Review: Lagunitas Brewing Company Tour

Over the weekend I dropped by Lagunitas Brewing Company with a few friends up in Petaluma and went on one of their tours. Unfortunately because it was the weekend, they did not have a tasting tour. It was *very* hot this weekend (around 90 degrees Fahrenheit) up in Petaluma, so we baked the entire tour. I would strongly suggest checking the weather before going up. However, that Pale Ale was the most refreshing beer I might have ever had.

Since one of my friends and I ended up showing up early, we grabbed a quick beer (super cheap at $4.50!) and hung out on the patio, which was just buzzing with activity. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we thought that we couldn't bring the beer with us, so we downed it pretty fast. Needless to say, while on the tour, we realized that you could bring your beer with you, if you decanted it into a plastic cup first.

Signs Displayed Going Into The Tap Room

The tour was short, maybe 20 minutes in all, but there were a lot of funny stories and some (emphasis on some) detail on how they actually made the beer. It was really more around how their facilities has grown and moved over the last 20 years. 

Here Is Our Tour Guide - I Think That He Looks Like He Works At A Brewery

Random fact: did you know that craft breweries create loads of jobs? In 2011, on the heels of the "Great Recession" craft breweries in California alone created 22k jobs. [source]

Some Of The Fermenting Vessels They Have Onsite

Even though these look large, they are building an even larger brewery in Chicago. Not sure about how I feel about this, cause I don't like to share my California goodies! (ie. Pete's, Philz, etc.)

Sacks Of Grain

Quick fact: Did you know that Lagunitas goes through over 50k lbs of grain a day? That's A LOT! Don't worry, there is no waste, the parts of the grain that they don't use goes to local farmers to feed cattle.

Can You See The Grains Going Through The Pipe?

Quick fact: Did you know that the ads for "triple hopped" are kinda just dumb? Lagunitas hops at least six times, if not more!

Lots Of Magic Happening Here

Of course we couldn't leave without popping into the little shop - although, come to find out everything is also available on their online store, duh. You can shop their goods here.

Awesome Seat/Bench In Front Of The Store

All in all, it was a pretty fun trip. I would definitely go again when it was cooler, and maybe at night when the patio lights are all up. Since there looks like there would be good food, I would suggest going after a day of wine tasting.