Today’s Brew & You column is brought to you by the number 2. Because the next 2 weekends bring birthdays for 2 places that have helped the Southland craft beer scene grow over the past 2 years.

Tony’s Darts Away is up first, celebrating their 2nd year of serving up great craft beer in Burbank. They will be expanding their normal size with an outdoor deck and bar and inviting ticket holders to an all-day beer extravaganza on Saturday, April 21.

Chef Randal St. Clair will be at the stoves to feed the assembled beer masses and beer champion Paige Reilly will be at the tap handles with a wide variety of beers including some rare ones that are not to be missed such as Cuvee de Tomme, Supplication and Sucaba from Lost Abbey, Russian River and Firestone-Walker respectively. And that is just to start. They have been unveiling beers on their blog each day leading up to the event. So check the updated list but first get tickets if they haven’t sold out.

Then next weekend from April 27 – 29 Cismontane Brewing celebrates their terrible two’s with a three day weekend showcasing their new, expanded digs as well as their beers. You also get to vote on the next beer to be brewed.

But what will really get your attention is the beer list. 1st Anniversary Black Lager. 2nd Anniversary Belgian IPA. Fresh Hop Double Rainbow. Smokin’ Santiago Scotch. Dead Santa. Brut du Sauvin. And that is not even talking about the barrel aged beers that they will have too. And that is just looking at Saturday. Friday has special casks of Citizen and Coulter and on Sunday there will be a bike ride and a raffle too.

The L.A. beer scene may be just a toddler in comparison to the celebrated beer cities in the U.S. but Tony’s Darts Away and Cismontane Brewing show how far we have come in a very short time, and they are only two of the spots an L.A. beer lover can frequent.

The Beer of the Week is the Stone Imperial Russian Stout which was released on Monday. I have been on a session beer kick but this big and bold beer always draws me back. And it is always fun to read the back of the bottle while sipping at what the Stone website calls a “…mysterious brew to pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier.”

Your Homework this week is to check out Atwater Village and more specifically Andy Hasroun’s combo of 55 Degree Wine and right next door, Link N Hops. One is a wine store with a good selection of beers and an actual cellar where beer tastings (and wine too) are held. The other is brand new and serves up an array of craft beer including Eagle Rock and Golden Road and gives you an eclectic menu of “links” to go with it.

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