Beer Lover

Start your trip off with cof­fee and a quick break­fast at Naked Lounge in Down­town Chico, a clas­sic col­lege cof­fee shop with local art and pre­mi­um espres­so drinks. Enjoy funky vibes among a diverse crowd.

Once you’re ful­ly caf­feinat­ed, head to Sier­ra Neva­da Brew­ery for a tour of this pio­neer­ing nation­al brew­ery. The Sier­ra Neva­da Pale Ale is syn­ony­mous with the West Coast craft brew­ing scene. Book the tour ahead of time to make sure you have a spot on the behind-the-scenes walk-through of the brew­ery oper­a­tions. The brew­ery offers a vari­ety of tours, from their stan­dard Brew­house Tour to a three-hour Beer Geek tour for the super fan.

If you’re look­ing for a tast­ing expe­ri­ence more off the beat­en path, try one of Chico’s many small­er craft beer brew­ers. Secret Trail Brew­ing Co. is a com­mu­ni­ty-focused, local­ly sourced brew­ery that makes beer in both clas­sic styles and orig­i­nal inno­va­tions. You can enjoy a pint or two at their tap­room, the first one in Chico, and enjoy some bites from the reg­u­lar rota­tion of food trucks on site. Nor Cal Brew­ing Co. is anoth­er brew­ery in the grow­ing Craft Dis­trict. It offers a rotat­ing selec­tion of beer by the pint, glass, or growler, plus piz­zas from their kitchen.

For beer lovers’ sig­nif­i­cant oth­ers who are more inter­est­ed in the grape than the grain, a whole host of winer­ies offer anoth­er option for tast­ings, includ­ing LaRoc­ca Vine­yard, which has a tast­ing room just a short walk away from the Naked Lounge. There, you can enjoy a vari­ety of all-organ­ic, sul­fate-free wines, includ­ing Mer­lot, Chardon­nay, Rosé, and sparkling.

For din­ner, head to Burg­ers and Brew, a restau­rant spe­cial­iz­ing in an impres­sive range of rotat­ing craft beer tap han­dles and juicy burg­ers. Their out­door patio and fire­places allow din­ers to watch the street life of down­town Chico pass by while din­ing and drinking.

Rest in one of Butte Coun­ty’s hotels and get ready for more adven­tures tomorrow.

Kick the day into gear with some high-qual­i­ty caf­feine at local favorite Bid­well Perk, and sam­ple ​“The Bomb” — a bagel with scram­bled egg, cream cheese, chives, pesto and arti­choke heart. Con­sid­er it fuel for anoth­er day of craft beer exploration.

Chico is real­ly the craft beer epi­cen­ter in Butte Coun­ty, so you should make sure to explore Down­town while you’re get­ting your fill of hops, ales, and lagers. From shops like Chico-cen­tric Made in Chico and local favorite Bird in Hand to walk­ing through the Chico State Cam­pus or the expan­sive Bid­well Park, you could spend a whole day dis­cov­er­ing the fun to be found Downtown.

We know what you’re real­ly here for, though. So after a walk around town and a quick explo­ration of Bid­well Park, head to a tap­room to sam­ple the best local craft beers. The Lost Dutch­man Tap­room in North Chico pours 19 han­dles of rotat­ing craft beer, and serves up lunch and appe­tiz­ers as well. A cou­ple miles south, you can also enjoy over 40 beers on draft at The Chico Tap­room as well as games and triv­ia nights. Back in the Craft Dis­trict in South Chico, The Com­mons Social Empouri­um offers a self-serve expe­ri­ence where you can pour your own drink by the ounce so you can taste as much or as lit­tle of the over 20 beers on tap.

If you’re still look­ing for more beer expe­ri­ences, enjoy out­door din­ing and more craft beer sam­pling at Park­side Tap House. With its unique half-indoor, half-out­door bar and patio games like corn­hole and super-sized Jen­ga, it’s a fun place to end the day. If beer fuels your com­pet­i­tive juices, test your skills against oth­er patrons or with­in your own group.