Date: 07/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Ghost Town – Laurel (Beer Garden/Taproom)**** 3506 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619
- Ghost Town – Gloomfang 6.8% NEIPA [4.0]
- Ghost Town – Chasmic Absorbtion Through Whirlpools of Disarray 7.0% AIPA [3.75]
Busy beer garden with a small taproom. Good value nosebag from their own kitchen.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Faction (Brewery)**** 2501 Monarch St, Alameda, CA 94501
- Faction – All in IPA – El Dorado 7.0% WCIPA [3.75]
Massive brewery building situated on a decommissioned US Navy base adjacent to the now derelict airstrip. Amazing views across the bay to San Francisco. West Coast IPAs only. Even the stout was a tweaked Westie!
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Almanac (Brewery)**** 651 W Tower Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
- Almanac – HAZE: Mosaic Cryo & Nelson 6.6% NEIPA [4.0]
Another massive brewery space, taking up several units. Hundreds of seats outside and food options from a choice of pop-up vendors. Great atmosphere.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Alameda (Brewery)*** 1716 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501
- Alameda – Island Haze 6.1% Hazy IPA [3.75]
Nice enough space with decent food options. Beer wasn’t anything special, but perfectly acceptable.
Date: 08/09/24
Venue:
Hop Grenade (Bar – 2nd visit)***** 2151 Salvio St Suite J, Concord, CA 94520
- Alvarado Street – Skazetrip (can) 7.2% NEIPA [4.25]
- Cellarmaker X Other Half (collab) – Double Dough Extra Broccoli Stuffed Crust 7.0% NEIPA [4.25]
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Side Gate (Brewery – 2nd visit)**** 1822 Grant St, Concord, CA 94520
- Side Gate – On the Fence 7.0% AIPA [4.0]
Spent all Sunday afternoon in the garden here on the same beer, just chilling and watching the blues band. Asian food truck on the parking lot.
Also tried at home (Supermarket beer):
- Morgan Territory – Moon Time (can) 6.9% NEIPA [3.5]
Date: 09/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Drake’s Barrel House (Brewery)** 1933 Davis St #177, San Leandro, CA 94577
- Bear Republic – Racer 7 7.0% Hazy IPA [3.75]
Large industrial unit, hidden at the back of a shopping mall/garden centre. A bit dark and dingy inside and the outside area pretty spartan too. Drake’s bought out Bear Republic and now brew their beers on site. And yes – there’s hundreds of barrels!
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Fieldwork – San Leandro (Taproom)***** 100A W Juana Ave, San Leandro, CA 94577
- Fieldwork – Powerbatch 5000 9.0% DNEIPA [4.5]
- Fieldwork – Heady Money 8.0% DNEIPA [4.25]
Another great venue from Fieldwork. A small taproom leads out to an enclosed courtyard with open roof for alfresco, wind-free drinking – these guys know how to do things right!
Date: 10/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Concord Tap House (Bar – 2nd visit)**** 3513 Clayton Rd, Concord, CA 94519
- Humble Sea – Hop Fusion 2.0 8.6% DNEIPA [4.5]
- Alpha Acid – Slushmouth (Peach & Pineapple) 8.4% Pastry sour [4.0]
- Great Notion – Mango Coconut Mochi Fruit in the Can 5.2% Fruit smoothie [4.5]
- Alvarado Street – Dew Drops 7.0% NEIPA [4.0]
Date: 11/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Hoi Polloi (Taproom)** 1763 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94703
- Hoi Polloi – Eeww Creeps & Weirdos 7.2% Hazy IPA [3.5]
Small, backstreet bar outlet for their brewery in Oakland. Unhelpful, curt barman. Average beer.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Cask (Bar/Bottleshop)***** 3185 B College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
- Humble Sea – Quadruple Socks & Sandals 12.0% QIPA [4.5]
- Ghost Town – Guillotine 7.2% NEIPA [4.25]
A superb well-stocked beer and wine bottle shop with a small taproom to one side as you enter the building. Limited tap menu but everything on it was a belter. Lovely place to be. No food.
Date: 12/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Hops & Scotch (Bar/Restaurant – 2nd visit)*** 7001 Sunne Ln #100, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
- Pure Project – Gone Wandrin’ 6.7% NEIPA [4.0]
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Morgan Territory (Brewery)*** 40 Crescent Dr Suite A, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
- Morgan Territory – Cloud Funded 6.9% NEIPA [3.75]
- Morgan Territory – Moon Time 6.9% NEIPA [3.75]
Pleasant enough taproom. Nice airy space.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Hop Grenade (Bar – 3rd visit)***** 2151 Salvio St Suite J, Concord, CA 94520
- Humble Sea – Back From the Shred 6.5% NEIPA [4.0]
- Ghost Town X Yakima Chief Hops (collab) – Gloomfang 6.8% NEIPA [4.0]
- Humble Sea – Hop Fusion 2.0 8.6% DNEIPA [4.5]
Also tried at home (supermarket beer):
- Smog City – Lightning Sprites (can) 6.3% Hazy IPA [3.5]
Date: 13/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Southern Pacific (Brewery)** 620 Treat Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110
- Southern Pacific – Hazy IPA 6.3% Hazy IPA [3.5]
This place was a fair walk to get to. It was quite busy with young people eating despite being just after opening time. Ordinary beer. Staff didn’t seem to be very enthusiastic.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Ballast Point (Taproom)*** 705 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Ballast Point – Grunion 5.5% APA [3.5]
A fairly new outlet, which was obvious the instant you stepped inside. Very well done, spotlessly clean. No outside area. A small pilot brewing kit had been installed to enhance their San Diego operations but was not operational at the time of our visit.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Olfactory (Brewery)** 2245 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Olfactory – Rally Rabbit 4.8% WC Pilsner [3.75]
OK atmosphere here. No hazies or IPA’s! Small outside seating area.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Harmonic – Chase Center (Taproom)*** 7 Warriors Way Suite 206, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Harmonic – Jerry Day IPA 6.8% AIPA [3.75]
Great setting next to the sea, situated alongside the massive Chase Bank complex. Ultra-modern, airy taproom with extensive seating outside. Choose to drink alfresco and you’ll be served in plastic cups.
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Enterprise (Brewery)**** 1150 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
- Enterprise – Hazy IPA 6.8% Hazy IPA [3.75]
More traditional layout – Industrial unit with roller shutters opening out onto the street, Standing area only on the pavement. Great atmosphere, friendly, knowledgeable barman.
Date: 14/09/24
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Hop Grenade (Bar – 4th visit)***** 2151 Salvio St Suite J, Concord, CA 94520
- 450 North – SLUSHY Dummy Cup 5.3% Fruited sour [3.75]
- Humble Sea – Back From the Shred 6.5% NEIPA [4.0]
- There Does Not Exist – Particle Drift (can) 6.5% NEIPA [4.0]
- Movement – Enter the 12th Chamber (can) 7.4% NEIPA [4.0]
Also tried at home (supermarket beer):
- Ghost Town – Fleeting (can) 6.5% Hazy IPA [3.75]
Date: 15/09/24
Venue:
Ghost Town – Laurel (Beer Garden/Taproom – 2nd visit)**** 3506 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619
- Ghost Town – Gloomfang 6.8% NEIPA [4.0]
- Ghost Town – Fleeting 6.5% Hazy IPA [3.75]
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Fieldwork – Berkeley (Taproom – 2nd visit)***** 1160 Sixth St, Berkeley, CA 94710
Beers:
- Fieldwork – Pulp 6.9% NEIPA [4.25]
- Fieldwork – Emperor Citra 8.7% DNEIPA [4.5]
Venue – Beer(s) Sampled – Notes:
Headlands (Beer Garden/Taproom – 2nd visit)**** 1280 Gilman St, Berkeley, CA 94702
- Headlands – Peace, Love & Parks 6.3% Hazy IPA [4.0]
Also tried at home (supermarket beer):
- Pizza Port – Vibrant Views (can) 7.0% IPA [3.25]
- Fall River – Numb Numb Juice (can) 7.5% Hazy IPA [3.75]
The final two days I took a rest from the juice in preparation for the long flight home. There were half-dozen more places on my list I would’ve liked to have made it to, but they’ll have to wait for another day!
Top recommendations
Standout taprooms:
Cellarmaker (Jack London square), Fieldwork (any/all of them!) and Barebottle.
Standout bars:
Hop Grenade, Liquid Light and Cask
The numbers in brackets [ ] are my beer scores (out of 5). Find me on Untappd
The asterisks (*) are my venue scores (out of 5).
Some tinnies wot I have necked.