A Beginner's Guide to Long Beach Craft Beer

Long Beach may be California's seventh-largest city, but its craft beer scene has a neighborhood feel. Award-winning brewers, walkable taprooms, and ocean air make it one of the best beer cities on the West Coast. Here's where to start.

Beachwood Brewing

The name every Long Beach beer lover knows. Beachwood has been brewing award-winning beer since 2011 and has several locations around town:

• Beachwood Blendery (247 Long Beach Blvd, downtown): the home of Beachwood's lambic-inspired sours, with 18 rotating taps, pool, darts, and pinball among the aging barrels.
• Beachwood Brewing & Distilling (Bixby Knolls): the flagship, with 24 taps, house-made spirits, and cocktails.
• Beachwood 2ND & PCH (6430 E. Pacific Coast Hwy): an outdoor, dog-friendly tasting room near Alamitos Bay Marina.

Altar Society Brewing

Right on Pine Avenue downtown (230 Pine Ave), Altar Society pours more than a dozen house beers, including the fruit-forward Tango Haze. It's also a coffee shop, so it works morning to night.

Trademark Brewing

Long Beach's first production craft brewery and taproom (233 E. Anaheim St) has 30 taps of its own beer. It's a great place to try a flight and find your style.

Smog City Brewing

At 1106 E. Wardlow Rd, Smog City is a longtime favorite for hop lovers and adventurous drinkers alike.

Tips for your first beer crawl

• Order flights, not pints, so you can try more styles.
• Eat between stops. Many taprooms have food or let you bring it in.
• Downtown is walkable, but use a rideshare between neighborhoods.

Hours, menus, and storefronts change often in LA. Check before you go.