Not only is the Los Angeles brewing scene heating up, but the amount of beer coming into SoCal is increasing every month.  Here is a list of those Non-California breweries that have beer trucks heading our way.

Mystic Brewing – Coming to us from Massachusetts, this brewery specializes in making “living beer,” primarily saisons and Belgian styles.

Must Try Beer: Saison Renaud.  Made with Saaz hops and pilsner malts fashioned into a saison.

Prairie Artisan Ales – Out of the brewing mecca that is Oklahoma.  Yes, you read that correctly.  This innovative brewery produces saisons and very funky farmhouse beers that are light and refreshing.

Must Try Beer: ‘Merica, an Uber funky farmhouse ale brewed with Nelson Sauvin hops.

Ninkasi Brewing – From the home of the Oregon Ducks comes this brewery with an eccentric streak and a love of hops.

Must Try Beer: Maiden the Shade, a summer IPA with 7 different types of hops in it.  So I guess you would call it a “S”IPA?

Smuttynose – Another East Coast product, Smuttynose has been brewing since 1994 in New Hampshire with the distinctive seal on their logo.

Must Try Beer: FinestKind IPA is dry-hopped and unfiltered and has come ashore in Los Angeles at The Oinkster.  It will give West Coasters a chance to compare and contrast East Coast Hoppy to ours.

RavenBeer – This Baltimore based brewery connects the world of Edgar Allan Poe to craft beer with the spooky visage of the author on the label.

Must Try Beer: Pendulum Pils a German style pilsner evoking the Pit and the … (you guessed it).  A light offering for those hot Autumn days that pop up in L.A.

These beers and more may not be from around here but they are certainly making our Los Angeles beer scene more varied and complex and a lot harder when you try to decide what to buy next.  Included is a late entry, Cisco Brewer’s, whose Whale’s Tail Pale ale has been found at Sunset Beer!

The Beer of the Week is Stimulus from Eagle Rock Brewery.  This is the light Belgian beer with coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee that is just down the road from the brewery.  This beer doesn’t last long and doesn’t get brewed all that often.  But if you don’t catch it, don’t worry.  Another coffee beer is coming down the tap.  Your second choice (and a strong one at that) comes from Los Angeles Ale Works, The Buttress of Windsor is the third beer from the LAAW and it is a coffee rye porter with coffee from True & Brave Coffee.

Your Homework this week is to check out the Session.  It is a monthly writing experiment where beer bloggers are given a topic from that month’s host and are sent off to rant, rave or explain where they stand on the issue.  Sometimes fiery and always interesting, it is a great way to see where the court of popular beer opinion is trending.  It happens the first Friday of each month.

If you are craving to see craft beer geeks in the flesh, you should buy tickets to the 8th Annual Woodshop Tasting.  It will held at the Hermosillo in Highland Park and is the gold standard of bottle shares. This version includes the world premiere of beer from Highland Park Brewery!  Also expect beers like Stickee Monkee from Firestone Walker, Grey Monday from The Bruery and Fig Poppa from Noble Ale Works!

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