Best of NorCal
Northern California is a craft beer trip masquerading as one location. Bay Area density, Wine Country sleeper destinations like Russian River, and Sacramento Valley up-and-comers make this an easy long weekend or a packed week.
Covers: Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda), Wine Country (Santa Rosa), Sacramento Valley, Auburn, Santa Cruz
Brewery
Bottle shop
Beer bar / brewpub
Tap a marker to see the spot
One day
Cellarmaker (SF) → BART to Oakland for Ghost Town and Federation → end at Faction in Alameda for sunset over the bay.
A weekend
Day 1 in SF (Cellarmaker, Fort Point, City Beer Store). Day 2 across the bay (Ghost Town, Original Pattern, Drake's). Day 3 north to Russian River in Santa Rosa.
A week
Add: Auburn for Moonraker, Capitola for Sante Adairius (Central Coast detour), Truckee for FiftyFifty.
San Francisco
Brewery
SoMa + Bernal Heights (House of Pizza) · 1150 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Quietly the best hop-forward brewery in San Francisco. Small-batch focus means inventory turnover is fast and freshness is consistent. The Bernal House of Pizza adds a destination food angle.
Fort Point Beer
Brewery
Presidio + Mission Bay + multiple · 742 Innes Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124
Clean, approachable beers with strong distribution. KSA is the workhorse Kolsch-style ale that defines the brand. Multiple SF taprooms — pick the closest to your day's plan.
City Beer Store
Bottle Shop
Mission · 1148 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Best bottle shop in SF. Tight curation, fresh inventory, and a small bar attached so you can sample before buying. Owner Craig Wathen knows everyone in the scene.
Magnolia Brewing
Brewpub / Beer Bar
Haight-Ashbury · 1398 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Historic Haight brewpub. Changed hands a few times but the Haight location remains an essential SF beer-and-burger experience. Cask program is worth ordering.
Toronado
Brewpub / Beer Bar
Lower Haight · 547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Original Toronado. SF beer history landmark — Russian River Pliny releases here have been ritual for 20+ years. The bar staff still takes beer seriously.
Oakland
Federation Brewing
Brewery
Jack London · 420 3rd St, Oakland, CA 94607
Jack London Square brewery with a strong lager and Belgian program alongside hop-forward releases. Outdoor seating is the move on Oakland's reliably good days.
Brewery
West Oakland · 1960 Adeline St, Oakland, CA 94607
Goth-aesthetic taproom with a serious hop-forward program. Award-winning IPAs and one of the best hazy programs in the East Bay.
Original Pattern Brewing
Brewery
Jack London · 292 4th St, Oakland, CA 94607
Employee-owned Jack London brewery with one of the largest NZ hop contracts on the West Coast. New beers release weekly. 2025 World Beer Cup Gold for International Lager. Among Oakland's most consistent destinations.
Tenma Beer Project
Brewery
Golden Gate / Paradise Park · 6510 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608
Tiny garage-sized brewery from Brennan Perry and Dana Martindale. Twelve rotating beers spanning lager and West Coast IPA, no flagships, hand-painted neon clipboard menu. 2023 GABF Bronze German Pils. One of the most thoughtful new breweries in the East Bay.
Known for: Don't Fear the Answer pils, rotating West Coast IPAs
San Leandro
Brewery
South of Oakland · 1933 Davis St, San Leandro, CA 94577
Flagship Drake's location. Massive beer hall, food trucks, and a hop-forward program that's been a Bay Area staple since 1989. Great group destination.
Alameda
Brewery
Across the estuary from Oakland · 2501 Monarch St, Alameda, CA 94501
Massive bayfront patio with SF skyline views. The pale ale and hop-forward program are reference-grade.
Santa Rosa
Brewery
Wine Country · 725 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Pliny the Elder's home brewery. Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo's pub is a pilgrimage destination — Pliny on draft, the Belgian-inspired program (Sanctification, Damnation), and a sour and barrel-aged catalog that built American mixed-fermentation.
Known for: Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger (Feb release), Supplication
Auburn
Brewery
Sacramento Valley foothills · 12970 Earhart Ave, Auburn, CA 95602
NorCal hazy IPA pioneer. Solar-powered facility tucked into the Sierra foothills, an hour northeast of Sacramento. Small enough that fresh inventory rotates fast.
Lincoln
Brewery
North of Sacramento · 455 G St, Lincoln, CA 95648
Founded by ex-Moonraker brewer Zach Frasher. Hop-forward, fresh-rotation focus. Worth pairing with a Moonraker visit.
Rocklin
Brewery
Sacramento area · 5300 Pacific St, Rocklin, CA 95677
2023 GABF Brewery of the Year. Hazy and West Coast IPA specialist. Sacramento metro's most decorated current brewery.
Emeryville
Wondrous Brewing
Brewery
East Bay · 1306 65th St, Emeryville, CA 94608
Wynn Whisenhunt's brewery, the first new craft brewery in Emeryville in 25 years. Lager-focused with a strong hop program — 2024 GABF Bronze for Wondrous Hell, 2023 World Beer Cup Gold for Janet's Brown Ale. Ex-Lagunitas, ex-Sante Adairius pedigree.
Known for: Wondrous Hell, lagers, hoppy collabs
Rancho Cordova
Movement Brewing
Brewery
Sacramento metro / Barrel District · 11151 Trade Center Dr Ste 104, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Family-owned Sacramento-area brewery in the Rancho Cordova Barrel District. Broad style range — Czech dark lagers, hazies, West Coast IPAs, fruited sours. 2024 GABF Bronze for Crash of Rhinos hazy IPA. Strong addition to a Sacramento-day route alongside Moonraker, Slice, and Shred.
Sacramento
Geisthaus Brewing
Brewery
Rosemont / between Sacramento and Rancho Cordova · 9584 Micron Ave, Sacramento, CA 95827
All-lager brewery from Ben Allgood and Brady Jones, opened February 2025. Pilsners, helles, dunkel, doppelbock — entire menu fermented with lager yeast. Rare focus in the Sacramento area.
Known for: rotating lagers — pilsner, helles, dunkel, bock