Faction Brewing

Alameda, CA · $$

Inebrious

Beverage Program Score

Editorial review: 2026-08-18

Editor: Micah Rousey

How we score

The editorial take

Faction Brewing is a family-run Alameda brewery opened in September 2013 by Rodger Davis and Claudia Pamparana, pouring roughly twenty drafts at once across a genuinely broad board. Rodger, a Siebel Institute of Technology-trained brewer who once led Drake's Brewing in San Leandro and Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, keeps the current list West Coast-forward: pale ales such as the Cascade-and-Simcoe A-Town Pale (Alameda only), The Penske File with Mosaic and Ekuanot, and the rotating two-hop series now on Strata and Tango; IPAs from Medusa through Summer and Gasser, the last with artwork by Stanley Mouse; a hoppy Red; and an Anomaly Milk Stout made pale but stout-flavored with TCHO cacao nibs, Zolo cold-brew coffee, star anise and lactose. The range swings further, to a Berliner Weisse with Buddha's Hand and yuzu, a Petite Saison on Hallertau Mittelfruh, an Alt Bier, an NZ Pale using Garston Hop Farm hops, an 8% Maibock, and a Woking Porter named for the English hometown of Rodger's favorite band The Jam. Tasters, pints and tulips, plus 32- and 64-ounce growlers and four-packs to go through the online store, round out the service; Claudia, who managed the bar at 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco, handles the room.

What should I order?: Start with a taster flight to map the range, since the board spans lagers, hefeweizen, pales, IPAs, a hoppy red, stouts and a saison. On a hoppy day, The Penske File is the staff-favorite West Coast pale to measure intensity, then a fuller pour of Gasser IPA if you want the bigger end. On a lighter visit, Hella Strata's modern Helles or the Woking Porter (English, named for The Jam's hometown) makes an easy contrast, and the Anomaly Milk Stout is the one to try if you want sweetness and cold-brew roast without a heavy malt bill. Take four-packs to go if a can of the current pale works for later.
Who will enjoy this place?: West Coast pale-ale and IPA drinkers who want a live, revolving board rather than a tiny flagship lineup, lager and hefeweizen fans looking for the lighter end of the range, people who like a room with real brewing pedigree, and anyone on the East Bay who wants a pour or a growler fill in a big industrial taproom with the Bay and the city running past the windows.
When should I go?: The taproom is closed Monday and Tuesday, opens 2pm Wednesday and Thursday, and runs noon to 9pm Friday and Saturday and noon to 8pm Sunday, so the weekend afternoon is the widest open window. Draft variety shifts with each rotating release, so checking the current on-draft list before heading out is more useful than chasing one fixed pour. The brewery also programs occasional evenings like its Ocean Hoptimism science talks that pair a talk with the draft list.
What should I expect to spend?: The official site does not publish item-by-item pour pricing for the taproom, so confirm current prices on the in-house list when you arrive; the menu spans roughly twenty drafts from lighter lagers to stronger IPAs and the 8% maibock, so a taster flight and a full pour land in a moderate craft-beer range. Growlers and four-packs are sold to go through the online store.
What makes the beverage program distinctive?: A family-run brewery with genuinely deep West Coast brewing credentials at the helm, pouring about twenty styles at once instead of leaning on one signature. Rodger Davis trained at the Siebel Institute and ran Drake's and Triple Rock before opening Faction, and the current board shows that range, from an Alameda-only pale and a Garston Hop Farm NZ Pale to an Anomaly Milk Stout built on TCHO cacao, Zolo cold-brew coffee and star anise, all served as tasters, pints, growlers and cans in a large former Alameda Point taproom.

Beverage categories

We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.

Beer

A broad, current, West Coast-forward program of roughly twenty drafts, from corn-forward industrial lager and Strata-hopped Helles through multiple pales and IPAs to a pale milk stout, Buddha's Hand Berliner weisse, Garston Hop Farm NZ Pale, maibock, English porter and nitro Irish stout, run by a Siebel Institute-trained brewer.

Menu strengths

— Genuine West Coast institutional pedigree: head brewer and co-owner Rodger Davis trained at Siebel Institute and led Drake's Brewing and Triple Rock Brewery
— Unusually broad live board that swings from light lagers and hefeweizen to strong pale collab, hoppy red, milk stout, saison and an 8% maibock rather than one signature style
— Current, expressive touches on the list, including Anomaly's pale-but-stout build on TCHO cacao and Zolo cold-brew plus star anise, Buddha's Hand yuzu Berliner weisse, and a Garston Hop Farm NZ Pale

Standout selections

— A-Town Pale — West Coast Pale Ale with Cascade, Simcoe and Centennial, noted as available only in Alameda, 5.7% ABV
— The Penske File — West Coast Pale dry-hopped with Mosaic and Ekuanot, the listed staff favorite, 5.8% ABV
— Gasser IPA — West Coast IPA with Super Sauvin, Nelson, Citra and Mosaic, with artwork by Stanley Mouse, 6.9% ABV
— Anomaly Milk Stout — pale in color but stout in aroma and flavor, with TCHO cacao nibs, Zolo cold-brew coffee, star anise and lactose, 6.5% ABV

Pricing: Pour prices are not itemized on the official site; confirm current per-pour prices on the in-house list. Draft service covers tasters, pints and tulips with 32- and 64-oz growler fills, and four-packs are sold to go through the online store.

How it sits with the food

Faction is a taproom rather than a kitchen venue, so food is bring-your-own or snack-led. The crisp Helles and light lagers cut through salty and fried snacks, the West Coast pales and IPAs pair with spicy or hop-friendly bites, the Woking Porter and hoppy Red carry smoked or grilled food, and the Anomaly Milk Stout and maibock are best treated as their own rounds. Growlers let you take the right pour home to match a full meal.

Inebrious does not score kitchens, food or the restaurant overall. We review the beverage program only.

Community reviews

Anyone with a free Inebrious account can rate the drinks here. Community ratings are kept entirely separate from the Inebrious editorial score above.

No community reviews yet. Be the first to write one.