ECR Brewing
The last time I visited Belmont breweries, ECR Brewing was not yet open, and founder Chris Beaudett was still a home brewer. When he decided to turn pro, he initially planned to add a brewery to the ECR Pub on El Camino Real, the brewery's namesake. The city wasn't too keen on the idea, though, so he found a location in a more industrial area and started brewing.
His beers are only available at the brewery or at the ECR pub. When I visited, he had two beers on tap: a Kolsch and a pale ale, but usually there are around four. The Kolsch is a sweet and refreshing low-alcohol lager with nice effervescence. The pale is also very drinkable, with nicely-balanced hops and a good hop character that doesn't overwhelm the flavor.
DETAILS >> The brewery is open from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 1 to 8 p.m. on Saturday at 111 Industrial Rd. #8 in Belmont; ecrbrewingcompany.com. The ECR Pub is open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sunday at 864 El Camino Real in Belmont; ecr.pub.
Freewheel Brewing in Redwood City specializes in Britishstyle cask ales. It also has a full of menu of small plates.
Founded in 2012, this Redwood City brewery stands out for its British-style cask ales. The brewery was founded by four friends, including a Brit and a home brewer with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, who partnered with two small United Kingdom breweries to brew cask ales here.
It's a traditional way of making beer without adding carbon dioxide. Often derided as resulting in beers that are flat and warm, that's not actually the case. These ales are served at cellar temperature — usually 50 to 55 degrees. And they are naturally carbonated. The beer only appears flat when you compare it to highly carbonated modern keg beer. With cask ales, the flavors aren't masked by gassy carbon dioxide, and can more easily shine through in the glass. These ales are typically delicate and don't travel well, so having it at the source is a plus.
After the original brewer, Malcolm McGinnis, died several years ago, the brewery began offering both modern keg beer and cask ale. The day I stopped by, they had three solid beers on cask: the English IPA, which had a delicate herbal nose with clean, balanced hop flavors; the Wenlock Stout, which was dry and roasty; and the Hugo Stout, a sweeter Jamaican-style dark ale. Other beers available included the K9 Kolsch, Wheat Dreams Hefeweizen, a hazy Big Paws IPA, Big Bad Barley Wine and the Big Ben, an imperial stout.
The brewpub offers a full menu of small plates, entrees and salads, and there's live music and trivia contests on Wednesdays.
DETAILS >> Open daily at 11:30 a.m. at 3736 Florence St. in Redwood City; freewheelbrewing.com.
Redwood City's Ghostwood Beer offers twists on traditional styles such as an Asian Pear Pils.
Ghostwood Beer Company
This brewery was founded by brewer Tommy Domingo six years ago. He later sold it to Amanda and Dan Williams, who were looking to open a restaurant in downtown Redwood City. Ghostwood Kitchen opened last summer. Domingo continues to be the brewmaster there and brews around a dozen beers at a time.
Ghostwood's beer are all clean and offer some unique twists on traditional styles. My favorite was the Asian Pear Pilsner, a crisp, tasty pils brewed with pear juice in collaboration with Mission-Trail Ranches. I'd never had a fruit pilsner before, but the pear flavors are sublime, and I could easily imagine drinking this on a hot day.
The Extra Crispy American Lager was also clean and refreshingly light, as was their Fantasma Madera Mexican Lager. Both the Main Street West Coast IPA and the Farm Hill Double West Coast IPA were hop-forward beers, and the Hotel Sequoia Porter is an old-school porter with rich chocolate notes.
The full menu, which includes appetizers, entree salads and sandwiches, outdoes the usual brewpub fare. They also have a brunch menu available weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
DETAILS >> Open 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday; and starting at 11:30 a.m. — for brunch — on weekends at 911 Main St. in Redwood City; ghostwoodbeer.com.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT SLAINTE >> 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today, 131 Broadway, Oakland. Oakland's authentic Irish Pub is shutting down the street this St. Paddy's Day for an all-things-Irish block party featuring Irish music, dancing and food. Free admission. slainteoakland. com/new-events/2024/2/1/spd2024
ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT RETRO JUNKIE >> 1 p.m. today, Retro Junkie, 2112 North Main St., Walnut Creek. Come out to Retro Junkie for a St. Patrick's Day bash featuring tribute jams, an outdoor beer garden, an indoor dance floor, festive decor, delicious Irish treats and drink specials all day. Free entry before 3 p.m. tinyurl.com/RetroStPattys
OAKLAND OFFICIAL ST PATRICK'S DAY BAR CRAWL >> 1 p.m. today, Drake's Dealership, 2325 Broadway, Oakland. Immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of the Irish as you crawl the city, exploring some of the best establishments and indulging in the sips, food and festivities that await you at each stop. $14.99 to $19.99. tinyurl.com/OaklandPattysCrawl
WINEFARE >> Today, Haight Street Art Center, 215 Haight St., San Francisco. This wine tasting features pours from 75 women-run wineries and importers from the West Coast and Europe. $50 to $140. thethirdplace.is/event/winefare-2024
SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL >> March 20-24, 103 E. Napa St., Sonoma. The 27th annual film festival will feature more than 100 films, culinary events, wine and spirits tastings, nightly parties and industry panels. Prices vary. sonomafilmfest.org/
SAN MATEO WINE FESTIVAL >> March 2324, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo. Come out to the grand San Mateo Event Center to raise a glass and enjoy a weekend of wine, spirits, casual bites, shopping and live music. $79-$99. bit.ly/SanMateoWineFest
WEST COAST TACO & BEER FESTIVAL >> March 23-24, History San Jose, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose. Eat. Sip. Repeat! This event features unlimited taco and beer tastings from dozens of restaurants and breweries, plus live music, boutique vendors, games and entertainment. $49 to $109. bluestreament. ticketspice.com/wctbfbayarea