You know that feeling when you enter a Sweet Factory store and you realize they have one of everything? That the walls are just covered in tubes and tubes of every jelly bean, gummy bear and candy shelled chocolate imaginable? That’s a bit like what Hudson House feels like, but with beer. It’s a chic Redondo Beach night spot with all the modern and fashionable furnishings you expect: exposed brick, dim lights, quality libations. But what sets it apart from any old beer pit is the dedication to curating an all-star lineup of craft brews.
A Dedication to Craft
Rather than keep everything on tap through a network of tubes, the folks at Hudson House elect to simply keep stock of a lot of bottled beers. I mean a lot. There are two chalkboards worth of bottled selections, and the curator knows what they’re doing. Although their arsenal is subject to change and rotations, when I went there were no less than 24 reputable beverages available. Draughts, ciders, lagers, pilsners, stouts — it was admirable the lengths they went to collect such a selection and catalog it so faithfully.
They get local cred for stocking Eagle Rock Brewery’s Solidarity Black Ale and The Bruery’s hoppy sensation, Mischief. Although Lost Coast is a major name, it’s still a (far) Northern California brew and they carry Tangerine Wheat. Finally, they show off their craft cred with Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, a fan-favorite brand made famous through Discovery Channel reality shows.
Discerning Liquor
Something ought to be mentioned about their discerning taste in liquor in cocktails, too. From what I could tell, the bar isn’t stocked with your standard “get drunk and yell” spirits. There is no extra large crown royal, no bottles of patron. The bartenders at Hudson House seem to prefer whiskey and its esteemed variants. I spotted some kind of jasmine liquer, prohibition-style Templeton Rye and more. With these ingredients they also offer an enticing and imaginitive series of house cocktails. Take, for instance, the “Smokey Bourbon,” which is made up of a house 12 year single barrel bourbon, house made chipotle syrup, bitters and a coffee ice rock with an orange twist. There’s really nowhere else to get comparable, interesting cocktails like this.
Eat With Drink
Most people love a good beer, but even more love a good beer with good food. Hudson House has something for hungry drinkers, and they’re often great beer foods with a stunning gourmet style: blue cheese stuffed olives, kale grit fritters, seared scallops, roasted nuts with marinated olives. It’s like a master chef’s take on finger foods. These appetizers are befitting the carefully thought out alcoholic selection.
If you’ve got a slightly larger appetite, you can get a proper meal with brown sugar pork ribs, pulled pork pretzel croissant sandwiches, a flat iron steak, or other dishes that turn on light bulbs in your brain. It’s really a nice place of well-designed food & drink pairings.
Hudson House – (310) 798 – 9183
514 N. Pacific Coast Highway
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
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