The Beer & Politics forum, known for its lively political discussions, will return to Long Beach this month after a more than seven-year hiatus.

The monthly forum launched in 2006 as a way for Long Beach residents to get the inside scoop on local politics and ask probing questions of their city leaders, all while sipping on a pint of their favorite brew.

Originally hosted at Gallagher’s Pub & Grill at Broadway and Temple Avenue, the event over the years featured heated U.S. Congressional and City Council debates and in-depth discussions on issues including immigration and the state of local journalism.

The monthly forum ended in 2010, with occasional events from 2011 through 2017.

In a news release this week, host and founder Michael Clements said now is the time to bring back Beer & Politics.

“With today’s political climate, I can’t sit on the sidelines,” he said. “We need to be able to discuss things and have fun and be civil.”

The first forum will kick off at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 with Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and City Manager Pat West answering questions about the city budget.

The event will take place each month at Liberation Brewing Company, 3630 Atlantic Ave., in Bixby Knolls.

Clements, who has been developing Liberation Brewing, along with friends Danny Regan and Eric McLaughlin since 2013, said the intent was always to relaunch in a new venue.

“When B&P started, the idea was to take things back to the source,” he said. “American politics and the American Revolution were born in the pubs. Why not take politics back to the pub to reclaim it, reclaim it from those who think it has to be a taboo subject to be avoided?”