A beer renaissance is brewing in Napa Valley as both local and national breweries are popping up amid the wineries.
Stone Brewing, Napa: Not convinced that Napa Valley can be a craft beer destination? Famed Stone Brewing from San Diego sealed the deal when they opened up an outpost in 2018 on the Napa River. One of the 10 largest craft breweries in the United States, Stone aptly retrofitted a historic, 141-year-old stone building that had sat vacant for 15 years. 930 Third St., Napa, 707-252-2337. (Courtesy photo)
The 10,000-square-foot industrial space has two floors, an outdoor patio and views of the river. The brewery serves a combination of flagship and Napa-only craft beers, plus a menu of not-your-average bar food, like housemade beet root hummus, deviled eggs pickled with stout beer and an Impossible Burger. (Courtesy photo)
Tannery Bend Beerworks, Napa: Friends Tyler Rodde (founder of Napa’s Oenotri restaurant) and Matt Cromwell are the local pioneers of Napa’s recent beer renaissance. After opening in 2017, Tannery Bend quickly became the new downtown watering hole, especially filling up on game days and Tuesday nights for trivia. 101 S. Coombs St., Suite X, Napa, 707-681-5774. (Photo by Kali Marie Kirschman)
Tannery Bend beers, like the Coombs Saison and Imola Session IPA, pay homage to classic Napa streets and pair perfectly with the Nachos Del Dia or a greasy grilled cheese. (Photo by Kali Marie Kirschman)
Fieldwork Brewing Company, Napa: Hailing from Berkeley, Fieldwork’s taproom in Napa’s Oxbow Public Market boasts an oft-rotating tap list of roughly 18 beers in a wide range of styles, from sours to saisons. The team at Fieldwork has built a reputation for being wildly creative, working with hundreds of funky flavors like sushi, coconut, churro, and hot chocolate. 610 First St., Napa, 707-266-1582. (Courtesy photo)
If you’re hungry, you can grab grub from one of the many Oxbow eateries (we love C Casa and Hog Island Oyster Co.) and enjoy it at the Fieldwork bar or on the outdoor terrace. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)
St. Clair Brown, Napa: From the outside, St. Clair Brown appears to be a charming greenhouse, but inside, it’s the first-of-its-kind operation in Napa Valley to produce and pour wine and beer under one roof. Located on the fringe of downtown Napa, this urban wine tasting room launched a nano-brewery in 2018 with co-founder and fermentation pro Elaine St. Clair donning the hats of both winemaker and brewmaster. 816 Vallejo St., Napa, 707-255-5591. (Courtesy photo)
From a Pilsner to a Brown Ale to a Black IPA, St. Clair focuses on traditional and balanced beer styles that are unfiltered and sold in large, 750ml champagne bottles. You can simply walk in to sample the beers (and wines) or book a brewery tour and tasting for $55. (Courtesy photo)
Trade Brewing, Napa: Located at the gateway of the Oxbow District, Trade Brewing was started by a pair of Napa natives, Derek McClintick and JB Leamer (also the founders of Jax Diner in downtown Napa). Their casual, no-frills taproom has a locals vibe and lets the beer do the talking; they take their trade seriously, but their mission is simple: make really good beer for the everyday beer drinker. 707-492-8223 731 First St., Napa (Courtesy photo)
The Mallet (a hoppy IPA that doesn’t go overboard on the alcohol) and Hatchet (a fruit-forward IPA that can convert the style’s biggest naysayers) are customer favorites, but the seasonal brews aren’t to be missed either. Trade also serves elevated bar snacks, like burrata toast with a spicy kick and pork rillette. (Courtesy photo)
Mad Fritz, St. Helena: Even though Mad Fritz has achieved cult status in Napa Valley, founder Nile Zacherle isn’t about to quit his day job as winemaker at David Arthur Vineyards. Zacherle applies his 20+ years of winemaking experience to his unique brewing process, sourcing hyper-local, quality ingredients to craft “origin beer,” which like wine, has a distinct sense of place on the palate. He even uses wine barrels for aging. 1282 B Vidovich Ave., St. Helena, 707-968-5058. (Courtesy photo)
For years, Mad Fritz was a hard find, only available at a handful of local restaurants and through a membership club that had a long waitlist. But in 2018, Zacherle opened a taproom in St. Helena making his premium brews accessible to the public. The modest space pours roughly 10 beers priced at $1 an oz. and bottles are also available for purchase. (Courtesy photo)
Because Palisades isn’t an actual brewery, they have a full bar and wine list for any anti-hopheads in your crew, eight TVs playing all the sports, and a killer bar and weekend brunch menu.. Get the wings; they’re three times the size of the standard version and cost about the same. (Courtesy photo)
With the exception of Mad Fritz, all of the breweries on this list can be explored on foot around downtown Napa, or by bike. Getaway Adventures offers a five-hour Pints n’ Pedals brewery tour ($129) where you’ll make stops at 3-4 microbreweries for flights or pints and lunch at an extra cost. (Courtesy photo, Fieldwork Brewing)
Hops have long been a staple of Sonoma County, but Napa is playing catch-up. In just the last three years, a renaissance has been brewing here as both local and national breweries have been popping up amidst the vines at a rapid rate. Click through the gallery above for our guide to the best breweries to visit in Napa Valley.
