There’s a growing craft beer movement happening in Boyle Heights, from the small-batch brewers like Dry River operating at the edge of the neighborhood to the incoming Xelas (pronounced “chelas”) opening next Saturday along 1st Street.

Xelas is the work of Corissa Hernandez and Gabriel Paredes, two Angelenos with craft beer operations backgrounds from other local bars and bottle shops. Now they’re turning to something new with their acquisition of the popular former M Bar venue, which closed earlier this summer. The pair hopes to keep the live music aspect of the property, doing DJ and band nights regularly.

Otherwise, expect a flip of the offerings, with an expansion to 16 tap lines and lots of Mexican craft beer from popular names like Insurgente out of Tijuana. They’ll also be pouring Los Angeles beers and using the small kitchen in the back for bar bites. Overall the plan is not to make the bar too fancy, just to double down on the things that can be done well.

Xelas plans to open next weekend following some light finishing touches inside. Expect hours from 4 p.m. to midnight most days, with an extension to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

Xelas. 1846 1/2 E. First St. Los Angeles, CA.