Many in Portland think that we live at the center of the beer universe and while most of us have suffered enough beer damage to actually believe this, we actually aren’t. What many here don’t understand is just how much the craft beer scene has exploded all over the country. With this in mind, while vacationing this summer, I decided to indulge in whatever I could get my hands on in the hopes of proving that this brave new wave of artisanal brewing is in fact producing amazing results nationwide.

My first trip was to the glorious suburban sprawl of Southern California’s Orange County. To celebrate a friend’s 21^st birthday, we patronized a newer place called Haven Gastropub. I was astounded to find 14 excellent taps from brewers all over the country – Clown Shoes from Mass, next to a Mikkeller tap, next to Blind Pig from Russian River. But wait, it gets better. Their bottle list tops almost 100, featuring classic Belgians such as Rodenbach’s Grand Cru and Orval, or newer upstarts such as BrewDog from Scotland, as well as the best offerings from San Diego and Northern California. The fare was impressive as well, with modern gourmet takes on classic European dishes, all reasonably priced. I was in heaven.

The next afternoon, we headed north to Fullerton’s own Bootleggers Brewery. We were lucky enough to sit and pick the brain of Owner and Head Brewer Aaron Barkenhagen. Their pilot brewery and tasting room is a modest spot in the downtown area where food is often provided by a local food truck. Plus, it offers a cornucopia of a tap list filled with 16 beers made on site, an impressive feat for a smaller seven-barrel brewery. Even more astounding is just how consistent the quality of each style is when undertaking such a variety. I loved the community-driven, public house feel of the location, something Portland also prides itself in.

While we weren’t able to sample their famous Knuckle Sandwich Double IPA, their Dr. Tongue American Strong Ale and three varieties of their Black Phoenix Stout were stand-outs, especially a version casked with ghost chiles (not a quick tongue burn, more of a delayed throat burn). The biggest treat though was when Aaron shared with us his limited and until then unreleased Triple IPA, which could easily be one of the best IPAs I’ve ever had. So if you’re in Southern California, get your ass to Bootleggers – you won’t be sorry.

The third and final leg of our Orange County odyssey took us to a craft brewer with one of the largest cult statuses in the nation, The Bruery. Anyone who follows the industry closely or shops at the finest bottle shops in the land knows what glorious creations these guys crank out regularly. Their brewery/tap room lies a mile east of Bootleggers in Placentia and features nearly 30 varieties of their own beers with 10 on tap and the rest straight from the bottle. They also feature foods from local food trucks just outside their doors.

Between the 5 of us, we sampled most everything on the menu, from their famous Autumn Maple to the intense Tart of Darkness. Their focus lies more within the Saison, Sour, and other barrel-aged Belgian styles, with a known aversion to the big hopped beer trends of recent years. Those I enjoyed most included their horchata (a Latin rice milk) flavored beer aptly named Or Xata and their huge bourbon barrel-aged English Style Bois (pronounced Bwah). We were also able to meet the COO/CFO, Carl Katz, who took the time to give us a full tour of the site, including a look at where their experimental magic recipes create beer gold.

While Portland could learn something about how it doesn’t rain in Southern California, these fine purveyors of some of Orange County’s best brews are enjoying their own reign, enough so that the rest of the country should start taking notice.