As part of our plan to gather some brew for our next few Beersplaining shows, Hoppy Hippo and I decided to visit several breweries in Oakland. Our theme for Sunday was going to be Oakland brews. What we didn�t know when we planned the trip was most of Northern California would be on fire. As we left the house, the air quality index was 180 and got progressively worse throughout the day. Not great for breathing, the smoke provided an ominous hazy blanket for us to drive through. As we headed West towards the coast, the air quality got better, but the haze still lingered which gave us an idea: lets collect some Hazy IPA�s for this Sunday�s show!
Our first stop was Ale Industries. A place we visit regularly not only because of the great beer (Cherry Kush is a fav of @Hoppy Hippo) but nearby is an in-house coffee roaster, Red Bay, and a restaurant (Guadalajara) with one of the best wet burritos you can get. Ale Industries is dog friendly, open with foosball and lots of indoor seating, and original art from local artists adorning the walls; Ale is worth the trip. Unfortunately, with no outdoor seating, we couldn�t have a pint today and with no Hazy IPA�s in cans, we left without a take out order for probably the first time ever. But the trip wasn�t a total waste; each of us got some whole coffee beans from Red Bay, and a tasty cold brew.
For lunch, we stopped at Clove & Hoof. I first saw them on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives a few weeks and the butcher shop and eatery was etched into my brain. When I mentioned it to Hoppy, he let me know he�d already flagged the joint as a must visit a long time ago. Today�s sandwich confirmed why it was on both of our lists. The Cuban sandwich had flavorful, moist shredded pork and tasty sliced ham. Topped with a spicy beer mustard sauce on a perfectly toasted roll, the sandwich hit the spot. My only complaint is I wanted more pickle flavor (but I love good dill pickles). The french fries with dill mayonnaise, however, were beyond compare. Great flavor, properly salted and crispy fries hit the spot.
While we waited to pick up Homeroom Mac & Cheese for the family for dinner, we also visited a local record shop, 1-2-3-4 Go! Records. After spending only a few minutes in the shop, I resolved to go there with my youngest and spend an hour, and more than a few dollars, adding to our vinyl collection.
Next up was Modern Times. They recently opened a tap house near Jack London Square. We�ve visited Oakland three times since it opened, and every time we�ve tried to visit we were not able to sit and enjoy a pint. Today was no different. We can see from the outside that the space is spacious, with high ceilings and large windows. One day we will sit inside and toast a great brewery in a great location. However, this didn�t dissuade us from our plan. We picked up a flat of beer from their wonderful selection including one of their hazy offerings.
Novel was next on our list and is one of our favorite places to stop. The small but eclectic brewery is a must drink if you are in the Oakland/Berkeley area. The book and literature themes provide a great environment for conversation. When you get a flight, they are served a hard-back book with the tasters inside. The beer, the decor, the theme, the owners all make Novel one of our top breweries to visit.
Ghost Town is another must-stop location. Not only for the beer, but also for the theme and decor. Spacious inside seating with a huge tap selection and a number of surrounding restaurants with good food options. From the coffin logo to the coffin bike posts and horror based brew names, they don�t skimp on the horror theme. But the beer is far from scary. Numerous good offerings including a hazy for this weekend and pilsner we will be tasting in the coming weeks.
Next up: Original Pattern. OP also has a large, open facility (including some large booths) with some outdoor seating. They have an on-site food option as well. Unfortunately, since we were there before food service began, we couldn�t sit for a pint. But that didn�t stop us from grabbing several 4-packs to bring home. We also noticed a new brewery, Buck Wild, that should be opening soon. You know we�ll be there to sample their offerings.
In this one area, you have numerous beer and cider choices. Near OP is Independent, Federation, Oakland United and Crooked City Cider.
Getting ready to head back home we decided to make a few more stops, especially because we�d spent the afternoon getting beer but drinking none; not exactly what we had in mind.
Oakland United has been on the visit list since it opened in 2019 but we�ve never been able to get there. Today we made a point of going by and we are glad we did. They had outdoor seating with BBQ and pouring numerous selections. We had a pint of their new Hazy IPA,Mando Haze, which we enjoyed quite a bit. We weren�t able to see much of the inside, but their can offerings included mix packs and what is, quite possibly, one of the best keg prices you will find. $65 for 5 gallons of their lighter fare (pilsner, black lager, hefe) with a $35 deposit! In a time when many breweries are charging you $100 keg deposit, to get a keg and deposit for $100 is a deal you can�t pass up.
Heading back to the East Bay, we stopped at Epidemic Ales. A more appropriately named brewery could not exist during this time. Their Concord facility is spacious, with high ceilings, lots of games to play and plenty of outdoor seating. They also had a food offering so we were able to share a final pint of their West Coast IPA, Cosmic Meltdown, while we reviewed the day. A tasty brew with a nice balance of hops, it was a nice way to cap off the trip.
From today�s travels, we picked up Hazy IPAs from Original Pattern, Modern Times, Novel, Oakland United and Ghost Town for Sunday�s tasting. We also picked up Pilsners that should be on the show in a few weeks. As you can see from the cover photo, we got a few other offerings from all of our stops.
Join Hoppy Hippo and I for our next show this Sunday, 8/23 at 1:00 to hear our reviews of the Oakland Hazy Train brews we gathered on our trip. Be well, stay safe and, as always… Cheers!