Central Coast Brewing Company

Tucked in between the hills of San Luis Obispo is a small, unassuming building that houses the Central Coast Brewing Company.  There’s a sign you can see from the street that advertises the wares within. 

The tiny parking lot is usually filled with cars.  There are always bikes cruising by and getting locked up while the rider has a brew (or two).  Such is a typical night in SLO on Monterey Street.

In July, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in SLO and I wrote the @ccbrewSLO on my schedule in permanent black sharpie.  I like to visit breweries in every town I visit but certain towns have particular breweries that I especially love and Central Coast Brewing is one of them.

Previous visits to CCBC have been less inviting due to the crowds but it was practically empty when I strolled in on a Sunday night.  There were about 7 people inside and 3 people out on the deck outside.  We weren’t graced with the presence of a canine but I noticed a bowl of water on the floor so they are definitely dog-friendly.

Their menu is so extensive, I had to break it up into 3 shots to be able to make it blind-lady sized.  15 original beers on draft! Had I died and gone to hop heaven?  I love me some Pale Ale and there were 5 different flavors to sample.

              

 

I decided to sip the International IPA called Citrusogalactic at 6.6%.  The Old Man went with a Moonbuggy which measures 8.0% and is a New England style IPA.

 

When I went to pay, I expected my total to be $14.  But the brewtender charged me $8 and change.  I was so stunned that I forgot to say anything like, “Hey, is that the happy hour special or what?”  It would’ve been nice to know.

We got a seat outside on the deck.  It was a nice night and the sun was in the process of setting as we sat and drank.  We watched the shadows on the hills in front of us grow longer and a chill came to the air.  In fucking July.  A chill.  I love SLO.

The citrus was bright tasting and lived up to it’s name.  It was very sour with bitter grapefruit notes.  Sean’s Moonbuggy was resinous & juicy af with the unfiltered haze of a NE IPA.  Both brews were hopped just right.

I love the little details about Central Coast that make it so cozy feeling.

They’ve got a wall full of different bottles of beer that I could not stop staring at the first time I visited.  This trip was the first time I’ve been able to sit outside so I had never noticed before but the railing is made up up staves from old barrels.  Recycling in action!

I did notice one new thing about CCBC and that is the 2 new bathrooms inside the building.  Now you don’t have to leave your beer out of sight if you are afraid of getting drugged….haha, J/K, that doesn’t happen in SLO!  But seriously, the bathrooms used to be up several steps and down the hall of the building complex next door.  The addition of in-house pissers is convenient and good news to report.

Central Coast has their own food truck.  It’s something I have seen at a small number of breweries.  They had closed up for the night right before we got there so I didn’t get to see what was on the menu.  But I got this pic…check it out!

You can get merch and beer to go from Central Coast Brew Co.  I like to advertise!

We talked for a while and then decided to order another round.  Here is what I remember:  

It was delicious and I took a nice picture of it.  But I learned an important lesson.  And that is to write stuff down so that I remember when I end up writing the brewbroadblog.

Maybe as soon as November, I will visit Central Coast again.  But it may not be until next year during spring.  I never know where the seasons will take me and what new brews I get to sample.  But I will keep taking pictures and writing about it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sequoia Brewing Company

The Sequoia Brewing Company is an old standard of mine in Fresno, CA.  I’m there practically every April on the way to Oakhurst for some much needed R&R.

We have been to Sequoia Brewing so many times that we are both very familiar with the beers.  Neither of us agreed out loud that we wanted to try something different but it seemed to be the unspoken consensuses.  Thanks to the “Specials” board out in front, we found what we were looking for;  two new brews that we were eager to sample.

I started off with the “So You Like IPA’s” Series #1 because I loved the high 7.4%.  It was delicious.  The taste was more malty than hoppy but the hops did creep up on me.  The bitterness was slight and it went down smooth.  I seem to remember that the IPA’s that Sequoia and Tioga Sequoia offer are not as hoppy as IPA’s available in Southern California.  The Old Man tried the Spring Bock which measured 7.2%.  It was a golden colored lager with a smoky aftertaste.

In German, “bock” means “goat” and it is used to show a particular beer has a kick to it.  The Spring Bock indeed had a kick.  I tried some of Sean’s and liked it so much I ordered it for beers #2 and #3.  I got Sean’s original choice and he got mine for his second round.  He was as impressed with the IPA as I was.  There are a total of 3 varieties in the “So You Like IPA’s” series and we are excited to come back and try them.

Sequoia Brewing has specials for Happy Hour and we were hungry after our 4 hours just spent on the road.  We’ve had the pizza here before and it leaves something to be desired.  So we opted for the pretzel bites and we were not disappointed.

The pretzel bites are small pieces of a larger soft pretzel that is deep fried to perfection and then salted and served with a side of stone ground mustard.  We ate that shit up fast! It was such a needed snack that ended up being our dinner.  Sequoia has a limited selection for vegetarians and I really wish they would offer a veggie burger.  They do have a veggie sandwich that sounds appetizing so I commend them for that effort.

Happy hour was coming to an end so we quickly ordered our third and last round.  I stayed with the  Spring Bock and Sean went back to the traditional menu to sample a Garage Sale Rye Pale Ale.  In the past, the Old Man has enjoyed rye IPA’s so he figured the rye pale ale would be just as good.  Coming in at a 6.0%, it was flavorful and crisp.  It had a nice dark red color.

When it came time to pay the man, we were giggling with delight at the price of our beers.  I had to take a picture of my receipt to show off just how cheap the craft brewed beers are during happy hour.  $3.47!  $3.47?  Hell yeah!

Sequoia Brewing Company could teach other breweries a lesson about pricing.  Lately, I have been paying $6 and $7 for pints at local breweries.  They were no better and no less ABV than the $3.47 beers at Sequoia.  At a brewery, you cut out the middle man.  Where do some of them get off charging more than $5 for a pint?  I guess it’s the greedy American way.  The prices at SBC are refreshing and make me want to go drink and drink some more.

I probably won’t be back to Sequoia Brewing Co. until next Spring break.  If I was a local, I’d drink there more often but it’s just another one of those great stops on a #roadtrip. It’s nice to know I have a place to sit and enjoy some beers and unwind from the long drive.

 

Sequoia Brewing Company

I got to @SequoiaBrewCo in #Fresno just before happy hour was over.  The happy hour lasts from 3:00 to 6:00 on weekdays and we were seated and ordering at 5:45.  We had just been on the road for 5 hours and we were ready for those $3.50 beers.

Sequoia Brewing Company is a gastropub in a somewhat small building in the Tower District of Fresno, CA.  They serve beer brewed on site and food that runs the gamut from yummy appetizers to full-course dinners.  There are tables and booths and an outside seating area as well as a bar you can cozy up to, if it’s not too crowded.

When we got there, it was pretty crowded because it was #happyhour on a Friday evening, it cleared up when 6:00 had come and gone.

The first beer I had was a Sequoia Pale Ale.  It is a 5.7% smooth ale with light hops and a little nutty tasting.  The old man tried a General Sherman IPA, a whopper at 7.5% ABV.  He found the taste to be similar to hops in a pine box.  It was a little sweet at first with a smell like a humidor.  We also ordered deep-fried pretzel bites that came with a flavorful mustard sauce.  They were delectable.  They tasted like hot dogs from being in the fryer.  That might sound weird, but it was a familiar taste – then mixed with the mustard, it was awesome.  It was a good deep-fried experience.

At 5:55, we were asking our waiter to order us another round before happy hour was over.  We both tried the Big Horn Red IPA.   It is mild tasting for an IPA but looks good at 7.2%.  It was smooth, roasted malty flavored with a clean and dry finish.

We also were hungry after being on the road so long.  We ordered a small cheese pizza to split and I was excited to eat once it came.  But it was not so good.  Maybe with toppings or meat, it is better.  But we were not impressed with the pizza.  I’ve had better pizza off of a food truck.  That didn’t stop the old man from finishing it.

Sequoia Brewing Company has 18 beers on tap and I’ve only delved into 3 of them.  There are plenty more to be had. I have found that the IPAs in Central and Northern California breweries are a bit lighter than they are down in Southern CA (with the exception of Sierra Nevada).  That’s why I love going to the different breweries in different towns I visit or pass through.  I get to try new flavors and experiment with my taste buds.

There is merchandise you can buy, such as tee shirts.

You can purchase growlers and 22oz bottles, too.

They have an awesome, nature-inspired décor that I like, but I had a little bit too much of the dead deer heads and asses.

Sequoia Brewing has a philosophy: #DrinkLocal Eat Local and I couldn’t agree more.  Like the saying over the door reminds us, try to branch out and visit as many of these awesome gastropub/breweries as you can while they are still around.  I won’t turn my nose up at a Budweiser, but i’d prefer to drink locally crafted beers any day of the week.