How To Have a Beer Off The Radar at California Adventure

The taps at Sonoma Terrace inside California Adventure

I found a place to hide in California Adventure and have a nice quiet beer - it’s my favorite ‘ride’ there now.

It’s not a hidden place, but it’s easily overlooked. California Adventure is wine-heavy but it has plenty of beer - much more than Disneyland does.

For me, I am perfectly happy never going into California Adventure and staying exclusively at Disneyland and never drinking. But this trip, California Adventure was happening whether I wanted it or not, so I kept my beer radar antenna raised.

As part of my Pull It Back season (instead of going dry), I did not expect to have any beers. I made no mention of beers nor did I suggest to anyone to have one. I did not want to have anyone in our group accommodate my beer geekiness.

All I did was observe. Like spotting this beer at a cart across from the Roaring Rapids ride:

Dalahunt Brewing “Overcast” HIPA (I had never heard of Dalahunt before - Dana Point/San Clemente). I did not see how much it was but I am guessing more than ten.

Sidenote: I say that because I earlier saw how much an 805 costs on Paradise Pier ($12 if you are wondering).

But then a drinking window opened for me.

The adult group wanted to go off on their own. The teen group wanted to roller coaster but still needed a lightning lane pass so I volunteered mine to go with them.

Only I didn’t want to go in this coaster again - too woozy inducing. So I hung back. Suddenly I was alone.

Nobody needed me or cared to have me around. But I know someone that wanted to hang out: beer.

I happened upon the Sonoma Terrace, an orchard/winery-style setup that also has beer. A perfect spot to hide and recharge:

I chose a Bottle Logic beer, “Holiday Hopscotch Ale” a Golden Ale with vanilla and butterscotch. Not a Golden fan, but it was exclusive to the Sonoma Terrace and you get me whenever it’s exclusive.

I hid in a corner and enjoyed.

All of this to explain I had a nice quiet beer all to myself. It was sublime. And nobody was the wiser. Please don’t rat me out.

Thank you for opening reading. Hope your 2024 is going well so far, if not, maybe a well-timed beer can turn it all around.

-Mikey

Peace. Beer. Metal.