Sonoma County Line

For all you Lagunitas Maximus fans, your day has finally arrived. The famed 16-year old Lagunitas Brewery has finally opened their doors for the general public in the version of an outdoor tap room. They call it their beer sanctuary. Others call it a TapRoom (no space). Whatever its name, it’s SCL approved.

Lagunitas Brewery, producer of 80,000+ barrels of beer per year, is located in Petaluma (it moved from its original Lagunitas location in 2004) and up until this last month, you were limited to taking a 3pm tour of the brewery to get an inside taste of the biz. That would be weekdays only. Hard to make, isn’t it? I could never figure out why such a cool and hip microbrewery didn’t have its own place to imbibe on its wares. And talk about disappointment when my home-brewing/huge Lagunitas fan of a father came to town on a weekend…they must have finally gotten the message.

Freshly opened, (they don’t even have tap room information up on their website yet), this 3,500 square foot biergarten meets tap room is a Sonoman good time that boasts large communal wooden tables, bright red Adirondack chairs, an outdoor music stage for acoustic tunes & numerous beers on tap and in bottle.

A pretty fun spot that exhibits Tony the Owner’s eclectic creativity (as he was affectionately called by a Lagunitas worker having a post-shift brew while I was there), the Lagunitas Beer Sanctuary feels like hanging out at a friend’s super-cool backyard to drink some frosty brews -  be sure to take note of the steel screw & lug nut pillars that decorate the surrounding fence. Both dogs and children are welcome and although there is no food service yet (paninis, soups & small dishes to come in 3-4 weeks), you’re welcome to bring your own bite to eat outdoors.

The economy is harsh right now; this we know. But now at Lagunitas, you can drink a few tasty microbrews on tap, bring a burrito to go, listen to some acoustic tunes and watch the sun set on the horizon for less than $10. Now that’s a smashing (and economic) SCL good time.

Say “LAH-GOO-KNEE-TUSS”.

Lagunitas TapRoom: 1280 North McDowell Blvd Petaluma, CA; open Wed-Fri 3-9 pm; Weekends 1-7 p.m.; live music every evening.

SCL tip: Google map the directions before driving. The signs aren’t too prominent and don’t let the industrial warehouse driveway and parking deter you. There’s a beer oasis at the end of the yellow brick road. Bonus tip: you’ll probably run into Tony the Owner and his dogs while there – his fascinating story consists not only of a great reputation in beer brewing, but also acoustic bluesgrass and being a widely read author. Check it out here. Or follow his cryptic, yet always intriguing, Twitter. Cheers!