Wine and spirits may be our name, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t massive beer aficionados! We are passionate about discovering up & coming breweries, and as a locally owned business ourselves, we love finding local beers to share. Today we’re sharing three Bay Area Breweries that will for sure have us coming back.
Henhouse
First up is Santa Rosa-based Henhouse. Henhouse packages and distributes all their beers within days after brewing is completed. Beer freshness is extremely important to Henhouse so they encourage consumers to drink their Pale Ales and IPA’s within the 21 days (two to three months for their other beer styles). If a retail location like ours still has their Pale Ales or IPA’s on the shelf that are nearing the 21 day mark, they buy the beer back and replace it with fresh beer. What’s not to love about that? As an added bonus, their beers feature creative names and labels. Shop Now.
Barebottle
Barebottle is next on our list and is a personal favorite of our Beer Manager & Buyer, Brendon, only in part because they are located so close to his home in Bernal Heights, San Francisco. Besides their favorable location, Barebottle offers a variety of styles that are consistently good across the board. The name “Barebottle” originates from the proprietors history as home-brewers. Prior to opening Barebottle, the owners were avid home-brewers and frequently participated in beer competitions, which require beers be entered in a “bare bottle” without a label. Now that they’ve established Barebottle, the new brewing team packages their beers for retailers, which we appreciate. Shop Now.
Altamont
Last up is Livermore-based Altamont, which just began distribution of their cans and bottles in February 2018. Brendon has been a fan of Altamont for a while and thrilled to be able to share them with you. Their speciality is a west coast style, meaning very hoppy but well-balance beers. With catchy names like ‘Mac Drizzle’ and ‘Berry White,’ it’s no surprise this brewery is getting the hype they deserve. Shop Now.
