Greetings fans and followers! This is the first in a multi- part series of reviews highlighting the breweries I visited during the Great Beer Now Roses, Rivers, and Peanuts Beer Tour 2018. My visit focused on Santa Rosa, California and surrounding areas, which happens to be one of the best locations in the United States for craft beer. Sit back, open a bottle or can of your favorite craft beer, and follow me along on my journey. Cheers!
Northern California is home to a large number of craft breweries, many of which opened within the past few years and are still in their infancy. But there are also some well- established breweries in Northern California and one of the more popular is Bear Republic. Best known for its widely available and highly quaffable Racer IPA, Bear Republic has morphed into a large brewing operation, but just recently they decided to “go small and local” by opening up a new brewpub. It’s Bear Republic Lakeside, located at 5000 Roberts Lake Rd, Rohnert Park, California.
Lakeside Brew and Eating
Bear Republic Lakeside is situated on the banks of Roberts Lake, very close to Highway 101 and just minutes south of Santa Rosa. The entire complex is large in size, with a 15 barrel brewing system, beer garden, outdoor dining, and indoor dining rooms. On the outside, one will find games such as cornhole, foosball, and shuffleboard for self- entertainment. There is an outdoor stage, too, for live bands and other performers.
Bear Republic has a large number of its beers available on tap- about 20 or so total- and a full menu of American style food. They have appetizers, entrees, soups & salads, pizza, and sandwiches. There is also a kids menu, complete with options such as hamburger, pizza, hot dog, macaroni and cheese, and other kid- friendly fare. The Western Burger was my choice for dinner. Topped with onion rings, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, cheese, and bacon, it was prepared just right and an excellent match with the brew.
Let’s Try Some Beer
Okay, what about all of this beer? Well, as I said, they had a very large number of choices but as much as I was tempted to wrap my lips around a glass of Bear Republic favorites like Racer 5 IPA, I decided it would be better to sample beers I had not previously tried. Here is a summary of what I tasted, in alphabetical order, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a five point scale:
- Chicane Wit, Witbier, 3.5
- Grand Am, American Pale Ale, 3.5
- Initial Attack, Belgian IPA, 3.75
- Juicy IPA, American IPA, 4
- Pacu Pale, American Pale Ale, 3.5
- Racer X, Double IPA, 4.25
- Roberts Lake Sunset Wheat, American wheat ale, 3.25
- Sonoma Tart with Mango, 3
Average Overall Rating: 3.59
I liked what I tried at Bear Republic Lakeside, with special preference given to the Racer X and Juicy IPA. Had I gone ahead and added Racer IPA, Red Rocket, and other beers I’m already familiar with, the overall rating would have climbed even higher, but the beer was still good overall and there wasn’t a bad brew in the bunch.
All in the Family
Bear Republic Lakeside is the latest addition to the family owned Bear Republic chain. The Rohnert Park brewpub was opened in September, 2017 and has been thrilling local craft beer fans ever since with its well-crafted beer, delicious food, spacious facility, and unparalleled service. It joins the original Bear Republic Brewpub in Healdsburg and the main production brewing facility in Cloverdale as the third unit of the Bear Republic empire- a business that was founded by the Norgrove family and has been going strong for more than two decades.
I’ve been drinking and enjoying Bear Republic beer for a long time so I was already somewhat familiar with the brand. But having never visited Sonoma County before, I was anxious to check out this new brewpub and discover what Bear Republic was capable of doing. I knew they could brew great beer, but what about food and a brewpub style atmosphere? They only way to know was to pay a visit and I gladly obliged when the opportunity was presented.
Driving up to Bear Republic Lakeside, I knew I was approaching a brewpub long before I entered the building, as some of the brewing structures are located outside of the building in full view. Once I walked inside, my initial impression was positive for countless reasons. I like that they have so much space and it’s cool how they have two separate outdoor spaces- one designed as a beer garden, the other for table- style dining. Lakeside dining is always nice as well and there is a section for games to keep adults entertained between beers.
Moving to the inside, Bear Republic Lakeside continues to impress on different levels. The lighting, consisting of mini kegs enclosing the lights, suspended from the ceiling, is certainly cool and so is the large art mural, painted by hand, on one of the walls. For added educational value, the various brewing equipment is labeled with Lauter Tun, Whirlpool, Kettle, etc all identified, for quick reference. So, in case you’ve often wondered which of these stainless steel beauties was used for which function, you won’t need to ask for the head brewer. It’s clearly spelled out, for all to see.
Bear Republic Lakeside brews its own beer, as a brewpub should, but even if you’re not a huge fan of craft beer, this restaurant is worth visiting for everything else it offers. I really liked my Western Burger and only wish I had the opportunity to try even more, since the Caliente Burger, Rocket Burger, and other burgers and sandwiches certainly grabbed my attention. The other menu items sounded excellent as well and keep in mind that Bear Republic Lakeside also has several specialty cocktails for those who prefer a different type of adult beverage.
Bear Republic will always be known to the craft beer public for its expertise at crafting delicious and memorable beer. My visit to Bear Republic Lakeside proved that the Norgrove family has a high degree of expertise in other areas of hospitality and they welcome you to Bear Republic Lakeside for a great meal, fine brew, and a relaxed and varied atmosphere. Pay a visit the next time you’re in the Santa Rosa area. And tell them Great Beer Now sent you.
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