brewery33

Can’t a guy get a good beer in this town?

Since my site is called brewery33, and all I have been talking lately is my diminutive take on hyper local politics, let’s bring it back to the beer. My current quandary that plagues my thoughts is the lack of representation any beer other than Coors, Bud or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale get at the local restaurant taps.

When I go out to dinner, I am always concerned about the beer selection to be had while I enjoy my meal. Unfortunately my little City of Stockton does not harbor too many restaurants, or bars for that matter that cater to my need for anything other than Bud Light and Coors Light. And since I enjoy tasting my beer more than I enjoy peeing this proves to be quite the dilemma.

As the unofficial voice of beer in Stockton I thought I would get the conversation started by taking a cue from Jay Brookston and his book The Bars of Santa Clara County, A Beer Drinker’s Guide to Silicon Valley, and talk about a few places I like to frequent, based solely on the selection of beer and above average food. The food is not as important as the beer, so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that according to Mike Fitzgerald, we bloggers are merely hacks(listen to the interview) that aren’t professional and should not be trusted. With that said, here are four that pop right into my head.

• Alder Market - They might be calling themselves Alder Bistro, but they will always be Alder Market to me. This place has unique food that is well presented and an OK beer selection. If you are going to go out with your wife and family and really want good food and good beer, for a little more money than going to Elephant Bar, try them. Their beer selection is just OK, a slight rise from better than normal. They just put on tap Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (personal seasonal favorite of mine). Other than the Celebration placement, the selection kind of commercial, some Shock Top, Blue Moon, Heineken. They don’t get real adventuresome, but they try. It still tops my list, mainly because my wife likes the food and I can get away with going on a Tuesday night and only pay half price, while I enjoy the Celebration.

• Cafe Acacia - This is a steady Stockton joint. The guy that owns it is a guy that I went to Delta with. They started real strong by offering some Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Aside from the taps, they had a bottle selection that was better than the best liquor store in Stockton for micros (Herbst Liquor). Three words, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot. The moment my brother mentioned that this beer was present and available to drink indoors at a bar, I rushed down to see if it was real. I have since been back a few times, the beer selection has not held up. The management tells me that the distributor is the culprit. Whatever, they still maintain a notch above the usual suspects of Bud, Miller and Coors.

• The Beach Hut - Hands down best selection of beer in Stockton. They claim 20 beers on tap, I have not counted, but one in particular caught my eye. Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA. I am a sucker for Dogfish Head, so if there is one present I usually buy it. People either love or hate this brewery. Industry people have a slighted view of the place, but in my opinion they are just jealous that Sam is crushing it. I always end up going to this place for lunch and since I don’t advocate drinking and returning to my work on the Grand Jury, I don’t get to sample their beers often. I will say that this is a must for a pre-Thunder hockey game stop. Not only will you get a buzz, but a very tasty buzz. Not to mention that your lame friends that still think craft beer tastes like crap, will be appeased by the equal opportunity tap selection. In other words they pour Bud Light.

• Centrale - The jury is still out on this dark horse. This falls into the category of my wife likes the ambiance, the food is OK and the beer selection is sporadic. Let me digress, I was pumped that another restaurant that wasn’t Applebee’s had chosen to brave the population of Stockton, who think that if there isn’t all you can eat breadsticks it is not worth their 8.99. They also came out strong with Dogfish Head beer, Chimay and a few wheat beers (I can’t remember which ones). They are definitely one to watch. I hope the fact that I returned with my wife completely pumped to enjoy a hop fueled, alcohol rich IPA only to find that they had changed their beers, was just a misstep. I am no beer nazi, but the most adventuresome beer that they were currently pouring was Sierra Nevada Porter. This is a good beer and definitely not a standard on most tap handles, but come on, you go from IPA to porter? With that said, the food, not as good as the first time either.

So goes my first installment of beer in Stockton restaurants. Maybe my quest of getting some decent swill in the tap handles of my local eateries and watering holes is futile. So what if my intentions are completely selfish. I think that as people become more educated on the variety of beers that are available, the more diverse our dining experiences will become. We just need a few restaurants that are willing to embrace the beer. Beer can complement food, just as well as, and sometimes better than wine. All it takes is a well informed wait staff that can tell what to expect from the beverage. Until that happens, we are doomed to accept that the most adventuresome beer available is Sierra Nevada, you know the dark beer that isn’t Bud Light.

If you have a restaurant in Stockton that you enjoy their beer email me at andy@brewery33.com. I am always on the hunt for good beer.