SAF Partner Spotlight: Virtual Pub Crawl (Part II)
As mentioned last week, we have partnered with a number of breweries and pubs in Oregon and California for their recycling cooking oil needs. Along the way, we have discovered they are all award winning establishments for their craft beers and for some, their delicious menu items. They are all noteworthy and well worth a visit to discover your favorites. We are introducing you to them in a two-part post…here is Part II of our Virtual Pub Crawl!
Moving on from the California coast, we take you to Woody’s Brewing Company in our hometown of Redding, California. After decades of dreaming about serving their home crafted ales to customers, Pat, Scott, & Andrew opened up Woody’s in 2015, and it has been a local favorite ever since. It has won such accolades as “Best In the North State” in both 2016 and 2017, and gold medaled for their American Wheat ale in 2013. Woody’s is a great downtown spot to meet up with a client for lunch or for a fun date night. They host tasting parties and comedy shows and have a banquet room for special events.
While in town, don’t miss Redding’s newest brewery, Final Draft Brewing Company. Opening their doors in 2016, this brewpub has an industrial polished vibe and sets the scene for their patrons to enjoy some beer, delicious food, and even a game of indoor cornhole! You can build your own flight or try any of the 9 or more brews they have on tap. They have canned take home options for you as well…some of the favorites include Attention Deficit – American IPA, True Blood – Blood Orange Kolsch, Passive Aggressie – Session IPA, and Miso Hony – Blonde. Check their calendar for live music nights or join them any night of the week for Happy Hour from 4-6 pm.
Next stop is Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant down in Novato, CA in Marin County, offering “house-brewed beers & American grub served at a family-friendly spot with darts and a reading room”. Opening in 1995, this is owner Brendan Moylan’s second brewery (second only to Marin Brewing Company that was established in 1989), bringing 28 years of brewing experience with him. Brendan’s passion for brewing began with a kit just a year after college.
“One January I went out and bought the Christmas gift I really wanted: a beer brewing kit, and one thing led to another. I got a degree in accounting and decided I didn’t want to go there and started working for a beer importing company, then one day I walked into Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in Hayward and my eyes got big and I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
This brewpub is a not to be missed establishment, with its family friendly appeal they attract customers of all types; hikers, bikers, tourists, businessmen and women, sports enthusiasts, young and old alike.
Less than an hour south of Moylan’s is Marin Brewing in Larkspur, CA. This is where owners Craig Tasley and Brendan Moylan’s story began, with the opening of this brewery in 1989. And although Craig has since passed, Brendan has continued on with the high quality, artfully crafted brews that their customers have enjoyed for almost 3 decades. Moylan takes great pride in brewing on-site with all natural ingredients, “full of award winning classic brews named after our beloved local landmarks, such as Mt. Tam Pale Ale, San Quentin’s Breakout Stout, Pt. Reyes Porter, and Eldridge Grade White Knuckle Double I.P.A.” He has also continued on with the charitable causes that was so important to Craig, giving back to the community and sponsoring the very popular annual, The Breastfest Beer Festival. The festival is held in San Francisco with over 65 brewery participants and includes lots of food and live music.
Our last stop takes us to Drake’s Brewing Company in San Leandro, CA. Owners Roger Lind and John Martin began this brewery in the former Chrysler Dodge factory in the East Bay in 1989. Lind was part of this burgeoning industry in the 80’s and pieced his brewing system together. He considered himself a pioneer and therefore named his beers after Sir Francis Drake and ultimately named his brewery after Drake as well. Lind ended up leaving the area and John Martin continued on with a new partner, Roy Kirkorian, in 2008. This was a new era for Drake’s in which the company continued to grow and thrive, leading to the opening of a second location in Oakland called Drake’s Dealership, in 2015. The Dealership is located in the old Dodge Dealership and repair shop. They have created a “beer garden and full service restaurant built largely of repurposed wood and steel from the existing structure”.
Drake’s Brewing Company can appropriately be hailed as the grand finale of our pub crawl, rounding out this virtual pub experience with a bang. We hope this has inspired you to take a live and in-person tour of each of these breweries. If you do, please share your experience with us.
AutoPilot Service from Smart Alternative Fuels, is just that… smart. We are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week for our partners providing premium cooking oil collection and grease trap maintenance services. We respond quickly and our reliable service takes the stress out of a messy job for restaurants and the like. Questions? Shoot us a CALL any time.