The tap rooms and patios we know and love are closed, but the California ingenuity has kept the Silicon Valley businesses alive through nine months of closures, canceled gatherings and sky high delivery fees. So, as we collectively say goodbye to 2020, let’s do it in style with locally made brew, a preservative-free bottle of wine, a craft spirit or a perfectly mixed cocktail from one of the region’s best breweries, distilleries or restaurants. Those looking to avoid a headache on Jan. 1 can add a side of dinner to their takeout order, but don’t forget the tip.
Breweries
Rabbit’s Foot Meadery & Tasting Room
1246 Birchwood Dr, Sunnyvale; 408.747.0770
Rabbit’s Foot offers meads and hard ciders to go in flavors like peach, black cherry, orange cream and honey apple. Their ales and stouts come in crowler sizes. Pickup is noon to 6pm Wednesday to Friday and noon to 5pm Saturdays, but delivery is available to 32 states.
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
1875 S Bascom Ave STE 700, Campbell; 408.377.0707
In addition to its small-batch beers made with offbeat ingredients like mango, habanero and blood orange, this South Bay haunt also has a bigger-than-average bar menu. Open daily from 11am to 10pm.
Taplands
1171 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara; 408.709.2990
Taplands is both a brewer and bottle shop that is all about Bay Area breweries that make off-the-beaten-path, but still “top-notch,” beers. Currently about two dozen beers are on tap for pickup from 1 to 7pm Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 4pm on Sundays.
Lazy Duck Brewing
1723 Rogers Ave STE E, San Jose
Lazy Duck Brewing offers cans and bottles of beer with specialized flavors, like its candied orange quack, made with San Jose-grown oranges. T-shirts, pins and stickers are also available for pickup noon to 3pm on Saturday and Sundays.
Uproar Brewing Co.
439 S 1st St, San Jose; 408.673.2266
Uproar has three categories of beer: hoppy, hoppy, hoppy; easy drinking; or dark and special, all of it brewed in-house and for sale on-site or in stores. It’s open for pickup 4 to 6:30pm on Thursdays; 4 to 8pm Friday; and 2 to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Kelly Brewing Co.
70 E 4th St, Morgan Hill; 669.258.5900
Kelly Brewing has a dozen rotating taps of house-made beer, offering flights, six- and 12-packs as well as growlers to go. It’s open Monday and Tuesday from 2 to 7pm, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11pm and Sunday from 11am to 7pm.
Loma Brewing Co.
130 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos; 408.560.9626
This Los-Gatos-based brewery boasts 17 beers on tap ranging from IPAs to stouts and a few signature cocktails and wines. Food options range from typical bar fare to salads or a salmon burger. Online ordering is available noon to 8pm Wednesday to Sunday.
Distilleries
10th Street Distillery
10thstreetdistillery.com
2131 S 10th St, San Jose; 408.991.3448
The owners of 10th Street Distillery are engineers who say “the status quo is unacceptable.” The distillery offers a $10 flat-rate shipping on bottles priced over $50 for the holiday season. Customers can pick up in-store between 11am and 2pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
South Bay Spirits
Southbayspirits.com
695 Quinn Ave STE 2, San Jose; 408.620.4020
Have a bottle of this distillery’s signature “lawless” apple or black cherry liqueur, which is great for baking. It’s premium craft citrus vodka is also available for pickup (call in advance) or delivery. Customers can throw in a bottle of hand sanitizer while they’re at it.
Cocktails + Food
Vino Locale
vinolocale.com
431 Kipling St, Palo Alto; 650.328.0450
This European-style wine bar sells more than 40 wines by the bottle, including champagnes and dessert wines. As its name suggests, Vino Locale specializes in local wines. It’s menu includes small bites, shared plates and full entrees.
LUNA Mexican Kitchen
lunamexicankitchen.com
1875 S Bascom Ave Suite STE 570, Campbell; 408.963.6681
Luna is known for its authentic Mexican food and drinks made without additives, preservatives, cans or microwaves. Its food menu offers a big variety and the bar serves up classics like sangria, paloma and michelada. Open daily from 9am to 9pm.
Salvaje
drinksalvaje.com
369 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto; 650.433.1897
Salvaje prides themselves on selling natural, organic wines fermented with native yeasts and little or no sulfates. All prices are already marked down 30 percent, but those who like to drink in bulk can get an extra 20 percent off when ordering a full case.
The Wine Affairs
thewineaffairs.com
1435 The Alameda, San Jose; 408.977.0111
Wine Affairs, a craft beer and wine bar in the Rose Garden neighborhood, has more than 30 beers on tap and bottled, with a selection almost entirely made in California. It’s open every day except Mondays.
Wine Cellar Restaurant
winecellarlosgatos.com
50 University Ave, Los Gatos; 408.354.4808
Despite its name, the Wine Cellar has more than wine on its menu; it also serves craft cocktails, appetizers, steaks and chops. Takeout and delivery is available through DoorDash and Grubhub from 4:30 to 7:30pm Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday and 4:30 to 8pm Friday and Saturday.
The Vesper
thevespercampbell.com
394 E Campbell Ave, Campbell; 408.680.0401
The Vesper has food, but the real highlight is the cocktails, an amalgam of classics with modern twist to borderline alchemy. The bar also offers take-home kits for holiday favorites like buttered rum and mulled wine. Open from 3 to 7:30pm Wednesday to Friday and noon to 7pm on Friday and Saturday.
Sidecar
Sidecar7.com
25 E Main St, Los Gatos; 408.399.5180
Sidecar’s drinks are required to come with food to go, but all ingredients are locally sourced. Shareable plates and cocktails are available curbside. The restaurant and bar is open from 4:30 to 8pm Wednesday to Sunday. Delivery is available within four miles of the Los Gatos locale.
Mortar & Pestle Bar
Curryupnow.com
3250 Zanker Rd, San Jose; 408.770.3541
It may sound like a cliche by now, but Mortar and Pestle turned the modern-take-on-a-classic dial up to eleven with a variety of Indian street food and mad-scientist-esque cocktails. Open daily at 5pm and until 10pm Monday to Thursday, until 11pm Fridays and Saturdays and closing time is 9pm on Sundays.
Market Beer Co.
Marketbeercompany.com
100 N Almaden Ave, San Jose; 408.849.4716
Located in San Pedro Square, this local beer haven has a plethora of bottled brews running the gamut from sours and IPAs to stout and ales. Four and 12 packs are available alongside 64oz growlers. Open daily for pickup from noon to 8pm.
The Table
Thetablesj.com
1100 Willow St, San Jose; 408.638.7911
Take-home kits with the fixings to make classic cocktail staples like old fashions, martinis and mint juleps are ready to go at The Table. Shareable plates, family style portions, entrees and desserts fill out the rest of the menu. Open from 4 to 8pm Monday and Tuesday and from 9am to 8pm Wednesday to Sunday.
Orchard City Kitchen
Orchardcitykitchen.com
1875 Bascom Ave STE 190, Campbell; 408.340.5285
Although it has paired down its drink menu, this Pruneyard bar and restaurant still features wines and cocktails to-go alongside an eclectic food menu that runs the culinary spectrum from a pickled sport pepper burger to hamachi tartare. Open daily for pickup between 11am and 8pm.
Must-Sees & Events in Silicon Valley: Week of Dec. 23 
