Petaluma Hills Brewing Company

Great beer. We come here all the time; full bar, good food and comfortable environment/
Highly recommend.

Am I the only one that thinks it smells like a vets office in here? The beer is totally fine, but it just smells awful! And it’s super quiet, which can be both a positive or a negative. A very quiet atmosphere but I just can’t get over the smell. Also there were no options for my gluten free friend, who was just looking for some wine or anything she could drink.

Outstanding beer! We actually parked on the street in front of Petaluma Hills Brewing Company to walk across the street for Lagunitas. Had a quick one there and then actually sat in the car (pouring rain) for about 15 minutes until PHBC opened up. Settled on a pint of Dated IPA and a half pour of the Old Adobe Stout both were very good. I also got to sample a few of the other beers my friends were having and we didn’t find a bad one in the bunch. Next time PHBC will be the destination!

This brewery was a delightful surprise. The taproom is a small comfortable space with options from stools and tables to upholstered chairs and couches. The beers were masterfully crafted. The Blonde (which I generally think are kind of bland) was full of flavor, the Dated IPA was wonderfully hoppy and unique, the Porter was a solid dark and slightly sweet version of this style of beer, and their Line and Twine IPA was a great balance of malt and hops with a mango-​apricot finish. The brewmaster at this place knows what he’s doing!

Let’s cut to the chase here. Breweries are popping up everywhere. Limited release, limited edition, small batch, pumpkin, cider, growlers, pints, music, taproom, live band, sports, dark, light, whatever you like. Sonoma county is trending in brewery tours. We have traded in our pinkies out, noses up, wine experiences in limo escorted, dress up and do a day in the «country» comparing reds and whites… with jeans, boots and flannels, t-​shirts if you like for BEER. Beer is for the people and about the people. There are bigger and trendier places to go but make no mistake, if you arrive here you will not be disappointed. There is a beer for everyone and when you find your beer you will be back. It is a family, local business, with friendly staff, and great product. JJ and his boys put love into every batch and you feel more like they are sharing their creation with you, not pushing a product. And their product speaks for itself. Come in, enjoy, relax while you taste some great local flavors. Ask questions because you will expose yourself to some local history and local flavors. I mean; the guy keeps bees on the property to get the best, freshest, and most local flavor he can when using honey in his beer! You won’t get that kind of care and hands on attention at other places. Growth is good, but small keeps the experience personal and valuable.

After a day of touring Napa we headed towards Petaluma in search of a nice place to have beer. Having been to Lagunitas which is across the street from this place we both decided we wanted something new. There is plenty of parking in their parking lot as well as a ton of street parking nearby.
A huge plus for us is this place is dog friendly inside so even while it is cold/​raining outside we can enjoy ourselves. Everyone is super friendly and their beers are delicious! Being with someone who prefers the lighter beers whereas I prefer the hoppy IPA’s, Petaluma Hills Brewing suited our needs. I loved the fact that you were actually able to move around here without bumping into someone’s personal space. Although I’m sure it is only a matter of time before it becomes as popular as Lagunitas. While that is a good thing for them it would turn me away. I hope you keep the small brewing feel Petaluma Hills, it is what will keep us returning!
2016 Review #3

A group of college friends and I came in one night to check out petaluma hills. Right across the street Lagunitas, this is a great place to come and enjoy some beers. Here are some of the highlights
1. Open space: whether you want to sit at the bar, chill out at their tables or sofas, or drink over a game of darts, this place offers all of that in a chill and relaxed environment
2. Learn about beers: the servers here are knowledgeable on their beers and are more than willing to talk shop with you. They even have jars filled with various malts and hops which you can smell to understand what’s going in to your beer to make it look and taste the way it does
3. NITRO: many of the beers here are served with either standard carbonization or on nitro. Nitro helps give the beer a different mouthful and can highlight characteristics of beers that can be harder to detect under standard carbonization. My friends and I had a blast sampling the various beers to see what we liked most. The verdict: Porterluma on Nitro, and the standard Line and Twine IPA
4. Pours: whether you want a 4 Oz pour, a half 8oz pour or a full pint, they have each of these sizes at very reasonable prices
Good beer, good atmosphere, one of my favorite breweries to come to in Sonoma County

Came in during a heat wave and the tap room was nice and air conditioned. My lab was happy to be in AC and so were my husband and I! What better way to cool off than a tasty brew. We did the sampler (½ pours!) since we’d never had their beer before. My husband loved the blonde and IPA. I was a fan of the ESB, IPA, and their pumpkin beer had an amazing aroma. It was nice their pumpkin wasn’t an amber ale. Service was friendly and it had a great local vibe going on. I love that the beers are all named after Petaluma. The seating here is plentiful and the bar snacks are a nice addition for when you need something to soak up the beer. We will be coming back in the future.

Nice space to have a beer or 2. The IPA is great
I sure wish there was outdoor seating
I’ll be back

We were in the area and we happened to be thirsty for beer, so I just looked on line to see if I could find a good micro brewery and bingo! This is a family own brewery and the father of the family is the brew master. The beer is good and the space is nice. They have been in business for two years, but the space has been opened to public for one.
We tried a few beers and they were all good. I Started with «Wine & Twine IPA», then «Old Adobe Stout», and ended with «Pumpkin Patch Traffic Jam Ale». I also tasted the «Red Tag Ale».
You can order some snacks, bring your own food, or order what you wish (for delivery).
Good stuff :-)

Hey! Did you know there’s another brewery right across the street from Lagunitas?!
Petaluma Hills has a small cozy tasting room with quite a few beers on tap. We decided to try out their IPA and their Blonde. Both were very good. I was most impressed by the Blonde. It had a very good strong flavor!
I love their tasting room because they have bar tables to sit at and a few couch areas!
The staff was friendly and the beer was served at just the right temperature. It’s also nice to know that they stay open an hour after Lagunitas.
Make this a stop!

Fun spot with some good beer. Did I mention good beer? Located directly across but still in the shadows of Lagunitas it is defiantly worth a stop maybe Petaluma Hill will steal your heart or maybe they will just make your day. With a friendly staff and some truly micro-​brews you’re sure to have a fun filled day.

We walked across the street from Lagunitas, to Petaluma Hills and got a tasting flight. Very good craft beer!
This place is small but offers a friendly atmosphere. I liked how I could sit at the bar enjoying my flight while watching the brewer work at his craft.
Well worth your time. And, supporting a small local brewery is always a positive.

This place is across from Lagunitas. Small brewery. I had the House Blonde, which is just a belgian blonde, and the Triple, which is a belgian triple. They were both ok. There wasn’t much to choose from that I usually drink that was available here. But decent place if you want quiet and easy parking. All indoor seating though.

I often review a place after the first visit. That’s normally enough to get the gist of what’s going on overall. However with Petaluma Hills, I have been here 3 times before coming to the conclusion that their beer isn’t really my style.
I held off reviewing after the first visit because it felt like they were in «soft opening mode». Only 4 beers on tap makes it difficult to review unless they’re all really great, or conversely really terrible. Now they have 8 different beers, all varying styles. They seem to have an affinity for the Belgian yeast. I do not.
They sell individual samplers at $ 2.50 for a 5oz goblet. I notice they fill to the brim here unlike some other places that serve samplers where sometimes your 5oz glass only ends up with 3oz of beer. Much appreciated!
The best of the bunch was the Line & Twine IPA. It’s a solid effort for a brewery that didn’t want to brew one in the first place. Well balanced and smooth this was. The uniquely named Porterluma is good take on a porter, and close to being my favorite beer from here. The Triple J was actually pretty decent, for a Tripel. Not normally my style but I could get used to drinking this.
I’m impartial to the Big House Blonde. It’s different, I’ll say that much. They lost me at the Old Adobe stout. I love stouts but didn’t love this weaker version. The East Side Bitter was probably my least favorite beer and I often like a good ESB.
The owner is really a nice guy and you can tell this family affair is a labor of love. There was much thought that went into building the space from the choice of wood to the openness of the layout. It’s not the biggest taproom but they use the space in which they have available to the best they can. Everyone is as friendly as can be.
Their growler fill prices are a ridiculous $ 20! That’s $ 5 per pint to take your beer home. When the in house pint price is a reasonable $ 6. I feel growler prices should be $ 10 – 15 for all but the most limited production beers. I’m not sure whether or not they follow CA law by filling all unmarked growlers or not because at this price point, I’m not interested.
They always seem to be packed every time we have been here. I’m sure much of the crowd is overflow traffic from the behemoth across the street or folks looking for a different type of beer than what you can find at most other taprooms.

Another dog-​friendly brewery in Petaluma! My wife and I (and dog) stopped in here on a Monday holiday after a long road trip up north.
Petaluma Hills is a nice alternative to Lagunitas across the street. It wasn’t super crowded, the interior is cool and dark, and there are a ton of beers for folks that aren’t IPA-​dorks.
There are tons of comfy couches and chairs to sit in, and the staff and patrons were super-​friendly as well.
I’d definitely recommend it for folks that are doing a brewery tour in the North Bay. There are bar snacks, but no menu to speak of.

Owner sanctimoniously thinks his business theory is better than all rather than the customer is being correct. Your mediocre beer and bad attitude will not win the market even across the street from a successful business.
You had better rethink your strategy

When you think of breweries in Petaluma, the name most people will mention is Lagunitas Brewing Company. Well, I’m happy to report there’s a new kid on the block (literally, it’s on the same block as Lagunitas, right across the street)!.
Petaluma Hills Brewing Company is pretty much the antithesis of LBR. It’s tiny; there’s no live music; there isn’t a traffic jam in the parking lot; or a gift shop selling t-​shirts and shwag. In fact, the only thing this David shares in common with the neighborhood Goliath is that they both serve delicious, locally brewed beer.
The owner (JJ Jay) is a former Pixar animator who cashed out to pursue his lifelong passion of craft brewing. All of JJ’s beers are brewed in-​house and served fresh on-​tap in the cozy Tap Room. There’s nothing really fancy about the place. You feel more like you’re in someone’s living room than at a brewery. There’s plenty of seating/​tables (with board games to boot); and even a dart board. There are a few TVs for watching what ever sport might be on. In fact, this would be a great spot to catch a Giants game.
While there isn’t a kitchen on-​site, they are totally cool with you bringing in food from the outside. And I’ve heard through the grapevine that JJ’s looking in to having a food truck park outside to satisfy hungry patrons.
All in all, Petaluma Hills Brewing Co. is a must-​visit destination for true beer lovers who are looking for a more relaxed, civilized drinking experience.

Really good beer. I met a friend. He and I asked for samples of two beers each and the server was more than happy to bring them for us.
There is a very limited food list (mainly just snacks). They have an interesting selections of chairs, specifically chosen at different heights and sizes to give the place a sense of being unique, rather than cookie cutter but lets face it, it is a brewpub and most of the ambiance is a view of the tanks and other brewing equipment.
We went on a Saturday afternoon around 3 p.m. and the place was packed and noisy. There is street parking but you kind of have to go around the brewpub and a few blocks back.
Glad I went but not going to make a special trip to go back.

Petaluma Hill Brewery is across the street from Lagunitas. The place is cool looking — metal and wood with green couches and walls plus a long L shaped wood bar and round tables too. Very shiny pretty brewing equipment and fun names of their beers.
The beers are very nice and my favorite is the IPA (JJ Jay, the owner brewmaster, said once that he would never make an IPA –never say never). He gave us a tour, background on his naming process and info about the brewing process too. His son works there also (I’m sure he’s heard it before so I just wondered to myself if his name was JJ Jay Jr.– Honestly, If my name was JJ Jay, I’d name him Bob or Mike or Bill.)
They have board games available to play with your friends and for now, since they don’t serve food, let you bring in a pizza (or some other «to go» food) to pair with your brews and your games. I am going back with friends and I’ll bring my rummy tile set, just in case they don’t have one. And yes, JJJ, I’m drinking your IPA.