Now Reviewing: Ale Industries

Hey hey hey!!! I'm back! I know it's been a while since I've been Happy Hour hopping but I'm back. I put out a hooty hoo to folks for some happy hour recommendations (and I'm still looking), but didn't get much response. Tis okay. I did a little research and settled on an establishment close to home, Ale Industries. I recently had some positive experiences with cider and hoped that the positive experiences would continue.


I had previously been to AI for the going away party for a classmate in early May. I figured I would give it another chance during the summer. AI is steps away from the Fruitvale BART station, which makes getting to it convenient, but can also make parking a challenge. In theory I could have walked there, but with today's humidity, walking wasn't it.


When you walk into AI, you see barrels and the pool table. There are barstools, a long table and leather chairs for people to use. Today when I walked in there were a couple of dogs, which was a red flag. I'm not much of a dog person and I certainly feel that there is a time and place for dogs. The bar and the coffee shop are not those places. According to their website, they had a bottle sale tonight. Happy Hour for AI is on Mondays.


I found a high table towards the middle of the room, that gave me good access to the bar. After reviewing the menu, I tasted the Crooked City Cider, which was underwhelming to me. I later settled on Mosc-Ale Mule and a La Nina Fresa, with some (unlimited) pretzels to snack on. The bartender rubbed me the wrong way. She felt the need to "correct" me when ordering my Mule, another red flag. (I said I'll try the drink and she said that I would have to order it because they don't give samples...okay. No, she wasn't wrong, but yes there was) The Mule was quite tasty and the pretzels complemented it well. The La Nina on the other hand didn't tickle my fancy. The two drinks and the pretzels cost $13 which isn't too bad of a price point.


But, I couldn't really enjoy my experience at AI. The dogs were just too much of a distraction for me. They started barking and it just wasn't the experience I was looking for. The venue itself wasn't super packed, nor did it have a good vibe. Just because it wasn't a good for me, doesn't mean that it's not a good place. It's probably better suited for groups of folks who enjoy beer.


Until next time....cheers!