"If you like being ahead of trends, we highly recommend checking out Homage Brewing in Pomona, about a half-hour east of DTLA. It’s a tiny operation in a commercial part of town, but later this year, they plan to open a space in Chinatown, and we can pretty much guarantee they’ll blow up once they’re in LA proper. Their barrel-aged saisons are the best around, and they do some extremely funky blends - like fermenting ales over grapes and apples - that result in some great, innovative options. We recommend getting here early in the day to pick up some crowlers (they tend to sell out quickly on weekends) and then heading up to Claremont Hills Wilderness Trail, for a beautiful 5-mile loop that overlooks the city of Claremont. This is also a great place to stop on your way to or from Joshua Tree." - brett keating