Unique by design
Roses’ Taproom in Oakland offers good taste in beer and aesthetics
If you’re a craft beer aficionado with an appreciation for interior design, you’ll want to check out Oakland’s twoyear-old Roses’ Taproom. It stands out in contrast to the usual bleak industrial setting enjoyed by most breweries.
Founded by the husbandwife team of Luke Janson and Hillary Huffard, Roses’ Taproom is a comfortable and stylish establishment in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland. The airy, artistic space is full of soft, rounded corners, hanging plants and soothing music. It’s not your typical craft brewery.
You’ll find eight housemade beers on tap here and several more in bottles or cans. The brewer — Janson — likes to change things up, so there’s a good chance you’ll encounter different beers each time you visit. On my visit, we sampled a clean, crisp kolsch, a very well-balanced Amer- ican pale ale with a hint of tropical fruit, a solid IPA, a slightly sour red ale, a German altbier, a Belgian tripel and a nutty, chocolaty oatmeal stout. They also offered a Grisette, a dry, golden Belgian wheat ale with a mineral kick that has recently grown in popularity among craft brewers.
Full pours are $7 to $9, depending on the beer, with 5-ounce sampler pours also available for about $3 apiece.
They do micheladas and beermosas, too. And you can also order a nice selection of bread, cheeses, fruit and charcuterie to go with your beer, a nice fit for the more refined, upscale nature of this place.
DON’T MISS >> My favorite of the day was Saguaro, an 8.4 percent alcohol by volume, bottle-conditioned, bourbonbarrel
aged imperial porter ($18 for a 750 ml bottle). The high carbonation produced fine bubbles that really enhanced this rich, dark ale with hints of fig and nutmeg.
DETAILS >> Open from 1 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until 11 p.m. Fridays and from noon until late on weekends. 4930 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; www. rosestaproom.com