It’s that delicious time of the year when the Oktoberfest suds start flowing and our go-to spot is the Tustin Brewery! Established in 1996, Tustin Brewery’s the type of place where it’s not unusual to see the local Little League teams have a pizza party, then Grandpa and Grandma comes in for dinner followed by rival softball teams settling things over tasty craft beer.
There’s Happy Hour Monday thru Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Daily Specials (including Thursday All Night Happy Hour) that starts at 3 p.m. to closing. Monday is Trivia Night, your chance to out nerd and out drink your neighbor. Check their website for scheduled music acts, usually on Saturday nights. Breakfast is served only on NFL Sundays starting at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a special menu of breakfast delights!
Come here enough, and you should join The Tustin Brewery Mug Club, an exclusive club that costs a one-time fee of $150. You receive a 20-ounce mug of beer for the cost of a pint (16 oz) so do the math/carry the one/subtract the 4—you get free beer! Eventually. There’s also Mug Club Member Mondays and beer snob status—pinky in the air like you don’t care! Follow Tustin Brewery on Facebook to see when they have an opening for new members. It’s that exclusive.
Now, the beers: Golden Spike Ale (5% ABV) is a light and refreshing ale that pairs well with any meal. Tustin Brewery took home the Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2009 for this delicious brew, so you don’t have to believe me—believe the experts! Redhill Red (7.3% ABV) is rich and complex, malt-forward with notes of toffee. One of the best Red Ales at any brewery, it’s tasty AF!
But since it’s Oktoberfest, do the Marzen (5.5% ABV). Brewed with German Pilsner and Munich Malts, it’s subtle, slightly sweet, malty with a clean finish. Enjoy these suds while they last! Prost!
Along with the in-house beers brewed on premises, Tustin Brewery has a guest beer list that rotates pretty regularly with beers from local breweries. Wish Head Brewer Jerrod Larsen and crew luck at next week’s 2017 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado!
Tustin Brewery, 13011 Newport Ave. Ste. 100, Tustin, (714) 665-BEER; www.tustinbrewery.com
