By Michael Messina

I am a beer drinker. I like the tastes and aesthetic qualities that make up a good pint of ale, lager, porter, whatever. I got a book on beer for Christmas one year, but that doesn’t make me a connoisseur or beer professor by any means. For example, picking out subtle notes of exotic spices is not something I pride myself on, but I do appreciate the way a beer smells as I drink it.

Begrudgingly, my personal taste tends to conflict with a few of the mainstream brews that we promote as “union made” here at Labor 411. Will I drink a Budweiser or Miller? Of course, when the situation is right, like if it’s ice-cold and I’m floating down the river with the sun scorching and my cares to the wind, or if I’m washing down a salty hot dog at the ball park. On those occasions I’m game, but when I’m out with my buds (pun definitely intended) I prefer to have the barmaid draw me a pint with more of a micro-brew personality.

And as they say, to each his own, but I’ve seen a healthy response of enthusiastic opinions (to put it kindly) on Facebook that calls for a better variety in our union-made beer list.

So we added some.

That’s right, Labor 411 recently updated one of its most popular lists. Brands just added to the union-made family include the Mendocino Brewing Company and its hawk-themed beers, and the Pyramid Brewery. Members work at the Ukiah, CA brewery for Mendocino, the Berkeley, CA brewery for Pyramid, and are members of Teamsters Local 896.

I bought a six pack of the Black Hawk Stout in order to complete the research portion of this project and was not disappointed. Try a few yourself and give us your review in the comments section.

Mendocino Brewing Co.:

Red Tail Ale
Blue Heron Pale Ale
Peregrine Pilsner
Eye of the Hawk
Black Hawk Stout
White Hawk Select IPA
Mendocino Imperial IPA, Barley Wine Ale, and Stout
Black Eye Ale
Talon Extra Select Double IPA
Butte Creek Organic Collection – Pale Ale, Porter, IPA, Pilsner
Honey Amber Rose
Carmel Wheat Beer

Pyramid:

Hefeweizen
Apricot Ale
Thunderhead IPA
Outburst Imperial IPA
Wheaten IPA
Weiss Cream

To see the rest of our beer list click here.