From the modest beginnings on a kitchen stove, home brewing in the small town of Lagunitas, California, comes the story of one of the world’s favourite IPAs.
Founder Tony Magee sold kegs off the back of his pickup truck for years and even donated beer to local non-profit organisations, which later became the company’s first marketing campaign.
With only a couple of dollars to spare and some promises of potential business on the horizon, Tony got started crafting his now worldwide beer in 1993 from his kitchen.
By 1995, the brewery had expanded and moved to the town of Petaluma where the now iconic IPA was born.
To this day, Petaluma is home to the brands headquarters and large brewery. In 2014, the Chicago brewery opened to make beer for the eastern half of the USA, followed in 2016 by Portland and Seattle.
The unique Lagunitas beer-making process
For Lagunitas, it is the ‘dry hopping’ that sets it apart. This is a process that involves adding hops after primary fermentation to create unique, desirable aromas.
FACT: Lagunitas beers have 10 - 30x the amount of hops of a standard lager.
The process also includes filtering over pasteurisation as the hop oils are extremely aromatic and flavoursome but also delicate and fade away when exposed to heat light or even over time.
By not pasteurising, this preserves the flavour, but it is critical that the supply chain is cooled throughout. This involves refrigerated or temperature controlled shipping from bottling to serving.
Beer in focus
The Premium beer Lagunitas IPA - Indian Pale Ale (6.2%)
This is a well-rounded, highly drinkable IPA. The caramel malt barley provides the richness that mellows out the twang of the hops. This flagship beer makes up 62% of total sales.
FACT: Lagunitas was the first craft brewery to make an IPA a flagship brand
A day on the DIP
The DIP is the initiation and introduction to the company of Lagunitas that every employee is required to undertake. I was lucky enough to be invited along to gain an insight into the history and sensory experience of the Lagunitas brand.
Golden Gate Bridge
The journey from San francisco to Petaluma is one of beauty and it's not hard to understand why people in these parts are so relaxed and down to earth. For our first stop, we took in the magnificent views at Vista point on the north side of the magnificent Golden Gate bridge.
This is a perfect spot to get your Instagram selfies and group shots. We were lucky enough to see whales breaching in the bay with a backdrop of the infamous Alcatraz island behind - I think we got very lucky!
Muir Woods
The beauty and serenity of the Muir wood is simply breathtaking. The air is so clean and the majority of trees range from 500-800 years old. Towering above head, they provide a welcome shelter from the elements. For a fee you are able to enter these national parks and take a stroll around which is highly recomended.
After passing through the quaint town of Lagunitas, our next stop was Olema farmhouse for a spot of lunch. This is the place to go if you fancy some local seafood and ales in a restaurant that has a cowboy tavern-esque feel to it.
Once fully re-fuelled, we headed to a couple of 'watering holes' that both hold the utmost importance in the history and story of the Lagunitas brand.
First up was the Old Western Saloon. Situated in Point Reyes, this was in fact the first meeting point of two important players in Lagunitas brewing brand, Tony Magee & Ron Lindenbusch.
They sat at the bar and shared a brew before Ron noticed the beer kegs on the back of Tony's truck. This sparked something in Ron to contact Tony at a later date and their working relationship blossomed from there on in.
To this day Tony is CEO of the company.
Opposite the Paper Mill Creek Saloon in Forest Knoll is the point where Tony Magee began his brewing process in the back kitchen. Many brewers begin like this nowadays as the independent craft beer industry continues to grow, but Tony was among the first and a trailblazer in brewing.
24 hours in Petaluma
First things first. The Lagunitas brewery! The brewery itself was moved to Petaluma in 1995 after Tony Magee had outgrown his kitchen brewery. Over the coming years, the brewery continued to grow in both beer production output as well as the opening of the ‘Taproom’ bar and amphitheater for events.
The brand has always had music as a special element and of course this is reflected on site at the brewery. The outdoor amphitheater plays host to bands and special events throughout the year, continuing Lagunitas strong tie to music and arts.
The brewery also offers on site tours which are run every day from 1- 5pm. These tours take you through the brewing process with special tastings of the ales as well. When it’s time for lunch, the Taproom boasts an outdoor area to relax, refuel and socialise. You can book a space on the tour here.
There's a whole lot more to Petaluma than the Lagunitas brand, although it's played a vital role in putting its name on the map. The town itself is beautiful and charming with an array of fine restaurants and bars.
Breakfast & Lunch
You should begin the day at Della Fattoria, sampling the pastries and coffee, or even go straight over to the Lagunitas Tap Room, which offers a variety of snacks and tasty burgers.
Dinner
Volpi's Ristorante & Bar is a family run Italian restaurant with a real comfortable feel and tasty food. If you prefer specialty pizza, then Brixx Pizzeria, situated in the historic Lan-Mart building in the heart of the historic downtown may be the one for you. With 21 specialty pizzas on the menu, you'll be spoiled for choice.
A taste of San Francisco
You simply cannot visit San Francisco without checking out the pier. Although the main pier, Pier 39 may seem like a tourist trap, if you push on little further then you’ll find many gems.
Only a short amount of years ago, the piers had a double-decker freeway beside it, linking together the city and the San Joaquin Valley. San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway was an elevated, 1.2-mile stretch of highway built in 1958. It took an earthquake of 7.1 magnitude in 1989 to render it beyond repair.
Situated towards the south Is a quintessential San Francisco restaurant,Pier 23. With a relaxed atmosphere and a mix of locals and 'out of towners', you can’t go wrong.
The restaurant has a backdrop of the glistening water, with the charming decor making it feel like you're in an old boat house. The menu boasts a selection of local delicacies like clam chowder, Oysters & Cioppino.
If you’re lucky, you might even experience a game of basketball on the screens, with local team Golden state warriors the reigning champions.
Vesuvio Café, on the border of Chinatown is filled with old pictures & memorabilia. It was first established in 1948 and remains an historical monument to jazz, poetry, art and the good life of the Beat Generation. Vesuvio attracts a diverse clientele: artists, chess players, cab drivers, seamen and business people, European visitors, off-duty exotic dancers and bon vivants from all walks of life.
If you're looking for some live music then head to The Saloon and Tupelo.
Lagunitas Brewing Co is bringing its magical selection of brews paired with a whirling frenzy of freaktacular entertainment to the UK for the first time in the form of the legendary Lagunitas Beer Circus!
Lagunitas’ menu is simple... Plenty of beer. Check!
Mind blowing acts, from marching bands, to freak shows and even bearded ladies. Check!
It sounds appetising to us, so if it’s your cup of tea too, then your dream pop-up is set to arrive in London, fresh from an extensive US tour of Petaluma, Seattle, Chicago, on Saturday 18th August.
You can grab some tickets here