The Brewery Project: Manzanita

I'm certainly no stranger to Manzanita Brewing Co.  I visited them here, and even had a brief stint helping out in the tasting room.  I really like their beer and have a great deal of respect for the work they put into getting their product into the hands of local craft beer lovers.  They are easy to find around the county, both on tap and in bottles.  Nearly their whole lineup can be found at any nearby Albertsons.  As they gear up for a move to their new, larger location just down the road from their current one, they released a special brew for the Craft Brewers Conference and upcoming American Craft Beer Week called Cluster's Last Stand.  It is an American Pale Ale that features Cluster hops.  It's cloudy, medium bodied, and has a fairly smooth, hoppy finish.  It's definitely worth a try, but will only be available in the tasting room until it runs out, so you'd better hurry in for a pint!  I don't know if they will be keeping both brewing locations once the move has been completed, but their current spot might make a nice pilot brewery for one-off and experimental batches.  We'll see.  Wherever they call home, I'll always keep my eye on this East County brewery to see what's coming next.