1 Brewery, 5 Girls, 6 Drafts

My friend and I had to make a U-turn down Hwy 128 when we first passed the brewery. The sign had read Berryessa Gap Vineyards and not BerryessaBrewing Co., like we were expecting. (The other car carrying the rest of our posse had not made the same mistake.) So we drove by it, expecting a corresponding brewery to pop up on the horizon, and then turned around realizing our mistake.

Berryessa Brewing Co., in contrast with other breweries, is much smaller and homier. Just outside the bar and brew house is a wide assemblage of picnic tables, a dance floor, and a food truck serving up the tastiest cajun garlic fries (holla at Miz Shirley Marie's!) The feel of the place did elicit feelings similar to a winery as exemplified by the lattice covering, the chill vibes emitted by the staff and the crowd, and the quietude of the surrounding vineyard. Not to mention, Berryessa Brewing Co. is way out in Winters far from the Bay where breweries have become somewhat of a craze.

The selection of drafts available at Berryessa was considerably smaller in comparison with Yolo and Black Dragon (a much smaller, more whimsical brew house in Woodland), but the ones they did have on tap were well-developed, rich in flavor, and a bit on the fruity side.

Baltic Porter.

Dark. Rich. Chocolate and caramel.

Not my favorite as, unlike my coffee, I like my brews clean and bright.

  

Freshie.

Cirtus and lemony. Spicey. Malted. Fruity.

Common Sense.

Floral. Soft. Mild.

Not a group favorite as we preferred something with a bit of edge.

Propaganda Pils.

Sweet. Bitter. Hoppy.

The House IPA.

Think plums, cherries, apricots. Malt. Hoppy. Bitter. YUM!

Double Tap IPA (not a Berryessa Brewing Co. brew, but it's my favorite IPA)

Mandarin citrus, so sweet but not acidic. Deep color. Bitter, but not overwhelming. Delicious.

Between 4 girls (and a DD), it wasn't hard to finish the flight handed us. And at some point we will return to sample a new selection of seasonal drafts (and take home some growlers). But for now, I was happily surprised by the hidden away brewery tucked behind the unassuming town of Winters. At least I won't have to worry about the crowds. 

Tell me about your weekend adventures! What's your weekend hideaway? Post a comment or send me an email.