STELLAR SIPS
Livermore Valley is known for its wineries — more than 50 of them ranging from the historic Wente and Concannon, whose vineyards were planted in the 1880s, to newer tasting rooms. Among the latter:
Rosa Fierro Cellars, which opened in 2018, and Leisure Street Winery, whose new tasting room launched in 2019.
But Livermore is increasingly known for its craft beer scene, too. Steve Sartori’s Altamont Beer Works is known as the big boy here, established in 2012 as the city’s first brewery since Prohibition. Three years later, Shadow Puppet Brewing opened a warehouse-space tasting room with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a wide range of beers brewed on-site. Check out the brewery’s homage to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a Livermorium IPA, named for the radioactive element the lab created.
Also worth a stop: Pennyweight Craft Brewing launched last year with a big brewing space right downtown, a spacious patio and a menu that includes sliders, tacos and Alameda Point craft sodas, as well as its own ales, sours and IPAs. Look for the bright green trolley at two-yearold Homegrown Hops Brewing Co. — the trolley sits in open space dotted with bocce courts, cornhole and grassy sitting areas.
DETAILS >> Altamont Beer Works opens at noon Tuesday-Sunday at 2402 Research Drive; www.altamontbeerworks.com. Shadow Puppet Brewing opens at noon daily at 4771B Arroyo Vista; www. shadowpuppetbrewing.com. Pennyweight Craft Brewing opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 2455 Railroad Ave; www.penny weightbrew.com. And Homegrown Hops opens at 3 p.m. Thursday-Friday and noon weekends at 3000 Mines Road; www. homegrownhopsbeer.com.