South Pasadena Craft Beer Guide: What to Drink & Where

If you’re in South Pasadena and wondering where to drink or what to try, your best bets are neighborhood pubs plus nearby taprooms in Pasadena. Walk a short crawl route, sample lagers, IPAs, and sours, and keep your home stock fresh with local craft beer delivery.

In South Pasadena, explore nearby taprooms such as Wild Parrot Brewing, Cervecería del Pueblo, and Stone Brewing Tap Room. Do a casual beer crawl through Pasadena’s craft scene, and keep your fridge full via Brwtxt’s local delivery.

South Pasadena Craft Beer Guide: What to Drink & Where

A rose representing Pasadena's connection with the iconic flower.

Featured Breweries & Taprooms Near South Pasadena

While South Pasadena itself doesn’t host a full-scale brewery, the craft beer scene blossoms just across the border in Pasadena and adjacent areas, here are standout taprooms and brewery-pub hybrids you should know:

Wild Parrot Brewing Company

Address: 2302 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena (shares space with Rosebud Coffee). They have an eclictic selection of beers, with an emphasis on lagers. Taproom hours: roughly 3pm on weekdays, 12pm weekends. Rosebud Coffee: Trivia nights, community events, and a dog-friendly outdoor patio make it a mellow local hang.

Cervecería del Pueblo

This Latin-inspired craft brewery in Pasadena is known for bringing cultural motifs into beer. (If you find their website or updated info, link here.)They brew small batches of styles like fruited ales, Mexican lagers, and regional specialties.

Stone Brewing Tap Room – Pasadena

Stone maintains a taproom in Pasadena, offering rotating taps, growler fills, and seasonal releases. Because of Stone’s strong brand and rotating innovation, its

Pasadena location is a reliable anchor in the local craft-beer ecosystem.

Congregation Brewery & Cocina

This is a hybrid brewery + restaurant model. They pair in-house beer with food, which makes it ideal for both tasting and dining.

Craftsman Brewing Company

Though Craftsman doesn’t currently run a public tasting room in Pasadena, their beers are widely distributed in the region. Their labels show up in local bars and liquor stores near South Pasadena.

Local South Pasadena Sip Spots

• Communal Food & Drink (South Pasadena) — a gastropub / beer garden setting that supports rotating taps

• Cannonball (new bistro in South Pasadena) — a promising pairing venue for food + beer

Beer Crawl South Pasadena: Sample Route & Tips

Here’s a suggested crawl route and tips to pace your day:

Suggested Route

1. Start at a brew-friendly spot in South Pasadena — e.g. Communal Food & Drink

2. Head north along Fair Oaks / Colorado Boulevard toward Pasadena

3. Hit Wild Parrot Brewing

4. Continue east / north to Cervecería del Pueblo

5. Finish at Stone Brewing Tap Room or Congregation Brewery

Tips & Notes

• Begin with lighter styles (pilsner, lager) and progress into pale ales, IPAs, and then sours or dessert beers.

• Share flights or half-pours to sample more without overdoing it.

• Plan food stops in between: grab tacos, snacks or share small plates (Cannonball or local taquerias).

• Use public transit or rideshares to avoid parking stress. The Metro A / Gold Line has stations near Pasadena.

• Bring water, pace yourself, and start early (taprooms often close earlier).

What to Drink: Styles & Local Recommendations

Understanding styles helps you pick smarter on a crawl or delivery order. Below are style categories and local examples you might find via the above breweries or via Brwtxt.

Lagers & Pilsners

Crisp, clean, refreshingly balanced.

• Wild Parrot’s Doug Heavy American Lager (a crisp, smooth lager):

  So Cal Craft Beer Blog

• Classical pilsner offerings may show up at Stone or Cervecería

Pale Ales & IPAs

Hop-forward but balanced.

• Wild Parrot’s Pandemonium West Coast IPA is one example of a local IPA:

  So Cal Craft Beer Blog

• Stone’s flagship and experimental IPAs rotate frequently

Saison, Sours & Specialty Beers

Fruited sours, Belgian styles, barrel-aged experiments.

• Look for limited releases at Congregation, Cervecería, or via local beer release events

Porters, Stouts & Dark Beers

Rich, malt-forward, dessert-style beers.

• Coffee stouts and barrel-aged stouts occasionally appear at Wild Parrot and Congregation

  
  

Seasonal notes:

• In summer, pilsners and fruited ales are more common

• In fall and winter, stouts, porters, barrel-aged and spiced beers appear

  
  

Pro tip: Use Brwtxt to try rotating local releases, often before they hit shelves.

Beer & Food Pairings, Events & Beer Culture

Pairing Basics

• Spicy tacos or Mexican food → crisp pilsner or light lager

• Fried chicken or wings → IPA or pale ale

• Chocolate cake or brownies → stout or porter

• Citrus desserts → saison or fruity sour

Local restaurants that welcome beer

• Communal Food & Drink: good ambience plus rotating taps

• Cannonball (South Pasadena): eat + sip potential

• Many Pasadena gastropubs may carry local taps

Beer Events & Community

• Tap takeover nights at Stone, Congregation, Cervecería

• Seasonal beer festivals in Pasadena / San Gabriel Valley

• Brewery collabs or canned-release parties

• Trivia, brewery-run clubs (Wild Parrot runs trivia nights)

  
  

Craft Beer Culture in South Pasadena

• South Pasadena acts as a residential base feeding into the greater Pasadena beer scene

• Many South Pas locals prefer local / neighborhood deliveries rather than making heavy trips

• The drive to support smaller breweries is strong in the San Gabriel Valley

• The craft beer momentum in California continues — in 2024, California had over 1,000 operating breweries (per Brewers Association / state data)

FAQs

What breweries are in South Pasadena, CA?

There are no major breweries inside South Pasadena city limits itself. However, key options near you include Wild Parrot Brewing, Cervecería del Pueblo, Stone Brewing Tap Room, and Congregation Brewery in nearby Pasadena.

What’s the best beer in South Pasadena?“Best” depends on your taste. Many locals enjoy refreshing lagers or pilsners, or hop-forward IPAs. Use Brwtxt to sample rotating local releases and find your personal favorite.

How do I do a beer crawl in South Pasadena? Start in South Pasadena, then move into Pasadena along Fair Oaks / Colorado. Visit Wild Parrot, Cervecería, Stone, Congregation in sequence. Pace yourself with food and water, and consider transit or rideshares.

Does South Pasadena have craft beer delivery? Yes — Brwtxt delivers craft beer locally to South Pasadena. We curate and deliver four-packs or specialty releases directly to your door.

What beer styles are popular around South Pasadena? Lagers, pilsners, pale ales, IPAs, and experimental sours or barrel-aged beers are all popular in the local craft scene.

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