Gene’s Picks of The Week! August 28th, 2026 

1) Ghost Town – Full Collapse

West Coast DIPA, 8.5%

I don’t often drink double IPAs… but when I do, it is likely from Ghost Town.* The West Oakland horror merchants regularly conjure up deeply dank creations from the depths of the subconscious. Full Collapse has an unholy amount of Citra, Mosaic and Nelson – household name hops varietals, one & all – and doesn’t skimp on intensity. Bitterness and malt sweetness are held in balance with one another, while the skeleton on the label gestures plaintively for you to enjoy your beer, seeing as you are among the living.

 

*or Pliny the Elder, of course.

 

2) Heater Allen – Bobtoberfest 

Märzen, 5.6%

A seasonal lager and also a tribute to a dearly departed family member – Heater Allen in a nutshell. Dedicated to (and named after) Bob Allen, the brother of original owner Rick Allen and uncle to current co-owner Lisa Allen, this is a lager driven by both Munich and Vienna malts. Bob is given credit for encouraging Rick to focus upon brewing lagers in general and Oktoberfest-style beers in particular, and sadly passed away from cancer two decades ago. Drink this beer in remembrance!

 

3) Fremont – Rusty Nail 2026

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout, 15.2%

Full disclosure: I do not typically care for cinnamon or licorice in beer – yet I adore Rusty Nail. This is a neat trick to pull off – who better than Fremont to achieve it so effortlessly? A massive oatmeal stout base with brewer’s licorice is then aged on cinnamon bark before 15 months’ rest in bourbon barrels, resulting in a brooding beast of a beer. With their signature overlong wax treatments drooping as far as the bottom of the bottle, Fremont’s barrel-program and branding are second to none.

 

Cheers!