Charming in its small-town appeal, the Central Coast city of San Luis Obispo is an accommodating community where even first-time visitors feel like locals. Bolstered by history, a thriving arts scene and diverse collection of local restaurants offering all manner of cuisine from Thai, Peruvian and Ethiopian to countless neighborhood delis vying for sandwich supremacy, it’s easy to indulge here. And like any self-respecting college town, it’s also easy to get an adult beverage…especially a local beer. In addition to scads of SLO breweries, numerous taprooms and bars celebrate the suds scene. We’ve highlighted some standouts along with every local ale-and-lager operation in our beer-centric guide to this special, sociable locale.
Getting There
Historic Route 101 runs right through San Luis Obispo, but with a station just outside downtown, taking Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner is a convenient alternative to several hours of driving and the gas that goes with it. Especially considering the fact craft offerings from California breweries are available at the train’s Market Café, and one can hop aboard at any of three stops in Oceanside, Solana Beach and downtown San Diego’s historic Santa Fe Depot. Or board a direct flight from San Diego International Airport on Alaska Airlines (which allows transport of a case of wine – or beer packaged in a standard 12-bottle box – as a free checked piece of luggage), and touch down in…
Airport District
The city’s longest-operating craft-beer outfit is SLO Brew. Located right next door to San Luis Obispo County Airport, that forerunner was established in 1988 and named Brewpub of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in 2001. While SLO Brew honors classics offerings like its Mustang IPA and Reggae Red, change has been a constant in recent years with the development of a new “A-SLO-Ha” line of hazy IPAs and special-release beers, including traditional styles like a Pilsner and pale ale, as well as more adventurous fare like a raspberry donut Vienna-style cream ale called “Fat + SLO”.
All of the above are available at Rod & Hammer Rock (855 Aerovista Place), a family-friendly bar and restaurant featuring a menu of “smokehouse cuisine” (salads, sandwiches, pizzas), plus a spacious outdoor area connecting to a tasting room for SLO Brew’s sister distillery. That six-year-old business, Rod & Hammer’s, specializes in California bourbon and rye whiskies, as well as ready-to-drink canned cocktails (peach tea, paloma, mai tai) and a la minute tipples incorporating those base spirits.
Just a stone’s throw from the Rock is Liquid Gravity Brewing (675 Clarion Court), a five-years-young beer biz that has grown into the area’s most popular brewery despite opening two months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The keys to flourishing rather than folding were having SLO’s most well-pedigreed, award-winning brewer at the helm. Employing fanatical attention to detail and daring to continuously tweak recipes to maximize beer quality – even GABF and World Beer Cup (WBC) winners – industry veteran Brendan Gough has made his passion project into a must-visit stop for thirsty travelers.
Liquid Gravity’s beer list is packed with the popular styles of the day. Kick off a tasting with a sharp, all-around outstanding Bavarian Pilsner called “Crispy Life” before wading into hoppier territory. Gough’s West Coast exceptionalism is proven by the brewery’s bitter-yet-balanced namesake IPA, as well as the peach parfait and pineapple notes of “Mo’ Diggity”. Both are exclusively hopped with Mosaic, and both have taken bronze at GABF and WBC, respectively. Other medalists include “Drama King” double IPA and a dark German-style lager called “Goodnight Munich”, both of which contributed to Liquid Gravity being named Brewery of the Year at GABF in 2023.
Downtown, MoJo & LoHi
Whether in the heart of SLO for shopping, dining or a tour of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, craft-beer options abound. The most notable local producer is Central Coast Brewing, which opened as part of a car dealership in 1998 and now has two locations on either end of downtown: a kitchen- and arcade-equipped production facility (6 Higuera Street) as well as a taproom inside multifaceted space The HUB (1701 Monterey Street), which is also home base for Krōbar Spirits, a distillery producing vodka, gin, and whiskey.
In 2006, Central Coast’s uniquely spiced Chai Ale took off in a big way, ringing in an era of experimentation that remains fully intact with creations like an adjunct stout dubbed “P-Nut Butter Breakdown”. That playful bent is balanced by worldly traditional styles (Belgian-style witbier, German-style Pilsner, various Mexican-style lagers) and hop-forward ales highlighted by Monterey Street Pale Ale. Tasting of tangerine and peach, it garnered gold and silver medals at GABF in 2015 and 2017. Take in that standout along with the literal wall of vintage beer bottles backing the bar at The Hub location.
Feel like supporting a mom-and-pop business? Consider Antigua Brewing (1009 Monterey Street), which is owned-and-operated by a family that grows and hand-harvests all of the hops that go into their wide assortment of beers. It’s far costlier and much more difficult to handle that agricultural aspect of beermaking, but they say it helps them control quality from the ground up. Decide for yourself from a patio seat looking out at the county courthouse or from a barstool over plates both small (house-made potato chips, fried ravioli, wings) and large (street tacos, burgers, steak frites).
Despite house hops being Antigua’s calling card, Antigua’s not all about the IPAs. To the contrary, the styles stocking the taps hail from the U.K., Belgium and Germany. In fact, some of the brewpub’s most malt- and yeast-forward beers are among its best. Case in point, a floral, earthily sweet Belgian golden strong ale called “Magnus”, and “Dark Side”, a chocolate Belgian wit with delightful citrus aromas and cocoa in the finish. Similarly impressive are the chocolate and hazelnut notes of fresh-hopped California Brewers Cup gold-medal-winning brown ale “Brown Belt”.
Whereas Antigua’s hops provide an authentic taste of the SLO region, another business, Libertine Brewing (1234 Broad Street), offers that care of the microflora adding funky depth to exotic brews manufactured using their in-house coolship. Those spontaneous beers include “Spon of Darkness”, a wild dark ale with balsamic-esque tartness that’s flavored with raspberries, cocoa and vanilla. Roughly a dozen Libertine sours share space with guest ales and lagers of all ilks on a 76-tap beer list. Cocktails, coffee and casual eats are also available in this expansive, party-ready spot, which regularly features live entertainment, line dancing and more.
SLO South
There Does Not Exist (4070 Earthwood Lane, Suite 110), a beer biz that doesn’t even sound like a brewery, is among the region’s finest and well worth a trip to SLO’s southerly city limits. Founder Max Montgomery, a Siebel Institute grad who spent six years brewing at Firestone Walker Brewing before opening his own operation, aspired to construct a tasting room that goes beyond grain-sack seating and industrial minimalism; something eye-catching and inviting with a non-beer-specific aesthetic. As such, black-and-white murals and mod furnishings greet guests along with an uber-descriptive beer menu that reads like a creative-writing project. Such nth-level detail is necessary for a spot where offerings are always in flux. (It took Montgomery 19 months in business before he repeated a recipe.)
Traditional ales and lagers that are painstakingly brewed to-style are There Does Not Exists’ bread and butter. While flagship beers do not exist here (get it), the ultra-clean refreshment of “Caution: Crushing Hazard” light lager and “Sowing the Sun” Kölsch have made them into mainstays. Occasional visitors like smooth, chocolaty black lager “Foreteller” and citrus-meets-banana hefeweizen “Skyview” also shine along with a wealth of hoppy beers highlighted by pithy, almost-always-on “Stag” Mosaic pale ale and vibrantly tropical “Decay” West Coast IPA. Originally, Montgomery leaned into funky foeder-aged beers. Though they aren’t as prevalent these days, they are always outstanding and worth ordering when they make it onto the menu.
Make it a two-brewery day by taking a 10-minute stroll to Oak & Otter Brewing (181 Tank Farm Road, Suite 110), a one-man brewpub operated by a longtime homebrewer and bartender who wanted to open a small brewery celebrating SLO County along with lesser-seen ales and lagers. House beers sport locally inspired names – “Hollister Peak” pale ale, “Morro Haze” IPA, “Romauldo” red ale – while roasty, piney black IPA “Midnight Mallory” is named for the brewer’s daughter. Stars on opposite ends of the spectrum include an ESB with a delightful toasted-hazelnut bouquet and “Hoppy Otter” West Coast IPA with its prevalent notes of pineapple, orange and mango. Both pair nicely with Oak & Otter’s menu of exotic flatbreads (chili chicken, fig and prosciutto, chevre with honey) and handhelds (tacos, sliders, dogs and brats).
Still hungry? SLO Public Market, a collective packed with culturally diverse food stalls that’s one of the city’s hottest culinary locales, is a mere block away. Not only can it cure hunger pangs, but one’s thirst for beer can further be quenched at the northernmost outpost for San Diego-based Bottlecraft (3845 South Higuera Street, Suite 102). There, 30 taps pour a well-curated selection of craft beers supplemented by even more ales and lagers, plus wine and alternative beverages available from an on-site bottle shop.
LoBro
When nautical-themed Arroyo Grande operation Humdinger Brewing (855 Capitolio Way, Suite 1) expanded to a business park in the Lower Broad Street (AKA: LoBro) section of SLO, the company also took over operation of a local homebrew shop that has been in business since the ‘90s. This has given amateur fermentationists the opportunity to simultaneously purchase brewing ingredients and a few pints. Humdinger’s beer list is made up mostly of English and American ales, the best of which are “Paradox” pale ale and “Stuck on Repeat”, a 100% Simcoe-hopped West Coast IPA.
Due west approaching Broad Street is SLO’s newest brewery, Shrine Brewing (3197 Duncan Road, Unit B). Situated in a shotgun suite inside Duncan Alley, a complex occupied almost exclusive by artisan beverage producers, this business is headed by a married couple who discovered the space when patronizing nearby Shindig Cider. Drawing on experience gained at Firestone Walker, Shrine produces an array of IPAs, both clear and hazy, plus pale, wheat and brown ales, one of which is infused with coffee from local roaster, Field Day.
Any visit to Duncan Alley can be capped off in style at Ancient Owl (3197 Duncan Road, Suite A), the second coming of a popular Atascadero bar and bottle shop. There, two dozen taps are stocked with a wide variety of beers, most of which hail from West Coast producers. Not enough for you? Peruse a to-go fridge packed with additional options, including hard-to-come-by bottles from legendary breweries the world over.
Recommended Lodging
Perfect digs for beer-travelers – or anyone simply looking for ace accommodations – can be found at Downtown’s SLO Brew Lofts (738 Higuera Street). Located within short walking distance of taprooms, trendy restaurants (try Flour House, Feral Kitchen & Lounge, and pour-it-yourself craft-beer and ‘cue stalwart Old SLO BBQ), boutique shops and landmarks like the city’s namesake mission and fragrant must-see oddity, Bubble Gum Alley, its collection of modern second-story suites make for an ideal home-away-from-home. Single and multi-room, kitchen and living-room-equipped units are outfitted in a rock-and-roll motif paying homage to the lodging’s previous life as a music venue. And if you’re visiting during the holidays, make your way to the ground floor where liquor-laced event space, The Carrisa, gets a full-scale makeover, transforming into a winter wonderland celebrating a number of nostalgic yuletide cinematic classics like Elf and Home Alone, complete with signature drinks and, of course, SLO Brew beer.