Several years ago, the city of San Leandro dreamed of creating an “ale trail” between two neighboring breweries, 21st Amendment and Drake’s, complete with plaques, color-coded educational signs and benches along the way. But as costs rose, the plans stalled.
Consider them resurrected, albeit informally.
Now that the same landlord owns both properties, the fence that separates them is gone and painted stripes lead the way between the two breweries, creating what is now the unofficial San Leandro Ale Trail.
21st Amendment Brewery
This large working brewery in the industrial part of the city is an offshoot of the original 21st Amendment, the San Francisco brewery founded in 2000 by home brewers Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan. The original grew so popular, Freccia and Sullivan soon realized they needed more space to make beer. After searching the Bay Area, they settled on a 95,000-square-foot former Kellogg’s cereal factory in San Leandro.
The building opened in 2015 and over the past decade, the walls have become adorned with murals featuring designs from their creative labels. The front, for example, features the stone presidents from Mount Rushmore, with Abraham Lincoln squeezing a fistful of hops, an image familiar to lovers of their Brew Free! Or Die IPA.
There’s an expansive beer garden and a large taproom that serves all the 21st Amendment beers, along with bites from their own food truck parked outside. The spacious, high-ceilinged space offers picnic benches and comfortable sofa nooks, big screen TVs, board games and cornhole boards. It’s a great place to tuck in and spend an afternoon.
All the beers are brewed on-site with more than a dozen available at any given time, including a few special releases, like their 25th Anniversary West Coast IPA, alongside favorites such as El Sully and Hell or High Watermelon. You can pair them with appetizers, salads, sandwiches and grilled flatbreads.
Details: Open from noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday at 2010 Williams St., San Leandro; 21st-Amendment.com.
Drake’s Brewing co-owner John Martin stands behind the bar, where the wall is full of options for beer on tap. (Courtesy Jay R. Brooks)
Drake’s Brewing
Follow the ale trail, and you’ll arrive at Drake’s Brewing. Launched in 1989 in an old Dodge car factory, owner and school teacher Roger Lind dubbed it Lind Brewing. The name change came in 1998, when Lind sold the brewery to the Rogers family, who made coffee next door, and it became Drake’s Brewing.
John Martin, founder of Berkeley’s Triple Rock, and his business partner Roy Kirkorian bought the brewery operation in 2008 and began adding capacity. They opened San Leandro’s Barrel House taproom in 2011, followed by two satellite locations, the Dealership in Oakland, and The Barn in West Sacramento. But the Barrel House is HQ, the mothership where all of the beer is made.
The Barrel House beer garden is dotted with picnic tables, and the warehouse bar is surrounded by hundreds of wooden barrels. You’ll find about two dozen beers on tap, plus limited releases, barrel-aged beers and Bear Republic beers, such as Racer 5. They’ve been brewed at Drakes ever since the company acquired the brand in 2023.
The taproom hosts events like Lotería nights, a Bonsai Bar Workshop and live music and diversions such as Skee-Ball and darts. The menu includes snack-friendly fare, such as Tater Tots, wings and mini corndogs, as well as sandwiches, burgers, salads and tri-tip.
Details: Open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 1933 Davis St., San Leandro; drinkdrakes.com.
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Fieldwork San Leandro
If you’re still thirsty, Fieldwork Brewing’s San Leandro Taproom and Beer Garden is just a couple of miles away at 100 W. Juana Ave., offering good beer, tasty food and a vibe that’s similar vibe to the San Ramon location.
Know a local brewery or brewpub that’s knocking it out of the park? Drop me a line at BrooksOnBeer@gmail.com and tell me why you love them.
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