The Craft of Beer in the Napa Valley
The Napa Valley is already known for its mastery of the grape, but it is also gaining appeal for its artisanal breweries that are crafting everything from IPAs to ambers, wheats, pilsners, porters and more. These breweries offer fun gathering spots to enjoy craft beers or other beverages, paired with exceptional cuisine.
Breweries From robust production to the tiniest of “nano-breweries,” the Napa Valley offers craft beer fans a variety of options to sip and savor their favorite suds.
Napa Smith Brewery is Napa County’s only production brewery with an onsite tasting brewpub, where guests can enjoy a pint while the milling, brewing, fermenting, bottling, and lab work takes place. Craft brewer Don Barkley started making craft beer in 1978 at the New Albion Brewery, before helping to found Mendocino Brewing Company, where he created legendary beers such as Red Tail Ale and Eye of the Hawk, before moving to Napa Smith in 2008. Napa Smith is open daily 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., offering flights of tap beers, along with limited edition, seasonal brews.
Website: www.napasmithbrewery.com
PR Contact: Nic Donahue, nic@napasmithbrewery.com
Partners Nile Zacherle and Whitney Fisher, each accomplished winemakers, create extremely high quality brews at Mad Fritz in downtown St. Helena. With heralded wine brands David Arthur, Montagna Napa Valley, Unity Wines, Zacherle Wines, and Fisher Vineyards under their belts, Nile and Whitney often say “it takes a lot of wine to make a great beer.” Brews include stouts, IPAs, lagers, porters and more. Visits are by appointment, or enjoy Mad Fritz brews at select Napa Valley restaurants and the classic single-screen Cameo Cinema in downtown St. Helena.
Website: www.madfritz.com
PR contacts: nile@madfritz.com and whitney@madfritz.com
Established in 1987 by the Calistoga Inn, the Napa Valley Brewing Company is the first establishment to brew beer commercially in Napa County since prohibition. Napa Valley Brewing Company brews four award-winning beers, their Calistoga Wheat Ale, Pilsner, Red Ale, and Porter, in addition to seasonal beers that are brewed throughout the year, such as the German Kölsch, Blitzen I.P.A., Belgian Pale Ale & Dugan Oatmeal Stout. One hundred percent of the brewery's production is served at the Calistoga Inn at two bars where guests may taste the different beers either alone, or paired with the Calistoga Inn’s daily menu.
Website: www.calistogainn.com
Slated to open in winter 2016, Tannery Bend Beerworks, Napa’s newest brewery, will be its tiniest, but perhaps one of the mightiest. Each batch of beer that brewer Matt Cromwell will oversee will total just 15 gallons, and the entire “nano-brewery,” located within the Tannery Bend District of old town Napa, will fit inside a 1,500-square-foot space, including the tasting room.
Website: www.tannerybendbeerworks.com
PR Contact: Bertram Whitman, bertram@mediaenplace.com
Fieldwork Brewing Company* will open a taproom in Oxbow Public Market's main market hall, offering a unique tasting experience of a rotating selection of craft beers produced at its Berkeley, California brewery. Visitors to its Oxbow Taproom can expect an ever-changing tap list of fresh releases to enjoy by sampler flight, beer by the glass, and fresh beer filled "to go" in growlers and Crowler cans. Fieldwork anticipates opening the Oxbow Taproom by October 2016.
Website: www.fieldworkbrewing.com
PR Contact: Barry Braden, CEO & Co-Founder, barry@fieldworkbrewing.com
Stone Brewing Co.* will open a Tap Room and Pilot Brewery in the historic Borreo building, located on the corner of 3rd Street and Soscol Avenue in downtown Napa. Stone will renovate the 10,000 square-foot iconic building, bringing its bold and flavorful craft beer to Napa Valley visitors and locals. Stone’s newest outpost will include a pilot brewing system, a dining experience, growler fills and Stone merchandise. Anticipated opening is Spring 2017.
Website: www.stonebrewing.com
PR Contact: Steve Robbins, steve.robbins@stonebrewing.com
Eateries, Pubs & Tasting Rooms: In addition to wine, the Napa Valley is known as one of the world’s great culinary capitals, and has more Michelin stars per capita than any other wine region in the world. What better way to round a day of wine tasting with a great meal and a craft beer, which many of the region’s eateries also now brew.
Featuring award-winning brews from its own micro-brewery, the Calistoga Inn Restaurant* is one of the most popular outdoor dining venues in the Napa Valley, with a patio stretching along the Napa River, an al fresco bar and "Back Forty" beer garden, which offers a casual setting for private events. The inside dining room offers a vintage Napa Valley atmosphere and a vibrant late night social scene.
Website: www.calistogainn.com
Norman Rose Tavern is Napa’s neighborhood pub, offering elevated American classics, wine and microbrews, in an engaging setting that anchors the City of Napa’s West End District. Norman Rose offers an extensive selection of the Napa Valley and North Coast microbreweries, both by the bottle and on tap, paired with classic American comfort food.
Website: www.normanrosenapa.com
PR Contact: Tom Fuller, tom@fullerandsander.com
Housed in the historic Oberon Saloon built in 1893, Downtown Joe’s Brewery & Restaurant* in downtown Napa complements its comfort-food menu with its own brews, and mostly British and west coast styled ales. And for trivia fans, the man who built its brewery was Chuck Ankeny, the great-grandson of Theodore Hamm of Milwaukee.
Website: www.downtownjoes.com
New to the downtown Napa restaurant scene, the Napa Palisades Saloon* located on historic Main Street near the Napa River, offers an extensive selection of IPAs and other brews on tap, as well as by the bottle. With gastro-pub fare, featuring an eclectic variety of hearty burgers, farm-fresh salads, bar snacks, and sides, Napa Palisades has quickly become a great gathering spot for locals and visitors alike.
Website: www.napapalisades.com
PR Contact: Kevin Sprenger, kevin@napapalisades.com
Silo’s Club*, tucked into the historic Napa Riverfront complex, is a popular downtown nightclub offering live music most nights of the week, and features a casual menu along with a wide selection of craft beers, wine & spirits.
Website: www.silosnapa.com
PR Contact: Melodie Hilton, Melodie@napariverinn.com
The Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ in downtown Napa offers an extensive, international list of lagers, draughts, and ales, including large format bottlings which pair well with their award-winning barbecue and famous “Beer-Can Chicken.”
Website: www.bountyhunterwinebar.com
PR Contact: Stefan Matulich, stefan@bountyhunterwine.com
Some believe that there’s no better pairing than beer and sushi, especially at Morimoto Napa*. At Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s downtown Napa restaurant guests have their choice of ten local and imported beers, including four of Morimoto’s own brews, as well as four beers on tap.
Website: www.morimotonapa.com
PR Contact: Michael Galyen, michael@morimotonapa.com
Carpe Diem* features a sophisticated, yet casual dining experience in the heart of downtown Napa, focusing on a share-plate style menu and extensive beer and wine offerings to complement the cuisine. In addition to local craft brews, they offer proprietary beers from the Carpe Diem Brewing Company.
Website: www.carpediemwinebar.com
PR Contact: Jim Foster, jim@carpediemwinebar.com
Operated by two local veteran restaurateurs, Hop Creek Pub, located in Brown’s Valley west of downtown Napa, is a casual dining destination which provides locals and visitors with a welcoming atmosphere, and a locally sourced menu coupled with unique craft beers, spirits and wine.
Website: www.hopcreekpub.com
PR Contact: Stacy Wagner, stacy@hopcreekpub.com
St. Clair Brown Winery in the warehouse district of downtown Napa is currently building a micro-brewery that will include a ten-barrel, all-grain system which will make up to 300 gallons of beer per day. Its small lot, handcrafted beers will be brewed fresh daily and piped directly from the finishing tanks to taps at the bar. Guests will also be able to get growlers and kegs to go.
Website: www.stclairbrownwinery.com
PR Contact: Laina Brown, lbrown@stclairbrownwinery.com
* Brews its own craft beers
