These days, craft brews are all the rage and it’s awesome to see breweries and bottle shops popping up all over Southern California. One of the latest ones I’ve tried is the aptly named Indie Brewing Company.
Located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East LA, Indie Brewing specializes in session beers. Hovering just under 5% alcohol by volume (ABV), these session beers are intended to be enjoyed for long stretches without putting the drinker on their back too soon. Or as Beer Advocate puts it: “the point of a session beer is imbibing socially without getting loaded.”
Here’s the run down on two* of their brews.
Eastside XPA
Honestly, whenever I hear “IPA” in a beer’s name I get turned off. Maybe I’m too, too sensitive to over hoppy beers. I don’t know. So I was hesitant to try the Eastside XPA but hey, someone has to do it right? Right off the bat I loved the appearance, a lovely blonde with a full head of fluffy, frothy bubbles. The texture was crisp and pleasant, not over-carbonated (as I might have thought from the head). And the flavor, to my surprise, was not over hoppy at all. Instead it was a nice mellow citrus with hints of pine. I could see pairing the Eastside XPA with a few slices of pizza and hot wings as the perfect beverage to wash it all down.
Port(er) of Los Angeles
Compared to IPAs, I’m a big fan of stouts. My idea of enjoying a stout is sipping on a thick, creamy draft at the end of a meal or even as a meal all by itself. As I poured the bottled Port(er) of Los Angeles – shout out to San Pedro! – I was concerned that the texture wouldn’t be silky enough for me: it looked watery. The body of the beer was a lovely dark cola color with hints of amber, but the head was thin and sparse. While the appearance of a true porter wasn’t present, thankfully the flavor was. Roasted malt and chocolate were there along with a sweeter finish than I expected. I started to see the genius of a session “stout” as I could easily see me drinking a few Port(er)s while I might only finish one typical stout in a given period of time.
To make up your own mind on Indie Brewing’s XPA and Port(er), you won’t have to go too far. Look for their beers on tap at Rock & Brews and Hoppdoddy Burgers in El Segundo; Sharks Cove in Manhattan Beach; and Select Beer Bottle Shop & Tap Room in Redondo Beach. You can use their beer locator to find their beer on tap and in bottles and cans at other locations around LA. Thanks, Indie Brewing Company, for the opportunity to review your brews!
- Indie Brewing Company – Session Brews
* Items mentioned in this article were provided on a complimentary basis for the purpose of this review. This story was accurate when it was published and reflects the uninfluenced opinions of the reviewers.