I had been hearing about Half Moon Bay Brewery for months it seems. One of my friends is a regular and spends quite a few afternoons there working and having a beer. I don’t know about you, but I am always a little bit more creative with a beer in hand! So while I was in the San Francisco Bay area I made my out to Half Moon Bay to finally Visit the Half Moon Bay Brewery.
The brewery sits back a little bit from the water and has an amazing patio to watch the sun go down. It is right next door to a popular area for surfers too! This world-famous surfing spot is what their beers are named after – Mavericks Beers & Ales. As you can see, they have quite a selection of craft beers. They are also continually trying new recipes and doing special releases of seasonal ales, porters, and my favorite, stouts!
When you are not sure what you will like at a brewery, order a beer flight and try a few that speak to you. I went ahead with Bock Bock Easter bunny – holy yumminess Batman, the Russian Imperial Stout, and the Bootlegger’s brown Ale.
Their Maverick’s Amber Ale was a Bronze Winner in the 2010 World Beer Cup. It was back in the bottling area ready for the batch to finish brewing so it could be sent out all over the US for thirsty ale drinkers.
It was a busy day in the brewery and I was lucky to have a few minutes to talk to BrewMaster James Costa. He has been brewing for most of his life and can’t imagine doing anything else. I asked him what beer he would have if he couldn’t have his own, and we had another nod to Ballast Point. He is a big hops guy and he loves the flavor of Mosaic hops right now. James and I talked about the upcoming craft brewers beer festival in Boonville and what I should expect there. Let me tell you, Boonville was amazing and I had the chance to talk to James a bit more – he is an awesome brewmaster, but more importantly, an great guy!
While tasting the beers that day, I had the privilege of talking with a couple of the investors, Ken Pearlman and his wife, and also Christine Mendonca. Ken has been working on improving the wine list at HMB Brewery (my other love!). Christine and I had a great discussion about how men and women taste beer differently. Most women taste on the top of their tongue and tend to like things sweeter. Men on the other hand, taste first on the sides of their tongue and can handle beer a little more bitter. Who knew, right?
They both suggested I not go anywhere until I tried their Chocolate Porter Float made with the Pit Stop Porter. Who am I to argue? Can I just say, that was utterly delicious. I had to refrain from ordering another!
I had a really great afternoon hanging out at Half Moon Brewery. I’m looking forward to going back and tasting their seasonal beers, having more of their delicious food, and watch the surfers in the bay.
