SoCal Brew Bus began offering tours at the end of July and is owned by Phil Johnson, who is also a high school soccer coach.

While the other tour companies in LA and the surrounding areas do a good job, I don’t feel that I’m in direct competition with them — there’s plenty of breweries to go around,” Johnson said via email. “Much like how small breweries tend to help each other out and collaborate in many ways, I see any gain in exposure to the beer tourism industry as a plus for everyone involved. It’s not a zero sum game. The market share of craft beer continues to grow, new breweries continue to open, and positive exposure to this market is good for everyone.

I’m a craft beer lover, homebrewer, and also a lover of all the unique neighborhoods of LA. I’m an east coast transplant and I didn’t always love the city’s many discrete pockets. As a newcomer, it can be hard to get around and finding all the best parts of LA can be difficult. But, I’ve come to love the character of this city. There are always some old neighborhoods to revisit, new restaurants to try, and now, new breweries popping up everywhere.