Two Sundays ago, after a hot day of hiking up and down the deAnza Trail in San Juan Bautista, the Husband and I longed for an ice cold beer. But, we weren't in the mood for going to one of the bars in San Juan or to either of the two beer pubs in Hollister. Nor were we interested in going to the market to buy a six-pack. Yeah, I know, picky, picky.
As we drove back to Hollister, the Husband suddenly said, "Maybe the new brewery is open." So, we swung by. And, wouldn't you know it. Open!
The Hollister Hills Taproom and Brewery was exactly where we wanted to be. It is a small, intimate establishment that serves various microbrewery beers on tap, including its own brew. That Sunday, it was Red Beard. (Last Saturday, it was Easy like Sunday Morning). Oh, did that beer hit the spot. (So did the one on Saturday after a hot day at the county fair.)
The brewery is owned by two couples—Sean and Fran, and Chuck and JoAnn (who own Relax! Grillin & Chillin). We met Sean, Chuck, and JoAnn. Very cool people.
Sean gave us a tour of their nanobrewery. Yes, that's what he called the small room where they do their magic. They only brew small amounts of a beer at a time. They started brewing beer a few years ago. We thought they had been doing it much longer because of the passionate and joyous vibes that Sean gave out as he spoke about all that goes into crafting beer, including the choice of hops and other ingredients. I should've taken notes, but by then I was already "happy" from sipping the Red Beard so my notes wouldn't have made sense later on anyway.
Hollister Hills serves non-alcoholic beverages (their own brewed root beer, for example) and artisan fare. They try to use fresh, local ingredients. What I like is the choice of ordering full or half portions of a sandwich, which comes with a side of macaroni, potato, or green salad. We tried the Rueben and the French Pig—prosciutto, brie, and apple slices on ciabatta. The potato salad was yummy, but the macaroni salad reminded us of Hawaii. Yep, that tasty.
Hollister Hills is open daily. Monday to Friday, 11a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It's located in the Clock Tower Plaza on McCray Street. It's next to Subway Sandwiches and kitty corner from the pet store. Its exact address is 401 McCray Street, Suite B24. Click here to visit its Web site, and here to visit its Facebook page.
Note to FCC: Nobody paid me or gave me free samples to write about this establishment. So, there.
