Sacramento for One Day

As of now TRB is not opened on Sundays. That "may" change by the time you are there though.

 

Check RR's board online to see if there's anything that you really really want to try. To me, it is a Mecca but if you're pressed for time and trying to maximize your beer exposure, it is really not the the be-all and end-all in terms of brewpub experiences. If you do go there, you could also hit Bear Republic and Lagunitas all in the same day and possibly even swing down to criminally underrated Iron Springs in Marin county. RR and Lag will be crowded any time of day and I personally am averse to that when flying solo.

If it's a fri or sat, you could hit Rare Barrel (only open those days and even then it's not until late afternoon), then Oakland and go to Beer Revolution and/or Trappist (preference to the former) then hit the city and go to Cellarmaker, City Beer, and possibly Mikkeller Bar then Toronado. Also Zeitgeist is underrated, but also usually crowded, especially on nicer days.

Edit: right, you posted the date. Def a no go for RB unless they start opening on Sundays by then. They apparently plan to at some point soon, but have not announced the date. I think the SN Torpedo Room is closed on Sunday as well.

 

Why not visit some of the Sacramento breweries and beer bars instead of spending all that time driving?

 

Hmm, hard to say: a lot depends on your tolerance for driving. RR is about 100 miles from Sac, about two hours each way without traffic, and a lot more than that during rush hours. If it were my one day to spend, I think I would hit: Track 7 Brewing in Sac, Bike Dog in West Sac, Berryessa near Winters, and somewhere in there try to stop by the Davis Beer Shoppe in (duh) Davis. Check hours on the breweries to make sure they're open: these are all small operations that have relatively short hours.

 

Because Sacramento

Edit: srsly tho, there are apparently some good things going on up there beer-wise. Might not be a bad idea to stay there. Driving back from the city to make a flight might be a losing bet.

 

Berryessa is having their 2nd anniversary party that Sunday. Will be crowded but a fun time with some special offerings. Hit Track 7, Bike Dog, Device, Capitol Beer and Tap Room if you want to stay in the city. Hang out on the porch at Lowbrau. You could take a road trip up to Knee Deep and hit Final Gravity on the way back.

 

Sudwerk and the Davis Beer Shoppe is another doable trip. Mraz Brewing and Samuel Hornes Tavern is another option. Forget about Boneshaker as well.

Pro tip: If you see something from Tahoe Mountain, order it. I'd say that's the best up and coming from the area.

 

I second this. I'll also include midtown beer garden: http://beergardensacramento.com/

 

Here's a good analogy for you to consider.

Let's say I'm from Northern California and I looooove beer. I am going to be in Seattle for only one day and I want to try some awesome beer. My plan to accomplish this goal is to drive the six hours total to and from Portland instead of exploring the breweries and alehouses of Seattle.

If someone approached you with this idea, what would your advice be? Would you tell them about two or three cool spots in Portland, or would you point out the incredible and diverse craft beer scene which exists in Seattle and that they could easily hit a dozen awesome spots there without leaving the city?

 

Yolo Brewery is very close to Bike Dog in West Sac. Both are making some very enjoyable beer.

 

Does Olympia have over 30 breweries in the area, a handful of outstanding beer bars and countless restaurants with excellent food and beer menus?

Dan's point still stands. While Portland is the preferred spot in the PNW, Seattle has more than enough to offer to keep the beer geek satisfied.

 

Yessir. I think it's around 32 and growing. Depending how you define "the area" of course.

 

I don't know enough about Olympia to know how accurate your analogy is, but unless they've had a couple dozen breweries open in the last couple years, you might be underrating Sac. Which is fine. Everyone does, including people who live there.

If you just have to go RR, I can understand that. But SF? No.

If you do go to RR on a Sunday, you should leave by 9am to be there when they open at 11. By noon, there will be an hour wait for a table, and by mid-afternoon it will be 90 minutes or more.

 

Also device brewing is doing some great things. Knee deep would be a great stop too. Pangaea has some great beers but cap tap room is probably my favorite

 

That is accurate, especially for Sundays which are happy hour all day. However, if you're alone, you should be able snag a seat at the bar as people get up for tables and what have you.

 

Yeah, prepare for a lot of waiting and driving to go to one brewery - regardless of how world class it may be. If you had several days then RR would be a great choice, but with one day? Stick to Sacramento. I'm not from the area, but having visited I was very impressed with what some of the new breweries are doing and enjoyed several restaurants.