The New Beer Frontier: Where to Get Your Suds on in California's East Bay
Make sure you’re ready for some serious tasting: Hog’s Apothecary has 33 beers on tap! (Photo: The Hog’s Apothecary/Facebook)
By Rebecca Podesta/offMetro SF
The tradition of brewing began soon after the introduction of grain farming, as our ambitious ancestors quickly came to recognize what we now know for certain — that beer is comfort, beer is community, and (perhaps most importantly) beer is delicious. We’ve undoubtedly journeyed far from the original brew houses, with an increasingly intrepid collection of brewers and breweries, yet the original inspiration remains unscathed.
And Berkeley and Oakland, the two best-known cites of California’s East Bay, have embraced the craft brew era with arms wide open. The East Bay has bars and beer gardens popping up all over, while local microbreweries are working hard to keep your glass from running dry. Here are some of the best spots to get your beer on.
Oakland
Hog’s Apothecary
With 33 rotating beers on tap, four wines, and even one stag root beer, the Hog’s Apothecary holds strong to its belief in locally sourced brew: Its entire draft list comes straight out of California. Don’t be duped by the impressive beer selection — the bar’s restaurant brings some honest competition, thanks to a hearty menu of artisanal sausages and lard-fried chips that caters to even the grizzliest beer drinker.
A choir performing outside of Linden Street Brewery. (Photo: George Kelly/Flickr)
Linden Street Brewery
Head over to the port of Oakland for a behind-the-scenes look at how this brewery’s small batch of lagers goes from grain to glass. After the tour, cozy up to the bar, or lounge out on the patio to sample the final product. Whether you go straight for the suds in the Beer Shed, or pair your brew with James Syhaout (of Hawker Fare)’s global fusion menu at the Dock, the experience is certain to be sublime.
Beer Revolution
You might think it’d be hard for the staff to keep up with 50 taps of hand-selected brews rotating daily (and sometimes hourly), but the servers here know just about everything there is to know about what’s in your mug. The bar doubles as a bottle store selling hard-to-find favorites holds weekly and monthly events.
Related: All 50 States in the U.S., Ranked By Their Beer
The Trappist
Red brick walls, vintage décor, an ever-rotating selection of European-style beer…we dare you to dream up a better taproom. To top it off, there’s a menu full of creative entrées like Green Eggs & Eggs, plus charcuterie and cheese boards. Pay a visit to its nearby little brother, Trappist Provisions, and take your pick from more than 160 bottled beers you can sip there or stash for later.
Botzeit brings it with German ales and eats, plus a waterfront location. (Photo: Brotzeit Lokal)
Brotzeit Lokal
Brotzeit Lokal offers brews with a view at its Oakland waterfront location. As the name hints, this is the place to go for all things German, including homemade sauerkraut, pickles and mustards, bretzels, späetzle, and all sorts of other tasty things you probably can’t pronounce. Brunch is served on the weekends until 3 p.m., and Brotzeit gives a whole new meaning to your average morning meal, thanks to an extensive list of handcrafted sausages.
Berkeley
Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse
An alehouse you can rely on, Triple Rock is one of America’s oldest brewpubs. In the business since 1985, it offers timeless classics alongside a rotating selection of specialty and seasonal brews. The menu offers guilty pleasures like cheese fries, chili cheese fries, and garlic fries, plus plenty of vegan and vegetarian options like a seitan Philly cheesesteak and chili to balance things out.
Related: Harvest, Stomp, and Sip: 9 Ways to Celebrate California Wine Month
Jupiter
A cozy outdoor patio, complete with dangling vines and a wood-burning fire pit, makes Jupiter the perfect spot for an after-hours brew. Pair Jupiter’s galactic beer option with an out-of-this-world brick oven pizza for the full experience.
Cold beers and a whimsical courtyard make Jupiter out of this world. (Photo: Jupiter Beer/Facebook)
Eureka! Burger
Eureka! boasts one of Berkeley’s largest draft beer selections, with more than 30 craft beers on tap. It also has a full menu of gourmet burgers, like the towering jalapeño egg burger topped with bacon and a sunny-side up egg. Stop in for Hoppy Hour (daily 2–6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close): Festivities include live music on Thursdays and a chance to ‘steal the glass’ every Wednesday with the purchase of that week’s featured beer.
Related: The Craziest Gut-Busting Cocktails in the U.S.
Berkeley Freehouse
The massive outdoor patio at the Freehouse has plenty of group seating and fire pits that give it that neighborhood joint feel, plus an extensive beer menu to boot. Inside, plush couches, a fireplace, and a menu full of comfort foods like chicken pot pie and beef stew turn the Freehouse into your own living room.
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