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The Non-Alcoholic beer options just keep expanding for those who want craft but without the ABV. There is a new N/A producer up in the Thousand Oaks area by the cheeky name of SoBear Brewing. Get it?
Currently they have a Hazy Pale Ale out in cans and coming soon are a Guava Sour and an American Light Lager. Though I am starting to wonder why it isn’t the big imperial stouts or DIPAs that aren’t getting the treatment.
Today, Eureka Brewing opens location #2 and it is quite a bit of distance from their Gardena brewery and taproom. Thousand Oaks to be exact.
They are taking over a Dudes Brewing spot on Thousand Oaks Blvd.
With restaurant restrictions lifting even here in SoCal, travel is going to return to its normal traffic-y condition but I made a quick jaunt to Pedals & Pints and to the very nearby Tarantula Hill Brewing to check out their beer. Not really a 1st visit since I am not ready to dive back into sitting inside (or outside, or on sidewalks) just yet.
Beer buddy’s Rich and I each bought a different four pack to split (more on that later) which I will review briefly below.
P&P looks a bit like a new house dropped at one end of a currently quiet mall. There was a nice indoor/outdoor facing bar on one corner and then a bigger bar inside. It was nice if lacking in personality. I had placed an online order for the Lizard IPA and once there, I was told it was not canned and that I could get a growler. I was also given the option of a mixed four-pack and as that is what I would have ordered anyway, took that option. It came with a lager, Vienna lager, pale ale and stout. Richard ordered online as well and his order wasn’t found in the system. He did eventually get it.
The second stop was a mere five minutes away and it is a huge space. All the bigger seeming with the tables and chairs removed from the inside. Here, once we got to the bar, our precise orders were ready. They have converted some of their parking lot to outdoor, properly spaced seating and the place overall was pretty bustling.
I tried two of the Tarantula Hill IPAs first. Gettin’ Zesty With It a grapefruit tinged combo with the 2020 Pink Boots Hop Blend. Both the fruit and hops were quite well balanced. Second was the Sabro hop focused Saaah Bro which was also well done and not a bitter meets coconut bomb that the hop usually comes across to me. I also liked the label design, especially the amount of information presented about each beer.
The Pedals & Pints labels were a little more DIY but I really liked the Vienna lager that I started with. Crisp and crackery with a beautiful garnet color. The Pale Ale was of a different stripe, a bit tilted to dill and grassy notes and it had that same reddish color but I enjoyed it. Caught a little orange hidden as well.
Beer wise, I have come away impressed.
Our second L.A. Brewery in Planning is in Thousand Oaks. I have not ridden a bike in many a moon so I will stick to the latter half of Pedals & Pints Brewing. This brewery looks to be moving closer to opening as recent Facebook posts show tanks rooted to their spots.