by Ed Solt
Craft brewing power couple, Jonathan and Laurie Porter, sought out a brewery location after producing 300 or so barrels during first year of starting Smog City Brewing Company in 2011. Jonathan had been the head brewer at the Tustin Brewing Company since 2008. The Orange County brewpub let Jonathan brew his own specialized batches on the side. In 2012, his Groundwork Coffee Porter won gold at the Great American Beer Festival. While Jonathan brewed, Laurie pounded the pavement, establishing a distribution network and building relationships in the craft beer community.
“We scouted locations for nine months,” Laurie said. “With a robust and complex culture, as well as being a unique and and unknown, I mean this in a good way, we decided to move to Torrance.”
Strand Brewing Company, the brewery that put the South Bay on the craft beer map and Monkish Brewing Company, the brewery that further sophisticated the South Bay’s craft beer palate focusing solely on Belgian style ales, were the only other breweries in town. Five years later, Torrance has over 10 breweries.
“A rising tide raises all boats,” she said. “We’re not against each other. If anything, we’re against the macro brews, like Budweiser.”
(A perfect example of local craft beer unity would be SCBC’s Anniversary Day collaboration with El Segundo Brewing Company last May. The now legendary party included a free shuttle between breweries.)
Respect and admiration for one and another are a part of local craft beer scene’s DNA–all values stemming from a majority of breweries being family owned. Dad brews while Mom handles the business side.
“Equality has been around since day one,” she said. “Women are playing a big part — just look at Three Weavers Brewing Company [founded and brewed by women] and Frances Lopez aka “Franny Fullpint,” the executive director of the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild. Women aren’t marginalized — it’s a healthy culture — a modern, 2017 industry.”
After serving as vice president for the previous two years, Laurie was elected president of the LABG by her fellow members.
“The LABG is very important. With 56 LA County breweries, we need a central organization to bring us together. Through our involvement in the California Craft Brewers Association at the state capital, we protect local craft beer business,” she said.
The LABG organizes the two biggest LA Craft beer events, LA Beer Week (now in its ninth year) and the Los Angeles Beer & Food Festival.
“During LABW, we also host educational discussions with noted figures in the local craft beer culture,” Porter said. “We don’t tell people what to drink or how to drink it. Our goal is to provide the info and let the consumer make the decision. Try a flight [a four to six sampling of two to six ounces glasses] to explore new beers and determine what you like.”
SCBC recently opened its first satellite tasting room at SteelCraft Long Beach, a cluster of like-minded sustainable businesses housed in upcycled shipping containers.
“The days of shopping in big huge boxes are going away,” she said. “People want to know were the things they buy are coming from. They want to support independently owned shops that share their values.”
SCBC’s has kept to a slow growth path. Instead of building distribution numbers, SCBC has focused on developing a strong, well-rounded core beer program with IPA’s like Saber Tooth Squirrel (winner of the 2016 World Beer Cup silver medal in Philadelphia and bronze finisher at the Great American Beer Fest (GABF) in the amber ale/red ale category; Hoptonic IPA, and the Coffee Porter. At the same time, SCBC has explored the wine barrel-aged sour ale realm, resulting in Benny and the Bretts and Smog City Cuddle Bug. On the strong ale side of things, SCBC’s experimentation with bourbon barrel aging transformed The Nothing Imperial Stout into a once-a-year release called the Infinite Wishes Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout.
With a variety of beers requiring different brewing processes as well as a general increase in demand, SCBC made the decision that it was time to expand.
“Expansion allows us to really take a step forward.” Laurie said.
SCBC has expanded into the neighboring buildings and separated the different beers and brewing processes into three phases. The additional space has allowed allow SCBC to maintain their quality while continuing to brew into uncharted territory.
“We have nothing but gratitude for the city of Torrance and its focus on small businesses,” she said. “It’s become a craft beer hub in LA. When people think of craft beer in LA, they think of downtown and Torrance. It has also put a spotlight on the South Bay and our rich culture.” B
