Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Bars+Lounges : USA : CA : San Leandro : Drake's Brewing House

Bars+Lounges : USA : CA : San Leandro : Drake's Brewing House

About Drake's Brewing House
Barrel-aged beer has proven to be more than a passing fad, but tap versions of these wood-aged beers can be elusive or destructive to your wallet.

Enter Drake's Barrel House, a one-stop shop for your oaky fix. This beery oasis is hiding in plain sight behind a San Leandro Wal-Mart.

Of the four taps dedicated to a rotating selection of barrel-aged beer, standouts included the Brewer's Droop Bourbon Barrel Barleywine and How Merlot Can You Go, a rich imperial stout aged in merlot barrels. At $2.75 for taster pours of barrel-aged beers, patrons can sample a wide rangewithout demolishing their coin purses.

Just how hot are barrel-aged beers? Of the current top five brews on Ratebeer, three have spent time in oak. And SFoodie is on the record with our love of Russian River Brewing's barrel-aged sour beers.

In addition to the bounty of liquid treasures available on the premises, Drake's Barrel House is a good option for take-home potables. Many of the beers can be taken home in growlers, and the brewery has just launched a "Brew-Rhino" program where customers can purchase a keg at cost on their first visit and swap it for a freshly filled keg whenever they return. Disclaimer: Although modeled after the propane swap system, these kegs won't power your grill. They will, however, make for one heck of a barbecue.

Drake's Brewing House Review By Ricardo D. : Castro Valley, CA
I spent the first half of my life living right over the concrete wall separating the residential area from the parking lot of this shopping center; I remember when the community was up in arms about the Walmart being built, and I remember when they had nothing more than a Togo's, a SportsMart, and a Home Depot; never did I expect to ever see such an incredible little place pop up here.

In a way its almost a "what is a girl like you doing in a place like this" kind of deal, the selection of beer is wonderful, everything from IPA's to holiday barleywines; its a craft beer lovers east bay dream come true. The pricing is wonderfully fair, the environment is kind of industrially cool being in a large building with barrels all over, cool tables, a nice little outdoor seating area; it really is a cool place to spend a little bit of time. Another good thing about this establishment is that even though they don't serve food, they allow you to bring food in, order from porky's pizza, or they will have a good food truck outside(and not like "taco truck" food truck, more of a hipster high quality food truck).

Another 5 stars well deserved, highly recommended if you live around the area, appreciate good beer, and want a cool place to hang out with some friends.

Hunter S. Thompson once said "good people drink good beer" and you can find them both here, really a wonderful place.


Contact Drake's Brewing House
Address 1933 Davis Street, San Leandro, California 94577 | Phone (510) 568-2739

Contact SF Weekly

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