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| Photo by Lana LosAngeles |
It was a grey, gloomy, wet & sticky day in Carson, as LA got some much needed rain. In lieu of taking multiple showers, there is nothing quite as refreshing as an ice cold beer. Good thing we live in LA where the pints are plenty and many local, craft breweries call it their home. From the nationally acclaimed breweries to smaller brewers who are just getting their tongues wet, LA might be in a major water drought but our beer taps runneth over. Carson is the one of the latest cities to have a craft beer brewery to move in. Phantom Carriage is a local brewery that's relatively new to the neighborhood. It opened up its doors and taps to the public less than a year ago.
First thing that crossed our minds upon coming across Phantom Carriage: A brewery so close to Compton?! We MUST check this place out. Heads up, this place is located in the cut in commercial building with barely any signage. Sort of hard to find, but worth the search. We entered into a dark hallway and were greeted by the sounds of bar banter and rock music. Once our eyes adjusted, we walked into the bar area. The facility was very spacious and contained minimal decor. Though the light was faint, the patrons seemed to liven up the place. It was a Tuesday afternoon so it wasn’t packed, but all of the seats at the bar were taken. The first dope aspect we notice were the high ceilings, the huge towers of barrels located at the rear of the bar and all of the wooden tables and chairs. It actually gave off the feeling of being inside a barrel, which may seem to make a person uneasy, but is was actually a fitting and diggable atmosphere. Another cool feat was the even darker room where horror films are screened. Today’s choice flick: selections from the Tales from the Crypt series. Suddenly stricken by nostalgia, we are reminded of being kids in the early nineties being horrified by the appearance of the Crypt-keeper. So it was only fitting that we sat in this room.
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| Photo by Lana Los Angeles |
After establishing our base camp, we proceeded to the bar to order food and drinks. The bartender was super helpful and informative. He told us that they were known for their house sour brews and that they also have some guest selections. Appreciating their affordable baller-on-a-budget prices, we decided to order a flight to sample all of their house beers. Our conclusion: we hated the sour beers. They weren’t our thing. However, we definitely do recommend some of their other house selections. Our top choices were the Hoppy Leapwood, which is a Saison Farmhouse Ale and the Nightwatch which a dark and hoppy IPA brew. Both of these selections pleased us so, it was only necessary to order a full pint after the flight. The food we ordered was also very pleasing. We had the Turkey Melt and Grilled Cheese and each sandwich came with a pickle and the house chips. The Turkey melt was set off by their sweet house jam causing our tastebuds to be overjoyed by this marriage of sweet and savory. The Grilled Cheese was also complemented by the house jam, one of the best Grilled Cheeses we have had in a long time, and the perfect classic snack to go along with our already nostalgic lunch.
Overall, we had a really great experience at the Phantom Carriage. If you ever find yourself in Carson, especially in the month of October, it is definitely worth checking out. One thing that makes us want to go back is that their house brews are constantly rotating on tap, which means you can experience something new every time. They also have some exciting events coming up that go along with the Halloween theme including a Pop-Up Beer Dinner on the 15th, a Monster Making Paint Night on the 22nd and a Pumpkin Fest Carving Contest on the 25th all of which we strongly recommend checking out. The already spooky feel and the fantastic selection of ice cold beer we have no doubt Halloween here would be time well-spent. With it’s commercial building location and the subtle character, this place is the perfect fit for the understated and curated town of Carson, California.
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| Flyer Courtesy of Phantom Carriage Website |
