11 Best Breweries in Monterey 2023 [For Craft Beer Lovers]

LOOKING FOR THE BEST BREWERIES IN MONTEREY?

Then this post is for you. Located in California, the birthplace of the American craft brewing movement, Monterey is a rising star in the craft brewing scene. 

Beer enthusiasts and craft beer lovers will surely enjoy exploring and drinking their way through the best breweries in Monterey. 

From prominent and established breweries to simple beer-only joints, there is a brewery in Monterey for every kind of craft beer drinker. 

Begin your exploration of this craft brewing scene by discovering the region’s top breweries. 

11 Best Breweries in Monterey

One of the best things to do when visiting Monterey is to check out it’s local craft beer scene.

Unlike its neighbors, craft brewing is a recent development in this coastal town of Monterey.

While its brewing history is not as extensive as the other parts of California, it does not mean that Monterey should be snubbed when it comes to craft beer. 

You’ll be surprised to find a number of amazing local breweries in this town that serve their own blends and flavors.

If you don’t want to miss out on anything, here are the best breweries in Monterey that you need to visit. 

1. Alvarado Street Brewery

• Beers on tap: 18
• Untappd Rating: 4.07
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: Full dinner menu, pizza, burgers, and sandwiches
• Other drink offerings: Full bar, gluten-free drinks, N/A beer, and N/A beverages
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

Located in historic Downtown Monterey, Alvarado Street Brewery has been serving locals and visitors alike with refreshing beers and delicious food since 2014.

Have a drink on a patio overlooking Alvarado Street, or head to the back and relax in their cozy beer garden. 

What started as a father-and-son neighborhood brewery has now evolved into an establishment that is dedicated to serving good food and creative drinks to the locals and visitors of Monterey County. 

If you are looking for a Monterey brewery that is not afraid to experiment with various ingredients to create unique and amazing flavors, this is the place you are looking for.

Enjoy their boozy creations with good food in a great location steeped in local history.

2. Peter B’s Brewpub

• Beers on tap: 15
• Untappd Rating: 3.56
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: Full dinner menu, burgers, sandwiches, children’s menu, and bark bowls (dog menu)
• Other drink offerings: Full bar, cider, and N/A beverages
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

Located behind the Portola Hotel, Peter B’s Brewpub is known as the first microbrewery in Monterey. This establishment first opened as a restaurant in 1978 and started serving craft beer brewed on-site in 1996. 

This brewpub in Monterey is home to various award-winning locally-brewed beers. Order a flight and pair their drinks with food from their seasonal and locally sourced menu.

Patrons with dogs are also welcome and have a menu for your furry companions. 

The historic Peter B’s Brewpub is a must-visit location in Monterey, whether you are a craft beer lover or not. With a convenient location, nice ambiance, good food, and award-winning beers. 

3. Other Brother Beer

• Beers on tap: 11
• Untappd Rating: 3.77
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: Burgers, sandwiches, and bread
• Other drink offerings: Cider, kombucha, and wine
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

Other Brother Beer is a good place to go if you want a laid-back spot with a great selection of craft beers in Monterey.

The head brewer of this establishment honed his brewing skills at the Alpine Beer Co. and Alvarado Street Brewery and is now taking charge of his own endeavor. 

Other Brother is known for their excellent hoppy beers, but they also experiment with lesser-known brewing styles.

Home to individuals who want to make the world a better place through the power of beer, Other Brother invites everyone to visit their place for a pint or two. 

Aside from their craft beers, another reason to visit this establishment is Ad Astra Bread Co., a bakery that bakes amazing bread that pairs nicely with Other Brother’s beverages. 

4. English Ales Brewery

• Beers on tap: 11
• Untappd Rating: 3.36
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and hot stuff
• Other drink offerings: Cider
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

If you are a fan of English Style ales, then visit stop by English Ales Brewery, a family-run establishment that has been in business for over 21 years. 

Their products are brewed using ingredients sourced from Europe. 

This brewery near Monterey specializes in traditional English Style beers, but they have extended their menu to include hoppier flavors.

The vibe of this establishment is reminiscent of English pubs, and they also have pub games available for customers to enjoy. 

The most distinct feature of this brewery is the hundreds of mugs that line the pub’s ceiling, which belong to the English Ales Mug Club members.

To join this group, all you need to do is buy a mug, drink good beer, leave the mug, and use it the next time you visit. 

5. Hidden Hills Brewing & Blending

• Beers on tap: 13
• Untappd Rating: 3.8
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: None, Allegro Pizza next door
• Other drink offerings: Cider, wine
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

Hidden Hills Brewing is a very small brewery situated in a charming shopping center on the outskirts of Carmel-By-The-Sea, of what used to be Carmel Craft Brewing Company.

They offer a diverse list of in-house crafted brews, including some delicious hazy IPAs, and even have some wine on draft.

You can enjoy a draft in their quaint indoor seating area, but the best option is to relax in the courtyard if the weather cooperates.

Hidden Hills Brewing also partners with the neighboring pizzeria, Allegro, which serves pies right from a service window that connects the two businesses.

If good beer and pizza sound like a perfect option for an evening in Carmel, then make sure to visit this kicked-back brewery.

6. Fieldwork Brewing Company

• Beers on tap: 25+
• Untappd Rating: 3.97
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: None
• Other drink offerings: N/A beverages
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

Fieldwork Brewing Company is a craft brewery that is based in Berkeley. They are on this list because they have a tasting room in Monterey.

This Monterey beer garden can be found in the Uptown Shopping Center, and it is open to adults, kids, and dogs. 

This place may not seem like much from the outside, but the beers that they serve are refreshing and are the perfect accompaniment for an afternoon out with friends. 

They frequently change their tap list, making every visit to this establishment a unique experience.

If you want to bring their craft beverages home, they offer fresh beer to go in cans, growlers, and crowlers.

Local Tip: You can also find this brewery in Sacramento, Napa, and San Leandro to name a few, as they have tasting rooms all over the region.

 7. Dust Bowl Brewing Company

• Beers on tap: 24
• Untappd Rating: 3.78
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: None
• Other drink offerings: None
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: No

What once was a bustling train station is now a place to get a cold beer and hang out with friends.

Located on the Monterey Recreation Trail and next to the famous Fisherman’s Wharf, the Tap Depot is the Dust Bowl Brewing Company’s tasting room in Monterey. 

The interior of the tasting room features bar rails, communal seating, and lounge chairs, while the outdoor area is furnished with fire pits, heaters, picnic tables, and cornhole games.

An onsite food truck is also easily accessible if you want to pair your craft beer with food. 

If you plan to explore the Monterey Recreation Trail, which follows the former tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad, make the Tap Depot your last stop of the day and enjoy good beer and a good atmosphere in this historic location. 

8. Post No Bills

• Beers on tap: 15
• Untappd Rating: N/A
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: None
• Other drink offerings: Wine
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: No

If you can’t explore all of the breweries of Monterey due to time constraints, there is still a way for you to enjoy the region’s craft beers.

Visit Post No Bills, a tap house in Sand City that serves the best craft beverages from every corner of Monterey. 

The craft brewing scene in Monterey is flourishing, and many breweries are producing their own blends and flavors.

This means that there are a lot of beer options in this region. The taps at Post No Bills change daily to accommodate this extensive list of everchanging beers. 

To focus on providing you with the best quality beers from Monterey and all over the world, Post No Bills has a Bring Your Own Food policy in place.

You can also get food from the taco truck outside the tap house. 

9. The Slough Brewing Collective (formerly Elkhorn Slew Brewery)

• Beers on tap: 13
• Untappd Rating: 3.77
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: None
• Other drink offerings: Wine
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: No 

Located 30 minutes from Monterey, The Slough Brewing Collective is a craft brewery in Watsonville, CA. 

This local beer legend specializes in some must-try hoppy beers and barrel-aged stouts.

Food trucks are present every weekend to serve the brewery’s patrons if you like to have food with your beer. Local musicians, artists, vendors, and groups are often featured in their space. 

If you are looking for a brewery near Monterey that will provide you with great craft beer and also serve as your haven in the beer world, you are more than welcome to visit The Slough Brewing Collective. 

10. Fruition Brewing

• Beers on tap: 15
• Untappd Rating: 3.94
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: Fresh oysters, soups, salads, and sandwiches
• Other drink offerings: Cider, wine, and N/A beverages
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: Yes

People are always looking for sustainable options. When it comes to craft beer, head over to Fruition Brewing in Watsonville.

Just 30 minutes away from Monterey, sample their beverages that are brewed in-house using sustainable, organic, and local ingredients. 

This brewery and tasting room is furnished with a variety of craft beers that can be enjoyed on-site or taken home in cans and bottles.

Their partner kitchen serves fresh oysters daily and their menu features several vegan and gluten-free options.

Fruition Brewing also supports the local farmers of Watsonville and the surrounding counties as part of this sustainability effort.

Their spent grains are not wasted and are sent to a small farmstead cheese business in Monterey.

11. Corralitos Brewing Company

• Beers on tap: 13
• Untappd Rating: 3.82
• Outdoor Seating: Yes
• Food offerings: None
• Other drink offerings: None
• Pet friendly: Yes
• Family/Kid-Friendly: No

If you are a fan of ales and lagers, you will enjoy a visit to the Corralitos Brewing Company.

They brew and pour their own craft beverages and make use of locally sourced fruits for their beer projects. 

This brewery may be small, but its craft beers are top-notch.

Loved by locals and visitors alike, Corralitos has a good selection of beer in their tap room that you can pair with the food pop-ups that they have on rotation. 

Corralitos Brewing Company is an excellent brewery near Monterey. Located in Watsonville, the journey from Monterey is not too long and definitely worth it. 

Wrap-up: Best Breweries in Monterey

While they did join the craft brewing movement a bit later than their neighbors, the breweries in Monterey have proven that they can easily catch up with the craft brewing scene through passion and perseverance. 

Each brewery in Monterey improved and perfected its craft to provide good quality craft beers to locals and visitors. Their hard work resulted in craft beverages that are flavorful, unique, and worth the visit. 

Hopefully, this list has helped you find the best craft beers in Monterey. So, which of these breweries will you go to first? 

Did you know that Monterey is an easy day trip from San Francisco?

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