Lomita, a modest community of fewer than two square miles often overshadowed by larger neighbor Torrance, has become a South Bay craft beer hot spot with the January opening of Burnin Daylight Brewing Co., and the Aug. 17 arrival of Project Barley, the first two craft breweries in the city.
If Torrance — which boasts more breweries than any other South Bay city – had the same concentration per square mile it would have about 20 breweries, for instance.
Lomita’s pair reflect a recent initiative by the city to widen its small sales tax base with businesses that cater to locals, yet double as a “destination” for the still-growing craft beer crowd.
That’s why the city wanted the two breweries to operate in commercial areas rather than in warehouses with roll-up doors in secluded business parks, as most do. Which was just fine with both sets of brewery owners.
“I wanted a cool vibe,” said Hermosa Beach resident Reger. “I knew I wanted a different style and flair.”
Project Barley on busy Pacific Coast Highway at Cypress Street is almost as much a live music venue as brewery, with informal jam sessions in a variety of genres during the week and bands playing Friday through Sunday.
Most cities limit live music at breweries to a handful of annual permits, but music – named after Barley, Reger’s band – is an integral part of Project Barley down to its elaborate stage lighting and work-in-progress sound baffling.
About 70,000 vehicles a day pass by daily, Reger said, adding wryly that about half of them seem to get stuck at the Cypress Street traffic light and can easily spot the small brewery’s storefront.
Burnin Daylight – in a 3,000-square-foot ground-floor space of a new mixed-use building topped with five apartments at Narbonne Avenue and Lomita Boulevard – is seen by the city as a cornerstone of its efforts to create a more pedestrian-oriented downtown.
Burnin Daylight is run by long-time South Bay residents Bob Lake (South High class of 1972) and wife, Shannon (West High class of 1974), as well as son, Brendan (Redondo Union High class of 2005), the head brewer.
Mac, Brendan Lake’s 13-year-old rescue mix, greets customers as official brew dog.
Heading up the kitchen is head chef Adam Stone, (Mira Costa High class of 2005) who cut his culinary teeth at the upscale steakhouse chain Fleming’s and luxury Palos Verdes Peninsula resort Terranea.
The brewery’s name was coined by Bob Lake’s Guinness-loving late father-in-law (that’s his picture overlooking the bar), whose favorite expression to get family members moving was “We’re burnin’ daylight here!”
With a wrap around patio that doubles its capacity, the brewery sports large windows that lets light and air flood in, and has blankets available for chilly nights.
“Lomita is very community-oriented,” said Bob Lake. “It feels natural to anyone who walks in. It just feels like home here.”
The decor and theme is an ode to the South Bay.
Historic black and white photos of the way Lomita used to be – the brewery’s tagline is from barley to brewery, in recognition of the community’s farming heritage – dot the walls.
The best-selling menu item is the Gaucho, a formidable jalapeño cheddar sausage on a pretzel bun, named after the mascot of hometown Narbonne High School.
Bubbles Pale Ale is a salute to famed orca Bubbles at Rancho Palos Verdes’ affectionately remembered Marineland theme park.
Haggerty’s IPA is named after the Torrance surf break.
And Rocket Ship Rye draws its inspiration from Torrance’s landmark Rocket Ship Park.
Brewmaster Brendan Lake put in a long apprenticeship before opening his own brewery with his supposedly retired father, whose drafting and capital project background had given him the skills to design and build the brewery.
“Everything you see from the furniture to the beer to the jerky, it’s all hand-made,” Bob Lake said.
His son, a home brewer, came to the notice of Stone Brewing co-owner Greg Koch when he won a lottery in 2011 to enter a brewing competition and was promptly offered a job.
He rose from the canning line and keg washing to the production side and went onto work at the likes of El Segundo Brewing Co., Dude’s Brewing in Torrance and Phantom Carriage in Carson before becoming his own boss at Burnin Daylight.
The brews reflect the brewery’s community sensibility: accessible and welcoming.
“I make my hoppy beers so approachable than even people who don’t like bitter beers, if they give them a try, they actually really like it,” Brendan Lake said. “The most important thing in my brewing philosophy is keep it simple and understand the ingredients you are using.”
Reger, a former pro beach volleyball player, college coach and co-owner of an El Segundo volleyball club, spent much of the last decade dreaming of opening what became Project Barley,
He finally took the plunge after discussions with other successful South Bay brewery owners, some of whom he knew because he had coached their kids.
Reger’s nano-brewery was built on a budget.
His small three-barrel brewing system came used from a Colorado brewery.
The bar top is a repurposed Ohio gym floor.
And a large piece of wall art that serves as a stage back-drop was culled from discarded wooden pallets.
There’s no kitchen or room for food trucks. But food is catered on weekends and food from uber-cool Beach Cities sandwich and burger joints The Standing Room will likely be served regularly, since the owner is among the brewery’s investors.
Project Barley boasts 16 taps, but is using fewer than half at the moment.
The small brewing system is struggling to keep up with demand — as is home brewer turned head brewer Rives Borland, a Boeing engineer by day — but Reger contends that portends a positive future for Project Barley.
“Our opening weekend was unbelievable,” Reger said. “We went through seven kegs of our Mexican lager. We had eight.
“If you have good beer and a good atmosphere, people will come,” he added. “When you have crappy beer, they don’t come.”
