Unlike mainstream bars and restaurants,
breweries are often hidden in drab industrial zones, their entrances hard to find. Our local breweries are no exception.
We started the day by wandering down to Chino Valley Brewery in Ontario. Our GPS took us to the parking lot, and then lawn signs directed us into the correct industrial park driveway. Make a quick right, and there you go! Unfortunately, it was a bit too early and we had another hour before they opened at 4:30pm. (We now include times in our online directory - so our next visit was more successful!)
We decided to head up to Strum Brewing Co, also in Ontario. The brewery is challenging to find, to say the least. When we saw the sign on the east side of Campus, we made a quick right and after some negotiating, found the parking lot – such as it was. With only space for five cars, including one handicap space, we had to back out and move on. (We will persevere and feature Strum in a future blog.)
We ended up having dinner in the Colonies at Oggies – an enjoyable brewpub serving craft beer brewed in Escondido and served locally. CCB had the award-winning McGarvey’s Scottish Ale. After trying a sample, I had the limited edition Coffee Cr
eam Ale, with just a hint of hazelnut – delicious! I love dark creamy-coffee beers. The twist was – this wasn’t dark. It was a golden ale with a nutty, rich, coffee taste.
After dinner, we moved on to Rök House Brewing Co. in Upland. We’ve known owners Mark & Sue Heffernan and Lars Bennet since the Downtown Upland days, when Pacific Wine Merchants was part of the Upland Lemon Festival, and Boomers Coffee Shop was in the 2nd Avenue Mall. The Midnight Sun Imperial Black was a delicious dark, roasted malty beer. a close second to their Plunder Porter. Both were excellent
. We left with a full growler of Brown Nut Ale for future drinking.
Our final stop of the evening was Last Name Brewery aka Dale Bros (I find it hard to let go of The Brothers). The level of professionalism that Curt and Andy have brought to their location is obvious as we visit and compare breweries. First opening in 2001, they are one of the original breweries in the area, and have built a reputation of providing consistently amazing beers. I enjoyed the “Oat of this World” oatmeal stout; CBB went to one of his favorites – “Red Between the Lines”. We took home a grunt-full of each.
It’s surprisingly easy to enjoy fantastic craft beer right here in our local area. Next weekend, join us as we venture out to more local breweries. We’ll keep Strum Brewing Co on the list of places to visit, as well as Chino Valley Brewery. Good beer is worth the challenge!
Cheers!