Lafayette, California – The greatly anticipated Western Flyer Brewing opens shortly on March 27 here in Lafayette. Here at the Bay Area Telegraph, we’ve been following the brewery since before it was announced.
I got to tour the physical building with owner Logan Jager earlier this month.
But on that tour, there was one thing missing – the beer!
Now, I had the chance to stop by Western Flyer a few days before it opened for a special “Sneak Peek” event and actually taste some of the upcoming brewery’s beers.
When I arrived for the event, Western Flyer was literally still in the process of getting set up.
Staff members were climbing around the interior and using little letters to create the signs listing the brewery’s beers.
Luckily, they also had a printed sheet I was able to reference. Here is an inside look at some of the beers that are likely to be there when Western Flyer opens to the public:
Beers are priced at $10 for a full pour, or $6.50 for a half pour. Western Flyer also serves wine
I decided to try two different distinctive styles. As I don’t like IPAs that much, I stayed away from those.
Instead, I ordered a Winter Lager with a 5.7% ABV. Western Flyer is already known for its lagers, and these refreshing beers will be the main focus of the brewery when it opens.
That’s appropriate, as Western Flyer is a distinctively indoor-outdoor space. With some people starting to crowd in, I got a sense for how its various porches and patios, as well as its lovely and soaring interior, would work with actual patrons.
The answer is that it works very well. There are plenty of little secluded spots to hang out and drink your beer, and the self-serve model makes it feel like it’s your brewery—you can find a little nook or cranny to hang out in.
The outdoor patio overlooking Mount Diablo Boulevard is perfect for this too.
It feels thrilling and out of place to sip a beer while looking out over downtown Lafayette. You almost feel like you’re sitting in the street, yet with a glass in your hand. It’s a very cool addition to the town.
I also decided to try the Event Horizon Imperial Stout, a very dark beer with an ABV of 9%.
The title “Event Horizon” likely refers to the point where all matter is sucked into a black hole, which feels like an appropriately nerdy Bay Area name.
Both beers were excellent. The winter lager was light enough to be refreshing on what was a decidedly non-wintry 80° day, but had more complexity than a simple lager—I tasted elements of passionfruit and bubblegum, almost like you would find in a wheat beer.
The Event Horizon was my favorite, though. Dark and intense without muchbitterness—and without the creamy flavor of Guinness—it tasted like something distinctive and special. Dried fruit, malty molasses flavor, and other dark, complex notes came out for me.
Obviously, making good beer is a distinctive hurdle for any brewery. You can have the most beautiful and perfectly situated spot, but if the beer is no good, no one will come.
Good news for Western Flyer: the beer is good!
Western Flyer was still getting its payment systems set up, so during my short visit I only had time to try these two beers. But I definitely plan to come back and have more.
The brewery had also started to open its kitchen, and I got to take a look at the food menu. It’s a simple mix of tacos, sharing plates like chips and guac, and more.
One thing I would love to see on the menu is a house-brewed root beer. There is one nonalcoholic beer option, but given that this is meant to be a family-friendly brewery, Western Flyer should brew something for the kids.
The first question my eight-year-old asked when I returned from the preview event was, “Do they make root beer?” As far as I can tell, they don’t—but again, they should.
When Western Flyer does open, I predict this will be a fast favorite neighborhood hangout for people in Lafayette. Being able to stroll through downtown, sit on an outdoor patio, and have a tasty and reasonably priced beer feels like quite an addition to our quality of life here in the city.
Western Flyer opens on the 27th. Make sure to join the free 925 News newsletter so I can keep you updated on other exciting news like this around Lamorinda.
