Hop off the Highway for Blue Frog’s Grog

When people think about beer made in Fairfield, they probably have in mind the huge Budweiser brewery that travelers see on the way to Lake Tahoe.

Nick Campbell has a knack for creating “big beers” with deceptively refreshing characteristics. Photo by Joel Williams

By Joel Williams
Published: February, 2008 

But that’s not the only game in town. For craft beer lovers, Blue Frog Grog & Grill is even closer to the highway, and has an excellent selection of fine craft brews. You can enjoy Blue Frog’s creations at the restaurant, or take them with you either to the mountains or your home, depending on which direction you may be heading.

Located just off of Interstate 80 at the Travis Boulevard exit, Blue Frog offers four house beers year round: a German style Hefeweizen, a Blond Ale, an India Pale Ale and a Red Ale. I found all of these beers to be well crafted and very drinkable, but the clear standout was the Blond Ale. This bold brew weighs in at just under 7% ABV, but is deceptively light and refreshing. Although there was a distinct malty flavor to this beer, I would have never guessed that the alcohol content was so high. I was not surprised, however, to find out that the Blond Ale is Blue Frog’s best selling beer; you should take care, however, if you are planning on having more than one or two of these.

Brewmaster Nick Campbell, a graduate of the American Brewers Guild, has a knack for creating big beers that don’t come off as overpowering. When I visited the brewery, there were no beers under 5% ABV, but none of the beers came across as too strong for their style. As a matter of fact, the customers at Blue Frog seem to like Campbell’s big beers better. Campbell once made a beer that would appeal to the light beer crowd, but, he told me, We couldn’t sell it to save our life. It was refreshing to hear that they don’t have to cater to people who aren’t familiar with full flavored craft beers.

You will also find one or two seasonal specialty beers available that rotate throughout the year. One of those available during my visit was the exceptional Toddy Coffee Porter, which had a very dominant and aggressive coffee flavor that worked quite well. It is made by first creating an extract using a cold coffee toddy process that requires a pound of coffee for every nine cups of water. This super-concentrated coffee mixture is then blended with the filtered Porter as it is transferred to the serving tank. I have tried many coffee flavored beers, but this has to be the boldest version I have ever had. In fact, Campbell said that he doubled the amount of coffee extract in this year’s version. This distinctive beer will probably only be around for a couple more weeks, though, so you’d better hurry if you want to check it out.

Another signature Blue Frog beer, the Big Dipa, is only available in 750 ml corked bottles. This fine example of a double IPA once again demonstrates Campbell’s skill in creating very drinkable high alcohol beers. I was very surprised at how well balanced this beer tasted. At 8.8% ABV, I expected to find some of the cloying aspects that are characteristic of Barley Wines, but that was not the case. Available at the brewery, BevMo Stores and select high-end grocery stores throughout the Bay Area, the Big Dipa is a big beer that everyone should be sure to check out.

Blue Frog Grog & Grill also has a wide selection of options for beers to take with you. All of the beers on tap are available to go in the following: half-gallon glass jugs; 2-liter German steins with porcelain tops; and 5-liter mini kegs that will easily fit in a refrigerator. All four house beers are also now available in 22 bottles at the restaurant and select stores.