Best Sonoma County Breweries for First-Time Visitors

Beer has come a long way from the days when the only choice was light or regular. As the nation now thirsts for craft beers, Sonoma County reigns supreme, with abundant local breweries pouring unique and flavorful styles, including triple IPAs, fruity saisons, and barrel-aged sours.

Here’s a sampling of favorite local breweries to get your suds adventures started. 

HenHouse Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

To beer aficionados, this craft brewery is a stand-out. HenHouse co-founders Collin McDonnell and Scott Goyne founded the brewery in 2012, and HenHouse continues to churn out the kind of ales, sours, and stouts that attract beer snobs from near and far. Their HenHouse IPA and Chemtrails IPA are two of the best IPAs we’ve tried, and the limited-release Big Chicken DIPA is one of the most sought-after brews in Sonoma County.

Cooperage Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

Cooperage head brewer and Orange County transplant Tyler Smith has turned a decade of brewing in a garage into a premier craft brewery. The brewery, located in an industrial warehouse, has become a favorite destination for beer enthusiasts looking for unique and well-crafted pale ales. The Wyatt Terp is a must-try for IPA lovers. Cooperage also features food trucks for the hungry, a giant projector screen for sports fans, and an arcade machine with joystick classics for those looking for some old-school fun.

Fogbelt Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

Founded in 2013 by Paul Hawley and Remy Martin, Fogbelt Brewing Company is repeatedly named a top craft beer destination. Like the brewery’s name, Fogbelt’s brews pay tribute to the North Coast — each flagship beer is named after a coastal redwood tree. From the crisp Atlas Blonde Ale to the robust Armstrong Stout, beer flight connoisseurs will not be disappointed. The brewery also hosts one of the best brewery kitchens we’ve encountered: Try the fish tacos with pickled radish and chipotle crema.

Moonlight Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

Moonlight head brewer Brian Hunt was crafting brews before there was even a craft beer industry, and his Moonlight Brewing became the first microbrewery in Santa Rosa in 1992. The Moonlight Brewing process relies on a no-frills approach: Sight, smell, and taste determine when a beer is ready, and barley, grains, and herbs are the main ingredients. Sip a truly satisfying Moonlight beer. The San Francisco-style, black lager “Death and Taxes” will thrill your tastebuds.

Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

This Santa Rosa brewing favorite has won just about every beer award you can win, garnered worldwide fame, and sent beer lovers into a February frenzy for the past 14 years with the limited-release Pliny the Younger. While the brewery’s hoppy Plinys (Younger and Elder) are definitely worth a try, the well-balanced and flavorful Blind Pig IPA should also be on your beer bucket list. An added bonus is the family-friendly atmosphere at the brewery (including a kid’s menu). But leave the littles at home for the annual Pliny pilgrimage, as the long lines and crowds are mainly for the super fans.

Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma

A North Bay staple for the past two decades, Lagunitas continues to impress beer aficionados by producing one-of-a-kind, boundary-pushing interpretations of traditional brews with heavy-hitting flavor. Flagship classics include Little Sumpin’, Lagunitas Pils, Aunt Sally, Hop Stoopid, and Brown Shugga. Lagunitas’ Petaluma location provides one of the best atmospheres to enjoy a beer with a live music venue, inviting outdoor patio, full kitchen, photo booth, and gift shop.

Barrel Brothers Brewing Company, Windsor

Barrel Brothers, as the name implies, is a family affair. The brewery was founded by brothers-in-law Wesley Deal and Daniel Weber and their father-in-law, Tom Sather, in 2015. Like alchemists, the family concocts magical potions from water, grain, hops, and yeast. The “Blonde Voyage” Belgian ale makes for an ideal barbecue beverage, while the “Dark Sarcasm” porter is packed with chocolate, mocha, and vanilla. Their “Naughty Hops” IPA is brewed with their revolutionary, ‘Hop Spanker’ technology. The taproom may be small, but the variety is big.

Crooked Goat Brewing, Sebastopol

This brewery crafts unique wheat ales infused with flavors like honey, blackberries, raspberries — and even bubblegum (featured in the aptly named “Bazooka Joe”). Crooked Goat also boasts a selection of hoppy, high ABV percentage IPAs, such as the West Coast-style “Ibex” and the apricot, vanilla-infused “Foggy Notion” DIPA. Brewmaster Will Erickson and crew took Crooked Goat from a garage to the popular ten-barrel taproom and beyond. Check out their events calendar for free live music and fun.

Sonoma Springs Brewing Company, Sonoma

Tim Goeppinger isn’t afraid to experiment. As the head brewer at Sonoma Springs Brewing Company, Goeppinger continues to expand his lineup of California and German-style beers — and he’s prolific in his production. Sonoma Springs brews have catchy names, like: “Juicy in the Sky,” “Women Are Smarter,” and “SonomaComa.” With over twenty fresh beers on tap, there’s plenty to choose from.

Old Caz Beer, Rohnert Park

The brewery supplies cans and kegs across Sonoma County (and beyond) and pours fresh, tasty beers from the taproom where everyone’s invited. Sample the rotating array of brews on tap, and you might find something as intriguing as a Steady State German Pilsner, Chismosa Mexican Amber Lager, or Catastrophe Rye IPA. The brewery gets its name from Old Cazadero Road, a scenic country road that retains all the wild, pioneer qualities that make Sonoma County so special.

Parliament Brewing Company, Rohnert Park

Parliament is a family-owned brewery offering a rotation of small-batch beers, including ale, West Coast IPA, hazy, pilsner, and stout — you may even find a hard seltzer. The relaxed setting invites you to sit back and enjoy a fresh pint like Sonoma Sunrise, Obscura, or Dreams of Jupiter.

---

Written by Michael Barnes