Community Spotlight: Blue Note Brewing Co., Woodland

You smell it before you see it. Garlic and basil combined with the wafting smoke from the blazing wood-fired pizza oven by the entrance— Blue Flame Pizzas— is perfectly placed to make your mouth water before you even make it the main door of the brewery on the other side of the welcoming covered patio.

Inside: string lights, open seating, walls hung with work from local artists, and enough room that multiple different events can happen at once without anyone getting in anyone’s way. Blue Note Brewing Company has been at it in Woodland since 2015.

Wednesdays are busy in the best way. The Woodland Woodchuckers run/walk club meets here — a one-mile and a three-mile route, then everyone comes back for beers and a group photo. Good turnout, too, even though it was 94 degrees out that day. Inside, about twenty people had the back tables taken over for board game night. And several of the other tables and booths were already occupied, but there were plenty more

And I still walked right up to the bar, there was no wait but, I always pause anyway to consider which beer to order: so far I haven’t disliked any of the ones I’ve tried. The “Heidi” (kolsch) is nice and light; “Hopamine"(Mosaic Hopped Pale Ale) sounds enticing; but today it has to be the (double ipa) “Blood on the Tracks.” It’s almost always Blood on the Tracks. That’s the thing about Wednesday nights — it’s lively without being loud. And there is time to pause and consider your choices. (For loud, go on a live music night or a weekend. Different energy entirely, and also great.)

The atmosphere is family and dog friendly, I often see kids with their parents. However, it’s not a kid with me these days, it’s Ciel, my 3 year old mini golden doodle who loves to come with me. He knows there will be people to meet, friends to see — other dogs, friendly people,— and of course staff who keep treats behind the bar for him.

Blue Note Brewing — 750 Dead Cat Alley, Woodland · (530) 358-4677
Taproom: M 3–8 · T–Th 3–9 · F 3–10 · Sat 12–10 · Sun 12–7
Pizza: W–Th 4–8 · F 4–9 · Sat 12–9 · Sun 12–6. Closed M/T.
bluenotebrewingcompany.com

The Giveaway: A $50 Blue Note gift card — go have a pizza and a pint on me. Enter below by Thursday, October 22. I’ll draw a winner on Friday, October 23.

More spotlights coming. Got a place you’d send a friend their first week here? Tell me — Ciel and I will go.