Liquid
Gold
Placer Valley is home to awarding-winning
craft beer breweries — and goat yoga
by Jennifer Fergesen
photos by Debbie Cunningham
P
lacer Valley is classic Gold Country,
named for the gold-bearing deposits
that run beneath its rivers. Today,
there’s another kind of gold flowing
through the Valley: craft beer.
More than 20 breweries and taprooms
call Placer County home. Many are less
than a decade old, but some of the Placer
Valley breweries are already gathering
acclaim from beer buffs in California and
farther afield. The quality comes down to
Placer Valley’s proximity to the farms that
grow hops and other ingredients, says
GoatHouse Brewing Co. co-owner Cath-
erine Johnson. She and Michael Johnson,
husband and co-owner, are from the Bay
Area. They looked at property around
the state before choosing Lincoln to build
their farm-to-tap brewery.
“We’re below the pines, so you can
still really farm the land,” she says. “And
the people are kind of ridiculously amaz-
ing. … Authenticity is still alive and well
here.” To taste that authenticity, try these
local favorites.
Moksa Brewing Co.
Moksa has earned out-of-town accolades
since it opened in 2018. That year, it
ranked on RateBeer’s list of the “Best
New Brewers in the World” and Hop
Culture’s best breweries in the country.
But its biggest fans are locals, who have
made the barrel-lined, industrial-chic
taproom on Pacific Street in Rocklin
a popular watering hole. Some of its
most creative brews are inspired by
head brewer Derek Gallanosa’s favorite
desserts, like Aloha State of Mind: guava,
coconut and lactose alchemizing into the
flavors of Hawaiian shaved ice.
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