Things to Do at Santa Monica Brew Works

The Santa Monica Brew Works is the first and sole independent craft production brewery that is situated at 1920 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica. It was founded in 2014 to offer the city its own local beer and Beach Brewed. It has a large and rustic industrial interior with a lookout to the brewing plant and open to pets, an outdoor beer garden of picnic tables and bistro lights. It has a wide choice of California-inspired craft beers, like the Head in the Clouds Juicy IPA, or a special Cucumber Kolsch, which are consumed either in a flight of tasting or by the whole pint. Guests are also able to order their Detroit-style pizza at the nearby Emmy Squared Pizza through a QR code at their table, attend events such as holiday markets or watch their games, and just enjoy a relaxed environment with friends and family. 

What Can You See & Do at Santa Monica Brew Works?

Here are the six best things to see and do at Santa Monica Brew Works:

1. Taste Fresh, Locally Brewed Craft Beers: Santa Monica Brew Works provides tourists with an opportunity to enjoy a spectacular range of freshly brewed beers made on-site, which is reminiscent of the coastal nature and the Southern Californian culture of brewing. Visitors enjoy the flagship and experimental batches with a focus on new hops, malts, and flavour profiles. Their taproom enables beer enthusiasts to have the freshest pours by drinking directly from their origin. Tasting flights enable one to contrast the varieties of styles, such as crisp lagers and juicy IPAs with rich stouts and fruited ales. It is  perfect for both beginners and serious craft-beer enthusiasts.
2. Enjoy Live Events & Taproom Activities: The brewery has a frequent rotation of lively events that create a community ambience to the space, making it more than a drinking place. The visitors participate in weekly trivia quizzes, thematic parties, sports shows, live music shows, charity events, and work with local artists or creators. These events make the taproom a social place where visitors socialise with the locals, meet other beer enthusiasts, and enjoy themselves in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You have an energised experience with the events lineup, whether you are out on a fun night or just have a day out.
3. Relax in the Indoor-Outdoor Taproom: The taproom combines the industrial-chic interior design with outdoor seating to provide the spacious and comfortable atmosphere that is enjoyed by groups, couples, and even individuals. Big group tables, informal seating, low lighting and a relaxed outdoor area reflect the loose Santa Monica ambience. During the day, the guests are welcomed to the warm sunshine of California or to have a good rest under the string lights in the evening. It is a true all-purpose place to relax, shoot some photos, hang out with friends, or just avoid the hustle and bustle of the city streets. The general atmosphere is friendly, cosy and ideal to have a long and slow talk with a pint.
4. Try Taproom-Exclusive Beers: The bespoke beers are brewed in small batches and found exclusively in the tap room of the Santa Monica Brew Works. Such small creations are usually experimented with hop mixes, barrel-aged specials, new seasonal flavours and test batches that never see the shelf. This makes each of the visits an element of discovery since the lineup keeps changing and provides beer lovers with something new to check out. A range of these exclusive brews enables the brewers to stretch the boundaries and demonstrate their creativity, and provide a unique tasting experience that is not available elsewhere.
5. Grab Food from On-Site Partners: They have local food vendors and rotating food trucks to serve in their taproom to match their craft beers with a wide range of flavours. The visitors enjoy gourmet burgers, tacos, artisanal pizzas, sandwiches, or traditional bar foods such as pretzels and fries. These food choices have a wide variety of beers in the brewery to provide a balanced and enjoyable eating and drinking experience. The arrangement enables visitors to have their meals prepared in the fresh brewery, which is the best place to have lunch, dinner or a snack between beers.
6. Shop Brewery Merchandise: The visitors shop a well-equipped merchandise booth that contains branded clothing and collectables that capture the lively coastal nature of the brewery before they go. T-shirts, hoodies, caps, pint glasses, growlers, stickers and can-shaped souvenirs are some of the popular products. A large number of visitors buy merchandise to serve as a souvenir or to give to their craft beer enthusiasts. The others buy reusable growlers or crowlers to be able to bring their favourite beers home directly off the tap. Merchandise items sold are used to get the brewery experience even after the visit, and allow fans to express their affections towards Santa Monica Brew Works.

What’s on the Menu at Santa Monica Brew Works?

Here are the three best things on the menu at Santa Monica Brew Works:

1. Beer Options: Santa Monica Brew Works offers both the staple beer varieties, such as 310 Blonde and PCH Golden Ale, as well as seasonal and small-batch offerings available on tap at the brewery. You are able to issue full pours or tasting flights to sample the various styles.
2. Food: The brewery collaborates with other local vendors and rotating food trucks to deliver a variety of dishes that are enjoyed in the taproom (burgers and tacos, wings, pretzels, and pizzas). The choices are updated regularly, and they enable the visitors to taste new flavours with their beer.
3. Pricing: The prices of beer are average and characteristic of Santa Monica craft breweries, and the regular pints are affordable ($10), while the special or high-ABV beers are slightly higher ($14-$16). Prices of food differ depending on the vendor.

What Are the Best Times to Visit Santa Monica Brew Works?

Late afternoons during weekdays are the most appropriate times to visit Santa Monica Brew Works because the taproom is not as busy and the fresh pours do not have people. The evenings of weekends are better when a person wants to feel the atmosphere of a homespun bar, events, music, and a large crowd. Afternoons on weekdays (3-6 PM) are good to have quieter tastings and easier seats, whereas weekend nights are the only time with the full social intensity of the brewery, particularly during special releases or nights with a food truck. If you want to avoid noise, it is best to avoid Fridays and Saturday evenings, as they are the busiest at the taproom.

Where Is Santa Monica Brew Works Located & How to Get There?

Here are the five best ways to go to the Santa Monica Brew Works:

1. By Car: Santa Monica Brew Works are situated at 1920 Colorado Ave and easily reached simply by driving along the middle of Santa Monica. There are street parking and adjacent public lots, but it is busy during evenings and weekends.
2. By Public Transport: The Metro buses and numerous Big Blue buses serve Colorado Ave, and the Metro E Line (Expo Line) at 26th Street/Bergamot is also a walking distance. The people who travel by bus find it convenient to visit the place if they are starting their journey in downtown LA or its environs.
3. By Bike: Santa Monica has well-identified bike lanes and a flat city with a friendly, bike-accessible structure. It is possible to ride straight up to the brewery and go to the bike racks around the area. The Breeze Bike Share stations are also located nearby.
4. By Rideshare/ Taxi: There are a large number of Uber and Lyft drivers in the vicinity, which is a viable alternative, especially on weekends or evenings. It avoids the suffering of parking.
5. By Limo Service: In the case of parties or special events, the Limousine service Los Angeles and personal cars are hired to drop their clients at the doorstep, so that they take a comfortable and direct ride back home without having to bother about parking or driving.

What Events or Experiences Does Santa Monica Brew Works Offer?

Here are the four best events and experiences at Santa Monica Brew Works:

1. Brewery Tours (Occasional): Santa Monica Brew Works provides guided tours of their brewing plant, whereby visitors see how the brew is really made, including ingredient choice to fermentation and bottling. The tours find out more about craft brewing and observe the process of making small-batch beers.
2. Taproom Events: Trivia nights, live music and sports screenings are some of the activities that are regularly organised in the taproom, which makes the place lively and social. These events render it a favourite destination among friends to have beer and enjoy the atmosphere of the community.
3. Community & Local Pop-Ups: The brewery regularly works with local artists, vendors, and food trucks to organise a pop-up market or special events. These pop-ups bring attention to the local culture and give tourists an opportunity to explore local unique products and learn about the Santa Monica neighbourhood.
4. Seasonal Celebrations: Santa Monica Brew Works also uses these seasonal events to appreciate the occasion throughout the year, as in the case of the Oktoberfest, summer beer releases and the holiday-themed events. These festivals involve special seasonal brews, specific design decorations and activities that provide a festive experience whenever one visits the brewery.

Is Santa Monica Brew Works Worth Visiting?

Santa Monica Brew Works is a place to have a taste of craft beer and enjoy it in a less formal, more community-oriented environment. The brewery has many varieties of fresh, locally brewed beer, such as standard favourites of 310 Blonde and Inclined IPA, seasonal and small-batch exclusive offerings, and tasting flights sold to try a variety of styles. Its outdoor-indoor taproom offers a socialising atmosphere with a coastal feel that helps to rest, and live events, music, as well as occasional food trucks complement the atmosphere. Whereas the price of the pint is moderate and the selection of foods is sparse, the beer quality, the warmth of the place, and the local status of the place make it a satisfying visit for visitors and the locals seeking to enjoy a relaxing and fun time in Santa Monica.