Cycling Claremont: Claremont Craft Ales
I have been meaning to get this one out for a while, but delayed while waiting for a good photo op. Unfortunately, now that it gets dark earlier, I was quickly loosing the light and had to snap this one before the place had started its evening hop.
Claremont Craft Ales has been open a little over a year now. At about 3/4 a mile away it is a easy distance for walking or, as I did this night, riding to. This is one of those nondescript industrial park breweries, which don't look like much from the outside, but hold a lot of fun inside. Beside the usual imbibing and socializing you expect at such places, they hold varied "community night" events on Wednesdays where things such as lectures, art talks, craft-making take place. Friday, my favorite night to show, a gourmet food truck pulls up. Saturdays, it is time for the food cart tent.
What pseudo-review of a brewery would be complete without a mention of the liquids on tap. Claremont Craft Ales has a core of "regular" brews, the tried and true crowd pleasers like the Jacaranda, or the Roble'd (my favorites). But they also like to experiment with new options, so there are different tastes to try month to month, or season to season - I like the Happy Days. On any given visit there may also be some more unusual variety to sample, such as the Coffee Mawes, a coffee-tinged Stout, that I am going to have to try.
The local bike shop owner, the local club rider, the local Shimano guy, the local blog reader - there has never been a night on which at least two fellow cyclists have not also been there. In other words is it a popular place with the two-wheeled crew whether they ride over from the Colleges or nearby neighborhood, or stop in on their way home from work, Claremont Craft Ales provides a laid-back place to meet up or catch up. My one complaint against the place is that there is no good means to lock a bike; of the five bikes there at the time, one was locked to the gas meter, the rest were leaned against posts, the various owners keeping an eye out for each other.
The brewery's website (link above) has a handy calendar showing upcoming events and purveyors of grub, but they also have a Facebook page so you can keep up on all the latest. By the by, this is one of the few times/places you will see me riding in street clothes. Shock! See ya there some Friday or other.
Claremont Craft Ales has been open a little over a year now. At about 3/4 a mile away it is a easy distance for walking or, as I did this night, riding to. This is one of those nondescript industrial park breweries, which don't look like much from the outside, but hold a lot of fun inside. Beside the usual imbibing and socializing you expect at such places, they hold varied "community night" events on Wednesdays where things such as lectures, art talks, craft-making take place. Friday, my favorite night to show, a gourmet food truck pulls up. Saturdays, it is time for the food cart tent.
What pseudo-review of a brewery would be complete without a mention of the liquids on tap. Claremont Craft Ales has a core of "regular" brews, the tried and true crowd pleasers like the Jacaranda, or the Roble'd (my favorites). But they also like to experiment with new options, so there are different tastes to try month to month, or season to season - I like the Happy Days. On any given visit there may also be some more unusual variety to sample, such as the Coffee Mawes, a coffee-tinged Stout, that I am going to have to try.
The local bike shop owner, the local club rider, the local Shimano guy, the local blog reader - there has never been a night on which at least two fellow cyclists have not also been there. In other words is it a popular place with the two-wheeled crew whether they ride over from the Colleges or nearby neighborhood, or stop in on their way home from work, Claremont Craft Ales provides a laid-back place to meet up or catch up. My one complaint against the place is that there is no good means to lock a bike; of the five bikes there at the time, one was locked to the gas meter, the rest were leaned against posts, the various owners keeping an eye out for each other.
The brewery's website (link above) has a handy calendar showing upcoming events and purveyors of grub, but they also have a Facebook page so you can keep up on all the latest. By the by, this is one of the few times/places you will see me riding in street clothes. Shock! See ya there some Friday or other.
Thank you very much for your article! We love cyclists and encourage all local riders to stop by for a pint. And we are working on getting some bike racks installed soon!
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