Iconic Downtown LA brewery suddenly shutters — as city’s bar scene turns into ghost town

An iconic Los Angeles brewery held its last event Sunday as it closes down, the latest in a string of closures affecting the city’s night life.

Angel City Brewery in the downtown art district shuttered its operations with a send off, after 13 years in the district and around three decades in the city. The business officially closes April 30.

Known for its stand-out neon sign, the firm had past locations in Culver City and Torrance. Its parent company Alchemy & Science owned the brewery since 2012 but announced last year it was winding down operations.

Sam Adams maker Boston Beer Company, which owns Alchemy & Science, is shuttering the business to focus on its national brands, KTLA reported.

“We believe there is potential for this brand to succeed outside of Boston Beer as a strong local offering, and we’ll be putting significant efforts behind selling Angel City so the brand can continue to live on,” company officials said.

Other drinking establishments in the L.A. area have struggled to stay open amid the city’s homelessness and crime problems. Meanwhile, operating a business in the city remains expensive.

The owner of Clifton’s Republic said weeks ago he’s given up on reopening the night club. The business has opened and closed a few times since the pandemic, but now, owner Andrew Meieran is done.

“We’ve lost our way,” Meieran told the Los Angeles Times. “I want to get up on the tops of the skyscrapers and yell that people need to pay attention to this.”

He cited vandalism, crime, and declining foot traffic for the closure, including multiple assaults on people in front of his building.

A beloved bar at one of Downtown Santa Monica’s best-known corners also closed this month. The Misfit Bar and Restaurant served customers for 15 years but became victim to an ongoing apocalypse of empty storefronts.

As for Angel City Brewery, fans mourned the impending loss online. One employee is even reportedly trying to save the business.

“At this point I’ve entered the acceptance phase of seeing one cool bar/restaurant/theater after another close permanently all over this town,” one user commented on Reddit. “It all started a year or so before Covid and hasn’t stopped since.”