On this particular occasion, it was a weekend getaway for me and Mrs. Beer:30 to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
And luckily for me, I married a woman who likes craft beer.
Number one on my list of places to hit up while we were in the area was Alvarado Street Brewery.
Monterey, California is a beautiful place. There are many things that attract visitors to this wonderful central coast: the weather, the beaches, the scenery, the food. But let’s not kids ourselves, the beer played a pivotal role.
Location:
You’ll find the original Alvarado Street Brewery brewpub tucked in the heart of historic Downtown Monterey less than a mile from Old Fisherman’s Wharf on where else but Alvarado Street.
It’s pretty easy to find and accessible from two streets but parking could be an issue if it was busy.
Vibes:
The vibes absolutely fit the downtown location with the brewery nestled in a two-story, tan and gray building donned with Alvarado Street Brewery block lettering across the top.
Enter the through the shiny wood doors and you’re greeted by tall ceilings, vintage beer can art, and slightly industrial / contemporary fusion feel.
When it comes to seating, you’ll have some options with bar front stools, booths and tables in the dining area, or grab a casual seat at the picnic style tables in the beer garden in the back.
Beer:
Variety is the spice of life, and with so many options, I opted for a flight of six different beers to kick off my experience.
(Yes, there were some hazies in there.)
Here are my quick takes from each, in order of favorite to least favorite.
Mai Tai P.A.
I’ve had this particular Alvarado Street Brewery offering in a can before, but it’s even better on tap.. Perfectly clear, Mosaic hop banger with tons of tropical fruit notes hitting the nose and tongue. I’ve had it several times in the can but on-tap, from the source is even better.
Lazy
Surprise, surprise. It’s another (mostly) clear beer. Slight haze on this “West Coast-style” IPA with a nice floral nose, notes of stone fruit and yuzus, and a earthy, slightly bitter finish.
Vengeful Barbarian
Light haze (probably why I was a fan), soft, pillowy mouthfeel, tons of stone fruit and resinous, hop oil from the holy trinity (Simcoe, Citra & Mosaic) hitting the tastebuds.
Be Present
This was solid but definitely different with a two-hop billing featuring Simcoe and little known experimental hop HBC 472 (learn more about HBC 472 here). Tons of woody, earthy, herbal notes with a bit of citrus.
Run The Juice
Here’s a great example of the name of the beer telling you what to expect. Looks like a glass of golden, pulpy OJ (if that were a thing), with the expected citrus notes paired with some earthy, herbal tones.
Cold Pressed
Again, the name says it all. Super juicy, low bitterness, tropical fruit aromas and flavors. This was the haziest of the bunch.
Food
We hit the brewery up as soon as we got to town and it just so happened to be lunch time.
Needless to say we were hungry so we settled on trying a few dishes (see my variety is the spice of life comment).
Knowing full well the amount of eating and drinking I’d be doing over the next few days we started with a Caesar salad.
It was what you’d expect from a solid Caesar: fresh greens topped with creamy dressing, crunchy sourdough croutons and freshly grated parmesan.
Then we turned our attention to the appetizers. And with pretzels and cheese on the menu, the decision was easy.
ASB calls them “Everything Pretzels” and the meaning is two-fold.
Four glorious pretzel sticks lightly brushed with oil, covered with everything bagel seasoning and accompanied by a cup of house beer cheese.
Delicious.
For the main course, I stepped outside of my comfort zone a bit and went with their Loco Moco, the Alvarado Street Brewery take on a Hawaiian classic.
Harris Ranch beef patty, bacon fried rice, cabbage, ginger, avocado, and house beer sausage gravy topped with a fried egg.
I’m more of a purist when it comes to this dish, but it still brought the flavor and paired nicely with beer.
Overall
What can I say? It was a more than enjoyable experience. Convenient location. Tons of beer and food offerings (and multiple spots to enjoy them). Friendly staff.
I will definitely be back.
Note: I went back the very next day for a cold pint in the beer garden 😂
Have you been to Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey before? Drop us a message and let us know how you liked it.
