California’s wine country may get all the attention, but the beer scene here deserves just as many accolades. Our state’s excellent beers aren’t confined to one region – there are craft breweries worth trying from Eureka to San Diego.
With so many options, where should you begin your beer bucket list? We asked Yelp to mine their database for the best of the best. The restaurant review company compiled a list of the best craft breweries in California.
What qualifies as a craft brewery? Yelp said it followed the criteria laid out by the Brewers Association. To be considered “craft,” a brewery must:
- produce less than 6 million barrels per year
- be independently owned (less than a 25% ownership stake by a large beverage/alcohol company)
- make beer
With those rules in mind, here are the top 10 craft breweries in California according to Yelp:
- Home Brewing (San Diego, now closed)
- Deft Brewing (San Diego)
- Telco Brewery (Santa Clarita)
- Parliament Brewing (Rohnert Park)
- Dutch’s Brewhouse (Long Beach)
- Pedro Point Brewing (Pacifica)
- Around the Horn Brewing Company (Groveland)
- Flashpoint Brewing Company (Huntington Beach)
- Route 30 Brewing Company (Riverside)
- MacLeod Ale Brewing (Van Nuys)
Yelp’s ranking is based on its database of reviews. The company expanded its search for great beer outside California, and identified a top craft brewer in every state. You can see the nationwide list from Yelp.
