"Agoura Hills is right at the top of the canyon, so this still feels like home turf to us," Ryan Ahrens told The Malibu Times the week he and his wife Jill opened Malibu Brewing Company's second taproom. The taproom is at 29281 Agoura Road in The Shops at Kanan Village, in the building that was Ladyface for most of the past two decades.
The new name went up on August 25, 2026. What happens inside the building has stayed the same. Since late 2009, beer has been brewed on site at this address, and every owner has kept the brewhouse running. That steady thread through three names explains why the building came back as a brewery, and why the new owners filled their opening lineup with references to the past.
Five Milestones, One Brewhouse
- Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie, November 2009. The Acorn credits the founding team as Cyrena Nouzille, her husband Jean-Luc and brewmaster David Griffiths. Conejo Valley Guide calls it the first brewpub in the Conejo Valley and one of the first microbreweries in greater Los Angeles.
- A new owner, late October 2019. According to the Ventura County Star, Nouzille sold the business to Pete Lee, a regular at the pub. She said she had met the goals in her business plan and wanted more time for travel and family.
- Tavern Tomoko and Ladyface Brewery, 2020. The kitchen added Japanese small plates to the gastropub menu, and the Ladyface ales kept flowing.
- Closed December 22, 2024. Tavern Tomoko announced the date on its Facebook page a few weeks ahead.
- Malibu Brewing Company, August 25, 2026. A grand opening and ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m., with the City of Agoura Hills and the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce taking part.
The Tomoko years kept the Ladyface name on the sign, so that change of ownership read more as an addition than a replacement. This year's change is the first time the building has opened under an entirely new name. The taps went dry after December 2024, but the brewhouse stayed in the building.
Why the Building Waited for a Brewer
The dark stretch from December 2024 to late August 2026 lasted about 20 months, which is a long time for a restaurant space this visible. In October 2025, Conejo Valley Guide reported that the property's beer manufacturing license and its on-site alcoholic beverage license had both moved to Malibu Brewing Company. At that point the plan was to open in early 2026. By December 2025 the target had moved to spring 2026. It ended up being late summer.
The license transfer is the part that explains the outcome. A manufacturing license, together with brewing equipment already in place, makes this building worth the most to a company that brews beer. Malibu Brewing modernized the brewhouse instead of tearing it out. The Malibu Times described it as "a signature feature of the former Ladyface Ale Companie" that "will still serve as the centerpiece of the brewery." The brewery's own opening announcement, carried by Conejo Valley Guide, said the property has a "long history as a place where beer is brewed and enjoyed on site."
The company was a natural fit for the space. Ryan and Jill Ahrens founded Malibu Brewing in Malibu in 2020, and Agoura Road is just over the canyon from there. The brewery lists 41 medals across 11 beers, including "Best of Show" at the 2026 California State Fair. According to the Malibu Times, some of the new Agoura Hills staff trained in Malibu first, and the brewers behind the medal-winning beers created the new taproom's two opening releases.
Two Opening Beers Named for the Building
Those two releases show that the new owners know whose space they took over.
Ladyface IPA is named for Ladyface Mountain, the ridge you can see from the taproom windows and the patio. It's on draft and also sold in 16-ounce four-packs that are exclusive to this location.
Overly Ambitious is a Belgian Dubbel inspired by Blind Ambition, one of the beers people remember from the Ladyface years. The Acorn described Blind Ambition as a beer styled after the brews of Belgian monasteries. Ladyface's other regulars included Reyes Adobe Red, brewed each year for Reyes Adobe Days, along with Blue-Belly Barleywine and La Grisette.
The tribute beers are the clearest sign that the new owners see continuity as an asset. The Ladyface name still means something to people who drank there, and Malibu Brewing put it on a four-pack.
What Changed Inside
Most of the changes are in the room itself. The space was fully remodeled and now seats 190, with a central bar of 22 taps, indoor dining, lounge seating and a 115-seat all-weather patio planned for live music and community programs. A few features came over from the Malibu taproom. White brick surrounds the bar, and the bar top is made from reclaimed bowling alley wood.
The menu follows the same approach as the beer list. Malibu staples sit next to dishes created for this location.
| Carried over from Malibu | New for Agoura Hills |
|---|---|
| MBC Smashburger | Agoura BBQ Pub Burger |
| Santa Fe Short Rib Sando | Tan Pig: ciabatta, pulled pork, black truffle aioli, coastal coleslaw, chile crema |
| Fresh Catch Tacos | Weekend brunch, with a Monte Cristo among the opening dishes |
Two more dishes are worth knowing about. The Fish & Chips use beer-battered local red snapper. The Pink Lady Salad, with poached pear, burrata and prosciutto, is named for the Pink Lady mural in Malibu Canyon. "Even in Agoura Hills, Malibu is still a major part of our story," Jill Ahrens told the Malibu Times. Beyond beer, there are cocktails, a wine list and the brewery's regular lineup, including Sand & Sea Mexican-Style Lager, Happy Days Honey Blonde Ale, Canyon Rosé Lager and Hatch Green Chile Lager.
Planning a Visit
According to the brewery's Agoura Hills taproom page, it's open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Brunch is served on weekends, so the earlier weekend opening is the time to try the Monte Cristo.
The company has said it plans brewmaster tours, tastings, seasonal releases and live music on the patio. As of late October, the brewery's events page shows no scheduled dates, so check there before planning around a specific event.
The brewery also showed early on how it plans to be part of the community. On opening day, it pledged 20% of sales, up to $2,500, to the Southeast Ventura County YMCA in Westlake Village. The Malibu Times said this continues the fundraisers and community partnerships the brewery started in Malibu. Next up for the company is a third taproom at Universal CityWalk Hollywood, planned for later this year. Agoura Hills is the only one of the three built around a brewhouse that already had a 15-year history before the Ahrens family arrived.
The Ladyface building is now the newest and one of the oldest places to drink beer along the Agoura Road corridor at the same time. Order a pour of Overly Ambitious at the bar and you're drinking a beer brewed on the same site as Blind Ambition.
If you own near the Kanan and Agoura Road corner and want to talk through what Agoura Hills' changing Agoura Road corridor means for your plans, Tina Lucarelli is glad to help. Request a Private Consultation & Complimentary Home Valuation.
