Summer is for beer gardens. Here are some local favorites if you’re craving an afternoon of brews with your crew.
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Summer is for beer gardens. Fortunately, Sonoma County has them in abundance, with the Wine Country bonus of excellent beer and top-notch food. Here are some favorites if you’re craving an afternoon of brews with your crew.
In continuous operation since 1926, this ramshackle-looking roadhouse and watering hole is one of Sonoma County’s best-kept secrets. Owned by HopMonk Tavern, well-known for its beer gardens in Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Novato, Twin Oaks has kept its historic charm while offering stellar fried chicken sandwiches and live entertainment for those who appreciate its charms. (The property is currently listed for sale.) 5745 Old Redwood Highway, Penngrove. 707-795-5118, hopmonk.com/twin-oaks
Sink into the trippy scene that is Lagunitas, through and through. The tap room and “beer sanctuary” is a casual spot hidden in the shadows of the brewery complex. There’s great pub grub, a swag-filled gift shop, a small music venue, and the hoppy IPAs that have made them famous. 1280 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. 707-284-1020, lagunitas.com
The most beer-garden-y beer garden in Sonoma County. Big enough for an Oktoberfest crowd with loads of picnic tables, live music, plenty of beer (and cocktails), with kids and dogs welcome. Plus, solid eats. 229 Water St., Petaluma. 707-981-8330, brewstersbeergarden.com
Most breweries are bare-bones places with a funky college-dorm aesthetic and sticky tables — and we like it that way! But Old Caz has upped its game with a swanky new spot with high ceilings, matching chairs, hand-built tables, and usable bathrooms. Wow! The lunchtime bar menu and top-notch food trucks are the cherry on top. Don’t worry, the butt-kicking IPAs keep it real. 1500 Valley House Drive, Suite 110, Rohnert Park. 707-665-6668, oldcaz.com
If there’s a heaven for beer drinkers, it’s at the 85,000-square-foot Russian River brewery in Windsor. Book a guided tour and tasting, then head to the outdoor beer garden where you can choose from roughly 20 signature brews on tap and a full pub menu. The dog- and kid-friendly patio is a great spot to hang out and dream of next year’s release of Pliny the Younger. 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor. 707-545-2337, russianriverbrewing.com
Hidden behind an auto parts store in an industrial part of Petaluma, The Block is a tiny-but-mighty beer garden with nearly 30 taps and a full cocktail menu. Tacos Don Pepe and Jackie Boy’s Barbecue are on a rotating lineup with Fire Slice pizza served six days a week. 20 Grey St., Petaluma. 707-775-6003, theblockpetaluma.com
Though it’s just a handful of stout wooden tables and bistro seats beneath draping twinkle lights and Weihenstephan pennants (Germany’s oldest brewery), Munich is in the air at chef Krisztian Karkus’ German and Central European eatery. Grab a Bavarian pretzel, currywurst, or a Weiner schnitzel sandwich and choose from five German beers on tap, plus cans of Stiegl Radler (grapefruit juice and lager) and malty Korbinian. Prost! 165 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 707-291-5193, tiszabistro.com
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]]>To meet new demands, Sonoma and Napa wineries are partnering with breweries to expand their offerings.
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There’s long been an inside joke among winery folks that their favorite beverage is beer.
Every year during harvest, when I stop by local hot spots like El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma or the Restaurant at North Block in Yountville, I can count on finding groups of winemakers hanging out at the bars, holding craft brew mugs in their grape-stained hands.
They love wine but they’ve had enough, they’ll admit. And so, perhaps, have younger drinkers, according to recent statistics.
It’s no secret that the wine industry is facing challenging times, as Gen Z and millennial consumers are exploring alternatives to wine, like cocktails, hard seltzers and beer — or nonalcoholic drinks. Many traditional wine tasting destinations are feeling the pain, with visits declining.
To meet new demands, the industry is pivoting. Winery behemoth Constellation Brands Inc., for example, just reported that beer now represents nearly 82% of its sales, according to the company’s annual earnings report. Last week, Constellation even entered negotiations to sell its entire wine portfolio to two other top producers.
So it won’t surprise me to see more wine tasting rooms entering into partnerships, offering beer and other drinks in their expensive-to-operate spaces. Here are some of my current local favorites pouring wine and beer.
The Mad Fritz taproom opened last spring in Yountville, sharing a charming stone and clapboard cottage with Jessup Wine Cellars on Washington Street. The tiny-batch, high-end beers have been a cult favorite around Napa Valley for more than a decade, poured at The French Laundry and Solage Calistoga among other upscale joints and so coveted that there is a waiting list for the members club.
Husband-and-wife owners Nile Zacherle and Whitney Fisher (both longtime winemakers, by the way) use craft-malted single-variety barley and French oak barrels to age the double or triple fermented beers for up to 12 months.
Flavors change seasonally and the beers usually have delightful names referencing Grimms’ Fairy Tales, such as The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg, a funky, dry saison with a hint of pineapple. My favorite is the mildly bitter and spicy Peach Project, made with organic peaches from Cervantes Family Vineyard in St. Helena and Triumph hops from the Alexander Valley Hops farm in Sonoma County.
The beer bar is tiny — it used to be the Yountville town jail long ago — but hip with its record player and vinyl collection. A sign encourages you to “Yo! Be your own DJ!” and select records (but please heed a newly taped-up sign that says, “Now! Don’t steal them!”).
Step into the adjacent lounge and you’ll find the Jessup Wine Cellars wine bar, a comfy spot to sip standouts like the 2019 Juel blend of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Malbec and Petite Verdot.
“We definitely get couples where one wants wine and the other wants beer,” Zacherle said. “I think, as a collective property, we offer a lot of variety.”
Technically, that couple would not sit together, given licensing differences between a beer and a wine business. But with the shared footprint and open wall between the two rooms, the happy pair can toast each other mere feet apart.
6720 Washington St., Yountville, 707-968-5058, madfritz.com
6740 Washington St., Yountville, 707-944-5620, jessupcellars.com
Ken and Diane Wilson own 11 wine businesses across Sonoma and Mendocino counties, including Coyote Sonoma in Healdsburg. The Coyote space used to be the Sonoma Cider taproom, so it made sense for the Wilsons to fill it with local craft beers, alongside their own wine selections.
Beer lovers will find 18 craft brews on tap, from local producers like Parliament Brewing, HenHouse Brewing, Cooperage Brewing and Russian River Brewing.
Wine lovers have two options. There’s a full tasting room with wine and optional food pairings, open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. There’s also a wine list in the taproom, which is open 4 p.m. until the bar closes Wednesday through Saturday.
Coyote Sonoma hosts live music almost every Friday and Saturday night and has launched a Coyote Sonoma Locals Club that offers complimentary or discounted tickets to most live music events. For $25 per month, club members get one bottle of wine that can be enjoyed on site during a show with free corkage.
“It’s really affordable and particularly attractive at a time where people seem to be more conscious of expenses,” said Wilson marketing specialist Katie Ambrosi. “Even if someone isn’t much of a wine lover, they enjoy the club because it brings such great access to music at a venue with a healthy beer selection.”
44-F Mill St., Healdsburg, 707-395-8846, wilsonartisanwines.com
St. Clair Brown opened on the edge of downtown Napa in 2013 as a Wine Country wonderland featuring an industrial-chic facility making handcrafted small-lot wines and microbrew beers surrounded by lavish culinary gardens with a café in an English-style greenhouse.
Owners Elaine St. Clair (winemaker and brewmaster) and Laina Brown (winery executive) pulled out all the stops and paid attention to details, like the retro typewritten labels that are tied to the bottles with twine.
I remember the first time I visited back then and how delighted I was when the Napa Valley Wine Train chugged by on the tracks mere feet from that greenhouse. The conductor honked the locomotive’s horn in a long, soulful hello and all of us café guests shared friendly waves with the train riders.
The experience is just as magical now as we can taste flights of wine, beer or even housemade nonalcoholic garden cocktails, with optional food pairings.
You’ll definitely want to try the food, which is presented in jewel box nibbles that highlight produce from the garden, which was planted by organic culinary gardener Peter Jacobsen (he is the owner of Jacobsen Orchards in Yountville and grows specialty fruits, herbs, vegetables and edible flowers for several Michelin-starred restaurants, including The French Laundry).
I still dream of my last visit, when I savored pork rillettes tucked into a glass jar with fig-apricot-lemon compote, and a pretty salad of farro and Rancho Gordo quinoa dotted with pickled radishes, Pinot Grigio-soaked golden raisins, sweet pea sprouts and blossoms.
Check the website calendar, too, for pop-ups in the cellar that turns into a sophisticated speakeasy. To get in, look for the neon peace sign, knock twice and share the password (that changes weekly). Then slip inside for DJ-spun music, wine and beer by candlelight and dancing amid the fuchsia-strobe-lit stainless steel tanks.
816 Vallejo St., Napa, 707-255-5591, stclairbrown.com
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]]>Before its official launch in March, Pliny the Younger is already available at some local bars and restaurants.
The post Where To Find Pliny the Younger Beer 2025 appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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Sonoma County’s Russian River Brewing Co. has announced the limited release of its most coveted IPA: Pliny the Younger.
Officially available at the brewery’s Santa Rosa and Windsor pubs from March 21 to April 3, the highly anticipated brew is already quietly on tap (or coming soon) to around 30 bars and restaurants in Sonoma and Napa counties.
As the brewery’s team is busy kegging the 2025 Pliny release to ship to select cities throughout the country, locals will have early access to the triple IPA this month, the brewing company stated in a recent Facebook post.
Once Pliny the Younger is released this spring, the Santa Rosa and Windsor pubs will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with lines usually starting as early as 5 a.m. Guests will be limited to three 10-ounce pours and up to three bottles of Pliny the Younger.
The release of Pliny the Younger is usually shrouded in secrecy, adding to its allure. Russian River Brewing Co. has not posted a public list of locations where the beer will be available before its official release but shared a list with The Press Democrat of “most” of the places in Sonoma and Napa counties where the triple IPA will be available.
Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Co., said over email to The Press Democrat Thursday that while kegs of Pliny the Younger are being distributed around the country, the “lion’s share remains within California, with the heaviest concentration of accounts in the Bay Area.”
Some local bars and restaurants, such as Santa Rosa’s The Goose & Fern (116 Fifth St.), Trail House Cafe (4036 Montgomery Drive, Suite C) and Sonoma’s HopMonk Tavern (691 Broadway), have announced on social media that they will have Pliny the Younger on tap.
On Thursday, The Goose & Fern owner Clyde Hartwell said the pub will “definitely” have Pliny on tap in the next few days, shooting to have it available for Super Bowl Sunday. Other local bars and restaurants also are aiming to pour Pliny this Sunday.
Below is a list of local places where Pliny the Younger will be on tap. For more information on when they’ll be pouring, call or check the establishments’ social media.
The Goose & Fern, 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-843-4235, thegooseandfern.com
Bird & The Bottle, 1055 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-568-4000, birdandthebottle.com
Stark’s Steak & Seafood, 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com
Trail House Cafe, 4036 Montgomery Drive, Suite C, Santa Rosa, 707-536-9561, incycle.com/pages/retailer/trail-house
SEA Thai Bistro, 2350 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-528-8333, seathaibistrobar.com
SEA Noodle Bar, 286 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, 707-521-9087, seanoodlebar.com
Tap & Pour, (in Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport) 2200 Airport Blvd. Suite 143, Santa Rosa, 707-909-0064, sonomacountyairport.org
Willi’s Wine Bar, 1415 Town and Country Drive, Santa Rosa, starkrestaurants.com
Taps On The River, 54 E. Washington St., Petaluma, 707-763-6700, instagram.com/taps.petaluma
McNear’s Saloon, 23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-765-2121, mcnears.com
Seared, 170 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-762-5997, petalumaseared.com
Mario and John’s, 428 E. D St., Unit B, Petaluma, 707-981-7661, marioandjohns.com
Ernie’s Tin Bar, 5100 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, 707-762-2075, facebook.com/erniestinbar
Twin Oaks Roadhouse, 5745 Old Redwood Highway, Penngrove, 707-795-5118, hopmonk.com/twin-oaks
HopMonk Tavern, 691 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-935-9100; 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol, 707-829-7300; 224 Vintage Way, Novato, 415-892-6200, hopmonk.com
the girl & the fig, 110 W. Spain St., Sonoma, 707-938-3634, thegirlandthefig.com
Barley & Bine Beer Cafe, 7765 Bell Road, Windsor, 707-657-7774, barleybinebeercafe.com
PizzaLeah, 9240 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 116, Windsor, 707-620-0551, pizzaleah.com
Oliver’s Market, 9230 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-687-2050, oliversmarket.com
Bravas Bar de Tapas, 420 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-433-7700, starkrestaurants.com
Elephant in the Room, 177 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, elephantintheroompub.com
Dry Creek General Store, 3495 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-4171, drycreekgeneralstore1881.com
Healdsburg Bar & Grill, 245 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-3333, healdsburgbarandgrill.com
Catelli’s Restaurant, 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-3471, mycatellis.com
Corner Project Ales & Eats, 21079 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-814-0110, cornerprojectales.com
Russian River Pub, 11829 River Road, Forestville, 707-887-7932, russianriverpub.com
Korbel Winery, 13250 River Road, Guerneville, 707-824-7000, korbel.com
Rainbow Cattle Company, 16220 Main St., Guerneville, 707-869-0206, queersteer.com
Rio Nido Roadhouse, 14540 Canyon 2 Road, Rio Nido, 707-869-0821, rionidoroadhouse.com
Blue Heron, 25275 Steelhead Blvd., Duncans Mills, 707-865-2261, blueheronrestaurant.com
Hop Creek Pub, 3253 Browns Valley Road, Napa, 707-257-7708, hopcreekpub.com
Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant, 610 First St., Napa, 707-257-5200, oxbowwine.com
Gott’s Roadside, 644 First St., Napa, 707-224-6900; 933 Main St., St. Helena, 707-963-3486, gotts.com
Erosion Tap House, 1234 Main St., St. Helena, 707-820-4445, erosion.buzz
The post Where To Find Pliny the Younger Beer 2025 appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
]]>Watch the drama unfold at these local bars and beer venues.
The post Where to Watch Super Bowl 2024 in Sonoma and Napa Counties appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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Super Bowl LVIII, featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, will commence at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’re not prepared to shell out a lot of money to see the game in person (ticket prices this year are the highest on record, averaging $12,240 for a resale ticket), but still would like to watch these two teams battle it out for ultimate football glory, we’ve got plenty of exciting local sports bars that are sure to be buzzing on game day. Click through the gallery above for details and check out the schedule here: espn.com/nfl/schedule.
Do you know more local venues that are showing the Super Bowl? Send us an email.
Owen Ruderman contributed to this article.
The post Where to Watch Super Bowl 2024 in Sonoma and Napa Counties appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
]]>Watch the drama unfold at these local bars and beer venues.
The post Where to Watch Super Bowl 2023 in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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This Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles for Super Bowl LVII. If you want to pair the game (and the halftime show) with some socializing, snacks and brews, we’ve lined up the best Sonoma County sports bars and beer venues to watch the drama unfold — swipe through the slideshow above for all the details.
Did we miss one of your favorite sports bars? Let us know in the comments.
Lonnie Hayes contributed to this article.
The post Where to Watch Super Bowl 2023 in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
]]>Big Chicken is only available for up to three days. Here's where to catch the rare bird in Sonoma County.
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A chicken is on the run. We’re not talking about the feathery, poultry kind but a big hoppy one. And now is your chance to catch it.
This Thursday, Feb. 6, marks the eighth annual release of Henhouse Brewing Company’s Big Chicken double IPA. As we speak, Bay Area beer enthusiasts are getting ready to seek out the rare bird.
Like Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, Big Chicken is a limited- and controlled-release beer. Unlike “Younger,” which is available during a two-week period each February, Big Chicken is only available up to three days in February. The beer’s unusually high hop content (twelve pounds per barrel) makes it a fragile brew that perishes fast — this is the reason it is brewed, kegged and tapped in a single day.
“Big Chicken is the extreme of our focus on freshness,” said Henhouse Brewing Company’s president Scott Goyne. “Beer is a far more perishable product than most folks realize — hop flavor and aroma degrade fast — so it’s important to drink hoppy beer in its short window of freshness.”
The coveted brew usually runs out within two days, which leaves only a small window to get a taste. Its limited availability only adds to its allure, as is the case with Pliny the Younger, a publicity stunt both Russian River Brewing Company and Henhouse Brewing Company have leveraged to their advantage.
This year, Big Chicken will be available at HenHouse’s Santa Rosa and Petaluma taprooms, Feb. 6 to Feb. 8. Both tasting rooms will be open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (There is a two four-pack per person, per day allotment, as well as two 14-ounce pours per person, per day).
Big Chicken will also be available in the following locations:
Alameda
Lucky 13
Straw Hat Pizza
Alamo
Ej phair Alamo
Extreme Pizza Alamo
Albany
Albany Taproom
Berkeley
Bobby G’s Pizzeria
Cask on College
Cornerstone
Tupper & Reed
Benecia
Sailor Jack’s
Brentwood
Brentwood Emporium
Hop Asylum
Brentwood Craft aka Sand Creek
Concord
BJs Concord
Concord Taphouse
Eureka! Concord
The Hop Grenade
Cotati
Flagship Taproom
Danville
Pete’s Brass Rail
The Growler
Dublin
Caps and Taps
Three Sheets
El Cerrito
The Little Hill Lounge
Emeryville
Prizefighter
Fairfax
Split Rock Tap and Wheel
Healdsburg
Coyote Sonoma
Elephant in the Room
Healdsburg Bar & Grill
Kenwood
Salt & Stone
Lincoln
Infusion
Livermore
Beach Hut Deli
First Street Alehouse
Hops and Sessions
Sauced BBQ Livermore
Tap 25
Hop Devine
Martinez
Slow Hand BBQ Martinez
Mill Valley
Proof Lab
Napa
Napa Palisades Saloon
Squeeze Burger Napa
Hop Creek Pub
Novato
Hopmonk Novato
Extreme Pizza
Beer Craft
Oakland
Beer Revolution
Ben N’ Nicks
Brotzeit Lokal
Cato’s Ale House
Degrees Plato
Magpie
Paulista
Philomena
Portal
Rosamunde Oakland
The Good Hop
Tiger’s Taproom
The Trappist
Occidental
Barley & Hops
Union Hotel Occidental
Orinda
Fourth Bore
Petaluma
Twin Oaks
Brewsters Beer Garden
McNear’s
Ray’s Deli and Tavern
Roaring Donkey
Seared Grill- Petaluma
Buffalo Billiards
Speakeasy
Taps Petaluma
Hank’s Petaluma
The Block
Pleasant Hill
Jack’s Taps
Slow Hand BBQ Pleasant Hill
Pleasanton
Lokanta Pleasanton
Oyo
Bottle Taps
Mckay’s
Porky’s Pizza Palace
Rohnert Park
Beer Craft
Roseville
Final Gravity
Bar 101
Sacramento
Hop Gardens
Cap Hop Shop
San Anselmo
Creekside Pizza
San Francisco
Flying Pig
Giordano Bros.
Alembic
Barrelhead Brew House
Beer Hall
Beer Nerds
Church Key
For Point Valencia
City Beer Store
Crafty Fox
Dark Horse Inn
Devil’s Slide Taproom
Emporium
Fermentation Lab
Fly Bar
Chruchill
Foghorn Taproom
The Showdown
Bloodhound
Hops & Hominy
Hopwater Distribution
Liquid Gold
MIkkeller Bar
Monaghan’s
Monk’s Kettle
Ocean Ale House
Old Devil Moon
Richmond Republic Draught House
Rosamunde Mission
Rusty’s Southern
Sessions
Sea Star
The Ave
The Brew Coop
The Page
Toronado
Zeitgeist
Chomp N Swig
Hardwood Bar & Smokery
Public House
Local Tap
Holy Water
San Leandro
Porky’s Pizza Palace
Son’s of Liberty
The Cooler
San Rafael
Flat Iron
Libation Taproom
Pint Size Lounge
Tam Commons
Santa Rosa
Belly
Brew
Epicenter
Everybody’s Tappin
Juncture Taproom
La Rosa
Local Barrel
Mayacama Golf Club
Mission Kitchen Bar
Ricardo’s Bar and Grill
Rincon Valley Tap Room
Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club
Steele & Hops
Toad in the Hole
Trail House
Westside Grill
Whiskey Tip
Whole Foods Coddingtown
Wilibees SR
Sebastopol
Hopmonk Sebastopol
Ramen Gaijin
Community Market
Sonoma
Hopmonk
Tiburon
SF Yacht Club
Tracy
Delta Brews
Walnut Creek
Extreme Pizza
Hops & Scotch
Ol Beer Cafe
Rotator Taproom
Sauced BBQ
Windsor
Barley & Bine
Mountain Mikes
Super Burger
Olivers Tavern
Brentwood
Brentwood Emporium
Hop Asylum
Calistoga
Cal Mart
Concord
Hop Grenade
Cotati
Flagship Taproom
Olivers Market
Dublin
Caps & Taps
Three Sheets
Healdsburg
Big Johns
Shelton’s
Tip Top Liquors
Mill Valley
Mill Valley Market
Novato
BeerCraft
Harvest Market
Oakland
Degrees
Good Hop
Petaluma
Penngrove Market
Charley’s Liquor
Petaluma Market
Steel Bear
Wilibees
Rohnert Park
BeerCraft
Roseville
Final Gravity
Sacramento
Hop Garden
San Anselmo
Ludwig’s
San Francisco
City Beer
Liquid Gold
San Rafael
Libations
Marin Bev
Santa Venetia
Santa Rosa
Bevmo Santa Rosa Ave
Bottle Barn
Juncture
Local Barrel
Molsberry Market
Olivers- Motecito
Olivers- Stony Point
Pacific Market
Rincon Valley Wine & Craft
Trailhouse
Whole Foods- Coddingtown
Willibees Santa Rosa
Sausalito
Driver Market
Sebastopol
Andy’s Produce
Community Market
Fiesta Market
Fircrest Market
Olivers- Windsor
Pohley’s
Walnut Creek
Ol Beer Cafe
Rotator Taproom
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]]>Sip on a cold one on a shaded patio or at a lively bar. We’ve lined up a few favorite beer venues for summer fun.
The post Russian River and More: Best Sonoma Breweries and Bars for a Sudsy Summer appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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Summer is kicking into gear in Sonoma County. Time to sip on a cold one on a shaded patio or at a lively bar – we’ve lined up a few favorite beer venues for summer fun. Added bonus: we asked each spot for a summer brew recommendation. Click through the above gallery for details.
The post Russian River and More: Best Sonoma Breweries and Bars for a Sudsy Summer appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
]]>Make the most of the warm summer nights with a drink on a shaded patio.
The post Cool Sonoma County Bars for Hot Summer Nights appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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Dining outside is delightful. But what about when you’re more focused on a few Bloody Mary’s, a cold beer or a tasty glass of rosé with a few nibbles? That’s our idea of summer fun in the sun. Click through the gallery for a few of our favorite family-friendly, sometimes dog-friendly, spots to cool off.
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]]>Big Chicken is only available for up to three days. Here's where to catch the rare bird in Sonoma County and beyond.
The post Where to Find HenHouse’s Big Chicken IPA in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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Updated February 6, 2020. Find 2020 locations here.
A chicken is on the run. We’re not talking about the feathery poultry kind of chick but a big hoppy one, and now is your chance to catch it.
This Thursday, February 6, marks the eighth annual release of HenHouse Brewing Company’s Big Chicken double IPA and, as we speak, Bay Area beer enthusiasts are getting ready to seek out the rare bird.
[Want to taste another coveted Sonoma County brew? Check out our guide to the 2020 Pliny the Younger release, coming up this Friday.]
Like Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, Big Chicken is a limited- and controlled-release beer. Unlike Younger, which is available during a two-week period each February, Big Chicken is only available one to three days per year. The beer’s unusually high hop content (twelve pounds per barrel) makes it a fragile brew that perishes fast — this is the reason it is brewed, kegged and tapped in a single day.
“Big Chicken is the extreme of our focus on freshness,” said HenHouse Brewing Company’s president Scott Goyne, “beer is a far more perishable product than most folks realize – hop flavor and aroma degrade fast — so it’s important to drink hoppy beer in its short window of freshness.”
HenHouse Brewing’s Big Chicken double IPA is released on Thursday, Feb 6. (Courtesy photos)
The coveted brew usually runs out within two days, which leaves only a small window to get a taste. Its limited availability only adds to its allure, as is the case with Pliny the Younger, a publicity stunt both Russian River Brewing Company and HenHouse Brewing Company have leveraged to their advantage.
This year, Big Chicken will be available at HenHouse’s Santa Rosa and Petaluma taprooms, Feb. 6 – Feb. 8. Both tasting rooms will be open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (There is a two four-pack per person, per day allotment, as well as two 14-ounce pours per person, per day).
Big Chicken will also be available in the following locations:
Alameda
Lucky 13
Straw Hat Pizza
Alamo
Ej phair Alamo
Extreme Pizza Alamo
Albany
Albany Taproom
Berkeley
Bobby G’s Pizzeria
Cask on College
Cornerstone
Tupper & Reed
Benecia
Sailor Jack’s
Brentwood
Brentwood Emporium
Hop Asylum
Brentwood Craft aka Sand Creek
Concord
BJs Concord
Concord Taphouse
Eureka! Concord
The Hop Grenade
Cotati
Flagship Taproom
Danville
Pete’s Brass Rail
The Growler
Dublin
Caps and Taps
Three Sheets
El Cerrito
The Little Hill Lounge
Emeryville
Prizefighter
Fairfax
Split Rock Tap and Wheel
Healdsburg
Coyote Sonoma
Elephant in the Room
Healdsburg Bar & Grill
Kenwood
Salt & Stone
Lincoln
Infusion
Livermore
Beach Hut Deli
First Street Alehouse
Hops and Sessions
Sauced BBQ Livermore
Tap 25
Hop Devine
Martinez
Slow Hand BBQ Martinez
Mill Valley
Proof Lab
Napa
Napa Palisades Saloon
Squeeze Burger Napa
Hop Creek Pub
Novato
Hopmonk Novato
Extreme Pizza
Beer Craft
Oakland
Beer Revolution
Ben N’ Nicks
Brotzeit Lokal
Cato’s Ale House
Degrees Plato
Magpie
Paulista
Philomena
Portal
Rosamunde Oakland
The Good Hop
Tiger’s Taproom
The Trappist
Occidental
Barley & Hops
Union Hotel Occidental
Orinda
Fourth Bore
Petaluma
Twin Oaks
Brewsters Beer Garden
McNear’s
Ray’s Deli and Tavern
Roaring Donkey
Seared Grill- Petaluma
Buffalo Billiards
Speakeasy
Taps Petaluma
Hank’s Petaluma
The Block
Pleasant Hill
Jack’s Taps
Slow Hand BBQ Pleasant Hill
Pleasanton
Lokanta Pleasanton
Oyo
Bottle Taps
Mckay’s
Porky’s Pizza Palace
Rohnert Park
Beer Craft
Roseville
Final Gravity
Bar 101
Sacramento
Hop Gardens
Cap Hop Shop
San Anselmo
Creekside Pizza
San Francisco
Flying Pig
Giordano Bros.
Alembic
Barrelhead Brew House
Beer Hall
Beer Nerds
Church Key
For Point Valencia
City Beer Store
Crafty Fox
Dark Horse Inn
Devil’s Slide Taproom
Emporium
Fermentation Lab
Fly Bar
Chruchill
Foghorn Taproom
The Showdown
Bloodhound
Hops & Hominy
Hopwater Distribution
Liquid Gold
MIkkeller Bar
Monaghan’s
Monk’s Kettle
Ocean Ale House
Old Devil Moon
Richmond Republic Draught House
Rosamunde Mission
Rusty’s Southern
Sessions
Sea Star
The Ave
The Brew Coop
The Page
Toronado
Zeitgeist
Chomp N Swig
Hardwood Bar & Smokery
Public House
Local Tap
Holy Water
San Leandro
Porky’s Pizza Palace
Son’s of Liberty
The Cooler
San Rafael
Flat Iron
Libation Taproom
Pint Size Lounge
Tam Commons
Santa Rosa
Belly
Brew
Epicenter
Everybody’s Tappin
Juncture Taproom
La Rosa
Local Barrel
Mayacama Golf Club
Mission Kitchen Bar
Ricardo’s Bar and Grill
Rincon Valley Tap Room
Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club
Steele & Hops
Toad in the Hole
Trail House
Westside Grill
Whiskey Tip
Whole Foods Coddingtown
Wilibees SR
Sebastopol
Hopmonk Sebastopol
Ramen Gaijin
Community Market
Sonoma
Hopmonk
Tiburon
SF Yacht Club
Tracy
Delta Brews
Walnut Creek
Extreme Pizza
Hops & Scotch
Ol Beer Cafe
Rotator Taproom
Sauced BBQ
Windsor
Barley & Bine
Mountain Mikes
Super Burger
Olivers Tavern
Brentwood
Brentwood Emporium
Hop Asylum
Calistoga
Cal Mart
Concord
Hop Grenade
Cotati
Flagship Taproom
Olivers Market
Dublin
Caps & Taps
Three Sheets
Healdsburg
Big Johns
Shelton’s
Tip Top Liquors
Mill Valley
Mill Valley Market
Novato
BeerCraft
Harvest Market
Oakland
Degrees
Good Hop
Petaluma
Penngrove Market
Charley’s Liquor
Petaluma Market
Steel Bear
Wilibees
Rohnert Park
BeerCraft
Roseville
Final Gravity
Sacramento
Hop Garden
San Anselmo
Ludwig’s
San Francisco
City Beer
Liquid Gold
San Rafael
Libations
Marin Bev
Santa Venetia
Santa Rosa
Bevmo Santa Rosa Ave
Bottle Barn
Juncture
Local Barrel
Molsberry Market
Olivers- Motecito
Olivers- Stony Point
Pacific Market
Rincon Valley Wine & Craft
Trailhouse
Whole Foods- Coddingtown
Willibees Santa Rosa
Sausalito
Driver Market
Sebastopol
Andy’s Produce
Community Market
Fiesta Market
Fircrest Market
Olivers- Windsor
Pohley’s
Walnut Creek
Ol Beer Cafe
Rotator Taproom
The post Where to Find HenHouse’s Big Chicken IPA in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
]]>'Tis the season to stock up on holiday treats! We've got you covered with perfect presents for foodies.
The post Made in Sonoma: Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for Foodies appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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‘Tis the season to stock up on holiday treats! If you’re looking to shop local for a foodie family member or friend, we’ve got you covered with perfect presents. Click through the above gallery for 10 ideas, featuring products made in Sonoma County. Additional bonus: You can snatch up most of these for less than $25. And, don’t worry…if you happen to buy one of these for yourself, we won’t tell!
The post Made in Sonoma: Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for Foodies appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.
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