Tap Handle #327: Angel City - Eureka! Wit

This tap is absolutely beautiful. I've always seen the white used for the Wit variety, but there are also silver, red, gold, and a gorgeous copper color versions of the tap. Pictures don't do it justice - it's an amazing tap.

Angel City Brewing was founded in 1997 in Culver City, California by Michael Bowe. Bowe's dream was to have a brewery in downtown LA, and in 2004 he got closer when he bought an 8,000 barrel German-made brewery in Alpine Village near Los Angeles...off of eBay! He restored the facility and Angel City stayed there until 2010, when Bowe was able to relocate the brewery to the historic John A. Roebling Building in LA’s Downtown Arts District. He had finally realized his dream of brewing in L.A., but unfortunately was unable to drum up the business necessary to sustain the company, and the doors were closed.

After it had sat dormant for 2 years, Alan Newman, Stacey Steinmetz, and the Alchemy & Science division of Boston Beer Co. bought the Angel City brewery, including the brand, the building, and the brewing equipment. Boston Beer Co. was making numerous investments, with the Alchemy & Science team devoted to continued experimentation both in product and acquisitions. The goal was to revitalize the brewery and bring a more traditional craft beer offering to LA. Newman and Steinmetz came from Magic Hat Brewery, where they helped invent Magic Hat No. 9. Angel City was a blank slate since there was no staff and no product. Newman hired former Gordon Biersch brewmaster, Dieter Foerstner, to help build the brand.

Foerstner labored in the brewery for a little over a year, revamping the brewhouse, outlining the plan with Newman, and working on recipes they intend to bring to market. Foerstner has a degree in Hospitality, with a background in food, and his recipes reflect that; he has created a grapefruit pale, an avocado beer, au jus-inspired French Sip, and Pickle Weisse, a light and tart Berliner weiss spiked with pickle brine. The brewery itself underwent massive renovations, including pillars with art deco ornamentation, ceramic angel statues, and a timber loft style mezzanine overlooking aging barrels. In 2013, it opened to the public after more than a year of building and brewing. The Public House is Angel City’s own 19-tap bar serving a changing roster of classic and newly inspired brews. The brewery hosts a regular roster of events ranging from art shows and live music to game nights, and beyond.

Eureka! Wit is a Belgian white brewed with coriander and orange peel, with bold fruit and clove notes from their unique yeast strain, balanced with a subtle citrusy hop finish. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 2.83 out of 5

Angel City Brewing Official Website