What breweries/brew pubs should we see (west coast)?

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Collembola!
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This fall we are looking at taking a road trip up the west coast, probably starting in San Francisco and ending up in Vancouver. We have both been East Coasters for our adult lives and would like to explore some of the local breweries and brew pubs out there that we don't distribute out here in N.C.

Any suggestions on places that we should tour or stop in for a beer?

Thanks! :mug:
 
Dude said:
I don't know exactly what city Russian River is in, but if I was that close, I'd find a way to get there.
Click to expand...

Looks pretty close to San Fran. I hear about Russian River a lot, but I have never seen it around here. I would love to be able to get my hands on some.
 
It depends on the amount of time you have and how tightly you stick to the coast. My preferred route is the 101 to Eureka, then the Pacific Coast hwy.

There are too many breweries to list around SF, but going up the 101you'll hit:
Lagunitas Brewing Co‎ 1280 N Mcdowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA
3rd Street Ale Works, Moonlight & Russian River in Santa Rosa
Bear Republic Brewing Co&#8206; 345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, CA << Hop Rod Rye
Hopland Brewery&#8206; 13351 S Highway 101, Hopland
Mendocino Brewing Co Inc&#8206; 1601 Airport Rd, Ukiah, CA
Ukiah Brewing Co&#8206; 102 S State St, Ukiah

And that's just the first morning!
 
There are a bunch in San Francisco and Russian River Brewing is in Santa Rosa which is on way North. Anchor,Speakeasy,Magnolia and 21st Admendment come to mind first.

[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=brew+pubs&near=San+Francisco,+CA&fb=1&view=text&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=1&ct=more-results&cd=1"]SanFranciscoBrewPubs[/ame]
 
I've made this trip on several occasions and there is no shortage of breweries/brewpubs as you head north out of San Francisco on Hwy 101. If you head over to I-5, there are also several breweries along the way.

In San Francisco -

Breweries
21st Ammendment
Magnolia
Anchor
Thirsty Bear
Speakeasy
Beach Chalet

Pubs
Toronado
The Monk's Kettle

101 North -
Marin Brewing - Larkspur, CA
Moylan's - Novato, CA
Lagunitas - Petaluma, CA
Russian River - Santa Rosa, CA
Bear Republic - Healdsburg, CA
Mendocino Brewing - Hopland
Ukiah Brewing - Ukiah

Now this is where I take a little detour over to Hwy 1

Anderson Valley Brewing - Boonville, CA
North Coast Brewing - Fort Bragg, CA

Continue north on Hwy 1 until it merges again with Hwy 101 south of Garberville

Eel River - Fortuna, CA
Lost Coast - Eureka, CA

Now you have a choice. Stay on 101 N and cut over to Grants Pass, OR at Crescent City, if you go this route, you can hit

Six Rivers - McKinleyville, CA

or take Hwy 299 to Hwy 95 and end up in Yreka on I-5. This is my preferred route. An absolutely beautiful mountain drive that follows the Klamath River. This route will take you by

Mad River - Blue Lake, CA
Mt. Shasta Brewing - Weed, CA
Standing Stone - Ashland, OR
Caldera Brewing - Ashland, OR
Walkabout Brewing - Central Point, OR
Wild River - Grants Pass, OR
Umpqua Brewing - Roseburg, OR
Ninkasi Brewing - Eugene, OR
Calapooia Brewing - Albany. OR

Portland has waaay too many breweries and great beer bars to mention, but a few of my faves are

Breweries
Hair of the Dog
Laurelwood
Amnesia
Alameda Brewhouse
Roots
Hopworks Urban Brewery
McMenamin's Edgefield (Troutdale, OR)

Pubs
Horsebrass Pub
The Green Dragon
Concordia Alehouse
Bailey's Taproom
The Pilsner Room

Beer to go
Belmont Station
John's Marketplace

I-5 N enter Washington

Salmon Creek Brewing - Vancouver, WA
Be sure and visit By the Bottle right next door for over 1000 bottled beers to go
Hazel Dell Brewpub - Hazel Dell, WA
Dick's Brewing - Centralia, CA
Fish Brewing - Olympia, WA
Harmon Brewing - Tacoma, WA
Elliot Bay Brewing - Burien, WA

Just like Portland, Seattle has too many breweries to mention here, but I'll name a few of my favorites.

Breweries
Elysian
Pike
Big Time
Stix
Maritime Pacific
Rogue Issaquah Brewhouse

Pubs
Collins Pub
Brouwer's
The Stumbling Monk
Beveridge Place Pub
Uber
Duck Island Alehouse
Latona Pub

Beer to go
Bottleworks
Pike St. Beer & Wine
Malt & Vine

North out of Seattle

Ellersick Brewing - Lynnwood, WA
Lazy Boy Brewing - Everett, WA
Scuttlebut Brewing - Everett, WA
Skookum Brewing - Arlington, WA
Skagit Valley Brewing - Mount Vernon, WA
Anacortes Brewing - Anacortes, WA
Boundary Bay Brewing - Bellingham, WA
North Fork Brewing - Deming, WA

Cross border into Canada and north to Vancouver

Steamworks Brewing - Vancouver, BC
Granville Island Brewing - Vancouver, BC
Storm Brewing - Vancouver, BC

Have a great trip. :mug: :drunk:
 
I just did a San Francisco brewery/pub crawl a few weeks ago, hitting most of the places already mentioned.

If I could go to just one place for a beer, it would be the San Francisco Brewing Company. It's a proper pub, while many of the other places feel like yuppy or Gen-Y restaurants that happen to serve their own microbrew. (In particular, Magnolia felt "too hip for it's own good," at least to me.) SFBC has some spectacular beers that are brewed just a few yards away from the bar. I settled in for the afternoon and tried everything they had on tap. When I mentioned to the bartender that I was a homebrewer, he started pouring samples of everything for me. It was a good strategy, as I proceeded to order many, many pints!

It's a little hard to spot these days, as the building facade is undergoing construction, and the entrance is nearly blocked from view by scaffolding. This makes it look closed, but they are most definitely open for business!

San Francisco Brewing Co

P102492832_01.jpg
 
Wow, that is a lot of great info. It will take me a while to sort through all of it!
 
Originally posted by BlindLemonLars
If I could go to just one place for a beer, it would be the San Francisco Brewing Company.
Click to expand...

Good call, I had forgotten about SF Brewing Co. I was there a few years ago. Great historic pub which is the last of the original Barbary Coast saloons IIRC.
 
Widmer Bros brewery and resturant is right under the elevated section of I-5 and the 405 intersection. They give tours sometimes so contact them in advance. So keep a little extra time when you pass thru Portland. The freeway passes right over the brewery so you cant really see it while driving.
 
Brewtopia said:
I've made this trip on several occasions and there is no shortage of breweries/brewpubs as you head north out of San Francisco on Hwy 101. If you head over to I-5, there are also several breweries along the way.

In San Francisco -

Breweries
21st Ammendment
Magnolia
Anchor
Thirsty Bear
Speakeasy
Beach Chalet

Pubs
Toronado
The Monk's Kettle

101 North -
Marin Brewing - Larkspur, CA
Moylan's - Novato, CA
Lagunitas - Petaluma, CA
Russian River - Santa Rosa, CA
Bear Republic - Healdsburg, CA
Mendocino Brewing - Hopland
Ukiah Brewing - Ukiah

Now this is where I take a little detour over to Hwy 1

Anderson Valley Brewing - Boonville, CA
North Coast Brewing - Fort Bragg, CA

Continue north on Hwy 1 until it merges again with Hwy 101 south of Garberville

Eel River - Fortuna, CA
Lost Coast - Eureka, CA

Now you have a choice. Stay on 101 N and cut over to Grants Pass, OR at Crescent City, if you go this route, you can hit

Six Rivers - McKinleyville, CA

or take Hwy 299 to Hwy 95 and end up in Yreka on I-5. This is my preferred route. An absolutely beautiful mountain drive that follows the Klamath River. This route will take you by

Mad River - Blue Lake, CA
Mt. Shasta Brewing - Weed, CA
Standing Stone - Ashland, OR
Caldera Brewing - Ashland, OR
Walkabout Brewing - Central Point, OR
Wild River - Grants Pass, OR
Umpqua Brewing - Roseburg, OR
Ninkasi Brewing - Eugene, OR
Calapooia Brewing - Albany. OR

Portland has waaay too many breweries and great beer bars to mention, but a few of my faves are

Breweries
Hair of the Dog
Laurelwood
Amnesia
Alameda Brewhouse
Roots
Hopworks Urban Brewery
McMenamin's Edgefield (Troutdale, OR)

Pubs
Horsebrass Pub
The Green Dragon
Concordia Alehouse
Bailey's Taproom
The Pilsner Room

Beer to go
Belmont Station
John's Marketplace

I-5 N enter Washington

Salmon Creek Brewing - Vancouver, WA
Be sure and visit By the Bottle right next door for over 1000 bottled beers to go
Hazel Dell Brewpub - Hazel Dell, WA
Dick's Brewing - Centralia, CA
Fish Brewing - Olympia, WA
Harmon Brewing - Tacoma, WA
Elliot Bay Brewing - Burien, WA

Just like Portland, Seattle has too many breweries to mention here, but I'll name a few of my favorites.

Breweries
Elysian
Pike
Big Time
Stix
Maritime Pacific
Rogue Issaquah Brewhouse

Pubs
Collins Pub
Brouwer's
The Stumbling Monk
Beveridge Place Pub
Uber
Duck Island Alehouse
Latona Pub

Beer to go
Bottleworks
Pike St. Beer & Wine
Malt & Vine

North out of Seattle

Ellersick Brewing - Lynnwood, WA
Lazy Boy Brewing - Everett, WA
Scuttlebut Brewing - Everett, WA
Skookum Brewing - Arlington, WA
Skagit Valley Brewing - Mount Vernon, WA
Anacortes Brewing - Anacortes, WA
Boundary Bay Brewing - Bellingham, WA
North Fork Brewing - Deming, WA

Cross border into Canada and north to Vancouver

Steamworks Brewing - Vancouver, BC
Granville Island Brewing - Vancouver, BC
Storm Brewing - Vancouver, BC

Have a great trip. :mug: :drunk:
Click to expand...
damn Don get out much:rockin:
JJ
 
If you are doing the coast highway and ultimately heading to Vancouver, you should consider taking the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria BC (which is on Vancouver Island). IMO Victoria has the best brew pub in BC. Spinnakers brews some fantastic beers, has an excellent restaurant and even has some guesthouses that can be rented.

Vancouver Island should really not be missed. You can then take another ferry to Vancouver.
 
If you do manage to spend some time in Eugene, OR, make your way to Eugene City Brewery. As someone already mentioned, Eugene is fortunate to have the new Ninkasi Brewery. Yet, they do not have a pub and it seems you have to call ahead for a tasting. If your just interested in sampling and don't need to check out the actual brewery, hit up Starlight Cafe for a good selection of Ninkasi. Then, head next door to Eugene City. Trevor's new Vanilla Bean Porter will make it worthwhile.
 

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