Mumford Brewing’s excellent pale ale dubbed Bleacher Beer at my Torrance local beckoned me to try their full range at their downtown LA brewery, open for about the last six months.

The day after Christmas with time on my hands and likely light freeway traffic seemed an apt time.

On this day street parking was plentiful in the neighborhood Mumford sits in near Skid Row, although it was a little strange to pay for parking when I’m guessing whoever was sleeping on the sidewalk in the tent across the street was likely not paying for the privilege.

The sparse, simple one-room brewery and small bar were uncrowded and the custom four-beer tasting flight (above) excellent, showcasing the wide range of available ales (especially good was the Black Mamba).

The atmosphere was mellow with a couple of DJs spinning some relaxing ambient music at a pleasant volume that allowed a couple of gents at a nearby table to concentrate on their dominos game (below) with no problem.

Lunch is available at a local pizza joint and a bar next door that appeared to have been there for decades (the name escapes me, but try the small grilled cheese sandwich with jalapenos and bacon), but also had an excellent local craft beer list of its own. Bonus: go order food next door and they deliver it to your seat in the brewery.

Mumford’s neighborhood may be sketchy, but it’s beers and vibe are certainly not.

The Boyd Street IPA was worth taking home in a crowler and I’m betting the Mindcloud would be, too (although I haven’t seen any description of it yet online).

Definitely worth getting acquainted with both the brewery and its beers.