When my dad grew up, there were three television channels, four brands of car, and two types of beer (regular and light). Thankfully, those days of limitation are (like ABC and the Skylark) receding into the distant past. Now, every self-respecting city town and neighborhood has its own brewery, putting out small batches of deliciousness tailored to local tastes. Santa Rosa was even named microbrew capital of the country back in 2017, so – even though people might quibble with that rating – you know there’s something special going on here. Check out some of our local bests.
Wolf House Brewing – Cloverdale: Opening in 2020, Wolf House is one the new kids to the block party. With a full restaurant serving salads to pizzas to fish and chips, you’ll be sure to find a refreshing beverage to go with your meal. Our choice would be the golden Dutch Courage Pale Ale.
Henhouse Brewing Co.– Petaluma, Santa Rosa: A trio of men, bringing their unique skill sets together to grow this brewery from a hobby. Henhouse produces so many different IPAs, you could a different one every day and still need more days in a week. But if its for beer… we could double up on the weekends.
Parliament Brewing Co. – Rohnert Park: A family run business that focuses on small and interesting batches of brews. Wednesday through Sunday, the taproom is graced with the presence of a food truck. Be sure to try the kettle sour Berry Pie and Inverted Lines hazy pale ale.
Iron Ox Brewing Co. – Santa Rosa: With roots from Plow Brewing, this brewery offers 5 types of beer. We’re pretty sure you’ll be able to compliment the delicious food from one of the rotating schedule of food trucks with one of our favorite beers, Oximus Prime.
Fogbelt Brewing Co. – Santa Rosa: Blending of two Sonoma county primary beverage industries, winemaking and beer brewing, Fogbelt was born. We find the pastrami sandwich from the Fogbelt’s kitchen pairs well with the pinot barrel aged Valentine Barrel Aged Stout.
Sonoma county is so lucky to have a proud history of local beers. Get out there, try some, and then start making your own. Only you know your own distinct tastes, after all. We at WS won’t rest until every street – no, every house – has its own nanobrewery. Until that glorious day dawns, we’ll be content with the awesome stuff that the pros are making for us.
