Ohana Brewing

The inspiration

The name Ohana is Hawaiian for family, and the brewery was built around that idea of a close-knit operation^1,2 . Production began in South Los Angeles in August 2012, and the Alhambra tasting room followed in 2014 as a small storefront outpost where the beers could be sampled^3,4 . Time Out describes it as a family-run operation that began in a garage² .

Who's behind it

Owner Andrew Luthi, an Alhambra local, chose the city for the tasting room because he had lived most of his life there and found Alhambra more welcoming than Los Angeles^3,1 . He has been making craft beer since 2012, and early on he brewed alongside partner and head brewmaster Chris Walowski^5,1 .

What to order

Popular dish

Spa Water Saison^6,5,2

a cucumber and lemongrass beer that took a bronze medal at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival .

• Tiki on the Beach: a blonde ale with tropical fruits, with hibiscus cranberry character noted by Time Out .^6,5,2
• Surf Shack Akala: a sour blonde ale that appears among the rotating house taps .^6,5
• Ohana Pacific: the core blonde ale on the regular tap list .⁶
• Exit Interview IPA: the current list's india pale ale for hop fans .⁶

What people are saying

Time Out calls the Alhambra space a quaint tasting room rather than an industrial brewery, and suggests it suits small groups over large ones² . The Los Angeles Times described the room as cozy when it opened, with six taps of rotating beers⁴ .

Why you should try it

If you're staying nearby, this is an easy walk-in stop for small pours of inventive house beers made by a local family-run outfit^2,4 . You can taste the Spa Water Saison and Tiki on the Beach, then take beer home, since the brewery fills growlers of many sizes, including ones from other breweries⁶ .