Micro-Brewery Scene in Torrance, CA-One of the Highest Micro-Brewery Populations in the Nation

At first glance, Torrance, California is a typical Southern California community, fifteen minutes from the ocean, host to major regional shopping mall Del Amo Fashion Center, the playing fields of Wilson Park, and El Camino Community College. But Torrance has something brewing beneath that suburban surface. Literally brewing. Torrance now boasts more craft breweries than any city in Los Angeles county.

Along with the number of breweries in Torrance, it’s the variety offered that impresses ale and IPA connoisseurs.

Smog City Brewing Co. features beers from pilsners to porters flowing from twenty taps. This craft brewery’s Groundwork Coffee Porter took gold at the Great American Beerfest in 2012. The porter is aged on local, fair trade ground coffee, with chocolate and roasted malt flavors perfectly matched. Other popular brews include L.A. Saison, a rich golden ale with floral hints, and Saber Tooth Squirrel, whose toasty hoppyness melds with a sweet carmel flavored malt.

Monkish Brewing Co. is around the corner from Smog City, and a purveyor of fine Belgian style brews created on site. Tripels, ales, and saisons are available in tasting portions or full pours.
The popular Hem and Haw is a dark saison; the Feminist is a Belgian-style brew with hints of hibiscus. A variety of fresh herbs infuse the selection here, including chamomile, rose hips, and peppercorns. The brewery’s motto is “Beer. Hope. Love.”

Strand Brewing is also near by, and while the beer list is shorter than at some of the other Torrance spots, they’re popular and delicious. The Beach House Amber ale is a fresh, medium bodied ale as is the 24th Street pale Ale, which is brewed with pale crystal and German Munich malts. The copper-topped bar is always busy and cheerful.

At The Dudes tasting room, thirteen tap handles offer hoppy delights like Grandma’s Pecan brown ale, redolent of pecans, sweet and rich. Crisper and lighter is the sweet, smooth Blood Orange Amber Ale, with delicious hints of vanilla, coca nibs, and citrus. The Double Trunk Double IPA is dry, hoppy, and only a little malty, and features a potent 9.4% alcohol by volume.
Picnic tables and beer barrels offer spots to taste with a view of the vats.

Absolution Brewery, with its church-pew seats serves up twelve beers on tap plus two non-alcoholic creations, cream soda and root beer. Organic fruits, spices and chocolate weave their flavors into the brewing process. Favorite quaffs here include the Cardinal Sin Crimson Ale which plays caramel and toffee sweetness against a roasted barley base. The Tresspasser Belgian Ale is creamy with a flavorful infusion of citrus and melon mixed with Ahtanum and Palisades hops.

Torrance’s burgeoning brewery scene is simply packed with a variety of brewing styles and tastes. Each brewery has its own special mix, making a day of tasting in this neighborhood one of ever-changing variety. While each brewery has its own relaxed vibe, the warehouse settings are uniformly family friendly, and offer views of the beer crafting operations. Most welcome food trucks in their parking areas, making it easy to pair gourmet eats with exceptional micro-brews.

Beer fans seeking a wide range of flavors and comfortable settings in which to taste will not be disappointed by the unique brews crafted and served in Torrance, a commuter town with beer tastes that are worth driving to quaff.