Crafting Excellence on the West Coast: Award-Winning Breweries to Visit

Years ago the founder of The Bruery, Patrick Rue, made a promise to never brew an IPA. As time went on, their adventurous Bruers knew they could make world-class hop-forward beers, so Offshoot was born as an offshoot of The Bruery, all while keeping Patrick’s promise that The Bruery would never make an IPA.

Fort Point was inspired by a love for San Francisco and a desire to make craft beer more accessible. Over the years the brewery has grown to become one of SF’s best-known independent producers and has made plenty of new beers and even a line of ciders along the way.

Former auto-mechanic shop turned classic Ventura brewery. Transmission Brewing’s buildout and beer philosophy to “Shift Perception” share similar aspirations. The brewery promises great experiences complemented with great beer. Their greatest passions lie with brewing and drinking clean and balanced lagers and hop-forward ales.

Any seat in their taproom puts you front and center of the beer-making experience. Whatever you’re eying to drink, they’ve got you covered with a wide variety of makes and styles on tap.

Established in 2015, co-founders, veterinary orthopedic surgeons, and seasoned brewers Sean Wells and Tim Sellmeyer, as well as their best friend and professional musician John Schuman, opened Gilman Brewing’s production brewery and taproom on the bustling Gilman Street in West Berkeley. Situated next door to the historic non-profit music venue 924 Gilman, Gilman Brewing Company brews beers with distinction for California craft beer fans while having loads of fun along the way. With almost 40 years of brewing experience between them, Sean and Tim found a common love for the nuanced, complex flavors of Belgian Farmhouse ales.

Together, the three friends transformed an old automotive repair shop with their own hands into the Berkeley brewery. They are a hands-on crew; no fancy suits or outside investors here. They build it themselves and fix it when it breaks…turns out they also love breaking things – especially common misconceptions about one of their favorite beer styles: saisons!

A bike trip through Belgium in 1988 inspired a young couple to bring the flavors of centuries-old Belgian beer to their hometown. New Belgium Brewing was brought to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1991. With expansions to Asheville, N.C., Denver, Colo., San Francisco, and Kalamazoo, Mich., New Belgium has become one of the most popular and fastest-growing American craft brewers today. New Belgium is famous for its flagship beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale; year-round favorites like Voodoo Ranger IPA, Dominga Mimosa Sour, and La Folie Sour Brown Ale; and an award-winning wood-aged sour program and innovative limited-release beers.

Solvang Brewing Company produces the finest quality ales and cuisine using only premium quality ingredients. Their products are carefully finished with a unique blend of special spices and ingredients to bring a remarkable taste that is only available in Solvang. Solvang Brewing Company’s fine ales are currently only available in the local area, guaranteeing a fresh and high-quality product that is part of the Solvang experience.