Hopsaint Brewing UPDATE - Torrance

Times are hard but I am lucky. Few can boast of job security right now, but all my extra years of training are finally paying off. I may be on the front lines of a deadly pandemic, but at least I can fight it with some of the best people I know.

I GET to work here, I GET to share the space with them, and they make the world a little better place by existing. 

Some of the best times I’ve shared with them were at Hopsaint, and those weekday happy hours are what I’m hanging onto as I don't get to see them outside the office anymore.

Our happy hours are on an indefinite hold, and sometimes it feels like happiness is as well. But with a click of a mouse and a swipe of a card to Grubhub, at least I can try to remember those good times again.

A dunk of a buttered baguette into a Shrimp Dynamite sauce and I can see us crowding around a menu, picking out the first beer to try. 

The habanero is a creamy kick in the mouth, and it always pairs with the hoppy twang of the latest IPA. A round of beers are getting guzzled, we exclaim about the flavors as we take one down and pass it around. There’s always a healthy debate raging between the IPA die-hards and the gentlemen who prefer blonds.

A bolder person than me breaks the seal and white lava pours from a hot Baked Brie. Almonds float on top like pumice, and there are fruits of the season to sweeten the deal: summer stone fruit when we’re sweltering in our shorts or a fruity jam when we’re in our jackets. 

Another round of beers, as the banter takes an upward turn. There’s always at least one crack about my cats, and sometimes sports rivalries find their way into the friendly fire. 

The Pure Intention always makes an appearance as the meatier stomach-fillers start to come out. 

The hops play off a lighter Catfish Po Boy. A crisp-on-the-outside, all-fluff-within baguette is good enough to be a French, and a catfish filet is serious about its spices.

It's not brisket night tonight, but there's a Brisket Po Boy that'll bring tears to a meat-lover’s eye. A fluffy brioche is cradles cubes of brisket coated with a sugary glaze that turns them into meat candy.

Chicken Drumettes count as an app, but they can be substantial with some serious smoke. Choose a sour to pair with the poultry or a hoppier ale to spar with the smoke. I do love a good drummette, but these pickles are competing for the best part of the plate.

I still see them in the office, but the mood is more somber now. The collegiality creates calm amidst the chaos but there’s less laughter without the booze. I miss shared experience of discovery, the competitiveness of corn hole and giant Jenga. 

Hang in there, guys, we'll get back to Hopsaint someday. I’ll always be your social chair, waiting for the day we take off our masks to pass the brisket and the beers.  

Hopsaint Brewing UPDATE - Torrance

Second trip to Hopsaint, which is quickly becoming a watering hole for after work. They put the happy in happy hour with great beer and great food all under the same awesomely-architectured roof. The IPA we had that day was freshly tapped, and none of us have found anything better. EVER. No joke; every single person who was there that night still raves about it except we can't remember its name. 

But I didn't forget the food. I couldn't forget the food. There's a Tri Tip Sandwich, with meaty, juicy cuts, dripping with a deluge of gooey cheese, on an impressively crispy baguette lined with a deep, leafy kale. There's a smoked sweet onion jus for dipping; let that sandwich swim. 

There's a Pulled Pork Po Boy that really blows my southern mind. The shredded pork has a stand-out sauce, a sweet n' sour chipotle that takes a strong stance. Pickled radishes and fennel soften the sting and brighten the tangy notes of the barbecue.

I used to hate cole slaw, but everywhere I go, someone has whipped up a really great batch. Either I've changed or the cole slaw recipes have. Either way, the sweet cabbage-mayo is great on both plates.

If an IPA with no equal isn't enough to convince you to give Hopsaint a try, there's the food to up the ante. It's the Jenny to the Forest Gump of beer, and even if you don't drink, you'll find plenty of reasons to eat.

HopSaint Brewing - Torrance

Breweries are breeding like rabbits in Torrance, and Hopsaint sits on top of a growing South Bay bucket list.

Tried all 6 beers on tap at the time, but there's so much turnover that half are probably obsolete by now. My flight covers all the bases; a light, sweet wheat; a hearty porter; some sort of stout; and a couple of bold IPAs.

Beer goes with all food, IMHO, but few pairings are better than Wood Roasted Olives. Malodorous garlic cloves lose their signature scent and turn sweet with the heat, and the olives roast smoky, into a less briny, more hearty and juicy version of themselves.

Add Deviled Eggs topped with shreds of smoked pork, and you have the fanciest picnic basket in town.

It's all gastropub grub today, and nothing hits the spot like the Pulled Pork Poutine. The potatoes soak up all the beer, and a creamy beernaise ties it all together, though it could use a little more sauce.

The Burnt End Chili is the Sunday special, and I imagine it's best consumed with football. The chili is heartburn-hearty, thick with steak tips and beans. It's practically stew, and the best part is the soft, crumbly side of cornbread.

Best of both worlds at Hopsaint, food and beer, booze and binge. Can you think of a better way to end a sleepy Sunday? Because I sure as heck still can't.