Best Bar for Gen X – Best Neighborhood Bar (tie)
Hops and Fog Brewing Co.
511 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove.
(831) 215-1658, hopsandfog.beer
It was the Gen Xers who grew to appreciate authenticity in style and ingredients, abandoning the American cheese, TV dinners and pale lager that were the norm. Yet because they experienced the onset of digital technology, it’s a generation comfortable with change and fusion. Like stale traditional circuses gave way to the complexities of Cirque du Soleil, they adapted to more global and modern ways. Which leads them to Hops and Fog, with its ever-changing lineup of beers and the brewmaster’s willingness to both stay true to tradition (a classic altbier, for example) and play with beer genres. The brewpub’s food menu has a similar vibe, with seasonal elements, but also old-school bar fare (anchovies). All that said, Hops and Fog is not exclusive to Gen X. It has a comfortable feel, with a friendly staff and local regulars that makes it feel like a neighborhood fixture.