For Southern Californians seeking a quick getaway, the low desert has long been a backdrop for high times. With its quaint retro-modern combo of shops, eateries and golf courses galore, Palm Springs is the prominent jewel in the region’s crown, but leisure-time locales abound throughout the Coachella Valley, including breweries, brewpubs and tasting rooms. The area now sports half-a-dozen brewing companies—three of which have opened within the past two years—and has a great deal to offer tourists thirsty for local craft beer.
BREWERIES
Coachella Valley Brewing
30640 Gunther St, Thousand Palms | cvbco.com.com
San Diegans will be most familiar with eight-year-old Coachella Valley Brewing (CVB) as its core beers have been distributed to America’s Finest City for some time. A visit to the company’s Thousand Palms base of operations will turn up scores of beers going far beyond their core offerings. Many of the taproom-only specialties drive home CVB’s farm-to-brewery ethos, which sees them infusing beers with all manner of ingredients obtained from local growers.
Tropical Tart, a 100% wheat Berliner weisse, has a flavor profile resembling a tangy umbrella cocktail thanks to additions of blood orange, mango and pineapple. A hazy IPA dubbed Big Stick Energy gets orange-candy flavors and aromas care of Seville orange from Coachella purveyor, SeaView. Joshua Tree Coffee combines with cacao nibs to give Ned Flanders-inspired oatmeal stout, Oatily Mochaly, well-balanced java roastiness. And fruit from Hadley Date Gardens and spices from Golden State Herbs, both of which operate out of nearby Thermal, make it into various CVB beers.
Since coming over from Hangar 24 a year-and-a-half ago, Head Brewer Eric Beaton has applied his methodologies to CVB’s year-round lineup, changing up recipes and introducing all-new beers, including a “modern” West Coast-style IPA dry-hopped in a manner consistent with New England-style IPAs using hops new (Mosaic, Cashmere) and old (Centennial, Comet). CVB also has a “revolving” hazy IPA series where each batch is hopped with different varietals. A Mexican-style lager and blonde ale capable of combating desert heatwaves round out the cores, which can easily be found on shelves and in coolers throughout the region.
Pro Tip: Every Halloween, CVB releases its Black Widow Russian imperial stout, which comes in at 13-18% ABV and is matured in Buffalo Trace bourbon whiskey barrels.
Desert Beer Co.
77770 Country Club Dr., Ste D, Palm Desert | desertbeercompany.com
Long before opening his own brewery, Desert Beer Co. owner Devon Sanchez discovered his love of brewing while attending UCSD. He caught the beer bug from his roommate, Casey Mahoney, and his friend, Cy Henley, both of whom worked at Home Brew Mart, the business from which Ballast Point Brewing was born. While Sanchez would go on to work for NorCal breweries and winemaking operations in New Zealand, it wasn’t until he returned to the low desert and started working for CVB that the vision for his own business came into focus.
Sanchez opened Desert Beer along the backside of a shopping plaza in 2019 and, despite a pandemic, it’s racked up plenty of Palm Desert regulars. A friendly staff of Cicerone-certified beer servers makes it easy to navigate a 20-tap beer list that’s further varied by fermenter pours. While all manner of ale and lager can turn up at any time, Sanchez always strives to offer beers that speak to the tastes of the region’s sizable Latino population. A cucumber and pepper-infused cream ale called Pepino Con Chile tastes like spicy spa water, while a kettle sour flavored with watermelon and tamarind served in a glass rimmed with sweet-chile glaze lives up to the name Mexican Candy. Both are part of an extensive list of core beers that includes 100 oz. to Freedom hoppy pale ale, Desert Saison, Straight West Coastin’ IPA and Popo’s Porter.
There’s no telling what Desert Beer’s three-and-a-half-barrel system will churn out next, but from sours to black IPAs, wheat ales to graham cracker and chocolate chip stouts, just about anything might show up on the beer board.
Pro Tip: In addition to beer, nitrogenized cold-brew coffee is available, as are house-made sodas and Chavera, a spicy combination of beer and Clamato.
Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewery
71800 Hwy 111, Ste A-176, Rancho Mirage | babesbbqbrewery.com
Back in 2002, Don Callender, founder of the Marie Callender’s restaurant empire, exhibited fruitful foresight when adding house beers to his desert oasis for fans of Memphis-style barbecue. For a long time, Babe’s was the only spot for Coachella Valley-made suds, and as craft beer’s popularity boomed in the early aughts, Don’s decision to install a fully visible brewhouse next to his restaurant’s exhibition kitchen paid off.
Today, Don’s son, Lucky, enthusiastically runs the business, having gone so far as plumbing in an R&D brewery at his personal residence. Together, he and Head Brewer Juan Higuera (formerly of CVB) have expanded the Babe’s beer lineup to include an accommodating German-style pilsner, a juicy cheater-hopped (Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic) hazy IPA, a seasonal Maibock infused with oranges and a Mexican-style lager nuanced by lime zest and oak spirals. These newcomers share space with venerable staples, which include a year-round Schwarzbier called Blackfin Lager, a 2014 GABF medal-winning Belgian-style vanilla blonde ale and an earthily sweet (but in no way cloying) blonde ale brewed with orange-blossom honey procured from a local beekeeper.
Classy yet casual, the restaurant transitions from dimly lit, banqueted steakhouse interiors to a shaded outdoor patio. The menu is highlighted by an assortment of meats (brisket, short ribs, St. Louis and baby-back ribs) smoked for four hours over hickory and pecan before undergoing secondary kitchen care, augmented by iconic family favorites such as skillet cornbread, Don’s famous tamales and, of course, pies. Three-to-four-course beer dinners are prime opportunities to experience Babe’s beer and food programs in unison.
Pro Tip: Mondays are Beer Appreciation Days at Babe’s, which translates to half-off house beers from 3 to 6 p.m.
Taproom 29
46-200 Harrison Pl. (at Spotlight 29 Casino), Coachella | spotlight29.com
Opened in December of 2020, Taproom 29 is the valley’s newest beermaking operation and one of its most promising. Installed inside Coachella’s Spotlight 29 Casino, it’s a spacious, stylish brewpub centered around a circular bar equipped with 29 taps dispensing house ales and a wide variety of largely SoCal guest beers. Ed Heethuis is behind both. Not only does he lead brewery operations, but he uses brewery connections forged during his many years as an Orange County-based beer journalist to source and secure kegs of quality, harder-to-procure specialties from the likes of Beachwood, Enegren and Green Cheek Brewing.
To date, Taproom 29 has released just four beers. The standout of the group is Tipsy Tortoise, a West Coast-style IPA that, with vibrant orange expression, grapefruit pithiness and an alcohol volume of 7.5%, drinks more like a double IPA. Impressive in its simplicity is Chairman’s Blonde, a straightforward SMaSH (single malt and single hop) refresher, which shares fermenter space with Cascade-hopped Rez Rage red ale and the chocolaty Peabody’s Russian imperial stout.
On the food front, Taproom 29’s menu includes flatbreads, build-your-own burgers, sandwiches and salads, as well as pub favorites like nachos, wings, jumbo pretzels and fried cheese curds. There are also a number of composed dishes that go beyond the beer-bar norm, such as shrimp scampi, miso-glazed black cod and a filet-lobster surf-and-turf combo. And later this summer, Taproom 29 will launch a series of beer dinners featuring multiple courses of off-menu dishes.
Pro Tip: Beyond the brewpub, house beers are also available at the various bars on Spotlight 29’s gaming floor.
La Quinta Brewing
74714 Technology Dr., Palm Desert (Brewery Taproom), 301 N. Palm Canyon Dr., #100, Palm Springs (Taproom), 78-100 Main St., #101, La Quinta (Taproom) | laquintabrewing.com.com
Since opening in 2013, La Quinta Brewing has become Coachella Valley’s most popular brewery behind a core portfolio built for the region’s warm—and sometimes downright hot—climate. Those beers are available at roughly 200 local restaurants and retail establishments as well as the company’s pair of satellite tasting rooms in Old Town La Quinta and the heart of Palm Springs’ bustling downtown. Later this month, La Quinta will open its new 14,000-square-foot headquarters in Palm Desert. That space features a 3,000-square-foot tasting room, complete with a kitchen pumping out beer-friendly comfort food, an overflow area abutting the brewery (which doubles as a private-event space) and a sizeable patio out front where live entertainment will perform.
La Quinta’s top-selling beer is its Even Par IPA, which is joined by hoppy newcomers Haboob, a hazy brewed with Idaho 7, Huell Melon, Loral and Pacifica hops, and Sundaze, a crisp, dry session IPA rife with fruitiness from Citra and Mosaic. Vacay-suited offerings include Poolside blonde ale, Una Mas Por Favor Mexican-style lager and standout seasonal Spring Break, a tart wheat beer infused with raspberries and cranberries. While the bulk of the portfolio spans from straw gold to light amber, the most prestigious award the company has ever earned is a gold medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup for a bourbon barrel-aged version of its Koffi Porter, which is released each winter and brewed with coffee from a Palm Springs roaster.
The new brewing facility will allow La Quinta to double its annual production. Additionally, Brewmaster Scot Grabbe (formerly of Babe’s) will be able to produce more one-off and specialty beers, all of which will be tapped at the company’s family of tasting rooms.
Pro Tip: La Quinta’s annual events include an Oktoberfest in late-October, an anniversary celebration in November and Country Fest in May.
Las Palmas
461 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs | laspalmasbrewing.com
Though it’s equipped with a two-barrel brewing system, the owners of this one-and-a-half-year-old business insist Las Palmas is not a brewery…it’s a bar. Yes, there are six taps that exclusively pour house-made beers (plus hard seltzers made using real, whole fruit), but Head Brewer Samuel Gill says that’s because he wants his bar to serve the types of beverages that he enjoys. His preferred libations include French farmhouse ales, monastic Belgian ales, unfiltered IPAs and the occasional lager, many of which change from brew to brew as far as the hops and even the yeast that’s used to ferment them, making for an ever-changing menu and perpetually adventurous venue.
Gill cut his teeth brewing sans temperature control in San Francisco (Woods Beer & Wine Co., Black Sands Brewery) and has carried that practice to Las Palmas. Kviek yeast has proven a reliable workhorse, ripping through sugar at high temperatures to produce extremely dry ales with sturdy, fluffy heads. A flagship French-style saison dubbed Fifty-Four (after a particularly impressive batch, the recipe for which is now set in stone) has a minty aroma with tropical-fruit and bubble gum notes, and Table, a Belgian-style table beer, is a clean, refreshing quaff. Gill makes use of New World hops in modern IPAs, with Mosaic and El Dorado bringing on a bouquet of rosemary and apricot in an IPA called Dream, and Citra carrying the day in a single-hop “cloudy IPA” called Later.
Las Palmas doesn’t do flights, nor does it can or bottle its beers, which is unfortunate given the here-today-gone-tomorrow nature of its creations. They do, however, have a beer fridge stocked with hard-to-procure gems from Gill’s favorite American breweries, including Brouwerij West, Burley Oak, Grimm and Wayfinder, so there’s no need to leave empty handed.
Pro Tip: Las Palmas’ natural wine selection is vast, impressive and packed with intriguing, fun and even funky flavors.
BREWER’S DOZEN
Standout beers sampled during a recent visit to the greater Palm Springs area:
- Las Palmas Fifty-Four, French-style Saison
- Taproom 29 Tipsy Tortoise, West Coast IPA
- Las Palmas Table, Table Beer
- La Quinta Sundaze, Session IPA
- Desert Beer Cascadian Inoculum, Black IPA
- Last Palmas Cashmere, Grisette
- Babe’s Hazy IPA
- Coachella Valley Tropical Tart, Berliner Weisse with Blood Orange, Mango & Pineapple
- Desert Beer Bock Your Socks Off, Doppelbock
- Coachella Valley CDMX, Mexican-style Lager
- Taproom 29 Chairman’s Blonde Ale
- Babe’s Honey Blonde Ale
EVENTS & ATTRACTIONS
Props & Hops (November)
Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs | palmspringsairmuseum.org
The Palm Springs Air Museum has presented the low desert’s premiere craft-beer event for more than a decade. Held in an aircraft hangar stocked with historic planes, helicopters and exhibits as well as beers from 25-30 breweries plucked from the Coachella Valley, San Luis Obispo, Redlands, Riverside and our own San Diego, there’s no shortage of quality beer to fill a commemorative taster glass. There’s also plenty of food and live entertainment, including soaring flight exhibitions featuring all manner of vintage aircraft.
Brew at the Zoo (April)
The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, 47900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert | livingdesert.org
Named one of the top zoos in the country, The Living Desert has a lot to offer, but never so much (for beer lovers, at least) as at this annual event, where local breweries and restaurants post up amid the wildlife. Animal encounters add to the fun of this annual fundraiser and help the zoo in its mission to “save wildlife one beer at a time.”
Craft Beer Weekend (August 7-8)
Ace Hotel & Swim Club, 701 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs | acehotel.com
This nine-years-young, two-day tasting event at The Ace Hotel will include nearly 30 breweries from across the Coachella Valley and across the country. Past heavy hitters include Bissell Brothers, Bottle Logic, Cellador, Horus Aged Ales and Russian River, all of whom are likely drawn by the idea of a two-day beer fest held at a posh swim club.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (year-round)
1 Tram Way, Palm Springs | pstramway.com
Enjoy an 8,516-foot ascent in a rotating tramcar offering 360-degree views of Chino Canyon en route to a Mountain Station that’s not only equipped with multiple observation decks, a museum, documentary theaters and hiking trails weaving through Mt. San Jacinto State Park, but also restaurants and The Lookout Lounge. The latter has a bevy of taps dispensing local beer, including a hazy IPA brewed just for the venue by CVB: Mt San Jacinto 8516.
SUGGESTED LODGING
Palm Springs
Palm Mountain Resort & Spa (pictured above)
155 S. Belardo Rd, Palm Springs | palmmountainresort.com
A block away from downtown Palm Springs’ main drag and within walking distance of Las Palmas and one of La Quinta’s tasting rooms, this is a kick-back spot to enjoy peaceful R&R (along with canned local beers) by the pool or a personal patio.
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
701 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs | acehotel.com
Agua Caliente Resort & Casino Palm Springs
401 E Amado Rd, Palm Springs | aguacalientecasinos.com
Down Valley
Agua Caliente Resort & Casino Rancho Mirage
32-250 Bob Hop Dr., Rancho Mirage | aguacalientecasinos.com
Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa
44600 Indian Wells Ln, Indian Wells | hyatt.com
La Quinta Resort & Club
49-499 Eisenhower Dr., La Quinta | hilton.com
Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa
45000 Indian Wells Ln, Indian Wells | miramonteresort.com
The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa
71333 Dinah Shore Dr., Rancho Mirage | marriott.com
The header image for this article is courtesy of the Greater Palm Springs CVB, visitgreaterpalmsprings.com, and all imagery included in this piece was provided by the businesses represented with the exception of Desert Beer Co. and La Quinta Brewing