Southern California’s iconic Norms Restaurants is getting into beer: the diner has teamed up with Hawthorne-based Common Space Brewery to create a limited-edition IPA, which began selling at select grocery stores last week.

“We were looking for a great local craft brewery,” David Cox, vice president of food and beverage and corporate executive chef of Norms Restaurants, said of the partnership with Common Space. “And we just really hit it off with them.”

Norms IPA features citrus and tropical notes hand-selected by chef Cox, who had creative control when it came to taste.

“I really liked the Citra hops and Mosiac, but I felt like I wanted it to be more Citra-forward and the Mosiac as more of a background hop,” Cox said. “We decided on a ratio of about 75% Citra to 25% Mosiac.” 

The limited-edition Norms IPA, which was brewed at Common Space’s headquarters in Hawthorne, produced a 30-barrel batch, equivalent to 930 gallons.

The beer was packaged on Sept. 1 and four-pack cans were sent to select shelves at grocery retailers Whole Foods, Bristol Farms and Lazy Acres across Los Angeles and North Orange Counties. 

Norms Restaurants, which has never served alcohol before, is in the process of obtaining its beer and wine license so that it can sell the IPA in its 23 California locations, according to Cox.

“As soon as we get our license, we need to sell it on our own,” Cox said. “We’ve designed this one to pair very well with our food.” 

Norms is planning to incorporate drinks like mimosas and micheladas to its menu, signaling the brand’s commitment to expansion. 

“The world’s changed quite a bit in the last 20 years,” Cox said. “And there’s more of a demand for alcohol during different times of the day.” 

He noted that the collaboration was spurred by the concept of brunch, a meal that has become more popular in recent years.

“We’re looking to capitalize on this new trend,” Cox said.

According to Cox, conversations of the collaboration first began in February, the same month the restaurant chain appointed a new president and chief executive, Eric Wyatt.

“We really enjoy doing collaborations,” said Brent Knapp, chief executive and founder of Common Space Brewery.

Common Space has been part of numerous other collaborations, including the Kokua Project, a collaboration led by Maui Brewing Co., along with hundreds of other breweries, to raise money for the victims of the Maui wildfires.