SeeCalifornia.com

Long Beach’s Beachwood BBQ & Brewing (beachwoodbbq.com) was selected last week as the Best 2014 Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Brewer of the Year. 220 beer experts from 10 countries tasted beer samples such as Beachwood’s Mocha Machine Coffee Beer (Gold Medal) and Un Atout  French & Belgian-Style Saison (Silver Medal) in the biggest contest ever. With over 5,500 entries, a 16% increase over last year, competition was tough but Beachwood BBQ’s brewery team of Julian Shrago and Ian McCall barely broke a sweat.  See 2014 California winners.

“We put 100% into everything we do, and we are really driven because of the creative autonomy that we have,” said  Shrago, brewmaster and co-owner of Beachwood BBQ and Brewing. The Oakland native developed a taste for beer at UC Santa Barbara where he earned a mechanical engineering degree. Landing a job in aerospace after college, he moved to Orange County, where he began making beer at home. By 2009 he had a business plan, partnering with chef Gabe Gordon & Lena Perelman to open their first restaurant in Seal Beach. It wasn’t long before they opened a second restaurant and brewery in Long Beach.

Last year Beachwood brought home five medals, including two golds, and earned the title of Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year, beating out 744 other breweries from around the country.  This year they won two medals and Large Brewpub of the Year title.