A familiar name to the Los Angeles craft beer scene is on the rebound near Union Station in the downtown Arts District. You may recall that a new brewing initiative called Alchemy & Science bought Angel City Brewery back in January of this year. And if you have been keenly following the developments since then, you know that the company, headed by craft beer veteran Alan Newman, also found a brewmaster from Arizona in Gordon Biersch alum Dieter Foerstner.

These two new Los Angeles transplants will be bringing their perspective on beer styles to the historic building on the corner of 2nd & Alameda in downtown’s Arts District. The space is still in the construction phase but you can see brewing equipment standing tall, the bar is partially done with tap handles ready to go and the outline of a place to relax with a beer is taking shape. Most importantly, the brewing of test batches is well under way with an IPA (more East coast than West in style) and a Tamarind Wit being refined much like the insides of the building are being renovated. I sampled the wit (aka Test Batch B) and was impressed. It was a lovely and lightly sweet brew that was very quaffable. Other possible beers in the Angel City pipeline are a pilsner and an alt-bier.

The affable Foerstner, who went to the famed UC Davis brewing school at the same time as Ben Cook from Hangar 24, is ready to contribute to not only the craft beer community but to the downtown L.A. community as a whole. And with a gathering place featuring 8-12 taps at any one time adding to a neighborhood that also includes the nearby Far Bar on First Street and Little Bear to the south, it appears downtown is poised to have a beermuda triangle.

As with all things craft beer, the timetable on new (and renewed) breweries often shifts. But, fingers crossed, L.A. craft beer geeks may be able to celebrate the re-opening of Angel City in time for the latest L.A. Beer Week.

The Beer of the Week comes from Torrance and Strand Brewing. Joel Elliot has concocted a refreshing and tart Berliner Weisse in time for summer by the name of Ito-Weisse. And the only place to sample it with either himbeer (raspberry) or woodruff (You can see a photo of all three iterations HERE is at the tap room which is open Thursday and Friday from 4pm to 9pm, Saturday from Noon to 8pm and Sunday from Noon to 6pm.

Your Homework this week is to take the time to thank those that make the craft beer that you enjoy. Whenever I meet a brewer, be it the first time or the 20th time, I say thanks for the long hours put in at the kettles. Without their dedication to the craft, we wouldn’t have such a long list of great beers on the L.A. Beer Blast every week. So whether you are at the brewery or at an event around L.A. where the brewer (or assistant brewer) is in attendance, shake their hands and let them know you appreciate it. And in that spirit, thanks to Dieter, Jon and Victor whose beers I have had recently and who have taken the time to talk when they could be brewing.

Find more of Sean Inman’s writing on his blog, Beer Search Party.