Breweries

Beer, the nectar of the gods... these are the local establishments who make their own. If you are just looking for a place to buy some beer, you might try lists of grocery stores or check out the Bars. If you are a cheap college student you might be looking for Free Beer. Of course if you are feeling antisocial you can Brew your own beer or make your own wine.

• Cruess Hall — UC Davis pilot brewery.
  

• Sudwerk — Probably the best local brewery (and restaurant) around, specializing in German beers.

• Black Diamond Brewery —A little gem located in Concord; the flagship Belgian Blonde Ale is unique and delicious.
  

• Brew-It-Up — A Sacramento brewery and restaurant.
  

• Hoppy Brewery — Folsom Blvd in Sacramento.
  

• Jack Russell Brewery — Located just past Placerville on 50.
  

• Mount Saint Helena Brewery — Great after a day of hiking or climbing.
  

• Pyramid Alehouse — Another Sacramento brewery and restaurant.
  

• Rubicon Brewing Company Possibly the best craft brewery in the region. Located in Midtown Sacramento (Capitol and 20th), they have good pub food and awesome beer. Service can be iffy but it's worth it.
  

• Sacramento Brewing Company — Fulton and Marconi in Sacramento and a Egyptian themed restaurant on Madison in Citrus Heights.
  

• Very good — excellent beer, and the menu has quite a bit of above average fare. Try the chili-oil and bleu cheese fries, the pork tenderloin and the crab and shrimp ravioli. — jw
  

• Sierra Nevada — Located in Chico, one of the nicest (from a brewer's perspective) breweries in the world. Well worth the pilgrimage.
  

I was here recently for lunch. The food was sub-mediocre but a pitcher of IPA, five (5!) twelve oz. glasses, was $7.50. prt

For those who have not acquired the taste for beer, or want to try something different yet traditional, there is a growing presence of hard Cider in the region. Cider is beer-strength apple alcohol. Although fairly sweet by default, many micro-brew varieties have a range from sweet to dry and champagne-like. Cider has a history almost as long as Beer and was much more common than at present. Johnny Appleseed planted cider apples, not Granny Smith. UCD has a Pomology program and a Fermentation Science major, so perhaps there is a graduate student project waiting to happen studying ciders.

• Ace Cider is from Sebastopol. They have a lovely pub and brew everything in the back.
  

• Fox Barrel Ciders are made in Colfax, about a scenic hour up I-80. There is a tasting room in Colfax. They can be bought at the Co-op.
  

• Two Rivers Cider is brewed in Sacramento, but not distributed in Davis yet.
  

  Ciders are available at G Street Pub, Burgers and Brew, and possibly at Sudwerk and Sophia's Thai Kitchen