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If you’ve been to SoCal recently, chances are high that you may have visited one of Mike Hess Brewing’s taprooms. With three locations in the San Diego area, Hess is now the eleventh largest brewer among the region’s 150+ breweries.
Your next trip to taste Hess beers could be much shorter: Hess — a Walnut Creek native — has just opened a taproom in his hometown, with grand opening celebrations planned for this weekend. The new taproom, tucked amid The Orchards at Walnut Creek, the 2-year-old shopping center at the corner of Ygnacio Valley and Oak Grove roads, is a tasting room only; no beer is brewed at this site.
The interior is small and very modern, with just a few tables. The real appeal lies in the unique outdoor seating area, which is under a roof, but open on two sides and packed with comfy couches and tables. No food, but they have menus available to order from four nearby restaurants, and you are welcome to bring your own food. The tasting room is kid and dog-friendly, as well.
Thirteen Mike Hess beers were available on tap the day we visited, with space to expand to 20 in the future. The beers ran the gamut from light, including a kolsch, an American lager and an orange honey whea, to darker styles, such as a Vienna cream ale, a Marzen and an imperial stout. There are plenty of hoppy beers, too, including a session IPA, hazy IPA, pina colada IPA, double IPA and three regular IPAs. They’re all solid and a few really push the right buttons.
Want to try multiple beers? Order a flight of five 4-ounce tasters ($15) and it comes with a special glass and a poker chip that can be redeemed for a $4 refill at the tasting room Monday-Thursday. Now that’s a beer glass worth keeping.
Don’t miss: While the weather is still warm, don’t miss the Orange Honey Wheat Beer. It’s a light, crisp, wheat ale brewed with ground orange peel and California orange-blossom honey. One whiff of this beer, and you’ll feel like you’re swimming in a field of orange blossoms. It’s an outstanding warm weather thirst-quencher.
Details: Mike and Greg Hess will be on hand for the grand opening celebrations planned for Sept. 29. Open from noon to 10 p.m. daily at 2313 Oak Grove Road, Suite J, Walnut Creek; www.mikehessbrewing.com, and on Facebook.
