The Rise of Highland Park Brewery: from Hermosillo Roots to Chinatown Stardom
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Q1: What is Highland Park Brewery best known for?
Highland Park Brewery is celebrated primarily for its craft lagers and pilsners, particularly Timbo Pils, which won gold at the Great American Beer Festival. They are also widely recognized for crisp West Coast IPAs, expressive hazy IPAs, and complex, barrel-aged wild ales.
Q2: What is the relationship between Highland Park Brewery and The Hermosillo?
HPB was founded in 2014 inside the back room of The Hermosillo, a bar on York Boulevard in Highland Park. Founder Bob Kunz partnered with the bar owners to build a small 7-barrel brewhouse. While HPB later expanded to its Chinatown facility in 2018, The Hermosillo remains intimately connected to the brewery's identity and continues serving HPB drafts.
Q3: Does the Chinatown taproom offer food and family-friendly seating?
Yes. The Chinatown location features a full scratch kitchen offering burgers, sandwiches, seasonal small plates, and vegan options. The large tasting room patio is child-friendly and dog-friendly, located directly across from Los Angeles State Historic Park.
Q4: Can you buy Highland Park Brewery beer outside of Los Angeles?
HPB distributes on a limited basis to select specialty craft beer bars and bottle shops throughout California. However, to guarantee absolute freshness, the vast majority of their beer is sold directly through their Chinatown taproom, The Hermosillo, and their direct-to-consumer California shipping portal.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
