These photos were taken Wednesday afternoon at Gelson’s Market, in Manhattan Beach, where my buddy Phil joined me at the Gelson’s Wine Bar to check out the beer collaboration they had done with El Segundo Brewing.

Last month it was announced that El Segundo Brewing Company had partnered with Gelson’s Markets on their first-ever beer collaboration – Gelson’s Summer Blonde Ale. Gelson’s reached out to me to see if I was interested in checking it out. I had a pretty busy June, but yesterday was free, so Phil and I headed out to Manhattan Beach.

To be honest, this was my first ever visit to Gelson’s so I was not sure what to expect from their wine bar. I have visited a market or two that had beer available on tap, but I did not recall seeing any wine options; perhaps because I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. That being said, I was pretty impressed with what Gelson’s offered. They had 12 beers on tap, including local breweries like El Segundo Brewing, HopSaint, Brouwerij West, and Three Weavers.

Since we were there because of the Gelson’s Summer Blonde, we both started off with that. Gelson’s Summer Blonde is crafted with an ABV of 5.0% and is made with 100% Tettnanger hops, contributing to its subtle floral and herbal spice notes. The malt profile, featuring Rahr 2-Row, Rahr Premium Pilsner, Flaked Corn, and Dextrin malt, creates a harmonious balance of doughy sweetness, white bread, cake batter, and honey. The result is a beer that strikes the perfect balance between maltiness and bitterness, making it an excellent choice for those who appreciate a firm malt base without the intensity of an IPA. Even though Phil and I are both hopheads, we both enjoyed it a lot.

The sign outside suggested that it was a wine, tapas, and seafood bar, which was apparently more accurate pre-COVID, but the lockdown caused these to be closed for a couple years. Currently, it is more accurately described as a wine, beer, and sushi bar. Since it was there, we got a couple sushi rolls to accompany our brews; we had zero regrets.

In addition to the beer and wine, they also offer sake and champagne. As we enjoyed our food and beer, we could not help but wonder why there were not more people there enjoying the sushi. I suspect if the sign said “sushi” instead of “seafood” more sushi lovers would flock there. If you find yourself there, I highly recommend the Royal Rainbow Roll; it is quite tasty.

All in all, we had a very nice time, thanks in large part to the friendliness of our beertender, Jackie G, and an impromptu visit by Dan and Briana. Many thanks to Gelson’s, I have a feeling there will be subsequent visits. Cheers!