HOMETOWN EDITION: East Brother Beer Company — GOLD IPA

My mom told me that she wanted to show me a hidden treasure while I was visiting for the weekend.

I grew up in the Bay Area in California. For school, I went as far away as possible to Syracuse, NY, where I met my blogging buddy Natalie and got a degree. Then I moved to Austin, TX, home of South by Southwest and countless beers to review. Every once in a while, I find an opportunity to visit my parents in the Bay Area and to rediscover my appreciation for my hometown. This time, I found it at East Brother Beer Company.

We left with two growlers and a six pack. A mighty haul.

Located in a newer section of Point Richmond called Point Potrero, East Brother Beer Company lives in a tucked-in corner of an emerging business warehouse plaza. The area is pretty quiet, until my mom and I turned the corner to a lively and bustling picnic table area that took up the inside and outside of the warehouse. There was also a food truck outside making Filipino fusion fast food. Say that three times fast.

Along with my mom leaning over and whispering to me, “I love this place!” every few minutes, I could tell why she considered this place a hidden gem. Young families celebrated a baby’s birthday. Well-behaved dogs greeted every customer. Groups of friends grabbed board games from the stacked shelf next to the water dispenser. The atmosphere radiated with good and wholesome vibes.

We went up to order a flight of beers to decide which one I should review for the blog. Much to my surprise, the bartender, Gabe, was a charming fellow I used to do theater with in my youth. It was great to see him all grown up and living the good life.

A happy Mom taking notes on a flight of beers which were from left to right: Limited Cask Edition English Strong Ale, Baltic Porter, Gold IPA, and Bo Pils.

After putting in some work reviewing our flight, we narrowed down that the best beer to review for We Like Tall Boys would be the Gold IPA. Gabe poured us two pints and we were off!

Beer name: Gold IPA
Brewery, city, and country of origin: East Brother Beer Company, Richmond, CA, USA.
Year created: Guessing 2016 because that’s when EBBC opened
ABV: 7.3%
Cost: $6 for a pint

Taste: Mom and I picked the Gold IPA because it was the tastiest and because even though the Bo Pils was her favorite she said, “I drink the Bo Pils all the time. Let’s pick something else!” In my opinion, the Gold IPA was the most approachable IPA I’ve ever had. According to Natalie’s most recent review, I think that IPAs are a little bit bitter and skunky. Not this one. This didn’t dry out my mouth and wasn’t as pungent as I was expecting. In my opinion, the Gold IPA has a strong piney taste, to which my mom replied, “I don’t chew on pine needles so I can’t disagree with you.”

Going through a flight to figure out which pint to get.

How do I feel? At that moment, I was in a really happy place. I just finished a really intense week of work and travel and I was back home with my parents… having a few beers! This was wholesome relaxation that I needed and the good vibes and brews really added to the positive experience.

When to drink a Gold IPA: If you’re feeling a more unique and bold beer than a standard pilsner, go for the Gold IPA. It’s a standalone beer that holds its own (but if you brought your own pita chips and oranges like my mom, it’ll pair nicely).

Overall rating: 9/10 A solid beer at a solid brewery. Definitely roll through if you find yourself in the East Bay sometime soon.

Mom always has snacks!

What’s your favorite local beer? Let us know on Instagram or by commenting below. We love our dedicated readers and our loyal fans. Thanks for being with us for every step of the way! We hope you enjoy the start of March Madness and that you toast your bracket predictions with a nice cold tall boy. Let us know what you’re drinking, y’all!

Cheers,

Erin