Brewpub spotlight: Schooner's

June 24, 11:57 PMSF Craft Beer ExaminerBrian Yaeger

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SF Beer Examiner with Schooner's brewmaster Craig Cauwels

In the quest for the freshest beer, you can get no fresher than the taps at your local brewpub. The beer is brewed on site and therefore travels not by freight (refrigerated or otherwise), not by van, but by draft line only. We’re talking two-to-five feet max.

There are six brewpubs in The City alone. Within the immediate Bay Area, that count goes up to almost three dozen. Each one deserves to be visited and it’s only natural to start with the ones closest to your home. For kicks, let’s take a look at the one that’s farthest away.

Schooner’s Grille and Brewery in Antioch. Antioch, as in, 45 miles from the Embarcadero in SF, but also eight miles beyond the Pittsburg BART station, which is the end of the line. It’s out there. But the bay extends that far, so count it!

Brewmaster Craig Cauwels has been brewing here for eight years and earned a gold medal for his American Ale (a light Cream Ale) at the California State Fair right off the bat. Since then, his beers have garnered 75-ish awards including a vaunted gold for the Oatmeal Stout at Great American Beer Festival and, most recently, the People’s Choice Award for Vin.de.cation—a stout cherry Lambic with that Oatmeal Stout as the base beer—at the Bistro’s Barrel-Aged Beer Fest in Hayward.

When you go to Schooner’s bring a DD and your appetite. While the menu is best described as “pub grub,” everything is top notch and will please carnivores and the errant vegetarian alike. Save room for dessert, i.e. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.

Pints are a reasonable $4.50. But since this is Schooner’s, pony up an extra buck for a 22-oz. schooner.

Nutshell:

Schooner's Grille & Brewery

4250 Lone Tree Way

Antioch, California 94531

Ph: 925-776-1800

Mon-Thur: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Fri & Sat: 11 a.m.-mid

Sun: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.