Dozens of artisan beer makers have sprung up all over this sunny region of Southern California. Riverside and the Temecula Valley (already a popular wine region) are the two big centers where you’ll find craft breweries and restaurants with local brews on tap.
In the Western-style town of Temecula, breweries serve up some unique—and uniquely named—craft brews: Aftershock Brewing serves its Candied Yam Brown Ale; Black Market Brewing pours Aftermath Pale Ale, Refuge Brewery has Blood Orange Wit, and Ironfire Brewing serves 6 Killer Stout.
In the sprawling university city of Riverside, Euryale Brewing Company serves up Cyclopes Coconut Porter and Perseus Pale Ale, among others, while Wicks Brewing Company, one of the largest brewpubs in the Inland Empire, has an impressive 25 taps plus a rotating “guest tap” for local home brewers. Gastropub the Salted Pig exclusively features local craft beer alongside its menu of hearty burgers and pasta dishes.
Other Inland Empire towns are getting into the brewing boom too. Visit the appealing college town of Redlands to sample what’s on tap at Hangar 24 Craft Brewery (one of their “core brews,” Orange Wheat, pays tribute to another local industry) and Ritual Brewing, where you can feast on a Monk’s Lunch Belgian-style ale.
In the town of Upland, pick your favorite from at least eight house-brewed beers at Last Name Brewing (formerly Dale Bros. Brewery); drop by Rökhouse Brewing Company to imbibe a few of their self-described “ruggedly handcrafted” beers; and in San Bernardino, stop by Brew Rebellion, where you should stock up on any favorites you discover: they brew their beer styles in quantities of only 30 to 50 gallons at a time.
