LA to Chico - I5 Breweries

Discussion in 'Pacific' started by FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017.

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  1. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    I'm sure this has been covered a million times but apparently my search skills are not good enough to unearth it. I seriously searched all the terms I thought would land it but either didn't exist or were too prevalent. Go figure.

    Anyways, headed from LA to a wedding in Chico this weekened, driving up (as you guessed) Interstate 5 or the I5 Freeway (<--- trying to put as many keywords into this post as possible). I have the usual questions:

    - Where should I stop for good beer?
    - Where should I stop for good beer with good food?
    - Any releases I should be hip to?

    Not sure when I'll hit them or if I will make it to all of the spots, but so far these are the spots I'm aware of:

    Bakersfield

    - Dionysus

    Fresno

    - Tioga-Sequoia

    Sacramento

    - Fieldwork (can release Friday or Saturday)
    - Track 7 (can release Saturday)
    - New Glory (can release Friday)

    Auburn

    - Moonraker (can release Friday)
    - Knee Deep

    Chico

    - Sierra Nevada

    Anyone doing notable/fun sours in the Sacramento/Auburn/Chico area?

    Cheers!
     
    #1 FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017
  2. Bum4ever

    Bum4ever Pooh-Bah (1,838) Jan 18, 2017 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    you hit most of the key spots. Fieldwork just updated that cans are on there way to Sac tonight, should be there Friday for sure.

    I have been to everyone you listed and if it was me I would skip Dionysus and track 7 and try to hit the others.

    The Sierra Nevada tour is sick, but mostly likely completely booked. However, the restaurant there is really good.

    T&S usually has decent food trucks and its just a natural place to stop because its almost the halfway point for your drive and its right off the freeway.

    If you decide to get all the way to auburn then those 2 spots are literally right next to each other and yojo is great. I would recommend Knee Deep Simtra triple fresh, its such a different beer when fresh.

    If I don't have work tomorrow I plan on driving to moonraker first for the release and then hitting fieldwork and new glory on my way home.
     
    #2 Bum4ever, Jul 13, 2017
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  3. Bum4ever

    Bum4ever Pooh-Bah (1,838) Jan 18, 2017 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Oh and Curtis Park Market is a decent place to look for bottles to take home in Sac. I usually stop there on the way to moonraker because they open super early.
     
    #3 Bum4ever, Jul 13, 2017
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  4. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    Cheers for the update - is Fieldwork the type of spot you have to be in line by a certain time to get some cans or will they last for a bit?

    Dionysus would only be if I have time on the way back as we'll be passing through Bakersfield too early on Friday as opposed to the afternoon/evening on Sunday.

    Good to know about Track 7.

    Cool - if I can squeeze in, great. If not, I'll still stop by... I began my craft beer journey by swiping the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale bottles my dad would buy from Costco by the case in the 90s so it would be nice to check that one off the list (finally).

    Another one that might wait for the ride down.

    If I can manage it, this is my plan too.

    When it comes to Moonraker @ 170 cases / 1 case allotment, how early do you need to show up?

    This might determine what time I leave tomorrow AM. Haha.

    Duly noted - cheers!
     
    #4 FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017
  5. atomicpunk5151

    atomicpunk5151 Maven (1,280) Jul 25, 2010 California
    Trader

    It might be a little out of your way. For local Sours and some Belgians there is MRAZ Brewing in El Dorado Hills. It is just East of Sacramento up Highway 50 about 20 miles.



    2222 Francisco Drive suite 510
    El Dorado Hills, Ca 95762

    http://mrazbrewingcompany.com/home/

    +++++++++++++++++++++

    Another brewey getting some local run is Claimstake. In Rancho Cordova. About 5 miles or so from New Glory.

    http://www.claimstakebrewing.com/our-beersyour-beers.html

    They had a Peach IPA "Sweet Emily" that was popular, but it is all gone now.
     
    #5 atomicpunk5151, Jul 13, 2017
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  6. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    Cheers - I've heard of them but can't recall from where. I'll see if I can squeeze it in!
     
    #6 FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2017
  7. Bum4ever

    Bum4ever Pooh-Bah (1,838) Jan 18, 2017 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The moonraker cans are tough to gauge. Usually stuff lasts a few hours. Then one release lasted like 3 days, so they went to no limit for the last 2 and they were gone pretty fast again.

    Yojo is super popular so best guess it's gone pretty early.

    I would be more surprised if fieldwork sold out on Friday, if they do it should be later in the afternoon/night.
     
    #7 Bum4ever, Jul 13, 2017
  8. rrryanc

    rrryanc Pundit (896) May 19, 2006 California

    Fresno, Bakersfield and Auburn aren't on I-5, so you'll be adding plenty of time to your trip by heading that way. Depending on your tolerance for driving (and you have a plenty long trip already), heading up on 101 through the bay area or just sticking to 99 on your way up would be alternative options.
     
    #8 rrryanc, Jul 13, 2017
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  9. Marco_Gtz

    Marco_Gtz Initiate (0) Jul 17, 2013 California

    Tioga is in Fresno, right off the 99 freeway tho, not exactly right off the 5.

    *Edit @rryanc beat me to it.
     
    #9 Marco_Gtz, Jul 13, 2017
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  10. Bum4ever

    Bum4ever Pooh-Bah (1,838) Jan 18, 2017 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yea based on the breweries OP listed I just assumed he was using the 99
     
    #10 Bum4ever, Jul 13, 2017
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  11. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    Cheers again - does Moonraker generate a line? I think I saw somewhere they open at noon and I'm thinking I can be there at around 1-1:30 (assuming I5 is nice to me tomorrow).

    Used to Monkish where 200 people show in the first 30 minutes after its announced which is still 1.5 hours before open. By open, most of the allotments are spoken for based on the line size.
     
    #11 FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017
  12. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    You are correct...

    Bakersfield is 20-30' to get back onto I5 so that is fairly reasonable. Plus, its not something I can do on my way up as it will be too early so it is really an issue of how I feel coming down on Sunday. Also, as it is by far the closest to LA, its something I could easily delay for another trip.

    Fresno was a bit further away than I had thought.

    Auburn is also a pretty doable 30-40' and I am more willing to deviate from the 5 in that area as I'm a lot closer to my final destination so I know what kind of time I have on my hands.

    Not into taking 101 as I've done many of the breweries that route and it adds time, although I much prefer driving the 101 than the 5.

    May decide to take 99 back down to hit Tioga, but feel the 5 up to Sacramento and then 40' over to Auburn is probably the way to go on the trip up.
     
    #12 FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2017
  13. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    Cheers.

    Probably take 5 on the way up as I want to hit Moonraker release more than I want to hit up Tioga. Will decide whether I want to come back down 99 on Sunday to hit Tioga.
     
    #13 FinnishFox, Jul 13, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2017
  14. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    I am getting 6 hours 50 minutes from my pad to Fieldwork and 7 hours 20 minutes to Mooonraker using the 5...

    Also, per Google, it looks like 99 takes me into Sacramento before heading out to Auburn anyways, so the 99 seems to really be about hitting Tioga.
     
    #14 FinnishFox, Jul 14, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2017
  15. anvindr

    anvindr Zealot (608) Jan 6, 2016 California
    Trader

    thats not at all how monkish has been working recently. cans have lasted til 6:55 last 2 releases
     
    #15 anvindr, Jul 14, 2017
  16. Vivified

    Vivified Initiate (0) Jul 9, 2014 California

    If you do take the 99 and come to Fresno, I'd recommend hitting House of Pendragon in addition to Tioga-Sequoia.
     
    #16 Vivified, Jul 14, 2017
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  17. Effinwill

    Effinwill Crusader (433) Dec 2, 2016 California

    On our east coast trip a guy in the mid Atlantic forum suggested beermapproject.com as a resource. I've been using it with great results since.
    A little further up the road from Chico, but I really enjoyed the food and to a slightly lesser extent, the beer, at Woodys in Redding. Also, I've been meaning to hit the firestone-walker barrelproject place. Where is it? Buelton?
     
    #17 Effinwill, Jul 14, 2017
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  18. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    200 people generally still show up in the first 30-60 minutes. Monkish releases are heavily front-loaded and smaller allotments with a bigger run allows it to last longer.

    The last release had close to 500 allotments which is why is lasted later even when a couple hundred show up pretty quickly.
     
    #18 FinnishFox, Jul 14, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2017
  19. FinnishFox

    FinnishFox Zealot (616) Sep 28, 2016 California
    Trader

    Awwww nuts... looks like Moonraker sold out if cans and I'm just getting to Sacramento. Guess I'll just do fieldwork and new glory.

    Cheers for the tips everyone!
     
    #19 FinnishFox, Jul 14, 2017
  20. atomicpunk5151

    atomicpunk5151 Maven (1,280) Jul 25, 2010 California
    Trader

    If you make it to New Glory, let us know how the new Juicy Centers IPA is. They should still have cans and on tap.
     
    #20 atomicpunk5151, Jul 14, 2017
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