Empty Beer Bottles: La's Best Suppliers For Home Brewers

Los Angeles has a thriving craft beer scene, with a variety of bottle shops, breweries, and taprooms offering a wide range of local and international beers. While some breweries and bottle shops allow customers to fill and refill growlers (specialized glass jugs) with fresh beer, others offer canned or bottled craft beers for pickup or delivery. In addition to local breweries, there are also liquor stores and beer bars in LA that offer a diverse selection of beers, including rare and unique options.

Bottle shops in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has a plethora of bottle shops to choose from, with a variety of options for beer enthusiasts. Here is a list of some of the top bottle shops in the city:

Sunset Beer Company

Sunset Beer Company is located in Echo Park and is one of the most beloved bottle shop/taproom hybrids in Los Angeles. The shop has a unique setup, with fridges arranged by geographic location, allowing customers to explore beers from different regions. They offer a wide range of beers, including options from local Southern California breweries and beers from across the country. The taproom provides a cosy space to relax and enjoy a drink, with board games and a small outdoor seating area.

Hop Merchants

Hop Merchants is a bottle shop and taproom located in North Hollywood. Started by a group of homebrewing friends, Hop Merchants offers a carefully curated selection of beers. They have 16 rotating taps featuring Los Angeles breweries, as well as a well-stocked fridge with a variety of IPAs, stouts, porters, and sours. The dog-friendly space has a brick-walled interior and a lively atmosphere, making it a popular spot for beer enthusiasts in the area.

The Bottle Shoppe

The Bottle Shoppe, located in Sylmar, is a boutique retailer of fine wines, craft beers, and spirits. They offer a wide selection of local, regional, national, and imported craft beers, many of which are hard to find elsewhere in Los Angeles. The owners are known for their tasting events, providing a great opportunity to explore new brews. The shop has a clean and welcoming atmosphere, and the staff is extremely helpful in assisting customers in finding their perfect drink.

Craft Beer Cellars

Craft Beer Cellars is a well-known national chain of craft beer sellers, with two locations in the greater Los Angeles area: Eagle Rock and Torrance. The shops are packed with coolers and shelves dedicated to an extensive range of local, small-batch, and international beers and ciders. The Eagle Rock location also features a bar and patio, where customers can enjoy their purchased bottles for a small corkage fee. It's a great spot to relax and socialise while enjoying a diverse selection of drinks.

Valley Beverage Company

While Valley Beverage Company in Sherman Oaks calls itself a wine shop, it offers a surprisingly impressive selection of beers. They have everything from high-end bottles to unique brews from well-known breweries across the country. It's the perfect spot to find those hard-to-find beers and explore a wide range of craft beer options.

These bottle shops showcase the diverse and vibrant craft beer scene in Los Angeles, offering something for every beer enthusiast. Whether you're looking for a cosy taproom, a unique selection, or a place to discover new brews, these shops are sure to impress.

Growlers in Los Angeles

Growlers are a great way to enjoy the freshest brews at home. A growler is a specialised glass jug that can be filled and refilled at most local breweries in Los Angeles. Growlers were traditionally metal pails with tight-fitting lids that were used to transport beer from the saloon. Modern-day growlers are glass jugs that can hold one or two litres of beer and are sealed with a screw-on cap or a bail-top stopper. When properly filled and sealed, the beer will stay fresh and carbonated for a few days, but once opened, it is best to consume the beer within 36 hours. To prolong the beer's freshness, it is recommended to keep the filled growlers as cold as possible.

The initial cost of a growler varies, ranging from a few dollars for a one-litre screw-top bottle to around $20 for a larger bail-top jug. The cost to fill a growler ranges from under $10 for a one-litre "mini growler" to over $20 for two litres of a special release brew. It is important to note that in California, breweries are legally required to fill only growlers printed with their name and address.

There are several breweries in Los Angeles that offer growler fills. Here are some options to consider:

• Beachwood Brewing in Long Beach offers a variety of quality beers and provides the option to pick up or deliver to Los Angeles and the Valley.
• Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne, known for its excellent and interesting craft beers, such as the Fresh Pils of LA and the Pink & Proud session IPA. They offer pick-up, delivery, and shipping options.
• Sunset Beer Company in Echo Park is not a brewery but is a great place to find fresh-brewed beer from various LA breweries, including Highland Park, Monkish, and Mumford.
• Valley Beverage Company in Sherman Oaks offers a wide range of beers, including barrel-aged stouts, aged Belgian lambics, and beers from iconic breweries such as Vermont's Hill-Farmstead Brewery. They offer online ordering for pick-up.
• Wades Wines in Westlake Village is a bottle shop that carries a massive selection of bottles and drafts, including local favourites like Beachwood Blendery, Institution Ales, and out-of-town options like Russian River and Fifty Fifty. They can be contacted at (818) 597-9463 for orders.

These are just a few examples of the many breweries and bottle shops in Los Angeles that offer growler fills and craft beer options.

Buying beer bottles online

While there are plenty of brick-and-mortar bottle shops in Los Angeles, you may prefer to buy beer bottles online. This could be for a number of reasons, including convenience, a lack of nearby options, or the desire to source a specific type of bottle.

When buying beer bottles online, you have a few options. You can either purchase them directly from a bottle shop with an online store, or you can opt for a more general e-commerce platform.

Bottle Shop Websites:

Some bottle shops in Los Angeles have websites where you can order beer for pick-up or delivery. For example, Hawthorne's Common Space Brewery in Los Angeles offers an online ordering service for pick-up, delivery, or shipping within California. Similarly, Valley Beverage Company in Sherman Oaks allows customers to order online for pick-up. However, these shops may not sell empty beer bottles specifically, and you may need to purchase beer to get the bottles.

E-commerce Platforms:

Alternatively, you can buy empty beer bottles from online retailers such as Amazon. This option may be more convenient if you are looking for a specific type of bottle or if you want a more extensive selection. However, keep in mind that some products may have limited stock, so be sure to check each product page for other buying options and act quickly if you find what you need.

Buying Beer Bottles In-Person:

If you are unable to find what you're looking for online, or if you prefer to shop in person, there are numerous bottle shops and breweries in Los Angeles that sell beer by the bottle. For example, Sunset Beer Company in Echo Park offers a wide range of bottles and cans from local and out-of-state breweries. Bottle Shoppe in Sylmar is another excellent option, known for carrying beers from breweries that few other shops in the area have access to.

Whether you choose to buy beer bottles online or in-person, Los Angeles has plenty of options to suit your needs.

Beer delivery in Los Angeles

If you're looking for beer delivery in Los Angeles, there are several options to choose from. Sipsy offers a wide selection of beer, wine, and spirits, delivered straight to your doorstep with fast, hassle-free delivery. They offer same-day and even same-hour delivery in select areas, and you can schedule your delivery for a later time as well. Minibar Delivery also provides beer, wine, and liquor delivery in as little as 30-60 minutes, with a $5 delivery fee.

For craft beer specifically, there are numerous breweries and bottle shops in Los Angeles that offer delivery and pickup services. Echo Park's Sunset Beer Company, for instance, offers a range of fresh-brewed beers from local breweries like Highland Park, Monkish, and Mumford, as well as beers from outside Southern California. Long Beach's Beachwood Brewing is another option, known for its impressive variety of quality beers. If you're looking for something unique, Hawthorne's Common Space Brewery offers interesting craft beers like their Fresh Pils of LA and Pink & Proud session IPA, available for delivery to greater Los Angeles and The Valley.

For those who want to try hard-to-find beers, Valley Beverage Company in Sherman Oaks offers a wide range of options, from barrel-aged stouts to aged Belgian lambics, and beers from iconic breweries like Vermont's Hill-Farmstead Brewery. Wades Wines in Westlake Village is another bottle shop with a massive selection of local and out-of-town beers, including Beachwood Blendery, Institution Ales, Kern River Brewing, and Russian River. These shops typically offer delivery or pickup options, making it convenient for beer enthusiasts to enjoy their favourite drinks at home.

Wine shops in Los Angeles

While searching for empty beer bottles in Los Angeles, I came across several wine shops in the area. Here is some information about them:

One well-known wine shop in Los Angeles is The Wine House, a premier wine shop that offers a vast selection of handpicked wines. They pride themselves on having the perfect wine for any occasion. Another popular option is K&L, a go-to destination for wine enthusiasts. With a comprehensive selection, Woodland Hills Wine Company is also worth mentioning. They offer a wide range of wines to satisfy any preference.

If you're looking for something unique, Eataly in the Century City Mall specialises in Italian wines, offering a massive selection of regional grape varieties at decent prices. For those who appreciate a good bargain, Wine Exchange provides fantastic deals and is conveniently located near other popular wine shops.

In addition to these, there are several other notable wine shops in Los Angeles, such as Wally's, Lincoln Fine Wines, and Colorado Wine Company in Eagle Rock. For those seeking a more intimate experience, LOU Wine in Los Feliz is a favourite among locals. Whether you're a connoisseur or a novice, Los Angeles' wine shops have something for everyone.

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