Comings and Goings in LA Beer

Los Angeles beer never sits still. In the last 90 days, taplists added fresh flavor experiments, seasonal lagers came roaring back, and collab IPAs kept hopheads busy. Here’s a tight, citywide read on what’s pouring now and what to chase next.

Visitors relax and enjoy live music on a sunny day at the brewery patio, surrounded by palm trees and vibrant atmosphere.

The New Flavor Wave in LA Beer

LA brewers are digging into the citrus crate and the pantry shelf, with results that feel culinary, not gimmicky. Expect to see:

• Calamansi moving from curiosity to recurring guest. You’ll spot it in goses, pils-adjacent ales, even a cider or two. Think sharper, floral citrus that loves salt and wheat.

  
  

• Yuzu that refuses to fade. It shows up in rice lagers and light ales, adding perfumed zest without sugary sweetness.

  
  

• Lemongrass and matcha in saisons and cream ales. Lemongrass gives a grassy lift, matcha adds silky tea notes.

  
  

• Prickly pear and dragon fruit in sours or hard-tea and seltzer crossovers for bright color and clean fruit.

  
  

• Ube, chamoy with tajín, pandan, shiso still niche but very LA for small-batch runs.

  
  

Bottom line: Citrus-forward beers, led by yuzu and calamansi, are the safest bet across the county, with a second wave of herb and tea additions plus photogenic fruit gaining taps week by week.

What’s Popular on Tap in LA Beer

• IPAs still dominate. Clear, snappy West Coasts remain the default. Hazies pop in for limited runs and collabs.

  
  

• Lagers are having a moment. Pilsners and helles hold steady while Festbier and Oktoberfest seasonals cycle through. If you like malt-forward yet crisp, this is your window.

  
  

• Stout and porter presence is stable, essentially saving their big moment for cooler evenings.

  
  

• Alt-bev creep. Expect at least one hop water tap, the occasional hard tea, and a summer-holdover seltzer slushie at multi-tap houses.

New and Notable Drops

Availability rotates quickly, so check day-of menus and taproom feeds. Current highlights include:

• Collab West Coast IPA that is lean, bright, and decidedly California. A go-to for peak-fresh hops.

  
  

• Festbiers pouring at several spots, ideal for lager-curious IPA loyalists.

  
  

• Yuzu lagers popping up countywide, light and zesty and built for a second pour.

  
  

• Matcha cream ales that drink surprisingly clean with vanilla-adjacent creaminess and green-tea aromatics.

  
  

• Dragon-fruit sours for hot-pink patio pints with low bitterness.

  
  

• Calamansi gose or pale for salty-citrus snap that pairs with everything.

NA and Friends

• NA beer is easy to find at big retailers, with brands like Athletic, Guinness 0.0, and Sierra Nevada NA.

  
  

• Hop water is the taproom NA you’ll most likely see. Clean, bitter, and satisfying when you want hops without alcohol.

  
  

Kombucha, hybrids, hard teas show up sporadically. Think bright palate cleansers between pours.

Retail and Delivery Signals

• Retail “new” shelves lean seasonal right now, with Oktoberfest packs up front. NA sets remain broad but mostly national brands.

  
  

• Delivery menus reflect demand spikes, but the biggest swings still come from what local taprooms announce mid-week. Watch those feeds.

A Quick Word on the “Goings”

We won’t dwell on closures. The headline in LA is what’s pouring, and there’s plenty. Taprooms are leaning into approachable lagers, clean West Coasts, and citrus-led experiments that play well with LA food.

What to Drink Next

• Crushable now: Festbier or pils for fresh, seasonal, crowd-pleasing sessions.

  
  

• Flavor-curious: Chase a yuzu lager or calamansi gose. They’re everywhere for a reason.

  
  

• Photo finish: Dragon-fruit or prickly-pear sour for a bright glass, low ABV, maximum patio energy.

  
  

• One-off hunt: Find a matcha or lemongrass release. Small-batch, short window.

  
  

• Hoppy default: The latest collab West Coast IPA. Dry, clear, aromatic, a good yardstick for where LA hops sit right now.

The Short of It

LA beer is in a citrus-forward mood with a lager upswing and a parade of fruit and herb one-offs that feel more kitchen-savvy than carnival. Start with a Festbier, slot a yuzu or calamansi mid-round, then close with a crisp West Coast IPA. Decide which taproom earned the growler fill. Cheers.

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