Atascadero, Round Two: Spent Grain Brewing
The other stop, on Tuesday, was Spent Grain Brewing. This isn’t your usual taproom or brewhouse — it looks and feels like a speakeasy. Owner and brewer Chris Dunbar is a one-man show; you can’t just walk in, you have to call or text him at 805-464-7172 to get access to the building, where he comes out to meet you. I showed up on brew day, and the smells were incredible — sweet boiling wort and spent grain in the air. His entire operation is only 300 square feet, taproom and brewhouse combined.
It was a great experience sampling three beers: Celestial Krush (6% American pale ale), Strata Da Da Da (7% West Coast IPA), and Carpenter Red (6% red ale) — plus a taster of the Robust Porter. You could taste the quality in every sip.
Two great breweries (including Wild Fields Brewhouse, previously) to start off A-Town, each unique in its own way. Next up to finish off the city: Colony Mash and Barley & Boar Brewhouse. Then we head toward Morro Bay. Seven total reviews down — and while I’m not quite done tasting my way through Spent Grain’s lineup, I’ll be back.