While Sonoma is the heart of Northern California Wine Country, it also has a worthy brewery scene. Hopmonk is a big part of it—with multiple locations throughout the county. This brewery sits in the heart of downtown Sebastopol and is often a stop on brewery crawl tours out of Santa Rosa, some of which operate on bikes. Otherwise, the tavern makes a great stop for brews or a bite to eat after a day of wine tasting, hiking, or checking out the Russian River.
HopMonk is in downtown Sebastopol, a former hippie outpost just west of Santa Rosa along Highway State Route 12—otherwise known as Sebastopol Road. Buses run from Santa Rosa to Sebastopol and the surrounding area, but they’re limited and not recommended. Make it easy on yourself and drive, bike, or take a brew tour. There are other HopMonk locations throughout Sonoma County in Novato, Sonoma, and Penngrove.
The tavern is open daily late evening, closing on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Live music performances are common during weekends and sometimes as often as 4-5 times per week. Sebastopol is fun to visit during festival seasonal: the Apple Blossom Festival is in early spring while the Gravenstein Apple Fair is in midsummer, usually August.
Santa Rosa is Sonoma Wine Country’s best-kept secret—and is less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Sebastopol. The mix of arts, trails, and wineries (and breweries) make it a destination in its own right—and an ideal base for your Wine Country vacation. In addition to visiting wineries, be sure to check out the Railroad Square Historic District, the Charles M. Schulz Museum—dedicated to the famed local cartoonist—and Trione-Annadel State Park on the eastern edge of town.
