Brew at the LA Zoo Features 30 Craft-Microbreweries, Live Music, Animal Visits, DJ and Food Today

The 4th Annual Brew at the L.A. Zoo, one of summer's most popular events for guests 21 and over, returns today, August 8, 2014, 7 to 11 pm, featuring an after-hours visit to the Zoo with beer samples from 30 local craft and microbreweries, music by three local bands -- Indian School, The Spazmatics and Jug or Nots Jug Band --, dancing with DJ Johnny Hawkes, pub-style grub for purchase and visits to Zoo exhibits including Elephants of Asia, Campo Gorilla Reserve, LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles), the new Rainforest of the Americas and more. With sell-out crowds at the three previous Brew at the L.A. Zoo evenings, advance ticket purchase is strongly suggested.

Participating breweries are Alosta Brewing Co., Angel City Brewery, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Beachwood Brewing, Black Market Brewing Co., Bootlegger's Brewery, Brouwerij West , Coronado Brewing Company, Eagle Rock Brewery, Fireman's Brew, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Golden Road, Goose Island Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Heretic Brewing Company , I & I Brewing, Kinetic Brewing Company, Lagunitas Brewing Co., Mad River Brewing Company, Mother Earth Brew Co., Pizza Port Brewing Co., Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey, Port Town Brewing Co. and San Pedro Brewing Co., Shock Top, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Tap It Brewing Co., Trumer Pils and Shiner White Wing, Twisted Manzanita Ales and Sprits, and Wolf Creek Brewery.

With a sound they describe as blending influences such as the Replacements, Guided By Voices, Descendents and My Morning Jacket, Indian School members Arturo Barrios, Justo Gonzalez, Gabriel Camacho, Anthony Leach and Eric Wood have been active in the LA indie scene for many years. Barrios, Gonzalez and Camacho, known formerly as Audio Karate, earned significant renown and critical acclaim, particularly for their 2004 album, Lady Melody. They toured heavily, including international gigs with popular bands such as The Ataris and Blink-182. After a 2005 break-up, they got back together with Leach and Wood as Indian School, which released its first EP in 2012.

The Spazmatics, who have to be seen to be believed, bring sounds, styles, and "way cool" dance steps from the 1980s, a decade they say they'd, "love to forget." Complete with skinny ties, Brillcreamed hair and horn-rimmed glasses, The Spazmatics recapture all the best of the worst. Outstanding musicianship combined with creative flair and style makes for an evening of pure energy and entertainment. Their motto: so tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999; only it's not!

The traditional blues-based jug band Jug or Nots serves "high energy acoustic musical mischief" as they perform American music of the 1920s and 1930s for today's audiences. Members Sammy D, Mail Train Maynard, Switchyard Zeke, Monterey Jack and Switchblade, who play period instruments including cigar box guitar, washboard, kazoo, resonator guitar, banjo, and standup bass, have performed jazz to progressive to punk, but this band is, they say, "all about having fun" as washboards rattle, kazoos buzz, and frying pans clang. The Jug or Nots were honored to perform at the 2010, 2011, and 2013 International Jug Band Festival in Sutter Creek CA.

DJ Johnny Hawkes, who has left an indelible mark on the dance music scene with his signature mixes of hip-hop, funk, R&B, electro indie and classics, keeps him an in-demand DJ at exclusive events, clubs, fashion shows, and movie premieres throughout the world, with residencies at the Playboy Mansion, MyStudio Fridays, I Want MyHouse Music Thursdays, Libertine 'SundownMotel' and 'Friday Night House.' He has also played at exclusive parties at the Sundance Film Festival and has complied custom mixes for Louis Vuitton, COACH, Fendi, MetLife, Blaque Label, Blaque Market, SoHo House Beverly Hills, Montage Beverly Hills, and Chateau Marmont.

Among the vast, international "grub" selections are gourmet burgers, hand-crafted sandwiches, artisan salads, Italian sausages & bratwursts, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, chicken cheesesteak sandwiches, Bavarian glazed cinnamon roasted almonds, kettle corn, garlic American fries, cinnamon-dusted churros, street tacos, handcrafted sliders, Southern fried chicken with buttermilk coleslaw, bbq pulled pork with buttermilk coleslaw, tamales, Asian street food, Korean kalbi shortrib and kimchi tacos, and tomatillo marinated ahi taco with pineapple & sesame tacos.

Brew at the Zoo is presented by the landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, which draws 1.6 million visitors each year and is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered. Its lush grounds on 113 acres feature a botanical collection comprising over 800 different plant species with approximately 7,000 individual plants. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, the Zoo has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife. Among its most popular habitats are the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles), Elephants of Asia, Campo Gorilla Reserve and Rainforest of the Americas. The private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), which has supported the Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles for more than five decades and provides funding for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, has 65,000 member households representing more than 240,000 adults and children. As evidence of the Zoo's popularity, GLAZA attracts one of the largest membership bases of any cultural organization in Los Angeles. The Zoo's location in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways ideally positions it as a convenient destination enjoyed by locals and vacationers of all ages who can visit every day of the year except Christmas Day.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles' Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.

Advance tickets are $45 general admission, $40 for GLAZA members, and $25 for Designated Drivers (free fountain drink refills all evening at four Zoo locations), available by visiting http://lazoo.org/brew. At the door, tickets are $50 if available. For additional information, call (323) 644-6042.

Photo Credit: Tad Motoyama

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