Craft beer continues reign at Sonoma Raceway

The first time I visited Sonoma Raceway, for IndyCar practice last year, I was surprised by two things: 1) the quality of the beer being offered and 2) the lack of wine being sold at the track that day.

A vendor told us that the only time that wine is sold at the track is during the Historic Motorsports Festival. My father, who relocated to Wine Country to, well, drink wine, sucked it up and enjoyed a beer with me that afternoon, poor guy. But, it was a good beer: a Scrimshaw pilsner made by North Coast Brewing Company, based in Fort Bragg.

Sonoma Raceway offers some of the best beer out of any other racetrack in the United States – better than the world’s most famous racetrack, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which offers Coors Light as the beer of choice. Thankfully, the quality offerings at Sonoma Raceway will continue this summer for NASCAR, NHRA and IndyCar events.

Trailers selling draft beers will be located at Turn 9 and throughout the paddock. You can also grab a drink at TAPS, which serves beer each year next to the main grandstand.

Breweries that will sell beer at the track are: Healdsburg’s Bear Republic, Eureka’s Lost Coast, Fort Bragg’s North Coast, Concord’s Black Diamond, Davis’ Sudwerk, and Petaluma’s 101 North Brewing. Ciders may be on the agenda, also, according to the Raceway.

While the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might not serve the finest of beers, they do serve wine throughout the year – that is one step ahead of Sonoma Raceway. So c’mon, let’s get some wine to help wash down those frozen Margaritas (which are pretty darn good, I might say)!

Check out upcoming Sonoma Raceway events at racesonoma.com.