The Barrel District

Local libations to sip and savor are just footsteps away in Rancho Cordova's Barrel District.

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

The Hidden Gem You Need to Visit

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 Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova Barrel District helps cement this region as a premier farm-to-fork foodie and craft-drink destination.

The Barrel District, not a physical block of bars but rather a collection of establishments across the city that offer craft brews, spirits, wine, and mead, has locals and visitors alike falling in love with the Rancho Cordova artisan-alcohol scene.

Even though it’s becoming more known for its award-winning libations, the Rancho Cordova Barrel District is still a NorCal hidden gem with off-the-beaten-path locations. But that makes each brewery and distillery ridiculously easy to access (read: find parking for), an excellent destination to visit with friends or a date, and an adventurous stop for out-of-town visitors.

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 glass of red wine, or a whiskey on the rocks, if you like craft alcoholic beverages the Barrel District has something you’ll enjoy.

Try Our Craft Brews on Tap

Five craft breweries in the Rancho Cordova Barrel District make it a fun place for a pub crawl. As the local brewing scene grows, so do your options. There’s something for every kind of beer drinker in 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.

Burning Barrel Brewing

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. Burning Barrel has a large tasting room and an outdoor patio, so feel free to bring a crowd! In 2025 they opened Burning Barrel Spirits about 40 minutes down the freeway in Placerville.

LogOff Brewing

LogOff Brewing is focused on two things: making great beer and bringing the community together. Owner Matt wants you to log off of your devices (post to Instagram later) and spend some time enjoying great craft beer and local food trucks over a few boardgames with friends. Occasionally, LogOff hosts "Paint & Sip" and DIY nights, drawing the interest of crafty makers who love to get artsy while having a refreshing pint. And if you're lucky, you'll catch special catered events from time to time! The mothers of LogOff are well-known for their delicious mac 'n cheese dinners!

Movement Brewing

A concept dating back a decade from conversations with friends around a fire, Movement Brewing Company has earned its spot in Rancho Cordova as a fan favorite. From their epic cornhole tournaments and annual 90's Festival to their wildly popular Dude Monster hazy IPA, Movement Brewing Company is a great finale to your tour of the Barrel District Breweries. The know how to make a delicious beer and pull off amazing events that draw huge crowds. What more can you ask for?

Fort Rock Brewing is part of the Rancho Cordova Barrel District

Featured in San Diego Beer News

Journalist and San Diego Beer News founder Brandon Hernández finds "standout suds" in Rancho Cordova.

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Featured in Hop Culture Magazine

Senior Content Editor Grace Weitz samples delicious beers at Burning Barrel Brewing Company in Rancho Cordova, CA.

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Experience Our First Meadery

Mead, otherwise known as "Nectar of the Gods," is a wine that uses honey as a fermentable sugar. The outcome is a deliciously fresh, sweet, and gluten-free alcoholic beverage.

Strad Meadery

As the first of its kind in the Rancho Cordova Barrel District, Strad Meadery brings a sweet alternative to the breweries and distilleries in the neighborhood. Strad Meadery specifically uses Sacramento wildflower honey to produce its mead along with several fruity flavors such as apricot, pomegranate, cherry, cranberry, dragon fruit, and strawberry. Their beautiful bottles make for great holiday gifts.

Strad Meadery is well-known in the Renaissance fair community and is often traveling between fairs to sell their delightful nectar to thirsty cosplayers. Please check their current shop hours before you stop by for a visit.

Visit Strad Meadery in the Rancho Cordova Barrel District

Sip On Local Spirits & Wine

Craft spirits, delectable cocktails, and wine flights take date night to the next level in Rancho Cordova.

Dao Distillery

Dao Distillery, the first Vietnamese rice liquor distillery in California and the second in the United States, has become the newest addition to the Rancho Cordova Barrel District. This craft distillery is known for producing a one-of-a-kind spirit called rượu đế, a premium Vietnamese rice liquor. Stop by the new establishment to hear the story behind the distilling process of rượu đế and sip on the deliciously unique spirits of Dao Distillery. Take home a bottle and enjoy making your own cocktails!

Drink Eezy

Rancho Cordova is nestled between Sacramento and the rolling hills of Amador and El Dorado counties, great for day trips to award-winning vineyards. Now you can stay local to get your wine fix without the drive. Rancho Cordova's wine tasting room Drink Eezy offers an array of small-batch wines sourced from around the world and delicious wine slushies during the summer months. Sustainable, single-serve wine bottles are available for purchase year-round, and a wine Advent Calendar set is sold during the holidays. You can also enjoy delicious small bites and plates from their kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these locations family and dog-friendly?

All locations are family-friendly, with many offering non-alcoholic beverages and some open space for supervised children to play.

All breweries in the Rancho Cordova Barrel District are dog-friendly. Please call ahead to ask distilleries, meadery, and wine tasting room if Fido is a welcome guest.

Which locations offer food?

Most breweries in the Rancho Cordova Barrel District host daily food trucks. Look at their social media pages to find food truck schedules for the week. Drink Eezy has a full kitchen that offers small bites, plates, and catering options.

Rancho Cordova is also home to plenty of diverse restaurants around town, making it easy to start (or end) your night with tasty bites from around the globe.

Besides tasting, what else happens in the Barrel District?

Pub trivia enthusiasts will love hearing that many breweries host weekly games, making it easy to hop to another competition each night. Music trivia in particular is taking Rancho Cordova by storm!

The Rancho Cordova Barrel District is also known for some pretty amazing events that happen year-round. A group of establishments hosts an annual beer garden called "The Hangar" at the California Capital Airshow, Movement Brewing holds the regionally iconic 90's Fest each year, and Fort Rock Brewing is a frequent stage for local comics and entertainers. LogOff has a boardgame room and occasionally offers "craft and sip" pop-ups in their event space.

See below for some upcoming events in the Barrel District.

Upcoming Events in the Barrel District

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