Anaheim Brewery wants to make beer for the local community, plain and simple. They aim to be an uncomplicated, straight-forward place to have great beer for people who want just that. Located in Anaheim’s Historic District, the tap room is rich with charm. The building is from the 1920’s and the vintage wooden bar paired with the seriously cool wooden stools makes for a fun and inviting place to sit enjoy the afternoon.

I had the pleasure of going to Anaheim Brewery on a sunny Sunday afternoon and was pleasantly greeted by Brittany, a server, as we walked in the door. She came over and promptly helped us order some tasters. The tasters came with a delightful glass that you could take home and quaint wooden retro coins to cash-in for your next beer.  I loved the overall vintage feel of the tasting room and the big windows that peered into the brewery behind the bar.

The beer was effortless yet delicious. The flagship beers are: Anaheim Gold (4.5% ABV), Anaheim Hefeweizen, Anaheim Red, and the Anaheim 1888 (5.5% ABV). The Gold is a deep golden color that is very drinkable and has a slightly sweet aftertaste. The Hefeweizen pours clearer than expected and has a banana bread flavor. The Red has great color and a fantastic, almost smoky quality. The 1888 is a beer created to honor the style of beer brewed back at the original Anaheim Brewery in 1880’s. It’s a copper-colored more hoppy lager that is simply a good beer. I also got to try the Anaheim Tavern Ale (6.5% ABV) which was brewed for the grand opening a few weeks ago, which was also very good.

I did get a chance to meet Barbara and Greg Gerovac and have a private mini-tour of the brewery. They had previously brewed professionally in North Virginia and now opened the brewery in Anaheim. In retrospect after tasting their beer, I should have guessed that they lived in Germany for several years. The quality and undertone of the beer screams Germany for me. Overall I left happy with the coolest growler to add to my collection. The growlers are $20 and your first fill is $5 with the next fills being $15 each.

There are exciting plans for the open spaces around the brewery. Umami Burger will be opening a restaurant in the connected space next to the brewery. The owners of The Lab andThe Camp in Costa Mesa purchased the land and has grand plans for an outdoor neighborhood market and things like: outdoor movies, concerts, retail shops, seasonal family activities, etc. The Anaheim Brewery is the first business to officially open the revamping of the Historic District and shows lots of promise for an amazing addition to the city of Anaheim. Hope to see everyone there!