The return of L.A. Beer Week

Lovers of local craft beer won’t have to wait until September for L.A. Beer Week; this year the nine-day cavalcade of tap-takeovers, beer dinners and special events begins on June 20 and runs through June 28.

The L.A. Brewers Guild organizes L.A. Beer Week with the goal of spreading awareness of local craft breweries and the bars, restaurants and retailers that support the burgeoning craft beer scene in Los Angeles.

L.A. Beer Week began in 2009, organized by Ryan Sweeney and Brandon Bradford of Verdugo Bar, and Jay Baum and Dennis Hartman.

This year’s festival kickoff at Exposition Park will feature the 30 member breweries of the L.A. Brewers Guild, plus another 30 from across the country, including Beachwood Brewing, Smog City Brewing Co. and MacLeod Ale Brewing Co.

The new venue means more space for beer, food trucks, games, music and educational panels. And there will be special events all week catering to everyone from the casual beer drinker to devoted beer geeks.

And you can join the celebrations from the comfort of home with a bottle of Unity — the official beer of L.A. Beer Week. Brewed at Smog City Brewing in Torrance with the help of representatives from a dozen local breweries, Unity is a light and tart farmhouse-style ale that uses a mix of European and American ingredients. Look for bottles at local retailers beginning in mid-June, and the occasional tapping of the brew at select L.A. Beer Week events.

Craft beer is booming in Los Angeles. Six new breweries have opened since the last Beer Week in September 2014, with another six planning to open before the end of the year. L.A. Beer Week is the perfect opportunity to explore what the local scene has to offer.