When Todd Mumford’s brother regifted him a home beer-making kit about four years ago, he had no idea it would lead to a new business venture – especially after he realized he wasn’t great at brewing beer.

But his brother, Peter, has a background in science and even worked at a Napa Valley winery for about five years. So it didn’t take long for Peter to show his brother how it’s done.

Now, the Mumford brothers and Todd’s wife, Tien Tran, have opened a craft microbrewery in downtown L.A.’s Arts District.

“It definitely wasn’t a lifelong dream or anything like that,” Todd Mumford said. “We just decided one day, the three of us, that there was a void as far as microbreweries, especially compared to San Diego, which now has well over 100.”

Mumford Brewing, which includes a public tasting room that’s open Friday through Sunday, debuted late last month.

But Todd Mumford, an entertainment lawyer in the Century City office of Reed Smith, said the brewery already has a strong following thanks to his friends and clients in the entertainment industry.

“We always knew we would tap into our connections in the entertainment, music and art industries,” he said. “Now, it’s really the beer doing all the talking for us.”

– Cale Ottens