Let’s face it, the Californian scene for Craft Beers is hopping and popping… (excuse the Dad pun)
So often you will find info online about pairing food with wine and top ten lists of wines for your next dinner party. Well that’s all good and well but when the sun is baking and I have friends over for a lazy Sunday afternoon I want craft beers all day long.
There is a plethora of incredible beer to choose from, it would take forever and a day to try them all.
That’s why we have created a short list of our favourite Californian Craft Beers… To save you some time and point you in the right direction.
At Your Tables Californian Craft Beers to try in 2019
- Mad River – Steelhead Extra Pale Ale
- Anchor Brewing – Anchor Steam
- Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Racer 5
- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
- Lagunitas IPA
- Russian River – Pliny the Elder
- 21st Amendment – Brew Free or Die IPA
Mad River – Steelhead Extra Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 26.2
This fantastic American Pale Ale is crafted at Mad River Brewing in Blue Lake, Northern California.
Bright golden, medium body, floral hops and a mild bitterness. Ideal when the suns out, still good when it’s not.
Anchor Brewing – Anchor Steam
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 35
Anchor Steam Beer is as classic as it comes when you are talking craft beers. Northern California’s first craft beer, with its first brew made in 1896 in San Francisco.
It’s a Craft beer by which others measure themselves, across California and the US wide.
Amber, thick, creamy head, rich and distinctive.
Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Racer 5
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 75
Brewed in the heart of Wine Country, Racer 5 is a must try for any ‘craft beers’ enthusiasts.
This IPA is a homage to the Pacific Northwest, with a high alcohol content to boot. It’s also one of America’s most medal winning IPA’s.
Hardy and rich. Let the good times roll.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 38
This is probably, at least in my current memory the first American Craft beer I tried and we got to know each other well. Very Well. An American staple in the world of craft beers.
The creation of Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale forever changed brewing in the country and put US craft beers directly into the spotlight of everyday beer consumers. This beer is actually that good. It changed the world. A tiny bit.
Lagunitas IPA
ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 51.5
Lagunitas IPA is easily one of Northern California’s best craft beers. Cold, hard fact.
Caramel Malt, rich, twangy, so damn exciting.
Head down to the brew house in Petaluma, tell us we are wrong.
Russian River – Pliny the Elder
ABV: 8%
IBU: 100
Hard to come by, not hard to drink. This beer has literally taken lovers of craft beers to a whole new place… Possibly, dare we say it the best beer in America.
Floral hops, citrus pine, bottled magic.
It was named “America’s Best Beer” by the American Homebrewer’s Association for eight years straight. You cannot argue with that.
21st Amendment – Brew Free or Die IPA
ABV: 7%
IBU: 70
21st Amendment Brewery knows It way around the best of the craft beers in Cali. They also nailed the name on this one. I would personally pick up a bottle of this for that alone.
Solid Maltiness, bitter with all the goodness of a golden IPA.
Do you love your craft beers also? Let us know what we have missed. Not necessarily to write about, but to go and buy for ourselves 😉
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