Best Microbreweries And Pubs In Sacramento

Brew It Up!

801 14th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 441-3000
www.brewitup.com

Start with 22 beers made on the premises and that's a good enough reason to visit the midtown mainstay. But here are four other reasons: Margarita Monday, Beerfest Tuesday, Wine Wednesday, Thursty Thursday. And of course, the title of the establishment is its catch.

Brew It Up! offers beer-making classes, and it's fond of slogans. Two of the best: "Isn't it time you brewed a beer of your own?" and "Sacramento Women Who Love Beer." That's two more reasons to visit.

Devere's Irish Pub

1521 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 231-9947
www.deverespub.com

It may be the newcomer, but there's a lot of Irish tradition in the upscale pub and that means Guinness and Shepherd's pie and beef stew and a family style business run by the Irish de Vere White family.

Opened in January 2009, de Vere's is popular and there are several reasons. It's an Irish pub in the heart of midtown near the Capitol, Community Center Theatre and Memorial Auditorium. How could it not do well? But there are specific reasons, too. The bartenders know how to pour. The Daily lunch special ($5.95) is a half sandwich and cup of soup. It always goes well with a pint.

Fox & Goose Public House

1001 R Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916 443-8825
www.foxandgoose.com

Opened in 1975, it's a downtown institution that serves myriad beers on tap, with an emphasis toward English ales and complementary cuisine. Its relaxing atmosphere attracts a regular local crowd for the live music and open mic nights. But as much as it's frequented by English pub enthusiasts for its beer choices, it's equally well-known for its breakfast featuring bangers and scones made with Devonshire (clotted) cream.

Hoppy Brewing Company

6300 Folsom Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916) 451-4677
www.hoppy.com

Its logo is a "Hoppy" face and it's an ideal description of the beer selections. The brew is big on hops and the growing fraternity of enthusiasts fancy favorites Total Eclipse Black, Stony Face Red Ale among nearly a dozen others. A beer sampler, nine 3-ounce offerings, is a favorite, too.

Hoppy has big screen televisions and gets a good college crowd from Sacramento State University. The menu isn't just pub grub, but there's that, too, with even simple munchies like kettle chips above regular- grade fare.

Pangaea Two Brews Cafe

2743 Franklin Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 454-5942
www.pangaeatwobrews.com

It's all the rage in Curtis Park and with good reason. Sandwiches are fresh, the owner and staff are friendly and the beer selection is arguably the best in Sacramento. Happy hour is daily 3-6 p.m. featuring Belgian beers. Not too many places in town have Chimay on tap; Fewer places have Pliny the Elder (from Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa) on tap. Enough said. If you like beer, a decent sandwich and lively banter at the bar or outside, this place is tops.

Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant

1029 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 498-9800
www.pyramidbrew.com/alehouses/sacramento

The Sacramento location of the Seattle-based brewery has a wide variety of micro brews, including its poplar Apricot Ale and well- known seasonal offerings. Located on the K Street, the atmosphere is casual and the crowd is a good mix of locals, government workers, area business owners and tourists hoping to catch a sporting event (huge flatscreen TVs) while downing a pint or two with some comfort food.

That's easily accomplished. The beer choices are keen and it's even in some of the food offerings like the wild–mushroom pizza (crust made with Hefe Weizen ale) and a decadent dessert, the Blackwatch Porter Brownie Float.

River City Brewing Company

545 Downtown Plaza #1115
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-2739
www.rivercitybrewing.net

Start with a rotating selection of lagers and ales and mix in California cuisine. Add an atmosphere that's highlighted by an outside dining in the mall and 20-foot ceilings indoors and it's a unique place tucked into a corner entrance to the K Street Mall.

Signature dishes include an Eggplant Napoleon appetizer, Asiago Garlic Crusted Chicken and a vast selection of wood-fired pizzas.

The beer selection includes two naturals for Sacramentans — K Street Kolsch and Cap City Pale. The Black River Stout is another favorite. The extensive Happy Hour schedule is Monday through Friday 3-6 p.m.
($3.25 pints) and Wednesday after 6 p.m. ($2.50 pints). For non-beer drinkers, the wine selection is good and there's full bar service.

Rubicon Brewing

2004 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone (916) 448-7032
www.sacweb.com/rubicon

A midtown mainstay for more than two decades, Rubicon Brewing combines uniquely styled beer with an extensive menu. There are good specials like $2 tacos and all-you-can-eat fish and chips, and so it's easy to understand why there are good daily crowds.

Of course, fine beer doesn't hurt — Goldfinger to Ol' Moe Porter to Monkey Knife Fight Pale Ale. It all adds up to an ideal mix for small business owners, government employees, students and the neighborhood crowd.

Streets Of London

1804 J Street
Sacramento, CA
(916) 498-1388
www.streetsoflondon.homestead.com

A classic English pub. Soccer and rugby telecasts all the time and the same goes for the active darts boards. Its motto is a "Full Bar, Full Menu, Indoor and Outdoor." It's a high-profile location with a lively crowd. Happy hour is 4-6 p.m. daily.

The appetizer and small meal menu is fine, and the pizzas are a treat with some clever names — Margarita Thatcher, Captain Cooke and Barbie. Check out the West Sacramento and Folsom locations, too.

The Shack

5201 Folsom Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916) 457-5997
www.eastsacshack.com

The sign about wall above entrance to the small kitchen has 11 rows of squares across and nine rows down. Each square lists a beer. That's 99 bottles of beer on the wall, and that's as good a way to describe The Shack. It's beer heaven.

It's been a fixture in East Sac since the 1930s when it was called Doc's Place. It's only had a handful of owners through the years, but for the last six years or so, Gary and Jenn Seppy changed the focus.

It was once a sandwich shop. Now it's a comfort food restaurant with a vast selection of wine, the aforementioned 99 varieties of beer bottles of beer on the wall and more than a dozen others from around the globe on tap.