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Quarterly ISSUE 3 • SPRING the great hop revival, mead, the perfect hangover remedy, festival organization
BAY AREA BAY AREA DRINKING GUIDE: OVER 300 BREWERIES, CIDERIES, DISTILLERIES, TAP ROOMS, BOTTLE SHOPS
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Spring 2018
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SPRING 2018
contents 4 WHAT’S ON TAP News and notes
6 WHAT’S SHAKIN’? Mark your calendar
Celebrating Bay Area’s Craft Beverage Community Beer | Spirits | Cider | Mead
8 BOOZE REVIEWS And haikus too!
10 THE NAME GAME
www.abvmagazine.com
Santa Clara Valley Brewing Company
STAFF
11 WHY DO YOU BREW
Publisher / Editor Everard G. Strong editor@abvmagazine.com
Sales & Marketing Christina Strong sales@abvmagazine.com
Creative Director Everard G Strong
editor@abvmagazine.com
Contributing Writers Emily Ludolf, Kayleena Pierce-Bohen, Clayton Schuster, Jake Speed, Ken Weaver Contributing Photographers Kayleena Pierce-Bohen, Ken Weaver Inspiration & Mascots Trevor, Skylar, Tikki and Tavi Fuzzypants, Ricky-Bobby, and Kiwi the Moon Dog (415) 842-BOOZ 712 Bancroft Rd., Ste 109 Walnut Creek, CA 94598 COVER: Eric Weir is a graphic designer based in Oakland, CA. Whether it’s a tasty brew from North Coast or a classic Anchor Steam, he’s always on the lookout for dog-friendly patios within walking distance of home. Eric’s also a musician and avid record collector looking to release his first long-playing heavy this year. Check out more of his work at www.weireric.com Unless otherwise noted all content, including photography, is considered copyright ABV magazine, 2018.
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THAT BREW YOU DO? Benoit Casper’s Vienna Lager
12 NEW YEAR, NEW DIGS
20 PARTY PLANNER
14 THE GREAT HOPS
21 AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Almanac Beer Co. moves to bigger, greener pastures REVIVAL Hops are again flourishing in our Bay Area backyard
17 BOOZE AND BANTER 18 MEET THE MEADMAKER
Heidrun Meadery’s Gordon Hull
19 SOUTHERN SWAGGER Oakland’s The Devil in California
cheers to you
TAKING A HOP DOWN MEMORY LANE
One may, at some point in their inter-Bay travels, find themselves in the town of Pleasanton, where 580 and 680 intersect. And in Pleasanton, chances are you might find yourself driving by or on one Hopyard Road. You, being the astute craft beer drinker that you are, might look at that road sign and find that the Hop in “Hopyard” seems purposeful. Does a connection exist between the name and the lovely hops that go into your favorite local craft beer?
You’ll have to read the full story on page 14, but the answer is yes. There is a very deep connection that goes back over 100 years, not just with Pleasanton, at one time home to one of the biggest hops farms in the world, but to the Bay Area in general. (Most of the hops were exported to London, and it’s reported Guinness brewed with Pleasanton hops.) With World War I, however, the hops fields dwindled and eventually died out. Thankfully, there’s been a recent revival, with certain local growers either introducing new plants, or fascinatingly enough, finding original hop growths from way back and bringing those back to glorious life. What makes this story even better is the growing (pun intended) support local brewers are showing by using these fresh hops in their brews, creating some innovative libations in the process. Try one and be ready to be amazed at the difference fresh hops makes.
Festival organizer Jon Sylvester Richard Carleton Hacker
22 THE MORNING AFTER REMEDY Chicken and waffles: the ultimate hangover cure?
23 LAW OF THE LAND
Type 23 license question
26 ABV DRINKING GUIDE
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Also, we’re giving away two (2) free (FREE) VIP tickets to the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival, happening May 12. Sign up online and win! And, as always, thanks for reading ABV magazine. Everard and Christina Strong, publishers, ABV magazine editor@abvmagazine.com, #abvmagazine
ABV IS PROUDLY BREWED AND HAND-CRAFTED IN THE BAY AREA This issue is brought to you by the letter “C” as in citra, cascade, centennial, cider, cognac, and cordials.
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Local Inspired Beer, Food and Atmosphere 25 ROTATING TAPS ROTATING CAN & BOTTLE SELECTIONS OVER 50 BOTTLED CRAFT BEERS DELICIOUS FOOD WITH DAILY SPECIALS FAMILY & PET FRIENDLY (ON THE PATIO)
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In Historic Downtown Santa Clara near SCU 1171 Homestead Rd. (408) 709-2990 Spring 2018
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We are giving away two VIP tickets to the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival, May 12, Livermore. As a VIP you will get early entry, a cool T-shirt, and a schwag bag ($150 value).
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Enter online at www.abvmagazine.com. No purchase required, must be 21 and over to enter.Two VIP tickets provided at Will Call at event. Contest ends midnight, May 1. Random drawing held May 2. 5
WHAT’S ON TAP /// BOOZE NEWS
beer
DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK After a year-long search for a new location to accommodate their future growth, Clandestine Brewery returned to San José this past February, opening their doors in time for SF Beer Week. The newly built taproom now hosts significantly more seating space, an expansive outdoor patio, and the infrastructure to support the weekly rotation of over twelve beers on tap. “We didn’t expect to outgrow our first location so quickly,” said Adrian Kalaveshi, co-founder and brewer. “We are excited to be back with our roster of favorite brews and to introduce new selections like a New England style lactose IPA and a revolving series of American Pale Ales.” Visit their new digs at 908 South 1st St., San José. www.clandestinebrewing.com #clandestinebrewing
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Spring 2018
BOOZE NEWS \\\ WHAT’S ON TAP
beer SIERRA NEVADA IS COLLEGE BOUND Butte College, in Oroville, will begin offering a special scholarship program for new attendees, thanks to an esteemed alumni. Ken Grossman, he of Sierra Nevada, has provided a one million dollar gift to the school to establish the Promise Scholarship Program, which will provide free tuition and fees for two semesters for eligible firsttime, full-time college students. www.butte.edu #buttecollege
photo courtesy st. george spirits
WHAT’S ON TAP /// BOOZE NEWS
booze ALL HAIL THE BEARD The 2018 semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence have been released, and we’re proud to have several Northern California venues and businesses on the list. Nominees include St. Helena’s The Charter Oak for Best New Restaurant; Bar Agricole and Trick Dog, both of San Francisco for Outstanding Bar Program; Manresa’s David Kench (Los Gatos) and Christopher Kostow of The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena) for Outstanding Chefs; Koi Palace (Daly City), Quince and Swan Oyster Depot (both San Francisco) for Outstanding Restaurant; Saison and Zuni Café (San Francisco) for Outstanding Service; Lance Winters, St. George Spirits (Alameda) for Outstanding Spirits Professional; The Alembic’s Rachel Aronow (San Francisco) for Rising Star Chef of the Year; and others. Congratulations! The award gala will take place on Monday, May 7. www.jamesbeard.org/awards #beardfoundation
St. George Spirits’ Lance Winters
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“Aquavit” comes from the latin phrase “aqua vitae,” which means “water of life.”
Spring 2018
BOOZE NEWS \\\ WHAT’S ON TAP
beer RASPUTIN GOES FOR GOLD Congratulations to North Coast Brewing’s Rasputin XX for taking the gold medal at the 2017 World Beer Championships! www.northcoastbrewing.com #northcoastbrewing
booze
beer SAVOR THE SUCCESS Congratulations to the following Northern California breweries who will be pouring at the 2018 SAVOR Craft Beer and Food Experience, held June 1 and 2 at Washington DC’s National Building Museum. This year’s NorCal chosen few include Bear Republic, Track 7, and Sierra Nevada. Breweries are chosen on a lottery system, so each year the line-up is different. The event presents perfectly planned beer and food pairings … say that five times fast, lol. www.savorcraftbeer.com #savorcraftbeer
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A LITTLE RECOGNITION GOES A LONG WAY If that’s true, then a lot of recognition will go even farther. The 2018 Good Food Awards was recently held in San Francisco, and winners include several local craft beverage businesses. Congratulations to the following: Almanac Beer’s Apricot de Brettaville (Alameda), Drake’s Cherryland (San Leandro), Ethic Ciders’ Golden Rule (Petaluma), Far West Cider’s You’ve Guava Be Kidding Me (Richmond), Lassen Cider’s Newton Pippin (Chico), Spirit Works’ Sloe Gin (Sebastopol), and Venus Spirits’ Aquavit (Santa Cruz). We tip a glass to all of you. Cheers! #goodfoodawards
Send your news and notes to editor@abvmagazine.com. Renowned chef James Beard originally wanted to become an opera singer.
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WHAT’S SHAKIN’? \\\ MARK YOUR PLANNER
calendar
UPCOMING EVENTS Spring 2018
MARCH 22
MARCH 24
TASTE OF THE NATION
FEMALE BREWFEST
Pier 35, The Embarcadero, San Francisco events.nokidhungry.org San Francisco’s chefs and mixologists come together for Taste of the Nation, benefiting No Kid Hungry. Taking over Pier 35, with over 91,000 sq. ft. of space, guests will have ample opportunity to sip and sample from over seventy of the best local chefs, vintners, and mixologists, including food trucks. 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Tickets $125 and up
Huizenga Plaza, 32 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida www.femalebrewfest.com This event is out of state, taking place in Fort Ladi Dadi (#dougefresh), but we think bears mentioning. FemAle, South Florida’s first allfemale beer festival highlighting women in the brewing industry, is back for its second year. The festival will present breweries from across the nation that are either owned, funded,
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or operated by female brewers. California breweries represented (as of print) include Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Lagunitas, and Ballast Point. BTW, this is open to all beer fans, regardless of gender. 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tickets $17 to $100 #femalebrewfest
MARCH 24
BAY AREA BREW FEST Pier 35, The Embarcadero, San Francisco www.bayareabrewfestival.com The Bay Area Brew Festival returns for
The first use of a hashtag in social media was by ex-Google boy Chris Messina on August 23, 2007. #hashtag
Spring 2018
its sixth year, bringing back dozens of breweries, hundreds of beers, food trucks, DJ, photobooth, and much more. Admission includes unlimited beer samplings, with VIP attendees getting an extra hour of admission and some specialty beers poured during the first hour. 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.; 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Tickets $45 - $60
APRIL 7
BATTLE OF THE BREWS Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa www.firereliefbeerevent.com The Craft Cup, a specialty judged craft brew competition featuring a variety of microbreweries from around the country, will precede the People’s Choice Main Event and feature The Sonoma County Sandwich Showdown, highlighting the most delicious sandwiches from local chefs. All proceeds go directly to helping children in need in Sonoma County. 1:00-8:00 p.m. #battleofthebrews
to see similar names this year. Come out and support local craft cider. 1:00 p.m – 5:00 p.m. Tickets $35 – $50 #cidersummit
APRIL 21
SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion, San Francisco • www.sfbeerfest.com San Francisco’s only beer festival with unlimited beer and food samplings is back in 2018 with over 100 beers, food from some of The City’s best restaurants, live music, the crowning of the local 2017 cornhole champion, and much much more. All proceeds go to the Telegraph Hill Cooperative Nursery. 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Tickets $50 and $100. #sfbeerfest
MAY 12
LIVERMORE CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
Shrine Event Center, 1700 Lindbergh Ave., Livermore www.lvcbf.com What do you call an event featuring APRIL 14 five live bands (on indoor and Two VIP Tickets! outdoor stages), local foods CIDER SUMMIT SAN Go online to available for five-dollar portions, FRANCISCO abvmagazine.com The Presidio, Civil War Parade a cornhole tournament, over forty Ground, Main Post Graham St., local breweries offering their favorite San Francisco brews, and where all proceeds go to a www.cidersummitnw.com worthy local cause? We’d call it a good time, Coming back to the Bay Area for its fifth year, that’s what we would do. Find out more about this year’s Cider Summit will feature over the festival elsewhere in this issue. Tickets $45 150 ciders, including regional favorites and and $75; Or, flip through this issue to find out international classics. Also featured will be a how you can win two VIP tickets! Wait. What? Cider Cocktail & Apple Spirit Pavilion, food Whoa! #livermorevalleycraftbeer samples, and a fruit and oak cider Challenge, featuring pilot batch ciders created for this event with attendee text voting to determine champion. Last year’s event featured several local ciders, including Ace, 101 Cider House, Brooks Dry Cider, Crooked City, Ethic Ciders, The Far West Cider, Hidden Star Orchards, Horse & Plow, Humboldt Cider, Indigeny Reserve, Gowan’s Estate Heirloom Cider, Golden State, Mission Trail, Lassen Traditional, Pitsnogled Cider, Redwood Coast Cider, Santa Cruz Scrumpy, Red Branch, Santa Cruz Cider, Sierra Cider Co;, Tag + Jug, J. Seeds, Two Rivers, Tilted Shed, Sonoma Cider, South Send your events to editor@abvmagazine. com, along with any relevant photos. Bay, William Tell, and way lots more. Expect
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Spring 2018
WHAT’S IN A NAME /// BEHIND THE LABEL COVER ART /// BEHIND THE LABEL
The Name Game
The stories behind the names behind the beer BREWERY: Santa Clara Valley Brewing Company
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HEART’S DELIGHT (Barrel Aged Wild Ale) Our barrel-aged wild ale pays homage to the agricultural history of the Santa Clara Valley. Santa Clara Valley — with its scenic beauty, mild climate, and acres of blooming fruit trees — was known as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight.” Until the 1960s, Santa Clara Valley was the largest fruit production and packing region in the world with thirty-nine canneries.
anta Clara Valley Brewing Company (SCVBC) was founded in 2012 by master brewer Steve Donohue and Silicon Valley tech veteran Tom Clark. They both agreed that craft beer in the South Bay needed better recognition, and the only way to bring focus to the area would be to create a world-class brewery and taproom right in the heart of the Santa Clara Valley. Mark Fazzio, marketing and events manager at SCVBC, gave a rundown of the meanings behind the names of some of their popular offerings: “The concept of naming the beers comes from the brand mission [of SCVBC], and having a local area or landmark name for each brew we create.” Sit back then, and enjoy this history and geography lesson, courtesy the Santa Clara Valley Brewing Company. ELECTRIC TOWER (India Pale Ale) Electric Tower is the name of our flagship IPA. If you look at the history of San José, one of the more iconic landmarks was the electric tower that stood downtown from the early 1880’s until 1915. The tower was the inspiration of J.J. Owen, the editor of the San José Mercury News. Owen was fascinated by the potential of electric lighting. At the time it was built, San José was proclaimed to be the only electrified city west of the Rocky Mountains.
NEW ALMADEN RED (Imperial Red Ale) The New Almaden quicksilver mine was known for its cinnabar, a bright red mercury ore that was used by the Ohlone people for paint. Found in the hills at New Almaden, crushing and then roasting the rock extracted the mercury, which was used during the great California Gold Rush to extract the valuable gold from its ore. New Almaden mercury was used in sluice boxes during the California Gold Rush to amalgamate with gold.
LOMA PRIETA (Imperial Stout) Approximately 34 miles south of the brewery, Mt. Loma Prieta stands tall at 3,790 feet, making it the tallest peak of the Santa Cruz mountain range. Spanish for “dark hill,” Loma Prieta provides a dark backdrop to many of the Santa Clara Valley’s vistas. Loma Prieta Oatmeal Rye Imperial Stout was brewed with the spirit of the mountain in mind — large, looming, dark, and imposing.
NEW ALMADEN
RED Imperial Red Ale
PERALTA (Porter) Our Peralta Porter displays the same hearty character as the resilient landmark it’s named after: The Peralta Adobe is the oldest building in San José. The adobe, built in 1797, was named after Luis María Peralta, its most famous resident. The Peralta family was part of the group of settlers that arrived in Alta California with Juan Baustista de Anza on his 1776 expedition, and helped found the Presidio of San Francisco, Mission Santa Clara, and the Pueblo of San José.
SANTA CLARA VALLEY BREWING COMPANY www.scvbrewing.com 101 E. Alma, San José #scvbrewing
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BOTTLES & BARRELS /// BOOZE REVIEWS
beer
FLAMENCO ROJA Uncommon Brewing/ Highwater Brewing Colab Santa Cruz, 6.6% ABV
www.uncommonbrewers.com Uncommon Brewers chose their name for a reason — their streak of unusual fermentation continues with this stellar collaboration with Mill Valley’s High Water Brewing. Brewed with raspberries and pomegranate juices, and aged for a year(!) in a split of pinot and Syrah bottles, this crisp, punchflavored beauty hits just the right sour notes. ES
BOOZE HAIKUS
SCARLETT O’BRETTA Drake’s Brewing
EROICA Lagunitas Brewing
QUADRUPLE DOBIS Cellarmaker
San Leandro 7.4% ABV / 10.8 IBU
7.4% ABV / 10.8 IBU
San Francisco 12.8% ABV / 106 IBU
This beer gets points for the name alone, lol. The brew, an American red sour, has been aged in rye whiskey barrels. The result is a playful exchange between the tartness of the cherry and the bourbonesque edges. A hint of vanilla creeps in as you let it sit. Great for sipping in front of an early spring camping fire. JS
This malty sour tastes like a meal in a bottle, like having chicken noodle soup with a glass of wine (it’s aged a long time in red wine barrels, oud bruin style). It’s zesty, slightly herbal, bit of celery, has some sweet and sour kick, and is insanely drinkable. KPB
www.lagunitas.com
www.drinkdrakes.com
cellarmakerbrewing.com If you really like Citra hops in your beer — really really like Citra hops — then this quadruple hop-pass is for you. Eight pounds of Citra — and only Citra — in each barrel means there’s plenty of citrus and pineapple for everyone. However, there is very little bitterness, and the ABV is well hidden. JS
PRANQSTER
DAMNATION
North Coast Brewing
Russian River
Fort Bragg 7.6% ABV // 20 IBU
Santa Rosa 7.75% ABV
Are Belgians balanced? At North Coast they seem to be. Amazing Belgian ale.
Road to perdition? No! This Belgian will take you To a very happy place
Like booze haikus? Every Wednesday we post a new one on our Instagram feed. #abvmagazine
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Beethoven called his third symphony, “Eroica,” which means “heroic.” Beethoven was not humble.
Spring 2018
BOOZE REVIEWS \\\ BOTTLES & BARRELS
cider SPOTLIGHT Good Faith (Barrel Aged) Discretion Brewing, Soquel 9% ABV // 65 IBU www.discretionbrewing.com
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MT. TAM PALE ALE Marin Brewing
HIBISCUS SAISON Common Cider Company
Larkspur 5.5% ABV / 40 IBU
www.marinbrewing.com A classic, old-school pale ale from an oldscool, classic (and classy) brewery. Darker than most in its category, it drinks a bit more malty than hoppy as well. (Okay, maybe a lot more malty than hoppy.) The beer has been winning awards since 1989, so Marin Brewing must be doing something right. JS
Drytown, 6.5% ABV
www.commoncider.com Beautiful to look at, delightful to hold, but if you sip this, it’ll ... delight your senses. The apple is there, but the hibiscus adds a subtle red fruit aroma and a flowery bouquet that balances out the tartnesss. Delving into hard ciders? This saison offers a good openig salvo for your taste buds. JS
EL SULLY 21st Amendment
San Leandro 4.9% ABV Este lager Mexicano Es perfecto para las playas Y jugar el Beer Pong
SUBMIT YOUR BOOZE FOR REVIEWS Send samples to ABV mag, 712 Bancroft, #109, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
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ood Faith’s pedigree sets up some difficult expectations. The label lists it as a strong ale, which doesn’t mean much (technically, it means it’s an ale that’s on the stiffer side). Altogether, my expectation was a strong, warm, malty body. Beyond that? Who knows. I hoped for a little spice, maybe something reminiscent of a Christmas ale but lighter on the clove aspect, less yule tide and more a beer for all season. What I got was unexpected and way more interesting than all this bald stereotyping.
The first sensation was a strong hit of bitter lolling across the palate. It was deep and gamey — somewhere between tobacco and coffee. As the beer washed over the mouth, it coated the throat like a friendlier version of the lactic film that a milk stout paints the gullet. I’ve had some milk stouts that make a mouth feel like a crime scene; this was a thin flavor coating that stuck around long enough to let ye ol’ olfactory senses explore the aroma. From there, the Barrel-Aged version of Good Faith kicks into high gear. A brown sugar, bourbon flavor knocks around and drunkenly sings songs about vanilla, its long lost love. The sweet plays against the biggish alcohol — a second sip builds on the flavors so that the malt starts finding its voice. From there, it’s a one-way ticket to chocolate and oats town: deep and toasty while the smoke from the barrel lingers at top of your throat. Throughout the experience, several key flavors come and go with protean glee. There’s a toasted nut thing going on, but even after two pints, I couldn’t pin down exactly what it was: I’m pretty sure it was hazelnut, but after a couple more sips, I got weird and tasted paprika. (This is probably a good spot to stop and mention that Good Faith has a habit of sneaking up on you and leave even experienced drinkers feeling a little boozy.) By the time you’re fully unwrapping everything there is to discover, the buzz is kicking in and the mind is set adrift. If this were a one-word review, I’d call Good Faith “Balanced.” Discretion’s recipe brings a lot of competing flavors to the discussion and not only do each get a word in the conversation, the conversation feels like it’s written by a pretty damn good playwright. By Clayton Schuster
Hibiscus brackenridgei is the official state flower of Hawaii.
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The word New “robot” Almadeniswas of Slavic namedroot, after from the mercury the word mines “rabota” in Almadén, whichSpain. means “forced labor.”
Spring 2018
BOOZE CLUES \\\ BEHIND THE BREW
WHY DO YOU BREW THAT BREW THAT YOU DO?
BEER: Vienna Lager (6.25% ABV // 24 IBU) BREWERY: Benoit Casper Brewing Company HEAD BREWER: Tim Clair IS IT TRUE THAT BENOIT-CASPER WAS THE FIRST BREWERY IN RICHMOND? Yes we are the first Richmond brewery and we are located in the Iron Triangle neighborhood of Richmond. Our space is a warehouse where we first had a little bit of space and as we grew we eventually took over the whole space. We brew on a 3.5 BBL system and fill 15 bbl tanks which take 2 batches a day and 2 days of brewing to fill. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH THE BREWERY? I used to be in construction as a special inspector and I would check if the sub-contractors were following the specifications that the engineers had written for soils and concrete. I met one of the owners doing an inspection on his site and he invited me to the brewery to help out on some brew days. I always brought homebrew with me and most of the time they liked it. They were looking for a parttime brewer and offered me the job. For a while I was working both jobs as my wife was going to school for engineering and when she finished school I was able to be full time at the brewery. DID YOU HAVE ANY FORMAL TRAINING? I didn’t have any formal training as a brewer besides homebrewing,
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books, and a podcast called The Brewing Network. As a homebrewer, once I started kegging my beer is when it made the biggest difference. Sometimes batches wouldn’t come out that well and I have dumped plenty of homebrew down the drain, but you learn from your mistakes. WHAT’S THE BEER YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? That would have to be the Vienna Lager. We try to brew it 3-4 times per year as we rotate lagers in the brewery because of how long they take to lager. We took gold for it at the California State Fair in 2017. It was a beer that I made for my wedding because my dad is a big Negra Modelo drinker. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GET TO EXPERIMENT A LOT HERE I do. We have a pilot system which will produce around 20 gallons. We do a lot of traditional Belgian, German, and we also do hoppy beers. We will experiment with other things like putting coffee in our stout that we source from a local Richmond roaster, Catahoula. We like to work with the local community as much as we can.
BENOIT CASPER BREWING www.bcbrewing.com 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., Richmond #benoitcasper
A three-step decoction boiling process is incorporated in brewing traditional Vienna lager.
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LIBATION CELEBRATION /// BEHIND THE SCENES
PARTY PLANNING Take a peek behind the curtains of organizing a beer festival
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t’s a cool Thursday night in downtown Pleasanton. We are sitting street-side in McKay’s Beer Garden patio, with most of the space to ourselves as much of the action is taking place at the rear of the building. There are two reasons I find myself here tonight. The first and main reason happens to be the person I’m sharing a table with: a certain Jon Sylvester, event director and one of the founders behind the upcoming Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival. The second reason I’m here is because it’s a good excuse to come back to McKay’s, which I have not visited in a while.
the finishing touches on their fourth annual event, happening this May. As with their past three events, guests should expect great craft beer, fun live music, and some good memories. What started out over four years ago as a “Hey, you know what would be great…” idea over some beers amongst friends quickly grew wings, and within six months of conception (and a very special thanks to the local Shriners group) their first festival was underway. Jon and company haven’t looked back since.
“What keeps us going is when the people come out and turnout to support what we’re doing, and we have that money to give.” — JON SYLVESTER As Jon sips on a Bare Bottle’s Kiwi Not Included IPA, and I partake of my Free Kitten Lager, a Jasmine rice lager courtesy of Berryessa Brewing, I turn on my fancy Zoom H5 recorder… only to find out I put the wrong SIM card in. Resorting to ye ol’ phone recorder (and thanking the darkness to hide my embarrassment), I lean in to talk with Jon. Jon, along with his partners at the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Foundation, are putting together
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“Pogonophilia” is the love of beards and bearded men.
One constant throughout each event is their association with the local chapter of the Shriners: Since the first Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival was held in 2015, they have raised over 100,000 dollars for the local chapter’s transportation fund. For Jon, it’s this giving-forward aspect of the festival that makes it worth his time — the Foundation volunteers their talents and time (the breweries who will be present at the event also donate their time and beer as well).
Spring 2018
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ABV magazine is giving away two tickets to the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival! Register online at www.abvmagazine.com
Their involvement with the Shriners was one of happenstance: As their first event got underway in 2015, the fledgling group needed a venue, and startup cash to help cover expenses. The Shriners assisted with both, loaning out their spacious Shrine Event Center in Livermore and providing some capital to get the festival going. As they look to host their fourth Festival this year, the relationship has only deepened. Working with the local group, the impact of these donations can be witnessed first-hand. “I was talking to the Shriner guys there in Livermore,” said Jon. “He told us about a story where the proceeds from our second year’s festival funded a kid to fly Medevac from the Philippines to Sacramento. The kid had hot water spilled on him and was burnt over a huge percentage of his body. They paid to fly that kid which, expensive as it is, in Medevac, so full staff, all the way from the Philippines to Sacramento. And that kid lived.”
Currently, the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Foundation consists of president Mike Pitsker, who oversees overall directional leadership; vice president Joe Sundberg, in charge of vendor management, secretary Scott MacGill, who also handles marketing and graphics, treasurer Dave Fleser, and Jon, who serves as executive director and event director. Why do Jon and the team keep going with the Foundation, putting in all the extra hours, and juggling all of the logistics that come with organizing these types of events? “If it was $500, I would do it too. It’s about the heart. What keeps us going is when the people come out and turnout to support what we’re doing, and we have that money to give,” adds Jon. “I’m super proud of the team that we’ve put together and to see everybody just pick it up and just kill it, just do a great job, put everything in place, and catch the vision that we’ve pitched as a leading team and run with it.” — By Everard Strong
the law of the land
TYPE 23? Is it true that California brewers holding a Type 23 license do not have to pay California excise tax on exported beers? The short answer is yes. However, rarely is any answer involving the Board of Equalization short. Beer exported from California or sold, by a manufacturer, for export and actually exported from California may be claimed as an exemption on the applicable tax return (form BOE-501-BM). This exemption can only be claimed in sequence with the physical movement of the beer, and not during the invoicing process. Entries must show the name and location of the outof-state distributor, and must match the entries made on the TTB’s Brewer’s Report of Operations form. The beer must be shipped out of state by a carrier that is actually in the business of transporting the property of others for compensation, and not affiliated with the manufacturer. So, you can’t claim the exemption if you or your brother-in-law transport a couple kegs of your beer to your favorite restaurant in Vegas; this would not be considered “exporting.” This would likely be considered “bootlegging,” and if you are doing this, excise tax is the least of your problems. Bills of lading or other shipping documents should be retained at the location of the manufacturer where the beer was actually made to support its claim for the exported beer tax exemption. Also, you cannot claim the exported beer tax exemption until the shipping documents or other applicable proof of export are in the possession of the manufacture and the beer has been shipped.
Saturday, May 12 • 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Finally, the exemption does not apply to any beer sold to the operator of commercial fishing boat or private carrier vessel to be sold at the ship’s store outside of the state upon the high seas.
Shrine Event Center, 170 Lindbergh Ave., Livermore Tickets at www.lvcbf.com
Don Winkle is a Craft Beer Attorney with Spaulding McCullough & Tansil in Santa Rosa.
LIVERMORE VALLEY CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
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The most expensive alcohol is a $3.5 million bottle of Ley .925 Pasion Azteca Ultra Premium Tequila Añejo.
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BOOZE MASTERS /// MOVERS & SHAKERS
“It’s such a completely new sort of expression of who we are as a brewery.” – Almanac co-founder Jesse Friedman
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Mark Twain once described the island of Alameda as “The Garden of California.”
Winter 2018
MOVERS & SHAKERS \\\ BOOZE MASTERS
New Year, New Digs FIRST LOOK AT ALMANAC’S ALAMEDA BARREL HOUSE, BREWERY, AND TAPROOM Text and Photos by Ken Weaver
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lmanac Beer Co.’s new brewing enclave in Alameda is officially open for business. And the company’s establishment of a brickand-mortar home means lots of changes for Almanac in the Bay Area and beyond. Referred to internally as “Almanac 2.0,” the new Alameda spot is a fundamental shift away from the contract and partnerbrewing arrangements that had served to produce Almanac beer for the preceding seven years. “It’s a lot of changes,” Almanac co-founder Jesse Friedman emphasized, providing a behind-the-scenes tour of the new facility.
as well as various bottled and canned releases. The taproom sits up to 120, while a wraparound beer garden offers additional space plus a slight view of the city. “I probably proclaimed, when we started Almanac, that we’ll never make IPAs,” Friedman reflected. “Now I’m going to take you to try a beer called DoubleDry-Hop Galaxy Pants.” I’ve kept up with Almanac since they were founded back in 2010. In The Northern California Craft Beer Guide [ed. — which Weaver wrote] my must-try pick back then for Almanac (the guide came out in 2012...) was the Autumn 2011 Farmhouse Pale, made
with San Joaquin Valley plums. I’ve always known and thought of Almanac, first and foremost, for their expressive fruit character. So, yeah. It does feel a little weird to be sipping an Almanac beer called DoubleDry-Hop Galaxy Pants. But, it also feels a lot more approachable. There is a world of difference between that feel of one of Almanac’s old corked-and-caged 750mL bottles and, for instance, their latest drop of a canned hazy IPA in four-packs. It’s like the differences between buying an Almanac bottle on the shelf versus being able to drink Almanac beer at the source: they’re different experiences. And that’s part
“It’s such a completely new sort of expression of who we are as a brewery.” Their new Alameda location occupies a 30,000-sf hangar that had originally been built by the U.S. Navy following Pearl Harbor, amidst the ramp-up to World War II. Visitors may notice the old-growth redwood trussing overhead, among other visual cues to the building’s earlier life. All of Almanac’s beer production is moving in-house, and the new taproom showcases thirty Almanac tap handles,
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Founders Damian Fagan and Jesse Friedman
of the point. The core realities of contract and partner brewing, while allowing a fledgling brewery to avoid massive overhead equipment and facility costs (a huge early plus, for sure), can limit one’s abilities to do special releases, or capitalize on one’s strengths down the road. “There are things you just can’t do, especially on the specialty side, with that. This is going to give us a significantly deeper level of control and ability to make really worldclass beers, as well as serve them directly to people at the place they’re brewed.” Pretty much all of Almanac’s operations aside from their San Francisco taproom will end up coming together under this roof. “The irony is, this lets me be way more hands-on with the beer than I was in the past,” noted Friedman. “I get way more unfiltered access to the brew team. Everyone that touches the beer works directly for me and [co-founder Damian Fagan] now, as opposed to working for an outside company.” The new facility, if the ‘Barrel House’ part didn’t make clear, makes a huge commitment to refining Almanac’s sour-beer methods, with dedicated stainless steel and room for 4,000 oak barrels, as well as massive oak foeders.
Hops gives beer its taste and smell. Malt gives beer its life.
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BOOZE MASTERS /// MOVERS & SHAKERS
PLAN YOUR VISIT Almanac’s Alameda Barrel House, Brewery, and Taproom 651B W Tower Ave, Alameda www.almanacbeer.com #almanacbeer
TASTING ROOM HOURS: Wed – Sat.: Noon — 8:00 p.m. Sunday: Noon — 6:00 p.m.
EMPHASIS: Barrel-aged sour beers and brewery-fresh IPAs. SUSTENANCE: Food trucks most days. Outside food and delivery welcome. KIDS With adult supervision. DOGS Non-service dogs allowed in the outdoor beer garden. WHAT’S NEARBY: The Rake at Admiral Maltings (next door!), Faction Brewing, Rock Wall Wine Co., and St. George Spirits
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Phil Emerson (director of brewing operations), Joey Tolan (brewer), Max Crago-Schneider (brewer)
“This brewery’s built to make sour beer.” “We have a really strong base of what we think of as the Almanac house style, which is food-friendly, balanced acidity with Brett funk, with strong fruit profiles,” noted Friedman. “And we just want to keep growing that, and making better and better beer.” The foeders (like oak barrels, but way bigger) generally resist temperature shifts better than small barrels and afford more fermentation
controls. Almanac’s foeder capacity will be enough for about 1,000 kegs. FOR GOOD MEASURE: There’s also Admiral Maltings right next door. Like, literally right there. Almanac sources its ingredients from California wherever possible, and having a brand-new malting facility nearby certainly helps. Admiral Maltings focuses on floor-malted, small-batch malt made from Californiagrown barley. Almanac’s
very first brew in the new facility — New Taproom Smell IPA (packed with Citra, Mosaic and Motueka hops) — used Admiral Maltings products for 95 percent of its grain bill. In addition to saving on shipping costs, the convenience is compelling. “We can literally walk next door and say, ‘Hey neighbor, can we borrow a cup of sugar? And by cup of sugar, I mean this pallet.’ And we just drive the forklift over.” Near-term, Bay-Area consumers can look forward
Spring 2018
MOVERS & SHAKERS \\\ BOOZE MASTERS
to significantly more local availability, as well as more specialty drafts and oneoff projects from Almanac, heading to both taprooms as well as local distribution. Fresh Almanac IPAs will be an emphasis. Foeders will soon be filled. And, while Friedman emphasized their facility was still just coming online and by no means fully operational, that Almanac-2.0 landscape is already inevitably here. Friedman, Fagan, and the rest of the growing Almanac team have positioned
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themselves, with a major infrastructure investment, to significantly enhance their central strengths, while also allowing them to accommodate what beer consumers happen to be looking for right now. Friedman likened the framework, give or take, to artistic indulgences tempered by audience feedback. “It’s a dialogue,” Friedman put it. “And so it keeps evolving.” ABV
walnut creek, ca www.calicraft.com 23
LOCAL ROOTS /// HOP CULTURE
THE GREAT HOPS REVIVAL Bringing it back home By Clayton Schuster Illustrations by Damon Guthrie
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There are five varieties of what are called “noble hops:” Saaz, Hallertauer Mittlefrüh, Tettnanger, and Spalt.
Winter 2018
HOP CULTURE \\\ LOCAL ROOTS
A
few dozen farmers across California are particularly eager for Tax Day. Their estates are mostly in the north, lodged between the hinterlands of Alameda County and the verdure of Clear Lake. The majority are in communities around Sonoma, while a few exist as far afield as Yuba City and southward near San Diego. Their selfsame excitement with mid-April has less to do with any particular day than the unfolding season: the start of hop training.
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Hops was once used as a sleeping aid, and is thought to have an anti-anxiety effect.
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LOCAL ROOTS /// HOP CULTURE
“This time of year looks bare, empty fields,” says Greg Visscher of The Wobblies, a half-acre hop yard in Pleasanton. “I doubt we have any sprouts. Come April 1, we see some but chop everything back. Around tax day, we’ll select two sprouts for each location. They grow up clockwise and wrap themselves around a piece of rope called a coir. In the middle of summer, when we get to 106-degrees or so, they’ll grow a foot per day up our 16foot trellis. I can sit in my pool and spend afternoons watching it grow.” Visscher and others are pioneers on the new frontier of California hop growing. One hundred years ago, California was the beating heart of the world’s hop industry. The band of farmland from Sacramento to the Pacific Ocean was the source of this bitter splendor as hops became part of the region’s social identity. Evidence of this rich history can be found in the crumbling masonry of derelict hop kilns, the names of communities like Hopland, or the odd bine of wild humulus yawning out of the earth on the edge of wine country properties.
however, California’s prominence waned and the Northwest, with its Yakima Valley, ascended to its current throne. As the last commercial hop yard in California went fallow in the 1960s, Yakima became synonymous with hop growing. “The future of California hops is for growers to find the varieties that grow well here. We need to produce unique flavors that can’t be replicated by growing that variety elsewhere,” says Paul Hawley, owner of Fogbelt Brewing in Sonoma County, a small-scale hop grower, and a founding member of the NorCal Hop Growers Alliance. The Alliance tries to gather local hop growers to share their knowledge with each other and proselytize the benefits of local hops to craft brewers and craft beer drinkers. Hawley says, “Beer is a local product, made of agricultural products. My hope is that the Alliance can connect consumers to what they’re drinking and to show a different side of this thing that’s already a part of their life. It’s great for brewers to talk with each other and think about new recipes and oddball styles. But ultimately, brewing is about what consumers want. If we keep using
“Ultimately, brewing is about what consumers want. If we keep using local hops, it’s going to be because people love it and want it.”
— PAUL HAWLEY
“The hop was the king of crops. It was dominant in California for so long,” says Eric Stanley, Curator of History at the Museums of Sonoma County. Undisputed dominion over the world market lasted from roughly 1915 to 1922. Golden State hops were prized from coast to coast and across the Atlantic in war ravaged Europe. By the 1930s,
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local hops, it’s going to be because people love it and want it.” Many hop growers and craft brewers believe that wet hop beer is the best way to showcase the value of a local hop source. The process, simply, involves taking a solid recipe and substituting pellet hops with six times that amount in wet (or, newly picked) cones.
Timing is crucial, as cones decompose quickly. Growers have about eight hours to deliver wet hops either to a brewer for immediate use or into a kiln to dry out for shelf stability. Otherwise, the flavor exponentially decreases and the harvest slowly turns worthless. These tight timetables make wet hops beers impossible without a local grower. “If I were to buy wet hops from a supplier in Yakima,” says Justin Beardsley, brewmaster at Eight Bridges Brewing in Livermore, “shipping would almost triple the price. The last time I checked, wet hops from Yakima cost five to seven dollars per pound and then fourteen dollars per pound for overnight shipping. Rarely do you see a California brewery doing that, if at all.” By all accounts, the effort to arrange for wet hops is totally worthwhile. The effect is described over and over by brewers and growers as the difference between using dried herbs and fresh. Unexpected flavors crop up, including tropical notes like mango and herbal tastes akin to green tea, depending on the hops and the brewer. Specifics regardless, these limited edition brews prove fan favorites over and over and over again. “To me, the beers using our hops are going to be more complex,” says Scott Bice, farm manager at Redwood Hill Farms. “There’s a stronger floral body with some kind of vegetal, sometimes earthy backbone. It’s fresher.” Bice started a hop yard as a way to utilize some new acreage obtained on the edge of his family’s goat dairy. Bice continues, “I think there is something to say about terroir in our soils. I always compare it to if you’re a chef and you’re making your famous spaghetti and you’re using dried basil all year and then you have an opportunity to use that fresh basil, you’re going to jump at the chance. The fresh stuff adds different qualities that enhance the end product. Same thing with beer and hops.”
Hops were first used by brewers and distillers for their preservative effects.
Winter 2018
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One bale of hops will yield between one and eight barrels of beer, depending on the recipe used.
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LOCAL ROOTS /// HOP CULTURE
The process to redevelop a local hop industry has been, for most growers, a learning process fraught by trial and error experimentation. Hops can grow in the state: the proof is found in the pockets of wild humulus dotting the landscape, and the region’s history of market supremacy. The fifty-year gap in hop growing, however, allowed for the old-hand hop tamers to die off and leave the land without their knowledge. “We were the only grower at first, until about eight years ago,” says Marty
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Kuchinski, who owns and operates Hops-Meister Farm in Clear Lake with his wife Claudia. “Now there’s… I could think of a dozen California-based commercial producers alone.” Hops-Meister began operation in 2004 and had their first harvest the following year. Their product proved an immediate hit with brewers, paving the way for the smaller farms starting up in more recent years. Claudia says, “Our first harvest sold out. Immediately. So we planted more, sold out. Planted more, and
continued selling out.” The operation started charting its own course as the husband and wife team threw themselves into the hop yard way of life, the first farmers to do so in California in a half century. They sought information from anywhere and anyone relevant, from growers in Yakima and abroad and from brewers to better understand how they used and handled the product. For Marty, the success of California hop producers is an extension of the ideas underwriting craft brewing writ large.
Spring 2018
LOCAL ROOTS /// HOP CULTURE
BOOZE & BANTER
NAME: John B. LOCATION: Uptown Nightclub, Oakland • www.uptownnightclub.com I’M SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT. WHAT’S HAPPENING? The first Friday of every month they bring a lot of bands in here. A lot of different types of music, and a lot of local talent. This is a great place to see a lot of bands you might not normally be interested in. Come here to see one person’s band, end up getting turned on to a whole bunch of others. It’s free, so why not check it out? WHAT ARE YOU ENJOYING WHILE YOU HEAR SOME GREAT BAY AREA TALENT? My usual, Oaktown Brown Ale. “There’s something about taking the word craft and embracing it in every sense. It applies to the ingredients as well as the finished product,” he says. Only time will tell just what kind of industry will come of California grown hops. The public’s enthusiastic reception of wet hop brews proves a strong market will clamor for more variety and hyperlocal products. An established player like HopsMeister easily confirms the possibility for other farmers to develop roots and a sustained customer base. But a path
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toward an industry will require more experimentation, more risks, and more failure to find the secret sauce of success. Paul Hawley says, “I definitely don’t think California can threaten the position that Yakima has taken in the hop industry. We can grow really high quality hops, maybe just not at that scale. But there’s definitely a future for California hopgrowing.” ABV
TELL ME ABOUT IT? Well I like it because it’s thick and creamy, not a lot of head, and reminds me of the coffee I have in the morning. DOES IT GO WITH THE MUSIC SO FAR? Oaktown goes with everything. Plus it’s not too expensive. This place (The Uptown) got a little more noticed lately, sort of becoming more hip I guess, but despite all that the bartenders here are friendly. Kayleena Pierce-Bohen
Special thanks to the Museums of Sonoma County for the vintage photographs.
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WHOS’ WHO /// MEET THE BREWER
mead WHEN DID YOU START MAKING MEAD?
MEET THE MEADMAKER Heidrun Meadery’s Gordon Hull By Clayton Schuster
About 1995. I was working as a brewer in Humboldt County and decided to experiment with honey at home. I crafted a rough draft of a recipe and went for it. I didn’t think I would have much success, I was just curious what the outcome would be. Thankfully, that first batch was actually quite lovely. I enjoyed it, and wondered if I could replicate it. So I brewed another batch and it was quite lovely again… but different. The only thing that changed was the type of honey I’d used. That really intrigued me. If you ferment all the sugar out of a honey, are you tasting what the flower created? Could it be that different between one flower and another? I completely caught the bug.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHICH HONEYS TO BREW? That’s the most fun I get to have. Generally, I taste a honey and if it seems like something I’ll want to work with then I’ll buy a barrel or two barrels. I try to be varied in my approach. I’ll buy light honeys, medium, mediumdark, and dark honeys. I’ll try to keep a good spread. For light honeys, you can pretty accurately predict what you’ll end up with. They make really beautiful and delicate meads. The dark honeys are completely different. They have so many flavor compounds that, during fermentation, some are broken and eliminated and others rise up and become more pronounced. You never really know which will survive that whole process. ANY PARTICULAR BATCHES COME TO MIND THAT SURPRISED YOU? The textbook for that is the carrot blossom. It’s pungent, dark, vegetal tasting honey. It’s got so much going on. When the beekeeper in Oregon offered me a sample of that, I worried that it might ferment and taste like overcooked cauliflower or something. And what would I do with 100 gallons of that? But
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Heidrun is a goat in Norse mythology that eats from the Læráth tree, and produces mead from her udders.
Spring 2018
“There was an element of escape. I was brewing beer at home and it was intoxicating, so I pursued it a little further.”
CHEESE PAIRINGS Notes from Adam Smith, cheesepairer at Heidrun Meadery.
Heidrun Saw Palmetto : Tomales Farmstead Taleeka The lactic sweetness of the cheese balanced beautifully with the dry, champagne like qualities of the Saw Palmetto. Heidrun Orange Blossom : Oregon Meadowfoam with Tomales Farmstead Keene The Keene’s paste is tight yet giving, almost fudgy, and the flavor is bright and lactic and gives way to hints of citrus. This creates an excellent conversation with the delicate Orange Blossom and Meadowfoam.
— GORDON HULL
you have to go for it because nobody else has done it, nobody else is doing it. I would say that our carrot blossom is like a Saison on steroids: It’s amped up, pretty cool, and everyone tastes it differently. Half the people taste it and say it’s interesting but no thanks. Others taste it and say that it’s exactly what they want to have.
WHY DID YOU START BREWING? I was working as a geologist, so I was steeped in the physical sciences — a little bit of inorganic chemistry. That appealed to me, and I still love that discipline. Brewing was an opportunity to explore organic chemistry and biology, which is something I didn’t get a lot of in HEIDRUN MEADERY www.heidrunmeadery.com 11925 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station #heidrunmeadery www.abvmagazine.com
geology. There was an element of escape. I was brewing beer at home and it was intoxicating, so I pursued it a little further. I ended up taking a leave of absence from my geology job and enrolled in a ten week course at the American Brewers Guild. Afterward, I got a job-offer to brew.
Heidrun Raspberry Blossom and Radish Blossom : Nicasio Valley Cheese Company Foggy Morning Foggy Morning is an excellent fresh cheese that, due to its creamy texture and bright tangy flavors, would do great with some of the lighter bodied meads.
HOW DID YOU JUMP FROM BREWING BEER TO MEAD? Part of it was practical. When I was brewing beer, I was thinking of starting my own brewery. But at the same time, I happened to be experimenting with mead and that first one was so good, all I thought was that I could definitely drink it. The thought really turned me on, the thought of the path less traveled. It seemed so different. I had no idea if anyone else would bite, but I figured that if I liked it, that somebody else would, too.
Australia’s Tasmanian devils, while small, have one of the strongest bites of any mammal.
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POP CULTURE \\\ LOCAL TUNES
music
SOUTHERN SWAGGER … FROM THE EAST BAY? Oakland’s The Devil in California By Kayleena Pierce-Bohen Oakland’s The Devil in California has been filling the concert halls, taverns, and saloons of the Bay Area for the past five years with no sign of stopping. However, it’s not all sweat and throaty howls for the band; their tunes have a distinctively catchy feel, as lead singer Tony is as much a stickler for melody as great guitar riffs. Members include Tony on lead vocals, Matt Stewart on bass, and Jamie Cronander on lead guitar, Snake on rhythm guitar and Randy on drums. ABV caught up with the East Bay rockers after they just played to a sold out crowd at Toot’s Tavern in Crockett. Still full of energy, they were only too happy to animatedly discuss what brews, breweries and taprooms are their favorites in the Bay area. We opened up with some unique question we knew would get unique answers: If you could have a drink with any musician living or dead, who would it be with and what would you be drinking? TONY MALSON (lead singer) Definitely Lemmy. And we’d be drinkin’ whiskey of course. JAMIE CRONANDER (guitarist) I gotta say King Diamond, and whiskey or beer. MATT STEWART (bassist) Keith Moon, because any drink with him would turn into a story. RANDY (drummer) I’m going with Tommy Lee. Any kind of craft beer. SNAKE (guitarist) Jimmy Copley circa ‘77 for blow, beer, and cigarettes. TONY MALSON (lead singer) Favorite local craft beverage: I don’t know that I have a favorite local beer I like. To be honest, and this is going to sound terrible, I like stuff like Miller High Life because it’s low in calories and at this stage in the game you gotta count ‘em. But I do like sours lately. JAMIE CRONANDER (guitarist) If your favorite beverage was a song, what would it be and why: We have a song called “Push It Along” that for some reason gets misheard as “Fishing A Lot”, which we decided would make a great signature drink. It’s basically cheap beer and a shot of IPA dropped in like you drop in your line.
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Spring 2018
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release • limited
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ABV IS HIRING FOR SALES HELP Large territories, generous commissions. Beer, spirits, cider, mead, and more. Make your mark doing what you love. Send name and resume to sales@abvmagazine.com
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Favorite local watering holes? You’ll find us drinking at Toronado, Bourbon & Branch, Old Devil Moon, or The Tonga Room. The Devil in California is currently hard at work at their much anticipated second album! Follow their progress at www.thedevilincalifornia.com
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IT ON
MATT STEWART (bassist) Your drink of choice? Tequila Your favorite The Devil in California song and drink to go with it? I like “Black Hand” a lot because I get a killer opening bass line. And I’d probably pair it with some sort of cheap beer. The guys make fun of me because I had this idea to open up a bar with nothing but Natural Ice and Bud Light.
IT ON
ADM
Favorite local craft beers: Anything from Russian River Brewing Company, like Pliny the Elder, anything from Damnation Brewing Company, and Vinnie’s West Coast IPA
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We are giving away two VIP tickets to the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival, May 12, Livermore. As a VIP you will get early entry, a cool T-shirt, and a schwag bag ($150 value).
TO ENTER: ch small bat
• limited
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Enter online at www.abvmagazine.com. No purchase required, must be 21 and over to enter.Two VIP tickets provided at Will Call at event. Contest ends midnight, May 1. Random drawing held May 2.
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VIEWS ON BOOZE \\\ THE BOOKSHELF
YOUR TOUR GUIDE TO THE SPIRIT WORLD Author Richard Carleton Hacker
HOW DID THE IDEA BEHIND THE CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE TO WORLDWIDE SPIRITS BECOME A REALITY? WAS IT AN IDEA YOU HAD OR WERE YOU APPROACHED BY SKYHORSE? The book was my own idea, because after almost three decades of writing about spirits I had way too much information to put into a single article. It would require a book, and I envisioned a book that would cover all the distilled spirits, not just Scotch or Bourbon, for example. There are already a number of those out. I wanted to write an all-encompassing book that would make the spirits-drinker a better-informed consumer, whether or not he or she drank some of the spirits covered in the book. In short, I wanted to write the kind of book I wish I had when I was just starting out. HOW LONG BETWEEN WRITING THE FIRST WORD AND HANDING IN FINAL COPY? It took about two years from start to finish. But prior to that, it took almost three decades of travel, interviews, photography, and related research to get to the point where I felt I had enough material to write such an all-encompassing book.
R
ichard Carleton Hacker has been called “the most politically incorrect author in America.” An international writer and photographer specializing in spirits, wines, cigars, and related luxury lifestyles, the California resident recently released The Connoisseur’s Guide to Worldwide Spirits (Skyhorse). We sent Mr. Hacker a couple of questions about the spirit world.
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DOES IT NEED AN UPDATE — HAVE YOU TASTED SOME NEW SPIRITS THAT YOU’RE THINKING SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE BOOK? Right now, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Worldwide Spirits is the most up-to-date book of its kind. I even was able to include photos of Ireland’s new Slane distillery pot stills being installed (they are now up and running — or rather, distilling) and managed to slip in Steven Soderbergh’s new Singani 63 (you’ll find it in the vodka chapter, even though it isn’t a vodka, but that was the only place it would fit). However, there are new spirits coming out every week, so with a book that takes almost a year to print (writing aside), you can never have everything that’s out there. I guess that’s where blogs and other instantaneous posts — such as my New & Noteworthy pieces on robbreport.com — come into play. But with the book, I just tried to include worthwhile products that were representative of their categories. YOU MENTION IN THE BOOK THAT SNIFFING YOUR HAND HELPS RESET YOUR SENSES. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER THIS UNIQUE TECHNIQUE, AND DOES IT WORK FOR BEER TOO? A distiller in Scotland taught me that trick many years ago. I tried it at my next spirits judging competition and it worked. I’ve since applied that same technique to wine and beer and yes, it works there as well.
Spring 2018
WHAT WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPIRIT YOU HAVE TASTED? WAS IT WORTH THE PRICE? Throughout my career I’ve had the good fortune to taste a lot of rare and expensive spirits. But three that immediately come to mind are the Hardy L’Ete cognac ($15,900), The Last Drop 50 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky ($4,000), and a 70-yearold Glenlivet single malt whisky ($39,600). As to whether they were worth the price, that depends on whether or not you’ve
I wanted to write an allencompassing book that would make the spirits-drinker a betterinformed consumer, whether or not he or she drank some of the spirits covered in the book.” — RICHARD CARLETON HACKER
got that kind of money to spare (I don’t — I was sent 30 ml samples) and are really serious about having something that few others possess. As for their tastes, they were all interesting and certainly gave me an “up close and personal” experience with the nuances of very old spirits.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS HAPPENING NEXT WITH AMERICAN SPIRITS - ANY TRENDS TO LOOK FOR? There’s a big push for American malt whiskies, but I’ve only found a few that have the body to stand up to some of the more established brands. Part of the problem is that the smaller distillers can’t always afford to age their spirits for any great length of time, as that ties up inventory. And yet, some of the small batch spirits have real character. Rye is the next big thing. Plus, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more artisanal limited bottlings in the near future and some real artsy-craftsy gins. WHAT’S CATCHING YOUR TASTE BUDS HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA? WHAT DISTILLERIES ARE WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON? I’m a big fan of the Sonoma County Distilling Company — I love everything they do, from their West Kentucky Bourbon No. 2 to their Black Truffle Rye. And Chocasmoke from Seven Stills in San Francisco is always a conversation starter. Of course, St. George and Craft Distillers jump started a lot of Northern California distilling. Whenever I’m in San Francisco, I always try to stop by my friend Charlie Palmer’s Burritt Room (located in San Francisco’s Mystic Hotel, #burrittroom), as they tend to stock a lot of Northern California spirits that I might not otherwise find. INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR LAST MEAL, YOU GET TO HAVE YOUR LAST DRINK. WHAT WILL YOU HAVE? Well, it will most probably be one of the brown spirits, probably a bourbon or a rye. And if it’s going to be my last drink, it will have to be in a very large glass. Find his books on Amazon. Read more of this interview online at www.abvmagazine.com
THERE SEEMS TO BE A REVIVAL OR REDISCOVERY OF ARTISANAL GINS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IN CALIFORNIA IN PARTICULAR — WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION OF GIN? Well, from a distiller’s standpoint, it doesn’t usually need aging (although some do). But for the consumer, it is a fascinating spirit because of the various botanicals that are used. Plus, it is a no-brainer to keep a bottle in the fridge and simply pour it into a martini glass with an olive or two. The gin martini is not only historical, it is one of the easiest cocktails to make.
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FOOD & BOOZE /// HANGOVER CURE
36
Spring 2018
FOOD & BOOZE /// HANGOVER CURE
HUNGOVER? WE’VE GOT THE REMEDY Chicken and waffles have long been known in the Bay Area as a morning-after go-to. And now there’s science to back up your choice cravings. By Emily Ludolf
T
he flip side of the shiny gold coin that is drinking alcohlic beverages, is that it inevitably lands, heads or tails, showing a hangover. The “morning after” is that slight pang, feeling of discomfort, and general malaise that comes from supping from Bacchus’ sensory orgy. In the everlasting fight against the hangover, new research has come forth that both proves, and disproves some of the old adages about what cures this evil curse of the drinking class.
You may have been told that drinking a lot of water to rehydrate is enough, but it may actually be easier to dispel a hangover by eating the right foods for breakfast (or, if we’re being realistic, brunch). Hangovers tend to hit around twelve hours after drinking, so timing a large meal for the next day is essential to surviving it. If you live in the Bay Area, one of the best choices migth be the unnamely combination of chicken … and waffles. From its humble invention in the Forties, the genius of the dish has stood the test of time. While many people assume combining chicken and waffles on one breakfast dish was invented in the deep South, the combo was intentional, designed for the drunk and hungover Jazz cats of Harlem, New York. This soul
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food staple was inspired by the very soul music that regulars at Harlem’s Wells Supper Club would listen to late at night. So late in fact, that they didn’t know whether to order dinner or breakfast. From the confusion, chicken and waffles was born. The diners at Wells’ cravings for something sweet and salty to take the bite out of their drunken hangovers led to the interesting combo, which soon became a favorite of such greats as Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole. Today, chicken and waffles can finally be awarded the bonafide title of “best hangover food” as new research is backing up the intuition of its remarkable inventors. It turns out that there are ingredients in chicken and waffles that are scientifically proven to help you weather that hangover storm. What’s going into the waffle batter directly contributes to helping you feel better after cleaning your plate. Eggs — the time-honored recovery stand-by at Sunday brunches — contain a chemical called cysteine. This nifty little amino acid lends your liver a helping hand in processing all the booze you’ve imbibed. It works by breaking down a toxin called acetaldehyde, which has been connected with causing hangovers. Milk — the other essential ingredient in
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FOOD & BOOZE /// HANGOVER CURE
waffle batter — contains high levels of potassium. Every time you had to pee during last night’s soiree, you depleted your body of much needed potassium, essential for proper nerve and muscle function. This lacking may explain some of those aches and pains you’re feeling the morning after. While you can boost your potassium levels by ordering an orange juice, the full weight of the potassium is
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surprisingly sitting on your plate, in the form of that chicken — one chicken breast contains more potassium than a banana. (If you want to get the full restoratitve effect of your meal, drop the thigh and choose the breast). What you put on your C&W makes a difference as well. If you want to get the full experience and taste, tradition dictates dousing the C&W in hot sauce. Hot sauce is also great health-
wise, as researchers have found that the capsaicin — responsible for giving hot sauce its fiery taste — can have remarkable effects in helping relieve headaches. Scientists believe this is because capsaicin diminishes the effects of the mysteriously named “Substance P” in the body, which affects how we perceive pain. Another reason why C&W makes an ideal hangover cure lies in the uniquely
The first recipe for waffles appears in a 14th century manuscript as instructions from a husband to his wife.
Winter 2018
FOOD & BOOZE /// HANGOVER CURE
sweet and salty combination itself, featuring both fructose and salt. The tasty, salty chicken batter replenishes your depleted levels of salt. Low levels of glucose are the culprit for feeling weak and tired during a hangover, and fructose is the answer to get your blood sugar up. You can increase your fructose dose by skipping the syrup, instead choosing to lather your waffles and crispy chicken in a berry compote or apple cider syrup, like the one served at Oakland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen. At this local institution, the owner’s formal French training has led to an intriguing clash of cultures, as the heart of soul food collides with French sophistication. Little touches like the lighter-than-a-cloud cornbread waffle, served with the restaurant’s namesake brown sugar butter, compliment the fried chicken perfection. They also happen to serve two local craft beers on tap, Calicraft’s Oaktown Brown and Drake’s Hefeweizen, either which pairs perfectly with the sweet richness of C&W. Also in Oakland, Home of Chicken and Waffles has a long-standing place in local soul foodies’ hearts. Located in Jack London Square, this hot spot of hangover recovery serves the food that is in its name, with plenty of lashings of hairy dogs on top. You can get everything from a three-buck shot to a Southern-style cocktail, such as the staple of New Orleans, the Hurricane. If you’re more of a weekend drinker, they also serve bottomless mimosas on weekends. Derrick Johnson, owner knows why his Southern fried foods hit such a special sweet spot, he told Mercury News, “It’s just a great combination of the savory and sweet. It’s very comforting. It just makes you feel good inside.” Johnson also makes it a point to give back to the surrounding community.
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Even if you are too hungover (or still inebriated) to sit down in a restaurant, the Bay Area has got you covered. You can order the aptly named “Demon Lover” from 900 Grayson to be delivered to your cozy confines at the click of a button. The order comes with real maple syrup, or, the stuff of local legends, an old-fashioned cream gravy poured all over. 900 Grayson is also open at the strike of 8:00 a.m. for early morning munchies.
WHAT’S WHAT & WHAT’S WHERE
If the morning after finds your throat on the raspy side from too much screaming and yelling at last night’s concert, you can also order C&W from one of the three Starbird Chicken locations via their app, which also earns you rewards from repeat C&W orders. When you pick up, they do have a convenient drive-through (but hey, please don’t drink and drive – that’s why God invented Über and Lyft.)
STARBIRD CHICKEN
Listed in order of appearance in story BROWN SUGAR KITCHEN 2534 Mandela Parkway, Oakland www.brownsugarkitchen.com
HOME OF CHICKEN AND WAFFLES 444 Embarcadero W., Oakland www.homeofchickenandwaffles.com
900 GRAYSON 900 Grayson St., Berkeley www.900grayson.com
1241 W El Camino Real, Sunnyvale 1088 E. Brokaw Rd., San Jose 4900 Marie P DeBartolo Way (Levi Stadium), Santa Clara COMING SOON: 1141 Triton Dr., Foster City www.starbirdchicken.com
OTHER LOCATIONS LITTLE SKILLET 360 Ritch St., San Francisco www.littleskilletsf.com
THE FRONT PORCH
To the uninitiated, the combo of syrup, waffle, and crispy chicken parts may seem strange and unwholesome. And while we may claim C&W as our own, a combination of sweet and salty, protein and carb on one plate is not unique to the U.S. There’s pigeon Pastilla in Morocco, Medu Vada in India, empanadas from south of the border, and Tod Mun Gai, aka sweet Thai chicken cakes from Thailand.
65 29th St., San Francisco (C&W only available during weekend brunch). www.thefrontporchsf.com
AUNTIE APRIL’S CHICKEN AND WAFFLES 4618 3rd St., San Francisco www.auntieaprilsf.com
HARD KNOX CAFÉ 2526 3rd St., San Francisco 2448 Clement St., San Francisco www.hardknoxcafe.com
MOM’S SOUL GROOVE 655 Ellis St., San Francisco www.chickenandwafflesandwich.com
FARMER BROWN
As luck would have it, our version turns out to be the tastiest of them all (in our opinion), and also serves as the perfect hangover remedy — nothing erases a night of regret more than a big plate of chicken and waffles sitting in front of you. Order one up next time your brain needs a morning-pick-me-up that has been soul tested, and science approved.
25 Mason St., San Francisco (Hotel Metropolis) www.farmerbrownsf.com
KEITH’S CHICKEN N WAFFLES 270 San Pedro Rd., Daly City (415) 347-7208
STRAW 203 Octavia Blvd., San Francisco www.strawsf.com
The Scottish were the first to deep fry their chicken, as far back as the Middle Ages.
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CRAFT BEVERAGE DIRECTORY
Cato’s Ale House
Gaumenkitzel
Ben ‘N Nicks Bar & Grill
CATO’S ALE HOUSE (Oakland)
BEN ‘N NICKS BAR & GRILL (Oakland)
GAUMENKITZEL RESTAURANT, BEER & WINE BAR (Berkeley)
www.catosalehouse.com • (510) 655-3349
www.benandnicks.com • (510) 923-0327
www.gumenkitzel.com • (510) 647-1650
Over 23 craft beers on tap and delicious house-made food with weekly live music nights makes Cato’s a great destination. Fresh Pliny tapped every Tuesday!
Founded in 1997, at Ben ‘N Nicks Bar & Grill we focus on great pub food, local and hard-tofind beers and well-crafted cocktails. The best in Rockridge!
Best and largest German beer selection. Award-winning restaurant Gaumenkitzel, the Bay Area’s go-to place for fresh organic German Slow Food.
Santa Clara Valley Brewing Company
Before software and silicon took over, the Santa Clara Valley was home to thousands of acres of rich farmland and orchards. At Santa Clara Valley Brewing, we pay homage to this industrious past by providing our friends and neighbors with a selection of fine handcrafted beers created with the highest quality ingredients. SANTA CLARA VALLEY BREWING 101 E. Alma, San José • www.scvb.beer • (408) 288-5181 HOURS Mon-Fri: 3:00pm –9:00pm
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Sat: 12:00pm –8:00pm Sun: 12:00pm –6:00pm
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Visit our original brewpub in historic Downtown Healdsburg for traditional pub fare with a twist, including signature burgers, salads, and so much more. Bear Republic’s newest brewpub – located in Sonoma County’s Rohnert Park is a fun, kid-friendly departure from your tour of wine-country. Enjoy quality, handcrafted craft beers, cocktails, and a relaxed dining experience including our scenic outdoor beer garden by the lake. BEAR REPUBLIC BREWING CO. www.bearrepublic.com ROHNERT PARK 5000 Roberts Lake Road (707) 585-BRBC
HEALDSBURG 345 Healdsburg Avenue (707) 433-BEER Winter 2018
CRAFT BEVERAGE DIRECTORY
TAPLANDS
LOCAL INSPIRED BEER, FOOD AND ATMOSPHERE
W
e offer over 20 different craft beers on tap, over 50 bottled craft beers, and a menu of snacks and sandwiches using local, fresh ingredients. We also brew our own beer, using 20-plus years of home-brewing experience, allowing us to sell growlers.
TAPLANDS www.taplands.com (408) 709-2990 LOCATION 1171 Homestead Road, Santa Clara HOURS Sunday: 10:00 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. Thurs: 11:00 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. Mon — Wed: 3:00 p.m. — 10:00 p.m. Fri — Sat: 11:00 a.m. — 12:00 a.m.
BREWBILT MANUFACTURING LLC
BREWBILT MANUFACTURING, LLC
www.brewbilt.com • (530) 802-5023
LOCATION
110 Spring Hill Drive #10 Grass Valley, CA 95945
E
xpanding a regional brewery, adding cellar tanks, starting a new brewpub — look to BrewBilt to deliver a cost effective solution for you created by craftsmen who take great pride in their work.
Manufactured in Northern California using only American made steel, BrewBilt custom designs brew houses and tanks for brewers dedicated to making excellent craft beer.
IS IT TIME FOR YOU TO – ELEVATE YOUR CRAFT? www.abvmagazine.com
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CRAFT DRINKING GUIDE
ABV magazine’s
CRAFT DRINKING
GUIDE
An indispensable guide to over 300 breweries, distilleries, cideries, mead makers, homebrew suppliers, tap rooms, bottle rooms, and more in the greater Bay Area. The following listing is provided as a free resource to ABV readers and the Bay Area craft beverage community. Inclusion is not guaranteed, but we try. If you are not listed or find an error in your listing, contact us at editor@abvmagazine.com. We do not guarantee accuracy of information in this listing. When in doubt, call first.
NORTH BAY
Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties
BREWERIES 101 North Brewing 1304 Scott St., Petaluma (707) 701-5061 www.101northbeer.com 2 Tread Brewing 1018 Santa Rosa Plaza, Santa Rosa, (415) 233-0857 www.2tbc.com 3 Disciples Brewing 5511 Volkerts Rd.,Sebastopol (707) 228-7309 www.3disciplesbrewing.com Adobe Creek Brewing 67 Galli Dr., Novato (415) 506-4565 www.adobecreekbrewing.com Barrel Brothers Brewing 399 Business Park Ct. #506, Windsor • (707) 696-9487 www.barrelbrothersbrewing.com Barrel Trolley Brewing 500 Redwood Blvd., Novato (415) 382-6900 www.barreltrolley.com Bear Republic Brewing 345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg • (707) 894-2722 www.bearrepublic.com Berryessa Brewing 27260 CA-128, Winters (530) 795-3526 www.berryessabrewingco.com Blue Frog Brewing 1740 Travis Blvd., Fairfield (707) 429-2337 bluefrogbrewingcompany.com Bruehol Brewing 401 Gerald Ct., Benicia (707) 327-6768 www.bruehol.com
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Calistoga Inn and Brewery 1250 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga (707) 942-4101 www.calistogainn.com Carneros Brewing 22985 Burndale Rd., Sonoma (707) 938-1880 www.carnerosbrewing.com Cooperage Brewing 981 Airway Ct. G, Santa Rosa (707) 293-9787 www.cooperagebrewing.com Crooked Goat Brewing 120 Morris St., Ste. 120 Sebastopol • (707) 827-3893 www.crookedgoatbrewing.com Fogbelt Brewing 1305 Cleveland Ave. Santa Rosa • (707) 978-3400 www.fogbeltbrewing.com Fossil Fuels Brewing Company 15045 River Rd., Guerneville (707) 869-0705 fossilfuelsbrewingco.com Grav South Brew Co. 7950 Redwood Dr., Ste 15 Cotati • (707) 753-4198 www.gravsouthbrewco.com Headlands Brewing 16 Forrest St., Mill Valley (415) 890-4226 www.headlandsbrewing.com Healdsburg Beer Company 1670 Stirrup Loop, Healdsburg (707) 529-0326 www.healdsburgbeercompany.com Henhouse Brewing 322 Bellevue Ave, Santa Rosa (707) 978-4577 www.henhousebrewing.com Heretic Brewing 1052 Horizon Dr., Suite B, Fairfield • (707) 389-4573 www.hereticbrewing.com
COLOR KEY NORTH BAY EAST BAY SOUTH BAY CENTRAL COAST SF & PENINSULA GREATER BAY AREA
Lagunitas 1280 North McDowell Blvd. Petaluma • (707) 769-4495 www.lagunitas.com Mad Fritz Brewery 393 La Fata, St. Helena (707) 968-5058 www.madfritz.com Mare Island Brewing 289 Mare Island Way, Ste. G Vallejo • (707) 556-3000 www.mareislandbrewing.com Moylan’s Brewing 15 Rowland Way, Novato (415) 898-4677 www.moylans.com Napa Smith Brewing 101 Yolano Dr., Vallejo (877) 590-2026 www.napasmithbrewery.com Napa Valley Brewing 1250 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga (707) 942-4101 www.napasmithbrewery.com Old Redwood Brewing 9000 Windsor Rd., Windsor (707) 657-7624 www.oldredwoodbrewing.com Russian River Brewing 725 4th St., Santa Rosa 707) 545-2337 www.russianriverbrewing.com Shady Oak Barrel House 420 1st St., Santa Rosa (707) 595-8958 www.shadyoakbarrelhouse.com Sonoma Springs Brewing 19449 Riverside Dr. #101 Sonoma • (707) 938-7422 www.sonomaspringsbrewing.com St. Florian’s Brewery 7704A Bell Rd., Windsor (707) 838-2739 www.stfloriansbrewery.com
Stumptown Brewery 15045 River Rd., Guerneville (707) 869-0705 www.stumptown.com T.W. Pitchers’ Brewing 2480 Spring Mountain Rd. St. Helena • (415) 999-2009 www.twpitchers.com Tannery Bend Beerworks 101 S. Coombs, Napa (707) 681-5774 tannerybendbeerworks.com Trade Brewing 731 1st St., Napa (707) 492-8223 Van Houten Brewing 19 Caletta Ave., San Anselmo vanhoutenbrewing.blogspot.com Woodfour Brewing 6780 Depot St., #160, Sebastopol • (707) 823-3144 www.w4brewing.com
BREWPUBS, GASTROPUBS & EATERIES Bear Republic Brewing 5000 Roberts Lake Rd., Rohnert Park • (707) 585-2722 www.bearrepublic.com Cochon Volant BBQ 18350 Sonoma Hwy, Sonoma (707) 509-5480 www.cochonvolantbbq.com Dempsey’s Restaurant and Brewery 50 E Washington St., Petaluma (707) 765-9694 www.dempseys.com Downtown Joe’s Restaurant and Brewery 902 Main St., Napa (707) 258-2337 www.downtownjoes.com
Iron Springs Pub & Brewery 765 Center Blvd., Fairfax (415) 485-1005 www.ironspringspub.com Marin Brewing 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle Larkspur • (415) 461-4677 www.marinbrewing.com Murphy’s Irish Pub 464 First Street East, Sonoma (707) 933-0660 www.sonomapub.com Sauced BBQ, Petaluma 151 Petaluma Blvd. S, #129, Petaluma • (707) 410-4400 www.saucedbbqandspirits.com Taps 54 E Washington S, Petaluma (707) 763-6700 www.petalumataps.com Third Street Aleworks 610 Third St., Santa Rosa (707) 523-3060 www.thirdstreetaleworks.com
BOTTLE SHOPS BeerCraft Novato 7338 Redwood Blvd., Novato www.beercraft.com Rincon Valley Tap Room & Bottle Shop 4927 Sonoma Hwy, Santa Rosa (707) 595-5516 www.rvtaproom.com
TAP ROOMS Barley & Bine Beer Cafe 7765 Bell Rd., Windsor (707) 657-7774 www.barleybinebeercafe.com Beercraft Rohnert Park 5704 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park • (707) 206-9440 www.beercraft.com
Winter 2018
CRAFT DRINKING GUIDE Brewsters Beer Garden 229 Water St. North, Petaluma (707) 981-8330 www.brewsterbeergarden.com Bruehol Tap Room 4828 East 2nd St., Benicia (707) 327-6769 www.brueholbrewing.com Cloverdale Ale Company 131 E First St., Cloverdale (707) 894-9610 www.cloverdaleale.com Confluence Taprooom & Lounge 4357 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa • (707) 293-9702 www.confluencetaproom.com Healdsburg Tap Room 210 Healdsburg Ave. Healdsburg • (707) 934-5092 www.healdsburgtaproom.com Mill Valley Beerworks 173 Throckmorton Ave. Mill Valley • (415) 888-8218 www.millvalleybeerworks.com Moonlight Brewing Fulton • (707) 528-2537 www.moonlightbrewing.com Plow Brewing 3334 Industrial Dr., Santa Rosa (707) 843-4583 Ruhstaller Brewery & Taproom 800 Business Park Dr., Suite G Dixon • (530) 601-8240 www.ruhstallerbeer.com
DISTILLERIES Charbay Distillery 4001 Spring Mountain Rd. St. Helena •(707) 462-2249 www.charbay.com Graton Distilling 9119 Graton Rd., Graton (707) 829-6100 www.gratondistlling.com Griffo Distillery 1320 Scott St., Petaluma (707) 879-8755 www.griffodistillery.com Sonoma County Distilling 5625 State Farm Dr. #18 Rohnert Park • (707) 583-7753 www.sonomacountydistilling.com Spirit Works Distillery 6790 McKinley St., #100, Sebastopol • (707) 634-4793 www.spiritworksdistillery.com Sweetwater Distillers 611 2nd St., Petaluma (707) 778-6041 Young and Yonder Spirits 449 Allan Ct., Healdsburg (707) 473-8077 www.youngandyonder.com
CIDERIES & MEADERIES Apple Garden Farm 3875 Tomales-Petaluma Rd, Tomales (707) 878-9152 www.applegardenfarm.com Ace Cider 2064 Gravenstein Hwy N #40, Sebastopol • (707) 829-1101 www.acecider.com Coturri Winery 6725 Enterprise Road Glen Ellen • (707) 525-9126 www.coturriwinery.com
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Devoto Cider 655 Gold Ridge Rd. Sebastopol •(707) 823-6650 www.devotocider.com Ethic Ciders 967 Transport Way, Petaluma (415) 717-4416 www.ethicciders.com Foxcraft Hard Cider 409 Mendocino Ave Santa Rosa • (707) 528-8588 www.foxcraftcider.com Heidrun Meadery 11925 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station (415) 663-9122 www.heidrunmeadery.com Horse & Plow Wine and Cider 1272 Gravenstein Hwy N Sebastopol • (707) 827-3486 www.horseandplow.com Sonoma Cider 1451 Grove Street, Healdsburg (707) 723-7004 www.sonomacider.com Tilted Shed Ciderwork 7761 Bell Road, Windsor (707) 657-7796 www.tiltedshed.com Troy Cider 850 River Road, Fulton (707) 490-6696 www.troycider.com
BREWING SUPPLIES Beer Belly Fermentation Supply 399 Business Park Ct., Ste 205 Windsor • (707) 837-5750 www.jmbrew.com Beverage People, The 1845 Piner Rd., Ste D Santa Rosa • (707) 544-2520 www.thebeveragepeople.com J&M Brewing Supplies 101 Roblar Dr., Ste C Novato • (415) 883-7300 www.jmbrew.com Napa Fermentation Supplies 575 3rd St., Ste A Napa • (707) 255-6372 www.napafermentation.com
EAST BAY Alameda and Contra Costa counties
BREWERIES 21st Amendment Brewery & Restaurant Williams Street, Unit A San Leandro • (510) 595-2111 www.21st-amendment.com Alameda Island Brewing 1716 Park Street, Alameda (510) 217-8885 www.alamedaislandbrewingcompany.com Ale Industries 3096 E. 10th St, Oakland (510) 479-3185 www.aleindustries.com Alpha Acid Brewing 121 Industrial Road, Suite 11 Belmont • (650) 394-4728 www.alphaacidbrewing.com
Altamont Beer Works 2403 Research Drive, Livermore • (925) 294-8970 www.altamontbeerworks.com Armistice Brewing Company 845 Marina Bay Pkwy #1 Richmond • (510) 230-4966 www.armisticebrewing.com Benoit-Casper Brewing 1201 Pennsylvania Ave, Richmond •(408) 695-3449 www.bcbrewing.com Buffalo Bills Brewery 1082 B St, Hayward (510) 886-9823 www.buffalobillsbrewery.com Calicraft Brewing 2700 Mitchell Drive Walnut Creek • (925) 478-8103 www.calicraft.com Cleophus Quealy Beer 448 Hester St., San Leandro (510) 463-4534 • www.cleoph.us Danville Brewing 200 Railroad Ave., Danville (925) 217-4172 www.danvillebrewing.com Diving Dog Brewhouse 1802 Telegraph Ave., Oakland (510) 306-1914 www.divingdogbrew.com Drakes Brewing 1933 Davis St. 177, San Leandro • (510) 568-2739 www.drinkdrakes.com Drakes Dealership 2325 Broadway, Oakland (510) 568-2739 www.drinkdrakes.com East Brother Beer 1001 Canal Blvd, Richmond (510) 230-4081 www.eastbrotherbeer.com Eight Bridges Brewing 332 Earhart Way, Livermore (925) 961-9160 www.eightbridgesbrewing.com Epidemic Ales 150 Mason St., Ste J, Concord (925) 566-8850 www.epidemicales.com Faction Brewing 2501 Monarch St., Alameda (510) 523-2739 www.factionbrewing.com Federation Brewing 420 3rd St., Unit A Oakland (510) 496-4228 www.factionbrewing.com Fieldwork Brewing 1160 Sixth Street, Berkeley (510) 898-1203 www.fieldworkbrewing.com Gilman Brewing 912 Gilman St., Berkeley (510) 556-8701 www.gilmanbrew.com Ghost Town Brewing 2640 Union St., Oakland (510) 926-6728 www.ghosttownbrewing.com Good Hop, The 2421 Telegraph Ave. Oakland • (510) 338-6598 www.thegoodhop.com
5612 College Ave., Oakland (510) 923-0327 www.benandnicks.com
Beer Food Friends Fun
www.catosalehouse.com (510) 655-3349 3891 PIEDMONT AVE., OAKLAND 43
CRAFT DRINKING GUIDE INC 82 7370 San Ramon Rd. Dublin • (925) 560-8344 www.inc82.com Independent Brewing 444 Harrison St., Oakland (510) 698-2337 www.independentbrewing.com JP DasBrew 44356 South Grimmer Blvd., Fremont • (510) 270-5345 www.dasbrewinc.com Jupiter Brewing 2181 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley • (510) 843-8277 www.jupiterbeer.com Novel Brewing 6510 San Pablo Ave., Oakland (510) 922-9974 www.novelbrewing.com Oakland United Beerworks 3775 Alameda Ave., Unit G Oakland • (510) 251-8898 www.oaklandunitedbeerworks.com Pacific Standard Brewery 2055 Center St., Berkeley (510) 705-1248 www.oaklandunitedbeerworks.com Rare Barrel, The 940 Parker St., Berkeley (510) 984-6585 www.therarebarrel.com Schubros Brewing 12893 Alcosta Blvd., San Ramon • (925) 327-0700 www.schubrosbrewery.com Shadow Puppet Brewing 4771 Arroyo Vista Ste. B, Livermore • (925) 453-6498 www.shadowpuppetbrewing.com Triple Rock Brewing 1920 Shattuck Ave Berkeley • (510) 843-2739 www.triplerock.com Trumer Pils Brauerei 1404 4th St., Berkeley (510) 526-1160 Working Man Brewery 5542 Brisa St., Ste. 5 Livermore • (925) 269-9622 www.workingmanbrewing.com
BREWPUBS, GASTROPUBS, & EATERIES 828 Bites and Brews 828 Main St., Pleasanton (925) 462-8218 www.mainstbrewery.com Aviation Bar and Kitchen 2470 First St., Livermore (925) 292-9915 www.aviationlivermore.com Barclay’s Restaurant and Pub 2430 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley (510) 654-1650 www.barclayspub.com Beer Baron 336 St. Mary Street, Pleasanton (925) 579-4865 www.beerbaronbar.com Beer Revolution Bar 464 3rd St., Oakland (510) 452-2337 www.beer-revolution.com
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Ben N Nick’s Bar & Grill 5612 College Ave., Oakland (510) 923-0327 www.benandnicks.com Berkeley Social Club 2050 University Ave., Berkeley (510) 900-5858 www.benandnicks.com Bonehead’s Texas BBQ 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette (925) 348-4353 www.boneheadsbbq.com Bull Valley Roadhouse 14 Canyon Lake Dr. Port Costa • (510) 787-1135 www.bullvalleyroadhouse.com Cato’s Ale House 3891 Piedmont Ave., Oakland (510) 655-3349 www.catosalehouse.com Clove and Hoof Oakland 4001 Broadway, Oakland (510) 547-1446 www.cloveandhoofoakland.com Danville Brewing 200 Railroad Ave A, Danville (925) 217-4172 www.danvillebrewing.com EJ Phair Brewing 2151 Salvio St. Suite L, Concord (925) 691-4253 www.ejphair.com Elevation 66 10082 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, (510) 525-4800 www.elevation66.com Eureka! Concord 1975 Diamond Blvd., Sute C-160, Concord (925) 265-2120 www.eurekarestaurantgroup.com First Street Alehouse 2106 First St., Livermore (925) 371-6588 www.firststreetalehouse.com Forbidden Island 1304 Lincoln Ave., Alameda (510) 749-0332 www.forbiddenislandalameda.com Gather Restaurant 2200 Oxford St., Berkeley (510) 809-0400 www.gatherrestaurant.com Gaumenkitzel 2121 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley (510) 647-5016 www.gaumenkitzel.com Growler Pub, The 515 San Ramon Valley Blvd. Danville • (925) 984-2706 www.growlerpubdanville.com Handles on Main 855 Main St., Pleasanton (925) 399-6690 www.handlesgastropub.com Hoi Polloi Brewpub and Beat Lounge 1763 Alcatraz Ave., Berkeley (510) 858-7334 Hopyard Alehouse 3015 Hopyard Rd., Pleasanton (925) 426-9600 www.hopyard.com Jupiter Brewing 2181 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley (510) 843-8277 www.jupiterbeer.com
Lucky 13 1301 Park St., Alameda (510) 523-2118 www.lucky13alameda.com McKay’s Beer Garden 252 Main St., Pleasanton (925) 425-0217 www.mckaysbeergarden.com Oakland Brewing Company 444 Harrison St., Oakland (510) 394-4677 www.oaklandbrewing.com Pete’s Brass Rail and Car Wash 201 Hartz Ave., Danville (925) 820-8281 www.petesbrassrail.com Pleasanton Main Street Brewery 830 Main St., Pleasanton (925) 462-8218 www.mainstbrewery.com Pyramid Brewing Oakland International Airport (510) 680-7129 www.pyramidbrew.com Sauced BBQ, Livermore 300 First St #120, Livermore (925) 961-1300 www.saucedbbqandspirits.com Sauced BBQ, Walnut Creek 1410 Locus St., Walnut Creek (925) 433-5957 www.sauchedbbqandspirits.com Smoke, Berkeley 2434 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley (510) 548-8801 www.smokeberkeley.com Temescal Brewing 4115 Telegraph Ave., Oakland (510) 899-5628 www.temescalbrewing.com Triple Rock Brewery 1920 Shattuck, Berkeley (510) 843-2739 www.triplerock.com
BOTTLE SHOPS Cask on College 3185 College Ave., Berkeley (510) 788-6228 www.caskoncollege.com Diablo Foods 3615 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette • (925) 283-0737 www.diablofoods.com Ledger’s Liquors 1399 University Ave., Berkeley (510) 540-9243 www.benandnicks.com Monument Wine and Spirits 2250 Monument Blvd, Concord (925) 682-1514 Northbrae Bottle Shop 1590 Hopkins St., Berkeley (510) 525-5323 www.northbraebottleshop.com
TAP ROOMS Caps & Taps 6601 Dublin Blvd., Suite M Dublin • (925) 248-2139 www.capsandtapsdublin.com Cooler, The 1517 E 14th Street, San Leandro (510) 357-3949 www.thecoolersl.com
Diving Dog Brewhouse 1802 Telegraph Ave., Oakland (510) 306-1914 www.divingdogbrew.com Drake’s Dealership 2325 Broadway, Oakland (510) 568-2739 x40 www.drinkdrakes.com EJ Phair Pittsburg Taproom 300 Cumberland St., Pittsburg (925) 427-7204 www.ejphair.com Hog’s Apothecary 375 40th St., Oakland (510) 338-3847 www.hogsapothecary.com Hoi Polloi Taproom and Beat Lounge 1763 Alcatraz Ave., Berkeley (510) 858-7334 Hop Grenade, The 2151 Salvio St., Suite J Concord • (925) 285-1301 www.thehopgrenade.com Ol Beercafe and Bottle Shop 1541 Giammona Dr., Walnut Creek • (925) 210-1147 www.beer-shop.org Pacific Standard Tap Room 2055 Center St., Berkeley (510) 705-1248 www.hmbbrewingco.com Rose’s Taproom 49030 Telegraph Ave., Oakland www.rosestaproom.com Tap 25 25 S Livermore Ave., Ste 107 Livermore • (925) 294-8970 www.tap-25.com Torpedo Room, The 2031 Fourth St., Berkeley (510) 647-3439
Hidden Star Orchards 1235 Phoenix Way, San Leandro • (510) 969-8620 www.hiddenstarorchards.com Mead Kitchen, The 2323B 4th St., Berkeley (510) 473-2265 www.themeadkitchen.com
BREWING SUPPLIES Admiral Maltings 651 A West Tower Ave., Alameda • (510) 666-6419 www.admiralmaltings.com Diving Dog Brewhouse 1802 Telegraph Ave., Oakland (510) 306-1914 www.divingdogbrew.com MoreBeer! & MoreWine! 995 Detroit Ave., Concord (925) 939-2337 www.morebeer.com HopTech Homebrewing Supplies 6398 Dougherty Rd., Ste 7 Dublin • (925) 875-0246 www.hoptech.com Oak Barrel Winecraft 1443 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley (510) 849-0400 www.oakbarrel.com Williams Brewing 2088 Burroughs Ave, San Leandro • (800) 759-6025 www.williamsbrewing.com
SAN FRANCISCO AND PENINSULA San Francisco and San Mateo counties
DISTILLERIES
BREWERIES
Bay Area Distilling 2160 Elkins Way A Brentwood • (415) 509-6885 bayareadistilling.com Do Good Distillery 3173 Del Este, Modesto (209) 484-6406 www.dogooddistillery.com Falcon Spirits Distillery 3701 Collins Ave., Richmond (510) 234-3252 www.botanicagin.com Hangar One 2505 Monarch St., Alameda (510) 871-4951 www.hangarone.com St. George Spirits 2601 Monarch St., Alameda (510) 769-1601 www.stgeorgespirits.com Sutherland Distilling 3189 Independence Dr., Livermore www.sutherlanddistilling.com
Alpha Acid Brewing Company 121 Industrial Rd., Belmont (650) 394-4728 www.alphaacidbrewing.com Almanac Beer 2325 3rd St Ste #222, San Francisco • (415) 992-3438 www.almanacbeer.com Anchor Brewing 1705 Mariposa Street, San Francisco www.anchorbrewing.com Armstrong Brewing 415 Grand Ave. S, San Francisco • (650) 989-8447 www.armstrongbrewing.com Bare Bottle Brewing 1525 Cortland Ave., San Francisco • (415) 926-8617 www.barebottle.com Black Hammer Brewing 544 Bryant St., San Francisco, (415) 758-2223 www.blackhammerbrewing.com Blue Oak Brewing Company 821 Cherry Lane, San Carlos (415) 273-9676 www.blueoakbrewing.com Cellarmaker Brewing 1150 Howard St., San Francisco (415) 863-3940 www.cellarmakerbrewing.com
CIDERIES & MEADERIES Crooked City Cider 477 25th St., Oakland www.crookedcitycider.com Far West Cider 1325 Canal Blvd., Richmond (415) 465-0781 www.farwestcider.com
Winter 2018
CRAFT DRINKING GUIDE Devils Canyon Brewing 935 Washington St., San Carlos (650) 592-2739 www.devilscanyon.com Ferment. Drink. Repeat 2636 San Bruno Ave. San Francisco • (415) 825-5657 www.fermentdrinkrepeat.com Fort Point Beer 644 Old Mason St., San Francisco • (415) 906-4021 www.fortpointbeer.com Harmonic Brewing 1050 26th St.,San Francisco (415) 872-6817 www.harmonicbrewing.com HolyCraft Brewing 635 Vallejo St., San Francisco (415) 269-0738 www.holycraftbrewery.com Hop Dogma Brewing 30 Ave Portola #1B, El Granada (650) 560-8729 www.hopdogma.com Laughing Monk Brewing 1439 Egbert Ave A, San Francisco • (415) 890-5970 www.laughingmonkbrewing.com Local Brewing 69 Bluxome St., San Francisco (415) 932-6702 www.localbrewingco.com Magnolia Brewing 2505 3rd St., San Francisco (415) 864-7468 www.magnoliabrewing.com Mikkeller Bar 34 Mason St., San Francisco (415) 984-0279 www.mikkellerbar.com Pacific Brewing Laboratory 334 South Van Ness San Francisco • (415) 937-7843 www.pacbrewlab.com Pine Street Brewery 1270 Pine St. #1, San Francisco (415) 744-4062 www.pinestreetbrewery.com Social Kitchen and Brewery 1326 9th Ave, San Francisco (415) 681-0330 www.socialkitchenandbrewery.com Southern Pacific Brewing 620 Treat Ave., San Francisco (415) 341-0152 www.southernpacificbrewing.com Sufferfest Beer Company 2147 Greenwich St., San Francisco www.sufferfesbeer.com Sunset Reservoir 1735 Noriega St., San Francisco (415) 571-8452 www.sunsetbeersf.com Tied House Brewing 954 Villa St., Mountain View (650) 965-2739 www.tiedhouse.com Thirsty Bear Brewing 661 Howard St., San Francisco (510) 338-0881 www.thirstybear.com Triple Voodoo Brewery 2245 3rd St., San Francisco (415) 598-8811 www.triplevoodoo.com
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Woods Brewing 3801 18th St., San Francisco (415) 212-8412 www.woodsbeer.com
BREWPUBS, GASTROPUBS, & EATERIES 21st Amendment Brewery 563 2nd St., San Francisco (415) 369-0900 www.21st-amendment.com Barrel Head Brewhouse 1785 Fulton St., San Francisco (415) 416-6989 www.barrelheadsf.com Bartlett Hall 242 O’Farrell St, San Francisco (415) 433-4332 www.bartlethall.com Beach Chalet 1000 Great Highway San Francisco (415) 386-8439 www.beachchalet.com Black Sands Brewery 701 Haight St., San Francisco (415) 534-5194 www.blacksandsbeer.com Brasserie Saint James 742 Valencia St, San Francisco • (415) 655-9868 www.brasseriesaintjames.com Freewheel Brewing 3736 Florence St., Redwood City • (650) 365-2337 www.freewheelbrewing.com Gourmet Haus Staudt 2615 Broadway, Redwood City (650) 364-9232 www.gourmethausstaudt.com Half Moon Bay Brewing 390 Capistrano Rd Half Moon Bay, (650) 728-2739 www.hmbbrewingco.com Holy Water 309 Cortland Ave, San Francisco (415) 638-6129 www.holywatersf.com Old Bus Tavern 3193 Misson St, San Francisco (415) 843-1938 www.oldbustavern.com Palo Alto Brewing 1080B La Avenida St, Mountain View www.paloaltobrewing.com Pilsner Inn 225 Church St, San Francisco (415) 621-7058 www.pilsnerinn.com Rogues Ale Public House 673 Union St., San Francisco (415) 362-7880 www.rogue.com Southpaw BBQ 2170 Mission St., San Francisco (415) 218-0917 www.southpawbbqsf.com Tap Room, The 233 University Ave, Palo Alto (650) 752-6132 Timber & Salt 881 Middlefield Rd., Redwood City • (650) 362-3777 www.timberandsalt.com
Waterdog Tavern 1015 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont • (650) 662-4642 www.waterdogtavern.com
BOTTLE SHOPS City Beer 1168 Folsom St., San Francisco (415) 503-1033 www.citybeerstore.com Grape and Grain 227 S. San Mateo Dr., San Mateo • (650) 342-9463 www.grapeandgrainbar.com
TAP ROOMS Ale Arsenal 971 Laurel St., San Carlos (650) 594-2337 www.alearsenal.com Devils Slide Taproom 5560 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacifica • (650) 898-855 www.devilsslidetaproom.com Monaghan’s 3243 Pierce St, San Francisco (415) 872-7916 Speakeasy Public House 1195 Evans Ave., San Francisco (415) 642-3371 www.goodbeer.com Steep Brew SoMa 399 4th St., San Francisco (415) 618-0066 The Beer Hall 1 Polk St., San Francisco (415) 800-7416 www.thebeerhalsf.com Tornado Pub 547 Haight St., San Francisco (415) 621-2381
DISTILLERIES Anchor Distilling 1705 Mariposa St., San Francisco • (415) 863-8350 www.anchorsf.com Half Moon Bay Distillery 103 Harvard Ave. #4 Half Moon Bay • (650) 728-7226 www.hmbdistillery.com
CIDERIES AND MEADERIES Brooks Dry Cider 2595 Mission St., San Francisco www.brooksdrycider.com Redwood Coast Cider 821 Cherry Lane San Carlos • (650) 412-0341 www.redwoodcoastcider.com San Francicso Mead 1180 Shafter Ave., San Francisco (415) 819-4941 www.sfmead.com South City Ciderworks 1236 Montgomery Ave., San Bruno • (650) 238-5422 www.southcitycider.com Tag and Jug 995 9th St., San Francisco (707) 395-7711 www.tagandjug.com Upcider 1160 Polk St., 2nd Floor San Francisco • (415) 966-5730 www.upcidersf.com
BREWING SUPPLIES Black Sands Brewery 701 Haight St., San Francisco (415) 534-5194 www.blacksandsbeer.com Ferment. Drink. Repeat 2636 San Bruno Ave., San Francisco • (415) 825-5657 www.fermentdrinkrepeat.com San Francisco Brewcraft 1555 Clement St., San Francisco • (415) 751-9338 www.sanfranciscobrewcraft.com
SOUTH BAY
Santa Clara Valley county
BREWERIES Ale House Brewing 4020 Colmery Ct., San José (408) 390-7574 www.alehousebrewing.com Bison Brewing 1627 S 7th St., San José (510) 697-1537 www.bisonbrew.com Campbell Brewing 200 E Campbell Ave., Campbell • (707) 738-9120 www.campbellbrewingcompany.com Clandestine Brewing 980 S 1st St., San José (408) 520-0220 www.clandestinebrewing.com Floodcraft Brewing 777 The Alameda San José • (408) 207-1126 www.floodcraftbrewing.com Faultline Brewing 1235 Oakmead Pkwy, Sunnyvale • (408) 736-2739 www.faultlinebrewing.com Firehouse Brewery 111 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale (408) 773-9500 www.firehousegrill.com Golden State Brewery 1252 Memorex Dr. Santa Clara • (408) 727-2337 www.goldenstate.beer Gordon Biersch Brewing 357 East Taylor St., San José (408) 278-1008 www.gbrestaurants.com Hapa’s Brewing Company 460 Lincoln Ave., Ste 90 San José • (408) 982-3299 www.hapasbrewing.com Hermitage Brewing 1627 S 7th St., San José (408) 291-0966 www.hermitagebrewing.com Lincoln Court Brewery 1721 Rogers Ave., Ste P San José • (408) 724-1440 www.lincolncourtbrewery.com Loma Brewing 130 N Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos • (408) 560-9626 www.lomabrew.com New World Ales 930 McLaughlin Ave., San José (408) 838-4448 www.newworldales.com
Running Shop and Hops, The 17500 Depot St., Morgan Hill (669) 888-3900 www.therunningshopandhops.com Shizmo Brewing San José, (408) 599-2739 www.shizmobrewery.com Santa Clara Valley Brewing 101 E Alma Ave., San José (408) 288-5181 www.scvbrewing.com Strike Brewing company 2099 S 10th St., #30 San José • (415) 847-4565 www.strikebrewingco.com Taplands Brewery 1171 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara • (408) 709-2990 www.taplands.com Uproar Brewing 439 S First St., San José (612) 703-3676 www.uproarbrewing.com
BREWPUBS, GASTROPUBS, & EATERIES 20Twenty Cheese Bar 1389 Lincoln Ave., San José (408) 293-7574 www.2020cheesebar.com 7 Stars Bar & Grill 398 South Bascom Ave. San José • (408) 292-7827 www.7starbar.com Barbeque 152 8295 Monterey Rd., Gilroy (408) 842-4499 www.bbq152.com Bourbon Steak & Pub 4900 Marie P. DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara (408) 217-2490 www.michaelmina.net Boulder Creek Brewing 13040 Highway 9, Boulder Creek • (831) 338-7882 www.bouldercreekbrewery.com Brittania Arms 173 West Santa Clara St., San José • (408) 278-1400 britanniaarmsdowntown.com Campbell Brewing 200 E Campbell Ave., Campbell • (707) 738-9120 campbellbrewingcompany.com El Toro Brewing 17605 Monterey Rd., Morgan Hill • (408) 782-2739 www.eltorobrewing.com Firehouse Grill and Brewery 111 S. Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale (408) 773-9500 www.firehousegrill.com Forager 420 South First St., San José (408) 831-2433 www.sjforager.com Good Karma 37 S 1st St., San José (408) 294-2694 www.goodkarmasj.com Gordon Biersch Restaurant 33 East San Fernando St, San José • (408) 294-6785 Rock Bottom Brewery 1875 S Bascom Ave., Unit 700 Campbell • (408) 377-0707 www.rockbottom.com
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CRAFT DRINKING GUIDE South Winchester Barbeque 1362 S Winchester Blvd. San José • (408) 376-0485 www.swinchesterbbq.com Trail Dust Barbeque 17240 Monterey Rd., Morgan Hill • (408) 776-9072 www.traildustbbq.com Waterdog Tavern 1015 Alameda de las Pulgas Belmont • (650) 622-4642 www.waterdogtavern.com
TAP ROOMS Camino Brewing Company 718 S 1st St., San José www.caminobrewing.com IBU Taproom & Bottle Shop 1422 Dempsey Rd., Milpitas • (408) 262-4343 Iso Beers 5 E Santa Clara St. #120, San José • (408) 298-2337 www.isobeers.com
CIDERIES AND MEADERIES Rabbit Foot Meadery 1246 Birchwood Dr. Sunnyvale • (408) 747-0770 www.rabbitsfootmeadery.com Red Branch Cider 1246 Birchwood Dr., Sunnyvale (408) 747-0770 www.redbranchcider.com Wild Cide, The 357 E Taylor St, San José www.wildcide.com
BREWING SUPPLIES Fermentation Solutions 2507 Winchester Blvd., Campbell • (408) 871-1400 www.fermentationsolutions.com
CENTRAL COAST Santa Cruz and Monterey counties
BREWERIES Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill 426 Alvarado St., Monterey (831) 655-2337 www.alvaradostreetbrewery.com Discretion Brewing 2703 41st Ave., Soquel (831) 316-0662 www.discretionbrewing.com Half Moon Bay Brewing 390 Capistrano Rd., Half Moon Bay (650) 728-2739 www.hmbbrewingco.com Hop Dogma Brewing 30 Ave. Portola, #1B, El Granada • (650) 560-8729 www.hopdogma.com New Bohemia Brewing 1030 41st Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 350-0253 www.nubobrew.com Sacrilege Brewing 730 Main St., Half Moon Bay (650) 276-7029 www.sacrilegebrewing.com
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Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz (831) 425-4900 www.scmbrew.com Sante Adairius Portal 1315 Water St., Santa Cruz www.rusticales.com Uncommon Brewers 303 Potrero St. Ste 40-H Santa Cruz • (831) 621-6270 www.uncommonbrewers.com
BREWPUBS, GASTROPUBS, & EATERIES Alvarado Street Brewery 1315 Dayton St., Ste E Salinas • (831) 800-3332 www.alvaradostreetbrewery.com Aptos St Barbeque 8059 Aptos St., Aptos (831) 662-1721 www.aptosbbq.com Half Moon Bay Brewing 390 Capistrano Rd., Half Moon Bay (650) 728-2739 www.hmbbrewingco.com Mission St. Barbeque 1618 Mission St., Santa Cruz (831) 458-2222 www.missionstbbq.com Santa Cruz Ale Works 150 DuBois St., Santa Cruz (831) 425-1182 www.santacruzaleworks.com Seabright Brewery 519 Seabright Ave. #107 Santa Cruz • (831) 426-2739 www.seabrightbrewery.com
DISTILLERIES Fog’s End Distillery 425 Alta Street Bldg. #15, Gonzales • (831) 809-5941 www.fogsenddistillery.com Venus Spirits 427 Swift Street, Ste. A Santa Cruz • (831) 427-9673 www.venusspirits.com
CIDERIES & MEADERIES Santa Cruz Cider 820 Swift St. Unit C Santa Cruz • (831) 325-5065 www.santacruzcider.com Surf City Cider 379 Felton Empire Rd., Felton (831) 335-4441 www.surfcitycider.com
BREWING SUPPLIES Doc’s Cellar 855 Capitolio Way, Ste 2 San Louis Obispo (805) 781-9974 www.fermentationsolutions.com
GREATER BAY AREA / NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BREWERIES Anderson Valley Brewing 177000 Highway 253 Boonville • (707) 895-2337 www.abvc.com Auburn Alehouse 289 Washington St., Auburn (530) 885-2537 www.auburnalehouse.com Blaker Brewing 1063 Montclaire Dr., Ceres (209) 585-4040 www.blakerbrewing.com Blue Frog Brewing 1740 Travis Blvd., Fairfield (707) 429-2337 bluefrogbrewingcompany.com Boulder Creek Brewing 13101 Highway 9 Boulder Creek, (831) 338-7882 bouldercreekbrewery.com British Bulldog Brewery 14540 Camaren Park Dr., Chico • (530) 892-8759 www.britishbulldogbrewery.com Channel Brewing 110 N San Joaquin St., Stockton (209) 490-4928 www.channelbrewing.com Diamond Mountain Casino 900 Skyline Dr., Susanville (530) 252-1369 www.diamondmountaincasino.com Eel River Brewing 1777 Alamar Way, Fortuna (707) 764-1772 www.eelriverbrewing.com Feather Falls Casino Brewing 3 Alverda Dr., Oroville (530) 533-3885 www.featherfallscasino.com Firestone Walker Brewing 1400 Ramada Dr., Paso Robles (805) 225-5911 www.firestonebeer.com High Water Brewing 1924 Pacific Ave., Stockton (866) 206-0482 www.highwaterbrewing.com Hoppy Brewing 6300 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento • (916) 451-6328 www.hoppy.com Humboldt Regeneration Brewery and Farm 2320 Central Ave., Unit F McKinleyville • (707) 738-8225 www.humboldtregeneration.com Kelsey Creek Brewing 3945 Main St., Kelseyville (707) 279-2311 www.kelseycreekbrewing.com Knee Deep Brewing 13395 New Airport Rd., H Auburn,(530) 797-4677 www.kneedeepbrewing.com Lost Coast Brewery 1600 Sunset Dr., Eureka (707) 267-9651 www.lostcoast.com Mad River Brewing 195 Taylor Way, Blue Lake (707) 668-4151 www.madriverbrewing.com
Mendocino Brewing 1601 Airport Park Blvd., Ukiah (707) 463-2627 www.mendobrew.com New Helvetia 130 Broadway, Sacramento (916) 469-9889 www.newhelvetiabrew.com North Coast Brewing 444 N. Main St., Fort Bragg (707) 964-2739 www.northcoastbrewing.com Ruhstaller Brewing 800 Business Park Drive, Ste G, Dixon • (530) 601-8240 www.ruhstallerbeer.com Sante Adairius Rustic Ales 103 Kennedy Dr., Capitola www.rusticales.com Sierra Nevada Brewing 1075 E 20th St., Chico (530) 893-3520 www.sierranevada.com Sudwerk Brewery 2001 Second St., Davis (530) 756-2739 www.sudwerkbrew.com Three Mile Brewing 231 G St., Davis (530) 564-4351 www.threemilebrewing.com Valley Brew 157 W Adams St., Stockton (209) 464-2739 www.valleybrew.com
DISTILLERIES California Distilled Spirits 12205 Locksley Ln #11, Auburn • (916) 599-6541 www.californiadistilledspirits.com Hooker Oak Distillery 2420 Park Ave., Chico (530) 809-0720 www.hookeroakdistillery.com
CIDERIES AND MEADERIES Bite Hard Cider Boonville • (707) 895-3588 www.bitehard.com Cider Brothers 14 S. School, Lodi (209) 224-8590 www.ciderbrothers.com Clendenen’s Cider Works 96 12th St.,Fortuna (707) 725-2123 www.clendenensciderworks.com Gowan’s Ciders 6400 Hwy 128, Philo (707) 205-1545 www.gowanorchards.com Humboldt Cider Company 3750 Harris St., Eureka www.humboldtcidercompany.com Lassen Cider 26 Bellarmine Ct., Chico (530) 593-0555 www.lassencider.com Sierra Cider 5569 Meadow Lane, Mariposa (209) 966-4910 www.sierracider.com Tin City Cider 3005 Limestone Way, Paso Robles • (805) 293-6349 www.tincitycider.com
BREWPUBS, GASTROPUBS, & EATERIES Lodi Beer Company 105 S School St., Lodi (209) 368-9931 www.lodibeercompany.com Indigeny Reserve 14679 Summers Lane Sonora • (209) 743-3208 www.indigenyreserve.com
BREWING SUPPLIES Bear Valley Hydroponics and Homebrew 17455 Bear Valley Rd., Hesperia • (760) 949-3400 www.bvhydro.com Bencomo’s Homebrew Supply 234 West Olive, Fresno (559) 486-3225 bencomoshomebrewsupply.com Brewmeister – Folsom 802A Reading St. Folsom • (916) 985-7299 www.shopbrewmeister.com Brewmeister – Roseville 1031 Junction Blvd., Suite 802 Roseville • (916) 780-7299 www.shopbrewmeister.com Brewmeister – West Sacramento 1409 Shore St., West Sacramento • (916) 371-7299 www.shopbrewmeister.com Chico Homebrew Supply 1570 Nord Ave., Chico (530) 342-3768 www.chicohomebrewshop.com Fat City Brew and BBQ Supply 211 Lincoln Ctr., Stockton (209) 475-9931 www.g3enterprises.com G3 Enterprises - Petainer Keg 502 E Whitmore Ave., Modesto (800) 321-8747 www.g3enterprises.com Humboldt Beer Works 110 3rd. St., Eureka (707) 442-6258 www.humboldtbeerworks.com NorCal Brewing Solutions 1768 Churn Creek Rd. Redding • (530) 243-2337 www.humboldtbeerworks.com O’Hare Brew House Supply 1478 Grass Valley Hwy. Auburn • (916) 402-4227 www.brewhousesupply.com Renegade Brewing Supplies 2406 W Monte Vista Ave., Ste C Turlock • (209) 678-9167 renegadebrewingsupplies.com
Not on the list? Information incorrect? Send information to editor@abvmagazine.com. All listings are free. Inclusion is sole choice of publisher and is not guaranteed.
Winter 2018
WIN TWO VIP TIX ADM
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We are giving away two VIP tickets to the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Festival, May 12, Livermore. As a VIP you will get early entry, a cool T-shirt, and a schwag bag ($150 value).
Enter online at www.abvmagazine.com. No purchase required, must be 21 and over to enter.Two VIP tickets provided at Will Call at event. Contest ends midnight, May 1. Random drawing held May 2.