GRB also offers their IPA in a traditional 12 pack of 12 oz. cans in some stores. Starting on Memorial Day Weekend, they offered their Get Up Off That Brown, the Cabrillo Kolsch, the Hefe, and the Point the Way at the Burbank and Los Feliz Costcos for $6.39 for a 16 oz. four pack (the pub sells these for $6.99). I picked up 5 four packs and had one of the best Memorial Day Weekends ever.
Golden Road is one of the few breweries in LA that has a brewpub and of course, GRB’s brewpub is a great representation of the LA lifestyle. Chef Adam Levoe has a vegan and carnivore-friendly menu that will satisfy any LA foodie, ranging from a fried quinoa burger and a hearts of palm ceviche, to baby back ribs and a rosemary-roasted turkey melt. The long communal tables help provide a true pub atmosphere, while the bay doors to the pub fully retract to the patio and lawn seating, which is essential to the outdoor living that Angelinos are accustomed to. The new lawn area has a plethora of games that resembles a grown-up’s playground, including foosball, ping pong, cornhole, a giant Connect Four board, and for you British chaps, Aunt Sally (a game where you throw sticks at a doll on a pole – trust me, it’s very British).
Golden Road was built on being local and wants to stay local. They currently have no plans to become a nationally distributed brewery. If there is a big demand for their beer on a national scale, then they may consider expanding – as long as the quality of their beer is not compromised. They currently have a 50 barrel system that produces 60,000 barrels a year and they may open up another brewery down the line. For now, if you live outside of LA and want fresh and delicious GRB crafts, then make sure to add the Golden Road Brewing next to Disneyland and Hollywood Boulevard on your list of tourist destinations when you visit LA. Golden Road will provide you with a taste of the LA lifestyle through their fantastic beer, which is a way better experience than going on a crappy open-top bus tour gawking through bushes at possible celebrity homes.
