Celebrate California at Fogbelt Brewing #Visitsantarosa

Greetings fans and followers! This is the second 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 happen to rank among 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!

 

California is a land of geographical wonder. The state is home to the highest mountain peak in the contiguous United States, the tallest waterfall in North America, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, and the largest and tallest trees in the world. Among these record- holding natural attractions, the sequoia and redwood trees are arguably the most fascinating and the city of Santa Rosa, California is home to a brewery that is dedicated to these trees and the Northern California region in general. The brewery is Fogbelt Brewing, located at 1305 Cleveland Ave., in Santa Rosa, California.

California Attractions

Fogbelt Brewing was named after the fog that commonly fills the valley, from northern California and into southern Oregon. Anyone who frequents this area is fully aware of the consistent fog that blankets the area. It might seem as a nuisance to some, but it fulfills many important roles, among them providing natural cooling to the area and water/moisture to the giant coastal redwoods.

Fogbelt Brewing keeps the spirit of the natural environment alive and maintains an active taproom with about 10 beers on tap. They have a small outdoor seating section and indoor seating. They serve food, too. The menu is limited but more than sufficient, with burgers, appetizers, and assorted sandwiches. They even have an all- day brunch menu available on Sundays.

Redwood Brew

In keeping with its Northern California nature theme, Fogbelt Brewing names all of its beers after a prominent redwood tree. There are about 10 to 12 beers on tap at any given time, with other Fogbelt beers also available in cans or bottles. Here is a summary of the beers I tried when I visited, listed alphabetically by name, followed by the style and my Untappd rating on a five point scale:

• Atlas Blonde, Blonde Ale, 3.75
• Del Norte IPA, American IPA, 3.75
• Federation Giant, Imperial Stout, 4.25
• Godwood, Triple IPA, 5
• Hyperion Red Ale, American Amber, 4
• Icarus Imperial Blonde, Blonde Ale, 4
• Prometheus, Farmhouse Ale, 4
• Qudraspire, Belgian Quad, 4.25
• Randy Stoltmann Double IPA, Imperial IPA, 4.25
• Screaming Giant Double IPA, Imperial IPA, 4.5

Overall Average Rating: 4.18

I discovered many standout beers among my samples. The Federation Giant Imperial Stout is a taste to behold, as is the Screaming Giant Double IPA. But I was most impressed by the Godwood Triple IPA, a beer as big, bold, and memorable as the redwood tree for which it was named.

Keep it Local

Fogbelt Brewing is a cool brewery with a penchant for local attractions and local commerce. The brewery was founded in 2014 and prides itself not just for bringing positive attention to California’s redwood trees, but also for supporting local business. Fogbelt sources locally whenever possible and was founded by two guys who grew up in Sonoma County and have strong ties to the area.

I spent some time talking with the founders, Paul Hawley and Remy Martin, during my visit and from them I learned about Fogbelt’s past, present, and future. Both guys have been brewing beer for quite some time and both have experience in the wine industry. Paul, in fact, is from a family that operates a successful winery and this experience in the adult beverage industry has undoubtedly been valuable as these two friends strive to brew excellent beer and run a successful operation in Santa Rosa.

Fogbelt Brewing started off four years ago using a 7 barrel brewing system. At present, I learned that they are in the process of upgrading to a 15 barrel system. This shows that the brewery is obviously doing something right and the steady growth proves that while they have been growing, they haven’t done so to the detriment of the beer’s quality. I have visited some breweries that grew far too quickly and had a difficult time maintaining quality standards. Growth is always a welcome event in any business, but the negative fallout from excessive growth can be particularly painful with a brewery and has even led to the downfall of some. Fogbelt Brewing seems to have a solid grip on this aspect of the brewing business.

I was impressed with many of the beers at Fogbelt. I love dark beers and wish more breweries brewed them, but they are often in short supply. Fogbelt had a dark beauty just waiting for me to try: Federation Giant, a delicious Imperial Stout. But the beer that really caught my fancy is Godwood Triple IPA. Resinous, clean, fruity, and slightly sweet, this beer is available only during limited times of the year but is one you don’t want to miss.

Community involvement, local sourcing, and a sense of local pride are what set the craft beer industry apart. Fogbelt Brewing is all about keeping things local and its penchant for quality beer and natural wonders make it a standout in the Santa Rosa craft beer scene. Pay a visit to Fogbelt Brewing the next time you’re in Santa Rosa. And tell them Great Beer Now Sent You.