To celebrate dual anniversaries, Hoppy Hippo and I took the wives on a short road trip that would end up with dinner in Napa but you know it had to include at least a few breweries.
Starting Saturday morning, our first stop was not for beer� it was for coffee! You can�t get much better than Red Bay Coffee in Oakland. I�ve written about them before. We simply love their coffee, drinks and beans. The vibe, the atmosphere, the location are all outstanding. You just don�t get much better than fresh roasted, in-house, coffee.
With caffeine onboard, we made the trek to Pond Farm in San Rafael. This was our second visit, but our first during COVID. They always had a small outdoor area with covered seating that they redesigned to keep spacing appropriate. They also added several tables outside the main entrance along the sidewalk. For food, they have a solid Mexican menu. We shared the steak nachos that came with several salsa choices that were all tasty. For the beer, however, the selection was something to behold. We sampled the Home Haircut IPA, Tropicality Hazy IPA, Black is Beautiful, Dark Side of the Barrel, Dark Mast Black Lager and Double Devil Hazy DIPA. All in all, they were solid offerings. I strongly suggest the Tropicality, Double Devil and, if you like Barrel aged beers, the Dark Side is right up your alley!
Next up we planned a stop at Lagunitas. Unfortunately, our planning did not include reservations (not even sure they take them). When we arrived, it was a 45-60 minute wait. As much as we love beer, waiting an hour just to have a beer wasn�t in the plans, nor did it interest us, so we took a pass. We also tried to stop at 101 North only to find out they closed last October.
We ventured over to HenHouse for a pick-up. While they are not serving at the brewery, their beer selection is unrivaled. Eclectic but IPA-centric, we bought our fair share of cans. Included in the purchase was the 2nd part of their collab with Altamont (review coming soon!) and Art Forward, an IPA 4-pack with different art on each of the 4 cans. Their can art is some of the best you will find, which fits with the beer. Frankly, HenHouse might be our top brewery.
Our final destination for the day was Sonoma Springs Brewing, who had a food truck and outdoor table service for beer. Seating was plentiful out front in the parking area, but it didn�t eliminate too much parking. We sampled the Captain Save a Mo (mosaic hopped IPA), Outer Space, Juicy in the Sky and C-Note (which was a standout for me). The food truck also offered coffee, and a bacon offering that is a must-try!
On Sunday, we planned to visit Heretic brewing for an on-location Beersplaining show, but we were stymied by the raging wildfire in the area. The fire resulted in lots of smoke in the air, and freeway closures. Rather than adding to the problems for the local firefighters, we decided to head out to Moraga and visit Canyon Club Brewery. The outdoor seating area was something to behold. Spacious, but sheltered from the sun by large trees, it was a great environment. For our review of the beers, we did our first on-location show. You can view our reviews on your YouTube page.
Stay tuned for our next show, coming up this weekend as we sample Lagers with a guest host. Check the calendar for our upcoming shows, which include Barrel Aged Beers (again with a guest host) and, coming up later this month, Oktoberfest reviews!
As usual, our trip included a wide selection of beer (see the pic for some of our haul), and a good time.
Be safe, be well and be sure to support your local breweries and restaurants.
Cheers!
