“Cheers” in Sierra Madre: RT Rogers Brewery

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> Today’s experience comes from the heart of Sierra Madre.

(R-L) Brew Master, Ryan, with his parents Joanna and Kelly (Photo – Jean Sudbury)

RT Rogers Brewery makes the brews–and taps its neighbors for music, food trucks, furniture and coffee in this Sierra Madre gathering place.

 By Jean Sudbury

Brew Master, Ryan, brewed beer in the family garage until his parents discovered his project and moved him indoors. The rest of the family brought experiences as employees of LAUSD to his project—plant management, recycling program management, art instruction and graphic design.  Drawing on all of their skills and talents, the Rogers family developed their brewery and created an innovative gem in Sierra Madre.

Opened in December 2017 in the former Griffin Lumber Yard, RT Rogers (named after Ryan Thomas Rogers, the dedicated brew master) has become a popular place that uniquely taps into its neighbors in this light industrial space. Woodhill Designs made the brewery’s wood furniture. Joe Normal from Rock’n Rollers, a purveyor of music lessons, haircuts and styles, plays at RT Rogers. Java Madre’s cold brew coffee from its roasted beans is on tap at the brewery.  Pop-up food vendors appear on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, including Mad Millers Barbecue, Broad Street Oysters and Lobster Rolls, LA Wood Fire Pizzeria, and Baby Come Back Ribs and Pupusas. Pizza can be ordered and delivered from Village Pizzaria, although guests who come in for beer are welcome to bring their own food.

A growler, a take home bottle of beer (Photo – Jean Sudbury)

Growlers and Crowlers

The brewery offers ‘’Growlers,’’ big bottles that can be filled with a selected beer, sealed, and taken home. Soon to be added are ‘’Crowlers,’’ cans that also can be filled, sealed and taken home.

RT Rogers started with three beers: Brown Porter, Red IPA and Belgian Blond. A Milk Stout, a chocolatey, creamy, darker British malt, was added. The next phase will be German lagers, including a pale, European lager, a Brown and Amber Bock, a Double Bock and a Crisp Bock. Lagers are challenging to brew, requiring plenty of space and time (two months for proper fermentation) so that the lager becomes nice and crisp. In November, the brewery plans to add spicy brown ale with 7.8% alcohol content. RT Rogers collaborated with Pocock Brewery in Santa Clara to offer Raspberry Guava, a tart flavored beer, as the beginning of a new “Trade Secrets” line.

A gem for beer lovers indeed in the San Gabriel Valley.

The sign out front (Photo – Jean Sudbury)

RT Rogers Brewery, 38 East Montecito Ave, Unit #1, Sierra Madre, is a true family business owned and operated by the Rogers family: Mom and Dad, Joanna and Kelly, and sons, Ryan and Jessie, and Jessie’s wife Deanna. The brewery is open Wednesdays-Fridays 4-10, Saturdays 12-10, and Sundays 12-6.