With Wines and Wineries Becoming A Local Bragging Source A Craft Brewery Is Making Its Mark on the Monterey Peninsula
Walk in with a thirst and walk out with a craft brewed beer.
That’s a pretty common practice among craft breweries, but it’s unique in this part of the U.S.A., Monterey, the beautiful small town on the coast of California just up from Pebble Beach.
In an area that is starting to stick out its chest about its wine and wineries after hiding behind Napa and Sonoma just to the north for so long, it’s only fitting that a microbrewery would be “crafty” enough to open up in the area. It’s Peter B’s Brewpub across the walkway and bike path from Fisherman’s Wharf.
Brewer Kevin Clark looks like a craft brewer. He’s got the studious appearance and talks with a passion of ingredients to make his beer. He also is ready to jump up the height of his tanks when talking about how the place has become so popular he’s had to expand operations, but of course is much too reserved for such a celebration.
He and assistant brewer Carrie Machen brew no lagers, just ales. “The lagers take two to three months and we can do ales in about two weeks,” he says.
There are four main beers – three of which are named for the region around Monterey – are Belly Up Blonde Ale, 40 Acre Pale Ale, Legend of Laguna IPA and Stout Resistance.
The Blonde (Belly Up is named not aver the awesome live music venue a few hours down the coast in Solona Beach but because the otters in Monterey Bay spend a lot of time with their bellies up in the water), is solid. Some craft and microbreweries make their light offerings way too light, but this has full-bodied flavor; it’s my personal favorite, and I’m a “lager with flavor” beer drinker.
The 40 Acre Pal Ale is is a little heavier and carries a hint of pine and smells of being outdoors, for Clark grew up around 40 acres of trees and grass in the Monterey area. Legend of Lagua is as bold as the corkscrew at the world-famous Laguna Seca Raceway 20 minutes up highway 68, and the Stout is strong in appearance but smooth in flavor for a beer that’s heavy in ingredients like coffee and chocolate.
These can be enjoyed in the bar area or at tables in the back. And if you like what you drink, you can take it home in 1-liter or 2-liter growlers for, get this, just $10 and $35. Refills are, get this, just $5 and $15. And they are half off on Wednesdays!
You can even pair it with a menu prepared by an executive chef (Jason Giles) at a monthly Brewers Dinner (you have to contact the bar to get the dates; there’s no regularly-set night, like the first Monday of the month). Or just order off the menu (the BBQ ribs or the pork sandwich are both PubClub Bar Blogger approved!).
Pints are $5.50 unless you go in from 5-6:30, when they are $4. That’s when you’re likely to see the most locals in the place, and finding a bar stool may be difficult.
Peter B’s is located at the back of the Portola Hotel in downtown Monterey, just off the plaza. The address is Two Portola Plaza and the phone is (831) 649-2699. Here’s its website.
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