# Best breweries in California, United States

> The best breweries in California, United States, ranked by the beer they brew. 860 breweries, 159 rated Great or better. Updated weekly.

*Canonical page: <https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/> · data updated 2026-09-06*

Breadcrumb: Breweries → United States → California

We track 860 breweries in California, United States. 28 rate Exceptional and 131 rate Great. everywhere in Orange leads the list at 4.79 (Exceptional).

## Ranked breweries

1. [everywhere](https://finding.beer/brewery/everywhere-26849.md) — 4.79, Exceptional — Orange, California
2. [Private Press Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/private-press-brewing-22327.md) — 4.76, Exceptional — Santa Cruz, California
3. [Sante Adairius Rustic Ales](https://finding.beer/brewery/sante-adairius-rustic-ales-312.md) — 4.74, Exceptional — Capitola, California
4. [Horus Aged Ales](https://finding.beer/brewery/horus-aged-ales-421.md) — 4.74, Exceptional — Oceanside, California
5. [Monkish Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/monkish-brewing-co-3444.md) — 4.71, Exceptional — Torrance, California
6. [North Park Beer Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/north-park-beer-company-4335.md) — 4.71, Exceptional — San Diego, California
7. [Wondrous Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/wondrous-brewing-company-23375.md) — 4.70, Exceptional — Emeryville, California
8. [Moksa Brewing Co](https://finding.beer/brewery/moksa-brewing-co-5385.md) — 4.63, Exceptional — Rocklin, California
9. [Russian River Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/russian-river-brewing-company-3665.md) — 4.63, Exceptional — Santa Rosa, California
10. [Highland Park Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/highland-park-brewery-3711.md) — 4.62, Exceptional — Los Angeles, California
11. [Green Cheek Beer Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/green-cheek-beer-company-396.md) — 4.62, Exceptional — Orange, California
12. [Slice Beer Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/slice-beer-company-19862.md) — 4.61, Exceptional — Lincoln, California
13. [Cellarmaker Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/cellarmaker-brewing-company-2496.md) — 4.60, Exceptional — San Francisco, California
14. [Bottle Logic Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/bottle-logic-brewing-265.md) — 4.60, Exceptional — Anaheim, California
15. [There Does Not Exist](https://finding.beer/brewery/there-does-not-exist-22326.md) — 4.60, Exceptional — San Luis Obispo, California
16. [Shred Beer Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/shred-beer-company-30107.md) — 4.59, Exceptional — Rocklin, California
17. [Homage Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/homage-brewing-1515.md) — 4.59, Exceptional — Pomona, California
18. [Pure Project Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/pure-project-brewing-10.md) — 4.58, Exceptional — San Diego, California
19. [Moonraker Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/moonraker-brewing-company-1562.md) — 4.58, Exceptional — Auburn, California
20. [Casa Agria Specialty Ales](https://finding.beer/brewery/casa-agria-specialty-ales-32.md) — 4.57, Exceptional — Oxnard, California
21. [Cellador Ales](https://finding.beer/brewery/cellador-ales-429.md) — 4.54, Exceptional — Torrance, California
22. [Alvarado Street Brewery](https://finding.beer/brewery/alvarado-street-brewery-3789.md) — 4.53, Exceptional — Salinas, California
23. [Humble Sea Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/humble-sea-brewing-co-3657.md) — 4.53, Exceptional — Santa Cruz, California
24. [Urban Roots® Brewing & Smokehouse](https://finding.beer/brewery/urban-roots-brewing-smokehouse-5368.md) — 4.53, Exceptional — Sacramento, California
25. [The Bruery](https://finding.beer/brewery/the-bruery-2437.md) — 4.52, Exceptional — Placentia, California
26. [AleSmith Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/alesmith-brewing-company-2041.md) — 4.47, Exceptional — San Diego, California
27. [Dionysus Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/dionysus-brewing-company-1550.md) — 4.45, Exceptional — Bakersfield, California
28. [Abnormal Beer Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/abnormal-beer-co-5297.md) — 4.44, Exceptional — San Diego, California
29. [Hanabi Lager Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/hanabi-lager-company-24801.md) — 4.71, Great — Napa, California
30. [Geisthaus Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/geisthaus-brewing-company-35351.md) — 4.61, Great — Sacramento, California
31. [Around The Horn Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/around-the-horn-brewing-company-24142.md) — 4.52, Great — Groveland, California
32. [Synth Beer Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/synth-beer-co-35840.md) — 4.46, Great — Costa Mesa, California
33. [McIlhenney Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/mcilhenney-brewing-company-24131.md) — 4.46, Great — Alpine, California
34. [Tenma Beer Project](https://finding.beer/brewery/tenma-beer-project-28733.md) — 4.44, Great — Oakland, California
35. [Ronin Fermentation Project](https://finding.beer/brewery/ronin-fermentation-project-22617.md) — 4.43, Great — Graeagle, California
36. [Metabolic Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/metabolic-brewing-co-35308.md) — 4.43, Great — Ontario, California
37. [Burning Sun Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/burning-sun-brewing-company-33285.md) — 4.42, Great — Clovis, California
38. [FiftyFifty Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/fiftyfifty-brewing-co-4480.md) — 4.41, Great — Truckee, California
39. [Seek Beer Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/seek-beer-co-27444.md) — 4.40, Great — San Diego, California
40. [Humdinger Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/humdinger-brewing-27921.md) — 4.38, Great — Arroyo Grande, California
41. [Michi Brew Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/michi-brew-co-36087.md) — 4.38, Great — San Marcos, California
42. [MachineHead Brewing Co.](https://finding.beer/brewery/machinehead-brewing-co-24091.md) — 4.37, Great — Clovis, California
43. [Burgeon Beer Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/burgeon-beer-company-3659.md) — 4.37, Great — Carlsbad, California
44. [Common Corners Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/common-corners-brewing-29972.md) — 4.36, Great — Walnut, California
45. [Cerveceria Mundial](https://finding.beer/brewery/cerveceria-mundial-21892.md) — 4.35, Great — Los Angeles, California
46. [DTSJ Brewing Co](https://finding.beer/brewery/dtsj-brewing-co-21891.md) — 4.35, Great — San Jose, California
47. [Flatland Brewing Company](https://finding.beer/brewery/flatland-brewing-company-2913.md) — 4.34, Great — Elk Grove, California
48. [ISM Brewing](https://finding.beer/brewery/ism-brewing-29971.md) — 4.33, Great — Long Beach, California
49. [Ambitious Ales](https://finding.beer/brewery/ambitious-ales-22095.md) — 4.33, Great — Long Beach, California
50. [Brews Brothers](https://finding.beer/brewery/brews-brothers-29236.md) — 4.33, Great — Burbank, California

That is the top 50 of 860. Complete list: [all 860 of them](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/all.md).

## Metro areas

- [San Diego](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/san-diego.md) — 64 breweries
- [San Francisco / Oakland](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/san-francisco-oakland.md) — 60 breweries
- [Santa Rosa](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/santa-rosa.md) — 19 breweries
- [Los Angeles](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/los-angeles.md) — 66 breweries
- [Sacramento](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/sacramento.md) — 28 breweries
- [San Luis Obispo](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/san-luis-obispo.md) — 13 breweries
- [Santa Cruz](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/santa-cruz.md) — 13 breweries
- [Napa](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/napa.md) — 14 breweries
- [San Jose](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/san-jose.md) — 21 breweries
- [Fresno](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/fresno.md) — 14 breweries
- [San Bernardino](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/san-bernardino.md) — 18 breweries
- [Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/oxnard-thousand-oaks-ventura.md) — 11 breweries
- [Vallejo-Fairfield](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/vallejo-fairfield.md) — 8 breweries
- [Visalia-Porterville](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/visalia-porterville.md) — 7 breweries
- [Chico](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/chico.md) — 8 breweries
- [Modesto](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/modesto.md) — 8 breweries
- [Bakersfield](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/bakersfield.md) — 5 breweries
- [Stockton-Lodi](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/stockton-lodi.md) — 7 breweries
- [Redding](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/redding.md) — 4 breweries
- [Salinas](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/salinas.md) — 4 breweries
- [Santa Maria-Santa Barbara](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/santa-maria-santa-barbara.md) — 3 breweries
- [El Centro](https://finding.beer/breweries/united-states/california/el-centro.md) — 21 breweries

---

Finding Beer scores breweries on the beer they brew rather than on the venue. Method: <https://finding.beer/how-we-rank.md>. Rankings by place: <https://finding.beer/breweries.md>. The iPhone app adds a live map of what is around you: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/finding-beer/id1082135126