Toast to Summer Nights

Where To Relax And Mingle With A Quality Imbibe

Pasadena is buzzing with incredible craft breweries, cocktails lounges, and wine bars. Eater LA editor Farley Elliott loves “an Old Pasadena haunt” like Stoney Point Restaurant (stoneypointrestaurantpasadena.com), where you can sit at the bar with the regulars “popping some fritto misto and sipping on a cold martini.” He also recommends Bar Chelou (barchelou.com), which is “certainly promising big things in the wine and craft cocktail space”; The Raymond 1886 (theraymond.com) for “hard to beat” mixed drinks; the British pub Lucky Baldwin’s (luckybaldwins.pub); and neighboring King’s Row Gastropub (kingsrowpub.com), where “the patio is lively and the warm air feels just right.”

LOCAL BREWER MARTIN QUINONES IS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER — ONE CRAFT BEER AT A TIME

BY RAMONA SAVISS

Martin Quinones seemed destined to open a craft brewery. Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, he moved to L.A. for film school and spent 14 years as a sound editor — brewing beer at home was just a hobby. After losing his passion for sound editing, Quinones realized craft beer was his true love. In 2017, he found a place in Pasadena to start a brewery, created a business plan, and began the process of getting permits.

Quinones launched Cervecería Del Pueblo in 2020, though the start of a pandemic was admittedly not the ideal time to open a brewery. He quickly pivoted and began packaging beer to go, selling more than 15,000 cans. In 2021, he finally was able to open his first taproom on West Bellevue Drive. “It was amazing to see people drink our beer and smile,” he says.

Now, Quinones aims to bring new cultures to his patrons through the South American ingredients he brews with — like Colombian coffee, Argentinian yerba mate, Peruvian quinoa, and Ecuadorian cacao. His brewery also hosts comedy nights, paint classes, open mics, musical bingo, trivia, and run club meetups. As explained by Cervecería Del Pueblo’s manifesto, it’s about building a sense of community. “A brewery being a communal space has to be inclusive, welcoming and safe,” Quinones says. “Our community makes us who we are.” cerveceriadelpueblo.com