Camino Brewing’s sign includes its slogan, “Beer Brings Strangers Together.” (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)
The last months have been rough for Northern California breweries, but there’s some good news, too, including some outdoor sipping options and a new gluten-free beer taproom.
Alfresco Camino
As counties reopen for indoor and outdoor dining, a number of breweries have reopened, too. Among them, San Jose’s Camino Brewing Co., where the two-year-old taproom is open for curbside pickup of beer-to-go and the patio is serving up tasty bites and Camino brews inspired by founders Nathan Poulos and Allen Korenstein’s cycling trek on the historic Camino de Santiago trail.
The food, which hails from Barya Kitchen and Mollie’s Catering, includes oxtail birria tacos, smoky soyrizo tacos and pandan flan cheesecake. And the brews include a Northeast by West IPA, a Pale Rider ale, a Cafe con Leche coffee-milk stout and an N-120 Bohemian pilsner, which is named for the Spanish road. Camino Brewing opens at 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon on weekends at 718 S. First St. in San Jose; https://caminobrewing.com.
Gluten-free taproom
Billed as California’s first gluten-free brewery, Buck Wild opened a production facility in Oakland last year. Now founder Mike Bernstein has followed that up with a Buck Wild Taproom, which opens on Nov. 7 at its new digs near Jack London Square. Expect to see eight gluten-free beers on tap, according to Oaklandside, including a pale ale and three IPAs, plus wine, kombucha and hard aguas frescas.
There’s a food menu, too, courtesy of San Francisco’s Kitava, whose veggie-forward, gluten-free menu includes grain bowls, tacos and comfort fare.
Regular hours for the new taproom, which is across the street from Oakland’s Chop Bar and just steps from Jack London Square, has it opening at 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m. weekends at 401 Jackson St. in Oakland; www.facebook.com/buckwildbeer.
A beer festival — for real
It’s been a long time since beer festivals were even a thing, but Napa’s Silverado Resort is reviving them with their Best of California Beer Tasting — Fall Edition on Nov. 28. The event, which runs from noon to 6 p.m., will showcase a variety of seasonal beers paired with small bites prepared by chef Rodrigo Cuadra. Advance tickets ($40) are a must.
Details: Silverado Resort and Spa, 1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa. http://bayareane.ws/SilveradoBeer.
