Kern River Brewing Co.

Why is KRBC still somehow an under the radar brewery outside of Citra releases? Excellent flagship IPA and stout, the rotating stuff is generally killer and the newer hoppy offerings in hop nookie and think tanks are outstanding.

@KRBCEric you guys rock.

 

Because it may as well be in China.

Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful drive, but their foot print hasn't really expanded all that much since winning GABF. I imagine that after this expansion and they can crank out the beer in more quantity, that they'll be blowing up more as more folks will be able to get it.

Right now, we get a trickle of JO here and there with a bottle of Class V every now and then. But it's just too difficult to find the beer outside of Kernville. Sure, Bakersfield gets it on some regular. But who cares about Bakersfield?

 

I don't think these guys are under the radar. They've been a quite world class brewery before Citra was born. And I had Citra IPA a year before Kern River introduced their Citra. But since Citra was released they have been more on the radar. Have you been to their last Citra release before they started the lottery? It grew into a mad house. Just like Alpine and almost like RRBC. You'd use to be able to go to RRBC anytime during the afternoon and be able to get a table. Nowadays you have to wait. Don't forget Kern and Alpine are out in the middle of nowhere. Especially Kern. I think that is a good thing. Keep most of the people away. I think with their new expanded brewery/tasting room will be great. Should be no changes in their recipes. Same water source. Looking forward to the next Citra release. Will be up there regardless if it gets distributed to SoCal.

 

The biggest difference between Kern and Alpine is that you have everything else in San Diego close(r) by when you got o Alpine. You go to Kern and there isn't really anything within half an hour. Alpine is more of a stop when you're in San Diego. As far as beer is concerned, you go to Kernville for Kern River and that's it.

 

I care about where I live...

 

I think the 2 reasons they aren't bigger is consistency and market. I've gotten a ton of variation on bottled JO, and it isn't always good. As for market, if you are essentially only readily available in one city, and that city is Bakersfield; that's a roadblock too. Ironically, I actually have no qualms with Bakersfield as a valley city and the craft scene is more alive than people think. Lengthwise does some great beers and they are expanding. The yearly craft show at the college gets good reviews. Imbibe, Moo etc are doing good with brewery nights. Bakersfield isn't a glamorous name, but their craft scene is better than Fresno for example. This expansion should allow KRB to really gain traction state wide

 

I'm not soo sure about that.

 

Having been around both of them for a few years, I feel comfortable saying that. I live in between so I frequent both. I think its very safe to say that TS and HoP don't currently match what KRB and LW are doing. Distro in Bakers is ahead of Fresno as well. There are more brewery takeover nights in Bakersfield. I also feel that the Craft beer fest is superior to suds in the city.. For expansion, Dyonosis is said to have some good Sour minds on board and early feedback on Temblor is promising

 

Well can confirm you're wrong about our little city. Bakersfield is having a big boom in craft beer diversity. We have 2 new breweries opening (one next week, another in about 2 months), our distro options are ever expanding, and the quality of places to go have great tap beer is also expanding. I won't sit back and let someone diss our town if they don't love here and aren't part of the browh we've seen.

 

So you're talking about KRBC distro right? The brewery is not in Bako of course. When comparing the 2 cities craft scene, to me they seem about equal. Both have a small amount of local breweries, both see similar distro, and both have a decent amount of craft spots around town that you can grab a good brew. I'm not soo sure about the "more brewery takeover nights" being true either, as there's one seemingly every day in Fresno(places like Spokeasy, Das, etc.) All things considered, the scene seems very similar.

I didn't diss your town bud, it was just a statement disagreeing with what was written. Fresno is having quite a bit of growth in the craft scene as well, with places like Goldstein's and Mad Duck Brewing Co. opening their doors in the last few months.

 

Ok, then I misunderstood. We can be friends again.

 

No I'm talking about full distro. St Archer, Modern Times, Bootleggers, pizza port, wolf creek etc have all entered Bakersfield over past year. Only St Archer has made it to Fresno thus far. Other than Riley's, which frankly is irrelevant, Fresno doesn't get anything that Bakersfield doesn't. Hell, its easier for me to find Tioga in bakers than in Hanford/Tulare area

 

I think it's just perspective. I still see this as being fairly similar. I'd love to have Modern Times and Pizza Port available at all times though, solid brews. IIRC I think World Market had some Modern Times a few weeks back here in Fresno.

 

I'm certainly not saying its a lot better. And the only reason I said Fresno is the fact that it is a similar sized city with similar demographics. And it was really to point out that Bakersfield isn't the desolate waste land craft people might assume it is.

 

On a side note, I think a collab brew between LW and TS makes perfect sense. An IPA of course.

 

What are LW and TS?

 

Lengthwise and Tioga-Sequoia, maybe?

 

Yes, lengthwise and tioga

 

Got it, thanks!