Beer.

First brewed by the ancient Sumerians as far back as 3400 B.C. in what is now modern-day Iraq, beer is one of the oldest drinks in human history.

Beer has sustained societies across continents and shaped history for millennia.

From the first meeting in a London pub in 1604 that kicked off the Gunpowder Plot, to the libations celebrating the 1810 wedding of a Bavarian crown prince in Munich that sowed the seeds for Oktoberfest, to 1969 when the first shot glass fired at the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village ignited the Stonewall Riots and the gay rights movement, beer and the places that serve them have made its mark a thousand times over.

Today, California is the birthplace of the craft brewing movement, with more breweries than any other state. It is an industry that generated $8.8 billion for the state economy in 2022.

According to the California Craft Brewers Association, there are over 1,100 craft breweries operating across the state.

With 95% of Californians living within 10 miles of a brewery, and with over 100 brewery locations spread across Los Angeles County, Angelenos are spoiled for choice.

Deciding where to go for trivia nights, to catch a Dodger game and even find a place to unwind after a hard day’s work shouldn’t be overwhelming.

From gardens broadcasting March Madness to ones that sell libations worthy of a Viking party to one with a resident brewery cat, let The Union take you along for a beer run around five of the South Bay’s top breweries.

Click here to embark on a beer run to the top five breweries around the South Bay.

Warning: The Union strongly advises readers to drink responsibly and to not drink and drive.