Monkish Brewing Co.
Monkish Brewing Co. is an independent brewery from Torrance, California, founded in 2012 by Henry Nguyen. They started with Belgian styles and actually wanted to make sour beer, but are now best known for hazy IPAs and sour beers. At Hoptimaal you'll find a number of IPAs from them.
- LocationTorrance, CA
- Founded2012
- TypeMicrobrewery
- Untappd 4.3 · 1.1M ratings
- At Hoptimaal3 in stock
In stock now 3
A Belgian start in the South Bay
Monkish Brewing Co. opened its doors in April 2012 in the South Bay region of Los Angeles. Founder and brewer Henry Nguyen grew up in Gardena, served in the Marine Corps and earned a doctorate in New Testament theology at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. During those years in Scotland he discovered beer, and homebrewing became his creative outlet. He owns the brewery together with his wife Adriana. They have no investors, so they make all the decisions themselves.
The original plan was to make mostly sour beer. However, all the money went into the build-out and there was no budget for barrels. So in the first year Nguyen brewed clean Belgian styles, which he knew well, and he stood in the taproom himself almost every shift. Barrels and oak foeders came later. Today the brewery is in Torrance, with additional locations in Anaheim and Echo Park.
From Belgian yeast to hazy IPA
Monkish stood out early on for unusual ingredients. Hibiscus goes into the tripel Feminist and Szechuan pepper gives the dubbel Shaolin Kick its own sharpness. Nguyen keeps these additions subtle, so the Belgian yeast stays in the lead role.
For a long time the brewery held to a promise never to brew an IPA, meant as a counterweight to what new breweries do by default. That has changed: according to TasteAtlas, Monkish is now known for hazy IPAs and sour beers, with a lot of attention to aroma and dry hopping with hop varieties such as Citra, Nelson, Galaxy and Mosaic. The brewery also develops wild and mixed-fermentation beers in oak foeders. Every recipe carries Nguyen's signature.
Monkish at Hoptimaal
At Hoptimaal you'll find three IPAs from Monkish, in a 47.3 cl pack. The strength ranges from 6.9 to 10.2 percent. On Untappd, Monkish Never Sleep, Monkish All Seeing and Monkish B-Boy Apostle are rated highest.
Drink the hoppy IPAs as fresh as possible and cold, so the hop aromas come through best. The stronger ones you take more slowly, in a smaller glass, and let them warm up a little.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Monkish Brewing Co. come from?
Monkish comes from Torrance, in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, California. The brewery opened in 2012 and also has locations in Anaheim and Echo Park.
What kind of beer does Monkish Brewing Co. make?
Monkish started with Belgian styles such as tripel and dubbel and is now known for hazy IPAs and sour beers. They also make wild and mixed-fermentation beers in oak foeders.
What's the best way to drink Monkish IPA?
Drink hoppy IPAs as fresh as possible and cold, so the hop aromas come through well. The stronger beers, up to 10.2 percent, you drink more slowly and a little less cold.
