Your Guide to the Barrel District: A Craft Beverage Haven In the Heart of California's Gold Country

The greater-Sacramento region is an excellent place for local libations.

Within the region, the fast-growing Barrel District of Rancho Cordova is quickly outpacing other neighborhoods as the area’s next big hub for enjoying great beer, mead, and craft cocktails.

The Barrel District, a collection of establishments that includes six breweries, two distilleries, and a meadery, has locals and visitors alike falling in love with the Rancho Cordova artisan-alcohol scene.

Even though it’s the premier neighborhood for unique spirits and quality brews, the Barrel District is still off-the-beaten path. It’s also easy to access, which makes it an excellent destination to visit with friends, an adventurous stop for out-of-town visitors, and even a bar-hopping date night.

The Sacramento area’s robust tradition of brewing goes back to the Gold Rush days. Over the last several years the city and its surrounding areas have revitalized its craft breweries and local distilleries. The boom of the Barrel District cements this area as a premier farm-to-fork foodie and craft-drink destination.

With so many craft drinking establishments—and more on the way—it’s a thrilling place to visit and knock back a few cold ones. Whether you prefer a hoppy IPA, a distinguished artisan cocktail, a lighter blonde beer, or a whiskey on the rocks, if you like craft alcoholic beverages the Barrel District has something you’ll enjoy.

Sip On Local Spirits

Enjoy a craft cocktail at either the Gold River Distillery or the J.J. Pfister Distilling Company in Rancho Cordova.
Adam Jaime

There are two distilleries in the Barrel District: Gold River Distillery and J.J. Pfister Distilling Company.

Gold River Distillery

Gold River was the first legal distillery in Sacramento County to open up after Prohibition, and it pays homage to that legacy of that time by honoring the riverboat captains who smuggled booze into the area in the 1920s with their line of Wheel House spirits. Gold River’s lineup of alcohol includes gin, vodka, absinthe verte, and California bourbon, all available for sampling within the Barrel District. At the tasting room, you can sample a Gold River spirit straight or with any number of mixers.

J.J. Pfister Distilling

While Gold River’s spirits celebrate the heyday of speakeasies, the story behind J.J. Pfister Distilling celebrates the American Dream. J.J. Pfister was born in Switzerland in 1844 and came to America to start a high-end knitwear company. Years later in 2015, his great-grandson and great-great-grandson start a distillery and name the business in honor of their family patriarch. Their product line of vodkas, whiskeys, bourbons, and brandies are all organic. J.J. Pfister also offers distillery tours, which are informative, fun, and will give you a new appreciation for how your favorite spirits are made.

Sample Craft Beers

Six craft breweries in the Barrel District make it a fun place for a pub crawl.

The selection of craft breweries in the Barrel District runs deep: As the local beer scene grows, so do your options. There’s something for every kind of beer drinker in the Barrel District. So, it’s easy to plan a pub crawl and never leave Rancho Cordova.

Fort Rock Brewing

Fort Rock Brewing is a great place to start your tour of the Barrel District. Started by two sisters, their friend from high school, and their three respective spouses, Fork Rock is the kind of place that makes everyone feel part of the family. To satisfy the cravings of any hop heads out there, their beer line-up is particularly notable for their several different IPAs on tap. If you love catching up on the latest beer trend, Fork Rock has a fantastic hazy East Coast-style IPA called the Hazy Hop Goblin. Give it a try and see what all the hazy hop hype is all about.

Claimstake Brewing

From there, make your way to Claimstake Brewing, a place for libations with a name that tips its hat to the wild-west heritage of Northern California. This establishment specializes in small batches, meaning that you never know what you are going to get when you walk in, but you can be assured it will be tasty. Its loyal following loves the stout and IPA, but since its tap list changes weekly, you often don’t know what you will have to choose from until you show up, which is half the fun.

Shorebirds Brewing Company

A member of the Barrel District, Shorebirds Brewing Company is the only hard kombucha brewery in Rancho Cordova. And since its opening nearly half a year ago, it’s gained notoriety in the city for its flavorful libations, coastal vibes and crafty events. “Our blueberry mojito hard kombucha is my go-to, but they are all so incredibly good it’s hard to choose,” said owner Randall Echevarria. “Chasing Daylight is another popular go-to. It’s a tropical fruit bomb of pineapple and orange and a tea blend of hibiscus, roses and rose hips with lemon and grapefruit peels, and activated charcoal that gives the drink a dark appearance.”

Burning Barrel

According to its founders, Burning Barrel is “driven to push the boundaries of what beer is today and set the standard for what is to come.” So, expect to find fresh twists on classic styles and some creative combinations, like its Vanilla Kisses, a porter infused with Madagascar vanilla that features a chocolate aroma. It has a large tasting room and often provides food from local vendors to order as well.

LogOff Brewing

LogOff Brewing is focused on two things: making great beer and bringing the community together. However, we'd argue they also created a great fan club for their mother's mac and cheese. Owners Jim and Matt want you to log off of your devices (post to Instagram later) and enjoy great craft beer and wonderful mac' n cheese- or local food truck. Don't forget to purchase your 'Moms of LogOff' t-shirt!

Movement Brewing Company

A concept dating back a decade from conversations with friends around a fire, Movement Brewing Company, one of the more recent additions to the Barrel District, has earned its spot as a fan favorite. From their Mural Room to their wildly popular Dude Monster hazy IPA, Movement Brewing Company is a great finale to your tour of the Barrel District Breweries.

With so much to choose from, it's no surprise that the Barrel District is a rising star in the world of craft libations. See for yourself the creative offerings that make this section of Rancho Cordova a must-see destination. Check out all of the breweries and distilleries in Rancho Cordova.

Experience Our First Meadery

Strad Meadery

As the first of its kind in the Barrel District, Strad Meadery brings a sweet alternative to the breweries and distilleries in the neighborhood. Mead, otherwise known as "Nectar of the Gods", is a wine that uses honey as a fermentable sugar. The outcome is a deliciously fresh and gluten-free alcoholic beverage. Strad Meadery specifically uses Sacramento wildflower honey to produce its mead along with several fruity flavors such as apricot, pomegranate, cherry, cranberry, and strawberry.

Written by Jill Sanford for RootsRated Media in partnership with Rancho Cordova Travel and Tourism. Edited by staff.

What's Happening This Week

Related Content