Blue Dog Beer Tavern

As down-home and even funky the tavern might be, this is a destination for the connoisseur of beer. The sort of beer drinker who spends time mulling over the inner meaning of his (or her) frosty mug of happiness. You do not go to the Blue Dog for a Bud Light; Bud Light ain’t on the menu.

This cheerful “little tavern” (as the Blue Dog refers to itself on the beer menu) claims to have offered “over 1,200 different brews” since opening in 2009, “as our commitment to total beer excellence.” And those beers are broken down into some fairly whimsical categories that make me think the owners are fans of “Star Wars.” There’s “Light Speed,” “All Galaxy,” and “The Dark Side,” along with “Cali-Favorites,” and a section of beers from Weihenstephaner — “the oldest brewery in the world, est. 1070 A.D.” 

Credits: Merrill Shindle