Camarillo Beer Trail.mp4

The Camarillo Beer Trail

Enjoy the Camarillo Beer Trail in Ventura County

Two women having craft beer at a patio picnic table at Topa Topa in Camarillo

Some trails are more refreshing than others! And while the Camarillo Beer Trail isn’t a hiking trail, it is most certainly worth exploring. Make it a day of brews or do a “brews and views” tour by combining a scenic hike followed by some tasty beers.

Institution Ale 12 oz beer next to a spicy fried chicken pizza

Institution Ale Company beer

In whatever order you wish, here’s a quick guide to the Camarillo Beer Trail. Institution Ale: This brewery’s modern interior fits the style of the beers they craft—smooth and flavorful. They’ve also got pizza for pairings. Try the European pilsner with the Pizza Margherita, or get a bit more adventurous with the Tart Cherry Blonde (sour blonde) paired with the spicy fried chicken pizza. Like a double IPA? Try the Disarray. Take it outside onto the expansive patio that includes a fire pit.

Two women having beers on the outdoor patio at Institution Ale in Camarillo

Next up, the friendly family-owned-and-run Camarillo Barrel Works. For those who drink beer, you’ve come to the right place. For those who don’t drink beer, you’ve come to the right place! That’s because Camarillo Barrel Works includes Flat Fish Brewing Co. and Cantara Cellars wine. Both are excellent.

Cantara Cellars wine bottles

pouring of Cantara Cellars red wine

Created by husband-and-wife team Mike and Chris Brown, Flat Fish and Cantara are in a warehouse location with an outdoor patio and event space (when we visited, a serious corn hole competition was taking place). The microbrewery here opened in 2018 and the beer is delicious, with the supremely refreshing Go Fish! golden ale a standout for crispness and easy drinking. Get a flight and go from light, to stout, to IPA. Chicken wings, fresh artichoke dip, pizza, and charcuterie are tasty snacks. (Pro tip: Ask Mike about his barrel-aged brandy … coming soon.)

Mike Brown of Cantara Cellars and Flat Fish Brew Co. toasting guests with barrel-aged brandy samples on the outdoor patio of Camarillo Barrel Works

Keep the beer flowing at Topa Topa in Camarillo Old Town. Grab a patio picnic table under the string lights and choose from over a dozen fresh beers. Order at the modern outdoor “tap room.” Topa Topa is cool, no doubt, but you won’t get any fuss and attitude here; the folks running the place are fun and friendly. Try Casey’s Kolsch (honey, biscuit, yum!). Adventurous beer drinkers can go for It’s in the Zeitgeist, a hazy triple IPA clocking in at 10%. Make the Camarillo Beer Trail part of your 2022 zeitgeist.

Topa Topa Brewing in Camarillo Old Town

Topa Topa outdoor tap room at Camarillo Old Town

Beer drinkers on Topa Topa Camarillo outdoor patio with string lights and heat lamp and picnic tables

BONUS VIEWS & BREWS: Combine your brews with views (that’s hike first, drink later). Here are some nearby hiking trails for enjoying mountain and sea scenery, including Hill Canyon Trail, Conejo Mountain via Powerline Trail, and Point Mugu State Park Chumash Trail.

STAY: There’s plenty of lodging in and around Camarillo. For an overnight in Camarillo Old Town, Bella Capri Inn & Suites is close to breweries, and outdoor adventures including Point Mugu coastal hiking and Wildwood Canyon. It's also close to the famed Camarillo Premium Outlets, with 160 retailers including Adidas, The North Face, Vans Outlet, Lululemon, Athletica, and many more.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Drive-In Whale Watching

    Just north of Point Reyes, Bodega Head sits high on the tip of a curving, thumb-like peninsula and offers excellent whale watching in winter.

    View
  2. Sponsored

    Top Dog Destination

    Redding is a pawsitively ideal destination for you and your four-legged pal. Surrounded by Shasta and Lassen and mountainous Whiskeytown, with year-round sunny days and the gleaming Sacramento River running right through it, Redding is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.

    View
  3. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

    View
  4. Stay at Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park

    Stay in a modern yet rustic lodge with vaulted wood-beam ceilings, grand stone fireplaces, panoramic windows overlooking a snow-filled forest, and jagged mountain peaks all around. Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park has adventure trails leaving right from its lobby.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Point Dume Bloom!

    On this 2-mile loop hike in Mailibu's Point Dume Natural Preserve, you can find yourself walking through fields of brilliant yellow specimens—some of them chest high and taller—but also dip down to pristine beaches and tide pools, possibly crowning your visit with a gray-whale sighting.

    View
  2. woman hiking Stornetta Public Lands

    Strolling Stornetta

    Big Sur has some competition. Located along the rugged Mendocino County coastline, the 1,665-acre Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands is a spectacular place to meander for miles along bluffs overlooking small coves, sea caves, dunes, and clusters of offshore islands.

    View
  3. man snowshoeing Calaveras Big Trees

    Big Foot in the Big Trees

    When dinosaurs roamed the earth they shared space with giant sequoias, the biggest trees in the world. Get up close to these bold beauties on a docent-led snowshoe trek in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

    View
  4. Urban Hike in LA County

    LA Discovery Walk

    Wide-open spaces, hidden art, local cuisine, unique wildlife: Take a cultural walk through the San Gabriel Valley on a 3-mile park-to-park discovery route, then go get some delicious craft beers.

    View