Dogs, Brats, and Beer

Something funny about life: You can have every intention of focusing on wine and spirits while ignoring beer during your 3-week road trip, and yet...

Petaluma is just too close to Sonoma and the Bay to ignore. It's not exactly on the way from Sonoma to Oakland, but it's home to a well-known brewery in the craft brewing industry, one that also happens to have a really fun attitude and a rockin' tap room/beer garden (which they call the "Beer Sanctuary").

Welcome to Lagunitas Brewing Company. Where friendly, calm, and adorable dogs abound; where picnic tables fill up with hip singles, young families, old friends (locals and tourists alike) on a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon; and where the outdoor area is encased in plastic wrap like a greenhouse and outdoor heaters are turned on even as locals arrive in winter peacoats, scarves, and hats on a warm, sunny afternoon. And by warm, I of course mean Wisconsin winter warm - about 50 degrees F.

The Beer Sanctuary at Lagunitas before it became ridiculously crowded

I sat at a table already occupied by two parties - one, a trio of adults celebrating an unnumbered birthday of a nice fellow named Larry; the other, a younger couple up from Orange County for a few days. I had great conversation with all of them, alternately. Sabrina and I shared photos of food snapped on our phones; Jonathan and I talked beer and a little Star Wars; and Christine (Kristine?), Larry, and Max talked with me at length about my trip, wishing me well and even asking for my blog address to follow along (Hi, guys!). 

And of course there was the beer. And a beer brat (which, I'm sorry to say, Wisconsinites, was actually tasty). I picked four beers for a very reasonably priced tasting flight ($5.50!), and all these beers seem to be off-list, tap room exclusives I couldn't even find them on the website (although navigating the Lagunitas website on my phone at the time was a bit clumsy.) I'll throw these up on ATDT soon with a little more commentary, so here I'll just say that Brett makes tasty beer, and I'll definitely drink beer that comes out of brandy barrels, wine barrels, or bourbon barrels.

My  pick-4 beer tasting flight

P.S. - Another great feature of this place? Table service. Outstandingly convenient, especially with the food.