Blind Donkey

Way back in 1997, when craft brewing was only just becoming a thing, brewmaster Mark Jilg staked out a spot just west of the Foothill Freeway and began producing kegs of handmade beers which he delivered to bars himself, the barrels rattling around in the back of his vintage pickup truck. 16 years later he’s still going strong, having developed a line of beers that have made the Craftsman Brewing Company one of the most popular independent operations in the L.A. area.

Craftsman doesn’t have a bottling operation, but you can sample their 1903 pre-Prohibition style lager and other popular and seasonal beers at Luck Baldwin’s Pub at Raymond Avenue and Mercantile Place. Named after the colorful founder of the Santa Anita Racetrack, Lucky Baldwin’s features 63 beers on tap served in one of the oldest buildings in Pasadena.