These photos were taken Saturday afternoon at El Segundo Brewing Company, where they celebrated seven years of brewing some of the most hopcentric beers in the South Bay. The celebration featured pretty much everything you would expect to find at a birthday party for a seven year-old; party favors, hats, a barbecue that you could smell for blocks around, birthday cake, a balloon artist and beer, lots and lots of beer, 23 of them to be exact.

El Segundo Brewing Company’s history pretty much reflects the entire South Bay craft beer scene when you stop to think about it. The first time I visited El Segundo Brewing the South Bay had three craft breweries (although they called them microbreweries back then), El Segundo Brewing, Strand Brewing and Monkish Brewing. In fact, on the date of my first visit to El Segundo Brewing they only had three beers available (four taps seemed like the norm in 2012). Today the South Bay has grown from three craft breweries to 23, and El Segundo’s tap list has expanded from three to 23.

In addition to the beer, Bartz Barbecue offered plenty of their meaty plates for those seeking food, and Big Red Entertainment kept people entertained with their very extravagant balloon animal hats. Whoever chose the birthday cake should be commended as this “pie guy” thought the cake was delicious, and I know I was not alone.

As no brewery anniversary would truly be complete without an anniversary beer, El Segundo Brewing did not disappoint. Their Sietes de las Suertes Double IPA is delicious and everything you would expect from an El Segundo Brewing IPA; it is available in bottles or on tap at the production brewery’s tasting room. They also offered Hyperion’s Sheet Cake on cask, but I would be surprised if it made it through the night.

Congratulations to Rob Croxall, Tom Kelley, and the entire El Segundo Brewing Company staff for a great seven years. I know I am not alone in looking forward to seeing what the next seven years brings. Cheers!

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