Dueling Dogs Brewing Co. is one of many great stops along the Placer Wine and Ale Trail.
This wonderful crafter brewery/ winery (that's right! They not only offer great small batch beers but also tasty meads and ciders!) was established in 2014 by husband and wife team Earl and Adriana Stephens. While Earl and Adriana are the co-founders, you could argue their Labrador Retrievers Rocco and Nitro truly run the show.
The farm, situated on a little over 10acres, features two acres of Satsuma Mandarin Oranges (featured in many of their brews) and an acre of 7 varieties of hops! The large pond and Italian style tasting room provide a great setting to escape from the craziness of life and
The large pond and Italian style tasting room provide a great setting to escape from the craziness of life and cheers with friends.
cheers with friends.
Their tasting flight allows you to sample any 5 of their beers, meads or ciders. I chose to try Bailey’s Blonde, Ally's Amber, Dog Haze of Summer, Bailey's Blonde on Nitro, and the Peach Cider. I am not a trained taster by any means and unlike some, I realize having a beard does not make me a craft brew expert 😂. However, I'll give my take anyway.
Bailey's Blonde: The first thing I noticed is how Crisp it was! I don't often drink Blonde Ale's. If I'm reaching for a beer its usually either fully watered down like a Coors light or more full bodied like a red or a hazy. This Blonde might just change that for me! Light and refreshing while fresh, crisp and flavorful.
Ally's Amber: The color of this brew is beautiful. I had to just stare at it in the sun between sips. As a red-bearded Irishman, there is a sweet spot on my pallet for a nice Red/ Amber. However, I generally enjoy them more in fall and winter and we visited Dueling Dogs in 90+ temps. I was surprised to find how refreshing this beer was! It had great full bodied malty flavor while not being as heavy and "warm" as many Ambers can be. I think I've found a new year round Amber!
Dog Haze of Summer: While Reds/ Ambers tend to be my go-to for a full bodied beer in the fall/ winter, Hazy's are the full bodied drink of choice for me in summer. Much like the Amber, the color of this brew certainly grabs your attention. A hazy bright orange. If I hadn't already known they grew their own oranges on the property this beer would have been a dead giveaway! The taste did justice to the appearance. Great tropical flavors without being too fruity. I wonderfully executed hazy.
Bailey's Blonde on Nitro: Maybe its just me, but I didn't notice much difference with the nitro. I don't have much experience with Nitro Beers, perhaps I'll need to investigate further and go for another taste.
Peach Cider: I'm not much of a cider guy, but I wanted to get a more well rounded taste of what they do. (next time I go I'll make a point to try their meads too). I was actually pretty impressed. Sweet, but not overly so like many ciders I've had and the peach flavor was excellent.
You might expect this post to be over about now but.........PIZZA!
That's right! One of the recent additions to the farm is their wood-fired pizza kitchen. Like everything they do, they take their pizza making seriously. Perhaps its best described with an excerpt from their own website.
"a wood-fired pizza kitchen that ignites flavors and indulges the senses. Our gourmet pizzas are a fusion of authenticity and innovation, as we use flour directly imported from Italy to create the perfect crust. Topped with the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients and paired with our artisanal beverages, every bite is an adventure in taste."
If you Made it this far, Thanks for Reading!
Don't take my word for it, go check out Dueling Dogs for yourself! You'll be glad you did.
3030 Barrett Park Lane
Lincoln, CA 95648
www.duelingdogsbrewing.com
