Liquid Assets /
B EER
TAP QUEST YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH THE TRI-VALLEY’S MIX OF HIP BARS AND TRENDY TAPROOMS. MCKAY’S TAPHOUSE & BEER GARDEN McKay’s bar and kitchen in Pleasanton offers scrumptious pub fare and local beer and wine. Feeling really hungry? Go big with the Jammin’ burger, an 8-ounce short rib and chuck patty, topped with bacon jam and aged white cheddar. mckays beergarden.com CAPS & TAPS BOTTLE SHOP & TAPROOM Quench your thirst at Caps & Taps, a family-owned taproom boasting 18 rotating drafts and a range of bottled craft beer, located in The Shops at Tralee Village in Dublin. capsand tapsdublin.com HOP DEVINE Both wine bar and taproom, Livermore’s Hop DeVine showcases the best of the local beverage scene as well as not-so-local drinks. Snack from the small but yummy menu of panini and salads. facebook.com/ hopdevine TAP 25 Located in Blacksmith Square in Livermore, Tap 25 offers a rotation of 25 craft beers on tap, plus live music on Fridays and Saturdays and a lovely outdoor setting. tap-25.com
CALI GODLEY
THREE SHEETS CRAFT BEER BAR This Dublin bar has 38 rotating taps of craft beer and boasts a 200-inch projection screen and four flat screens to watch your favorite Bay Area team. Bring your own food into the bar from local restaurants or food trucks. threesheets craftbeer.com
Casey Topalian and Chris Guy
BREW BUDS CHRIS GUY AND CASEY TOPALIAN BRING A LONG HISTORY TO PENNYWEIGHT CRAFT BREWING. It’s been a long journey for Chris Guy and Casey Topalian to Pennyweight Craft Brewing. After all, when they first met they weren’t even legal to drink beer, let alone brew it. The close friends, who met in middle school, have stayed in touch through moves, career shifts and more. Ever since they made their first batch of beer, they both dreamed of opening up a brewery. But it was only somewhat recently that Guy actually got the ball rolling. “One day we were hanging out in my backyard and I said, ‘I think the time’s now,’ ” recalls Guy. At Pennyweight, Guy and Topalian are putting a focus on community and locality. “From our grains to our hops to our yeast, everything’s California-driven,” says Guy. “We want to translate that to our food as well.” The key words for the actual brewery building itself are warm, cozy and inviting. “Basically, we’re building a brewery that we’d want to step into as beer lovers,” Guy concludes.
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