High-class boozing in Bakersfield

It’s often said that there’s nothing interesting to do in Bakersfield – that isn’t true. Although Bakersfield can’t compete with a city like Los Angeles in terms of nightlife it does have some of the best beer in the nation.

Lengthwise Brewery with three locations one on Calloway drive, another at the Marketplace and one on Schirra court.

It’s classic Lengthwise Golden Ale is its most popular beer from what I’ve observed but their Triple Hop Red Ale is my choice for their best drink in the pub. Both locations also feature restaurants serving bar and grill staples like wings, burgers and sandwiches alongside more adventurous food, for a bar, like calamari rings and Twinkie ice cream. The stinky fries a blend of crisp yet fluffy fries drowned in garlic and Gorgonzola cheese.

Lengthwise is also a spot for all ages. While their main draw are their craft beers they also serves fresh roasted coffee and soft drinks.

Lengthwise isn’t the only craft brewery in Kern County, if you’re willing to drive through the mountain roads for about an hour the beer connoisseur can visit the Kern River Brewing Company in Kernville to try their selection of fresh brews.

Their menu includes Citra a beer filled with the aroma and flavor of pineapple and grapefruit mixed with malt and hopps. Citra is also the winner of a gold medal for Imperial India pale ales in the Great American Beer Festival in 2012 and perfect score of 100 on Beer Advocate, based on 712 ratings.

It’s not just Citra, the Kernville brew-pub is ranked as world-class establishments on Beeradvocate.com, the world’s most popular website for beer ranking according to web-traffic tracker Alexa.com. Customers form as far away as Denmark have left high rating for majority of beers offered by

Alongside Citra, they also serve brews like their crisp Isabella Blonde or Class V Stout which is a blend of oatmeal and milk with the flavors of a stout with a 8.5% ABV for those looking to try something new and strong.

But bring a designated drive for the trip. Any self-proclaimed beer aficionado will want to sample a lot of their selection and a late night of drinking followed by a drive on winding-rugged mountain roads isn’t a recipe for success.

For those not willing to make the drive to Kernville, bottles of Kern River Brew Company’s potent potions are available locally at Imbibe Spirit and Wine, GM Liquor and Westchester Liquor.

Photo from Bear-Flavored.com