The holidays at the end of the year have arrived and while we may not be able to be physically in the same room as the people we love and like to party with, we can still have fun and send the year off right.
In this issue, readers will get a choose-your-own adventure New Year’s Eve itinerary and this drinks and spirits guide is sort of like that, too: mix and match for any kind of night, whether that includes locally made beer, award-winning mixed drinks, a non-alcoholic treat or a longtime favorite libation with a side of barbeque. With this list, it’s hard to go wrong.
Breweries
Hermitage Brewing Co.
1627 S 7th St, San Jose; 408.291.0966
At hermitage, there’s a “little something for everyone,” including the brewery’s sour series and its limited edition beers, like the recently unveiled Staycation, made for easy drinking. Curbside, carryout and online ordering available Friday 2 to 6pm. Hats and T-shirts also available.
Hapa’s Brewing Co.
460 Lincoln Ave STE 90, San Jose; 408.982.3299
114 S Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos; 408.963.3942
With more than a dozen rotating beers on tap or in cans Hapa’s is open for pickup Tuesday to Friday from 4 to 8pm and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8pm. Delivery is available for those who live within 10 miles. For those looking for a last minute gift, beer glasses or clothing is also available.
Barebottle Brew Co.
2520 Augustine Dr, Santa Clara; 415.291.2404
Barebottle Brew Co. sits in the midst of the perfectly manicured Santa Clara Square, offering pints, crowlers, growlers, wine and non-alcoholic drinks like sodas and coffee to drinkers between noon and 8pm daily. It’s closed on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, so order early.
TAP’T Beer & Kitchen
259 W Washington Ave, Sunnyvale; 408.617.8278
TAP’T may sound like a regular craft brewery with a long list of California beers, but it’s menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and shareable meals begs to differ. Open for takeout Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 8:30pm and Friday and Saturday 7am to 8:30pm.
True Brew San Jose
787 The Alameda, STE 10, San Jose; 408.320.2867
True Brew has a little bit of something for everyone with 100 beers on tap and a menu of salads, burgers and fish and chips. Open daily from 2 to 8pm for pickup. Takeout and delivery is available through DoorDash and UberEats.
Camino Brewing Co.
718 S 1st St, San Jose; 408.352.5331
Camino Brewing founders took the study of the Camino—a rite of passage for every California kid—to heart when they founded the brewery to make beers inspired by the flavors on the historic trail. Open 3 to 9pm Tuesday to Friday and noon to 9pm Saturday and Sunday for curbside pickup. Shipping is available in Santa Clara County.
Floodcraft Brewing Co.
777 The Alameda, San Jose; 408. 207.1126
Conveniently located inside the new Whole Foods at CityLine Sunnyvale, Floodcraft Brewing Co. has 19 rotating taps of craft beer, wines and cider on draft. shoppers can grab craft beer between 11am and 10pm Sunday to Thursday and from 11am to 11pm Friday and Saturday.
Strike Brewing Co.
2099 S 10th St. #30, San Jose; 669.342.6480
469 E Campbell Ave, Campbell; 408.796.7810
Strike has a variety of beers from hoppy IPAs to wheats, plus a mix-and-match holiday case of 24 beers and merch. Online delivery and curbside pickup are available at noon daily and closing time varies by taproom. It’s closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and NYE so order early.
Faultline Brewing Co.
1235 Oakmead Pkwy, Sunnyvale; 408.736.2739
Faultline has growlers and crowlers to-go along with its holiday-inspired mixed drinks like Not Your Mama’s Cider and Jingle Blackberry Julep. The Brewhouse Burger, Breakfast Pizza and $2 tacos on Tuesdays are also on the menu Monday to Friday 11am to 9pm.
Clandestine Brewing
980 S 1st St STE B, San Jose; 408.520.0220
The taproom may be closed, but crowlers of anything on tap—including a seasonal Great Pumpkin porter—and four-packs are ready to go Wednesday to Friday 4 to 8pm and Friday and Saturday 2 to 6pm. An Imperial Milky Way Stout coffee by Boast Coffee is also available to brew at home.
Cocktails To-Go
Los Gatos Soda Works
21 College Ave, Los Gatos; 408.402.5111
This contemporary cocktail bar serves up award-winning drinks like A Man and His Mule—a mixture of Ketel One with green chartreuse and ginger beer. Some cocktails are available as doubles for $24. Open 3 to 9pm Wednesday to Sunday for take-out.
The Cider Junction
820 Willow St, San Jose; 669.234.2751
The Cider Junction has small European-style plates and ciders ranging from the traditional to the adventurous, like hot wine and the cidermosa. The secret menu online has even more options. Curbside pickup is available from noon to 4pm Thursday through Saturday.
O’Flaherty’s X Five Points
25 N. San Pedro St.; 408.947.8007
Named for the melting pot neighborhood in New York, customers can get a variety of beer or grab an “Alice-in-Wonderland”-inspired seasonale cocktail, like The White Rabbit and Curiouser and Curiouser, available individually or bottled between 5 and 9pm Tuesday to Saturday.
Haberdasher
43 W San Salvador St, San Jose; 408.792.7356
What better way to stay warm than with Haberdasher’s assortment of whisky and bourbon-based cocktails, like its $12 Bourbon Caramel Apple Soda? Takeout and delivery is available between 4 and 8pm from Thursday to Saturday.
Drinks + Food
Aqui Cal-Mex
201 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell; 408.374.2784
1145 Lincoln Ave, San Jose; 408.995.0381
503 W. Capitol Expy, San Jose; 669.246.7350
10630 S. De Anza Blvd, Cupertino; 408.996.1443
5679 Snell Ave, San Jose; 408.362.3456
Aqui’s industrial-strength swirls now come in seasonal flavors and the classics, but the popular cali-mex eatery limits them to two per customer with a meal. Open daily roughly between 11am to 8pm. All locations are open Christmas Eve from 11am to 3pm.
The Oxford
195 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale; 408.245.8503
Customers can step into the streets of London with The Oxford’s United Kingdom-themed drinks, like the Summer Pimms Cup: a mix of Broker’s London Dry Gin, Pimm’s No. 1, cucumber-strawberry elixir and seltzer in double and community sizes. Open for pickup Monday to Friday 4 to 9:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 9pm.
Quality Bourbons and Barbeque
216 Castro St, Mountain View; 650.969.1112
For those who love bourbon, barbeque and a good deal, QBB is offering 10 percent off its food and a whopping 33 percent off its bourbons for call-in orders. Diners can pick up or get delivery through DoorDash. Open daily between 11:30am and 1:30pm and from 5 to 8pm.
The Post
395 Main St, Los Altos; 650.542.6552
The Post offers meals alongside pre-made cocktails and cocktail kits to bring out the bartender in anyone at home. It’s modest wine, beer and mocktail selection means they’ve got a little something for everyone. Open for takeout or delivery from 3 to 8pm Tuesday to Sunday.
Spread Deli & Bottles
193 E Campbell Ave, Campbell; 408.340.5549
Spread’s Campbell taphouse is the type of place where one can order a PBR, strawberry mojito kombucha and deep-fried turkey breast sandwich in one fell swoop. It’s open for takeout and delivery daily between 11am and 2 pm.
Must-Sees & Events in Silicon Valley: Week of Dec. 16 
