Over Thanksgiving break, E, Nathan, Nora, and I were FINALLY able to visit our wedding photographer, Sterling’s, new venture – a BREWERY called Trademark Brewing, located in Long Beach, California, about 40 minutes outside of Los Angeles.
We remained close with Sterling since our wedding over 7 years ago. E and Sterling bonded over ALL OF THE CRAFT BEER. Sterling and E would often exchange new beers when visiting their respective coasts. A few years ago, Sterling actually started brewing beer out of his house….and then his garage. Then the operation got a little bit more sophisticated. After a few years of experimenting with different types of beer, he and his wife, Ilana, decided to pursue his dream of opening a brewery! After A LOT of research, they decided that Long Beach would be the perfect spot. They found a warehouse space in a great location in an up and coming part of town. After lots of renovations, Trademark Brewing officially opened their doors in late June.
We drove down on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and arrived just after they opened, at around 10:00AM. There were already people there drinking at the bar. I like how they think! The first thing that struck E and me was just how big the brewery was. It is HUGE! They have a variety of seating options as well. You could even sit outside if you wanted to! I fell in love with the murals painted along the outside wall of their building. It is so colorful! We made sure to snap a few photos of the kiddos before we left. Scroll down to check them out.
The second thing that struck us was just how many beers Trademark had on draft. There were 15 different beers available; several of them collaborations with very well known and respected breweries from all over the country. Their offerings ranged from Gem Tones, a hibiscus kettle sour, to Get Toasty, a Coconut Porter, to Hula Moon, a Tropical IPA, to the 405 English Ale, a collaboration with Firestone Walker. Click HERE to see what they currently have on draft. Trademark truly has a beer for every palate. E has a discriminating palate when it comes to beer, and he was VERY impressed with their offerings. Our personal favorites were Gem Tones, On Center (Helles Lager), and Hula Moon. We even bought crowlers of Hula Moon and On Center to bring home for Thanksgiving dinner. They both paired perfectly with our turkey feast!
After E and I finished our flight of beer, Sterling took us and the kiddos on a grand tour of the brewery. We even got to taste a few new beers straight out of the tanks. They were all SOOOO GOOD! I am jealous of everyone that gets to drink their beer on the regular. I wish we could import it to New Jersey!
While Trademark does not serve their own food, they have an amazing lineup of food trucks that come to the brewery to serve food. Check out their food truck schedule HERE. On the Sunday we visited there was a food truck called Shady Grove that served comfort food and BBQ. E ordered their Fried Chicken Sandwich with spicy slaw and a slab of their thick cut bacon. While I didn’t try any of it (If you are new here, I don’t eat non-kosher meat), it sure smelled AMAZING.
Trademark also host events regularly, like Brewery Yoga on Saturday mornings, and #BachelorMondays. They also have games of cornhole, giant connect four, and giant Jenga set up a few feet away from the bar, so you can play and have a pint with friends. For all of those fellow parents out there, Trademark is also totally kid friendly!
Sterling and Ilana have worked hard and have succeeded in making Trademark a legitimate beer destination.
If you are located in and around the Los Angeles or Long Beach area, or just visiting, and love craft beer, I definitely recommend that you stop in for a pint (or three) of Trademark. You will not be disappointed! Tell Sterling I sent you!
Trademark Brewing, 233 E Anaheim Street, Long Beach, California 90813
