An ode to beer, from a master beerologist

Mythology can serve myriad purposes -- just ask the Norwegians, whose belief in the legend of trolls is used for everything from protecting their livestock to crossing bridges to ensuring that the rest of the universe believes Norwegians are insane. Now using mythology to give you a buzz: The Surly Goat

Opening next Monday, The Surly Goat's a dark-lit two-tiered, rare-and-unusual-leaning beer bar in the old 24K space, now de-glossed and decorated with all sorts of old brewhouse paraphernalia (everything from WWII-era ads in German to PBR one-sheets), founded and named under the pretense of a tall tale about a beer-drinking contest in ancient Germany between a Duke and a Knight, which was decided by a goat head-butting one of the participants -- you know, that old story. Suds are ever-rotating and decided on by the Verdugo guy, who's a certified cicerone (beer sommelier), with 27 draft options and one hand-pumped choice displayed on a chalkboard above the LED-lit bar; choices'll include everything from ultra-rarities like the sour, New Belgium Tart Lychee to the malty Three Philosophers, to Hair of the Dog's "Fred", which is named after a beer historian, not Phoebe Cates' reviled longtime imaginary friend. In addition to the drafts, they've also got a limited selection of 22oz-or-larger bottles (Firestone 13th Anniversary, Chimay Rochefort, etc) and a full bar with an emphasis on unusual whiskeys, bourbons, and Scotch, like Kentucky's Woodford Reserve, Eagle Rare, and Four Roses, which doesn't remind you of The Bachelor because you've never seen it or even know if the guy on it is named Jake and a pilot.

The back of the bar's got a small tasting room, where they'll do occasional small batch events, and special events by request, assuming they remember to leave a bowl of porridge in the tasting room, so the trolls don't wreck it and steal their newborns.