If you’re a microbrew in the Bay Area these days, it’s kind of tough to make a name for yourself. After all, the region is home to some of the world’s premiere small batch beers. But down in the South Bay, just up the hills from the sprawling city of San Jose, a contract brewery named Strike has attracted a good deal of attention in a short period of time.
Apocalypse Brewing Company
The term ‘microbrewery‘ is one exceedingly overused in this day and age. As it slowly developed into a coveted title, it became an erroneous description for beermakers with huge facilities and annual output in the hundreds of thousands of barrels. What is so micro about that, exactly? Take one step into the small warehouse where Apocalypse Brewing Company (545 Rossanley Drive) is produced and you’ll gain a far better understanding of the term. In fact, they prefer to refer themselves as a Nanobrewery.
Tacos and Tall Boys
As an avid aficionado of craft beer, I’ve long been a fan of Simmzy’s (229 Manhattan Beach Blvd.) in Manhattan Beach, CA. I mean, how could you not? It boasts one of the widest selections of microbrews in this part of Southern California, backs that up with some of the most creative, mouth-watering menu selections, and then offers all of it just about a block away from the beach. The winning combination was such a hit that last year they opened a second location in the Belmont Shores section of Long Beach. The newer space is even bigger and has even more beer on draft. It might sound like it can’t get much better. But it can. More like, ‘canned.’
Almanac Beer Company
One of my favorite beers from the Bay Area is Farmer’s Reserve No. 2, from Almanac Beer Company. The brewery’s only been around for 2 years, but in that short time, co-owners and brewers Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan have made quite a name for themselves.
Uinta Brewing Company
Craft beer in Utah? Doesn’t seem like the most natural combination. After all, the state is roughly 64% Mormon–a religion that practices absolute teetotalism. But in actuality, some of the best microbreweries in the Great American West are based in and around Salt Lake City. My personal favorite, Uinta Brewing Company (1722 Fremont Street) stands out among the pack. And well they should: they’ve been doing it for 20 years now, well before the craft movement really started to soar. They recently opened up their brewery to me and my camera for a delicious evening of beer and knowledge. I felt like Charlie at the Chocolate Factory.
Stout Tour 2012: Kannah Creek Brewing Company
Today my dance with the dark side brings me to the colorful state of Colorado for a rendezvous with Kannah Creek (1960 N. 12th Street) in Grand Junction.
Stout Tour 2012: Sin City
Yesterday I hit the open road in pursuit of perfection: the best stouts to sum up the winter of 2012-13.
El Segundo Brewing Company
Long overshadowed by well-established craft scenes to the north and south, Los Angeles county is catching up with a handful of microbreweries worthy of recognition. Just beyond the crowded runways of LAX, you’ll find one of these pioneering outposts right along the quaint downtown stretch of El Segundo, California.
Sunset Beer Company
If you call Southern California home, make sure to hit up Sunset Beer Company (1498 West Sunset Boulevard) this Friday afternoon. Beginning at 4PM, they’ll be hosting a Lagunitas Tap Takeover featuring several favorites from one of the nation’s most popular microbreweries.
Cigar City Night At Barcade
Williamsburg, Brooklyn is home to some of New York’s most celebrated beer bars. Of these, perhaps none offer the sheer variety of rapidly rotating taps as Barcade (388 Union Avenue). With dozens of elusive microbrews to choose from on any given night and an array of classic arcades to tickle your sense of nostalgia, this neighborhood hangout has long been a popular destination for beer geeks and gamers alike. But this Thursday, September 13th, there’s no other bar in the five boroughs that can compete. Beginning at 4PM, Barcade will proudly host a Cigar City tap takeover. The highly-acclaimed brewery out of Tampa, Florida, has been getting crazy, silly press these days thanks in large part to their hopelessly hoppy IPAs and a dazzling assortment of innovative flavors and zany ingredients. For example, consider their Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, brewed with ancho peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa nibs. This curiously flavored [...]
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