Lagunitas Brewing Company

One of our first stops on a recent visit to Northern California was Lagunitas Brewing Company’s taproom in Petaluma. After enjoying a few outdoor adventures in Marin County, we drove about an hour from San Francisco to stop by Lagunitas on our way to Santa Rosa.

We started our visit with four samplers each of classic and special brews. All the favorites were on tap, including Lagunitas Sucks, Hop Stoopid and Lil’ Sumpin’ Wild, as well as seasonal and specialty ales. I thoroughly enjoyed the special brews, including Cherry Hotside, Equinox Pale Oat Ale, Cappuccino Stout and DayTime Fractional IPA. The sour cherry beer was incredible, with a deliciously tart, fresh taste, while the Equinox was also tasty, with flavors of pine, spruce and cedar.

Along with our samplers, we couldn’t resist trying a dish off the brewpub’s menu of snacks, salads, sandwiches and desserts. We snacked on complimentary peanuts and shared a serving of crispy, warm tortilla chips with fresh salsa. The slight spice of the salsa paired well with the hoppy brews.

A stop into the brewery’s “schwagshop” (http://store.lagunitas.com) was necessary before we departed, where we chose a soft shirt and mini mason jar glass from all the cool apparel, drinking accessories, art and even dog supplies. The company and its employees are big canine fans, sponsoring and donating beer to fundraisers run by organizations like PETA, In Defense of Animals in Mill Valley and the Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek. The dog theme is ever-present at the Fido-friendly taproom and even found on their beer labels.

We were finishing up as live music was starting on the outside stage. Each day the brewery features a local artist at 4:20 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends. The taproom is open five days per week, from 2–9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Lagunitas Brewing Company

1280 N. McDowell Boulevard

Petaluma, Calif. 94954

tel 707 778 8776