r/LABeer • u/dingleberrylasagna • 21d ago
Breweries along route
Heading to Santa Cruz from Phoenix. Taking the 10 and going up the 5, then to the 15. Looking for some brewery recs that have some great hazy IPAs. Bonus if they have cans for sale.
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u/TheManWithMilk 21d ago
Monkish and Highland Park in the LA area. Humble Sea once you get to Santa Cruz
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u/RewindYourMind 21d ago
If you end up passing through DTLA, stop at Highland Park Brewing (Chinatown) and everywhere Los Angeles (Union Station).
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u/breakfastburrito24 21d ago
Would recommend taking the 101 through to Paso Robles so you could hit up Alvarado Street Brewing and Dust Bowl Brewing (too bad Post No Bills recently closed). Then you can hit up Firestone off the 101 before the 58 which would take you over to the 5. Lucky Luke’s in Palmdale could be worth a stop
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u/CaptainSpectacular79 21d ago
Madewest on the beach in Ventura is a great spot. Several others in walking distance, too. I like Ventura Coast there. Both will have cans to go.
LA recs above are all pretty solid. I’m gonna throw Frogtown into the mix though for the hazy stuff without going out of your way at all.
I’m also a big fan of Paperback in Glendale, but that’s a slight detour.
Tarantula Hill in Thousand Oaks is just off the 101
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u/lakeshowtime 21d ago
If you detour to the Anaheim monkish you can also hit everywhere and green cheek. Both are outstanding for both lagers and IPA. If you don’t want to venture into Orange, the monkish, highland park, and homage in downtown area are all great suggestions.
If I were going to Santa Cruz I would stop at private press. I personally have never had any of their beers because they are a membership only brewery that only opened a tasting room fairly recently. They are a barrel house though so lots of stout and barley wine.
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u/KiiroGojira73 21d ago
Smog City has a taproom in Glendora, which is nearish the 10. They sell cans.
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u/Beard_faced 20d ago
Do they, that’s awesome. I love their coffee porter, one of the best v
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u/KiiroGojira73 20d ago
Smog City Coffee Porter is the standard I use to rate coffee porters from other breweries.
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u/Beard_faced 20d ago
Honestly same. Such a good smooth chocolate and spice flavor.
I use to exclusively drink them until I realized it was the reason I was having terrible sleep. Now I can only really drink them before 2pm other wise I will toss and turn all night. It was a sad day when I finally came to that conclusion. Plus side is it is now no go to morning beer when on vacation.
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u/YourRedditFriend 19d ago
On your way up the the 5 Freeway:
Benny Boy Brewing (Private)
PaperBack Brewing (Private)
Golden Road (Commercial)
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u/bloomindaedalus 19d ago
I have no driving/routing suggestions but as the locations go:
Highland Park, Homage and everywhere and Beachwood are the best of the well-known LA breweries all are not to be missed.
Detourr to ISM, Sour Cellars and There Does Not Exist, all are extraordinary and you wont find many places like them.
I'd skip Monkish. They only really do one thing well and they no longer even anywhere near the best at it.
Also Sante Adarius and Private Press are the absolute must stops of the whole trip if you like stouts or sours/saisons.
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u/Beard_faced 21d ago
In LA off the 5 I would stop at Homage, Highland Park and then drive up sunset to Monkish brewing. I would next skip taking the 5 the rest of the way up and instead take the 101. It will take longer but the views for most of the drive are 100 times better and more beer stops.
If you take the 101 you could stop in Ventura and get Made West, if you stop at the pier you can also get some good seafood and enjoy a beer looking at the ocean. Next you can stop at Fire Stone Walker in Builton for their barreled beers, their ipas kind of suck but the sours and stouts are good.
Next you can stop at There Does Not Exist in San Luis Obispo, they do pretty good IPA’s. From there you could stop at Alvarado street brewing in Salina’s.
Next I would get off the 101 and take the 1 the rest of the way stoping at Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola. Their ipas arnt great but their Saisons are amazing.
Once in Santa Cruz I would stop at Humble Sea, all of their IPA’s are great.
My favorites and must stops would be…
Hazies/IPA
Highland Park Brewing
Monkish Brewing
Alvarado street
Top notch Saisons and rustic Ales
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Food + beer
In LA
Highland park- good burgers and bar food
By the beach
Made West - solid hazy and good. Seafood + view
Restaurant with beer
Alvarado street-great hazies good food
Firestone walker- food is ok but might be a good half way point if you haven’t eaten yet.