Verdugo West Brewing redrafts itself as Trustworthy Brewing

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Trustworthy Brewing Company head brewmaster Chris Walowski shows off some of their offerings, at their Burbank location on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. Left to right are Coincide w Raspberry, Brass Jar hoppy amber, Trustworthy IPA and Gigil Pilsner. The company recently changed its name from Verdugo West Brewing Co. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Trustworthy Brewing Company assistant brewer Zach Johnson moves 15 gal. half barrels of beer at their Burbank location on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. The company recently changed its name from Verdugo West Brewing Co. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Trustworthy Brewing Company assistant brewer Jon Manock transfers from fermenter to bright tank for packaging an IPA at their Burbank location on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. The company recently changed its name from Verdugo West Brewing Co. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Trustworthy Brewing Company owner Sal Casola stand with some of the 15 gal. half barrels of beer at their Burbank location on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. The company recently changed its name from Verdugo West Brewing Co. and Casola also owns Market City Cafe in Burbank. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Trustworthy Brewing Company has a variety of 5 gallon sixtels ready for distribution at their Burbank location on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. Left to right are Coincide w Raspberry, Brass Jar hoppy amber, Trustworthy IPA and Gigil Pilsner. The company recently changed its name from Verdugo West Brewing Co. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

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Trustworthy Brewing Company tanks of beer at their Burbank location on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. The company recently changed its name from Verdugo West Brewing Co. (Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

By Anthony Clark Carpio

Sept. 25, 2018 7:20 PM PT

The folks behind Verdugo West Brewing Co. are trusting that a name change and a recent award at a national beer competition will help lift the brand’s recognition.

MCC Hospitality Group, the company behind Market City Caffe, and brew master Chris Walowski announced over the weekend that the brewery will now be known as Trustworthy Brewing Co., which is named after its best-selling IPA.

On Tuesday, Walowski was at the brewery, located at 156 W. Verdugo Ave., bright and early to brew another batch of Trustworthy IPA.

The reason for the name change, Walowski said, was because people had a difficult time remembering the brewery’s name but not the name of its most popular beer.

“Whenever I would do tastings at retail clients, they could never remember the [brewery’s] name,” Walowski said. “I don’t mind educating people, but they legitimately could not remember the brewery’s name. They’ll tell me that they’ve never had our beer, but when I tell them they pour our Trustworthy IPA, then it clicks for them.”

Walowski and officials at MCC Hospitality Group realized their IPA’s reputation had outgrown the brewery, so they decided to ride that momentum.

Though the name might have changed overnight, the beers are still the same. In addition to the brewery’s tried-and-true IPA, Walowski said it will be still be brewing other customer favorites, like its hoppy amber ale called Brass Jar and the tart witbier called Pool Noodle.

While most local patrons know the brewery for its IPA, one of its specialty beers — a 12% ABV barley wine-style ale called Bear Temper — might help put Trustworthy Brewing on the map for those who live outside the state.

This past weekend was also the Great American Beer Festival, a nationwide beer competition held annually in Denver, Colo., which is where the Burbank brewery took home a bronze medal for its strong ale.

“What I really like about this beer is how scary drinkable it is,” Walowski said.

Bear Temper currently isn’t on tap in the brewery’s tasting room, but Walowski said he’s planning to tap a small batch in a few months to let the 10-month-old beer mellow out a little further.

With more than 10 years of experience under his belt, Walowski is no stranger to craft beers. He started as a home brewer and eventually got a job with Ohana Brewing Co., which is based in downtown Los Angeles.

While getting his master’s degree in biochemistry, Walowski went over to Smog City Brewing Co., a well-known brewery in Torrance, and worked his way up to become brew master.

After a short stint working at a biochemistry laboratory in Irvine, officials with MCC Hospitality Group offered Walowski an opportunity to open his own brewery.

“They handed me a blank sheet of paper and told me ‘Have at it,’” Walowski said. “It was too good of an opportunity to let go.”

With the name change and recent award, Walowski said he hopes more people will start noticing the brewery and continue to trust in the beer it produces.

“Hopefully, it’ll be easier to get new customers and new retail clients,” he said. “Hopefully, they’ll see what else we have to offer.”

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio