Beer and Breweries
I totally forgot about beer . . . it can be sipped. Well hell, we need a beer page. Let’s add one!
I brewed beer for over 20 years. It’s something that I understand. And that’s why I overlook it.
I rarely drink beer anymore. I’ve just gotten out of the habit. For this page, I am only going to include beer and breweries here that completely and totally blow me the feck away. So, here we go.
Fieldwork Brewing
The very first thing that needs to be mentioned here is Non-alcoholic beer. There are so few that make a difference. But there is one brewery that has completely, absolutely, nailed it. I can’t believe more breweries are doing this well. Maybe they are. I don’t know. I mostly drink wine.
But today I stopped by Fieldwork Brewing in Napa to buy Hazy IPAs because I was out. And the guy at the counter was talking to my wife about their series of NA beers. He said the NA beers were literally keeping the lights on. So, we bought a four pack of their IPA. And people . . . they nailed it. It is the best NA beer we have ever tasted. Stop.
And here is why: when you sip this beer . . . your brain tells you that the amazingly 100% IPA flavor and nose are so spot on that that smell and flavor is a promissory note that alcohol is yet to come. And you sip more. And you the brain is waiting for the tiny buzz that should be coming. So much so, that my brain was sorely disappointed when no buzz came. Matter of fact, my brain was kinda pissed.
We tried the standard NA IPA. It tasted like standard IPA. There is nothing about this IPA that smells of NA beer or the past — slightly sweet from using alternate yeasts. Nothing. It is evil the way this IPA comes out of the gate reeking of the promise of alcohol. Drink this beer!!!
The other one we tried was the Encore Hazy IPA NA beer. The nose on this is of apricot fruit leather and wetness. It is gorgeous. It has no hint of old-timey NA beer. It is perfect.
Headlands Brewing Company
Lafayette, Ca
The Ka Pai Hazy IPA is stunning. Had this at a friend’s house during the super bowl. It is definitely a double and had my mildly buzzing after the whole can. The texture is pure cream. There is very little in the way of bitterness, which is exactly the way I like a hazy. The Nelson hops in this are dreamy and dank (there were some other hops in this as well, but I don’t remember right off hand).
A great hazy to get one’s hand on if you happen upon it. We will be seeking out other offerings from Headlands.
Deschutes Brewing Fresh Haze IPA NA
The Fresh Haze IPA NA beer is really nice. It is definitely a single IPA, not a double. It has a light mouthfeel, long finish, but plenty of citrus hops on the nose and palate.
With all the breweries pumping out NA beers (and some of them doing it well), the NA crowd have to be pleased. We just happened to have a pregnant family member here for the holidays and wanted to have some things for her to sip on. But I like these beers as well for their freshness and the fact that I can down two and drive!
Deschutes Brewing Black Butte Porter NA
The Black Butte NA Porter is a kick. If it isn’t good, it won’t make the page. And this one is good. It has a really nice roasty flavor, pretty good body. I mean, it’s not a double, but is has some viscosity. It has a hint of cocoa, coffee and porter loveliness.
It looks like quite a few breweries are jumping on the wagon. And just talking to people you get the impression that folks want some delicious NA beer once in a while. It’s so nice that more and more of these options are becoming available.
Lagunitas Brewing Company
These guys have been around with some great, noticeable labels for a long time. The brewery dog image is an icon. So, when we saw that they had an NA IPA out we thought we’d try it.
There are still quite a few breweries that are using alternate yeasts out there. They’re producing “ok” beers, but they have that cloying sweetness. This one has none of that. It is pure IPA. It is dry-hopped with mosaic, citra and CTZ hops. So, it has a big hop nose when you open the container. This is one to try next time you want to sip and drive.
Heineken 0.0
The days of the designated driver having to sit and watch their pals tank up tasty beers and mixed drinks are over, friends. Heineken has nailed the N/A Pils. It is perfect.
All they do it make regular Heineken and then pasteurize the alcohol out of it. It’s just standard Heineken. End of story. And it tastes perfect. This stuff can be hard to find. Our local supermarket can’t keep it in their cooler. Half the time I go to look for it and it’s gone or there is one six pack left.
But honestly, having tasted the cans and the bottles, get the bottles. There’s just something a hint better about glass.
Trilium Brewing Company
My kids all live on the east coast, which is a too bad because I’m in California. But when I go visit, there are a couple breweries that are like brew-Mecca for me. The kids are beer-heads and have already scouted out every brewery in the Boston area, so they take me to all the ones they like best. And I’m a Hazy person.
When we first started going to Boston for long visits, Trilium was first one my list. They’re like bricks — solid. Never had a bad hazy from Trilium. And they have several tasting rooms around the Boston area.
Vitamin Sea Brewing Company
My kids all live on the east coast. And after a few years of brewery discovery, they found Vitamin Sea down in Plymouth. The reason they knew I’d like it was that they had fresh pizza (pizza is my thing) and a large selection of hazy IPA. So, when we first went there, I was pleasantly surprised that they had about 16 hazys for sale in cans. It was a labor to decide which ones to try since I only had a week in Boston. First world problem, right?
Never had a bad Vitamin Sea hazy. They err on the size of more creaminess in their doubles and triples. It’s like drinking a cold oatmeal breakfast cereal. Super heavy mouthfeel. Just gorgeous!
Henhouse Brewing Company
This place was amazing. Like most breweries, they cover the style range well. But for me, it’s always the hazy IPAs that appeal. Over the last few years, my taste buds have done a 180 on me. I used to adore the smokiest scotch and the bitterest west coast IPAs. And now, I’m just the opposite. I want Irish Whisky, Bourbon and Rye. And I want creamy, low IBU Hazy IPAs.
Henhouse has these in spades. And they have a lovely tasting room as well. It’s well worth the trek to go check them out.
Clown Shoes Brewing Company
I think I first tried this at the Slanted Tree tap room in Cordelia Ca. I have only tried a few of the released from Clown Shoes. But these guys are top notch. Every release is just insanely unctuous. The palate texture is OTT with creaminess. The flavors are amazing. If you find this at a store in cans, just freekin’ buy it. It’s worth it.
The image says the rest. Sorry about the scroll.
Morgan Territory Brewing Company
A year ago, when the kids were in town from Boston, they wanted to try a few breweries new to them. They’re total beer heads. So, we cruised down to the Concord area and checked out this place.
They had really good food, totally kid friendly and had super beer. As usual, I headed out to try every hazy they had on tap. They had a few and they were spectacular. Every one of them had a thick mouthfeel, great texture and solid hop flavor without being too bitter. My palate has flipflopped. I used to love the bitterest IPAs. Now, it’s just the opposite. I like creamy and hazy. I’m getting soft.
Yah, Morgan Territory is a brewery to try and one to watch going forward!
Heretic Brewing Company
Tucked way back in an industrial complex over by the Travis Airbase in Fairfield, Ca, Heretic a great place not only to get beer — but they are also a distillery. And they put out a load of great distilled products. And you can do a tasting of them as well.
Heretic was one of the early adopters of the Impossible Burger craze. Being fairly strict vegetarians, we made a beeline to Heretic to get a burger and try the beer.
Sure, the burger was fine. Tastes kinda like beef, esp if it is BBQ’d. But Heretic was mind-blowing in the range of beer styles they had on tap. They cover the gambit. And there’s not a beer on tap that isn’t fabulous.
